Set Up Shop

I often say nothing beats real mail, but unexpected, glowing press on my new business landing in my Inbox trumps all—especially when it comes from the gals behind Houston Tidbits. Tidbits has the inside scoop on must-dos around town, and this Tuesday I'm ecstatic to be a vendor at their first-ever Tidbits Sale. Snag a ticket, drop by, grab some grub and kick-start your holiday shopping with one-of-a-kind pieces you won't meet coming and going. And if you're extra eager to shop till you drop, head outdoors and join the masses this weekend at The Urban Market. Houston Galleria, eat your heart out.

Boy, Oh Boy

What started as a small break from the computer unintentionally turned into a sabbatical blog leave, and my world has changed tenfold in the process. In January we moved from our overseas adventure back to Texas. And what better time to have returned because in June we welcomed our first child, Ory James. Life couldn't be sweeter!

I also started a textile business, Mela & Roam, selling exclusive handcrafted linens discovered during my Southeast Asia travels. Having gone into labor two weeks early, the website is temporarily filled with quick snapshots of just a smidgen of my inventory. Each 'dohar' and throw is one-of-a-kind, so documenting every piece is a slow process when the tiny lips above need constant smoochin'. I love being able to share part of my travels and found pieces through Mela & Roam, and the blankets—ranging in size from Baby to King—have been incredibly well received; I can hardly keep them in stock!


Malaysia taught me a great deal about seizing every possible moment, accepting [and loving!] change, and adapting no matter what life throws your way. Detaching from a computer for, oh, so long allowed me to focus less on 'reporting' and more on actual living. I'm still learning how to juggle baby, business and blog, but I'm doing my best to live in the present if nothing else.

So This is Christmas

My friend is traveling Germany fulfilling a lifelong wish: to experience Berlin's Charlottenburg Schloss Christmas Market. She emailed this photo and I instantly felt a holiday rush like no other! Is there any better time of year?

Case Goods

I've made the switch from paperbacks to pixels, and I'm sold by how quickly I can coast through verbose books. Unfortunately for aesthetes there are few well-designed Kindle cases on the market, but these five options welcome being judged by their covers.

[1] Beautiful Skin Leather and Lace; [2] J.J. Boyles Monogrammed Leather; [3] Moleskin Reporter-Style; [4] Hard Graft XII Wool Case; [5] DVF Canvas Clutch.

Leafy Greens

I love stumbling upon random photos that share a common thread. My recent finds err on the side of towering, textural, leafy greens.

[Mischa Barton in Elie Saab; Karl Fritsch emerald ring; Tartine's Late Summer Chicory Salad.]

Sunny Side

I often ramble about being a stranger to cool fronts, coats and boots. Malaysia always has sunshine, even when it's masked by cursory rain. So while Stateside family and friends are reveling in dropping temps, we're still enduring heat. This is certainly not a complaint, it's just a way to say I'm greeting the weekend bikini-clad and dancing to cheery tunes. Happy Friday!

Sit Pretty

A quick glance at the images amassed on my computer's desktop, it's evident I'm on a chair/seating fixation.

[photos via Rue, Lonny, Garden & Gun, Erin Martin and Justin Coit.]

Wax Lyrical

My obsession for textiles is no secret, and perhaps one of the best parts of living in Southeast Asia is being surrounded by ethnic batik, ikat and hand-embroidered fabrics. I just finished a 3-day batik painting class and now have even more appreciation for the tedious process that uses a manual wax-resist dyeing technique. When researching ideas for my class I discovered Toronto based artist Gabrielle LaSporte. I love her spin on batik, taking a traditional process and transforming it into modern, fine art with loads of character.

Skin and Bones

Warning: If raw meat gives you the heebie-jeebies, ignore this post entirely. 'Boning' is not for the faint of heart, as I quickly learned.

Because misery really does love company, friends and I often gather to master complicated culinary techniques. In the past we've baked macaroons, home-cured salt pork and, most recently, boned chickens à la Chef Jacques Pepin. By the way, why isn't the term deboning?

The first round of gutting took an hour to complete and was filled with girly shrieks of both disgust and conquest. The second round was done in 25 minutes. We dubbed ourselves the Julia's of Malaysia; we may have gotten cocky.

After boning we made chicken ballotines by stuffing the birds with sausage, apples and sage. Cue more high-fiving and celebratory toasting because stuffing meat with more meat is downright thrilling.


The laborious process was worth every bit of the blood, sweat and near tears. And upon completion you forget having to 'pop' a spongy vein from the chicken's neck overzealously declare the next mission to be a Turduken. Who says being a lady of leisure is all sunbathing and cocktails? Well, maybe the cocktail part is true...

Sausage, Apple and Sage Stuffed Boneless Whole Chicken

1 chicken

1 lb (450 g) pork sausage meat [We made our own using this recipe.]
3 apples, peeled and chopped
2 onions, finely chopped
1 cup celery, finely chopped
1 tbsp sage, chopped
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
3 cups fresh breadcrumbs
1 tbsp olive oil
2 - 3 eggs
salt and pepper

Bone your chicken. Earn the right to curse and drink. A lot.

Heat oil in a large saucepan and cook sausage meat until it has browned, breaking the meat up with a fork while cooking. Drain the meat juices and fat, leaving ¼ of a cup of the juices in the pan to saute the vegetables in. Transfer the cooked sausage meat to a large mixing bowl.

Fry the chopped apples, celery and onion in saucepan with the sausage meat drippings for about 10 minutes or until ingredients are fairly soft. Remove from heat and add to the sausage meat along with the breadcrumbs, parsley, sage, salt and pepper. Mix all ingredients well. Add the two beaten eggs, mix thoroughly to bind and fill the bird's body cavity.

Truss boned and stuffed chicken and bake in a 350ºF oven for 1 hour 30 minutes until the internal temperature registers just under 180ºF. Baste often and keep an eye on the skin to make sure it doesn't burn; I placed foil over the pan for half of the cooking time.

[photos by Ann Kaufman.]

Live and Learn

I'm a firm believer in learning something new every day. Especially when it's trivial knowledge that comes in the form of a daily calendar. I have no idea whether these factoids are, in fact, true, but it doesn't even matter. I laugh and smile at the silly little drawings and my day is instantly brighter.

Dip-Dye

Not a new trend by any means, but I adore the ombré hair movement that's still making waves throughout Hollywood. The graduation of colors from dark to light is both playful and edgy, and has me contemplating whether or not to subtly dip my own tresses.

[Photos via WhoWhatWear, The Cherry Blossom Girl, People and Refinery29.]

To Go

Lonely Planet’s Top 10 Foodie Holidays is a gourmand's ultimate checklist. While I'm proud of my appetite for having feasted on 3 of the 10 dishes [New Orleans gumbo, NYC hot dogs and Malaysia's nasi goreng], I can't help but crave the rest. Next month I'm heading to Mumbai and fully intend to fill my fourth spot with the touted curry. What other meals would you include on this savory list?

Tapas in Barcelona, Spain
Doner kebab in Istanbul, Turkey
Pasta in Naples, Italy
Steamed dumplings in Shanghai, China
Feijoada in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Gumbo in New Orleans, USA
Couscous in Casablanca, Morocco
Nasi Goreng in Penang, Malaysia
Curry in Mumbai, India
Hot dog in New York City, USA[Photos via Lonely Planet, Perfect Travel, Italian Wars and Genuine Escapism.]