Life’s Not Always Peachy Keen: A Little Social Media Truth Talk

Life’s not always peachy keen…even on days when there are peach muffins for breakfast.

Life's not always peachy keen…even when there are peach muffins for breakfast. Let's get real, folks.

Life’s not always peachy keen…even when there are peach muffins for breakfast. Let’s get real, folks.

Life is made up of lots of little crumbs — some sweet and delicious, and some just too tough to digest.
Yesterday I posted that I was having a tough morning and was baking to deal with it. I was hurting for someone I love, about something that is out of my control. I was overwhelmed with messages of love, concern, care and support from friends and everyone I love. Thank you all.
But that’s not why I posted that.

As a so-called social media influencer I think it’s our responsibility to not treat social media as a Christmas card that just shows us at our best and our happiest. That’s not real, and that’s not life. We all have down days and we all have problems and moments we struggle with. I think it’s important to show what we do to cope with the hard times as honestly as we capture how we celebrate the good times. By being honest with our social media, and showing both the highs and the lows, I hope our friends and followers can see who we truly are, and hopefully know they’re not alone when they experience those darker days.
Hopefully, they’re reminded that lightness always follows the darkness, and they will be okay.

McCoy’s Me-Cations: A Taste of Texas – Fall ’14

Gosh, Texas was fun.

It's been too long, my homestate!

My trip home to Dallas consisted mostly of family time, catching up with friends, hanging out by the pool, napping, eating…and more eating.
Hence, the 5-lbs that decided to come back to LA with me – and I’m not talking about in my carry-on –  but I digress.

Here is just a taste of the Texas I know and love. I am dedicating the next 3 days to my 15-day Texas fall experience.

The first thing I see when I come home is THIS. The cutest. That’s mine – Miss Ellie – in front and her brother (my mom’s) in the oh-so-festive bandana. His name is Reagan.

Meet Reagan (in back, my mom's pup & Miss Ellie's big brother). That's Miss Ellie in front, of course.

Here are a few of the highlights of the trip. And did I mention the delicious food?

First stop? Mi Cocina. And I can assure you, it won’t be the last.

Our second family home: Mi Cocina Preston Forest

I spent many an afternoon, laying out by the family pool. Mom would bring me delicious snacks when I’d been out there a while! More details (and pics) on Thursday.

Fall in Texas looks a little different.

A Dallas autumn (almost) citywide blackout calls for marshmallow soup, soufflé and wine at Rise Soufflé. Obviously.

A blackout calls for one of my favorite Dallas restaurants.

There’s Breakfast and then there’s Texfast. This is the latter at The Original Pancake House on Midway and Northwest Highway. Banana Nut crepes with coffee caramel sauce. Delish.

Almost every morning, we eat at our neighborhood's The Original Pancake House. We've been coming here for 23 years.

Next up? Lots of visits with friends.

All my exes live in Texas. Well, not all of em. But this one’ll do. We checked out some live music at Poor David’s Pub with a few other friends. I have always been in awe of the Dallas music scene.

One of my exes, who - yep! - lives in Texas.

 

We used to play hooky during our high school days to hit Bubba’s for lunch. Now, hooky is no longer necessary. Known this girl for over 18 years and so thankful for that…and for Bubba’s mashed potatoes that we demolished over our ladies’ lunch.

No more need to play hooky!

 

Sunday ladies’ brunch in full effect at The Grape on Greenville.

Mimosas & muffins to start at The Grape on Greenville in Dallas

 

Warning: Brunch and mimosas at The Grape may cause intense laughter and inappropriate conversation. Love the chance that I had the opportunity to introduce two of my friends, KellyAnn and Lori to one another on this trip home!

Warning: The Grape's mimosas may lead to intense laughter and inappropriate conversation. Um, sorry to the table sitting next to us.

 

Laughter never ages. Love these two – Tadd and Jenna . One of my favorite traditions every time I’m home – Hendrix alums & dear friends unite at Mi Cocina! (Yes, again, with the Mi Cocina).

Hendrix '00 friends at Mi Cocina!

 And I love that I timed my trip perfectly so I could attend my college friend Camille’s wedding party in Texarkana with our other college best friends, Jenna and Cathleen!

Hendrix '00 in Texarkana for Camille's wedding party

You knew this was coming. RED MEAT ALERT.

When you’re raised in Dallas, good steak and lobster only means one thing…Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse. I spent almost every birthday dining here, from age 10 onward, with my family, which totally spoiled me for life. Even though the Lemmon location is gone, the deliciousness lives on on Spring Valley. My taste buds experienced a bit of nostalgic heaven that night and I am still thankful. (Thanks, Mom!)

Why, yes! As a matter of fact, we did have steak AND lobster!

 

A lighter night. Girls’ night at Cafe Istanbul with Mom.

Cafe Istanbul girls' night with Mom.

 

And the, ahem, family “food tour” continues. Sharing a fiesta omelet and French strawberry crepe with Mom at Original Pancake House, before we hit the mothership, Neiman Marcus Northpark.

The best Dallas breakfast spot..and it's right in our 'hood.

 

One piece of advice for y’all before I wrap this up: When in Texas, there is only one beer you can drink, in my opinion: Shiner Bock.

Sippin' on a Shiner Bock in Texarkana, Texas on a Friday night. Life's pretty good.

 

Yep. Texas Forever.

**
Tomorrow? The man I always fall in love with every fall in Texas. He’s the dreamiest.

xoxo,
BF

BF Asks: What are your favorite Dallas restaurants? 

 

High-Low 6/30/14: Bye, Bye Boys

As is the case in all of our lives, sometimes the high is the low and the low is the high.

That’s the case with this week’s High-Low.

As I’ve mentioned before, I live in this magical neighborhood called Wilshire Vista, which is  a flashback of the past. All of my neighbors and I say “Good Morning” every morning, take the dogs on walks around the block every day, borrow sugar from one another, walk to the french bakery and share a cup of coffee, take care of each other’s kids and pets, pop a beer on the front porch or a glass of wine in the backyard and whoop it up at one another’s parties.

But it’s much more than that. This neighborhood has become my family, here in Los Angeles. I am told that this is a rarity. So when some members of our tribe move away, it is a deep loss that is felt at our core.

This week, we said goodbye to one of our favorite families – the Bowers-Disney clan.

The Bowers-Disney family at my past birthday party

This family of four taught me so much that I never even knew I needed to learn. I met Robert on a walk one day when my 5-lb Maltese pup, Miss Ellie, took a shine to his huge brute of a dog (with a mushy heart of gold) named Bubba. A friendship was born between us and little did I know that their lives were about to majorly change.

Within the year, sweet Bubba passed away, Robert and his longtime love, Joe fostered two adorable little boys named Elijah and Theodore and then got married on the same day that they adopted those two little boys. The picture of seeing these 2 men and 2 boys become an instant family in one day was one of the most powerful things I have ever seen in my life.

They are such a beautiful, kind, creative and fun family and the whole neighborhood was inspired by them. I know I certainly was. From them, I learned that families can be formed in a million different ways and that love is the common ingredient in every enviable family.

This past weekend, they moved to Washington D.C. to start a new chapter together. And boy, will those boys be missed. But as they start that new chapter, I hope they will remember this slew of characters from their chapter here in Wilshire Vista, who will think of them with love and blessings every time we walk past their house.

I miss y’all already.

 

*Afterthought: Later, they told me that long before they adopted the boys, they had had a piece of art hanging in their living room that they were never able to let go of – even though they thought many times that they should as it wasn’t quite their decor. It was a painting of two men holding hands with two little boys. The power of this piece of art hit them after that day when they became a family. It’s as if it was always meant to be. Needless to say, they never gave away that painting.

 

xoxo,
BF

 

BF Asks: What’s your neighborhood like? 

High-Low 4/7/14: Wrecking Ball & Sick For A Day

HIGH: Friends who just know you-and give you the best gift of all

High: Meeting Emmylou Harris & Daniel Lanois on their Wrecking Ball tour

When I was 18 – and a senior in high school – I lost my beloved grandmother whom we lovingly called, “Nanny.” Nanny was the heart of our family and her heart was in the kitchen. I think that’s why I always feel so at peace when I’m in the kitchen now.

When we lost her, music became even more important to me – and it was already very important. I would listen to Mancini’s “Moon River” on the Breakfast at Tiffany’s soundtrack incessantly. This only stopped when my big brother, Davy, introduced me to a record by Emmylou Harris – which was produced by Daniel Lanois – called Wrecking Ball.

One vivid memory I recall – among the many I have of that record  – is sitting in the sunroom of my brother’s ex-girlfriend’s-stepmother’s house for which he was housesitting that summer. This room was the “truth” room in that it coaxed us into sharing memories, complaining about – and to – one another, and was a place where secrets had a way of coming out that would change us forever.

The one common thread – amongst all of the drama – that I remember that summer is that record. Wrecking Ball. And what an apropos title it had! Good music has the most magical way of doing that – sitting in your memory like a lover lost that you just can’t ever forget.

Now, I have another magical memory of that record – thanks to one of my dear best friends, Lindsey Vaerst. This girl is one of the most considerate, thoughtful and giving people I know. She told me about Dan and Emmylou going on a Wrecking Ball 20-year reunion (really, that long??!) tour and I’m pretty sure that when she did, I turned into a giddy-faced, glee-filled 18-year-old again.

Giddy.

But she went above and beyond. See, she knows Dan and Emmylou and ended up getting us all-access passes. Well, shoot, y’all! I don’t get too impressed by many celebs – but Emmylou??!! Holy heck. I got to meet her and Dan and tell them the profound heart-filling effect that they had on my family with that record. It was SO special.

It meant the world to me. And I met the most magical people.

Magical folks - LA meets Nashville

Magic just seems to follow Lindsey Vaerst around – even when she can’t see it – and sometimes, I’m lucky enough to have it spill over into mine.
Thank you, my precious friend.  This is a lifetime pass gift  – meaning that you can’t give me anything ever again. What a memorable – and magical – night! I thank you.

LOW: Oh, just sick…for a day 

Sick. But so much healthier after.

I’ll keep this simple. I got sick. I got sick because I was going non-stop and my body rebelled and declared, “I NEED A BREAK!!” So I rested Friday and most of Saturday and (as Gomer Pyle used to say), “Surprise, surprise!” I felt better. I stayed in bed and read the rest of Mindy Kaling’s book (GOD, IT’S GOOD!!!), and ended up working on my book. Oh, what’s that, you say? You didn’t know I had a book? Well, I’m 1794 words in so I do now, folks! It was an important reminder to both listen to my body and take a little bit more me-time every week to see what creative magic might be stirred up. As always, the lesson of the low outweighed the low itself.

xoxo,
BF

BF Asks:

 

Happy Birthday, Mom!

I truly am The Luckiest.
Happy birthday to the woman –
who taught me how to be a woman,
who loved me as a little girl,
the woman at whom I would stare for hours wishing that I would one day be as beautiful as her.

Happy Birthday to the woman –
I told – and still tell to this day – all of my secrets to.
The woman to whom I would say how beautiful she was every day ad nauseam until she literally made me stop.
My teatime partner.
My margarita partner.
My cheese and Wine partner.
My partner in all things.

I hope that I am as good a daughter as the mother you’ve been to me.
And I pray that one day I’ll be half the mother that you are.
I know that you would like me to live the single life forever and live in Tuscany and Paris and such but seeing you be the mom that you were and are makes me want to be a mom one day.
You just make it look so beautiful.

You have accomplished so many exemplary achievements in your life but this one is your best.
Everything I am is because of you. And I could not imagine a minute without you in my life. I truly am the luckiest.

I love you the whole wide world and back again.

High-Low 12/23/13: Home & Doing Your Best

HIGH: Home!!

Well, my high this week is an easy one. I get to be home in Dallas for 12 days with my favorite people for the holidays! Done. Easiest High ever.

So what’s that entail? Well, many-a-night spent at our favorite family haunt Mi Cocina, board games, catching up with precious old friends over texmex and brunch, lots of delicious southern fare, political debates at the dinner table and reminiscing. What could be better than that?

HIGH: These guys!! My big brother, David, and my mom, Clarice. Here we are at our home-away-from-home, Mi Cocina Preston Forest.

 

LOW: Learning That My Best Is Good Enough (‘cuz it’s gotta be)

As a wise friend of mine always says to me, “You can only do your best. Did you do your best in this situation?” Usually, the answer is yes but sometimes it’s hard to really believe that in a given moment because I always think I can do a little bit more. I’m learning though that sometimes you’ve gotta let your best at that given moment be enough.

I had so much to do before I left Los Angeles for Texas and, of course, I didn’t complete it all. There were gifts I didn’t get to give, people whose necks I didn’t get to hug and unfinished blog posts and articles that are just going to have to wait til the new year, darn it.

But I did my best…and if I’ve learned anything it’s this motto of mine:

“DO YOUR BEST AND LEAVE THE REST.” 

 

xoxo,

BF

BF Asks: What was your High-Low this week? 

*So what exactly is a High-Low, you ask? High-Low is the BEST & WORST part of your day, week, month, etc. I started this tradition with friends & family after I discovered it through a movie decades ago. Not only is it useful for reflection sake but it is also an excellent way to communicate with your spouse, kids or friends over the dinner table. By introducing this tradition to folks, parents have told me that their kids have opened up more and friends have told me that their spouses have become more communicative. Try it for yourself and let me know what your experience is! – See more at: http://www.beautyfrosting.com/high-low-121613-santa-for-a-day-maturity#sthash.2rvmfLhC.dpuf

High-Low 10/28/13, Dallas Moments (5 out of 10) and Laughing Stars

HIGH: My Trip Home to Dallas, Part 1

Well, my trip home to Dallas was just one big High, really. So here are the first 5 of my Top 10 Dallas moments.

10) Arriving to find out that my big brother, David – a.k.a. Sueño – is now playing golf. I seriously couldn’t stop laughing.

Apparently Brother has taken up golf.

 

9) Fresh off the plane, we immediately hit our family favorite – Mi Cocina. We always end up there for about 80% or more of my visit- this time, we were there 5 out of 9 nights. It’s our happy place.

My favorite pic ever of my Mom, brother and I at our family mecca - Mi Cocina Preston Forest

 

8) I’m such an avid nightswimmer that it’s always sad for me to come home in the fall & winter months because it’s too cool for my nightly jam session-swims. But that didn’t stop me from sitting by the pool, having a glass of champ and reflecting on my summer and fall. What seasons they have been! (p.s. I had just bought that Cynthia Rowley cardigan sweater at Marshall’s!)

A cool, fall night by the pool reflecting....

 

7) I was SUPER excited to get to go to the State Fair of Texas while I was home. Between the fried food (corndogs, fried oreos, fried snickers & more), the carousel, the Love Bug and the swings, I felt like a kid again. And the fact that I got to enjoy it with my big brother and new friends only made the day even more nostalgic and sweet!

The State Fair of Texas - the best fair in all the land!!

 

6) Now, this was just too much fun. Getting to go to Homecoming at our high school, Episcopal School of Dallas with my brother and some of our friends? Priceless. And Brother had gotten his 3 dates corsages. I felt like a teenager! See a theme here when I’m in Dallas?

Brother putting on my corsage before we headed to Homecoming!

 

I’ll have the other 5 for ya tomorrow!!

LOW: Laughing Stars – A new little angel is born.

I had a few lows over the past week but none was as low as this. A dear college friend who is always so full of light – and a loyal & loving BeautyFrosting reader – unexpectedly lost her little daughter. These are the things that we just can’t make sense of. Our hearts and minds cannot make sense of pain this profound. So all we can do is try to comfort one another, love one another, remember the good times, honor the memory and pray that in time we heal. I don’t have any words that can comfort as much as I would like but these words from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (from The Little Prince) always give me a pinch of peace when I’m most lost due to loss. I am sending as much love and light to this sweet family as I can muster. To laughing stars…

 

xoxo,

BF 

BF Asks: What was your High-Low this week? And what words comfort you in times of loss?

*So what exactly is a High-Low, you ask? High-Low is the BEST & WORST part of your day, week, month, etc. I started this tradition with friends & family after I discovered it through a movie decades ago. Not only is it useful for reflection sake but it is also an excellent way to communicate with your spouse, kids or friends over the dinner table. By introducing this tradition to folks, parents have told me that their kids have opened up more and friends have told me that their spouses have become more communicative. Try it for yourself and let me know what your experience is!

 

A Tasty Tradition: My Annual Classic Southern Easter Dinner

Easter is my FAAAAAV-OOO-RIIIITE holiday! So every year I have a classic southern Easter dinner for my surrogate family of friends here in Los Angeles. It’s a wonderful way to remember my roots and to honor the legacy of ladylike entertaining that my Nanny and Mother have taught me.

The ultimate multi-tasker: Whipping up some whipped cream & sipping a glass of Primitivo

Friday was a busy day spent making lists, shopping and preparing the kitchen for a weekend of cooking and baking!

Making my list and checking it twice!

As a child, I was fascinated with a Bunny cake that my mother made for my brother years before I was born. I always felt like I missed out on it by being born 7 years later. I used to just stare at that picture. It’s probably one of the reasons I fell in love with baking so much.

I have been wanting to try to make it for years and decided that this was my chance!
I baked it on Saturday and was THRILLED with the results!

The recipe my Mom followed on the left & my cake - Bernie The Bunny - on the right

Easter Sunday started with a Make-it-Work moment! To accommodate seating for 15, my catering & part prep helper from TaskRabbit – Jennifer – and I brought in the table from outside. Once in, we realized that we needed to make the coffee table the same height as the other two garden tables. So improvise we must! And we did! With beautiful results!

Cookbooks, tabletop books and magazines under the legs made the tables equal height. Yay! Seating for 15!!

Make it work!

 

Easter-inspired floral arrangements were put together in a jiffy using the charming candies of Easter. Layering pastel M&Ms with pastel peeps and setting a smaller vase (or glass) inside a larger one created the perfect Easter centerpieces!

 

Peeps & pastel are the focal points!

 

So what was the finger-licking lineup for Easter dinner this year?

The finger-licking lineup!

 

*We had to start with a signature Easter cocktail, of course! This year – in continuing with the Blackberry theme for Easter – was The Blackberry Bunny! It was refreshing with champagne, cream of blackberry liqueur and Trader Joe’s Blackberry Crush juice topped off with a blackberry and sprig of mint!

 

 

I asked my friends to bring vegetables, salads, appetizers and wine since I had the starches and fats covered!

 

The fixins from my friends

So Hope tossed together a cheery Chicken Lentil Salad. Vanessa brought a scrumptious Strawberry & Avocado Kale Salad. Dave manned some beautiful Bacon-wrapped-Goat Cheese-stuffed-Dates. Jennie put together some primo Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus. Jose and Lindsey had us set on vino and Amy and Dave brought champagne. And my sweet friend Rebecca – in town from Chicago shooting a pilot – brought 3 bunches of BEAUTIFUL tulips!

Rebecca brought 3 beautiful bunches of tulips that matched my tulip dress from Anthropologie!

 

Here are the dishes I just had to have because no southern Easter dinner would be complete without ’em!

*Delightful Deviled Eggs (mayo, cream cheese, tabasco, lemon juice, yellow mustard, dijon mustard, sweet relish & cornichons)

Easter dinner, southern fare, southern food, homemade, southern cooking, Easter menu,

Delightful Deviled Eggs

 

*Southern Pea Salad (peas, sour cream, mayo, worcestershire sauce, cheddar and onions)

Southern Pea Salad

 

*Cowboy Creamed Corn (buttermilk, corn, diced chiles and cream cheese)

 

Cowboy Creamed Corn

 

*Cheddar Green Bean Casserole (green beans, cheddar, buttermilk, sour cream, mushrooms, cream of mushroom soup and French’s Fried Cheddar Onion Rings)

 

*Texas Ranch House Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes (buttermilk, Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning, cream cheese and sour cream)

My favorite dish had to be my Nanny’s Lime Green Jello Salad (lime jello, cream cheese, pineapple and pecans). I used her original jello mold to create it. It even still has her “HAYES” label on it from when she used to take it to church functions! I was thrilled when it came out perfectly. The mold has interchangeable designs that imprint into the mold depending on the holiday. Easter’s design is a tulip!

Nanny's Lime Green Jello Salad in her original jello mold!

 

And the Dessert Table reminded me of old church socials at my grandparents’ church in Albany, Oklahoma:

The dessert table!

 

*Chocolate Bunny Cream Pie with Homemade Salted Buttermilk Crust – there wasn’t a crumb left!

Chocolate Bunny Cream Pie - Good to the last bite!

 

*Nanny’s Favorite Pineapple Cream Meringue Pie with Salted Buttermilk Crust – my meringue came out beautifully but the inside was a little runny. Oh well! It still tasted divine!

Nanny's Pineapple Cream Meringue Pie

 

Sour Cream Chocolate Easter Basket Cupcakes with Sweet Cream Cup Frosting  – these are such an easy treat to make for Easter! I love making them for my friends, neighbors and agents!

Sour Cream Chocolate Easter Basket Cupcakes!

 

Bernie The Bunny Cake (coconut cream cake with coconut cream buttercream frosting)

Meet my co-host...Bernie The Bunny!

 

Bernie The Bunny and our little friends, Nora and Lucy!

And no southern affair would be complete without sweet tea!

These are the beautiful faces I got to look at all afternoon!

I went to bed with a belly - and heart - full of sugar, thanks to these sweet faces!

 

This was my favorite Easter yet! I couldn’t have picked a better group of friends to share this precious day with me. And as I gave the toast right before we dug in, I could feel my Nanny there with us! She would’ve been proud…well, except for the Pineapple cream pie.

 

 

 

Merry Christmas from BeautyFrosting!!

This year has been such a sweet one thanks to you my BeautyFrosting readers and friends! I am so thankful for you every day…but especially on a day as sweet as this one.

Wishing a very merry Christmas your family & loved ones!

 

xoxo,
BF

Thirsty Thursday: The Gratitude Cocktail

I think we all know that I looooooove creating themed drinks for my shindigs!

So, just in time for Thanksgiving & the holiday season, I came up with a cutie of a cocktail: The Gratitude Cocktail.

Gratitude Cocktails for my interview with Nami M. Scott

While, the pomegranate-grapefruit-champagne cocktail itself is DELICIOUS, it’s the activity that accompanies it that will surely make it one of your family’s favorite, future holiday traditions.

Make either a cocktail at a time or whip up a whole batch and top off each glass with a splash of champagne or seltzer and a few pomegranate seeds.

Prior to their first sip, guests go around the room, one-by-one and say what they are grateful for. No one can sip until they’ve expressed a source of gratitude. So fun!

What a wonderful reminder, during the hustle & bustle of the holiday season, of our many blessings!
BeautyFrosting’s Gratitude Cocktail 

Serves 1

2 oz. Sparkling Pomegranate Juice

2 oz. Grapefruit Juice

2 oz. Champagne or Seltzer

Pomegranate Seeds (as a garnish – about 6 per flute)

Combine all juices & bubbles in your favorite, festive, champagne flute of choice and stir with a swizzle stick. Garnish with a few pomegranate seeds. Hand to guests and let the gratitude gushing begin!

Even Miss Ellie wanted in on the gratitude goodness!

 

xoxo,
BF

BF Asks: What was your Thanksgiving beverage?