Wednesday, August 25, 2010

A Tale of two Coasts

You know, there's something going on here.
I am suffering from a disease for which there is
no reference on WebMD...I call it BiCoastalism.
Do you suffer like me?
I am, dare I say obsessed with entertainment
 originating in
in  New Jersey and Los Angeles.
I am a California girl, born and raised but
lately, I find my self drawn 
(like a spiral of shame) 
to all things NJ.
Have you noticed that New Jersey the east coast state
which not THAT long ago was constantly swept under the 
carpet by it's NY neighbor, is suddenly
the darling of (I) must see TV?
(How YOU doin?)...
Representing the right side...
Hmm...
But then, one cannot dismiss
the fact that the present top rated sitcom
hails from LA, as does 
several vehicles representing 
an uber cool, celebrity based, 
and by the beach lifestyle
we (I) all want a piece of.
Representing the left side...

Alright, alright, say what you will,
but I am sure there are plenty like me
who suffer in silence and yet (because) 
we cannot (refuse to) tune out the voices (TV),
we will simply have to stay tuned and wait,
for a cure.
right?

Monday, August 23, 2010

MAKE SOMETHING!!

It's that time of year again where school is back in session
but that should never mean that fun and creativity 
comes to a halt.
Thanks to Opening Ceremony, I just found out 
about a really awesome educational arts program
Open to teenagers, "the schools curriculum is based on the 
DIY ethos of graffiti, Hip Hop
and skateboarding and is meant to encourage creative,
free form ways of thinking"

MAKE SOMETHING!!  was founded in 2008 by
Aaron Rose as a series of youth creative workshops
held in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco,
 Miami and Tokyo.  Working with public school art programs
and youth mentoring organizations, their goal is to partner
world- renowned creative personalities with
young aspiring artists, with the intention
of giving hands on practical skills.
Aaron Rose in front of a chalkboard 
from one of his workshops.

Their hope is to turn this into a 'year round'
after school program.
"The idea is is to give kids a craft and therefore pride.
It's about knowing your abilities, because
confidence is what allows us to connect with people".

You know, what with the cutbacks in schools across
the nation coupled with the challenges 
of youth in general, isn't it awesome that there are
people and programs like this to 
help guide and forge new paths along the way?

xo

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Another Foggy Weekend

Well, it's no secret that the weather here in
 Northern California this summer has been 
to say the least...cool. Oh how I have been 
missing the sunny mornings and starry nights
 and even though the afternoons have not only been
 gloriously warm and sublime,
it is time to take matters into our own hands and...
get behind the bar to clear the air.

Behold THE FOGCUTTER.
The first time (the ONLY other time) I've
had one of these devilish concoctions
was when celebrating our friend Patti's birthday
at the infamous Trader Vic's .
"Hell, after two of these, you won't even see the stuff"-
 'Victor J. (Trader Vic) Bergeron'
No matter what state or state you are in,
the contents are sure to invite
the sunny side of life.

THE FOG CUTTER
  • 2 oz. Mount Gay Eclipse Silver
  • 1 oz. Courvoisier
  • 1/2 oz. Bombay Sapphire
  • 2 oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 oz. Tropicana Orange Juice (no pulp)
  • 1/2 oz. orgeat syrup
  • 1 cup small cube ice
  • 1/4 oz. sherry  ...
  • Right?

  • On a similar but different note...
  • from two of my favorite hook ups for 
  • out and about ideas I offer a couple of versions
  • to get out and imbibe.
  • From Daily Candy (LA) how about ...
  • 'The 5 Best Places to Booze Outdoors'
  • and from Urban Daddy ...
  • "Skylight-lit" ideas in the heart of SF.
  • Make it a great weekend,
  • cheers!





Friday, August 6, 2010

Beautiful IS Everywhere

(If there's an ad- be patient -it's short)
 One of the perks about watching daytime/news TV
becomes apparent when you are 
exposed to an idea or information 
that is beyond genius.
Yesterday, on the Today show,
I saw a piece about a young woman named 
Caitlin Boyle. She has a mission.
It's called Operation Beautiful.
Her mission is to end negative, toxic
self talk.
She began by "leaving positive messages on the 
mirrors of public restrooms" ( grocery stores, gym...)
on Post-its and little notes with
'simple, positive thoughts to be found
by a random stranger'.
The best part is that she has created 
an open forum for any of us to join in the mission.
 Send her an e-mail at OperationBeautiful@gmail.com
with a photograph of your Operation Beautiful note
 or a description of your experience, and I’ll post it on 
the Operation Beautiful site for thousands of others
 to read and enjoy!

Her mission and movement is now a book:
which showcases notes women have posted
and the stories behind and touched by them.
Check out her original blog ...
"Where Everyday Decisions Add Up
To Something Amazing".

I think she has a great take on life
a perfect example that
 usually, the best and most important 
things in life, (the real stuff) money doesn't buy.
xo