Weekend Meanderings … Lip Color, Bubbles, Books & My Favorite Sandal

Happy Weekend, Friends!

It’s been a week since Kyle and Melody’s wedding!

What an amazing wedding it was …

I’m still coming down to earth after all the excitement.

Spoiler alert … everything was perfect.

And that’s all I’ll say for now.

I posted quite a few Instagram stories and saved them to highlights.

Wedding post coming soon.

Stay tuned.

This post includes affiliate links for your convenience at no additional cost to you. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Today I’m joining Kim and Elizabeth for our weekly roundup.

You can a breath a sigh of relief, none of my picks are wedding related!

Earlier in the week Elizabeth said how hard it is to write about food, books, etc.

while the war in Ukraine continues to take precious lives.

I feel the same and I know Kim does too.

What’s the right answer, how to strike the right balance?

I don’t know.

I’ve been following Ron Filipkowki’s morning routine (Twitter 3/9/22)

Morning Routine:

1. Wake Up

2. Check on Zelensky

3. Get Coffee

Or, in my case, cocoa.

And continue to pray, donate, and stay informed.

Putin’s Road to War, a Frontline documentary, airs this week.

Let’s get to the matter at hand.

You may notice a little French influence today.

JACK ROGERS SANDALS

With the time change and warmer weather, it’s time to break out the spring and summer sandals. My favorite sandal of all time is the Classic Jack by Jack Rogers. Created by Jacqueline Kennedy’s Palm Beach cobbler after she brought a pair of similar sandals home from a trip to Capri. And now there’s the Jack II, in the classic style, with a cushioned footbed and non-slip sole. I wore a gold pair to the wedding after-party and danced the night away!  I also have Classics in a two tone neutral, monogramed blue and white and I’d love this pair in cork. Beautifully made, iconic and reasonably priced. They come in tons of colors, and, for me, they fit true to size. Dress them up, dress them down, you can’t go wrong with Jack Rogers sandals.

It just so happens that the week I’m featuring Jack Rogers is also their 62^nd birthday celebration sale. Use Code: 1960 for 30% off through March 23^rd.

 

SIX CALIFORNIA KITCHENS: A COLLECTION OF RECIPES, STORIES AND COOKING LESSONS FROM A PIONEER OF CALIFORNIA CUISINE

I planned to mention this book next month closer to it’s release  date. It’s available for pre-order now. Sadly, the author, Sally Schmitt, died last week so now feels like the right time. You can read about her life here.

Did you know that Thomas Keller isn’t the founder of The French Laundry … the famed, impossible-to-get-into Napa Valley restaurant? What?! No, the restaurant was founded by Don and Sally Schmitt. Chef Keller bought it from the Schmitt’s in 1994. Sally, founder, and original chef wrote a cookbook, and it sounds amazing.

Sally Schmitt opened The French Laundry in Yountville in 1978 and designed her menus around local, seasonal ingredients—a novel concept at the time.

In this soon-to-be-classic cookbook, Sally Schmitt takes us through the six kitchens where she learned to cook, honed her skills, and spent her working life. Six California Kitchens weaves her remarkable story with 115 recipes that distill the ethos of Northern California cooking into simple, delicious dishes, plus evocative imagery, historic ephemera, and cooking wisdom.

With gorgeous food and sense-of-place photography, this is a masterful, story-rich cookbook for home and aspiring chefs who cook locally and seasonally, food historians, fans of wine country, and anyone who wants to bring the spirit of Northern California home with them.

I’m embarrassed to tell you I’ve never eaten at The French Laundry. It’s been on my list of things to do since forever. You can preorder Sally’s book now for delivery April 5^th. I just did.

 

GLO SKIN BEAUTY LIP CRAYONS

An esthetician introduced me to Glo’s lip crayon several years ago. She was trying to make me look presentable before I left her salon. Amazingly, the color stayed in place all day. A rarity and I’ve been devoted ever since. I love the Suede Matte Crayon in Trademark and just purchased the Cream Glaze Crayon in Chiffon. The crayon glides on and stays in place much longer than any other lipstick I’ve used. And I’ve tried a lot. I’m a huge fan.

Glo’s website says their makeup is antioxidant rich, mineral based, talc free, ‘consciously clean’ and cruelty free. I use Glo’s Tinted Primer in Light and Powder Blush in Melody (haha that’s my new daughter-in-law’s name) too! You can buy Glo makeup and skincare online and it’s also carried in spas and salons.

 

THE ROAD TO LE PAPILLON

This is the book I planned to talk about this week, The Road to Le Papillon: Daily Meditations on True Contentment. The author, Shannon Ables, is founder of the sublime blog (and podcast), The Simply Luxurious Life. I’ve followed Shannon’s blog for at least ten years and recently became a top tier member. It’s so fun to be in on her exclusive content which includes behind the scenes looks at La Papillon, her home in Bend, Oregon. I love it when people name their homes, don’t you? Shannon, a recently retired school teacher, loves all things French … and British. She hosts annual French and British weeks on her blog, which is so fun. As well as a cooking show from her newly renovated kitchen with its pretty, blue La Cornue range.

“Living simply luxuriously is for you if you are seeking a life of quality over quantity in every arena of your life, and if by chance you are a Francophile or an Anglophile, just as I am, you are going to be in for a very special treat, as much of my inspiration comes from my time traveling and studying in France and Britain. But don’t worry, you don’t have to be enamored by France or Britain to live simply luxuriously. If you simply want to live a life that eliminates what is unnecessary and elevates what is a priority all the while earning an everyday income, you have found your home.” ~Shannon Ables

The paperback is available now. I ordered the hardcover which will arrive in early April. As a top tier member of Shannon’s blog, I received a little swag including this cute notepad, bookmark and signed bookplate.

This is Shannon’s third book. I enjoyed the first two and can’t wait for The Road to Le Papillon to arrive!

 

FRENCH BUBBLE CLUB

Do you like bubbles? I like bubbles. I’m referring to champagne, of course. Or sparkling wine. But today I’m talking about champagne. French champagne. Ou la la. Later today I’ll make the short trip to Sonoma to retrieve my quarterly bubbles from the Chateau Sonoma French Bubble Club. The Club offers three bottles of French champagne, four times a year, selected by Matthew Gaughan, a wine educator (aka wine geek), from small production, boutique producers. Being part of a wine club is fun, especially a club that offers wines from different producers, so you won’t get bored. Jim enjoys it too and will happily accompany me to Sonoma this afternoon for pick up. While there we’ll have lunch, walk around the Plaza, and reminisce about our happy 16 years living in the wine country.

Speaking of shopping, Chateau Sonoma is one of the best shops on Sonoma Plaza. Celebrating the French way of life there are so many beautiful things available from books to candles to unique gifts and vintage pieces. Check out this video from Sarah the proprietress. Sarah hosts an Instagram Live cocktail hour on Friday’s at 5:00pm (PDT). Hmmmm … she might be onto something!

As for the French Bubble Club, it will open to new members next quarter. You can learn more about it here.

Now let’s see what Kim and Elizabeth are sharing this week.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA STYLE

PINECONES & ACORNS

As always, I appreciate your visit and welcome your thoughts in the comments below.

Happy Weekend and Cheers from Snowberry!