This Week: Ladies who lunch

photo and little rendering by me:)

This week has been short and sweet, hasn't it?! I must say I had a lovely week. Last weekend was great! We had a lovely time with friends on Saturday, they met us at the New World Symphony Wallcast at the Miami Beach Soundscape Park where we had a little picnic followed by dinner at our place. I made Giada's Carbonara Recipe and my favorite Apple Cake for dessert:) On Sunday we had my mom over for brunch and she and I spent the afternoon wandering around South Beach shopping and chatting, it was lovely:) And, inspired by a fabulous lunch experience (see no. 1 below) I made my first batch of Madeleines this week! Did you bake anything delicious this week? Do tell! So this week...

1. After visiting the Knoll showroom in Downtown Miami with a client and a colleague, we had lunch at Daniel Boulud's DB Bistro Moderne right across the way. It was such a great lunch, and not just because of the food (which was amazing!) but because of the great company! We talked about cooking and baking, about books, about France, about life...so nice:) Oh and the food... I had steamed mussels with french fries (my favorite), tried an amazing octopus appetizer (and I'm not usually a fan of octopus) and for dessert they served us the most beautiful, tiny, delicious Madeleines I've ever had! They also served orange blossom marshmallows...oh my goodness, homemade marshmallows are soooo good! I came home and baked my first batch of Madeleines and am on the hunt for a tiny Madeleine mold so I can bake a beautiful batch of tiny Madeleines for our meeting next Monday!
2. I found this Orange Blossom Marshmallow recipe I want to try soon! Have any of you made marshmallows before? Please share your recipe and experience! I must say I'm a little intimidated by the idea of making marshmallows but am motivated by the fact that they taste so much better than store bought ones.
3. My friend has a new blog! She is full of wonderful DIY ideas and mommy wisdom, check it out here!
4. I forgot to mention that H&M is (FINALLY) opening a store on South Beach!! I've heard it's going to be located in the New World Symphony's former home the Lincoln Theatre on Lincoln Road. Too bad we have to wait til Fall 2012 for it to open, but still, this is great news!!
5. The lovely Sarah Morris is featured in the April 2011 issue of Architectural Digest!! You can read the article here. I am in love with her textile designs for Maharam! So much so that a couple of years ago, when I first saw them, since I couldn't get an actual sample to keep, I came home and rendered one of the patterns on the chair in the photo above (sorry if I kind of butchered it but I was doing it from memory) so I could remember it forever:)

Hope your weekends are wonderful!! XO