Boo.

Photo copyright 2008 Bloom Creatives. All rights reserved.

I went to the grocery store yesterday.

There was a pimp walking the aisles.

I did a double-take, then just, "To each his own."

Then I thought, "Oh, it's Halloween, that explains it!"

Then I thought, "Oh wait, no, it's not Halloween yet. That's tomorrow." And I became concerned again.

Because the last thing one needs in one's local grocery store is a pimp.

But then the cashier at the checkout lane I used was dressed as the devil. Which could be a metaphor for something, I suppose. The dangers of high-fructose corn syrup? The ties between the global economy and the world food crisis?

A child saw her and said, "You're the devil."
"Don't I know it, kid," she replied.

I love Halloween.

Seaside

I took this photo in Seaside, Florida a couple of weeks ago. This is the view of the Gulf of Mexico, looking west from the rooftop bar at a great little place called Bud & Ally's. 

They have excellent mint juleps, by the way.

And the sky couldn't have been more blue. Days like that are heaven. It didn't hurt that I had just gotten married two days earlier! The Beaches of South Walton are easily my favorite stretch of shoreline in the US...

If I was a princess..

...this would be my palace apartment. (Yes, royals have apartments. Each royal has their own suite of rooms in the palace. 'Tis quite grand. Look up info on Marie Antoinette's apartments. Fab.)

This is the Manhattan apartment of 22-year-old supermodel Jessica Stam.

Stam's humble abode was featured in the October issue of Elle Decor.

I love purple. Lovelovelovelovelove. A few homes ago I had a purple bedroom: lavender walls with a rich, dark eggplant duvet and lavender sheets, with dark wood furniture. My husband is not such a fan of purple, so we've compromised on light blue and brown for our bedroom -- masculine enough for him, feminine enough for me.

But oh, if I was a princess...

I asked her for Adidas and she bought me Zips

I was just peeking and dreaming of the new Stella McCartney line for Adidas -- peeking because it is gorgeous in a way athletic clothing rarely is, dreaming because it is rather pricey for stuff you're going to get sweaty, dirty and stinky and need to wash a million times. But isn't this tennis outfit to die for? I might actually take up tennis for the chance to wear something this amazing.

How angels bathe

I know this is no great, secret discovery, but good god I love me some Dr Bronner's soap. Liquid please, preferably lavender, but I'm willing to try the new citrus orange.

Reasons why I love this soap:

It's good for me and the environment, certified USDA organic and Fair Trade, using ingredients 100% from nature, real nature, not "technically petroleum products are natural" kind of from nature.

It smells spectacular.

It works spectacularly. A little goes a long way, and it suds like crazy - many natural/organic soap products don't. It also doesn't dry out the skin, which is a big problem with many body washes - and a huge problem when you live in the desert like I do.

It can be used in a million different ways, apparently, although thus far I've only used it as a body wash. You can also use it as a laundry detergent, pet shampoo and all-purpose cleaner in different dilutions.

Why lavender? It is my husband's favorite scent (oh yeah, we got hitched! Ten days ago, yay us!) and one of my favorites, too. Scents greatly affect my mood, and since lavender is soothing and calming, and I prefer to bathe at night, this scent helps ease me into evening relaxation mode. (We wash our bedding in lavender for the same reason.) 

I used to only be able to find this in health food stores and Whole Foods, but it is becoming much more widely available due to the popularity of organic products. I now can find it in Target and my local chain grocery store - interestingly it is cheaper at the latter.

Slow-Cooked Cranberry Pork Roast

As a Taurus, one of my astrological traits is a love of all things sensual - especially food. Rich, delicious, flavorful dishes that fill the tummy, winter dishes that are usually shelved through the heat of sumer - I can not wait to start cooking these again once the weather starts to cool. Stews and roasts are a particular favorite, and a crock pot or slow cooker are the perfect way to guarantee moist, tender meats and perfectly seasoned veggies with little effort on your part.

One of my favorite slow cooker dinners is Cranberry Pork Roast. Served with red cabbage and brown rice, it is a fabulous dinner and enough to feed the whole family.

1 (3 to 4 lb) boneless pork loin roast
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c apple juice
2 apples, cored, peeled and coarsely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Place roast in slow cooker; rub all over with the minced garlic. Add remaining ingredients and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours. Pork should be about 160° when fully cooked. Serve with rice.
Serves 4 to 6.