Tag Archives: Monin

Romance & Roses

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Slim Paley photo.

“Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but looking outward together in the same direction” Antoine De Saint-Expery

 

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It’s Smoochie Smoochie Time again…no, Silly, not The Grammys-I’m talking about kissing on the LIPS!

Valentine’s Day Tomorrow!!


What Lips My Lips Have Kissed

by Edna St. Vincent Millay

What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why,
I have forgotten, and what arms have lain
Under my head till morning; but the rain
Is full of ghosts tonight, that tap and sigh
Upon the glass and listen for reply;
And in my heart there stirs a quiet pain
For unremembered lads that not again
Will turn to me at midnight with a cry.
Thus in the winter stands a lonely tree,
Nor knows what birds have vanished one by one,
Yet know its boughs more silent than before:
I cannot say what loves have come and gone;
I only know that summer sang in me
A little while, that in me sings no more.

 

Sigh.


Let’s stroll down a romantic path together, shall we?


What’s your favourite romantic restaurant ? What foods spell ‘Sensuous’ to you?


Your most treasured romantic novel?


Mine is;

“To him she seemed so beautiful, so seductive, so different from ordinary people, that he could not understand why no one was as disturbed as he by the clicking of her heels on the paving stones, why no one else’s heart was wild with the breeze stirred by the sighs of her veils, why everyone did not go mad with the movements of her braid, the flight of her hands, the gold of her laughter. He had not missed a single one of her gestures, not one of the indications of her character, but he did not dare approach her for fear of destroying the spell.”  Gabriel Garcia Marquez

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Slim Paley photo

 

What about a film, flower or song?


Where’s the most romantic place you’ve ever been, or dream of going?!

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Herewith, a few images and some of my picks;

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Oak Alley, Louisiana- that’s Romance for me.





One of my favourite songs about LOVE (And played at our wedding :) )

Let’s Stay Together  

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Romantic Roses in my garden

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“Sofia” is a nice, light, inexpensive Rose’ in a very pretty bottle

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“LOVE” by Kilian.

A seductive blend of neroli, orange blossom, jasmine, rose & vanilla

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My friends Dani & Bill Hahn’s magical rose farm in Carpinteria, CA; ROSE STORY FARM

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Rose Story Farm

(spot the kitty- distant kin of our cat :) )

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Fun reference book by Diane Ackerman- I love her books

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Beautiful little arrangements for a Father & Daughter event created by TOAST, Santa Barbara

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i love you cards- check out their cute site here

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“The Lover”  A steamy, sensuous feast of a film

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And for sensuous food…pretty much anything that involves white truffles gets a big pungent thumbs up from moi.  Quite honestly- just bury me with a good bottle of fresh white truffle salt (but make sure it’s pure, no “Essence of” stuff- Could there be anything worse than heading off into The Afterlife with an aftertaste? You have to think of these things…)


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Ultra long stemmed red roses from Toast, Santa Barbara

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One of The most Romantic Gardens I’ve ever been to, NINFA, outside of Rome

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Robert Longo Rose Print

 

 

Unison Heart ornaments on sale now here

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A single votive illuminates a friend’s fahboolus rose photo printed coffee table

 

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Dior Couture 2011

How do I count the ways I love  thee, John Galliano??

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Slim Paley “Shake It” photo

 

 

photo via Lola’s

 

A Rose is a Rose (by any other name) Martini

In a shaker filled with ice ..
2 parts Capt Morgan Spiced Rum
2 splashes Rose Le Sirop de Monin
1 part of fresh pear juice
Shake vigorously and pour into a chilled champagne glass. Fill the glass to the top with rose petals .. which are completely edible and quite simply .. gorgeous. enjoy

(Recipe courtesy of Lola’s)

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‘Le Sirop Monin’ mixed with champagne, yesterday afternoon…  For the sake of THE BLOG, People

 

 

 

PS. So I cheated and used a camellia petal because I didn’t have pear juice or roses in bloom right now-  not poisonous, right?

It’s been almost 24 hours now…

So far, I’m feeling OK.

 

 

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This Cherry Bomb cupcake from Whodidly Cupcakes, Montecito, CA. made me feel even better :)

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Wishing you a LOVEly Valentine’s Day and if you’re up for a Grammy Good Luck !!


xoxox

 

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Violet Frame of Mind

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This is the violet hour, the hour of hush and wonder, when the affections glow again and valor is reborn, when the shadows deepen magically along the edge of the forest and we believe that, if we watch carefully, at any moment we may see the unicorn.

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– Bernard DeVoto “The Hour”

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I’m in a violet frame of mind.  I must already be craving a brief visual respite from all the earthy tones of this season…

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and I was just thinking the other day, after looking at some of the new collections for Spring 2010, how sad it is that the ethereal, whimsical beauty of Christian Lacroix Couture is no more.  Just knowing all that beauty was out there somewhere in the world could take me to a Happy Place. Sniff.  A single tear just fell into my Ugg.

Best have a Martini …

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Violet infusion Martini

1,5 cl Monin Violet Syrup
4,5 cl Vanilla Vodka or Rum
Shake with ice until cold. Strain into a chilled martini glass.
Garnish with violet petals or mint leaves.

(what’s cl stand for BTW?  not a clue)


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recipe_violetspritzer

Violet Spritzer

Ingredients

15ml Monin Violet Syrup
20ml Monin Violet Liqueur
10ml Monin Vanilla Liqueur
A squeeze of lime
Soda, chilled
Method

Combine all ingredients into tall glass. Top up with chilled soda water.

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2233Do you remember the delightful colour of this gum from when you were a child?  And how the idea of it was always much better than the taste, which was disturbingly similar to your Grandmother’s perfumed soap? Still,  it was great for licking and then applying a light berry stain to 12 year old lips in the days when an entire summer allowance wouldn’t have bought one lipstick from “By Terry”.

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crisnotti_2077_56140667Cris Notti Silk Sleep Masks Click here These pure silk sleeping masks are the best, MOST comfortable sleeping masks I have ever tried.  They are so soft, so big, and most importantly for travel, they don’t leave any unsightly marks or ridges on your face, even on long flights.  Plus they have tons of different ones to choose from, all in gorgeous silk, so you may don a kimono print on your way to Tokyo or leopard print to…Vegas??

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For Medicinal Uses for Violets (other than martinis) click here

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Chocolate, Violet, Carrot

playing with fire and water CLICK HERE

In searching for a photo of violets in snow ( I seem to remember an old perfume by that name) I came across this AMAZING blog called “playing with fire and water”.  PLEASE check it out by clicking on the link above.  I don’t know who this woman is, but she is SO talented!   OMG- wait til you see HER OWN photographs of her food (She is a free-lance chef based in Connecticut) Not only am I gobsmacked by the blog, I’m wondering how I can have such an instant love/hate relationship with someone I’ve never met.  Keep in mind, when you get to the site, that even the  blossomed branches at the top of the page are edible- made of goat cheese on little crackers.   Check it out and join me in feeling terrible about yourself !!  I’d love to know what you think.

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Violet Perfumes




And the next time you find yourself in NY, don’t forget to visit the new Frederic Malle shop on upper Madison Ave.  It’s great, especially the perfume pods you enter, not unlike being on a game show while they’re revealing the answer- terribly exciting.  :)