the absolute best pancake mix (and it's gluten-free)

I'm not kidding. This is the best. I've tried lots over the years, and while there have been some good ones (like Bob's Red Mill) - none have compared to this. We weren't specifically trying only gluten-free mixes either, but this one was our unanimous fave. The cost is $18.95 at Williams-Sonoma for a box that makes 16 pancakes (we don't have a waffle iron). You certainly don't have to make them all at once - it's just the two of us, and we maybe have pancakes twice a month. I'll also tell you that we made them with almond milk instead of dairy and cooked them in our All-Clad stainless steel fry pan coated with coconut oil...and they were heavenly. Serve them with some good quality Grade B maple syrup and organic grass-fed butter (please don't use that God-forsaken mess known as margarine, or you'll ruin my day).

paint: farrow & ball chappell green

This is a lovely shade of green that caught my eye on this month's cover of House Beautiful. This picture makes it look more aqua on the cover, but it's more like the swatch below.

streetshoe waterbased wood floor finish

Streetshoe is a product available in four sheens for finishing (or refinishing) wood floors. It is low-VOC and LEED compliant.

read: cooked

Today, Michael Pollan is here in Saint Louis discussing his new book, Cooked. As someone who has seen about every food and health documentary out in recent years - I've become accustomed to seeing his face. If you are someone who truly wants to be healthy and learn why the quality of our food matters so much, you should check out some of his other books (I'll have you know that all of his books were checked out on a recent visit to my library). His latest book chronicles his experiences being an apprentice to culinary masters as he learns how taking ingredients from the earth and incorporating the elements of fire, water, and air - can lead to delicious things to eat and drink. Sounds fascinating.

spotted: the brahmin bag

Last week when I was having a mini purse obsession I spotted a 75th Anniversary Brahmin bag for Dillard's in a magazine. It got me curious to discover more of this brand's styles - and there are some beauties. Then, I kid you not, the barista at Starbucks that afternoon complimented the bag I was carrying and we talked about how nice it was to switch from winter purses to summer purses, etc. etc. and then she said she "was bad" and splurged on another Brahmin bag. So, of course, we chatted about that for a moment. Random. Here are some of the latest styles from this thirty-year-old Massachusetts-based company - and here's a little trivia I learned: Did you now a Brahmin was the name referred to a cultured upper-class person during the 1800s in Boston?

There's even a short video on the making of the signature Brahmin rose: