100 most beautiful words of the English language

According to poet and dictionary writer, Dr. Robert Beard, these are the 100 most beautiful words in the English language.

There are words I love that are missing from this list such as; auspicious, velvet and champagne, which is why I may soon create a list of my own.  

Ailurophile A cat-lover.

Assemblage A gathering.

Becoming Attractive.

Beleaguer To exhaust with attacks.

Brood To think alone.

Bucolic In a lovely rural setting.

Bungalow A small, cozy cottage.

Chatoyant Like a cat’s eye.

Comely Attractive.

Conflate To blend together.

Cynosure A focal point of admiration.

Dalliance A brief love affair.

Demesne Dominion, territory.

Demure Shy and reserved.

 

Denouement The resolution of a mystery.

Desuetude Disuse.

Desultory Slow, sluggish.

Diaphanous Filmy.

Dissemble Deceive.

Dulcet Sweet, sugary.

Ebullience Bubbling enthusiasm.

Effervescent Bubbly.

Efflorescence Flowering, blooming.

Elision Dropping a sound or syllable in a word.

Elixir A good potion.

Eloquence Beauty and persuasion in speech.

Embrocation Rubbing on a lotion.

Emollient A softener.

Ephemeral Short-lived.

Epiphany A sudden revelation.

Erstwhile At one time, for a time.

Ethereal Gaseous, invisible but detectable.

Evanescent Vanishing quickly, lasting a very short time.

Evocative Suggestive.

Fetching Pretty.

Felicity Pleasantness.

Forbearance Withholding response to provocation.

Fugacious Fleeting.

Furtive Shifty, sneaky.

Gambol To skip or leap about joyfully.

Glamour Beauty.

Gossamer The finest piece of thread, a spider’s silk.

Halcyon Happy, sunny, care-free.

Harbinger Messenger with news of the future.

Imbrication Overlapping and forming a regular pattern.

Imbroglio An altercation or complicated situation.

Imbue To infuse, instill.

Incipient Beginning, in an early stage.

Ineffable Unutterable, inexpressible.

Ingénue A naïve young woman.

Inglenook A cozy nook by the hearth.

Insouciance Blithe nonchalance.

Inure To become jaded.

Labyrinthine Twisting and turning.

Lagniappe A special kind of gift.

Lagoon A small gulf or inlet.

Languor Listlessness, inactivity.

Lassitude Weariness, listlessness.

Leisure Free time.

Lilt To move musically or lively.

Lissome Slender and graceful.

Lithe Slender and flexible.

Love Deep affection.

Mellifluous Sweet sounding.

Moiety One of two equal parts.

Mondegreen A slip of the ear.

Murmurous Murmuring.

Nemesis An unconquerable archenemy.

Offing The sea between the horizon and the offshore.

Onomatopoeia A word that sounds like its meaning.

Opulent Lush, luxuriant.

Palimpsest A manuscript written over earlier ones.

Panacea A solution for all problems

Panoply A complete set.

Pastiche An art work combining materials from various sources.

Penumbra A half-shadow.

Petrichor The smell of earth after rain.

Plethora A large quantity.

Propinquity An inclination.

Pyrrhic Successful with heavy losses.

Quintessential Most essential.

Ratatouille A spicy French stew.

Ravel To knit or unknit.

Redolent Fragrant.

Riparian By the bank of a stream.

Ripple A very small wave.

Scintilla A spark or very small thing.

Sempiternal Eternal.

Seraglio Rich, luxurious oriental palace or harem.

Serendipity Finding something nice while looking for something else.

Summery Light, delicate or warm and sunny.

Sumptuous Lush, luxurious.

Surreptitious Secretive, sneaky.

Susquehanna A river in Pennsylvania.

Susurrous Whispering, hissing.

Talisman A good luck charm.

Tintinnabulation Tinkling.

Umbrella Protection from sun or rain.

Untoward Unseemly, inappropriate.

Vestigial In trace amounts.

Wafture Waving.

Wherewithal The means.

Woebegone Sorrowful, downcast.

LV & Kina’s Taco Challenge Episode 1

Since LaVaughn and I are self proclaimed foodies and total nerds when it comes to photography/challenges/food, we decided to do a taco challenge. It’s simple, really  - you get together in a kitchen and make tacos from ingredients found in your house.

Of course, mini tortillas are preferable as a base item, since they are needed in order for a taco to be a taco. Another preference is to make as many tacos as there are people, so that everyone gets to have a taste of each taco. However, if you’re 6 people, you may want to reconsider. As small as the tortillas are, we were both completely satisfied with two small tacos, one of each kind.

Given the fact that we had mentioned doing this 2 days prior and had forgotten to grab some “key” ingredients, we both started the “challenge” in a nonchalant manner. However, as time went by and we both started eyeing each other’s stations, the friendly “competition” really began.

We both finished our tacos in about 30 minutes’ time, and were utterly surprised at the different our tacos looked and tasted.

I made a pan seared chipotle pork taco with a creamy salsa verde dressing, guacamole and orange peppers with melted provolone cheese. I decorated the taco with spices and grated spinach to add a little freshness to the dish. Oh, and more of the creamy verde dressing.

LaVaughn went a completely different (and sickeningly delicious) route by breading tilapia, and frying it (adding his own twist to the mixture) and topping it with home made salsa, aoli dressing and pickled red onions

Here are the results - and if you’re curious, we didn’t pick a winner. We physically couldn’t decide as they were both too different and too amazing. (in the culinary world, it is not considered obnoxious to celebrate your own talent - I assume)

The Tribal Craze featuring The Tribal Legging!

I’ve been on the lookout for a different legging that I can wear with a subdued shirt rather than the other way around for a while. 

The tribal print is a craze I partook in 100%… I have a few shirts that helped me to participate in it. I recently came across this legging that is half patterned, and as infatuated as I am with the legging, I still wonder if it would be the way to go. What do you think?

Etsy 

American Apparel

My obsession with Wanelo.com

I don’t even remember where I saw the link or whether someone pointed me to it, but a few months ago I found a website I am absolutely in love with. It’s called Wanelo, and the concept is for people to post unique products in a simple layout and refer back to the original website. It’s brilliant, because instead of visiting 10 different websites to find original things, you visit one. You can also build a profile and make your own sub categories (Kitchen items, Dresses, Harry Potter things *I may or may not have this sub category) and directs back to Etsy a lot. I like Etsy but find it extremely overwhelming, so this is the perfect alternative for me. 

Here are a few of my favorite products, found on wanelo.