Our puppy Sherwin is four months old today. During our first few days together, I seriously didn’t know if I had the chops to raise a pup. Rather than being overwhelmed by Sherwin’s cuteness, I was overwhelmed by a deep and strange depression. You see, I grew up with dogs and have always prided myself… Read more »
The mall in Century City has been undergoing a massive $1 billion makeover, and last night, some of the more famous new spots finally opened. One being Mario Batali’s Eataly. The other being Apple’s new location near the huge, shiny Nordstrom. And oh, the French boutique Equipment with their buttery silk blouses, which I absolutely… Read more »
LONG POST ALERT! You have been warned. Preface 1: The title of this post is a redundant phrase because Paris is basically an introvert’s paradise. The French in general are a lot more reserved and introverted than, say, Americans. But anyway, let’s carry on… Preface 2: The places mentioned below can get packed, but I… Read more »
[NOTE: When I was writing away years ago with no publishing deal in sight, I was always curious to know what the exciting parts of a writer’s life are actually like (not the hard part where you sit for hours at your computer — I already knew enough about the hard part!). So I hope… Read more »
We went on a fantastic Flavors of Lucca food tour in Italy last month. The short review: It was super comprehensive and we made so many stops for tastings, viewings, etc. We thought the tour was only supposed to last about 2.5 hours, but it lasted an entire 4 hours, full of delicious tastings that… Read more »
When I first went to the Côte d’Azur over fifteen years ago, I quickly realized which areas I loved and which areas I didn’t. I loved Saint Paul de Vence, Èze and St. Tropez. Notice I didn’t mention the big cities. So when we went last month, I already had the “dream itinerary” in mind…. Read more »
I’m so thrilled to announce that Random House has acquired my second picture book, The Paper Kingdom. I poured my heart and soul into this story, and I’m excited to see the book when it’s released! I’ll keep everyone posted, and one of these days, I’d like to write a post about how the entire… Read more »
A few Saturdays ago, I decided to live like a tourist in my own city. So I went over to Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice for some quality alone time. What an AMAZING afternoon! I started off with tea at Caudalie Spa while waiting for my facial appointment. I love this place. Why is everyone… Read more »
I’m happy to reveal the work in progress of Colleen Kong-Savage, the talented artist who is illustrating THE TURTLE SHIP. I find absolutely fascinating the thought process behind her artistic choices. For instance, Colleen is working to find a way to contrast the turtle enough to make him pop off the page, instead of blending… Read more »
Here’s my latest article for SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators), which covers attending the pro track for the first time at their conference. Featuring photos of Judy Blume and Newbery winner Linda Sue Park. Girl crush time!! Check it out here.
This is what I consider to be hot nowadays: a man who does housework without being asked 🔥👍👏
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#sexy #housework #takingoutthetrash #bravo
Three homebodies engaging in three separate activities in the front yard. I’m reading a fun novel (Funny You Should Ask by @elissa_sussman ), @eugene_rhee is bopping to music and @sherwinfrenchie is looking for neighborhood dogs. Haven’t had a lazy weekend in a while, so being at home is wonderful ❤️ Sherwin is in the second photo, and the third photo is my view from the porch 🌸
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#lazyweeked #reading #amreading #ilovereading
What a fabulous evening at the Getty last night, celebrating their undergrad internship program. During a college summer many years ago, I was a Getty intern and that experience deepened my love of art & my appreciation for art institutions. What a treat to chat with Professor Mary Miller, who now heads the Getty Research Institute, but was a prof of art history at Yale when I was a student there. Chatting with her & her husband Professor Edward Kamens felt like a “full circle” moment. I was nineteen years old all over again, full of curiosity and wonder. ❤️ #getty #gettymarrow #ilovela
In honor of #worldchocolateday here are some amazing chocolate concoctions I recently tasted: 1. Pain au chocolat from @ludivine_paris_bakery 2. truffles from @and.sons 3 & 4. choco soufflé on the Big Island + after dinner truffles 5. mint discs from @charbonnel1875 and 6. a video of Sherwin enjoying the croissant part of the pain au chocolat (no choco for him!). I’m a #chocoholic through and through. Anyone else??
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#ilovechocolate #smalljoys #chocolate #soufflé #cacao #chocolatelover
Books are signed, packed and ready to ship off to kids in Uvalde, TX. 600 Books of Hope is helping out Robb Elementary + other schools in Uvalde. Thanks to author @lisayee1 for spreading the word about this effort ❤️(Google “600 Books of Hope” if you’d like to help—they’re accepting donations until mid July!) #booksaregifts #authorsofinstagram #donatebooks
