Still a Writer

To relax between work and life tasks, I sometimes daydream about the

 Emilio Pucci Marmo Print Bath Cushion in turquoise terry cloth. 

Beachy blue vibes all around.

 (It has two suction cups in the back to secure it to the bathtub.)

I wrote for aspire design and home about the interior style of JouJou, 

a new French restaurant in San Francisco. 

Link here. Photo by Douglas Friedman.

My friend taught me to “Rest to Succeed” in a workshop she led this winter. It was about goal-setting and tailored to each of our lists about what is important to us, what we value.

It seemed counterintuitive. How could I rest to succeed? Wasn’t I already napping enough, feeling flattened (and fattened) by life, finding that lifting a toothbrush or bar of soap was too much to manage?

But A. was right. For example, today I worked on an article assignment, called in an RX, updated my meds (and took them on time), sent a funny coffee text to Figgy, her BF, etc. I clipped some sweetly scented pink roses to bring inside.

While I ate lunch in the kitchen, I boiled some wilting rainbow carrots in the microwave to make banana carrot loaf cake later. It contains healthful ingredients. I would have whirred the raw carrots 🥕 in a food processor but I don’t have one, so will mash them instead. I don't have cream cheese on hand for the frosting so will skip it.

Work, do task, rest. The REST may be napping, playing Wordle, window-shopping or reading at my favorite sites (but not in an endless funnel of time). Remember, I'm being productive in between. 

Some beloved window-shopping and writer's diversions listed here. Pls. note: My passions and pleasures often overlap with my work tasks and goals. I plan to send (more) article/essay pitches to The NY Times (3) and also have my eye on Vogue (5).

1. Diptyque Paris. Started in Paris, obviously. Pronounced DIP-TEAK. A brand Sis and I met through Sniffapalooza and love.
2. Sweet Laurel Bakery. Santa Monica, pretty in pink, fresh flowers on GF cakes. Laurel even shared a great recipe to make cleaning spray with water, vinegar and essential oil. I did. (She also showed a pink, of course, refillable glass spray bottle and when I asked, told me where to find it.)  I came across Sweet Laurel during the dark pandemic and it lit my way with small orders winged to New Jersey, such as a beautiful scented candle in pink glass and a niche unsweetened dark chocolate bar in the loveliest pink floral packaging (both not available now).
3. Vanessa Friedman fashion writing in The New York Times. Best, best, enough said.
4. Net-A-Porter. Only for sales, dreams or maybe a trendy, mid-priced brand, like a SKIMS Fits Everybody Push-Up Bra in Cocoa (dark brown), on its way to me as I type. I will let you know if it fits everybody.
5. Vogue. Proud subscriber, $15 a month but print issues in store cost A LOT. I plan to write for Vogue one day.
6. Aerin. Estée Lauder's granddaughter, style icon, seems to have good heart.
7. Jamagansett. Fresh fruit jams made with less sugar, from Amagansett in the Hamptons. Figgy went for a weekend there with her girlfriends this month and brought me a jar. Very pricey, very well-branded.
8. Dr. Jill Biden (@DrBiden) on instagram. She demos her family's chicken parmigiana recipe. It looks simple and delicious. Will sub in eggplant for vegetarian Dan but plan to make the homemade sauce this eve.

I better stop listing, have to get back on task. I am more productive, with one can-do thing feeding into another. I am not flopping around like a fish out of water. And one key thing is the word later. If I want to do something but have not accomplished it yet, I prioritize in my mind. I did my article work, for instance, started the carrot cake and then put it on hold to take a break. The carrots were not going anywhere. I made the cake before leaving at 8 p.m. for a meeting.

Still a writer. Links to two May 2026 articles, one lifestyle and one more technical (neurology). Range of vocabulary from paint colors to feeding tubes. Stretching my skills. Here’s to us all moving on with life and using our individual voices. Rest to succeed, indeed.

JOUJOU RESTAURANT IN THE CITY BY THE FOG https://aspiremetro.com/joujou-san-francisco/?noamp=mobile

DECODING HOSPITAL DIETS FOR NEURO PATIENTS https://www.brainandlife.org/articles/hospital-diets-patients-neurological-diseases

This post has been updated and expanded since original posting on May 21.

Malibu

I've been busy writing (remotely, with a phone interview and photographs) about a Southern California home overlooking rocky cliffs and a sandy cove. The owners can see Malibu. I love Malibu. And it's not just because my first Barbie of my very own, not Sis's hand-me-down, was Malibu Barbie (blonde, suntanned, and I think she came with a tiny beach towel, not sure). She even had the bendable leg joints.

It's also because I've been to Malibu twice, briefly, once with Moey/Debbie/Annie when we were in our 20s and had our first jobs and once by myself when I flew to California for a work trip several years back.

Very pretty. Paradise.

In other news, I started weeding the gardens, and Dan started sowing his pumpkin patch, and that feels good.

Good night.  

Breaking My Rule/Posting on iPhone in Bed

Pacific Coast Highway, prettiest road. Yet rivaled by Acadia National Park in Maine.

Again.

Paradise Cove.

Flat as a pancake.

It's just that it's almost 4 a.m. so too tired to blog anywhere else but in bed.

Missed my flight by a few min due to horrific traffic at LAX after returning Budget rental car. The next direct flight they had a seat on did not depart until nearly 7 hours later. 

Spent a lot of time hunting for a free LAX internet connection and when I finally found it, wrote an article and handed it in. But a lot of wasted time being bounced on and off an often weak WiFi service. Still, at least it's free, in 45-minute time blocks.

Being in the airport can be expensive. Lunch, little gifts to bring Figgy and Punchy, iced tea, pretzels, chocolate-dunked almonds. And $25 to check my bag. At least I didn't have to pay for the Internet, too.

Got in Uber car 2:24 a.m., got home 2:58 a.m. 

Punchy on a long visit w Mimi, H. in Pittsburgh, Figgy up on her Maine summer. It's Sug and me holding down the fort and tomorrow, I plan to buckle down and finish working.

Good night.

I Promise to Follow up

Drove to church in Malibu, along PCH to Zuma Beach, went in waves, drove north some more, struck by beauty, pulled into Paradise Cove, parking attendant told me I had a flat front tire, called AAA, found hidden outlet for dead phone in sandy outdoor dining area, was stressed out and worried waiting for Malibu Towing [since 1942] truck. Now I'm back in hotel, showered and ready for bed. Home tomorrow. For various reasons, this has been a bit of a rocky/pebbly weekend since I left the biz part of the trip Friday at noon. But it has certainly had some memorable moments, too. Travel fills the soul, but a flat tire can deflate it. I also missed my family at the beach, especially when I saw young kids pulling their parents into the waves, or vice versa. Good night.

A Beachcomber Massage & a Chat by the Fire

Laura by a fire pit at the Loews Blue Streak poolside bar.

Blogging now from the Business Center at the glamorous Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, right on the ocean. [You swipe your credit card and pay $7.50 per 15 minutes to use these big-screen computers. But it's cool, quiet and sleek, unlike my room at the very ordinary Extended Stay America.]

I got a 7 p.m spa treatment: the Signature Beachcomber Massage. The treatment room was candle-lit, the spa bed very comfy. Van was the massage therapist. He showed me the tiger-striped clam shells infused with kelp and seawater that are used for the hot treatment, designed to "melt away muscle tension" per the menu. They are hot to the touch.

"We store a lot of tension in our bodies," Van said, noting that my back felt tight. "Ideally, people should get a massage twice a month."

I wish.

"This must be a hard job," I said. "I mean you really have to work hard, and be energetic." He was kneading and kneading, no rest for the weary. You'd need vitamins to handle that.

"Yes," he agreed with a laugh. "You have to be in it to win it."

Van and I got to talking; I couldn't help it. He moved here from Chicago over 15 years ago, and since I only have one full day left, tomorrow, I asked him for tips about driving the Pacific Coast Highway. He suggested Zuma Beach as a stop-off in Malibu. Sounds good to me. I also hope to find a Catholic Mass earlier in the day, if I'm awake on time,, and might possibly go to Santa Barbara, too....not sure.

I've come a long way since the first time Moey and I ever went to a spa years back, and the whole idea of a little locker, and key, spa slippers and a thick robe were new to us both. I left feeling relaxed, and with an itinerary for my PCH drive, to boot. Thanks, Van.

*****************************************************************************
After that, I met Moey's daughter, Laura, in the lobby. An aspiring actress and singer, she moved to Burbank almost six months ago, and loves it here. She also liked the Loews Hotel. We headed to the hotel's outdoor Blue Streak poolside bar, and both loved the fire pits [13 of them]; you can sit in cushy chairs and order food and drinks while looking out over the Santa Monica Pier, the ferris wheel lit up in pretty colors. We both stared into the flickering flames, talking and reflecting.

Well, I must get my car from the valet and drive back to my Extended Stay America. It's been nice to be at the ball and all, but now my carriage is about to turn into a pumpkin pulled by mice.

Sweet dreams.

*Full disclosure: My service was complimentary as a media guest. The price of the 50-minute service would be $140; 80 minutes, $200. Therefore, I gave Van a 20 percent [or $28] gratuity. There's an unspoken law in the beauty writing world: You usually give the tip even when the service is on the house.

Think Pink

Left to my own devices, I fell right into The Ivy at the Shore, an iconic treasure on Ocean Avenue across from the Santa Monica Pier. I was drawn to these pink flowers as soon as I drove by them. Too tired to write more; have been behind the wheel a lot today. And that complimentary flute of delicious Champagne is not conducive to writing. Sweet dreams.

Just Joni Mitchell and Me, Up in the Dark

Hi! Up before the sun, listening to the Joni CD I have in my laptop. Cup of Keurig Morning Edition Blend from the little coffeemaker. Thankful for both.

I'm grateful I have a blog and loyal readers who care about my comings and goings. I fell asleep by 9 p.m. Pacific time, midnight my time.

But I woke up at 3:45 a.m. and couldn't sleep, because I
a. want to finish an article I promised my editor back home and
b. still don't know where I'm staying tonight, though at least I did rent a car. [Would like to submit that article so I can drive freely.]

Callout to Jessie, at the Hilton Honors program, where the phone is answered 24/7. [I'm at a lovely Hilton Garden Inn as a work guest.] Jessie told me there are a lot of events happening in the L.A. area this weekend and hence, many hotels are sold out. She suggested a Doubletree in Commerce, CA for $179 nightly. Then there's Joe, to whom I was put through for a survey to earn Hilton Honors points. Turns out he used to live 15 minutes from me.

Found a [small] coupon code at fyvor.com that saved me about $6.20 on my Enterprise car rental, but I'll take it. It looks like it will be $158.58 for three days, but since I'm paying w a debit card, they need to hold another $100 and see a copy of one of my utility bills [!!!!!fortunately, my PSE&G power account is online, so I can print out bill in the hotel business center].

I really enjoyed touring Bradshaw International yesterday [Good Cook and other brands], meeting the team, seeing some products and learning about how I will input copy from NJ. Fernando, the tech guy, set up the system on my laptop. Went to dinner with Bert and Tom--nice to sit, talk, brainstorm--and feel valued for my business, creative and marketing insights. Oh, you'll find a place to stay, said Tom. Go to hotels.com. And drive on 10 West until you hit the ocean near Santa Monica. Sounds like a plan.

Money is the issue--as you know, H. and I don't really use credit cards, often are waiting for freelance checks and tend to live in a feast or famine cycle*--but yes, there are some great deals listed at hotels.com. Yet if you search from low to high prices in the Los Angeles area, there are some real dives and I do mean dives, with rates under $100.

Better run.

More to come! I wish I could see my niece, Anna, who lives in San Francisco, and my friend/coworker from Good Housekeeping, Lisa, in Sausalito....but I only have the weekend, fly back Monday morning. This state is so beautiful, it almost overwhelms me. I'm eager to see that sea.

*H. has an assignment for the New York Times Magazine, for which he must drive to Pittsburgh on Sunday because some important report is going to be released. But he didn't know this until after Bradshaw had already chosen the California dates....so now Sis and Don are going to our house to watch Punchy and Sug overnight Sunday....my friend Jean is taking her during the day....and H. is working at a party in the Hamptons on Saturday, writing 60-Second Novels, and will be gone from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. w that long drive, so we had to get Punchy coverage for that, too....oy vey. 

TCOY

1. Lots of ice water from the lobby. It is very good, with mint leaves and raspberries.
2. About to take a bath. Brought bubble bath and Aveda Calming Composition Oil from home.

California, Here I Come

I would love to write a long post now, but I'm at Starbucks to work in the A.C. on some deadlines for Aspire Design and Home.

That cooking gadget company I've been writing for? It's called Good Cook, and it's based in Rancho Cucamonga, California, 37 miles inland from L.A. I read somewhere that the company is the top manufacturer of cooking gadgets/supplies/equipment in the U.S.

Boxes of Good Cook products have been sent to my doorstep; when they arrive, Punchy acts as though we have won the lottery. She reports the delivery proudly to the neighbors. Because Alice is going to write about them, she says, throwing her shoulders back ever so slightly.

I have indeed written about everything from lobster crackers to utensil jars, paper towel holders to squeezable mustard and ketchup bottles.

But now, the two men I have been working with over the phone have arranged for me to fly out and meet them, and meet the team, and learn about the different brand voices and price points. I will also be trained to input copy directly into the website, as copywriter, to facilitate the process.

Temporary gray concealer. My stylist

sprays it on after blow-drying, lightly combs it in and then uses hairspray.

I've used it once on my own and then blow-dried.

I have been getting ready. I couldn't afford full hair color [$100 counting blowout, plus tips] as we are between checks; but my good Christina at Salon 212 did her blowout, and applied the color spray shown above, which works great. I had the shoemaker fix the worn-down heels on my nude patent Clarks pumps. I have a new [Tory] shirt lined up, and a beach cover-up to pack for after my meetings. I got a new pair of reading glasses with mock tortoise frames at CVS.

The company is flying me out and back and I will be their guest in a hotel tomorrow night. But by Friday afternoon, I'm planning to rent the most economical Enterprise car I can get and head toward L.A. I don't know where I'm staying yet on Friday, Sat. and Sun. nights, but I'm flying back home on Monday morning. I've reached out to 10 or more hotels to see about media guests [you know I will blog in detail, and also tweet with photos from @ASPIREMagazine]. But so far every hotel is full for the weekend; they say it's peak season.

A couple of places that are full are going to let me be a guest for dinner and/or a spa treatment, and I hope to enjoy that. I also hope to see Moey's daughter, Laura, who moved out to Los Angeles in February. She is an aspiring actress and singer, and lives in an apartment complex with three other young women plus her large dog.

But I won't really feel settled until I know where I will be laying my head on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights...and I hope it's not on the head rest of my rental car.

I better get to work! Flight at 8:34 a.m.

Please say a prayer that I can drive safely and find my way out there. California is so big, it seems like another country. I've been there several times, but not for years...and while I know Route 95 North to 195 to Route 6 to Cape Cod like the back of my hand, these roads...not so much. Wild, wild West?

Until tomorrow.....