Infusing grandeur into otherwise drab Monday mornings with five things/ideas/events for the week:

I.  Two of my favorite people in the world recently moved to San Francisco from the East Coast - my childhood friend Jon and his nine-year-old son, Levi.  I was excited to show-off my culinary moxie when the handsome duo stopped by for dinner over the weekend.  While it seems that cooking for kids should be easy, unusual flavors like goat cheese and black truffle repel tiny palates.  Though the majority of my fare leans toward comfort food, it turns out that most of the recipes are laden with unfriendly ingredients.  To remedy this, I made roast lemon chicken sans lemon and chocolate layer cake with vanilla buttercream.  The simplicity of the flavors were both delicious and Levi-approved! 

II.  On the topic of opulence escaping youth, a friend recently sent me a blog lamenting the wildly ostentatious Restoration Hardware Baby & Child collection.  Aptly titled Warped Childhood, author Lindsay Ferrier’s article perfectly captures how ridiculous (and dangerous) most of the designs are for children.  I couldn’t stop laughing at the snarky reviews of lavish chandeliers and tufted cribs.  

III.  While exorbitantly-priced decor for tots is a source of humor, there is nothing funny about legendary designer Oscar de la Renta’s interiors collection.  Influenced by bold florals and exotic cloths from his atelier, ODLR teamed up with Lee Jofa to produce a mesmerizing display of decadence for your home.  I’m particularly excited to use the Kublai Khan print in green and berry for my Tahoe project.

IV.  There’s nothing better than summer nights spent with friends and family.  While the plethora of barbecues, firepit s'mores, and evening swims are more than adequate to keep me a happy girl - I decided to do a little research to find out what else I should be doing after the sun sets this season.  I was thrilled to find out that the Mark Hopkins hotel in San Francisco is hosting a series of wine tasting and classic movie-nights for free.  Find me at the Pretty Woman and Cline Viognier pairing July 29th.

V.  I love a chic bikini coverup as much as the next girl, but the practicality of the often-ornate designs leaves something to be desired when alternating between the pool and chaise lounge. Lighter than a bulky towel and easier to slip in and out of than an embellished tunic, these gorgeous over-sized scarves by Diane Katz are the ideal alternative.

Have a wonderful week!  xx tt