"You like me, you really like me!"

Sorry, I couldn't resist doing an impersonation of Sally Field's famous 1985 Oscar acceptance speech for "Places in the Heart". What all this is really about is receiving the "I (Heart) Your Blog" award from Laura over at World in a Pan. She is lucky enough to live in my favorite city, Paris, and shares with her readers one incredible meal after another. I have a mind to jump on a plane and crash one of her many dinner parties. I'd bring a bottle of wine of course. Pictured below is Laura's latest tour de force - a birthday celebratory dinner for her friend Martine. Definitely wish I was there!
The lovely Laura

Slow cooked Leg of Lamb with garlic and Potatoes en-robe-de-champ

A Chateau Haut Bergey 1989 with French Cheeses

Raspberry Macaron Cake

Additionally, I am to name 7 of my favorite blogs. Of course there are many but I've chosen an assortment that I check in on regularly despite my busy (read: crazy) days.
#1 - Heather Clawson of Habitually Chic. She lives in my other favorite city, New York, and I live vicariously through her day to day adventures in the Interior Design world. Here she is (on the right) with Mrs. Blandings in a little Kansas City get-together.

#2 - Laura at Fifi Flowers Design Decor. She resides in sunny Califor-NIA and is the most prolific painter I've ever seen, producing one charming work after another, inspired by exotic, worldly locals & chic interiors. She also makes beautiful note cards, bookmarks and such at her etsy shop. I believe this drawing is a self portrait.

#3 - Melissa at The Lil Bee. Another who calls NYC home. Like myself, she is an event planner, although she works for herself (yes, I'm jealous), and always has something fab and fun to read about - like her recent trip to Miami!

#4 - Julia at Hooked on Houses. I'm an old house enthusiast and Julia is a connoisseur of all things "house", including real estate, architecture, decorating, celebrity homes, etc. She has a huge following and recently hosted a now famous house tour that was a great success.

#5 - Robin at Bird-In-The-Hand. Robin is my best friend but this in no way makes me bias toward my appreciation of her blog. She always has something fun and insightful to talk about and has loyal followers across the blogosphere. Here she is below, featured as a major installation at MOMA!

#6 - Heather at Beauty That Moves. Heather is another Connecticut blogger that I've had the pleasure of meeting. She creates beautiful bags and accessories which she sells at a local farmer's market as well as at her etsy shop. Her blog features her simple but beautiful lifestyle as a mother to a young daughter. Reading her posts with all their beautiful photos is like a trip back home.

#7 - Meghan & Maureen at Two Ladies in Waiting. What can I say about these two? Again I've had the pleasure of meeting them. They live in the same historic Hartford, Connecticut building as Bird-In-The-Hand. They are loads of fun - in written word and in person - are madly in love with each other, obsessed with their dog Boddington (who happens to own a collar styled by Heather, above), big wine aficionados and very vocal about their politics, opinions and the like, Meghan being the most outspoken and outlandish (read: troublemaker). Their posts always make me laugh. Below is Boddington attempting a little cross-dressing I assume.