High-Five Friday: 5 Blogs

I started this blog back in mid-January, after a trip to Guatemala finally got me out of my "someday I'm going to start a blog" attitude. This is one of the few haphazardly-put-together "new-year" resolutions I've managed to stick to in 2012, and I'm totally OK with that - because it was a BIG one.  It takes up a lot more time than I anticipated, a lot more creativity, and a lot more patience. I'm pretty sure there are quite a few people wondering why the heck I bother doing this, but I know there are many more who check back here frequently and enjoy the content. (I do love hearing from you!) 6 months later, I'm still trying to figure a lot of things out, including what to do for a weekly Friday post!!! I love when blogs have friday "features" and a cute name to go along with it - "Friday Finds"/ "Friday Faves"/ even "Franco-phile Friday".  I've played with a few different ideas in the past, and I'm trying yet another one out - "High-Five" Fridays, in which I give a much-deserved shout-out to others (or when necessary, to myself!). Today I give you 5 of my favorite go-to blogs (click on the pics for links to the coordinating posts):

Honestly WTF

One of the few "mass-audience" blogs I read consistently - I just always feel like it speaks right to my style. Art, Fashion, DIY, Travel, Photography, Home, & Unique Finds - its got everything and it always looks good. Erica & Lauren sure know what they're doing!

Julia Sea 

Books, Baked Goods, Nanny-Adventures, and Prep-tastic Style. This girl works 2 jobs and makes time to write personal Thank-You notes, and bake goodies like the 4th-of-July treats above. Oh, and did I mention she's my friend?  So you have to read it -  No choice.

Lost in Cheeseland
Just read about Lindsay and try to tell me you aren't intrigued. Then look at her pretty pictures of Paris. Its like a romantic movie, but without the motion.

The Forest Feast
A NYC food photographer packs up and moves to the woods, where she creates
visually-stunning layouts of her farm-fresh recipes. And I do mean stunning. I only wish Erin Gleeson used Bloglovin (my main source for keeping track of the blogs I read) so that I could remember to read her posts more often!

Ramshackle Glam
Blogger, Actress, & Mom - Jordan Reid makes wearing multiple-hats look effortless (ok, maybe effortless is the wrong word - she makes everything look stylish & fun, but also surprisingly normal - she tells it like it is). Yes, she has a super-cute little boy and a handsome hubby who make major appearances in her posts, but she keeps herself at the center of the blog. And she does it in a sharp & witty voice- that's not something every blogger can achieve!

So what do you all think of "High-Five" Fridays? Next week it may be something different - it won't always be blog links - I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Have a wonderful weekend! I'm headed home to RI with Taz to see the family!

Post-Bday Mood

After a really amazingly delicious, and completely un-photographed (the above image is from Yelp) birthday dinner at Fish last night with Taz, I was feeling a little post-bday lull in spirits today. This post just brought them way back up. Thanks Julia, you are such a great friend, I'm so happy Craigslist brought us together!!

The Best Things in Life are Free...

Its my birthday this week! (Ok, today!... I'm a Leo I like to make a big deal about it.) Tonight Taz is taking me to dinner, and this weekend I'm visiting the fam in RI. But this past weekend I really got my birthday week started in the right way with a day long Brooklyn-based celebration that included 13 of my favorite people...

I missed a few other friends that couldn't attend, but everyone who was there made my 'pre-birthday' feel extra-special.  Being the 'planner' that I am, I stressed earlier in the week over the arrangements (which I wanted to be low-key, but organized at the same time!). The day of, I realized there was no need to nit-pick about the places and times, since the group of people who joined are some of the most laid-back people I know. They were down for anything and stayed for the 8 hour trip around Brooklyn...

Which started with a visit to the (newly-opened-to-the-public) tasting-room at Red Hook Winery...

....and included a pretty view from the pier on a perfect-weather day...

and a Red Hook must-have, Steve's Key Lime Pies...

(Just go straight for the chocolate-covered Swingles, you won't regret it...)

We finished with some more traversing around South Brooklyn, ending with dinner (first picture-minus 1 person) and after-dinner cocktails, with cake & ice-cream provided from The Chocolate Room (thanks Taz!).

And I got some really wonderful gifts that show just how well my friends know me! One of the most unique was this "installation piece" from Tracey & Mike - Its a Roots in Rust design, an "air plant" that sits in a rusted pot on a "book"shelf you hang from your wall. (I'll post a pic when its up in its new home in my apartment!)

Oh, and did I mention how ridiculously stylish my friends are?...

Thanks to everyone who's been making my birthday week so special! Yesterday the festivities continued with Crumbs cupcakes at work - keeps getting better & better!

Happy Birthday to all the Leo's out there!

Happy Weekend!

Hope its a colorful one!

Images (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

*I've been a little MIA in the blogosphere this week (due to a very welcome surprise visit from one of my best friends, Emily, who's been in San Diego since January), but I'll be back on track now. Today I'm off to celebrate my upcoming 28th birthday with some really amazing friends! Enjoy your weekend!

Tackling My 'To Do' List

Today I crossed something off my Blog "To Do" List and gave my homepage a little touch-up! I updated my header with a new font from MAWNS, and added new buttons to my sidebar linking to my other social-sharing sites. Check them out!

Scroll down past the buttons and you'll find my "cloud" of labels -  for easy click-through to your favorite post categories!

More updates to come very soon!

Seeing Spots: Yayoi Kusama at the Whitney

On a whim yesterday, I decided to ask Taz to go with with me to see the just-opened Yayoi Kusama retrospective at the Whitney Museum. Since my college art-history days, I've loved this diverse and controversial Japanese artist (who was most popular at the height of NYC's avant-garde group in the 60s and 70s and has been making a big re-appearance this year ), so I was looking forward to seeing the exhibit...

(and being the book-lover I am I did have to buy the book that went along with it)...

The show encompassed a range of different medias Kusama used in her 60+ year career (she's 83 now). These are her most recent paintings from 2009 to present...

Image from ARTINFO

There was photographs, paintings, film, and sculpture....And a lot of paper paraphernalia (press, letters, flyers, etc.) which I would highly recommend taking the time to look at and read. I was a little disappointed that the show didn't encompass more of her "environments", particularly with her use of polka dots (which is what she's most recognized for)...example here (not shown at exhibit)...

Image from INTERACTIVE

Although in all fairness large red polka-dot balloons reminiscent of the ones above did deck the front windows of the museum.

And I was really looking forward to seeing the 'main event' - the "Fireflies on the Water" installation...

Image from the WHITNEY

but you need timed-tickes for this exhibit, and since we went on a very popular "Pay What You Wish"  Friday, the tickets were already sold out. That's ok because the exhibit is on view till September 30th, so we have plenty of time to go back!

Just a note if you're in New York and do visit this exhibit at the Whitney, be sure to check out There's So Much I Want to Say To You (through Sept. 9th). This was a great "environment" exhibition by the New York-artist Sharon Hayes that reflects her work on speech & politics, through different medias (film, photography, sound, and performance).  ALSO, I was also totally mesmerized by Space Light Art: A Film Environment, which is a re-creation of Oskar Fischinger's film events (first shown in Germany in 1926). Although I wasn't thrilled at the idea of someone else 're-creating' a past artist's work, the abstract colors (accompanied by instrumental sound) were just so visually stimulating I caved and admitted to liking it.

[All factual information in this post is sourced from the the Whitney site. All images (except the 1st which is my own) have links to their original sources.]

Friends, Food, & Fireworks

Last night I got together with some friends to see the New York Philharmonic perform one of their free concerts happening in NYC parks this summer. It was one of those perfect summer nights...

with wonderful friends (not all of whom are pictured....some are camera-shy!)...

and lots of shareable picnic food...

I  sautéed the sausage and zucchini above, cut up some gouda cheese, and made a String Bean & Basil Salad (recipe at the end of the post!)...

I love listening to the Philharmonic, but in the park I have to admit it felt more like background music as I spent time chatting and catching up with friends! 

And, after the grand finale, came the fireworks...

A perfect ending! I had skipped out on 4th of July fireworks so it was great to get to see some this summer!

And now for the recipe!

String Bean & Basil Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb of String Beans

1 large Red Onion

4 small Tomatoes (on the vine) (Use less if you have larger tomatoes)

15 Basil Leaves (approx.)

Red Wine Vinegar or Balsamic Vinegar

Olive Oil

Sea Salt & Ground Pepper

*Note: I bought the String Beans, Onion, and Basil at my local Farmer's Market, which gave this salad an extra fresh taste!)

Directions:

1. Cut or snap the ends off the string beans. Cook them in a wok or stir-fry pan in a couple of inches of salted water (bring water to boil and then reduce to medium heat) for about 3 minutes. They should be slightly cooked, bright green, and crunchy! Drain and cool when done.

2. Pick Basil leaves from its stems,wash and dry thoroughly. Chop the onion into thin slices, and the tomato into bite size pieces.

3. Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. If you prep this salad the night before, hold off on the vinegar & olive oil until you're ready to serve it. I used a very generous amount of Red Wine Vinegar, Sea Salt, & Ground Pepper, and just a couple of dashes of Olive Oil. *Note: Red Wine Vinegar has a very sharp taste, so if you'd like something milder and sweeter use Balsamic!

This was a perfect picnic dish....Let me know if you try it out, or if you have any other great picnic recipes to share!

What's Cooking Teaser...

Please check back tomorrow for a 'belated' What's Cooking Wednesday post! I prepped a few delicious items for a 'picnic party' tonight, which won't be photographed till later this evening. I will tell you that I did incorporate the basil and these red onions from the farmer's market into a dish...

Looking for summer recipes to try in the meantime?  Check out what's on my "Food Fantasy" Pinterest board!

Farmer's Market Deal - Basil Plants!

On my Saturday trip to the Farmer's Market  I spotted grown Basil plants for $2 each PLUS they were Buy 1 Get 1 Free. I've been meaning to try growing some herbs on my windowsill for a while, and I just couldn't resist this deal. (A bunch of basil would cost me more then $2 at the grocery store!)

On my way home I stopped at a hardware store and picked up a couple of medium-size plastic pots and a bag of potting soil...

After googling "how to re-pot basil plants", I (somewhat) followed these instructions. I neglected to buy a small shovel for digging, so (in an attempt to use something disposable that I could get dirty) I pulled out a set of Chinese take-out chopsticks. You can see them on the newspaper in this picture...

What you can't see is that they broke after about 10 seconds of shifting dirt around in the pot in my attempts to create a hole to place the plant in. Finally I decided to sacrifice one of my kitchen spoons... much more efficient.

And here are the newly potted plants on my living room window!...

Wish me luck! Basil plants are not the easiest plant to grow indoors. (See here for more tips on growing basil inside). Well if the windowsill doesn't work out maybe I'll start a renegade roof-garden! In the meantime, my living room smells delicious!

Coffee, Books, & Fountains...

My "To-Do" list got tossed aside when I took a little detour on my way to the farmer's market.  Iced-coffee and a little reading time (with Hopscotch by Julio Cortazar)...

In Grand Army Plaza...

I love walking by the Bailey Fountain, and the Soldiers' & Sailors Memorial Arch (not pictured here) that serve as an entrance to Prospect Park. Makes me feel like I'm in Europe - every single time...

Happy (HOT) Saturday!

Happy Saturday! Hope everyone is staying cool today, its going to be 95F with 50% humidity here in NYC! My walk-up apartment with an un-air-conditoned living room is already feeling quite toasty! I'm thinking a day like this calls for either a Long Island beach...

or our friend's boat on a lake up in Westchester...

But instead I'm still trying to cross things off my "To Do List". (By the way, this includes building an even better blog so I'm open to suggestions!) It also includes a Bikram class, shopping at the farmer's market, and cleaning my apartment (which is quickly making it the very end of the list).

What are you doing this weekend? I hope there's some sand-and-sun involved!

Missouri Family Reunion: Part 2: Cape Girardeau

Part 2, and the final installment of my Missouri trip last weekend!...If you're curious why I was there, read this and this first...

I have to admit that I'm A) terrible with geography, B) have never been to Missouri or anyway close to the Midwest, and C) had no idea where Cape Girardeau was located - turns out it's in the Southeast of the state and located right along the Mississippi River...

The wall above was built in 1964 to protect against floods, and the "Mississippi River Tales" mural (that covers 1800 sq ft) was completed in 2004 by Chicago mural artist Thomas Melvin.

The railroad in front of the wall was built by Louis Houck, who is Taz's stepfather's great-grandfather.

There's a story of how he became known as the "Father of Southeast Missouri", and if you're interested check out this book. I met the author, Joel Rhodes, at the reunion party on Saturday and he's certainly an expert on the subject! This portion of the mural depicts Hock bringing in the railroad in 1880...

Cape Girardeau is saturated in history, and the people who live there are very proud of their heritage. Most of the people I met at the reunion had first, middle, and last names of their ancestors. But almost everything I learned about the family history actually came from a non-family member, Dr. Frank Nichol, a professor of history, and the "go-to" person for the most in-depth and accurate stories of this town...

We had a tour of the town with 35+ other family members, hosted by Dr. Nichols. He took us to the riverfront, cemeteries, a fire-house turned museum, a university, and a historic home. He lectured for 8 hours straight in 110 degree heat, and I'm pretty sure he would have been happy to continue if we didn't  have a reunion party to get to...

There's a lot more to see after the jump!....

Missouri Family Reunion: Part 1- St. Louis

Yesterday I mentioned that Taz and I were in Missouri this past weekend for his stepfather's family reunion. We traveled there as a group of 8 (Taz, me, his older brother Paolo & sister-in-law Rose, his younger brother Rey and Rey's girlfriend Michelle, his Mom & his Stepfather), flying into St. Louis and then driving 2+ hours to Cape Girardeau, where the reunion was held.

Before we headed out of St. Louis,  his stepfather wanted to make sure we all got to see the famous Gateway Arch ...

We took the ride to the top of the Arch in these tiny Austin-Powers-looking "trams"....

The view was worth the 4-minute ride in those straight-from-the-60s pods!...

Check back tomorrow (Friday) for highlights from our stay in Cape Giradeau!