In an Ideal World...

What a relief to have pushed through this week till today, the end of a week full of errands, mishaps, frustrations, and utter exasperation.

Rather unbelievably, given the week I've had, the day has actually gone relatively well so far:

1.  I swung by Buccee's this morning for the express purpose of treating myself to a cranberry walnut muffin, and I scored the last one!  I was almost preening with delight.

2.  Then in an unprecedented feat of perfect timing, I arrived at the health food store to pick up my pre-ordered potato starch (!)...for homemade gluten-free bread...at 10:01 a.m., putting me there just as they opened but still efficiently on schedule.  Clearly it didn't take much to wow me today.

After that things went slightly downhill...but only slightly. 

I did discover that Cracker Jacks, which I LOVED as a kid and still sometimes buy for myself, are gluten-free.  So GFB will be testing them out as a snack in the days to come.  Also on the menu: red bell pepper slices with ranch dip and chicken salad with red grapes and pecans*.  My kids' stomachs have lived very sheltered lives so far.  But that's all about to change...

* only GFB will have the pecans...PFB will have to miss out.

Weather-wise, it's a perfect, spring-like day here, and I can't help but think it's a good day for a picnic.  Here is a snapshot of the day I would have liked to have had...

[via]

Relaxing on a coral beach towel in a park somewhere, wearing a cute outfit and eating a French macaroon...  One day.  I'm seriously thinking of adopting her Manifesto.  (The very fact that she has a Manifesto makes her inarguably cool in my book).  This is exactly the life I want...with a few highlighted exceptions.

We believe…

We believe in being glass-half-full sorts of girls.
We believe that often times, granny is chic.
We believe in peddling vintage Schwinns with flower baskets.
We believe in poetry, picnics, and piñatas.
We believe one is never too old to keep a diary, the secrets only grow more scandalous.
We believe in arranging fresh flowers unruly like an English garden.
We believe in adventure and traveling the globe, be it to Marrakech or Malibu.
We believe in mixing lucite with oriental rugs. Thrift store finds with heirlooms.
We believe in handwritten thank you notes, better late than never.
We believe in needlepoint, letterpress, decoupage and forgiving Martha Stewart.
We believe in piggy banks and cookie jars.
We believe in book clubs full of Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Austen and Woolf.
We believe station wagons are hopelessly chic.  (not sure about this one)
We believe in recycling our Grandmothers’ names. Eloise, Jackie, Faye…
We believe in collecting: stamps, shells, books, big glittering diamonds…
We believe in marrying the boy that writes us the best love letters.
We believe in highly competitive board games—Chess, Scrabble, Chutes & Ladders.
We believe in spontaneous road trips and charming, chintzy bed & breakfasts.
We believe there’s something to fortune cookies, wishbones and 4 leaf clovers.
We believe in classics, shaken and stirred.

She is Katie Armor of Matchbook Magazine.