Friday, May 28, 2010

Between The Buns


In honor of Memorial Weekend,
my daughter's birthday,graduation parties-
and all things grilling,
I have to say...
I love a good burger.
I am a fanatic for Diners Drive Ins and Dives
and now I have discovered something that 
combines both of those passsions...Burger Blogs!
The burger is a quintessential American food and
 burger stops- whether upscale pubs or 
roadside stands are as American as apple pie too.
Above images via Hamblogger
Check out a couple of my new found
 favorite feasts, for the eyes and other senses!
etc etc etc... 
wishing this was smell o vision, right?

Make it a great weekend.
Cheers!

My Daughter's Birthday

Yes, today is May 28th .
A special day because it is my daughter,
 Alycia's birthday.
We've had so much fun, celebrating  over the years,
of course-, there were parties galore-
 make your own t shirts / fortune tellers-Hello?
 -always with  family and friends to make it special.
But, best of all are the mental (daily) memories
and snapshots of my little girl growing up
and now sharing, as 
she makes her way in the adult world.
Cheers and a very
 Happy Birthday
to you
Alycia
xo     

Quote of the Day


The childhood shows the man
As morning shows the day.
Milton

Thursday, May 27, 2010

West Marin Treasure


After thinking about the Running Fence 
project, I got to thinking about one of my 
favorite Marin County towns,
Located in western Marin,
just off the California coast.
The area is mainly a farming community,
with dairy being the backbone.
It is a town for the people
and the locals use it as their commercial 
anchor.

It is one of those quintessential 
hamlets that combine old school familiarity,
such as a main street, county store and diner
but also a couple of cutting edge art galleries 
along with upscale restaurants
supporting local, sustainable, organic ingredients.
This place is foodie heaven. 

There is a lighthouse on the coast and many,many
possibilities for mini excursions.

Heaven is just a click away!
xo

Quote of the Day



If a person is not at least  a little 
bit strange, he is the strangest 
of all.
Michael Sneyd

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Environmental Art


"Utopianism, nerve, luck,
grass roots organization, horse trading
and lawlessness."
These are just a few words that describe
the efforts surrounding the installation
of The Running Fence, one of the few successful
and popular works of American Enviromental art,
1972-1976.
"The tenacity of  Christo and Jeanne-Claude
and their unshakable faith in
their unusual ideas earned respect,
trust and affection from people who had never
heard of site specific art".
This was no easy feat,
 ( even today, it would be a challenge)
between skeptical landowners, government
bureaucracies and just about everyone with an
opinion in between, they worked through and
overcame great hostility.
Of all their works, this was their most ambitious-
the 18-foot high white nylon fence
ran 24 miles accross two rolling
Northern California counties
and into the Pacific Ocean.

The project will forever have a
lasting impact on the mostly rural
community and it's surrounding cities.
I truly believe, after all was said and done
the locals feel a huge sense of pride and respect
 having been involved
with a brilliant, passionate and true visionary.

There is a wonderful exhibition
at the Smithsonian this summer-
"Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Remembering The Running Fence".
It is a large retrospective
involving nearly 50 drawings,
a 58 -foot-long scale model,
250 photographs by Wolfgang Volz
and continuous screenings of the
1978 film "Running Fence" by
Albert and David Maysles as well as
the brand new film,
"'The Running Fence' Revisited"
by Wolfram Hissen.

 I would love to make to the exhibit
(through September 26)
 but if not, I will
definitely be there in spirit.
XO


With assist from photos, and "WSJ"





























































































































































ALL

Quote of the Day


Only great men
have great faults.
La Rochefoucauld

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

All Things Italian


In honor of all Spring being out there somewhere
the white jean effort 
and all things Italian, I've found the
 perfect cocktail to share
before a spicy plate of seafood pasta and 
and an evening of great TV ... 
Spritz

Several Italian regions lay claim to the origins of the Spritz. In fact, the proportions and the ingredients differ vastly from area to area. While Venetians might use Aperol and Prosecco, Paduans might mix still white wine with Campari. We like this version with Aperol and sparkling wine. Whether you use still or sparkling wine, or your bitter apéritif is Aperol, Campari, or Cynar, top it with soda water and you’ve got a Spritz.

  • 1 1/2 ounces Aperol
  • 3 ounces Prosecco or sparkling wine, chilled
  • Sparkling mineral water or club soda, chilled
  • 1 lemon or orange slice

  • Fill a champagne flute with Aperol. Add Prosecco
  •  and top with a splash of soda water. Garnish with a lemon or orange slice and serve
  • via chow.
  • CHEERS!

    

The White Party

Don't you just love white jeans?
They are so many things
summed up in one pair of pants-
Jackie  O on the streets of  NYC and
the Isle of Capri,
or
Audrey Hepburn in
Two For The Road.
 At one time,
a symbol of leisure and elitism, now a days,
they are simply a very chic, indispensable staple-
with influences reigning from
 the all American (Ralph Lauren /Michael Kors )
to the uber European (Hermes / Loro Piana),
this closet workhorse can be found everywhere from
the top (see above) to
Lands End and Macy's.
Be gone urban legend of yore:
I say, as long as the temperature cooperates,
who cares what the month is?
Hey, the Italians have always been on board
with this theory...say no more.
And in terms of practicality,
well, bring on the Oxy Clean!
Cheers!

Monday, May 24, 2010

Pocket Finds

This past week I've been working on
prepping my closets and moving from one season to the next.
On any given day,  I am always finding notes,
bits and bobs in my coat pockets
 (and definitely handbags).

Truth be told though, I kind of like putting my hand
 into a pocket and finding (money!) a button
or scrap of paper- 99% of the time,
it's a grocery list-.but I kind of find that comforting-
 it's like a mini snapshot from a previous day in the life. 

I digress.
 The great thing about this jar for me,
 is the visual entertainment it provides.

When putting on a jacket or switching  handbags,
 I will often do a quick sweep and stash
 the remnants into various mini drawers
 which will soon be out of sight
 then out of mind, right?.
 (Don't we all have at least one of those?)

Well, rather than doing the 'stash and dash',
I have found an idea worthy of adoption...

The people over at DIY came up with this cute idea
which I am totally going to integrate here in my life.
Starting here with 
The Jar Project, 
I will be able to
savor, enjoy, rescue, remember
tiny snapshots of a
routine life.
Won't you join me?
xo


Oh stay quiet while my 
mind remembers
The beauty of the fire
from the beauty of the embers.
John Masefield

Friday, May 21, 2010

Making The Most Of It


Ahh yes, the spring weekend,
which means getting out
 and working  or playing 
between the storms- is what it's all about.
Weather survival, ok..

Remember: everyday is a gift.
So whether you are a city mouse
or a country mouse, we all need to get out and 
enjoy... and that could be any number of things...

 Lingering at your favorite bakery
Creating  a yummy brunch
Hitting the Farmer's market
Planting some lettuce
Taking someone to a movie
Visiting your favorite museum
or discover an emerging artist
Meeting for drinks 
or finding a new wine
Checking out a new restaurant
...or visiting an old fave

The important thing as always,
is - enjoy, enjoy every moment,
remembering, it's all a gift.



xo





Thursday, May 20, 2010

Feeling Sunny


Wow, today was full of well deserved sunshine!


So we picked a few oranges...


and found them a lovely home.
It's called a Burnt Orange Highball.
Frankly, with yummy Vodka,
Triple Sec, orange juice and orange zest...
I think a better name could be-
A Sunny Disposition, because after you
 have one (or two)  that's how
you're gonna feel, right?
Cheers!



Not Just Stick Figures


I love the new work by artist

Venue_writeup_open_quotes The thing about Lorenzo Hurtado Segovia is that, although nearly all his creative projects involve paint at some point, he's not really a painter. He's a conceptualist — which is to say that even when he does make actual paintings, as with the current series at CB1, it's because that is what was required in the service of a larger idea. In the case of by Deborah Calderwood, the idea is both straightforward and fraught with personal and aesthetic peril. Basically, he found a stash of drawings in his in-laws' attic that his now-wife, Deborah, had made in grade school, and set about remaking them in a slightly more complex idiom. Wrestling with his instincts as a professional artist in order to access the childlike bravado and glee of the (astonishingly mature) originals, he produces a series of quirky, hybridized versions that speak to the vast differences between true naïveté and an acquired outsider stance.Venue_writeup_close_quotes Shana Nys Dambrot

I find his work in this series,
 endearing, fascinating and sophisticated.
In terms of sophistication, 
I think there is (for me)  a 
complex undercurrent, 
yet, clean, modern  and vibrant.



Take a look at Segovia's website and Flavorpill to 
learn more about 
this artist and to view more of his work. 

Photos Are Worth A Thousand Words


You can't make this stuff up!
Have you heard about the new book 
by Mike Bender and Doug Chernack?

not just because the pictures are funny,
but also because they are real! 

The book is taken from their blog:
two childhood friends started after having
their own 'a ha' moment when looking through
 their own family archives.
The blog provides an open, friendly forum
where anyone can submit 
'uncomfortable family moments'captured in 
photos and images. 
They provide the captions but the 
photos and stories true to life!
Who doesn't have one of these, right?
Oh and... the blog is addicting,
you heard it here.
Cheers!
peoWp

Quote of the Day


There is only one way to be 
happy and that is to make 
someone else so.
Sidney Smith

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

What Goes Around Comes Around



Yep, you can always tell Spring is 
here when the Amgen Tour of California rolls through
our downtown.and throughout the state. It really is a cool  site 
standing on the sidelines, feeling the rush and excitement as
over 120 world class cyclists come rushing through the streets-
rain or shine. 
Bringing awareness to it's Breakaway From Cancer 
initiative, the Amgen cycling road race is a tour de force
for athletics and the fight against cancer.
For  information on the fight and race interaction 
follow excitement here.

On a similar but different note,

our good friend and neighbor, 
Ken Seymour
has been busy riding and training with 
Team In Training. As you probably know, TNT
is brought forth by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society,
encouraging and challenging ordinary people 
to do extraordinary things.

"Over the past 20 years, more than 420,000 Team In Training® (TNT)
 participants have raised $1 billion for lifesaving blood cancer research.
TNT provides training to run or walk marathons and half marathons 
or participate in hiking adventures, triathlons and cycle events."

The interesting thing about Ken, 
is that he had a major heart attack about 3 years ago,

 yet know for the second year in a row he has 
been participating in a grueling 
daily training program and  riding up to 125 miles 
on any given weekend morning.

This year his team will be participating in the 
"Death Ride" Tour of the California Alps
7/10/2010
129 miles / 15,000' of climbing
yes, really.
Ken is having a blast and even though the training
is so hard, he and his team understand...




 'the individuals fighting blood cancer, are the real heroes'
and they need our support to cross the
ultimate finish line - a cure!

I invite you to visit
Ken's page here to learn more
about Team In Training and support Ken 
in his efforts and help him to meet his goal!
xo





Just Peachy

Just peachy is my state mind.
Rain or shine,
 like I said on 
Friday, this past weekend 
 (yes, I realize today is Wednesday)
was going to be one for the outside -
one way or the other- and  was it ever.
We spent a better part of the (long) weekend 
tending to landscaping issues- read-
the not so pretty gardening chores.
Lawns, shrubs, mulching, tree trimming
and definitely, a weed or two.
There were challenges, like
rice straw to mulch the vegetable bed,

and there was the on again/off again rain-
seriously, I think we have enough now!
Even so, we needed help with watering issues, etc, etc. 
We were busy...
painting, building (don't even try to guess)... 
but maybe the best of all
were the dinners both here and there with friends-
connecting and reconnecting.
But we are the lucky ones, for
the beauty of working hard and completing the 
heavy tasks is that you have gifts on the other side...
outside and ...
inside too, 
but good times and memories  best of all, 
and for that, I am very thankful.
Happy Wednesday,
own it.
xo


Quote of The Day


Normal Day, let me be aware
of the treasure you are.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Gone Fishing

via Pixdaus
Ahh yes, a glorious Spring weekend.

May you go out and enjoy the great outdoors.
Swing in the park.
Stroll on the beach.
Hike toe to toe.
Hit some balls or...
Work in the garden.
Lounge in the back yard.
Light up the bbq.
Stare at the stars.

Most important...
Just...enjoy it.
xo

Quote of the Day

via Pixdaus

Of all the world's enjoyments
That ever valued were,
There's none of our employments
With fishing can compare.
Thomas D'Urfey

Thursday, May 13, 2010

The Heat is On

(Yes-that is a beer can chicken
and it was crazy delicious)
Bar b Que Season
 is Here! 
I think I mentioned last week,  that both
of my kids love to cook, both are very 
accomplished and comfortable in the kitchen.
I don't know about your house, but ours is obsessed
 with the food channel- competitions- check,
ultimate cook offs- check-
wet bbq or dry rub- we're on it.

My son has an affinity for BBQ and he is in to it.
This last weekend, while home from school,
 he indoctrinated our new grill with ... his ribs
and they were excellent.
Addressing  his task and taking his passion very seriously,
he deliberates over the rub and the sauce, always considering 
his cut and method of cooking -
(direct / indirect/gas/coals) duh!
Being a college student (and my child) 
he is never afraid (like his sister) to experiment 
and trust his instincts,
With that said, I offer his dry rub
for baby back pork ribs...
the rest is up to you- for now.

So simple bbq rub
2 tbs paprika
2 tbs 
brown sugar (or white if you don't have brown)
tbs chili powder
1 tbs fresh ground 
black pepper
1 tbs 
kosher salt 
2 tsp each garlic and 
onion powder
2 tsp cayenne or chipotle powder
1/2 tsp 
celery seeds (ground)

(optional)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dry mustard

All measurements are approximate, adjust to taste

All ground evenly w/mortar and pestle or coffee/spice grinder for more even texture.
And just for kicks-

here are a few blogs to wet your...

Note: these bbq blogs- 
 were selected at random-
never be a judge, just an enjoyer.


xo