Sometimes even blogging has to be postponed.

As Macaron Day quickly approaches, the Wall Street Journal asks, what is the future of macarons? As this special treat is being popularized (and even compared to the cupcake trend) stateside, what will come of its elitist status on the Continent? Can the Parisian upper class still lay claim to the macaron if the Real Housewives of New Jersey start serving them at their parties? What happens when someone cultured you know and love, who may love Parisian macarons, actually stoops to the level of serving prefabricated, frozen and then de-thawed Trader Joe’s macarons at their Christmas Party? And what will be the knee jerk reaction to this? A Jelly Belly renaissance? (Word on the street is that Thomas Keller is currently serving buttered popcorn ice cream at Per Se in Manhattan—could he be ahead of the curve?)

A box of macarons at Ladurée in Paris, Image by Sara Rosso via WSJ

I look at a lot of floral websites and blogs. A lot. Perhaps more than I’d like to admit. But that makes me a discerning consumer, and it also makes it particularly rewarding when I find a new florist that I really love. One of the things I look for when looking at florists online is a certain “je new sais quoi,” an indescribable quality, perhaps a sense of uniqueness, or evidence of individual touch. I found this when browsing the Bows and Arrows website today. I especially love this crespidia bouquet. I’m doing a bridal bouquet for someone who has requested crespidia, and this gives me another great reference.

A must read for aspiring urban-homesteading chicken-keepers, meat eaters, and everyone in between; Sara Lipka chronicles her experience of killing her first chicken for the Atlantic. A perfect pithy piece on a modern dilemma. Check it out. Last Clucks: The Death of a Chicken

Photo by Johnath/FlickrCC