Nail Envy

I left work a little bit early so that I could get my nails done. I am currently in love with the Black Onyx nail lacquer by OPI. Go. Try it. Be daring!

Nordstrom

My darling friend asked me to blog about Nordstrom. Ahhhh, Nordstrom. How do we love thee? Let us count the ways.

First, your shoe department is divine, completely stocked with beautiful shoes and fully staffed my hordes of helpful assistants. These people are there to help you and they will. They bring you the shoes you ask for and shoes that you didn't ask for but that they hope you'll like. You like them more often than your American Express bill might like.

Then, we have the handbags, the Bee Charmer's personal downfall. Oh, I love the shoes. The shoes are sublime, but the bags, the bags, the bags, the bags. The bags make me weak in the knees. I was over there this weekend and became particularly infatuated with a lavender Marc Jacobs. Perhaps it will be mine?

We also love the live piano because its just nice. It makes you feel cosmopolitan, it makes you feel nostalgic. Oh, how we love the piano.

And most of all we love the people who work at Nordstrom. Nordstrom is the beginning and the end of customer service. They treat you the same whether you're spending $5 or $5000 and that is Nordstrom's greatest treat. They make you feel special and they make you feel valued.

Thank you Nordstrom for all you do for us. We love you!

The Sexiest Man Alive

No offense to People Magazine, Hugh Jackman or any of the other perfectly lovely men who were featured in this year's Sexiest Man Alive issue. I mean, Hugh Jackman is a pretty, pretty man. However, THIS is the sexiest man alive. Who else can be this sexy, convey menacing danger with such proficiency and be such a dork at the same time? Only you, Mr. Boreanaz. And we applaud you.

The Hotel Pastis

I love this book. Peter Mayle is an expatriate Brit who lives in Provence. This book is pretty old but I have to say that I love love love it. It is the story of a middle aged advertising executive named Simon who sells out and moves to the South of France to open a hotel. He is assisted by Nicole Bouvier, a beautiful French woman who Simon meets on a holiday after his 2nd marriage has ended in divorce. Simon starts to fall in love with Nicole when he visits her home.

Nicole's house, the highest in Brassiere-les-Deux-Eglises, was at the
end of a cul-de-sac, a narrow, three-storey building of weathered stone with
wooden shutters painted in a color somewhere between gray and faded green.
Stairs led up to a carved wooden front door with a knocker in the form of a hand
holding a ball, and the leaves of an old wild-grape vine flared autumn red
against the wall.

"This is lovely," said Simon. "How long have you had it?"

"Ten, eleven years." Nicole turned the key in the door and nudged it
open with her hip. "One day it will be finished. The top floor is
still to do. Be careful with your head."

Simon ducked inside. At the far end of the long, low room, through a
glass door, he could see a small terrace with blue hills beyond.
Comfortable, slightly shabby armchairs were arranged in front of a
cut-stone fireplace that had been laid with vine clippings. On the other
side of the room, the wall had been knocked away to waist height to make a bar,
with a gap at one end leading through to the kitchen. Books were
everywhere, books and flowers. The air smelled faintly of lavender.

I love this passage because it has always been my dream of my home. The Hotel Pastis is a lovely place to visit. Make a reservation and stay for a while.

The Humane Society of Charlotte

As many of you know, the Bee Charmer has been blessed with two of the sweetest, fuzziest and fattest little babies that anybody could ever have. Finn and Lola Bean have always been loved, doted upon, cared for and, believe me about this, fed. This time of year we are all reminded that charities need our help. One of the charities that I'll be supporting this year is the Humane Society of Charlotte. Please join me in donating to this very worthy cause. Our pets provide all of us with love in its purest and more selfless form. Please help less fortunate pets find the loving homes that they all deserve.

Andy Warhol is a Star

The Mint Museum is currently hosting an exhibit of Andy Warhol portfolios. I have to admit that I have seen a number of Warhols over the years, in New York, Chicago, Paris and even The North Carolina Museum of Art. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the bulk of the Mint exhibit featured pieces that were new to me. I was particularly blown away by the Endangered Species portfolio as well as the Myths Portfolio. I have featured a piece from the Myths Portfolio called "The Star". Warhol was inspired by Greta Garbo when he created "The Star" and in my opinion it's worth the price of admission all by itself. The Warhol Exhibit runs at The Mint through February 15, 2009.

Meet the babies! This is Finn (on the right) and Lola Bean (on the left). They may be making appearance in this blog, from time to time. They mostly contribute when food is involved, but they also like to butt in when pictures of the house are being taken.

Sweet Potato Love

Have ya'll been over to The Counter? I avoided it for a while. The Bee Charmer has always successfully limited red meat. Once a month. TOPS.

Well not anymore. The Counter has turned me into a raging carnivore. I couldn't practice law today because my brain was fixated on The Counter.

In case you haven't been, you should run over there. The toppings! The cheeses! THE FRIES! Whatever you do, get the sweet potato fries. Don't think. Just go.

Single Girls of a Certain Age

Part of the reason I started this blog was to discuss the goings on of singlehood after a certain age. I suppose, in the Old South, I would have been relegated to the list of "Spinsters" and volunteer a lot at church and grow tomatoes in the back yard. Almost every girlfriend I have had from high school, college and law school has married and, in most cases, had children. And yet there is something in me that just won't do it.

My best friend tells me that I just haven't met the right guy yet. My mother says "I just don't understand what is wrong with you".

I tried to get married. It didn't work out. After that relationship ended there were years of heartbreak. Not so much because of him. Frankly, I was relieved he was gone. I mourned the failure of it. I mourned the life of normalcy that I would not have. But I also mourned, more than anything, the loss of myself. I lost myself in that relationship. I tried to be what he wanted and in the end he didn't want me in any incarnation and when the door slammed behind him I didn't even have myself to rely on. I literally would pass a mirror and catch a glimpse of my reflection and my mind wouldn't know who it was. I would stop and stare at myself. Trying to see who was there.

I got over it but really, it took a while. I needed to sift through all of it. Ultimately it caused me to become more of myself. I am not the girl who fell in love with that guy. She is gone. I am the woman who survived it and frankly, I like her better. What I came to thereafter is this and not many women will say this out loud but here goes: I like being single. I like it. I like not having to consult with somebody else. I don't like to compromise and I don't like to sleep with other people. (Not sex. Sex is one thing. Sleeping is an entirely different ball of wax.)

Notwithstanding the all of the above, I am trying to date. I think it would be fun to get out of the house sometimes. I am hoping to meet a guy who thinks it would be nice to buy adjoining townhouses and live happily ever after in adjoining homes. If you know a guy like that tell him to email me.

On This Earth

I dropped by the new Barnes & Noble in SouthPark last week. If you haven't been over there you should go check it out.

I was thrilled with the selection of coffee table books on display, I suppose in preparation for the Christmas gift crush. Those of you who know The Bee Charmer are well aware of my love of coffee table books. I think that there is a perception that coffee table books are frivolous and have no real purpose. I disagree strongly! First of all, they are, if nothing else, beautiful and bring beauty to one's home. Beauty is often underrated and if anything should be beautiful, it is your home. Secondly, pictures have the ability to convey people and places in a way that words often cannot. My case in point is the stunning On this Earth a new book by Nick Brandt. Mr. Brandt's photographs have captured the landscape and wild life in East Africa and remind us of the power and beauty of these animals and this land. The introduction by Jane Goodall reminds us that the Earth is in peril and we must do what we can to save it, for ourselves and those who are to come. Go. Look at this book and be reminded of the "beauty of creation and the sacredness of life".

Today's Surprising Recommendation

Have ya'll ever met Glen Campbell? If not, you should introduce yourselves. It is a little known fact that that the Bee Charmer has always had a bit of a thing for him. My mom had one of his albums when I was a little girl and I confess that I, at the tender age of 4, thought he was pretty cute. But I digress.
Glen had a few rough years but this album is stellar. He is, at 73, in very fine voice. The album consists solely of covers from the likes of Tom Petty, Jackson Browne, Foo Fighters, U2, and Green Day. I know, you think that Glen Campbell couldn't possibly do justice to Green Day. Believe me, he will wipe the smirk right off of your face. Go. Download. Now.

It is November and I am in denial.

Winter is coming and I can't seem to accept it. Granted, winter in Charlotte is a lot better than winter in say, Chicago, but still. Winter is winter and for reasons that I don't understand, my mind just won't wrap itself around it this year. I mean, I checked in at weather.com this afternoon and it informed me that it was 56 degrees outside. I thought "What is up with THAT?" and then I remembered it is November. I think I'll wear boots to work tomorrow.