Cookies & Cabernet

What would you do?

Last month, our blog-buddy over at Pink of Perfection asked her readers to come up with a list of things that make you happy—a task that filled me with an enthusiasm usually reserved for my other bestie, Oprah. For August, PofP has presented us with another doozie...She poses the question: Say you wake up with a plush bank account. What would you do? Where would you go?

Well [insert knuckle-crack], after tossing the volleyball around on Malibu Beach with L.C. and Audrina, I'd head to Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf for a large, sugar-free ice blended coffee (light whip!). Then, on my way to my personal trainer, I'd drop a couple Gs on Tom Ford Aviators and a Louis Vuitton carrier for my Chihuahua, Miss Priss. Eeeeeee!

I kid, I kid. After paying off student loans—eh hem, among other debts—I'd pack my bags and hop the first flight abroad. Where, you ask? Anywhere. New Zealand to hike and hang with the Kiwis; Africa to safari in Kenya, see the gorillas in Uganda, and explore the verdant hills and vast savannah; to Europe to bunk in cozy B&Bs, enjoy fine wines (we're not just about two-buck-chuck here), scoot around on mopeds, and lose myself in galleries and historic sites (Pompeii! The Louvre!). After bouncing around for a few months (or FOREVER), perhaps I'd wind things down with a respite on the white-sand beaches of the French West Indies. Oui. (Is it wrong that I envy the kids on that new MTV show Exiled? Them: "You're not going to make me pick up elephant poooo, are youuuu?" Me: "Where's the scooper? Come here Dumbo...").

Also, I'd absolutely devote time to philanthropic ventures (golf claps). I'd adopt an international fam a la Santa Brangelina in a heartbeat, and I'd schedule a long chat with Al Gore to discuss saving the polar bears...and earth. In my spare time, I'd love to start a vineyard in Santa Ynez or Napa Valley—throw on some overalls and get my hands dirty to create a nice C&C Pinot. And while we're at it, how about a comfy, Euro-style bakery that whips up cookies, pies, cupcakes, and all of the fresh-baked goodness of childhood? Yes, pleeeease.

At the end of the day though (pass me the Kleenex), it's really not money that will make you happy. Still, a girl can dream.

The Love List

Whenever we are feeling a bit shlumpy and need a kick of positivity, we watch Oprah and eat an entire carton of ice cream we'll play the "I'm Glad" game and list all the things we're thankful for. Of course, we also do this once a year at Thanksgiving with the entire family (and a microphone), but we're a merry bunch so we like to take the opportunity to share the things that make us happy whenever possible. And since our favorite fellow blogger (who are we kidding, she's more of a mentor), Sarah at Pink of Perfection, came up with a happiness list for her July project, we had to join the lovefest. So we made a huge long list and cut it down to the things that make us feel most cozy, giddy, and warm and fuzzy inside. We feel very strongly about this list so we're going to call it our Love List. 

We love: lightning and thunder storms; the smell of wood smoke; loud, contagious laughter; fog rolling in; fresh, misty mornings; the smell of a brand-new book; a whiff of freshly cut grass; waking up to the sound of birds/rain/percolating coffee; gooey, warm, homemade chocolate chip cookies (or store-bought Otis Spunkmeyer) with a tall glass of iced milk; makeout sessions; a tart cocktail or a bold glass of red wine; staying up late to read in bed with a flashlight; reminiscing and laughing around the dinner table with the fam; hot apple cider brewing on the stove; a crackling fire; snowfall; twinkle lights; and a hearty cry.

Sigh.