It is hard to believe that it has been over a week since we've all had to adjust our lives to this radical new reality. In some ways it feels much longer, and of course in others it seems that just yesterday we were all running around attending to our myriad quotidian lives. As a team, we are no longer able to be together at our boutique on Main Street, or in our studio in DTLA. We are now working remotely as best we can, with everyone's safety top of mind. I must admit that I did pop over to Main Street to gather some things I'll need while working from home, and I was struck by how much I miss being there. I miss my amazing team and our lovely clients of course, but I also miss just inhabiting the space that I created to welcome people into the world of LFrank. I do love it there, especially in the afternoon when the gorgeous golden sunlight comes in just so.

In the spirit of helping those who need it most, we have #LINKED up with our jewelry community in donating 10% of all online sales to an amazing organization, No Kid Hungry.  They do incredible work all year long to ensure that the most vulnerable children receive access to consistent, healthy meals. There is no better time than now to help them, so if you have had your eye on a piece of jewelry, treat yourself, and do some good in the process.  Please also take advantage of a 25% discount on all in-stock lingerie to shop and support. Use code LINKED from now through April 1st, 2020. There are lots of beautiful things to help brighten your time spent at home. I've long said that waking up in a lovely slip, or donning a beautiful robe, can change the trajectory of your day, so please take me up on that and give it a try.  I suspect we can all use tools that set us off on the right foot each day during this inconceivable time of restriction.

I feel enormously lucky to love the home that I created with my family, and am grateful to have the opportunity to spend time here, even if it happens to be under such circumstances. If it is essential to stay home, then I am beyond happy to do so here, with all of us together. Staying home for me doesn't mean abandoning all sense of normalcy. On the contrary, I find it rather important to continue to do what I normally do. I still put on all of my jewelry in the morning, and get properly dressed.  In fact, I put this dress on today, for a number of reasons, not just because it's cheery and beautiful. I did a bit of research on the designer Michael Novarese, and found a Swiss article titled "Fashion that Bloom in the Spring" and describes him "...as usual, hitched to a star that continues to rise." I love that.

I also chose this dress today because it is in itself a powerful source of connectivity. I was introduced to Marie and her chic vintage shop RecessLA by my friend Susan Winget (of Marshmallow fame), when I saw a post she did on Instagram. I was able to dash over before quarantine set in, and while everyone else was panic buying toilet paper (someone please explain this to me) I decided to take home a dress that literally screamed my name from the rack. I am beyond happy that I did. I had the nicest experience in her shop, something I am obviously sensitive to, and it gave me a long lasting boost, in that the dress immediately brightened my day and the day of everyone around me, as I hope it brightens yours. Just supporting fellow small businesses feels especially good right now, so I hope you'll have a look at what Marie and Susan do, and spend a little time being delighted.  

We all need a little cheer, and it is most likely not a coincidence, but rather incredibly strong DNA that had my daughter show up for our afternoon family dog walk in her lavender Gunne Sax prom dress from her senior year of high school.  Apples and trees, as the saying goes. I would show you a photo, but she would never forgive me. Suffice to say that it is lavender, frothy, and everything you'd hope it would be. We passed a few little girls on our walk (at a safe distance, rest assured) and I could see them trying to figure out how on earth we could be so lucky as to be walking with a real life princess. She should have been wearing these colorful sapphire earrings along with it.  Next time!

Is everyone cooking as much as I am?  It's quite a lot to make sure there is something for everyone to eat everyday, as we all attend to our work, school or otherwise. We can't live on Milla Chocolates alone, as much as we'd all like.  I try to make sure there is at least something fresh and appealing in the refrigerator, using whatever I've got on hand. Today it was this simple French lentil salad, and it seemed to do the trick.

French Lentil Salad

1 cup lentils du puy (cooked in 4 cups of water, then drained)

2 Persian cucumbers, peeled and diced

5 small organic red and orange peppers, diced

1/4 cup pickled red onions

1 can of organic chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 log of goat's cheese, crumbled

salt and pepper

fresh dill

dressing of lime juice, two spoonfuls of pesto sauce, a few spoonfuls of extra virgin olive oil

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, allow to sit in the refrigerator for an hour or so, for the flavors to come together.  Season with salt and pepper if needed.

Enjoy,