french riviera day 1: exploring nice

{a beautiful building facing the ocean}

{beach umbrellas}

{castel plage = beach castle}

{nice's rock shore}

{watching the sunset with my handsome husband}

a week in the french riviera

each day this week, I'll be posting photos from our trip to the côte d'azur. hope you enjoy!

{on the train on our way into the french riviera}

breakfast club friday

because everybody at my office loves food, last year we started "breakfast club friday". the rules are simple. one person brings breakfast for the group. there are about 25 of us, so each person ends up only bringing food about twice a year. breakfast can be homemade or store bought, just as long as it's food. we've had everything from sausage casseroles & homemade cinnamon buns to whataburger taquitos & cold pizza with beer. no joke. we work in advertising, after all. 

it was robert's turn this past friday, so he tried something new: giada de laurentis' lemon & basil eggs over foccacia. the recipe is simple:

1. hollow out your bread loaf (our local bakery was out of foccacia, so robert used a french loaf instead).

2. brush it with a lemon & olive oil mixture & bake for a few minutes.

3. pour egg, basil, cheese, salt & pepper & milk mixture (he made one with ham) in the bread.

4. bake until the eggs have cooked, about 40 minutes.

it was quite a hit & really simple. we'll definitely be making this more often at our house. you can find giada's detailed recipe here. 

liberty of london for target

have you guys been digging the liberty of london line for target this season? I'm personally not a huge fan, but I did purchase this adorable printed romper. it'll be perfect to wear around the house or as a swimsuit cover-up this summer.

inspired by: alice's wonderland

I finally watched tim burton's film, alice in wonderland, in 3d (definitely the way you should see it!). and while the film itself isn't burton's best, it is certainly beautiful to watch, full of bold colors and whimsy. the movie inspired me to put together my interpretation of the film.

calligraphy bed, $2,498. ace of spade cufflinks, $29. jaxson victorian top hat, $69. peter golden tail ring, $15. heart hair clips, $3. skeleton key bottle opener, $12. show me the bunny vase, $55. silk-cotton blue day dress, $350. tea party candelabra, $398. spot of tea teapot, $90. goldplated quartz pocket watch, $107.

chocolate guinness cake

when I heard nigella lawson on npr describing her chocolate guinness cake, I knew I had to try it out for st. patty's day.  it was surprisingly delicious, with a hint of guinness flavor. I iced the top only so that it would resemble a pint of guinness. I might just make this a tradition every st. patrick's day.                                                                                                                    

chocolate guinness cake by nigella lawson

ingredients for the cake:

1 cup guinness
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups superfine sugar
3/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

ingredients for the frosting:

8 oz  cream cheese
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar (sifted)
1/2 cup heavy cream

preheat the over to 350 F, and butter and line a 9 inch springform pan.

pour the guinness into a large wide saucepan, add the butter and heat until the butter's melted. next, whisk in the cocoa and sugar. beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and then pour into the pan. after that is mixed, whisk in the flour and baking soda. make sure all the lumps are out.

pour the cake batter into the greased and lined pan and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. let cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack.

to make the frosting, lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sift the confectioner's sugar and then beat them both together.

add the cream and beat again until it makes a spreadable consistency. ice the top of the cake so that it resembles the frothy top of a pint of guinness.

Makes about 12 slices

trader joe's

you know you live in a real city when you've got a trader joe's. a trip to atlanta wouldn't be complete without stocking up on all the tj's essentials... cereal, yogurt-covered pretzels, cuban black beans, trader giotto's olive oil & peanut butter cups. maybe one day our city will be cool-enough to have one.                                                                                                                                     

what are your favorite trader joe's products?