Surprising Favorites

Jumping off a dock on Balboa Island with friends and my youngest daughter. Stacy (in red) wins for best dive!

When I am asked to bake something, I leaf through my cookbooks, searching for a special recipe. Pride keeps me from bringing a store bought item to a potluck or school bake sale. This obsession over homemade gets me in trouble sometimes. Staying up late to make a treat, fueled by my refusal to stop by Vons on the way to an event, does not make me the most fun person at the party.

This reluctance to take shortcuts made me reluctant to go beyond the cover of a cookbook my daughter bought at a school fundraising event: The Best Bake Sale Cookbook Ever. I scoffed at the blurb on the back, skeptical of its claims to make easy, delicious treats. However, every recipe I have made from this book has been quite spectacular and incredibly simple. This has re-taught me that lesson about not judging a book by its cover.

This lesson extends to clothing. Most of the time I advocate saving up to buy quality items, whether a client needs shoes or a cardigan. When people tell me they can get a lot more for a lot less at Ross, Marshalls, or a thrift store, I think of the time it takes to hunt in those places, and the small chance of finding something I really love. Still, I love a good deal as much as anyone and am always thrilled when something inexpensive becomes something I adore.

For example, for the past 4 summers I have worn a wonderful cover-up to the beach. It is a simple blue tunic from H & M and could not have cost more than $15. I am also very keen on my new purse, bought for $40 from a little shop on Balboa Island. You would not believe how many compliments I have already received on it. I guess the moral of the story, when it comes to most things, is to look beyond your biases which can open up surprising possibilities.