patina is for champions...

This morning I ventured out to an estate sale ... I was seriously overwhelmed at first and just about to leave when I spotted a table stacked to the rafters with jewelry. I took some time to sift through the piles and managed to match together some awesome pairs of earrings. Antibacterial soap was in serious order to say the least.

I don't normally like red, but I loved this bracelet:

My favorite find:

I also re-discovered my grandmother's antique tin collection, some of which I'm hoping to incorporate in my new apartment:

Hello, Don Draper! I think that this will make for a lovely little jewelry box:

This could be a pretty stationery box:

I love the detailing:

To clean or not to clean?

Brown Sugar Walnut {possibly any nut} Torte ...

My Grandmother Jean was not only an artist but a very skilled baker. She had a knack for expertly crafting swiss roll cakes {my sister and I attempted a Buche de Noel two years ago which resulted in a chocolate mousse explosion} but her Brown Sugar Walnut Torte was and still is everyone's favorite.

It's very simple but delicious and graces the table at every single holiday, from Thanksgiving, to Passover to Chinese New Year {we celebrate all three}. We experimented with toasted almonds instead of walnuts, and I think we may be onto something ...

The egg white beating process continually amazes me ...

Normally, I would post the recipe here but it's a prized family secret.