Creative Monday

Happy Memorial Day to All!

I hope each of you are out enjoying the day and taking a minute to thank those who serve to protect us. Being that it is Memorial Day - the official start of Summer. Today is a perfect day to update you on my creative progress.

While last week was a bit of a challenge this week was "easy breezy" and perhaps that is because  I decided to "Ride a Bike." You should all know that beyond my obsession for face masks, red wine and chocolate I love to workout and have been known to try lots of fitness fads, tapes, and classes.

Nothing can compare to a bike ride - a leisurely pedal around your neighborhood as the sun shines on your back. Now granted as an adult it may be a bit harder to relax and enjoy the sunshine - especially when you live in a congested city filled with jay walkers and crazy cab drivers - but I did my best. And I must say - I felt relaxed, motivated and ready to create.

Now while I had to rent a bike from a local shop for my adventure - I did find some great bike options should I decide to purchase one and become a "biker." Take a look.

Beach Bikes - They are my favorite - so bright, big and just fun! How can you not smile when riding around town with these bikes? I adore the bright pink and the lime green handle bars just scream - preppy!

All images taken from pinterest

Bikes with baskets - Now of course if you have a bright bike with big wheels and handlebars you must have a basket. Perfect for shopping, carrying your books or whatever else you may want on your ride. While the front facing basket is the norm - how adorable is the basket on the tricycle? I could see myself pedaling down a country road headed for a farmers market ... how cute would I look?

All images taken from Pinterest

What to put in that basket? For me it would be flowers, lots and lots of flowers. And perhaps on an off chance my dog - standing up of course. I had to share the bulldog - he just looked so sweet resting next to the bike.

 All images from Pinterest

All images from Pinterest

Bikes built for two - Nothing is quite as sweet or as hard to operate. Have you ridden a tandem bike or a two seater? I always thought they were adorable and romantic - until my darling and I attempted it once summer day. It was work - and in the end guess who did the most peddling? Either way it was fun and makes for a great story. So grab your sweetie and ride off into the sunset.

All images from Pinterest

Enough talking..get up, get moving, and get biking!

FETISH FRIDAYS

HOORAY FOR LONG WEEKENDS!!  It's the kick-off of summer and for the very lucky few - SUMMER FRIDAYS!!!  Time for Backyard BBQs, grown-ups on slip-n-slides, and margaritas.  Here is my weekly roundup for Summertime fun!

HOME IMPROVEMENTS: Backyard Scrabble!

Scrabble will always be my favorite board game.  I love Words with Friends on my iphone, but old-school, wooden block letters will always have my heart.

If you are looking for a fun, creative addition to your backyard renovations, this will be the talk of the neighborhood!

BOOK ART: BRICK LIBRARY by DARYL FITZGERALD

No, these aren't real antiques, they are actually BRICKS painted with the covers of famous classics.  I'm in love with this.

FAVORITE NEW RECIPE: BANANA PUDDING ICE CREAM PIE

Can't think of a better dessert than Banana pudding.  Maybe that's just me, though.

SOMETHING TO WET YOUR APPETITE: THE GREAT GATSBY TRAILER.  I have to say, I was really excited about this movie coming out.  However, after learning that Baz Luhrman was the director, I was less than thrilled (was never a fan of his movies - Romeo & Juliet, Moulin Rouge).  It just felt like he bastardized the novel by adding too many current cultural aspects to it.  His music composition consists of music from KANYE and JACK WHITE - if you don't understand, this novel's great highlight was that it was set during the BIG JAZZ era - where is the JAZZ MUSIC?? 

I mean, I will still see the movie, but I think I may be disappointed nonetheless.  What about you?  This commentary by the BOOK RIOT is pretty spot-on with my thoughts.  Anyways, forget about Mad Men - mark this as the beginning of Gatsby-inspired parties from this day forward - you heard it here first!

50 Shades of Grey

Book: 50 Shades of Grey by E.L. James

Grade: F (If you are grading on writing style, plot line, character development, general enjoyment).   

C + (if you are grading on purely entertainment value)

Summary: When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms.
 
Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success—his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires.

Sounds pretty cheesy, huh?  Yup, pretty much is.

Background:  This was originally submitted as TWILIGHT FAN-FICTION work under the name of "Masters of the Universe", where E.L. James used the main characters, Edward Cullen and Bella Swan, in her dirty version of Twilight.  She later reworked the piece to get published by taking out the vampire aspect of the story as well as changing the main character's names. 

What we liked: Not much, however, as a book strictly marketed as an indulgent read and if you aren't expecting anymore than pure pornography, this book fits the bill perfectly.  It has sex scenes galore, as if you were reading "Debbie does Dallas" on paper.

What we didn't like: E.L. James makes Stephanie Meyers look like a Pulitzer-Prize winning author.  James's lack of writing skill is clearly shown throughout the entire novel.  She uses too many cliches for our liking such as "put the pedal to the metal" - seriously.  Her character reactions were odd and out-of-touch with how people really react - there was a lot of oh-mys from Ana.  I found a hilarious website that demonstrates E.L. James lack of writing talent to a T on 50 Shades of Suck.  She takes excerpts from the book and does commentaries on it.  Here are some great ones:

"So you work at SIP?” asks a balding gentleman in a half-bear—or is it a dog?—mask.

Fifty Shades Darker, p. 97.

well which one is it? a bear or a dog? this is literally the most stupid thing…"

"And there’s Leila—with a gun, potentially, somewhere—and her crap taste in music still on his iPod. But even worse, Mrs. Paedo Robinson, I cannot wrap my head around her, and I don’t want to.

Fifty Shades Darker, p. 90.

ok there are two glaring problems with the above passage:

1. anastasia feels that mrs. robinson, the old bitch christian used to bone, is a bigger threat than leila, his ex-sub, WHO HAS A GUN.

2. anastasia throws out that leila has crap taste in music after she mentions leila HAS A GUN. the sentence should have been : And there’s leila- with her crap taste in music on his ipod- WHO HAS A FUCKING GUN AND WANTS TO KILL ME. AHHH! I GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE! I BETTER TAKE THESE BUTT PLUGS OUT! The End."

Other problems with the book:

Her attempt at character development with Ana and Christian are random.  Ana is simply just a drab, naive, submissive - much like Bella Swan.  Christian's character development is very cliche with her description of his background, his psychological scars from his biological mother - it was almost like James took a bunch of word magnets, strung them along, and added them to her plotline.

James is clearly British, as the entire tone of the book has British undertones throughout.  It actually made it difficult to get into, because it was supposed to be set in Seattle, WA.  There were a lot of cliche expressions that were clearly British.  It was odd.

Controversy: There has been much controversy over the "novel".  One being within the writing / publication world, as some question the intellectual rights of any author whose work is used in fanfiction.  In this case, E.L. James basically made money off of Stephanie Meyer's original work.  Intellectual property is, of course, difficult to prove, because then you run into a lot of blurred lines.

The other is her portrayal of the S&M world as Ana is an alpha-male's dream - submissive, weak, and gutless - and of course, a virgin.

Feminism - there have been claims that the book explores feminist sexual freedom.  Our book club thought that statement was laughable, because Ana knew nothing about her own sexuality to even know what to explore.

This was the overall feeling about the book from the members who attended.  What about you?  If you liked it, please let us know and let us know why.  We'd love to get some dialogue going on it.

Creative Mondays

Kathleen's Progress

Truth be told this creative journey is proving a bit harder than I had anticipated - but I am not giving up! Last week was a bit hectic but I did manage to focus on some of the creative tasks.

I, like so many of us, have been ridiculously busy the last few weeks. And I am in need of a vacation - and while that isn't happening anytime soon I needed to find a way to take a break from the madness and relax - if even for a moment.

For me taking a breather is a bit of a challenge as I bore easily and find it very hard to sit still for too long. But as I am determined to stay committed to this challenge and document my progress for you I fought through it this week.

Normally I would turn to mindless TV for my "break" but sadly 3 of my regular shows have now been cancelled so I had to find something new to help me relax. I searched high and low and came up with some great bathtubs, DIY spa treatments and of course some tasty relaxation teas that did the trick - for me at least. Let me know what you think.

Home Spa  - As I began searching for relaxation remedies and DIY spa treatments I came across some amazing bathrooms - leaving me yearning for the day I have my own home and my own tub. Ah, the simple joys that make me happy. Until I move here for your viewing pleasure are some of my "bath envy" photos. I have to say my favorite one is the rustic blue room - one day that will be me - soaking in my tub.

 

DIY Spa Treatments - I turned to Pinterest for this quest and there were lots of great home remedies to chose from. I went with the scrubs and masks that seemed the most feasible and the ones that also smelled amazing.

Vanilla Brown Sugar Body Scrub

Thanks to Under the Table and Dreaming for sharing this easy and effective scrub. Its perfect for your elbows, feet and knees - or wherever you have some rough skin that may need a bit of "scrubbing." Doesn't hurt that it is also makes you smell a bit like a cookie.

Directions:

1. Begin by mixing 2 Cups of Brown Sugar and 1 Cup of Granulated Sugar together until there are no lumps.

2. Add in 1 Cup of Sunflower Oil and 1 Tablespoon of Pure Vanilla Extract.

{I like to use Sunflower Oil for this body scrub because it does not carry the strong scent that Olive Oil does}

3. Once you have mixed it together scoop it into your favorite mason jar. Simple and ready to use.

Face Masks

For anyone who knows me knows how obsessed I am with face masks. I have been known to scower the aisles of CVS, Walgreens and Walmart in search of the newest face mask on the market. Of course when I found these remedies I was more than excited to try them out for you.

Soothing Face Mask - This one is courtesy of Collegefashion - thanks ladies.

This is a great mask for stressed out skin - it is soothing thanks in part to the nutmeg and honey that act as a natural anti-inflammatory, which can reduce swelling and redness in the skin. They’re also great for soothing acne scars and preventing infection. In addition, the nutmeg and cinnamon also work to exfoliate your skin when you wash this mask off.

Before you begin, it’s always a good idea to do a small test with homemade mixes on your skin to make sure you don’t have a bad reaction to any ingredients. So remember to do a quick patch test on sensitive skin, like that on the inside of your wrist, before applying this mask to your face.

Directions:

1. Mix 2 tablespoons of honey with a teaspoon of cinnamon and a teaspoon of nutmeg.

2. The consistency should be like a thick paste.

3. After it’s all mixed, apply the mask to your face and let it sit for 30 minutes.

4. Wash it off with warm water, scrubbing softly in circular motion for exfoliation.

Coffee and Cocoa Wake-up Mask -  By now you should know how much I love coffee and chocolate - when I found this mask on About.com I was sold!! It was amazing - the smell, texture and results - highly recommend this one.

Coffee and cocoa masks have long been a favorite of beauty aficionados. As a combination, they decrease puffiness in the face and the eye area, brighten skin and wake up a dull-ish complexion (hello caffeine!).

Ingredients: 

• 4 Tbsp. finely ground espresso or coffee beans
• 4 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 8 Tbsp. dairy product. Choose whole milk, heavy cream, yogurt (must be unflavored!), almond milk or coconut milk. Use less dairy if you like a thicker paste. Substitutions are allowed: Try an egg instead of dairy if you are an egg mask lover, or substitute oils, such as olive oil, extra virgin coconut oil or almond oil if you have dehydrated skin. If using oils, halve the amount or it will be too runny.
• 2 Tbsp. honey (if you have dry skin) or lemon juice (if you have oily skin)

Directions: 

1. If you have whole beans, finely grind beans in a grinder. Remember, beans should be finely ground so they don't scratch your face. If you just made coffee, you can use the freshly brewed coffee grounds, although they won't contain as much caffeine.

2. Mix coffee and cocoa powder in a bowl.

3. Add the dairy product and stir until a smooth paste forms. You can use less dairy if you like a thicker paste.

4. Stir in the honey. (I like to warm up the honey in a warm water bath or in the microwave so it mixes better).

5. Apply the paste to your clean face and neck.

6. Let the mask dry.

7. Wet a washcloth and press it to your face to loosen the mask, then rinse with warm water. If you have sensitive skin, you should avoid rubbing your face because the coffee grounds could potentially scratch your skin. It's really up to you, you'll get a feel for what your skin can take and how finely ground the coffee is.

Note: You can store the leftover paste in the refrigerator for several days.

Relaxation Teas and treats

I ended my DIY Spa day with some very tasty treats - like I really needed an excuse to have something sweet. But since I am doing this for you, the reader, I pushed on.

I found Sleeptime teas in the grocery store and while I didn't realize that they came in three different flavors - I went with the original. It was pretty tasty and I was a bit sleepy afterwards - but not too sleepy. I think I could add this into my evening after dinner routine. And I also love the adorable sleepy bear they have on the label.

And who can have tea without some kind of decadent treat? Not me! I indulged in these chocolate cookies - so tasty and chunky! I found this recipe on Not So Humble - what a great blog! I think this is my favorite dessert to date.

Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate! Cookies! -  yields 5-6 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup (two sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cups extra dark, unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups white chocolate morsels
2/3 cup milk chocolate (or semi-sweet) morsels

Directions:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350°F.

2. In a double-boiler, melt the pound of bittersweet chocolate. Set it aside to cool, stirring occasionally.

3. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cocoa and salt in a large bowl and set aside.

4. In your mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar.

5. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

6. Add the cooled chocolate to the mixture and blend. Be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the mixture is uniform.

7. Add half the flour mixture and combine on low speed, then add the remaining flour and mix until the batter comes together.

8. Now add the chocolate morsels--feel free to add a couple handfuls of nuts too, if that's your style--and stir them in by hand.

9. Line a baking sheet with parchment, or silicone baking sheets, and drop spoonfuls of the cookie batter onto the sheet. Give the cookies plenty of room to spread.

10. Bake the cookies for approximately 10 minutes until puffy and the edges start to crisp. Be careful not to over bake. These cookies should be moist and chewy.

11. Allow the cookies to cool and firm up on the baking sheet for a few minutes before attempting to move them to a wire rack.

NOTE: The cookies are best enjoyed slightly warm from the oven. If you're not able to gobble up five dozen cookies fresh from the oven, allow them to cool completely and store in a air tight container for up to a week.

Fetish Fridays

Happy Friday to all! I don’t know what it is about this day but I love Fridays. Perhaps because the work week is almost over and the weekend is staring me in the face – but I just adore Fridays! Of course it helps that the weather is getting nicer and the forecast for the weekend is perfect for some outdoor activity. I am giddy with excitement and ready to slip on some flip-flops and do some window shopping this weekend. But before all of that I must share my weekly finds with you.

I started my week looking for new insight on books, home furnishings and party planning but found myself drawn to all things coffee. After my creative post on Monday all I could think about was coffee! I would say our creative challenge is working – I am feeling inspired and intrigued to discover all that the coffee bean can do. Once I started searching I was amazed at the products, blogs, articles and recipes all hailing the coffee bean. And now for you .. the roundup of all things coffee.

Here’s to a relaxing Coffee filled weekend!

News of the Week : Coffee Drinkers Live Longer!! 

Instead of raising risks for heart disease as previously thought, coffee has some small benefits.

Go ahead and pour a second cup this morning — new research indicates coffee drinkers are likely to live longer, despite their bad habits. 

A large study including about 400,000 indicates that instead of raising risks for heart disease as previously thought, coffee has some small benefits, according to an Associated Press report published in the Tampa Tribune.

Some studies of coffee drinkers can be thrown askew because coffee drinkers are more likely to do harmful things to their bodies like smoke, drink alcohol, avoid exercise and eat more red meat. This new study showed that once those other habits were factored in, the coffee was helping people live a little longer.

Favorite Etsy Shop - Gemini Studio  

As a dog owner and coffee lover I found these pieces to be adorable and comical – I especially love the Bulldog and Pug versions. If I had a bigger kitchen or a window seat I would hang some of them there. But for now I will just have to save them to my desktop and take a look here and there. We all need things to make us smile and these do the trick for me. 

 

 

Favorite Mugs:  Drink Up

I am very particular when it comes to my coffee mug – for one I need it to be a bit larger and with a decent handle. No delicate china for me – at least not for my coffee. And while my mother insists that I have china or at the very least a full set of matching dishes I just adore random mugs – sorry Mom! They are much more fun and for the most part I find more durable.

I found these @ Anthropologie and I adore the Monogram on the white mugs - very stately. Of course the large purple mug is perfect for days when I need a bit more coffee and while I normally don't love dainty mugs these are just too cute to leave behind.

 

 These are from Pier 1 and Fish and Eddy  – while they are not very “adult” they do make me smile – which is very important when one is waking at the wee hours of the morning to exercise and feed the dog.

Cooking with Coffee – Take it up a notch and infuse coffee into your cooking. As always Epicurious has some great recipes – hands down my favorite is the Jamaican Coffee Brownie recipe. Sure you could be a bit more daring and use coffee in a stew, roast or BBQ but I am a sucker for desserts. Give me chocolate covered espresso beans anytime and I am in heaven.

 

 

 

Made By Girl - Print on Etsy

For the love of Coffee: Blogs

I was a bit shocked – who knew there were so many blogs out there about coffee. Of course there are your standard big-chain coffee blogs like Starbucks – which I have to say for being corporate does a decent job of providing great photos, recipes and business events. But for those of us who just want some fun, coffee news and insight I say you take a glance and these blogs

1.For the Love of Coffee;  Is written by Amber - a coffee junkie. Her blog - in her own words " This blog is a reflection of my daily coffee habit, serving up sips of coffee recipes, vintage coffee art, free coffee or coffee products, reviews and recommendations, and whatever else I happen to find on this world wide web of coffee goodness.

2. My Coffee Blog - is written by Marlo Perez; here are his thoughts on his blog " I am one of those millions who drink coffee everyday..It wakes me up.. It perks me up. And it inspires me to do more..The power of coffee!"

3. Pure Coffee:  The Pure Coffee Blog is written by Bill and in his own words "exists to help people find tremendous coffee and tea, both in their backyard and in their travels. I have had the distinct blessing to visit many fine coffee establishments as well to cup many coffees and teas in my humble abode. Each interaction has shaped and schooled my knowledge, a facet of life-long learning that is both humbling and intriguing. All in all, it’s been a pleasant expedition." His blog visits and reviews coffee-houses around the world - stop by and nominate a place today!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Creative Mondays

Week 3 - How did you do?

Another great week here for The Bookhostess - while the weather was a bit damp, cold and rainy I was able to make some excellent progress in my creative journey. This week I decided to highlight two of the tasks at hand - I hope you had great success this week as well. And for those of you who may need a refresher here is the blog we used for inspiration.

1. BREATHE - This w as one that seemed simple enough but in practice faired to be a bit more challenging than expected. If you are anything like me you find it hard to take a moment for yourself or a moment to relax at all. I found that yoga helped me a bit with my breathing along with some great meditations - the tips I got below were very helpful. Take a look and let me know what you think. 

The key to deep breathing is to breathe deeply from the abdomen, getting as much fresh air as possible in your lungs. When you take deep breaths from the abdomen, rather than shallow breaths from your upper chest, you inhale more oxygen. The more oxygen you get, the less tense, short of breath, and anxious you feel.

• Sit comfortably with your back straight. Put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach.
• Breathe in through your nose. The hand on your stomach should rise. The hand on your chest should move very little.
• Exhale through your mouth, pushing out as much air as you can while contracting your abdominal muscles. The hand on your stomach should move in as you exhale, but your other hand should move very little.
• Continue to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Try to inhale enough so that your lower abdomen rises and falls. Count slowly as you exhale.

If you find it difficult breathing from your abdomen while sitting up, try lying on the floor. Put a small book on your stomach, and try to breathe so that the book rises as you inhale and falls as you exhale.

2. DRINK COFFEE - This one was my favorite and the one I enjoyed the most (so far). I normally drink coffee on the way to work and on occasion around 3pm when I hit the wall. But this week I tried to really enjoy the coffee and my time drinking it. I discovered the french press and found that my coffee tasted better and I truly enjoyed the intense taste and was even more excited when I discovered the travel french press.

 After I discovered the travel french press I began to explore local coffee shops and then I stumbled upon this great article listing the top shops in the US. Hopefully there is one near you. 

Top Local Shops in the USA!

1. Coffee By Design - Portland, Maine

Sixteen years ago Mary Allen Lindemann and Alan Spear opened this tiny coffee shop in Portland, Maine with the idea of building a place for the community. Over the years, the shop has grown from their original Congress Street location to three other shops and a micro roaster where they process all their beans. But despite their mini-expansion, the independent store remains homey and popular for Mainers as they continue to serve the community one cup of Fore Street coffee at a time.

2. El Beit- Brooklyn, New York 

The name El Beit means  “home” in Arabic, and that’s precisely the vibe this Brooklyn café exudes. The shop opened in early 2008 and since then has served a constant flow of killer coffee made with the ubiquitous Clover machine or with a French press. The beans come from 49th Parallel, a roaster in Vancouver, but all the pastries they serve are made locally at their sister store.

3. Espresso Vivace - Seattle, Washington

Seattle has always held the reputation of being the coffee king, so picking one of their numerous cafes wasn’t easy. Espresso Vivace was chosen for its rich history in the Seattle scene, and for their rich Northern Italian espresso. Since 1988, owners David Schomer and Geneva Sullivan have made the art of espresso their life and have delved into roasting, pulling, preparing, pouring and grinding for the perfect shot. Each of their three locations remain unique too, one is a sidewalk bar, another a European style café and the third a more modern coffee shop featuring a cool design.

4. Firestorm Cafe and Books - Asheville, North Carolina

Coffee shops have often been associated with poets, activists, college students and any artistic type looking for a caffeinated connection. And, given that the patron saint of Firestorm is writer and feminist Voltairine de Cleyre, this stereotype fits perfectly with this café in Asheville, NC, and not in a bad way. The cafe opened in 2005 with the goal to be worker-owned, and for the past six years, they have achieved that goal while also using Counter Culture Coffee to make a mean cup of joe.

5. Flipnotics Coffeespace - Austin, Texas

The artistic aura that Austin puts out has been drawing people in for decades and, like any good, creative-minded person, they need caffeine. At Flipnotics they get that and for the past 19 years this quirky café has served the needs of musicians and artists with cups of steaming Fair Trade organic coffee and by hosting live bands. Also, while the shop remains laid back, that doesn’t mean the baristas are lazy, in fact, the coffee mavens here make some of the best lattes and cappuccinos out West.

6. Pablos Coffee - Denver, Colorado

As independent coffee shops started closing up in Denver after the corporate coffee boom, Pablos has remained strong since 1995. Owner Craig Conner first catered to the theater crowd at his original location next to the Denver Performing Arts Center. Now the shop has moved and taken root in the historic Alamo Placita neighborhood and not only serves up quality cappuccinos, lattes and café solo, but they roast their own beans daily. Aside from keeping the community caffeinated, they also host an annual pancake brunch extravaganza for their customers.

7. Philz Coffee - San Fransisco, California

Owner Phil Jaber has been researching coffee for almost 35 years, and nothing shows off his aptitude for the bean more than his system of “by the cup” brewing he does at Philz in San Francisco. First, you pick your beans from a detailed list that includes options like the medium-blend Philharmonic or the dark-roasted Jacob’s Wonderbar. Then they grind and set it to drip. For the past eight years this has been the drill, and though they have added a few more locations, it’s still a personalized and true coffee shop experience, right down to the worn out couches and strategically placed laptops littering the joint.

9. Press - Dayton, Ohio

Customers flock to this Dayton, Ohio coffee shop for a number of reasons: One, they hire skilled baristas to make outstanding drinks; two, the beans they use change constantly to keep things fresh; and three, they don’t cater to the masses with silly drinks like the frappuccino (because really, that’s not coffee). They use beans mainly from Counter Culture and newcomer Dogwood, and the shop sports numerous plugs for those hard at work freelancers, and of course, they also hang local art on the walls. All of this adding up to the perfect indy coffee shop.

10. Ristretto Roasters - Portland, Oregon

They had us with their Beaumont blend espresso, which gets described as a “deep dark chocolate and ripe berry” blend. Yum. But it’s not just their beans that make this Portland spot jump out, it’s the pure love and joy owner Din Johnson put into his shop. Johnson first got into roasting coffee in 2000 in his home. That hobby grew until he needed an actual store to house the roaster, so, in 2005 he created his coffee shop by hand, picking out everything that gives it the clean, cozy vibe. Though they have two locations now, Johnson can be seen entombed in the glass-walled roasting chamber at his original shop.

FETISH FRIDAYS

Hooray for the weekend!  I don't know about you, but I am exhausted from this work week and I'm looking forward to some downtime this weekend to catch up on some reading.  I've had The Night Circus on my bedside for about a month now and I'm finally going to get to open it up this weekend.  To end this week, here is a list of our favorite stories from around the web:

Favorite Wine Link: How to Pair Wine with Cookies.  Everyone thinks wine should be paired with sophisticated foods, but what about your simple cranberry oatmeal cookie?  This little cheat sheet will help you pair your favorite cookie with a great wine.  This would be fantastic after a long day at work and all you want to eat are cookies and wine.  Or maybe that's just me?

Great Opinion Piece: Abandoning Books with No Remorse.  I'm one who will read a book until the end, despite if I like it or not.  Granted, if I don't like it, I will skip through paragraphs to get to the meat of the chapters.  What about you?  How long do you read till you decide that the book is worth it?

Favorite Food Link: Vanilla Rum-soaked French Toast & 15 liquor soaked recipes.  Are you noticing a theme here with this Friday's favorite links?  Yes, I'm in desperate need of a drink, so I'm looking at alternative / genius ways to take in my alcohol consumption. 

BOOK MERCHANDISE LINK: Pamela Fugate designed bag

FAVORITE NEW VIDEO LINK: "WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE" INTERPRETED BY CHRISTOPHER WALKEN.  In Memoriam of the great Maurice Sendak who passed away this week, I wanted to do a "where the wild things are" post since it is a childhood favorite of almost everyone I know.  This reading by Christopher Walken is pretty hilarious.  Rest in Peace, Maurice Sendak.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!

CREATIVE MONDAYS - Week 2

Two weeks down .. only 50 more to go? How did you do this week? Are you feeling more creative or inspired to create? It definitely is tough to keep up and with our busy schedules this week, we decided to focus on the next 2 on the list.

KATHLEEN'S PROGRESS: This week was a bit harder as I already did most of the tasks assigned but I took that as a challange. How could I do the tasks differently or in a more creative way? It took some time and some pinterest searching but once I got a handle on it I was off.

1. Take Pictures - I have always enjoyed taking, printing and editing photos of others especially while on vacation or driving around town. I don't know what it is but I adore travel photos but I insprie to take better pictures. Without fail when I get home and look at my photos I feel a bit let down and disappointed - but this ends today! With the help of this blog and this amazing article I found - I WILL be a better photographer.   

• Include signage in you pictures. The name and price of the fruits and vegetables at farmer’s market written in the local language, creatively painted store signs, a newsstand featuring local papers, even the city street signs will give your images a lively sense of place.

• Include people in your frames. Try to feature local people rather than tourists. Folks buying their daily paper, selecting flowers at the market, having coffee at the outdoor cafe or chatting as they walk their dogs. And if you have the time for doing some street photography, pick a spot and wait a bit.  Something interesting will surely happen and a story will unfold for you to capture and take home. The human element always adds interest to your images.

• Create a photo story with a handful of frames. Start by taking a wide shot of an antique market to set the stage, then shoot a few close-ups of items for sale, people exchanging money, children laughing, the old fellow smoking a pipe. These are the travel images that will make your photo album more memorable and more unique.  They can also be an interesting montage if displayed on your walls back home.

• Avoid those boring family group shots in front of landmarks.  Instead, take action shots of your kids eating the end of fresh baguette in France or your husband playing bocce ball with the locals in Italy. Those are the pictures you’ll cherish for years to come. They will evoke your travel stories and fun memories, making you smile every time you open the photo album.

• Resist taking those traditional postcard shots. When visiting a famous landmark such as the Eiffel Tower, try shooting a different perspective. Take close ups of the metal beams and the bolts. Photograph repeated patterns. Be creative and tell a story! Shooting lots of architectural details will nicely compliment any traditional picture of those famous landmarks in your photo album.

• Practice your food photography on location. Get a table by a window at the restaurant, and turn off that awful flash. Shoot the local cuisine. Then enjoy your meal!

• Pick a theme or two each day. This will help keep you focused – no pun intended – and you won’t feel so overwhelmed by trying to capture it all in one day. Feel free to change your theme du jour if you discover something more interesting. Hey, it’s your trip!  So, if you are shooting architectural details in Rome and the perfect street scene catches your attention, by all means, shoot that, too. My point is that when you discover a new place, it’s impossible to absorb everything in a few days.  Besides, if you do, you may end up with boring photographs or nothing at all.

• Be a gear minimalist when traveling. Carry just one camera and one lens because that perfect shot will inevitably happen while you are switching lens, and you’ll miss it. You’ll thank me and your back will thank you! Every time you change your lens outdoors, dust gets on the sensor and, if you are like me, you don’t carry the highly flammable sensor cleaning solution when you travel. Remember the power of limitations. Want to travel light and use only the 50mm lens all day? You have feet and they make a great zoom!

2. Create an Cork Board -This one I loved immediatley and while I had something similar at home already - I felt it needed some updating. I turned to both Pinterest and Etsy for some great ideas. But before I could do anything new I had to find some cork boards - and of course Etsy was my savior!

For those of you who have never done this my advice to you .. start with a blank slate then begin to add in photos, drawings, invitations, magazined clippings - anything that you see that "speaks to you." Don't think of this board as final - you can change and update it as you go or as you mood changes. I keep mine in front of my desk and next to my wall calendar - it is a great place for me to turn for new ideas or as a reminder not too be so serious. As I am focused on redocating my apartment at the moment I have selected some home based "inspriation boards" - take a look and let me know what you think. 

 

THU'S PROGRESS:  So this week was all about photography and inspiration boards.  Kathleen covered some great pointers on photography tips that anyone and everyone could incorporate.  I, personally, am trying to better my food photography.  This blog is full of pictures of our food from our book meetups, but I feel like they aren't "food-porn" worthy.

One of my favorite food photographers is Sweet Paul.  His blog is full of beautiful pictures and food stylings that make me drool.  Once in awhile he will offer a food photography class for about $450 per class.  I decided that as soon as I see the offer, I will sign myself up for one!

Another one of my favorites is Margaret & Joy.  Take a look at this beautiful food videography:

Lastly, I wanted to update my progress on the home office situation.  This week's creative inspiration was very fitting for this update.  This week's creative challenge was to create a corkboard / inspiration board.  Kathleen showed some beautiful corkboard and picture collages full of inspiration from pinterest.  I, too, used pinterest to find Home office inspiration.  Take a look at how these home offices incorporated the use of an inspiration work board on their walls.

I ordered a beautiful magnetic chalkboard off of etsy to help me keep both my schedule, notes, and inspirations intact.  I loved the antique / shabby-chic look of a framed chalkboard.

How did you do this week??

FETISH FRIDAYS

HAPPY FRIDAY!! What a week it has been - lots of Hockey to watch and some Basketball too. I grew up a Devils fan and now that both teams are "in it to win it" I am torn - Keep it up guys you look great! The excitement from the games is gearing me up for a great weekend ahead. But first I want to share some of the wonderful sites, photos and videos that I enjoyed this week.

Please take a read and if you have great internet finds - let us know!

WINE LINK of the Week:

About a year ago I decided I wanted to learn more about wine and be able to appreciate the wine making craft. I enrolled in classes @ the International Wine Sch ool and shortly after the wine bug bite me. I then discovered Lot 18 a members only website that has provided me with excellent wine along with a wealth of wine knowledge.

They provide access to high-quality, hard-to-find wines and gourmet foods at attractive prices, as well as wine- and gourmet-themed travel excursions and exclusive dinners at top restaurants across the country.

Joining Lot18 is free and can be done right on their site. The best part of the site are the detailed and informative reviews they have on each wine available. Beyond wine they also offer excellent food and some wine related travel excursions.

FAVORITE NEW BLOG of the Week:

Oh She Glows This is by far my favorite blog and one I check on a daily basis. At one point in my life I was a vegetarian but I had horrible ea ting habits and never knew what to make for myself. I eventually began eating meat again but always wanted to return to a simple diet filled with veggies and fruits.

During a book club I heard about a Canadian Blog that had a tasty recipe for a GREEN MONSTER. I had no idea what it was but it sounded tasty and weird. The smoothie uses a almond or soy milk base blended with spinach or kale and a variety of fruits and ginger. They have become a staple in my diet and I can't imagine a day without my Green Monster smoothie. Now if I could only get everyone I know hooked too!

This is a great source for vegan and vegetarian recipes - besides the smoothie I adore the vegan oats. A simple overnight no-cooking needed recipe. Who doesn't love that?

PHOTOS of the Week: I enjoy photography and aspire to take better photos. I have installed instagram on my phone and also enjoy looking at local photographers work both in galleries and online. I am drawn to both travel photos and candid family and animal shots. These are my favs this week - I like to save them to my desktop and look at them throughout the week - some for laughs other for inspiration.

FAVORITE Video of the Week - The Movie UP : I don't know about you but I get sentimental every now and again. And this week I found myself scanning Youtube for some videos that would "hit the spot." If you have not seen the movie UP - I highly recommend it. The move reminds us all how precious life is - seeing this video again has reignigted my need to travel, experience new things and hugs the ones I love a bit tighter. I hope this video does the same for all of you.  

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!

Creative Mondays

Last week we introduced our 52-week Creative Mondays project based off of the tumblr site, 365 Ways to Stay Creative.. We each attempted to do 3 of the first 7 creative tasks this week, but it was a bit harder to keep up than we thought. Hopefully, we can convince more of our members to join in on our challenge and let us know what they have done.

KATHLEEN'S CREATIVE PROGRESS:

Week one was great .. for your reading pleasure I have recapped three of the weekly creative tasks.

1. Take risks - do something out of your comfort zone.This was by far the most challenging both in deciding on my task and in completing the task. I work in a fairly conservative office and decided to "push the envelope" by wearing some bolder patterns and colors on casual Friday. While I felt a bit uncomfortable and out of my element on my drive into the office I was surprised at the responses and compliments I received from my co-workers. I ended the day feeling better about myself and a bit braver. Here are some ideas for workplace attire from Piperlime that showcase bold patterns and colors - and are all comfortable enough for desk work.

2. Carry a notebook with you - Ideas tend to come up out of the blue and can be gone in a flash if you don't jot it down. This was the easiest and most effective of all tasks I completed this week. I found myself creating list, drawings and jotting down other random stuff while I was eating lunch, walk around town or sitting in traffic. At the end of the week I was amazed at how much I had gotten down on paper and how energized I felt as well. While I began the week using an old "office" notebook I have now moved on to a more lively and colorful recycled notebook. Take a look at some of the offerings from Ecojot - they are all made from recycled paper and cardboard.

3. Read the Dictionary - read just one page and learn one new word. Use it all week. Make it yours. While the notebook was the easiest task to complete this one was the most enjoyable - mainly because it added a few new words into "Words with Friends" and "Scrabble" word bank. It also got me thinking of new and creative ways to use the dictionary. I turned to Etsyand discovered a variety of inventive "dictionary art" pieces - all that made me want to revamp my den and create a reading nook for myself and my dictionary.

THU'S CREATIVE PROGRESS:

This week was hard for me, because I already did some of the items on the first week before knowing about this project. I already carry around an "idea" notebook and sometimes, if I don't have one handy, I just type it up on my smartphone. I also sort of read the dictionary / learn a new word because of my word-of-the-day calendar that I get every year. So you see my conundrum?

For this week, I chose Make a New Sound and Listen.

1. Making a new sound was really hard. It had to be a unique sound that no one had ever done before. It had to be something like what Natalie Portman did in Garden State:

Even though mine was not as emphatically original as Natalie Portman's character complete with unique dance moves, I created my noise based off of a mixture of Yoga breathing, sighing, and Oms. I did this every day in the morning before my 5:30am Boot Camp class, in order to get myself motivated and ready to work out - which is really hard to do at 5:30am when it's still dark outside!! I also made the noise during the day at work (albeit, VERY quietly) when I needed a break from the computer and my desk. Sometimes loud sighing releases so much bad stress out of your body, you do feel very rejuvenated afterwards (I learned that from my sister - the yoga instructor by night). Try it sometime, you'll feel a lot better after you do it!

2. LISTEN. You may not realize it, but majority of the time that you THINK you are listening, you most likely aren't listening, but rather thinking of what to say in response to what you sort of just heard. True Story. Sometimes if you just listen and take people's advice, majority of the time, you learn something you can apply to your every day life or a new idea can come of it.

Kathleen and I found a great website called Let's Lunch. The concept is simple networking over lunch breaks. If you have business ideas, or just want to know more about a certain industry, or trying to get into a certain industry, this is a great way for you to network and learn A LOT. Kathleen and I plan on doing a lot of lunches to network and learn more about what we can do to grow our blog and our audience :) Listening to people who have the experience, throwing ideas around, listening to their critiques and concerns, makes us and this blog better.

3. READING NOOK TO CREATIVE NOOK

Lastly, in trying to hone into my creativity, I decided instead of making myself a reading nook, I need to make myself a CREATIVE nook / office space. We live in a 2 bedroom condo with my husband occupying the 2nd bedroom for his own office (he works from home every so often). I needed my own space that wasn't our bedroom. In the living room of our place, is a small 4 feet by 8 feet dead space that 2 skinny bookcases occupy. Originally, I wanted to put a small cozy chair by the window as my reading nook since the bookcases were already there. However, after much thought, I really would need my own office space with all the things I am involved in. I mean, sitting in front of the TV on my laptop isn't as productive as you would think it should be ;)

I've just ordered the perfect sized corner desk for a small space. Now I'm just looking for a stylish, yet workable chair that will match my living room space. This proves to be tougher than I thought, because I can't have a huge comfy reading chair as my desk chair due to the space constraints; yet I LOVE the idea of using an accent chair as the desk chair instead of a boring, old office chair. Here are some envy-worthy home office spaces I found via Pinterest for inspiration.

However, if you don't have the luxury of 150 square feet of space or more for an office space, a simple desk and wall space would suffice. Here are some other inspirations for SMALL home offices:

So, what did you work on last week to stay in a creative state-of-mind? Please share with us!