BRB

I’ll be back & blogging next week, with lots of info on the best of the west (coast).

A

P.S. In the meantime, take a look at a selection of wireless network names that have been popping up on my new iPhone… At first these pop-ups were annoying; then I started reading them…

Hause of s&m

I poop sunshine

Cod almighty

Hooligan

Barbwire

Hippopotamus

Piggy

Pin-ing for inspiration

Pinhole Press

One of my favorite bloggers, Joanna Goddard of A Cup of Jo, uses Pinhole Press for everything from custom notepads to special photo books. I like the idea of custom wine labels. “Get those pics off the computer!” says the Pinhole Press site. Something I’ve been meaning to do for months… Happy printing. 

Pinterest

My friend Blair just introduced me to pinterest. This is THE medium for making online inspiration boards. It’s perfect for someone who keeps a hardcopy collage and wants to create an online counterpart. (Yes, I’m that girl.) Pinterest provides a space for your personal favorite web images, and allows you to follow other people’s picks as well. You can “pin” anything from Rachel Bilson’s perfectly put-together outfits to aerial shots of the Amalfi coast – whatever tickles your fancy. Happy pinning.

A

P.S. Here are some snapshots of my ever-evolving inspiration board (real deal, actual cork board action…)

(Bottles via Pinhole Press)

Word Up Wednesday

Today I introduce “Word Up Wednesdays.” I’m gonna get crazy and start at the end (of a class). Namaste. Why do yoga teachers say it? Why are we students expected to return the favor? Is it religious? No. It’s just awesome. In fact, I’m going to start incorporating it into my everyday lingo…

“That’ll be 47 dollars for your dry cleaning.”

 “Namaste.”

Namaste means “the divinity in me bows to the divinity in you.” I think we should all start recognizing each other’s awesomeness. Word up. And Namaste.

A

P.S. Some enjoyable “Word Up” links from around the web-

Cameo performing Word Up

Juicy by BIG

(Image via JMHO)

Holy guacamole

I take after my Grandma Elly, who used her oven for storage. The only food she kept in her Manhattan apartment was Haagen Dazs Chocolate Chocolate Chip ice cream. And even that wasn’t served up on the reg. (A favorite saying of hers was “A second on the lips, forever on the hips.”) Still, she enjoyed fine dining along with my Grandpa Riis. The two of them hit the town on a nightly basis for the most delicious NYC restaurant food. I too love eating out. But now I’m trying to find my meal middle ground and cook (or at least prepare food) a bit more often. Check out this homemade, all-natural guacamole I made the other night. It’s almost too easy to have to spell out… but I admittedly researched the recipe, so just in case you’d like some "guac" (as my brothers call it) tips:


Ingredients-
2 ripe avocados (when they are ripe they will yield to pressure)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lime, juiced
1 tomato, diced (optional)
¼ cup chopped cilantro (totally optional)
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste 


Directions-

Peel & mash avocados in a bowl

Stir in onion, garlic, lime juice, salt & pepper

Chill for half an hour (optional)

Serve with: Trader Joe’s Restaurant Style White Corn Tortilla Chips ("Made from a blend of white corn flours with a touch of salt")

A

P.S. More on avocados… According to “How to Cook Everything” by Mark Bittman:

When buying avocados, avoid mushy spots and bruises

Avocados ripen nicely at room temp; to speed up this process put your avocados in a paper bag

Avocado flesh should be a pretty light green, ultra smooth & creamy

Store ripe avocados in the fridge for up to 1 week 

Have a mindful weekend

During Planet Earth last night there were multiple commercials featuring back to school clothes for kids. Don’t think about Fall fashion this weekend. In fact, be in the wet hot American summer moment. 

WHAS Clip: Where's the f-ing phone!

A

Chill out

Here’s a yoga trick for cooling off that requires no body bending, twisting or contorting of any kind… well, just your tongue. If you’re so genetically inclined, roll your tongue and exhale. And voila!

What are your tricks for keeping cool?

A

In on the heavy clam bakes

If you’re stuck in the city this weekend, hit up some seafood restaurants and pretend you actually signed up for this 115 degree island experience…

Make it magical with martinis and/or white wine.


Best oysters you’ve never heard of-

Island Creek

We stumbled upon these at the Brooklyn Flea in Fort Greene. Get them at Mary’s Fish Camp in the West Village.

OR if you reside on the East, The Mermaid Inn is a lovely spot for shellfish and there's a "lobsterpalooza" special on Sundays.

A

P.S. For martinis I recommend Russian Standard Vodka. And if you're drinking wine, Sancerre is the best white. Cheers!

(Images via Island Creek & The Mermaid Inn)

Jersey Shore

This past weekend we stayed with friends in Normandy Beach, which is situated close to Seaside Heights but culturally far, far away from the likes of Karma. Yes, Normandy has crabs. No, they’re not a condition (or rather, a situation) relating to Snooki. A couple of pics from our lovely stay -

A

They’re red hot

The Red Hot Chili Peppers just released a single from their new album I’m With You: “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie.” Download it here and enjoy some funky, beautiful beats. The album in its entirety will be released on 8/30. And if you’re like me and want to experience the good old-fashioned excitement of painstakingly peeling off the child-proof plastic that's casing your highly-anticipated new favorite CD, see you at Best Buy.

A

P.S. Here are some links to get you in the red hot mood-

Rolling Stone

Spin

MTV

P.P.S. If you too are a red-head (get it?), obsessed with biographies (guilty), or just want a great, inspiring beach read, pick up Scar Tissue. 


(Image by Damien Hirst)