Local Food for Foodies

I love the idea of bringing the art of preparing food back to its roots-- creating authentic dishes that represent the terroir from which they come. It's an exciting concept I've noticed popping up here and there (Slow Food and Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution are two on my radar), and now blogger/chef Ryan Velilla fuses his passion for gourmet ingredients and epicurian plate presentations with a commitment to Southern California's unique edible offerings. Not only do I adore local, seasonal, sustainably-produced food and beverage, I'm also a closet Lord of the Rings lover. So any one thing that incorporates both of these elements is a winner in my eyes. Velilla's "The Hobbit" cocktail manages to do just that. Can't wait to give this one a try!

Photo via caterroirproject.com

Spring-time Watercolor

Painted a quick watercolor still life this morning. A vintage candlestick, roses gathered from the garden, and fresh citrus seen through a flourescent lens certainly bring spring to the front of the mind! What about you? What are the things that remind you of spring?

Blooming Tea

A cool night encroaches

as a warm afternoon fades.

Hot tea blossoming

Um... exactly what is it about tea that compels me to write haikus? I don't think I'm alone here-- for centuries Japanese Zen monks have been writing haikus in what I can only imagine was a tea-induced euphoric state. Are its heady aromas and sweetness responsible for lulling us into a meditative trance? Could it be the caffeine? Or maybe, in the hectic world we inhabit, it's the ritual of drinking tea that gives us a moment of pause, a breath of respite from our busy day, that allows us to reflect and-- for those inclined toward things nerdy-- jot down a haiku. Whatever it is, the ceremony of tea is something that's become quite engrained in me over the last few years. I'd like to consider myself something of a tea connoisseur-- a master sommelier of the brewed beverage, if you will. To me, there is the perfect tea for each time of day-- a brisk green or black tea for breakfast, a smooth roobois to complement lunch, a cool mint tea in the afternoon, maybe an invigorating yerba mate to banish those late-afternoon lulls, a soothing herbal infusion at bedtime. And then, there are some teas so delicious and subtle in flavor that I would reserve them for special occasions. One such tea is Numi's Enchanted Blossoms-- hand-sewn tea leaves and flowers that bloom when steeped. Each box contains six distinct flowers; my favorites are Sunset Oolong (oolong and lily petals release notes of peach and slight nuttiness) and Golden Jasmine (hints of chocolate? You had me at hello!). With its beautiful presentation, this tea really adds ambience to your table, plus your guests will think that you have impeccable taste, and really, why else does one throw a tea party? You can get the most out of your fancy-ass tea by steeping it as many as three times-- the second and third batches are nice when served cold. It's also a great gift for the tea-lover! I recommend it wholeheartedly! 

What about you-- do you have a ritual when it comes to tea? Would you consider yourself a "connoisseur" like myself :-P?

Cinco de Mayo Flowers

Hosted a very lively Cinco de Mayo party last night and thought I'd share the decor I made -- brightly painted driftwood, colorful bougainvillea and ranunculus, bunting flags, succulents (of course! do you know me?), votives in mason jars, and a giant donkey piñata made sipping margaritas and grazing on guacamole that much more fun!

Shimmy Into Some Printed Denim!

Don't you think those denim designers have gone beserk as of late? Beserk in the best of ways, I mean. Take a look around-- styles upon styles of printed denims are popping up in shops, and we're not just talking leopard and polka: there are floral prints, loud prints, painterly prints, tropical prints, tie-dye prints, fruity prints, you name it! Not to bash on my true blues, but this is just so refreshing! The universal sartorial staple has been redefined once again! And this is coming from me...

...I've managed to make it through my life without ever having worn a pair of printed jeans. At 5'4", no one has ever told me I have "legs for days", not even the occasional "nice stems!" Nope, they're just a short, unassuming, standard-issue pair of legs. So I never thought I'd be able to pull off the whole calling-attention-to-the-lower-half-of-my-body thing, but I have asked the Internet for some some tried and true pointers, and the Internet has provided! Now I'm starting to rethink my anti-printed-denim stance. I've boiled it down to three easy-to-follow guidelines:

1. Know thyself. There are no hard and fast rules here-- when the jeans are clashing with your body, you'll recognize it. Just listen closely to your intuition, and if it protests, put those duds back on the hanger and move on.

2. Make sure they fit. Duh, right? But be sure to bring along the one friend who really does tell you when your butt looks big in those jeans. Since patterned pants draw the eye toward your bottom half, the way they fit is extra important. You want the pair that hugs your curves without bunching up. If you're a shorty like me, factor hemming and alterations into the price tag.

3. Be playful with your choice of top and accessories. While a simple, solid-color top will definitely work, the real magic of the printed jean comes alive when you have fun with some unexpected combinations. Good ol' Pinterest offers some great inspiration here.

Ok, enough with the rules already! Armed with your new 3-step plan, you'll be a pro at sifting through the heaps of printed jeans until you discover the pair you were always destined to look fabulous in.

If you're looking to channel your inner new-wave hippie, the Nebula Jean by Hudson or Asos' Electric Rave Skinny Jean offer up some psychedelic vibes. Both of these would look great with a tough, worn-in concert tee and some statement metal jewelry.

For those who don't yet want to fully commit, try the subtle tone-on-tone chevron pattern by 7 For All Mankind, or this delicately antiqued floral pair by J Brand. Dress these pairs like you would a basic blue jean-- they'd look equally cool with a striped hoodie, a flowery tank, or a silky blouse.

For the real deal on printed denim, it doesn't get any bolder than the cherry pickin' print or the island paradise photo print by Mother Denim. And for those who like rainbows (and really, who doesn't?) this fluorescent pair might be your dream come true - the Jordan Skinnies by NastyGal. When dressing, give these pants the limelight by coordinating with solid colors that provide an interesting contrast-- a soft pastel peach blouse would look spot-on with the cherry print.

Though not for the faint of heart, BlankNYC's Hooky Jeans possess the art student mentality of "whoops, I spilled paint on my pants but I like the way it looks so i'm gonna keep wearing them anyway to make a statement", which is kind of cool, if you dig that. But if you'd prefer a toned-down version, a subtle tye-dye wash like the Jade Verdugo Ultra Skinny by Paige or a dreamy pastel watercolor like Nasty Gal's Beanpole Skinny Jeans may be right down your alley.

And finally! A super-flattering jean for those who, like me, may be more or less entrenched in a solid-denim rut. The wavy pattern on Current/Elliott's Stiletto print jeans deceives the eye as a slightly cropped hem grazes the ankle at just the right spot-- voila!

May you go out into the world and find the pair of your dreams!

What do you think about the printed denim craze? Which pairs are the most wearable? Could you see yourself sporting printed jeans this summer?

Sunday Hike through Harding Canyon

Though it was admittedly difficult to wake up to the alarm on a Sunday morning, our brisk hike with friends was super-refreshing and well worth the grogginess! We started our hike down by the Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary, then followed the trail as it wound upstream.  

We admired the fog as its tendrils crept through the crevices in the hillside.

A cloudy, moonless night had allowed dew to settle delicately on a spiders' web.

Spring had sprung! Pristine wildflowers were blooming all around us.

Purple bells-- these were our favorite!

The trail was shaded by old live oaks.

Courtney rescued a friendly salamander from the footpath!

More wildflowers... they were everywhere!

Midmorning sunshine was quite warm as we headed back. 

I would certainly recommend this trail-- it's not too difficult, but all the creek crossings keep things interesting and fun. I would also recommend Googling "poison oak" before hiking anywhere in OC, just so you know what it looks like! We saw lots of wildlife-- birds, rabbits, squirrels, salamanders, and geckos were all out to play, and I hear they become even bolder as the weather warms up! What a great way to start a Sunday morning.

Now, for the next trail: does anyone have a suggestion of where we should hike next?

Garden at Sunset

I just can't think of a better way to spend a spring evening than unwinding with your honey in the garden! We got a chance to snap some glamour shots of my freshly watered plants, relax on our new rocking chairs (credit to my man for the assembly!), and watch as all the birds hurried home for the night. Le sigh!

new growth on a baby prickly pear



craspedia - what a magical bloom! must plant more of these...



blissfully relaxed!

sunlight glows golden as it leaves

he was watching the sunset too

 

Something about this dress...

The Aurora Dress

…reminds me of a rooftop party on a warm night. After an afternoon in the sun, I’ve donned this garment and suddenly all the promises of the night are held in my hands. Climbing up the last flight of stairs, I let go of my skirt, letting it billow behind me as I approach the gathering. A tall handsome man appears in front of me, a glass of champagne in hand. He offers it to me; his lilting accent I find charming. I have become very aware of the triangle-shaped cutout of my bodice. He leans closer in, and – Oh, my! Are you still reading this?! I better, uh… get back to the dress.

Australian cult-favorite label Bless’ed are the Meek have nailed it with this dress. The more I look at it, the more I like it. Everything about it. It’s flowing, yet commanding. Its tough, dominatrix bodice is tempered with a peach so vulnerable and feminine that the juxtaposition has a very emotional quality to it. That’s what impresses me most about this up-and-coming group of designers—they are infusing fashion with a psychological twist. Using pattern to play with the eye, their collection is full of double meanings and innuendo, like their playful interpretation of the Rorschach ink blot test, below.

Dali Skirt

For Bless'ed are the Meek, what isn't there is as important as what is-- like this daring number:

The Entity Dress - Winter 2011

Bless'ed's mission is to “push the boundaries of meekdom”. One of their goals was to keep prices modest so that they could clothe the average twenty-something woman-- while maintaining a status at Australian Fashion Week. Do you think they succeed in achieving their goal?

Oh Hi, Ojai!

(I’m sure they loathe it when people say that. But it’s just too tempting to resist!) Though short, our first trip to Ojai was delightful-- it’s just far enough away from home to feel like a real escape, and the whole town has this permeating free-spirit vibe that makes all your worries melt away… I mean, what worries? All in favor of feeling like your whole body is made of sunshine, go to Ojai!

I believe the Sunday morning Farmer’s Market is where all of this hippie energy is radiating from. A bluegrass band plays as you wander down aisles of fresh flowers, hand-picked citrus, organic vegetables, artisan breads, Ghanaian picnic baskets, gluten-free vendors, rustic cheeses, and more, and more, and more. While I could have easily walked out with something from every stall, I limited myself to what I could fit into my newly-acquired Ghanaian picnic basket: purple haze carrots, a loaf of buckwheat bread, goat cheese, fresh-squeezed apple cider, a sage-scented beeswax candle.  The real highlight was sampling the loquats and chatting with the grower (behind me in the photo, with a T-shirt to match his produce!).

Loquats, as I’m finding, are winter fruits distantly related to apples. They’ve got a nice mellow flavor that reminded me of apricot and mango, while Jed was transported back to his childhood—it was his first encounter with a loquat in quite some time. Delicious! After so much grazing, we were ready for a walk. So we headed to Meditation Mount, a serene garden overlooking the Ojai Valley. Here we admired the view and took in our peaceful surroundings.

Reluctantly, we left Ojai to spend the rest of the day visiting friends. Had we stayed longer, I would have loved to try some of the restaurants… Ojai Beverage Company and Hip Vegan Cafe were calling my name! Until we meet again, Ojai; until we meet again.



Florence + The Machine = Soul-Moving Magic

My ears are still abuzz after hearing Florence Welch's trance-inducing performance on Saturday at the Santa Barbara Bowl. What a show! Her music is so full of emotion. Florence has said that she wants her music to make the listener feel as if they have just thrown themselves off a tall building.  Well, while her songs didn't leave me feeling suicidal, I can relate to the falling feeling she describes as, maybe, a leaf floating slowly from a tree, or a feather in the wind, like, you know, that one in Forrest Gump. Anyway, it was a foot-tapping time and I'm glad I get to show you what fun I had with my camera while there.

Dinner at Sakana Sushi Bar was nothing short of perfect! They've got a great fusion thing going on and a very trendy vibe-- we would highly recommend it!

 Chevron nails, yellow cocktail ring, and Forever21 collared dress-- 

fancy for Florence!

The coconut curry shrimp press box - this was certainly the most memorable bite!

Her voice was so haunting.

 Loved the backdrop behind her - the lighting made the hanging pieces look sinister, or translucent as stained glass windows in a gothic cathedral, depending. 

 Experimenting with my camera in the cool lighting...

Florence says that she writes her best music when she's either drunk or hungover. “You’re lucid,” she explains, “but you’re not really there. You’re floating through your own thoughts, and you can pick out what you need. I like those weird connections in the universe. I feel that life’s like a consistent acid trip, those times when things keep coming back.” Yeah-- er, me too! 

What about you-- do your best ideas come to the surface when you're three sheets to the wind? And the next morning, do you find yourself scribbling down a stream of genius thoughts? Are you capable of doing anything besides making a giant sandwich and crawling back to bed?