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A Project for those Funky Vintage Ties

Groovy ties from Goodwill

  Oh, Vintage.....times when people made somewhat dubious choices when it came to fashion. Like polyester...who thought that was a great idea?! But, I must say of all the polyester clothing items, vintage polyester ties take the cake...Just look at those color combinations....right? Teal and orange. Brown and yellow (only bought because I have cute hat that matches the color scheme...I bet my sweetie would want to color match me at a swinging party, right?). 

  Note the great diagonal stripe pattern mixed with paisleys and dots, love it! Now, most of my vintage ties went into my tie skirt (THE easiest piece of clothing you will ever make).
  But, what to do with all those leftover pieces of the tie? Well, I made mine into buttons and bracelets.
 The buttons are extremely easy, just get a button making kit from your local craft or fabric store, some glue and some pins..and you have one of a kind buttons...

Buttons that would be at home on any jacket
or bag!

The bracelets take a little bit more skill... You'll want to determine how long to make it to fit, cut to size and stitch up the end.  Then you'll need a sewing machine to stitch in the button hole. 

Almost done!

Then, you'll need to sew an awesome button on the backside of it. I use only vintage glass buttons because the patterns and colors tend to match up to the ties better, but any button will do. Just make sure it fits through your button hole!

This zebra strip button matches up perfect with the tie

And now you have lots of cool tie-wear for your wrists!

A Titan-ic Vintage Find of the Week

   I am hoping to make this a weekly (more probably monthly) little ditty about a deal or unusual item found while out and about.  So here is the first issue of "Vintage Find of the Week"...


   What is it about owls? They seem to be popping up everywhere; cookie jars, wall hangings, tea pots, salt and pepper shakers and in our Vintage Find of the Week.....

Meet "Bubo" the Owl

   Made in the 1960's under the moniker, "Midnight Owl" this guy is a transistor radio. Looks an awful lot like Bubo from the original Clash of the Titans, right? Even though he didn't come in a box and needs a bit of shine put back into him, I think he's fantastic. He works too! I can pick up the news radio, baseball games and a lot more. 

   What do you guys think? I've already gotten some crazy offers for this little guy, but I think that I may keep him around a bit. 

Hey, I need something to go with my owl earrings...... 

Hope Springs Eternal

 

Apparently Mary is growing tiny people in her garden...

   In the waning days of April, our thoughts turn towards the garden. Actually our thoughts were turning toward the garden as soon as the seed catalogues came in the mail and we started dreaming about making our own version of Mozza's squash blossom pizza, vegetable fritters of all kinds, fresh tomatoes, zingy radishes, multi-colored carrots....mmmm...just thinking about it now makes us itch to get out the potting soil and rake. Patience is needed in gardening. You have to wait until the last frost wanders through and then there's the occasional hail storm or heat wave that can truly wreck the garden. We're not even going to mention the deer, rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, birds and whatever other animal that decides to nibble their way through your vegetable patch. 

   So, while you wait until that perfect weekend to start your planting, here are some great books about vegetables that will satisfy your appetite....

photo from Amazon

   To sum up Michael Pollan's book, "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Simple, right? The book expands on those seven simple words with sound advice. You don't eat foods third graders or your great-grandmother wouldn't be able to pronounce or have a clue as to what they are. You should avoid foods with added anything, or foods that claim to be something that they aren't. I can't picture what a xanthan gum or mono-anything plant would look like, so I am certainly not going to be eating it. You should avoid foods that will never rot, foods that are served through a window, or foods that are made in a plant (foods that are a plant are okay). 

    Now some of you are probably thinking that this is impossible or saying that you like that Big Mac. The key to everything is moderation. But, do you really think that eating something that makes your milk turn a different color at the breakfast table is a good thing? 

   Pollan's rules also included that we should try and eat more like the French. Think about it, wine and bread and all those fancy pastries; but when was the last time you saw an obese Parisian? They key to the French diet is more in portion sizes and not snacking during the day than it is to what the actual product at the dinner table is. Also, that they stop eating when they are full. This isn't like when you were growing up and had to finish what was on your plate. 

   The main message we took out of it is this; You should enjoy your food and the experience of preparing it. Eat at a table with actual silverware and plates (small plates, do not use a platter for a dinner plate). Eat with friends or family. If you can, make your meal and sweets from scratch. You will enjoy them more and savor them. Lastly, don't obsess over ingredients or calories. You can break the rules every once and awhile. Food should be enjoyed. 

Photo from Amazon

   Rebecca Rupp's book, "How Carrots Win the Trojan War" gives those mostly forgotten or hated veggies their day in the sun. She traces the vegetable patch from asparagus through the lowly turnip from antiquity to the present with sense of humor and level of detail that could only come in handy to the most haughty gardener (or a rather strange night of Trivial Pursuit). Here's some of our favorites....

The red stripes in Betsy Ross's flag were dyed with beet juice. The cabbage inspired water-reppelant sprays. Queen Anne of Denmark challenged her ladies in waiting to see who could make a piece of lace as fine as the flower of the wild carrot (she won and the flower was named after her). Lettuce was used to make early versions of latex. Some people think that it was the potato that led to Eve's downfall. The jack-o-latern comes from a man's botched deal with the Devil. Radishes in Ancient Rome could grow up to 40 pounds and were used to punish those who committed adultery. Spinach is slang for  "stuff and nonsense". The tomato was considered poisonous by many due to it belonging to the nightshade family. The turnip may be unloved by most, but what how many other veggies have their own Brother's Grimm tale? 

   All in all, the book is a fun romp through history and may even give you a recipe or too (if you have some spare pigeons laying about. 

photo from Amazon

Lastly is Nigel Slater's "Tender", which managed both to be a cookbook and a how to in the garden. Note that Nigel is English so there are some vegetables that are absent from the plate. This is a great book for the gardener who is starting out. There is ample instruction on how to plant, where to plant and feeding/watering tips. The recipes are delicious too! The chocolate beet cake with creme fraiche has hardly any of that earthy taste that shows up in most beet recipes. There is a pasty recipe that would be right at home in Suzanne Collin's Hunger Games series (the pasty was taken down to the mines to appease the spirits, and for a fine lunch). 

  I will be sure to update with garden pictures and recipes. Happy planting!

Black vs White IPhone

   Oh, the cell phone upgrade....the time for new technology and feeling like you're on the cutting edge of the newest gadget (the feeling lasts for all of five minutes- for a breakdown of this cycle see The Oatmeal).
    To better streamline things and because Mac has all of the good apps, I thought I'd go with an I Phone. The only choice was  camera with or without Siri ( that one also has a better camera) and color. I've never really had a choice about phone color before and I was leaning towards white because a black phone with a white cord is not aesthetically pleasing to the eye (for shame on Apple in not fixing this design flaw!) However......
   The guys selling me the phone said "You'll want a white one, all girls get the white one."
    Reeeeeeeallllly???? I do not like people telling me what I can and can't do, so naturally, out of spite, I went with the black one. I told them of my white cord/ black phone conundrum and the fact that a black phone won't show dirt as much.
    Feeling happy with my decision I went on my way. I also thought how small minded to assume that girls would want a white phone. For what reason? Then I began to notice it....Every girl I saw with an I Phone or I Pad...all white.......
   Any guy I saw...black..."tactical black" as one told me.
   Now since when did white become such a girly color? Is Apple trying to play Golf's card of a black and red motif on their cars to tie into James Bond's Walther PPK gun? (This is very much true- the Golf GTI and the Tizio lamp played upon the PPK's black and red (the safety) color scheme). In "The Language of Things" author Deyan Sudjic suggests that the reasoning behind this marketing scheme is to lend an air of suppressed violence to the object and that it, "suggests that you can do important things with it".
  I know, all that from just one phone purchase and people wonder why I don't watch Mad Men. So fellow readers, black or white? And why?

Have a Fabulous Faberge Easter

Happy Easter to all! We love decorating Easter eggs here at Country Mink/ City Mink, but hard boiled eggs can get kind of boring after awhile... So we were super excited to pick up some Faberge Egg Stencils from Fancy Flours. We used their recipe for no spread sugar cookies and royal icing along with a charming copper egg cookie cutter. We also picked up some luster dust, disco glitter, drags, pearls....lots of sparkly stuff that any Russian Zsar would love to have on the dessert tray at tea time. Here's some of our creations! 

Chicago Flag Egg

Fish Scale Egg

Giraffe Wearing a Pearl Necklace Egg

Budget Conscious Coronation Egg

Rose-less Rose Trellis Egg for the Allergy Sufferer 

Hot Air Balloon Egg

Pink Pinecone Egg

DIY Matthew Williamson Designer Scarf

Having to cut back on luxuries is par for the course in this economy. Sometimes, you see an item that just screams "Buy me", and prudently you have to fight not to give into temptation.....right? 

   Or, you can just work some magic and make something that is just close enough to haute couture that your friends won't be able to tell the difference. 

The scarf that inspired it all
By Matthew Williamson
Picture from "How to Spend It"
Financial Times

   The scarf you see is a hand dip dyed Matthew Williamson scarf that retails (in November 2011) at 275 pounds or a whopping $436 U.S. dollars. That's a bit pricey even for a City Mink. What's a mink to do? Scarves are the perfect accessory to any outfit and tangerine is THE color of the year.
    Well, its's a good thing we took al those fashion classes in school and know all about fabric dyeing and painting. We made our own DIY version for less than it takes to fill up the tank of your car. Now that's saving money! We aren't yet out of then holiday season, with Easter and Mother's Day coming up; so this beauty would make a fine present and you'll be sure to get, "Oh, you shouldn't have!" (the good kind, not the diamond encrusted underwear kind).
   













  Supplies


-You can sew your own silk scarf or you can save time and money by ordering from Thai Silks
-Rit Dye (We bought Tangerine and Black-powdered not liquid)
-Salt
-Crock Pot or Metal Pot (Use something you picked up at Goodwill, you won't be cooking in this)
-String (we used some white bamboo yarn leftover from a knitting project)
-PVC Pipe (from your local hardware store)
-Paintbrush or Sponge
-Gloves (so you don't dye your hands)


You want to get your day bath ready first. Get your crock pot (or pot) and fill it with water. You want enough water that the fabric can move freely (this is more important when dyeing large quantities of fabric). Add some of the tangerine dye to the water and some table salt. The amount of dye will determine the punch of color, so use your judgement or have a couple of white cotton pieces of fabric to do some test swatches.  We dipped our edges first.

Dipped top and bottom of scarf

Dipping the sides of the scarf.

   We folded are scarf so the edges were more manageable to dye. First we dipped the sides in the dye. The longer you dip, the deeper the color. We only left the edges in for a couple of minutes. Then we rinsed the edges in warm water until the water ran clear and then set the dye by washing in cool water. Then we dyed the other set of edges and repeated the warm and then cold rinsing method.
   Next, you want to dye the body of the scarf. Using the same dye bath, we put the entire scarf in and swirled it around for a few minutes. Again, the longer it sits in the dye, the deeper the color. We don't want a very deep color.

Scarf in the dye bath

   When the scarf is ready, rinse it in warm water until the water runs clear and then set it in cold water. You can pop the scarf in the dryer and then lightly iron out the wrinkles when it's dry.

A scarf prepped for dyeing

    Now is the time consuming part, adding the stripes. To do this we are going to use a technique called Arashi Shibori (pole wrapping). Take your PVC pipe piece (the diameter of the pipe and your wrapping technique will dictate the dye pattern) and tape or tie on your string. I always use a neutral string so dye from it doesn't interfere with my piece. Place the end of the scarf on the pipe and slowly start wrapping around the scarf. As you can see above, you want to squish the fabric together both vertically and horizontally so there is fabric sticking up between your wraps. The tighter the fabric is wrapped, the less dye penetrates it.
   Prepare another dye bath, this time using black instead of tangerine. Now for the application, either using a brush or a sponge ( I prefer sponge) apply the black dye within the lighter orange color on the scarf. When you have your dye applied, let it set in for a bit. Wash the dye out of the scarf while it is still wrapped! When the water runs clear, then you can unwrap the scarf and give it a final rinse. You can let the scarf air dry, or pop it in the dryer on the delicate setting. Lightly iron to remove wrinkles and ...


Voilà! A hip, hand made scarf in the color of the year.  

I heart the I-Heart and you Should too!

     Fatima Fazal is the creator and founder of the Heart Part. What is the Heart Part? Part heart, part fork, knife and scoop; the heart part is the new way to dine in style when you don't have silverware (or you don't want to use the fine silver on that takeout Chinese). The beat part? The Heart Part utensil is 100% biodegradable! We like the fact that it's not made of soy or corn or some other food product that the majority of the population is allergic to. Besides, those utensil kits are always in some boring beige or off-white color (blech). Personally, I'm going to wash my heart utensils a few times-they're that damn cute and colorful. Now who can say that about other disposable silverware? 

    The Heart Part comes in five fantastic colors. We picked out a blue/green and black (we can match black food-which is all the rage now!). You can buy them in IHeart's shop for under $10. Each pack has 10 hearts and each heart breaks into two pieces, so there's plenty to go around when you have a neighborhood picnic. We think the Heart Part will be great on camping trips or on long road trips.  Now, were'e not saying to use this when your in-laws come over, or when you're having a caveman meat meal that needs a steak knife. Common sense in everything. But, stick one of these in your purse or bag and you'll never have to use the lid of your pudding cup as a spoon again!

A separated green heart and a unused black heart

   You can check out the hearts in action here and there's a link on Fatima's website to share what you heart. Here's what we heart:

Untouched snow and the silence it brings

Fireflies

Tart Lemons

Knitting

Sitting by the fire on a cool summer evening

Cashmere Socks

Fresh, Raw Oysters

Givenchy Lipstick

Salon Fresh hair

Swedish massages

What do you Heart?

    

If you think the Brothers Grimm are scary.....

   With "Grimm" and "Once Upon a Time" on T.V and two adaptations of Snow White coming to theaters this year it seems like people just can't get enough fairy tales. For those of you who think Disney tales are gospel, I suggest you read "Sixty Fairy Tales of Brothers Grimm", my favorite translation its the one with illustrations by Arthur Rackham. These tales were meant to be a warning and a lesson to children.

Struwwelpeter

Stay on the path and you'll make it to Granny's alive. Don't talk to strangers or go into house made of candy; you might get eaten. Be careful what you wish for.  
  Continuing on in the German tradition of scaring the crap out of kids is the book "Stuwwelpeter" (Merry Stories and Funny Pictures) by Heinrich Hoffman. In 1844 Hoffman was looking for a Christmas present  for his son and didn't find anything he liked, so he wrote and illustrated "Stuwwelpeter". His son and everyone who read the book loved it. It freaks us out, but maybe we are missing something about German humor.....
   Among the "merry tales" for the kiddies are stories about kids being burned alive, chowed on by dogs, nearly drowned, starving to death, dismemberment.....the perfect tales for a long winter's night........
   We have Struwwelpeter, Slovenly Peter, who nobody liked because he has personal hygiene issues. So kids, cut your hairs and take a bath every now and then...

The cats did try and warn her....maybe they should have cried
sooner to put out the flames, or at least explained
"stop, drop and tool"

   In "The Dreadful Story of Harriet and the Matches", Harriet's mom and grandmother leave her alone with a pack of matches and tell her not to play with them. Naturally Harriet does the opposite and sets herself on fire. Her two pet cats tell her not to play with matches, but who's going to listen to talking cats? She burns to death and all that's left of Harriet is her red shoes sitting in a puddle of cat tears. Maybe fire prevention can use this as a bedtime story. It should scare the arson right out of kids.

The bad boys get dipped in ink

   In "The Story of the Inky Boys" three boys make fun of little Black-a-moor so Agrippa (the nosey neighbor) decides to teach the three naughty boys a lesson.....by dunking them in his giant inkwell. Now the three naughty boys are darker than Black-a-moor. Not that this isn't a great lesson, but maybe there's another option other than drowning kids in ink....Maybe the parents could do something? Or this story could be a great way of turning the other cheek on racists.

Little boys who don't eat soup die

   In "The Story of Augustus who would not have any Soup" a little boy wastes away when he decides he hates soup. Now this story peaks our interest. In todays society picky little eaters get their way with Mom and Dad, why else are their all those books about blending vegetables to little bits to mix them in and fool your kids. Instead, just read them this lovely tale and tell them, "If you don't eat your food you will waste away into a stick person and die in 5 days".

The tailor cuts of the thumbsuckers thumbs

   In "The Story of Little Suck-a-Thumb"  Mamma leaves Conrad alone (why are the parents NEVER around?!) and tells him to stop sucking his thumb or, "the great tall tailor" will come and "take his great sharp scissors out" and cut his  thumbs, "clean-off--you know, they never grow again".  Well thank you Mamma...yes, people can't regenerate their thumbs... Well, let's just say that Conrad ignores his mother and the tailor comes with his giant scissors and lops of his thumbs. When Mamma comes back she tells him that she knew he would suck his thumbs.





   If you want a modern take on the tales, head on over to Der Struwwelpeter, make sure the volume's up and just keep clicking those pictures. Our favorite book(s) about children with bad habits....Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle...Now that was teaching kids a lesson and no one had to die!

Happy Pi/Pie Day!

 Created in 1988 by physicist Larry Shaw, Pi day is celebrated on March 14th. For those who snoozed during math class (or doodled dinosaurs chasing your math teacher) pi is 3.14 (an so on and so on....) pi is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. Pi= C/D. In 2009 the United States House of Representatives passed a non-binding resolution declaring March 14th as Pi Day.
  Pi Day is celebrated in many different ways, most of them involving contests to see who can memorize pi, talking about pie, who can figure out pi to its longest decimal....and eating pie. We prefer the eating pie, so we have for you two very bizarre pie recipes when you need to shake up the pie party at your office (if you happen to be working at Fermi Lab).

Pigeon Pie 


from Rand McNally's 1914 publication "Wholesome Cooking"

(This is Mrs. Abraham Lincoln's Recipe)

Make a fine puff paste; lay a border of it around a large dish and cover the bottom with a veal cutlet or a tender steak. Sprinkle with half a teaspoon of salt, a half salt spoon of cayenne pepper, and a salt spoonful of mace. Prepare as many pigeons as can be put in one layer on the dish, breast downward. Sprinkle the birds with a half of teaspoonful of salt and a quarter of a teaspoonful of cayenne pepper, dot with butter, and cover with sliced hardboiled eggs (six). Add a cupful or two of veal broth, cover with a crust and bake slowly for one hour and a half.

Wondering where to get pigeon? We were too...since its probably not all that legal to go shooting pigeons in the park....D'Artagnan's website offers a wide variety of meats, including pigeon. Right now fresh pigeon is out of season (?!) but, frozen pigeon goes for about $12.99 a bird. How many birds does it take to fill a dish, your guess is as good as ours. Also, we would think a baking time of around 350 might be a good place to start.


RITZ Mock Apple Pie


RITZ used to print this recipe on the box, it first appeared in 1934

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
2 tspn. cream of tartar
1 3/4 cup water
Pastry for 2 crust 9-inch pie pan (pre made or your own recipe)
36 RITZ crackers, coarsely broken
Zest and 2 tblpsn juice from 1 lemon
2 tblspn butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation


MIX sugar and cream of tartar in a medium saucepan. Gradually stir in water. Bring to a boil on high heat; simmer on low for 15 minutes. Stir in lemon zest and juice and let cool for 30 minutes.

HEAT oven to 425 degrees F. Roll out half of the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 11-inch circle. Place it in a 9-inch pie plate. Place cracker crumbs in the crust and pour sugar syrup over the crumbs. Top with butter and cinnamon.


BAKE 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool. 


Country Mink made this one time at summer camp and swears that it tastes almost like the real thing. Cracker pies got their start in the Depression, when cooks needed to be creative about getting food on the table.  
   A mock apple pie might be the perfect pie for Pi Day. After all, it was Carl Sagan that said, "If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe." Really, Carl? We think it just takes ripe apple and really cold vodka for the perfect crust, but what do we know? We're not rocket scientists.....

The Incredible Edible and Vanishing Fruit Sticker

   Love fruit but hate peeling off those darn tiny stickers? So do we! I mean, at least the Chiquita banana stickers have some humor, but most fruit stickers are tiny, tell you next to nothing and are a royal pain to remove before you can get at the fruity goodness.
   Fret no more! Help has arrived from three promising new "stickers".
   First up, the edible sticker. Scientist at Tufts University have created a sticker using silk and gold that will let you wave your smatphone over it and tell you if your fruit is still good. Now, we are smart cookies and can tell if fruit is good by doing the squeeze test...but the sticker can also be dropped into liquids, like that milk that's been hiding out in the back of the fridge. The silk on the sticker acts as the glue, so no more sticky sticker! Think of the possibilities of this sticker....You could scan your eggs to see if they are from a local organic farmer or from a conglomerate chicken factory. Or you could scan fruit to make sure you are only buying local produce. You could scan to see if your product comes from a company that uses pesticides or if they use only natural products. The full report is listed here. The University of Illinois is interested in using this sticker on people; to tell if they are coming down with anything from a cold to cancer.
   If you like your function before form, then the dissolvable sticker is for you. FruitWash labels look like any fruit sticker at the grocery store, but just add water and the label dissolves into soap that washes away wax, dirt and bacteria to leave you with a clean and label-less piece of fruity goodness.
   The last option is currently working it's way through the Food and Drug Administration. In 2009 scientists at the University of Florida came up with a carbon dioxide laser beam that tattoos your fruit. No more label, no more waste; just a permanent stamp of where your fruit came from. Think of what this will do for recalls; no more debating over where the fruit's origin, or if there was a label mix up. You will be able to know for a fact that your grapefruit came from Bob's Grapefruit farm in Florida. The tattooing process simply removes the top layer of the fruit's skin, leaving you with all the info you need and you can eat it too!
   With springtime and farmer's markets fast approaching, we can put off out sticker ennui for a couple of months, maybe by then some of these stickers will be in use at the store.

New Foods to try from around the world....

 We love to travel here at Country Mink/City Mink, unfortunately gas prices are going nowhere but up, putting a damper on our wanderlust. So we took a quick drive around town to some of our favorite international stores and we brought back some tasty treasures to share with you!

First off, let us travel to Japan..

Picture from Amazon (since we can't find ours!)

We bought this because of the name and we were pleasantly surprised. The chocolate quality was quite good, it tasted like someone solidified Strawberry Quick. The crunch in the bar comes from malty puffs and it gave it the flavor of a strawberry malt. All in all this was tasty, like an upgraded Nestle Crunch Bar....but with better ingredients. 

Meiji Hi Lemon Candy

When we got this we thought...oooo lemon hard candy that is low in sugar! We are still slightly confused as to what these are. Part Vitamin C tablet and part Sweet Tart, they come individually wrapped (reminded us of how cold medicine comes). The had a initially tart taste, but more of a fake lemon than a real pucker. They dissolve rather quickly and left a little aftertaste. We just wonder how many of these you would have to suck on to tackle your cold. We hear there is a yogurt version of these that is way better. Best to keep our eyes peeled for that. 

Now how about a trip to Germany?

"Forelle" means trout in German

Picking up some fresh cauliflower for a soup, we saw a bunch of these beauties, Forelle Pears. We had never heard of them, so of course, some went into our basket. These are tiny pears, about half the size of a normal pear. They were first brought over to the U.S. by German immigrants in the 1800's. They are now grown in Washington and Oregon. You don't want to waste these tiny gems on cooking or baking, they taste perfect by themselves. The do have quite large seeds for such a small fruit, so be careful. Their flesh is more dense and firmer than a regular pear and you don't have that grainy taste. They are juicy and have notes of cinnamon. We think these would be perfect paired with a good cheese, perhaps Manchego? 

Now how about we head for Sweden for some fresh mountain air??

This may look like Pretzel Salt, but it's pure Sugar!

   Going down the baking aisle on a hunt for black sesame seeds, we saw packs of Swedish Pearl Sugar and intrigued by the cinnamon roll recipe on the back, bought a pack. Pearl Sugar is made from beets and is shaped into ingots under super high pressure, then it's crushed into tiny shards (pearls). Since beet sugar is refined with ions, there's no bone char in Pearl Sugar (yay!).
    Yes, regular old sugar (like you put in your coffee) is filtered with bone char (yup, it's exactly what is sounds like) to give it that super fine texture and pearly white color.
   Pearl sugar can withstand super high baking temps and not melt. Because of this, they are great for topping any number of cakes, cookies and breads to add a crunch and a touch of sweetness. We are very excited about Pearl Sugar and recommend that if you are lucky enough to see a bag, get it-post haste! And the cinnamon rolls were fantastic!


And back home again!      
           

  For anyone suffering from dairy allergies, I suggest the latest addiction to the dairy-free craze..Coconut Milk! Coconuts are hot right now, from milk to butters to oils and water....it's good for what ails you and everything else too.
   The Coconut Milk comes in Original (pictured and taste tested), UnSweetened and Vanilla. The Original has a pleasant coconut taste and is a tad sweet (compared to milk). It wasn't bad with cereal, but we think it would be the perfect summer smoothie. Also, if you add some pineapple juice and rum....hello Skinny Pina Colada!












Well, we hope you enjoyed our little trip around the world. We are always looking for new things to try, like our Cauliflower and Stilton Soup we had for dinner this weekend. e also made a Short Rib Ragu (because a snowy Sunday afternoon is the only time to make this time consuming dish). If you have any "must-trys", let us know! Happy Travels!

The Cloud now comes with Color!

   Being in the design business, my life is often times ruled by the Bible...not that Bible.......the Pantone color chart. For example, Coke red is more than just red. It's been carefully formulated and trademarked so you instantly know the brand when you see the color. Every brand tries to grab your attention and put its stamp in your brain. Starbucks green, Dunkin Donuts orange, Fed Ex purple, Pepsi blue...and the list goes on and on.
   The problem with all of this is going from product to packaging to ad space, is that you need consistency. That is the key and yes, the ad head honchos can tell that their product is off. One would think that a color is a color and when you call your local printer, you should be able to tell them, "give me the graphic in PMS 485". Many a time I have given a pantone call out out for printing (or I have a sample from the client) and it is woefully nowhere near close to the happy little chip in the Pantone book. This leads to much gnashing of teeth, heckling the client (and the client heckling you) and a compromise that leaves no one happy.
   Well, we shall worry no more! Pantone has brought us PantoneLIVE where, according to their website, "digital brand color lives in a secure, cloud centralized cloud ecosystem, accessible to brand owners, designers, production people, everyone in the supply chain, anywhere around the globe. PantoneLIVE saves time and money and ensures a consistent global brand identity."
   If you want to see why this is a wonderful boon to the design community, check out the story of Heinz Beanz on their website. Gertrude Stein said, "a rose is a rose is a rose"....by we all know better that that!

Live from the Red Carpet!

  Greetings from sunny Los Angeles, California. After stopping by our favorite sushi restaurant, The Flying Fish, we are on the red carpet to bring you the latest on fashion, who's with who and the most important of all.....the awards!

   Michelle Williams looks lovely in a sleeveless tangerine dress by Louis Vuitton. 

   Leslie Mann picked a poor choice since she told the world she can't use the loo...

   Green, White, Pink and Gold seem to be popular colors. 

   The Dictator should have had his invitation rescinded. Way to take the event away from people who are actually working.....

  Emma Stone looks like a red velvet Christmas package...with a bow on it.

 Tina Fey is sporting a peplum, which seems to be trending hot on the runways...bad for anyone with hips..so bad for everyone, but she manages to pull it off.

Best quote of the night belongs to Penelope Cruz. When Tim Gunn asked her if her clothing line makes her more attune to styles and fashion, she replied, "Not really. I know what I like and I know what I don't like. Everyone woman does". 

   Billy Crystal's opening number was fantastic! Can someone fix the sound though? 

 Hugo takes Cinematography, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Visual Effects and Art Direction.

 The Artist takes Costume Design, Original Score, Best Actor, Best Director and Best Film.

 The Iron Lady takes Makeup Design, Best Actress.

 A Separation won Foreign Language Film.

 The Help takes Best Supporting Actress, 

 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo takes Film Editing

 Undefeated wins Best Documentary Feature.

 Rango wins Animated Feature Film.

 Beginners wins Best Supporting Actor (the oldest).

 The Muppets won Original Song (go Flight of the Conchords).

 Midnight in Paris won Best Original Screenplay.

 The Descendants won Best Adapted Screenplay.

 The Shore wins Live Action Short Film.

 Saving Face wins Best Documentary Feature.

 The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr.Morris Lessmore wins Best Animated Short.

 They could have cut the "Focus Group" schtick...it wasn't that funny.....

Cirque du Soleil was good, but doesn't really show the true experience of the movies...Where's the bad snacks and the $20 movie tickets???

  Since the award show is already so bloody long could we please start INCLUDING the technical awards rather than glossing over them? These are the magic makers people....the deserve more than 3 seconds. 

Tough Guy Talk

  Wilmer Cook: Keep on riding me and they're gonna be picking iron out of your liver.
  Sam Spade: The cheaper the crook, the gaudier the patter.

-The Maltese Falcon


   That  famous quote sets the stage for Alan Axelrod's latest book, "The Cheaper the Crook, The Gaudier the Patter: Forgotten Hipster Lines, Tough Guy Talk and Jive Gems". Take a step back in time to the Roaring 20's, the Depression, World War II and the 50's when slang didn't have to fit in Twitter's 140 letter limit.  Axelrod breaks down the early American lexicon into 6 chapters. So, next time you want to talk tough, here's some gems to help you out.....

Gumshoes, Gunsels, Mugs and Molls


The real tough guy talk...this is a film noir smack down in its' finest form. Whether someone pulled a Brodie (committed suicide) or had a Button man (Hired Killer) plug you (kill) and put you in a Chicago Overcoat (coffin) you could bet a Private eye or  Dick would look into it for a price. If you did get caught, you could be a rat fink and try and cut a deal or do the time and get three hots and a cot (the optimistic look at the prison system). Just remember, you can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs; or as Al Capone said, "You can get much further with a kind word and a gun that you can with a kind word alone.


Daddies, Dishes, Dreamboats, and Drugstore Cowboys


Girls, are you tired of hearing the same old pick up lines? Well, just think, guys could be telling you that you're all meat and no potatoes (well built) or that you're built like a brick shithouse with hot and cold folding doors and running water (might be a good time to fake a cell phone call and leave if that comes up). If a guy asks you Cash or check than you should reply Cash please (Kiss me now), unless he's all show and no go. 


Hipsters, Hepster, Daddy-O's and Zoot Suiters


If you were hep (with it) you wouldn't want to be seen near a Moldy Fig (conservative who liked traditional jazz music). After you cut a rug since the joint was jumping'; you could invite a V-8 (girl who is too independent for a relationship) back to your pad.


Swabbies, Sad Sacks, Broke Dicks and Jodies


In the army, never trust the brass and make sure Jody (the civilian at home) keeps away from your girl. Keep your brain bucket on your head and make sure you have a shit screen (fall guy) in mind when you encounter a SNAFU, FUMTU, or a JANFU.


Wood Pushers, White Shoes, Kibitzers and Knuckle Busters


If you were living in a Hooverville you better hope you don't get Circus Bees (lice); though you could crab about how it's cold enough to freeze the balls of a brass monkey. Once Prohibition was over you could strike a blow for liberty (have a social drink) with your fellow knuckle busters (mechanics). Even if you were a working stiff as long as you got three squares (meals) a day; there was no reason to go and take the pipe (commit suicide). Yes, we have no bananas (saying no when you want to say yes).


Four-Flushers, Two-Timers, Bad Eggs, and Egg Suckers


If a gal was married to a Dewdropper (loafer) and he said she was "cracked" she could say, "Yes, cracked in the right place" if she had moxie. If you're co-workers are less than stellar you could call them a whole slew of zingers...invested in a Ponzi scheme? Then they are dead but won't lie down. Upper management steal your thunder? Well....you could call them an egg sucker, a four flusher, a pantywaist (sissy), they could be as popular as a pork chop at a synagogue, or you could tell them to take a long walk off a short pier. 


Our personal favorite has to be the whole nine yards. 
    This is the tale of Andrew MacTavish who was courting the lovely Margaret Mary. MacTavish knit Margaret a scarf for her birthday and in his fervor didn't stop until it was nine yards long. After completing the scarf MacTavish donned his finest kilt and went to the local pub for a dink with the boys. One drink led to another and another (he needed to build up his courage after all)....Well, when the boys got liquored up they started to make fun of the "ugly" scarf MacTavish was hoping would catch his ladies eye. His confidence shaken, MacTavish made the journey to get Margaret's opinion. Somewhere along the way he lost his kilt (don't you just hate when that happens?).
   Naked except for the scarf, he threw rocks against her window and was greatly invigorated by the notion of seeing his lady love. Greatly. Margaret opened up the window and heard, "Margaret Mary, I have made this just for you. I'm going to give it to you on your birthday. How do you like it?"
   Margaret replied, "Just fine, Andy dear, just fine. It is magnificent". She wasn't looking at the scarf, but just to make sure MacTavish called out, "The whole nine yards?"

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

 A little Vintage Mardis Gras! Maybe your day be full of indulgence; a good bloody mary, some gumbo, beads and local flavor. Laissez les bon temp rouler!

Southerners were using Crisco way before Mrs. Paula Deen!

It isn't Mardi Gras until there's King Cake!

Trash to Treasure on your Smartphone

   As an artist I am always looking for materials to incorporate into my work. I scan for coupons, check free cycle and look on the "free" section of craigslist. This is all very time consuming and lets face it, sometimes dumpster diving just has too much of an "ice" factor. What's an artist to do?
   Meet CORA. Cora is a mobile app that will help trash become treasure. You can browse for items that you want or you can post items that you want to get rid of. If you just want to find a recycling center for those damn energy efficient light bulbs....well, CORA can do that too. CORA is more than just a trash to treasure trade. With CORA you can cash in on your goods,  figure out what DIY project you can do with leftover tin cans, connect with your community, move to "zero waste" and much more.
   CORA was founded by Liesl and Rebecca Rockefeller after a trip to the beach and a nasty run in with gobs of plastic waste. Both wanted to deal with waste from a point beyond just picking of the trash.
   CORA is seeking funding through Kickstarter and you can make a pledge here. If all goes well, beta testing will begin (and we are very excited to be part of the beta testing!). Check back and we'll let you know how it goes....but if we see anything cool, we call Dibs....

Be Mine...Or Else

Valentine's Day...the one day, you buy a card, chocolate, flowers, jewelry, strange stuffed animals, etc and profess your love....

  Isn't this something you should be doing the other 364 days of the year? So, dismissing the fact the "every kiss begins with Kay", and Teleflora's claim that if you buy your significant other flowers they will "give"; we have some old fashioned Valentines for you. The backstory is the company I work has a 1946 diner in the basement and it needed some holiday decor. I gathered some 1940's-1950's Valentines and those red and white lace doily hearts, my trusty glue stick and went to town.