Grilled Cheese Invitational

Who knew people would show up in droves for the most classic of sammich grilling competitions?



Certainly not me. I had no idea when I woke up to a beautiful Southern California Saturday morning that I would be standing in line for hours simply for the chance to vote on the best Grilled Cheese sammich ever. I stood among thousands of Angelenos willing to walk into the cage of toasty cheese, butter and bread – to revel in the fanatics striving for the perfect toast-iness, the right combination of chees-iness, and the complete satisfaction of watching people enjoy their sumptuous feast – all to win the coveted cheesy trophy.





I walked away from this fabulous event in awe of the many chefs and their amazing concoctions, and a little more crispy (having outlasted my sunscreen).

Spring!

I love it! I absolutely love it!

Recently I came across these incredible cloth napkins at Pottery Barn. I'm always searching for inspiration – photographs, graffiti, art, people, music, movies – anything, everything, I'm always looking at the world around me. I catalog what I find deep in my subconscious to pull from when I'm in need of a little something different. A couple of days ago I fell in love with a couple of napkins!

Let's just suffice it to say I have a futon/sofa that looks as if it was flipped end-over-end through the one puddle that could be found in LA (moving, while hilarious, was rough on the futon/sofa)– it was in desperate need of a new cover. Sounds easy enough right? Here's the thing, I have a ton of color in my house. I have a huge floor rug that is made of some of the brightest most brilliant colors and a large focal painting that's lime green – that's just scratching the surface. Finding a cover for the futon/sofa is something I've been working on since "The Great Move" in October.

The style and colors of the napkins inspired my new sofa fabric and colors. A vintage feel with a modern flair defines my "new" living room.

Happy People

Have you noticed, every so often, someone comes into your life who completely changes your outlook? You know what I'm talking about – that one person who views life just a little differently than the rest of us? Maybe it's a little brighter, a little more open, a little more humorous?

Over the past couple of months, I've been challenged to see things differently and I am incredibly thankful. My view of the world has been brighter, my inclination to laugh more often, my ability to accept things as they are has been nudged aside for wonder in what could be. I've stopped trying to do "what's right" or "what's expected" and started doing what feels right and often challenges expectations.

When did we stop wondering and questioning what we were told?

When did we stop viewing the world through the eyes of a child? Asking endless questions and delighting in the answers?

When did we shelve our imagination and let the dust begin to collect?

Thank you just doesn't express the depth of my gratitude or the magnitude of the impact on my life – but those are the only words I can find.

Thank you…

I'm going to go break out the crayons now.

a name + a start

Welcome to Sesame+Poppy.

Why, you might ask? Well, have you ever thought about the word sesame? I realized last weekend on a family trip that I love the word sesame. Something about it reminds me of being a child. Perhaps it sounds somewhat quirky or seems to inspire magic – it's just a great word. And I love poppies. Poppies embody delicacy in bright bold demanding colors. They exude elegance and are amazingly approachable. I love them both so why not put them together?

What's this blog about? I don't know, we'll all have to wait and see.