Dear Deedle }

Deli-ght me

2012-01-27T11:46:00.002-05:00

with a pastrami sandwich on seeded rye from a good-ole deli. We found one that's even right down the street from our house. And while it may be a little far to walk to, it's certainly in bike-able range and completely worth the cash-only hassle. How can you say no to a sandwich like this, paired with sour pickles. You can't. (Unless you're a veggie.) They even make their own breads. And even though I pronounced Challah bread with the "CH" when I ordered two rolls, and even though Matt ordered cheese on his bologna/salami sandwich, this Kosher deli was incredibly nice to our naive Gentile selves. I love you Brownstein's Bakery & Deli. I love you.

It's all about the vinegar and oil

2012-01-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

especially when you made a quiet promise to your inners (like I did) that just because you found the boy of your dreams, and that boy is repelled by most things green and leafy, that you will weave them back into your diet like the staple they once were.

How interesting that one falls out of love with veggies just as easily as you fall in love with them. And as part of that pact to my body, I'm trying to eat salads for dinner. Especially when Matt's not home.

And as we were out to lunch on our weekly date lunch, this time at Monroe Restaurant and Bar (which is super cute with an incredible patio, and has Katherine's amazing food, as well as her flour-less chocolate cake. Yay!), we stumbled upon Tasteful Additions. As a huge specialty vinegar fan, and a lover of high-end olive oils, it was a great find. Don't get me wrong, I love F. Olivers - but sometimes even a city gal like I can't take parking on Park Ave.

Tasteful Additions not only had a wonderful selection, but the most lovely and realistic of sales people. One very personable, warm woman, who neither made me feel like I was not supposed to be there, but also understood and didn't judge my dislike of flavored oils. Instead she introduced me to their Moresca which I loved immediately.

So tonight I had a big-salad. And even though the avocado in the picture above was too rotten inside to add to the salad (oops) it was amazing. I'm pretty sure it was Tasteful Additions' Fig Balsamic that did it. INCREDIBLE! And with the promise to myself to continue to work my way through sampling their seemingly endless vinegars - I might just keep my promise to my inners.

A very important question

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

or, why I will always take the table cloth off when you come to dinner.

"Why does she have to nest on top of things on this table? Look at her, she's on the runner now!"

"It's a thing on a thing on a thing. She has to. It's catception."

Cannellini Bean Hummus

2012-01-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

is just the thing to make with that very gorgeous stack of pita. Why not traditional hummus? Because apparently I pulled the wrong bean from the Italian section of Wegmans. The cans look remarkably similar.

Not to fear, though, the cannellini bean holds up to hummus just fine. The texture is smoother than chick peas and the coloring is more white. But other than that, most people won't notice.

I got my recipe base from Joelen's What's Cooking Chicago?, and then modified is as below. If you're lucky to have an immersion blender like I now do - you can put this together in less than 10 minute - making cannellini beans and tahini something to always have in your pantry should the last-minute party strike up in your living room.

Cannellini Bean Hummus
Makes 2 cups

1 14 oz-can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
zest from 1 fresh lemon
juice from 1 fresh lemon
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup tahini, stirred well
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne
hot paprika for sprinkling on top

Add all ingredients to a tall bowl (if using a food processor, add all ingredients to bowl) and blend until smooth. If you have an opportunity, make this the day before your party. The flavors get better in the fridge over a day.

Making stacks of pita

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

for game night at Janelle's. Sure, I could have just bought pita. Any normal person would just buy pita. But I really wanted to try it and to be honest I was feeling lazy. Yes, lazy. Lazy for me is having to put on non-yoga pants and leave the house - a totally unnecessary kind of effort.

Anyway, with a little help from The Fresh Loaf and I was in business. It came together perfectly, and I let the kitchen aid to all of the 10 minute kneading.

The only two changes I made was to let it rise significantly longer than the 90 minutes. (Matt and I had to run out to Ontario.) My house is super drafty, so I had preheated the oven and stone to 350, turned the oven off, set the dough (covered) in a bowl in the oven, and left it for a good 2 hours. When we got back it was perfect. And I rolled the dough harder and thinner than 1/4 inch. I wasn't looking for pita-pockets, and most of them didn't fully puff this way.

After cutting the dough, shaping into 8 balls, and letting relax for 20 minutes - they rolled like a charm. No pulling or shrinking. I cooked mine for 13 minutes each so that they would be more firm for dipping in hummus - which was perfect timing. I do think I'd spray them next time to stop the blistering entirely.

Think you're up for making pita? You can find the recipe here - which I highly recommend. Just don't knead it for 20 minutes like the one person in the comments (because that is just plain silly and gluten abuse).

Carl's Almond Honey Butter

2012-01-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, a Facebook status of particular interest caught my eye. "Made my own almond butter last night. Half the price of the premade stuff in stores! Fun project for those of you with kids." It was Carl. You've got to love a guy who makes butters from scratch on a whim.

Of course I responded asking for the recipe. I'm a Varble and Varbles love peanut butter. Pair it with coffee and it's pretty much our lifeblood. I'm also a girl who finds fun in making things from absolute scratch and putting them in jars.

I've never made peanut butter from scratch. And to be honest, I've never eaten almond butter. To Carl's point, it's always been too expensive. Although I will say, by the time I bought raw almonds from my local Co-Op, it wasn't that much of a savings from the pre-made stuff. But that's what you get buying local, organic, fair-trade nuts.

Below is my translation of Carl's recipe. It turned out amazing, and completely worth the 10-or-so minutes of very loud food processing. Carl was right, you have to be patient - butter isn't made in 30 seconds.

Carl's Honey Almond Butter

Carl used 3:1 almonds to walnuts. I used only almonds, but I did add walnut oil because almonds just don't have enough oil on their own. You can do it either way.

4 cups raw almonds
4 tbs walnut oil
2 tbs honey
1/8 tsp salt

Chop the almonds before putting them into the bowl of a food processor.
(This seems like an unnecessary step until you've heard the awful noise of whole almonds being blasted around a food processor. Trust me.)
Pure for 2 minutes and then add 2 tbs walnut oil
Pure for 2 more minutes and then add 2 tbs walnut oil, honey, and salt
Continue to pure 2 minutes at a time until butter goes beyond the state of ground nuts and begins to smear along the side of the processor bowl. Pause and scrape every 2 minutes. Butter will be hot, and may steam - this is okay but it's the reason I like to stop every 2 minutes or so and mix things up. Getting butter may take a while, but be patient. It will form.
Oils in the butter can spoil (and remember you have no preservatives here) so store in a tight lidded jar in the refrigerator. Let butter come to room-temp before mixing and spreading. Almond butter will keep up to 2-3 weeks refrigerated.

Another Rochester Love Letter

2012-01-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

I finally tracked down two Record Store Day finds that I have been trying to get my hands on for some time. (Silversun Pickup and The Black Keys) We found them, just as the best record-shop guys in the world at Record Archive said we would at House of Guitars. I needed rosin, Lindsay had never been, and we were up for another weekend of musical adventure, so we went.

And in typical House of Guitar fashion, it was a chaotic mess of absolute loveliness. Four records, a banjo book, Violin Rosin and $50 dollars later and I was happy.

Sure, we all know I love the plethora of local vinyl shops left in Rochester - but there are other reasons too that this city rocks. The art scene, the music scene, the restaurants, the nature, the water, the affordability, the fact that I can't say I've ever uttered "there's nothing to do", the people, the food - it's all good. The vinyl is just one of many things to be proud of in my little city that could.

Everyone has a divebar in thier heart. Everyone.

2012-01-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

You know it. It has sticky floors and fairly gross bathrooms. Ours is Dr.'s Inn, and what it does have going for it is relatively cheap beer of a good selection (meaning it doesn't have to be a domestic redneck beer), interesting bar food (corn dogs, hush puppies, or Dr.'s Sauce anyone?), and ample darts/pool.

It also tends to have mass bunches of our friends on varying Friday nights - which was a the case a few weeks back. I like these moments. I like that even in adulthood there is still time for catching up in large groups, "It's our turn to buy a pitcher", and endless people wanting to play darts. (And as a bonus, I can now control the jukebox via my phone and keep the indie music coming. There may have been sing-alongs. It may have been awesome.)

Clearly these nights won't last forever. There will be fewer free weekends, more babysitter bills to pay, and less of a draw for sticky floors with missing tile (it's already been waning for some time) - but for now it's all good.

SOPA & PIPA

2012-01-18T10:19:00.001-05:00

Two seemingly friendly acronyms for a very frightening thing. Get educated and then speak out. Because there's a chance that if this goes through, Deardeedle could be taken down one day because my government doesn't like something I say, or I link to someone who said something copyrighted.

Learn about SOPA

Read More

Do a little something

What the Frack?

2012-01-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

Matt and I like Portlandia. A lot. It's funny in that dry-but-wacky kind of way. And it pokes at realness in a way that is both making-fun-of and paying-homage-to retro-hipsters. It's great.

And since we've been called such a term ourselves, every now and again the show hits a little close to home - but always in a good way. Yes, Matt and I have been the crazy locavores in a restaurant. Yes, we've bought many things with a bird on it. We've biked through the city, we've made theme songs, we like to pickle things. We get it. And it's funny.

But the cherry, the moment where we looked at each other and went "Woah, this might have to change," was this week when we saw the One Moore Episode sketch. We've actually done this, quite recently in fact, and it's kind of scary to see it poked at. Funny, but scary. (And risky - I never thought about the bladder-infection part.)

A bit of pretty for your Monday

2012-01-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

The Honey Trees - To Be With You

Also, for those of you who have off and are snuggled down in blankets - I am out in the cold this morning with the media watching kids build. There's goods and bads, ya know :)

The 2012 List

2012-01-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

It's time to do what I do every year. Haven't done this years, so here we go.

2012's List

Host a dinner party each month
Help Matt get at least 1 new client a quarter
Be in at least an art show a quarter
Get my art site up and running
Join the Co-Op and shop there and at the Pub Market as much as possible
Play a role in UMNA and Wide Waters Gardens
Make a measurable difference in Habitat ReStore
Have a Women Build team and raise $1,000
Make more friends in the YP circle
Visit Missouri
Learn to play backgammon
Jam with Matt more with the banjo and fiddle
Help with Matt's 2 minute film project
Plant a patio garden and eat one of my own tomatoes!
Buy a new bike and bike to work as much this spring and summer as possible

The Mondo Beyando (Thanks Kelly Rae!):

Start a Rochester Food Swap
Try and get a solo show
Loose 20 lbs
Have a win in the big 4 (marriage, house, dog, kids)
Visit the West Coast (Hello Washington!)
Start a art/writing project with Janelle R
Plan a girls creative retreat

The Goddesses

2012-01-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

meet again. This time during the holidays. It was magical. Really. There's just something about seeing people that have known you forever. I like to think of it as karma's way of hugging you - giving you that bit of support that you need.

Goddesses 2005 - THE Picture

Anyway, while we were together Jill had an idea right before she left to take a picture. A picture just like the one that has faithfully been in every living room since I moved to Rochester. It's my way of always having them with me.

Goddesses 2011

The picture may not be stunning (what AM I looking at?) but her idea was perfect.

Comissioned

2012-01-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

by Erik and Melissa this is "Other Woman". It's a portrait of Erik's guitar. I've never been comissioned to do a portrait of an instrument, but I like it as an idea. I mean, to a musician an instrument is a person. A chosen person that they know every quirk of.

And next, Matt and I will have the honors of painting their babe's nursery. One of the now 7 babes we know that will be born in 2012. I'm excited. It's going to be a fun and rewarding project.

I love glass jars

2012-01-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

we all know that. And we all know that the canning movement is more popular than ever. Combine those two things and you get Food in Jars - the neatest blog yet.

I can't say enough about Marisa's blog. The topic is (clearly) captivating, her photography is great, and her writing style is that balance of witty, genuine, and "I got my shit together, so this recipe is gonna work" which is perfect. I'm also excited at the idea of her book as well - which is now on my "to buy" list.

And I've had this idea of a homemade food swap group since the Christmas food-making spree of 2011. Turns out it's an actual thing, with actual people who have actually started them. Marisa is one and has a lovely post about it with great resources. Who wants to join me in Rochester's first food swap? (I don't actually know if it would be the first, someone is already probably doing this. But you get the idea.)

Deedle's Granola

2012-01-10T15:09:00.001-05:00

Since everyone's been asking, and because mine's an adaptation of an adaptation (originating with Nigella's Feast) here's the recipe. Matt and I gave this in big mason jars for Christmas. Making it is super easy, though you're going to swear it's not done baking when you pull it out the fourth time. It is. It will crisp up in less than 2 hours. Promise.

Deedle's Granola

3 cups Kashi 7 Whole Grain flakes
2 cups rolled oats
2 or 3 cups nuts, coarsely chopped (I prefer pecans, but use whatever)
1 cup sunflower seeds
3/4 cup untoasted sesame seeds
*1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon dried ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup rice syrup
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons walnut or almond oil

Preheat the oven to 300F

1. In a very large bowl, mix together the flaked grains or oats, almonds, sunflower and sesame seeds, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.

2. In a small saucepan, bring the apple suace with the rice syrup, honey, and oil to a boil for 1 minute.

3. Mix the wet mixture into the dry ingredients until thoroughly dispersed, then divide and spread the mixture evenly on two baking sheets.

4. Bake the granola for 30-40 minutes, stirring every ten minutes, until the granola is deep golden brown.

5. Remove from oven, then cool completely.

Store the granola in a large, airtight container. (Hello Mason Jars!) It will keep for up to one month.

*Sometimes I skip this for a healthier, more savory granola. It's slightly less sweet. I suggest trying it if you're looking to make it more healthy - you can always add it back in next time.

Christmas Food

2012-01-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

Jay really deserves major kudos this year. As previously mentioned in the last post, she and I decided to take this Christmas to establish new traditions.

But in reality, I just had the idea of bowling. She called and made the reservation. She and Jarrett ordered the shirts that got everyone super psyched to play.

She suggested and organized the Cookie Party so we could see all of our friends that were also in Buffalo for the holiday. She and Matt frosted and decorated cookies.

And this little, super cute and glowingly pregnant girly did ALL of the cooking for 3 days. The reality is that with the absence of Christmas brunch of the past few years my family sort of stopped eating anything preplanned at Christmas.

It got a little but better the year mom finally remembered you cannot order a pizza on Christmas eve, and had an order for sandwiches ready at the grocery. But we tend to be creatures of habit and although on a normal trip home Matt and I are fed on the schedule of Hobbits, Christmas is the exception to second breakfast.

But this year, Jay had us covered. Not only did she cook an amazing Christmas Eve dinner, including my first exposure to mid-western fruit salad, but she handled breakfast Christmas morning as well. I was all amazingly tasty.

She's going to be an amazing mom, and if her planning and meals from Christmas are at all telling, completely ready to establish some family traditions of her own.

I just hope she keep us along for the ride, because it was wicked fun.

For anyone who has ever asked me about DS

2012-01-08T16:13:00.004-05:00

it was pretty much like this - and once you landed you remembered your deadlines.

Christmas Bowling

2012-01-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

In the past few years Christmas has changed a lot for my family. My sister and I are the youngest of our extended cousins, and as everyone has gone on to have their own families they've stopped coming to Christmas brunch.

And Christmas without children is really different that Christmas with children. At first, this change REALLY bummed me out. But this year Jay and I decided to take the holiday in our own hands and make new traditions. I read about Brooke at inchmark's family bowling tradition and got inspired. (Thanks inchmark!!!) It was a perfect idea.

Jay and Jarrett surprised us all with bowling shirts. Matt and I are working on a trophy. And as our little family grows we can expand the night to include bumper lanes and kiddos - no matter where we spend the holiday. It's brilliant really.

Matt and I claimed the first-ever Varble family Christmas Bowl-a-Roll. Everyone laughed and had fun. And eventually my mom got into the groove with some strikes. It was a great night and the beginning of a great tradition.

Christmas 2011

2012-01-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

Okay, these are definitely out of chronological order, clearly. But I went on vacation and apparently I meant it. So we're just going to have a few back-posts.

Sure, there was some photo taking - but it was mostly with the iPhone camera, and there was definitely no blogging. SORRY!

In happy news of gift giving I am now the proud owner of a violin! Which is fantastic, and surprisingly easy so far for me to pick up. Maybe that year of Viola as a kid did have some lasting impression. It makes me incredibly happy, even if it does make the neighbors up the volume on their TV.

Matt had a wonderfully geek-filled pile of pressies himself. You can read about Christmas from his angle here. He was significantly more timely.

Also, you can see we've left the new Blogger interface here. Mostly because my dad insists he likes the old blog format better, and also because I'm not going to wait to be 40 to be able to customize my header space through the CMS. You got that Blogger peeps?

New Years Day

2012-01-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

we spent making stops to some of our favorite places, enjoying the last bits of vacation.

We took a walk to air out our hibernation at the reservoir across the street from our house. It was crazy busy, a microcosm of post-celebrations resolutioners walking and running off holiday indulgences.

And because it's apparently NEVER going to snow this winter (and why BOTHER now, mother nature! I can't afford to ski and the possibility of a white Christmas for 2011 is dead.) we spent some time at the beach.

Just because it was 40+ in January and we could.

Goodbye 2011

2012-01-01T18:40:00.000-05:00

you were a crazy, change-filled year. Some good, some bad, but all worth it. Here's to hoping that 2012 is full of even more good. We already know it will be full of 7 babies! (None ours BTW). So it's going to be a good year :)

Basil H. Alkazzi Award

2011-12-15T13:07:00.001-05:00

WYSIWYG - Acrylic Mixed Media - 30" x 40"

My NYFA 2012 Artists’ Fellowship Application is completed, a goal I've been shooting for for months. Along with it is the Basil H. Alkazzi Award, which would be a huge honor to win. And with it, I could do some over sized painting - which the painting funds haven't allowed me to do. Plus, I'd love to take some classes in oils and take my style to the oil realm - I think it would work great.

PHP - Acrylic Mixed Media - 6" x 6"

CSS - Acrylic Mixed Media - 6" x 6"

ASP - Acrylic Mixed Media - 6" x 6"

Index - Acrylic Mixed Media - 30" x 30"

Forward Slash- Acrylic Mixed Media - 6" x 6"

Wireframe - Acrylic Mixed Media - 7" x 14"

FFFFFF- Acrylic Mixed Media - 14" x 18"

Thank goodness for homemade goods

2011-12-12T09:29:00.002-05:00

for every host/ess gift, driedel prize, random meet up, secret Santa, and birthday gift - there have been canned goods given from the Varblewicz house. So much so that I need to make some more this week. I've even been dipping into our personal stash.

But it's so EASY to grab a couple from the pantry. Dress them up all pretty, and give them to friends. They seem to really enjoy them, I certainly love the compliments on them, and let's face it - who needs another nick-nack when you can eat your presents?

Wow.

2011-12-08T20:35:00.001-05:00

Have you ever had those moments of pure fulfillment? I'm not normally one to feel them - I'll be honest. But the balance lately for me between my work bringing purpose, my creative-egg being sparked, my social life being a great inspiration filled with people I love, and yet the I in me - totally at peace and having moments of reguvination - it's been...well...dream-like.

And even though Matt's getting sick, money's been tight, and I've gone to sleep by at least 10 at the latest each night - I just keep thinking how lucky I am.

Tonight we ROC'd the Day. And this morning I walked out to my car with snowflakes gently falling. I still haven't made peppermint bark, I still have to finish my art grant, and Matt's really beginning to feel crappy - but everything is okay. Better than okay. Everything is rooted in happiness for a change. Which is a nice Christmas present indeed.

I have a itch today

2011-12-07T09:25:00.001-05:00

to cover everything in glitter. I blame Anna Maria and Nie Nie for the oodles of red, silver/white, and blue glitter glass ornaments. I'm not complaining just itching.

And peppermint bark. It's time. As it is now the 7th of December and we have no snow. May dad, I'm sure, is happy. But I am not. I would like some snow.

I do have clementines on my desk. Which is at least a bit festive. And yummy. Speaking of produce, I have to run to the Public Market today. I have to remember to do this. Maybe I can get Tiffany to come with me during lunch. I also have to buy card stock. And blue ribbon.

Friday is Hanukkah with Tracy. I am very excited. Matt has never dreideled. Sarah will be there so he probably won't win. But that's okay. Sarah is a game winner.

I would like to spend today hunkered down in a Hudson Bay blanket with hot chocolate knitting and listening to She & Him Christmas. Lindsay says ZooeyD is her nemesis. I think she is a good signer. You should know I don't knit. Or own a Hudson Bay blanket. But a girl can dream.

Lindsay's in town

2011-12-04T10:43:00.001-05:00

and stayed with us over the weekend. So of course we drank wine and made cookies.

Pretty cookies using (of all things) the tart base from the Nutmeg Maple Cream Pie. It's solid and melt in your mouth. It holds up well to black cherry jam.

It's been good. Filling. We even ate dinner. With mashed potatoes and peas. At the table. Like grown-ups.

Moments of doing not that much are so enjoyable when you have the best of company.

Bored

2011-11-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

but with a boy, a camera, and a white kitchen wall. Really that was all we needed.

Two peas in a simple minded pod.

The year of the egg or

2011-11-28T21:32:00.001-05:00

how every pie I made this year took at least 4. Okay, one of them was technically a tart, but Smitten Kitchen assures me I could have gone either way.

I went tart, because this crust recipie is amazing and the baked scraps are like shotbread. Double bonus.

So Nutmeg Maple Cream Tart made its second year debut (featuring Bielewicz syrup). It was a hit at the Varble house. There was, again, enough filling left over to make a custard. I'm not complaining, but I must have a shallow tart pan.

Anyway, the custard was for Lisa. But I forgot it when I saw her and left it at my mom's house. So Leese, if you are reading this my mom has your custard.

The second was a pie drenched in booze. Well not actually, although if you like Bourbon you will certainly like this pie. Chocolate Pecan Bourbon deep-dish pie. It freakin' leaked all over the oven.

In the end, though impossible to get cleanly off the bottom of the springform (which has never once been a problem before), it was absolutely delicious and beautiful. Next time I'll parebake the crust so it won't leak. (And honestly I have NO IDEA how it leaked, because the dough was solid and hole-less.)

For those of you that took part in the Facebook Pie Poll - because of the sticking the whole CBP went to the Bielewicz household where there was just enough left to take back to a begging sister in Buffalo. The NMC was split in half - with half going to the Varble estate and half to Teresa at Habitat. It wasn't what we all wanted, but it was what it was :)

Things I am Thankful for

2011-11-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

the 2011 version on Thanksgiving:

Dad's bladder stone, the size of a softball being removed with zero complications
Lindsay's health and temporary grounding in Buffalo
Daiya's spunk, health, and beautiful parents
Friends who love you no matter where your desk or house is
New career adventures and new apartments with windows that open
My sister's happiness and blessings
Matt's constant support and hugs when I need them (even when I think I don't)
The Corolla's health
My mother's support when I need it
My family. They are the best. Hands down.
Lisa Hufnagel - who has helped me survive showers
My bridesmaid dress fitting perfectly since I forgot to try it on but two days before Jill's wedding
Brannon's patience in teaching banjo
Netflix and Apple TV
Amazingly good printers
2011 Art Shows
Soy milk
Amazingly talented volunteers and overly generous donors
UMNA
How I Met Your Mother

Where there are Varble women during Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T09:39:00.001-05:00

there will be pie baking. It's what we do. In the grand scheme of this, the unfortunate (but true) holiday of over eating, we are the ones with whipped cream on top.

Why? Well, my aunt has hosted Thanksgiving as long as I can remember and in the days of us traipsing through the snow of the Buffalo southern-tier, pies were the most portable and could survive getting stuck in a ditch (which fortunately never happened).

In the time of my existence, there have been many variates of Varble pies brought to Turkey Day - with the only constant being Pumpkin. My uncle likes mince-meat but my mother for one reason or another (probably because of no one else eating it) has retired it.

My father likes pecan and he always gets two pies. One to take and share with everyone else, and one my mother makes him that sits on the counter at home until it molds because he: 1- never eats it and 2 - won't let anyone else eat it either. His is a lesson in self-control and torture of others. Clearly this is a man in line with the holiday spirit.

My mother bakes a mean apple pie, but every year is disappointed at the height of the pie. She's been trying to beat Hank's for years, but we don't see what the fuss is all about. Her apple pie is DARN GOOD regardless of your hat size.

My grandmother, who has since left the table indefinitely, used to (in her very dainty and dignified way) demand "a sliver of everything" making a color wheel of pie goodness.

There have bee crumbs and cakes, tarts and tart tain, buckles and cookies - but always a pumpkin pie.

Which leaves me to Cousin Danny, who taught me at an early age the wonder of whip-its and how (with a devilishly cute smile) you could talk my mother into putting whipped cream all over the whole slice of pumpkin pie. Even the sides.

Yes, where there are Varble women, there will be pies. My mother's incredibly easy yet perfect pie crust recipe makes two (and sometimes three) shells at a time. It took a lot of coaxing to get that recipe from her and even though I swear by butter (and she by Crisco) there's something about having flour on your fingers instead of stuffing that makes for a zen like moment around this holiday for me. Ask Matt, I am NO baker by nature. But come near Thanksgiving, I just have to bake me some pie.

Being a tea-ista for a sick girl is exhausting.

2011-11-18T18:22:00.001-05:00

I am slathered

2011-11-18T09:17:00.001-05:00

in vapor rub. The cold that has been sending me to bed around 7pm nightly has finally settled in my chest. God bless Maty's all natural vapor rub, my inhaler, and my tea-ista Matt. I don't know if he knew this, but benefits of working from home mean include taking care of the ill and making a lot of tea.

The crappy thing, other than the wet elephant that has taken residence in my chest, is that when you actually LOVE you job - it stinks to be home from work sick. I have nothing to do. Okay, I have the Life of Pi from book club, but I can't really sleep with the coughing so that's out.

So here I am. With my cat. Healing. Sitting in the room with sun trying to soak up vitamin D rays in an effort to evict the elephant. Oh, and blogging. Because when you're a nerd, this kind of stuff makes you feel better.

I don't know why

2011-11-13T13:30:00.001-05:00

I'm so tired lately. The weekend comes, and all I want to do is curl under blankets, hide from the world, and nap.

Yesterday we spent time with Lindsay, which was amazing. It was a day filled with all of the things I love: The Public Market, coffee, record shops, and long drives. After we dropped her back home, we went to see my parents, which made me feel grounded again.

And now it's Sunday. Matt's been playing Skyrim as I can and cook. And blog.

If we didn't have a benefit to go to tonight, I'm pretty sure we'd be taking an early visit to our winter hibernating - which means movie marathons in PJs and naps. I'd like that. A lot

30 Days of Good - Highlight of My Day

2011-11-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

Simon and Garfunkel for three dollars. And Lindsay too. But that you'll have to wait for since it's on the film camera.

What is 30 Days of Good? | See Others.

30 Days of Good - My Favorite Shoes

2011-11-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

Does warm beach sand count?

What is 30 Days of Good? | See Others.

30 Days of Good - Document Your Coffee Break

2011-11-10T16:36:00.001-05:00

Coffee break with two amazingly fun and inspirational women was much needed today at Flower City Habitat. It's been a busy week!

What is 30 Days of Good? | See Others.

30 Days of Good - Document Inspiration

2011-11-09T12:00:00.000-05:00

Whenever I need a little word boost at work, I'm reminded how much Matt can say with so little on a post-it. I love my post-it love notes and wouldn't trade them for all the roses in the world.

What is 30 Days of Good? | See Others.

30 Days of Good - Something Funny

2011-11-08T21:06:00.001-05:00

Because only my mother would go into the kitchen and remove the paper calendar (with giant wooden frame) to check dates when she has an iPhone.

What is 30 Days of Good? | See Others.

30 Days of Good - Fall

2011-11-07T15:17:00.002-05:00

Fall is quickly fleeting as we teeter between warm and cold days in Rochester.

What is 30 Days of Good? | See Others.

It is November

2011-11-06T15:02:00.001-05:00

and yet - I'm outside on the back deck getting hit with sun and drinking a margarita.

It's nice. And with no budget or free skiing this year, I could do with this staying until right before Christmas when a light dusting of sparkly white will do.

Until then, I'll enjoy the last bits of fall and try to put off garden and back deck upgrades until deep in March when I really need them.

30 Days of Good - Art

2011-11-06T10:37:00.003-05:00

A small corner of Erik & Melissa's piece in the morning light of Sunday.

(Also, yesterday's post made it to GOOD Magazine. Yay! Click to see.)

What is 30 Days of Good? | See Others.

30 Days of Good - Something New

2011-11-05T18:01:00.001-04:00

New arm warmers because it's getting to be winter up north here.

What is 30 Days of Good? | See Others.

30 Days of Good - Something Old

2011-11-04T09:54:00.002-04:00

1950's pool table in Habitat ReStore today. Too bad Matt and I don't have room and the pool table is already sold. Everything happens for a reason ;)

What is 30 Days of Good? | See Others.

Apples in film

2011-10-27T07:00:00.000-04:00

feel free to compare to the iphone photos from the other post. The iPhone does wonders with blue, let's be honest.

But film can capture LIGHT like nothing else. I don't think I'll ever stop loving the way film makes you feel slightly removed but in the picture at the same time. Like a fairytale.

Same roll as Ithaca - a really old roll of Kodak Gold 100 with the Cannon Power Shot. As you remember we had to sneak into the orchard to get these pictures.

We've since learned that if you want to pick apples, apparently Webster is the place to be. Who knew.

Sunday mornings look like this

2011-10-25T07:00:00.001-04:00

and I try to keep them that way when I can. Some people go to church, I meditate. A cup of coffee from my barista Matt in my Go Public coffee mug, sunshine in the front room, and blog reading/updating. Someday when Google let's me, I promise to give you a better header. But in the meantime I'm updating what I can. Including adding an About Me page, adding/cleaning the Inspiring Blogs list, and adding/cleaning the Blogs of Friends list.

I've added Kevin's blog. If you're interested in Rochester, NY dining you'll like it. Kevin writes a great blog of honest restaurant reviews. I almost always agree with his reviews, so if you want to know what I think of a place, you should really just ask Kevin. He's more eloquent in foodie-prose than I.

Ithaca in film

2011-10-23T11:28:00.001-04:00

using 1 roll of Kodak Gold 100. It was REALLY OLD film and yet the colors still look great.

I used Matt's dad's Cannon Power Shot and my favorite lens. It's good. So good these have a zero editing on them.

Matt had the 1950's Retina that day, as you can see. There's still a question as to what happened to that roll of film. It's probably still in the camera. We loose rolls a lot, but they always seem to pop up.

As for film development, I have finally found a place in Rochester that doesn't suck. No more mean & apathetic Scott's photo for this girl! (I seriously NEVER walk out of that place not being pissed off.)

Rowe on Mount Hope not only has people who CARE and think it's COOL I'm still shooting film, but their prices are excellent. And they're now open on Sundays.

As you can see the quality there is super good too. 5 Stars.

60 years

2011-10-16T10:54:00.001-04:00

since the inception of the Corning Museum of Glass, and probably 20 years since the last time I visited.

But when you're at the entrance of Letchworth, you forget that the park only takes cash, you only have 4 of the 8 dollars you need, and it's raining anyway - you consider doing something else instead.

We were only an hour and 4 minutes away, and since we didn't get to go while camping this summer - we thought we would take a trip ourselves.

It was awesome. I forgot how much I love glass art, how it can look like an incredible range of mediums, and how FAR the artist's have come with it. Amazing.

The historical aspects are equally as interesting - for example I guess I did not know how far back glass was used. FAR. BACK.

So far that even in the 1800s they were playing Dungeons and Dragons as evidence by this 36+ sided die. (They didn't have one in the Roman glass section but I bet the Byzantines had one.)

They even had a Rauschenberg! (First picture). Concived in the 1970's and produced in 2005, I had no idea that Robert worked in glass.

We had a good time.

Room by room - The Kitchen

2011-10-09T11:29:00.003-04:00

Which seems appropriate since we had a dinner party last night to introduce our new place to some friends, and because I now have a dining room table that can seat 8-10.

And cooking for 8-10 people makes me so happy, it was like Christmas ALL DAY.

It started by sleeping in, after a long night event with Habitat Young Professionals where Matt & I helped them raise over $5,000 for Habitat. It was fun, fulfilling, and we even got to see our buddy Mark behind the bar. It was a good time, but apparently exhausting because I slept until 9.

But that's okay because we still had time to get to The Public Market, where I bought the most gorgeous (and happy free-range) chicken. The BEST part about buying our food from farmers, is that they are the NICEST people you will ever meet. Not only did this farmer stick with me as I figured a way to feed all of my friends while still being on budget - but he walked me through how to cook the chicken. I thought it would be a no-brainer, but the farmers was (of course) right. His chickens are leaner and more muscular than store chickens so they cook faster and drier. I stuffed it with butter (sorry lean chickie!) and kept tight foil on - and it was delicious.

And because we're in October, the season of OH MY GOD LOOK AT ALL THE PRODUCE!!!! we had ratatouille. And it was GREAT. (Thanks mom for the Zuch. It was awesome.)

So I cooked all day, in an Indian-summer kitchen. It was hot, but it was worth it. Especially since I was checking into facebook to find out my family in Florida was dealing with rain. It made me grateful for the good weather, the random heatwave, and the pouring light through my kitchen.

Oh yes, the light! Back to a kitchen I can cook in AND I can take pictures in! I missed this sort of space so much. I guess I never realized exactly how much I need a white kitchen with tall cabinets and windows until I didn't have it anymore. I'm glad I do again.

And the curtain? Handmade. From tea-towels. Are you surprised? You shouldn't be. Not only do I love tea-towels on clearance from Urban or Anthro - but I love turning them into curtains. More on that next time.

First sewing project

2011-10-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

in our new project room. This wool has been around since last August, when I ordered it from Purl Bee. It was swoon-worthy and I just could not help myself.

When it came in the mail, I opened the package and COULD NOT STOP looking at the colors and patterns. It smelled great, it looked great, it draped beautifully. The project that sold it to me on Purl Bee was perfect for it.

I knew who should be getting such a great blanket too. And being the wonderful procrastinator I am, I put the swatches out of the way thinking I would sew it last winter.

But a couple of things happened that winter including a slew of painting opportunities with shows and an intense bought of depression over my job. Combine those two and you get a great motivation of painting but pretty little when it comes to other projects.

So the wool waited. Through spring, when there was again a bit of free time (which we used to travel instead) and then the summer hit. The summer of weddings, and moving, and babies, and new jobs. Welcome to this fall when I have not only regained my free time and positive spirit - but our new project room. It's a lovely window filled space with french doors and dedicated sewing/painting/cutting space that can be closed off mid-project so that no people/paws get in the way of pinning or drying.

It's perfect. And so is the quillow that became of the wool squares. It was for Jill and John the whole time. And it would have been a great wedding present, but it had to wait until now - when I could wrap my arms around it and get it done. They loved it even though it was late, which only the best of friends will do.

Room by room - The Project Room

2011-10-02T17:57:00.000-04:00

The new apartment is coming together. When you are stagers, like Matt and I, it takes a while. Things are still not completely where they need to be - ~~and I'm still short of a dining room table big enough to have a dinner party. We'll get there.~~

*Update* A big thanks to Craig's List, a nice couple on the west side of town, and Matt (who listened to me read this post out loud and declared today find a table day) we now have a dining room. Look for your invite coming soon!

But I thought I could start by showing you my favorite room of the house, which short of a queen-anne chair and a few paintings that are currently on loan, is done.

Already there have been two projects done here, a lot of blogging, a lot of coffee drinking, and a lot of watching joggers/jewish families. We're right across from a huge park and down the street from two temples, so we see a lot of the above mentioned foot traffic.

It's a quiet place for being on such a major road in the city. We can walk across the street for a picnic, a hike, or a game of tennis. And we can walk around the corner for dinner, coffee at my new favorite place, or a beer. And did I mention it's within biking distance from work?! Cuz it is.

But back to the project room, it's at the front of the house which means a view of the park and the passers-by. And 3 of four walls are completely full of windows. When Matt and I saw it, he looked at me and we both knew it would be perfect for painting. And it is.

I added the black and white checkered table, which if you know me you know is one of my favorite pieces I own. A gift from Iain and his wife way-back when I wanted and island in the kitchen. It's been an island, a table, a party buffet and now it's a project cutting table. The perfect size and height for rotary cutting. Swoon.

Okay so we're trying out the new Dynamic view here

2011-10-01T17:52:00.000-04:00

and I really like it, but it won't let me customize my header yet and it won't let me have a sidebar. So you all are going to have to wait on the more designed version of Deardeedle, because this is as much customization as Google currently lets me have. Unless I program and I am too tired to write code.

So play around in it and let me know what you think. If you mouse over "Magazine" (which is the view I've set as default) you can see Deardeedle in other ways. Click, play around. Let me know which you like best.

It's cold and rainy and dreary here. And last night I spent with a bunch of my very favorite people - laughing, eating, drinking, and singing until 1am. As a pumpkin who rarely makes it past 11pm, I'm a little tired.

So today I baked a rustic pie and am hiding under blankets. My belly is filled with warm apply caramel goodness, my house smells like cooking stew and my eyelids are heavy.

So you can pretty much guess that after I finish this sentence I am going to take a late afternoon nap. Yay for fall :)

I realize

2011-09-25T18:00:00.000-04:00

that I'm late to the pickle-party on two counts. One, I have never before pickled. I know, I know. I can, I jam, I syrup - but I have never pickled. Unless you count the refrigerator kind that you do for a day in a plastic bag. Which are delicious yes, but my version of pickling no. And two, it's almost October.

So while visiting Schutt's Apple Farm in an attempt to find Monroe County's best fry-cake (it's Schutt's by the way) I discovered Rochester's best (and by far cheapest) spice assortment. Sure, we didn't come home with apple cider, but we DID come home with pickling spice, sage sub, pumpkin pie spice, and caraway seed.

And this is how I end up picking in the Fall. And although the pickling cucumbers are far gone, we did find a farm stand that was selling cuckes. So for about the total of $5.00 total I now have 7 jars of dill pickles getting ready to be eaten. Let's hope the first run tastes good.

Welcome Fall

2011-09-24T20:09:00.000-04:00

the season of Deedle. The season of jeans, hooded sweatshirts and Smartwool socks. The season of breezes, cooking, and hiking. The season of fall leaf jumping, Octoberfest beer, and gourds. AND THE SEASON OF APPLES!

Which means apple butter, apple pie, mulled apple cider, apple fritters, applesauce, hard apple cider, and apple picking. It's enough to keep you in the bathroom for hours, but it's all so worth it ;)

So Matt and I spent today in the car headed out north to the lake, to apple country. 20 minutes of car ride, good tunes, and blue skies.

And we hit up a few farm stands (which included a whole lot of ingredient buying because Fall IS the season for cooking) and were almost full of appley-goodness. Almost.

Almost because the one thing I hadn't done was be in an apple orchard. Which for a Deedle, is a prime location.

Such a good one, in fact, that when I die you can just take my ashes and let them fly through an orchard. Heaven in an orchard on a sunny, cool breeze day in the Fall.

But oddly enough it's HARD to find a U-pick orchard in Rochester apple country. Most places are large cider mills and grow apples to be supplied to Seneca or Mott's. Some have a storefront in which you can buy your bushels. But U-picks are a far and few.

So this girl did what any good Deedle in need of an apple orchard would do. She found a seemingly one that looked big enough to get lost in, took her camera and her boy, and wandered. Trespassing? Yes. Worth the chance to of getting caught? Absolutely.

A couple of pictures, some day dreaming, a few kisses and we had our fill of the orchard. Not one apple touched or taken (because that's stealing and stealing is not okay) and we were on our way.

Ithaca and Lindsay and weddings and jobs

2011-09-10T09:42:00.000-04:00

It has been an amazing couple of weeks, and it goes something like this:

Best friend gets married
Speech at wedding goes perfect, Gracie even finds "the list"
Signature cocktails are tasty and entertain the bartenders
Dancing was fun and long and wonderful
Visiting with family was relaxing and cool in the pool

Trip to Ithaca was a lovely taste of fall and involved smartwools
Did not get yelled at by an old woman about my white wine with lunch
Did find a red wire 3-tier handing basket for the fridge
Got to see Lindsay, who is on her way back to Cambodia

Talked forever and got a bunch of life stuff straightened out
Started my new job at Habitat, and LOVE every minute of it!
Finished a present for a friend (pics coming soon!)
Got a wonderful present and visit from my sister
Got the apartment put (almost) together. (in progress pics soon!)
Realized that this is exactly where I am supposed to be, and am very happy about that

Starting a new chapter

2011-09-04T10:10:00.000-04:00

at Flower City Habitat for Humanity soon and my friends at Dixon Schwabl sent me off with a wonderful Deedle lunch. (Which means olives, hummus, cheese, pita, grilling and chocolate mousse It had been a really crazy week there last week, so it was incredibly touching that they took the time out to make this happen.

I also almost made it through the day without crying. Until my next door audio engineer neighbor came down to say goodbye. Then I lost it.

Which is when I looked up to see Matt had arrived. I didn't know he was coming. But his timing is always perfect and we got through the rest of the goodbyes together.

And so I'm off, both belly and heart full, On to the next big adventure :)

Scenes from a great birthday

2011-08-30T13:30:00.000-04:00

Thank you for making 31 awesome :)

They say it's my birthday

2011-08-29T08:49:00.002-04:00

which is true, making this less like a Monday and more like a Friday. Also we are all moved in. Also we are almost all moved out.

Also today we are getting internet, which is actually the most exciting part of my day.

Well, that and Facebook. There is no better day than your birthday on Facebook. It's nice to see my phone light up over and over again. It's like being hugged virtually. I enjoy ever last wall post.

In additional non-birthday news:

Jeremiahs serves Brunch on Sundays with very inexpensive mimosas
They are within walking distance of my new home
The new home fills with SO MUCH LIGHT and BREEZE
It also has laundry making up for 2 years without a steady supply of clean undies (sorry Matt!)
After an investment, all string instruments are now hanging on wall so of the new home (dreams come true)
I had a dream last night about planting fall bulbs. We're almost there!
My dad gives the best hugs ever
4 more days until my best friend gets married
Which also means 4 more days until I get to see GRACIE!!!
And my Aunt Wink and Cousin Tammy
I will be porting the blog out of blogger because it eats the quality of my pictures
I think I'm going to Squarespace
Or Tumblr, or Wordpress. We'll see
See that pic of my mom? This is my mom pulling the giant wooden calendar off the wall to try to plan a family vacation
Yes she looks like Moses
Yes she could have done this from her iPhone
Yes we all laughed until we cried

Life is good and full of Happy Birthdays.

{this moment}

2011-08-19T06:00:00.000-04:00

Thanks to SouleMama for the continued inspiration.

This has been a good week

2011-08-17T06:00:00.000-04:00

and it's only Wednesday! So many things are on the horizon. Change. Good change too. I'll share more details when it's time.

As for now, it's okay to be jealous as I show you exactly how close I was to Ryan/Adam/Brian/Luke from Guster this weekend. Exactly two heads, a bouncer and a small isle. That's how close. And they brought the banjo. We sang and danced along as it poured and poured and poured.

It was magical.

In a crazy busy summer

2011-08-13T13:16:00.001-04:00

where I realize that there are too few weekends and too many commitments, it's good to have a morning as perfect as today.

Bike ride to Jines for breakfast.

With a cute guy with great taste in t-shirts.

Mimosas.

Breakfast sandwiches.

Sunshine. (And I am frowning here only because what you can't see are two obnoxious children next to us who are FLIPPING OUT over a bee, while their parents pretend that this is not going on. Parents - please do me a favor and teach your children the goodness of bees. AND how to behave in public.)

New bike basket filled with Gomez, Entente Cordiale, Maggie Eckford, and Seals & Croft. Summer Breeeeeezzzzeeeeee! Makes me Feeeel Fiiiiiinnnnnneeeee...

Flying

2011-08-12T07:00:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I had a whirlwind of a day - flying into Michigan, presenting, and then flying out of Michigan back to Rochester. And then I slept for 12 hours.

With the exception of a bike ride down to Boulder Coffee to hear Matt and Erik (or the cowboy as my dad now calls Erik because of the YouTube video where he is wearing a cowboy hat) and the presentation itself - I was pretty much in a daze all day.

You know what's amazing about sleeping for 12 hours? I feel amazing today. Like I could do anything, even solve the national dept crisis. So Obama, if you're reading this you've got 12 hours until this amazing sleep-power of mine wears off. Let's get this country up to the Switzerland bar.

And one more for dad - the Windsor Folk Family the young American Folk group we say at my art show. Happened to recognize the painting behind Matt & Erik at Boulder last night - and it made me think of you tracking down their CD at the show. I love how you love good music and are always willing to support the little guys.

Cooking

2011-08-10T08:08:00.002-04:00

is one of those things that at some point along the way I just kind of picked up. I was a terrible cook growing up and I had no patience or interest to learn from my mom. Home Ec was incredibly tedious (who levels off measuring cups?) and in the end at some point the kitchen would get hot or messy and my hands would be sticky. (Cardinal sin).

Which is why I feel for Matt, a boy who wants to know how to cook but has his own hang-ups in the kitchen. First, ours at the moment is really uncookable with the usable counter space being the size of a bread board. And it's hot because the pilots in the gas oven never really turn off and are always at full blast.

So when it's cool enough and there are enough free spaces in the kitchen for both of us to be in the kitchen (like on Monday when Matt made bread dough and Tuesday when we made pizza) I throw cooking jobs his way. I have to do less. He get's to learn. Which is an amazingly tasty and symbiotic relationship. Now if only he could teach me how to be musically gifted, play the guitar, and write songs like he does.

Scenes from the market

2011-08-07T07:00:00.001-04:00

the Southwedge Farm Market.

A magical place with live music

Shaved ice and Earl Grey Ice Cream Sandwiches

Sweet potato pie pockets and a cheese guy

Not one, but TWO farm meat trucks

A well informed set of organic farmers

And orchard stand

Granola and break bakers

And jugglers.

And the best part outside of the very generous tips that Matt & Erik made, was the tips of produce from the farmers and a couple of brownies. I love farmers and local food producers. They are the best kind of people.

Do not bike in heels, Jaime

2011-08-06T07:00:00.002-04:00

no matter what your trip to the Netherlands tell you. I thought I could do it, I did. So I wore these beauties (some of my favorites), and my flowy dress and I biked it down to hear Matt and Erik at the farm market (pictures to come).

But I fell. Stupid city curb. It was the off balance of the bag of produce, the 1970's less than balanced bike, the heels and the curb. All in one.

And as I was falling, and I knew it was going to be rough, all I could think was "OH MY GOD THE TOMATOES!" Really? Tomatoes? Never mind head hitting curb, falling in traffic, or twisting and ankle as your glorious idea of biking in heels get's twisted in the brake cable.

No, this girl was all concerned about the tomatoes. And in the end, all of the veggies were just fine.

I love Guster

2011-08-05T12:00:00.003-04:00

and I also love these boys. (Isn't the one on the right cute? He's mine :)
I bring you a little Friday music, Matt & Erik at the Southwedge Farm Market singing Happier by Guster.

{this moment}

2011-08-05T07:00:00.000-04:00

Thanks to SouleMama for the continued inspiration.

Last weekend

2011-08-04T07:00:00.000-04:00

we spent camping with Matt's family. It was lovely and even the weather cooperated.

I caught up on reading, fire watching and my sun tan.

There was a trip to town for a farm market where I met the most wonderful crafter, who not only made my entire morning with an iced espresso (WITH SOY MILK!) but also by showing off her handmade coffee sack bag. It was wonderful. I was so smitten I even forgot to take a picture :\

Other than that moment, the farm market was mostly - meh - but there was a honey stand. So it wasn't all bad.

So we biked it, beached it, and otherwise spent time relaxing in the wilderness.

And because the weather stayed good right up until we packed the tent in a bit of a drizzle, my hiking boots stayed packed in the car! Keens the WHOLE TIME.

I love Matt's family. They're all just fun and happy, but normal at the same time. It feels like my family, but with MORE people and lively kids. It's a good place to be.

It's about the cocktail menu

2011-08-03T18:07:00.000-04:00

kind of. It's also about the wonderful food and conversations and memories I have from Cibon. I made another last night with a visit from Janelle and Anissa. I biked down to the cafe to meet them, the weather was perfect and Park Ave was just as it should be with lots of people walking and enjoying the evening.

We sat outside - had lots of laughter, stories of traveling and adventure, everyday catch-up. It was grounding. It made me unbelievably happy and satisfied, in a way that you can only really get when you spend time with a girlfriend you've not seen in a while, but that you've known since you were 5.

There's something about those relationships that refill me, like a watering can that you pick up to water flowers and you find it's empty when you didn't even think that it might be. Something about friendships that aren't asking for something in return. That don't need a plan. That don't need an event. That don't need more than a few hours, a good drink, and a tasty nosh. Simple. So simple, in fact that I didn't even remember to bring my camera.

Nerdy-goodness

2011-07-24T17:27:00.000-04:00

I have always wanted to be in a bookclub. And one night, while poolside with some friends this month, we just made one up. Which is kind-of the most exciting thing to have happened (next to beating The Russians in a game of volleyball a few weeks back) in a long time. We don't have a name yet - but we DO have a book, a load of people reading it, and a date to regroup and discuss. I'm pretty excited because I just finished the book for July (our first book!) The Help and because we're hosting first.

Other exciting news, but I hate to share as they are NOT as excieting as a book club:

We now have windows that open at this stinkin apartment! Yay to fresh air!

I have a new jute hat I am loving, even though I have a broken pinky finger I am not. The hat makes up for it.

I found grapes of the very cruchiness that I love, which I ate until I pretty much made myself ill but did not finish them all. Which reminded me how my mother used to freeze them in the summer and give us them frozen instad of popcicles. An amazing rediscovery I have been enjoying in our 100 degree days here in NY.

Bezzie is excited that we are MOVING! (Can't you tell by her photo?) Yes, to a nice place by a park with ALL windows that open, free laundry AND a back deck! I cannot wait to share pictures.

Summer salads

2011-07-15T19:10:00.002-04:00

continue as I bridesmaid detox. However, after a clearly low-iron week I did have a hamburger last night before we saw the midnight show of Harry Potter. It might have also been influenced by seeing this on Monday night at 10 in bed. I would not let it go.

Anyway, this is based on a tasty salad Wegmans has been serving. But this is my take. It certainly makes waiting for Matt to come home post-gig a lot tastier.

BlueCuke Salad
Feeds one as a main for lunch

1 peeled and seeded cucumber
1/2 cup blueberries
1/4 cup feta cheese (I like Israeli)
1 1/2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs rice vinegar
1/4 tsp dried thyme (or fresh chopped)
Sea salt to taste

Peal, seed and slice cucumbers into 1/4" crescents
Whisk oil, vinegar and thyme together
Add cukes, berries, and feta to dressing - Mix until combined
Add salt to taste

This weekend

2011-07-11T12:19:00.001-04:00

I realize these are horrible photos. I need to have the Nikon cleaned and have not been taking her out. I also need to up the res on my iPhone default but am distracted by Words With Friends or Pintrest every time I unlock my phone - so this has not yet happened.

included some out of the box fun, including a trip to see The Pageant at Hill Cumorah. It was on my bucket list of things to do before I go, having lived so close to the Mormon sacred place of buried tablets. It was interesting and say what you will about the Mormon belief, I can tell you that from a theatrical perspective they put on a good show. The set was amazing, as were the stage effects. I'm certainly glad I went.

Just to be clear here, I am trying to take pictures of the costumes from The Pagent. Matt is purposefully entering my photo. So, if you wonder WHY there are so many pictures on my blog with Matt in them - be assured that a lot of the time he is his own paparazzi.

Saturday was an adventurous day. I could not for the life of me kick this over-riding tiredness I've been having. We ate an amazing lunch at Magnolias, spent about 3 hours at the Science Musem, and then tried to track down tickets to the RPO playing John Williams. The last in that list was rediculous, not because the show was sold out (at least I don't think it was) but because trying to by day-of tickets for a show without having to travel to CMAC is apparently incredibly difficult if not impossible.

After trying for 3 hours to buy tickets from 3 places, we decided trekking out to Canandaigua in an effort to buy them 2 hours before the show at the box office was a little to risky and may have involved a mental break-down on my part. So instead we said yes to plans of kabobs at a friends house. It was the better choice anyway.

Sunday was lazy, and it was all Matt could do to prevent me from sleeping through all of it. After running some errand and bad German cheese we settled in for movies and air conditioning. I realize this is a winter activity, but I just really wasn't up to doing any more. And sometimes that's okay, ya know?

{this moment}

2011-07-08T12:17:00.000-04:00

Thanks to SouleMama for the continued inspiration.

Bridesmaid detox

2011-07-07T13:02:00.001-04:00

is happening around these parts. Which means it will be (hopefully) a long time again until a bready visual like this one. Yes, that's right - in an effort to look as trim as possible by Jillybeans wedding this girl is on a detox.

Detox in my world means a little as possible of the following things:

White sugar
Corn syrup
Bread, rice, pasta
Beer
Beef
Butter
Condiments - Exception is mustard and horseradish
Anything in my freezer bought at a nightly Wegmans run
Soda

It also means as much as possible of the following things:

Water with lemon juice
Green veggies
Beans
Fish
Dandelion root
Sleep
Sunshine
Evening walks

And let's face it, these are the things that are just gonna stay in this girls life, no matter the detox:

Cheese
The occasional olive
Olive oil
Eggs
Coffee with soy milk
Gin
Cuddling
Book club reading

And the photos? This is what an office of a girl on a bridesmaid detox looks like. (Though I did not show you the phone with the daily encouraging texts back and forth from and for the bride to be.) I do have the best friends ever.

There are just some mornings I want to live in

2011-07-02T11:14:00.000-04:00

forever. Today is one such morning. The sun is bright, the day is on again off again lazy, and there is crusty bread in my house. Matt woke me up with kisses and coffee and was off to play music. Sometimes it feels good to be alone.

I listen to Good Old War and eat sheep's milk cheese and bread for a late breakfast. I'm reading Farm City and dreaming about living in Vermont, Maine or New Hampshire. I could disappear in this forever.

Did I tell you we're moving? We are. About 10 minutes from where we are now, not New England. Not yet. (Someday, maybe.) This new place is farther from the bums that pick through my garbage for cans. It's across from a park. It has windows that open. It has a front sunroom. It has a white kitchen with glass fronted cabinets. It has a back patio and is a second floor - which means that I can fill that back patio with a container garden without worrying about what drunk passers-by will throw in them. It also has a washer and dryer and a basement. I could cry.

I've never lived in a city until now. I like it, in an odd way. There are some things that I wish I could have too, the best of both worlds. Things like the ability to walk through my backyard barefoot. (Or to really never have to wear shoes once the ground thaws.) To sink my hands in dirt. To grow things. To have a hammock. To not have to lock my bikerack to my car. A more outward willingness for my neighbors to be friendly and talk to me.

But the benefits are also really good. Like playing my banjo with Matt on the porch and having lots of people smile as they walk by and occasionally stop and ask to join us (even if they are a bit crazy). I like walking to dinner at my favorite restaurant where I can order cheese and bread and champagne. I like that the indie movie theater is a short walk away. That I am within a brief bike ride of three art galleries and one of the best art supply stores in the area. I like that I am a short car ride away from the sand and the beach.

So it's a good life. Even if I daydream about rocky coasts, sand, lobster rolls and hilly, pine-y terrain with pockets of small towns and farm markets with sheep's cheese and crusty bread. I'm gonna live I'm all right, I'm going to die it's all right, I'm okay...li-di-diiiii...

Friday night's event

2011-06-30T07:00:00.001-04:00

was Flower City Habitat for Humanity's RocProperties event. A night based loosely on an in person version of Monopoly.

It was really very fun. Lots of food, laughter, actors walking around with foil sculptures of game pieces, a chance to win the "community chest" (which in this case was a handmade chest with prizes inside made by the woodworking crew at Habitat), live auctions, and touching stories.

I also got "put in jail," which was really quite funny. I tried to get as people passing by to bail me out but in the end I was only cute enough to get bailed out by my friends. (I'm not sure what that says about me!) My thanks to Tracy, Matt and especially Lauren for letting me loose. Otherwise I would have missed the cotton candy Abbott's - and THAT would have been sad indeed.

Sunday was his birthday

2011-06-29T07:00:00.002-04:00

and I couldn't be happier. Birthdays mean ice cream. Ice cream means a happy Matt. And a happy Matt is contagious.

This weekend included

2011-06-28T20:41:00.001-04:00

Purchases of keys
Chances to win
Supporting great causes
Improv
Being put in jail
Being bailed out of jail
Shopping for record players
Buying more incense
Being proud of my state for making the right choice
Drinking martinis with friends
Dancing and laughing
Cheesecake

Super8 (or as I know have named it Stand By ET)
Moments of mind reading that get you cherry coke
The best Indian food I've ever eaten
Book buying
Zombie Fluxx
Surprises
Fish eye lenses
Sodus Bay
Boating
Getting soaked
Ice cream
New Apps
Utter Happiness

When one of the godesses get's married

2011-06-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

it's celebration time.

After decorating and setting up Jill took us out to see Bridesmaids, which was SO GOOD! (And had Roy from IT Crowd, which made me happy. He was VERY good.) Then we stopped for mexican food and sangria. SO GOOD!

Then the family shower, both beautiful and yummy. Hard work (mostly by the sisters I will admit) but it was well worth it. Jilly was so happy.

I love you JillBean, I can't wait to see you walk down the isle. I am SO going to cry!

Happy Fathers Day

2011-06-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

to all of the dads out there.

But mostly to MY dad, who not only has been a mentor for me but has seen me through all of life's good and bad with a laugh, good advice, and always a hug.

He survived 5 girls (6 if you include mom). He built a business after business putting always putting his heart and soul into them and his employees.

He has built metal sculpture, invented wood burning stoves that revolutionized efficient heating in the 80's, and has friends all over the world.

He's an amazing man and I am lucky to be his daughter. (Even though he gave me his nose and NOT his metabolism.)

Why today was great

2011-06-18T22:06:00.002-04:00

which is good because I started out grumpy.

Which is no good for a Saturday.

And no good for a Matt, so we headed to the beach.

My mom once told me that she feels her most-self and at ease by the water.

I think more than the freckles are hereditary. I've been a little behind in blog land. Life has been really busy and most of my free time has been used sleeping. So pardon as we go back in time over the next few days.

{this moment}

2011-06-17T12:25:00.000-04:00

In Canada you play until you win.

Inspired by SouleMama

Home in Buffalo

2011-06-04T15:10:00.003-04:00

For a bit this weekend. Jill's having her first bridal shower and traveling an hour with food in the summer for something showy makes my OCDs kick into overdrive.

So I thought I'd just come home and do it here. Besides, Matt has a very manly day of family gun shooting and mud slinging followed by a bachelor party.

Which leaves me to fend for entertainment by myself. Dangerous for sure. Especially when it turns into buying new shoes. Which it did.

Weekly Moment of Zen

2011-06-03T08:00:00.012-04:00

It is sweltering in my apartment,

2011-06-01T08:00:00.001-04:00

and I have not been this stressssssed out in possibly my whole life. But these are things I can't immediately change, they are things I am enduring. And they will make me stronger.

And while I work on plans for both the sweltering and stress, I'm going to go to the beach.

I'm going to Uke it up.

I'm going to drink loads of ice cold Club Soda with lemon.

I'm going to enjoy my post-it love notes.

I'm going to enjoy the new DCFC.

I'm going to sing duets on the porch with Matt.

I'm going to plan camping trips.

I'm going to eat cheese, bread, tomatoes and wine for dinner.

I'm going to do my best. Because that's the best I can do.

First bike ride of the season

2011-05-31T07:00:00.000-04:00

for Sangria at Hogans, which was a perfect ending.

Matt got an upgrade. But I'll let him tell you about it when he get's around to it.

God bless summer finally getting here.

Date night

2011-05-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

never happen by planning on our part so much as a desire to just indulge in one of four favorite restaurants. This time it was my favorite-favorite, Cibon.

Date night has some pretty important features outside of a regular night out. Slow walk through the city.

Champagne, micorbrew, or fancy cocktails like French 77s.

Something on a board which we order before we order dinner. Cheese. Nuts. Olives (for me). or various meats.

Shareable food. A lot of laughter. And a dinner that takes far longer than an hour.

A list of good things

2011-05-24T20:42:00.004-04:00

My sister, J, and my dad are all okay
The sun has made my freckles come out in full force
Matt got the second window in the bedroom opened
I played my first banjo song with Matt in front of my family and it went okay
Sunday made me so happy, sitting with good friends on a porch drinking wine and just being myself
Sunday I also laughed so much I cried. It was too funny
Volleyball season has started and it makes me happy to be in the sand and the sun
The Good Pointe Society was so wonderful and accepting
I've Just Seen a Face by the Beatles is now my favorite song of all time
Someday I hope someone will sing it to me as a surprise
I won two new clients by hard work in one week
I have the best place to fall asleep in the whole wide world
There are opportunities for new apartments on the horizon
Grey's Anatomy is always there when I need it
It has stopped raining
The ballet was so lovely and wonderful - I feel blessed to have had so many opportunities to go
The weekend is scheduled to be filled with fun and people I love
An extra fan in the apartment makes a huge difference
My mother is the strongest, most beautiful mother ever
My sister is the ying to my yang and I could not imagine life without her
My father is my hero and all I hope to be in life
I have hope that everything will work out as it needs to be. A rock in my pocket keeps me safe and sometimes my needs blind me to the needs of others - but I'm glad to share my luck, love, and karma whenever it is needed.

All of my good karma,

2011-05-23T08:30:00.000-04:00

thoughts, and prayers are being sent to the people of Joplin and the other cities & towns hit by the tornados yesterday. My sister is there and we're very lucky that she and her friends there are all okay. A mile is too close for comfort for me, but I'll take it. I wondered where my good karma had gone and perhaps it was just stocking up for something more important than an apartment. Sometimes I loose perspective - this is a better spend.

But not everyone is so lucky, not all families are speaking of good news, so please send your thoughts and prayers to the cities as they rebuild.

I feel like I'm running for Student Council

2011-05-21T09:14:00.003-04:00

but please vote for me :)

I have some art in the RoCo's 6x6 2011 show. You've seen then previewed here. Well, there are some prizes this year for most popular. So if you have a moment, stop by once a day from now until July 1st - and give me a little vote.

Click here to find me. You're looking for art number 1342 - and you can find it by typing it into the left-hand box. If you see a little red house with a stripped roof - that's me! Vote by clicking the top hand right corner link. Please and thank yous!

Grrrmppph

2011-05-17T19:40:00.003-04:00

I am having a terrible evening. It is not often I outwardly get frustrated on my blog, I like this to be a happy place in a world that is seemingly full of places that can be unhappy. But to allow you to know that I am not always a happy, smiley, art-making, bread-baking, photo-taking, banjo-plucking sprite - here you go.

Tonight sucks because:

It has not stopped raining in days. And now it is cold. And you know what, I live in Rochester not Portland. And that is by choice. I could have moved to Portland 4 years ago and I chose not to, 60% because of the continuing rain/gray. So what the hell is this?
My neck is betterish but I am still getting these unbelievably painful waves of pain through my skull. They're random and for no reason at all. It's like someone is ripping my brain apart. It's frustrating that the body can't just heal.
I hate my landlord, the people in my building, and the people that live in my general area. Not only are none of them friendly but tonight my house smells like the worst burning pot ever. Thank YOU tenants for getting high on a Tuesday early evening. And for buying the cheapest, worst, most disgusting smelling weed possible.
I would open a window and air out the apartment if this place had windows that opened. This is another frustration.
I would sit outside on my porch and have the door opened to air out my apartment if it were not wet and freezing, or if I could sit on my porch without looking at the garbage in my lawn (that I already cleaned).
I would be moving into a gorgeous, quiet, perfect and affordable new place in July if I did not have a cat. Apparently this is a deal breaker, I learned tonight. Which is unfair because Bezzie is the nicest, most non-destructive animal ever.
I find it unfair that you can not discriminate against people with kids and not rent them an apartment because they have a child - but you can if they have a cat. Now, kids do FAR more damage to apartments than cats. And if you want to talk about the peeing thing - little boys pee on things all the time. It's illegal to not rent to someone just because they have a little boy, so how is this fair? My cat doesn't pee on anything but her IN her litter box.
I really really like this new apartment. It has a window seat and a backyard but is still in the city. AND I can afford to live there. I want to cry.
Have you ever had one of those really defining moments where you look back at the past couple of months and feel unbelievably helpless? Like everything good that has happened comes with an unbelievably large scoop of poop? I am having one of those moments.
My apartment is starting to smell like weed/burning skunk again. How HIGH can one neighbor get?
How did my karmic debt get so low as to keep taking without paying back? I have been so good.

I missed the Blogger crash

2011-05-15T19:01:00.007-04:00

which totally sums up how often I've been here. I'm sorry, I know I know - I miss you all too. In lieu of a blog coup I give you 5 listy-things that have been going on lately, and a smattering of pictures/video for kicks.

I've visited the doctor twice in one week. Note that the last time I was at the doctors was about two years ago, so that seems about right. The good news is I have finally kicked this cold, I do not have Meningitis and therefore did not need a spinal-tap, and my neck is almost back to normal. Hurray!

I have danced with Matt to Billie Jean twice in one month. The first time was at Maristin's beautiful and very fun wedding. It was fantastic. The second was last night while we were out at a club. I love him because he is a self-proclaimed non-dancer and yet will dance with me whenever I ask. Even as we are leaving a public club and the dance floor is fairly empty.

New toy, Super8 for the iPhone. Still figuring out how to get it off the phone without loss of quality :(

I have played darts two nights in a row and on both nights had an awesome win. I was about halfway through Saturday's game when I finally understood how to play Cricket with a strategy for winning. This accomplishment actually goes to Starr who told me what to hit. God bless her because I have been playing Cricket since my childhood (when Jaime, Mike and I would play for hours in the basement) and yet it takes me until the age of 30 to realize how to score points. Brilliant.

I have learned how to play a song on the banjo by memory. This will serve well next weekend when Matt and I travel home to spend time with my family, where my father will ask: 1.) if I brought the banjo. 2.) If I can play anything yet. 3.) When Matt and I are buying a bus. The answers are yes, yes AND I can play it with Matt, and probably never.

I have designed and mailed my best friend's wedding shower #2 invites as well as mailed a book for another best friend who is currently in Cambodia. I have also finally downloaded pictures from April (most of which you see here), bought birthday presents before the actual day of the party, and returned This Kind of Geek back to Emily.

These seem like small things, until you think about the week I have had. I am considering them major accomplishments. I have missed volleyball and banjo practices this week due to the illness/neck-thing and the general state of ridiculousness called my datebook. Does it make you feel better to know you are not alone? :)

I love vintage things

2011-05-07T07:00:00.000-04:00

especially from the 50-70s. You clearly also know I LOVE photography and showing life through pictures. I happened to have found a boy who loves the same and with the same laid-back carefree passion as I.

So a considerable amount of our adventures are documented through film. You all entertain me taking you through the lens on this blog (thank you!). But what's interesting is that you never know what camera will be strapped around my shoulder when I'm out on a camera happy trip.

Sometimes it's my right-hand camera - my Nikon D80. I love her so. Sometimes it's Matt's dad's 35m Cannon. Sometimes it's the trendy Diana. And quite often it's my iPhone - decked in Hipstamaic app glory.

So the weekend spent in Fredonia, I had a chance to do a little experiment - what does the difference between a standard 90's 35m, the Diana, and Hipstamatic have in common? Can Hipstamatic really recreate the look of old film and old cameras?

It's fun, and you'll see the results above. Note that the Hipstamaic changed film on an accidental shake so we have two results here. But the comparisons pretty fun. What differences and similarities do you see? I was pretty surprised how close Hipstamatic can get to the actual film irregularities. I also found it interesting that when I see film vs digital I always see the film as seemingly more removed vs digital feeling like I'm looking through my own eyes.

(To see which is which, click the image and note the title in the address bar. Note that there has been NO photo editing other than resizing for web.)

We might be crazy but

2011-05-06T20:09:00.004-04:00

Matt collects Kodak camera. He has about 30 that are displayed in our living room. I love these cameras for a couple of reasons:

- The vintage nature of them is really beautiful
- The typography and construction is just really stellar
- He spent one of our first "couple" moments showing off every last one to me. And I ate it up.

So of course we both totally had a "duh" moment Wednesday when we were like, "hey, I wonder if any of the old 35m would still work."

So we've added film, unlocked some stuck advancers, and took 'em out for a spin on Thursday. It was a bright sunny evening of pictures, records, and Magnolias. We're both learning our way through the natures of the cameras - Matt with the Retina Reflex and me with the Kodak 35m Automatic. It's hard to recall my actual photo training, and to do math when the view finder doesn't go through the lens.

We'll see what ends up being in focus and the correct exposure. But that's the fun of it. Seeing what happens.

P.S. - the photos on this post are from Hipstamatic. Interesting comparison tomorrow on the blog.

Why he's the best

2011-05-03T07:00:00.008-04:00

and why the iPhone is magical.

May Flowers

2011-05-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

brought by massive amounts of rain this April. But the trees are fuzzy, which means that it's only going to get warmer from here on out.

And I am reminded that I love the spring and fall, but summer in our apartment (where no windows open. Yes, I don't know how that is legal either.) means that it will get sticky fast.

But Highland is all in bloom, with cherry trees, magnolias, and daffs. So beautiful. This season is only trumped by Rhododendron season at Highland.

You can keep your lilac festival, I like my park significantly less crowded and trampled, thank you.

I am still congested like it's February but I'm trying to get as much fresh air as possible. Perhaps this will get it outta my lungs before it becomes pneumonia.

Great weekend

2011-05-01T12:31:00.001-04:00

despite having a wretched cold in the beginning of May.

Interestingly enough, it has really only gotten bad in the last day - which is a great thing because Matt and I spend Friday and Saturday out in Fredonia with his college friends.

I love spending time with them, they're all so fun and nice.

It's comfortable to be around them and it makes me deeply happy.

And after a great breakfast with Josh & Lou at Janelle's favorite Upper Crust (Janelle, those scones are AMAZING), Matt and I trekked off to Chautauqua so I could show him my childhood summer camp and Midway.

Two places of sentimental lovey-ness for me.

I took a load of film photos, so you'll have to old school it and wait for them to develop. Remember the excitement of waiting for film to develop? Oh, the days...

Top ten things

2011-04-26T20:25:00.000-04:00

that currently make me happy:

10. Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Okay I know, I am the LAST blog to mention how awesome this book is. And I will admit that I thought everyone was crazy - even after buying the book I thought the recipes were too difficult and time consuming. But after making a batch of pizza dough lat weekend and then using it again last night - I am a firm believer. This bread book & recipe system ROCK.

9.) My cowboy boots. Another thing I was skeptical of but am now a convert. CBB's are the most comfortable, lovely shoes I have ever owned (next to my Asolo hiking boots from way back). Double bonus is that if you are anti-country music (like me!) you will surprise the heck out of everyone by wearing them. And you'll notice a trend start to form...

8.) Dave & Marissa. A local Rochester duo who I saw at Artawake and have been rocking out to ever since. Not only super talented, but also super nice. Check 'em out.

7.) Sunshine and warm weather. Though yet to be happening at the same time, I have faith. The magnolias trees are starting to burst open around here, and that is a SIGN! (To check out Highland park, which although it gains fame for the lilacs, should really be known for the magnolias IMHO.)

6.) Paul Rudd. Recently discovered that he is the key to almost every movie I have ever loved deeply. It's funny, even a cameo from him turns a movie into a swoon for me. I just saw The Baxter on Netflix (and Forgetting Sarah Marshall for that matter). Had I known PR was in these films I would have checked them out sooooner!

5.) My banjo. The last lesson served as a breakthrough for me feeling more confident. I can now read tabulator and am having a much easier time switching cords. It's beginning to take form as something I can actually do AND enjoy! Now note that this weeks lesson involve the F chord (aptly named) and next week we begin rolls. Hmmmm.

4.) Bookcases. We bought two a couple of weekends ago for the bedroom. This is something we've been meaning to do, but have easily been putting off because of budget. But you know what, $20 bookcases from Target make me feel like and ADULT. They help me feel significantly more organized. They make me happy when I see them decked out with a poster that could not be more possibly me with my jewelry hanging below and books stacked neatly underneath.

3.) This Life in Your Hands. So good! Go get it and read away. You will love it.

2.) Pintrest. Ah, social media, how I love you - and now I get to combine you with the idea of a swipe board. It's a graphic designer, idea hoarders, and an Internet addicts dream come true. LOVE YOU!

1.) Champagne. Okay, let's get this out in the open - I am a champagne girl through and through. My favorite is always a good treat - but it doesn't have to be so pricey to be good. And this is the mistake I think people make with it - saving it for special occasions. Reasonably priced champagne can be GREAT and can really add a sparkle to an ordinary day. Occasions lately it has graced my presence: brunch with Matt at Cibon, cocktails with Cristin at Cibon, mimosas with Matt at Jines, Easter breakfast with the Beielclan, after work hours in my kitchen. My new reasonably priced fave is Tutela Prosecco.

Artawake 2011

2011-04-17T21:52:00.001-04:00

Having Joanne and Charles tell me what they saw in You & Me was my absolute favorite part of the night.

was amazing. I had such a great time and felt so honored with everyone's excitement to come see my artwork. It was really fun and something I will NEVER forget. Thank you to all of you who helped make it so special by either coming to see the show, sending email after email of encouragement, or for joining us at the happy hour Mike and Lauren threw. I really have never felt so special.

I do, however, feel unbelievably exhausted today - probably unrelated from the excitement of yesterday :) So if you'd like to read more about the show, see it through the eyes of the best supported of the bunch last night.

Mr. Chicken

2011-04-16T13:33:00.000-04:00

Last weekend was warmish and sunny enough to justify taking off in the car for chicken. Mr. Chicken to be exact.

Mr. Chicken is my favorite reason to visit Watkins Glen. I mean, the fern-gully park is good, but the CHICKEN! Oh, the chicken. I will admit to you that I have even sat through client meetings, Glen-style, with daydreams and hopes of chicken afterwards. I've been there in a suit and I've been there in jeans.

Matt hadn't been there ever, so it was fulfilling not only to eat chicken but to share the love of Mr. Chicken. And although he insisted on eating is hot (BTW - the cold box also comes as a hot box) he was just as happy as I. We rounded the poultry road trip with a stop at Rooster Fish where we were mildly entertained by a gaggle of wine-tour drunk cougars. Hilarious, making it a perfect trip to the bar where something always happens. This time they got the beer right (my porter was, in fact, a porter) - but I still do not know "Melissa from Rochester." And yes, that was all the information I got.