"I shall do very well on the sofa in the library for the rest of the night..." ~ Jane Eyre

Noting just some of my favorite items in my apartment:

~ On one of my doorknobs is a wooden sign that reads "Cocktail Time" with a flapper holding a martini painted on it. The flapper could be any one of the young women Fitzgerald writes about in the chapter illustrating Nick's first party at Gatsby's.

~ I found a small movie poster of Breakfast at Tiffany's at the MOMA gift store a year and a half ago and since then it has been in my living room. Each time I glance that way, "Moon River" starts to hum in my head and visions of the New York Public Library appear.

~ There is a photo of my grandparents on my coffee table - their wedding photograph. My grandfather had just returned from WWII. Since they had little money, they were married at City Hall. My grandfather is wearing his uniform and my grandmother is in a simple dress with a white corsage. Their smiles are beautiful.

~ The cluster of body oil, body lotion, and shower gel in the corner of my sinktop. They came in a delicious package together, literally. The body oil is lemon-verbena scented, the body lotion is chocolate scented, and the shower gel is caramel cappucino scented.

~ There is a recreated painting of The Girl with the Pearl Earring by Vermeer in my library. I love that it is not a print, but an actual replica of one of my favorite works of art. I never tire looking into her eyes or staring at her ear.

~ The cat statuette in my bedroom that is a replica from one in Ancient Egypt (my bedroom is Egyptian-themed).

~ A spoon rest that is in the shape of a wine bottle that has "Merlot" painted on it. I have some kitchen towels and a rug that also depict a french wine motif. A few weeks ago, Chaz was kind enough to give me a beautiful painting of a row of french cafes on a Parisian street that I will hang above my kitchen table.

~ Guest towels given to me by my mother that are beige with a satin accent depicting various aspects of couture such as a black cocktail dress, a black bag, and black high heels.

~ An enlarged black and white photo of my "Jewish Wedding." During senior year of high school, I played the role of Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof. My friend Laurie had taken a photo of me in complete bride attire, at the alter with Ethan Brosowsky. It was a good thing I wore a thick veil, because all Ethan did during the scene was whisper jokes for me to laugh at.

~ The Derek Jeter bobblehead that sits on my desk in my library. J.Sarah's parents gave it to me as a present a few years ago. I love tapping D.J.'s head. Yes, he is my favorite Yankee, and yes I was upset that he hurt his thumb today! Still, it is not as bad as when I attended the Yanks/Boston game back in 2004 when they went into 14 innings on July 1st and D.J. fell into the stands and emerged all bloody. Such trauma for us ladies in the Derek Jeter fan club.

~ A mug that says "Anne of Green Gables" that my mother ordered for me when I was a child through an L.M. Montgomery gift store on Prince Edward Island. The mug sits on my bookshelf and holds all of my bookmarks. I think I must have at least 18 bookmarks.

~ A dried bouquet that I carried at Missy and Ed's wedding six years ago that now hangs on my library door. The bouquet was a big blossom of peach roses. At the time I remember being in the limo outside of St. Vartan's Cathedral and stuffing a tissue into the bouquet. It was hidden well until I started getting teary at the alter and took it out to use. I will never forget my Great Aunt Mary exclaiming what a great idea that was from a pew three rows back!

~The wine cabinet given to me last winter as a gift from my family. It is from Crate and Barrel, one of my favorite stores. Its mahogany wooden frame holds up to a dozen wine glasses and a dozen bottles of wine. Right now there are two bottles of Barefoot Merlot in it in addition to other reds. All of the whites are in my fridge.

~ A magnet on my fridge that is a poem about sisters; the magnet holds up a photo of me and my sisters at my grandmother's 80th birthday brunch back in 2000.

~ My collection of cookbooks in the kitchen, including Traditional Armenian Recipes given to me by my father. The cookbook was written by an Armenian Ladies Guild back in the 1950's, but the recipes are so good that it is still a cookbook found in any Armenian bookstore.