surprise the designer

Today's the day that we recognize and celebrate the dads in our lives. I'm lucky to know a bunch of kind, warm, and loving men who cherish their children and work hard to provide for them. And my dad fully fell into that category. He taught me how to have an adventurous spirit, how to work really hard, and that it's OK to spend money when you want something. He showed me love and kindness and was the very definition of what it means to be generous.  I've been luckier than lucky to have parents who support me in every part of my life. When I chose to go to a college with a co-op program, they were quick to plan visits to my intern housing in upstate New York and Southern California. These visits were SO fun—we played tourist in my temporary hometowns and it was the first time I got to host my folks. When Mom and Dad visited me in Los Angeles, we all spent the weekend at their Huntington Beach hotel. On Saturday Dad decided we should rent bikes, and we proce...

Have you ever purchased a 'nip' of liquor? I have exactly three times in my life, and one of those times was yesterday. It was cold and grey, and my to-do list was long because of impending holiday travel plans. But dang it, man, it was a Sunday and I had a hankering for a little Bailey's in my coffee. So I bought a single serving because that's what reasonable people (or at least people without liquor cabinets) do. Well one thing led to another, and I promptly got a craving for a warm-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookie. So I turned to google and found this 'single serving' recipe. I'd say it's one's a keeper. I got four normal-sized cookies instead of two large ones, and mine turned out a bit more caky than normal. But using more brown sugar than white while leaving the egg whites out altogether resulted in a slightly nutty, more complex flavor that's hard not to love. Try it! You won't be sorry. PS- Loving the USA Pan bakewa...

Just a quick post to say Happy Easter to all! No matter if you celebrate by going to church, having brunch with family, or just eating chick-shaped marshmallows and bunny-shaped chocolates, I hope it's a day full of smiles and early spring sunshine and friends and family. To me, that's the best thing about holidays...it's a time to be together. Realizing I operate really well on just one social platform at a time. The platform of the moment? Instagram. I love seeing little visual glimpses into people's days and chronicling little visual glimpses of mine (like these sunflowers I'm growing in a pickle jar on my kitchen table.) You can see more at toaststudio  (that's me!)