Current Crushes

My latest crush? The voice of Caleb Folowill, front man of the band Kings of Leon. I heard them for the first time on Saturday Night live this weekend, of all places! I was tuning in for another crush and was pleasantly surprised by the harsh yet somehow delicate sound of this guy. His voice is raspy, in that sexy way that's usually more of a plus for girls. It's bursting at the seams and I trust it. Probably because it's not some affectation begging me to swoon like so many other plaid shirted dudes in pants so tight I get jealous. It's just honest and comes out how it needs to.

The uniqueness of his voice sent me on a short research session on the band where I read one little magazine article and watched a home video of the singer (ok, his name is Caleb) talking about recording a song. I'm not going to get all into it because really, I don't really know anything about this band and I haven't even finished listening to the album I downloaded 20 minutes ago. It just seems like they're nice boys, or brothers/cousins rather from Oklahoma who have a respectable approach to music making. Like all brothers, they fight about whose going to wear which tight pants, but I can forgive them that. It's not like they're running all over the stage showing it off (from what I've seen at least. ) They just peaceably stand there and let the music do the talking.

A long sentence....

You know those times when you should really be like, sleeping, but instead you're listening to Justin Timberlake, sending random envelopes of lined school paper to your pals across the the country? Yeah, me too.
It really is quite difficult to sleep with Justin serenading you after all.

Man, I really need to get some new stamps, mine are all 37 cents! How long ago was that???

Current Crushes

Walt Whitman
I heard a poem of his the other day while watching the PBS documentary about New York City and it peaked my interest in the guy. The documentary uses much of his work, as he was an early American-lover of NY -ahead of his time kind of writer. His poem, Crossing the Brooklyn Ferry, just captures the exact feeling of this city, even now. In a time before the Brooklyn Bridge, before Man had even envisioned building UP instead of OUT, Whitman seemed to comprehend this constant for all New Yorkers. Despite the changes to come for his New York and ours, this poem just gets it:

1.
Flood-tide below ! I watch you face to face;
Clouds of the west! sun there half an hour high! I see you also face to face.

Crowds of men and women attired in the usual costumes! how curious you are to me!

On the ferry-boats, the hundreds and hundreds that cross, returning home, are more curious to me than you suppose;

And you that shall cross from shore to shore years hence, are more to me, and more in my meditations, than you might suppose.

(I skip some here)

3.
I am with you, you men and women of a generation, or ever so many generations hence;
I project myself- also I return- I am with you, and know how it is.

Just as you feel when you look on the river and sky, so I felt;
Just as any of you is one of a living crowd, I was one of a crowd;
Just as you refresh'd by the gladness of the river and bright flow, I was refresh'd;
Just as you stand and lean on the rail, yet hurry with the swift current, I stood, yet was hurried;
Just as you look on the numberless masts of ships, and the thick-stem'd pipes of steamboats, I look'd.

NYC, Brooklyn and the Bridge.
Thanks to this poem and the documentary, I've discovered a new love for the city. I can't quite get into it here, but am grateful. I'm especially amazed, yet again, by the Brooklyn Bridge. The thing that got me, was hearing that at the time of it's opening, May 1883, it was the tallest thing around. In a city just four stories high, people, had never seen anything from that perspective before. Because of the strictly pedestrian pathway, to this day, we are able to get an unobstructed, awe inspiring view of the city. I just can't get over the extreme intelligence and fore thought of the early designers of our country!

Like Alexander Hamilton


Bringing it back to the current century, this band called Bon Iver is really rocking my world. Check out their myspace page to listen! The song "The Wolves" has the best yet most subtle use of that voice changing effect thing (that Cher made popular) ever. See if you can hear it and agree with me!

That's what friends are for...

You know your friends are the right ones for you when they get inspired gardening one day to stop and sew little catnip treats to give to your cats. Thank you Seth for embroidering this gem!

One thing that I adore about Seth is his love of playing games. We were walking in a big group somewhere... going to get ice cream perhaps (yes it was after the Belmont Stakes race) when Seth announced he had a present for me. With the hugest smile and on his face he decided I should play twenty questions to guess what it was. He's infectious enthusiasm inspired the whole group to play along and for the entire walk we shouted out our guesses. We had narrowed it down to a dried plant of some sort and when he just had to tell me about the catnip treats he and Garth had crafted for their two friends with cats. This was many weeks ago and I had kind of forgotten about it until last night when Seth handed the gift to me.

Sometimes I am struck by the kindness and generosity of these two friends (who coincidentally have been pals since their single digit days.) To have friends who are thoughtful enough to give you great random gifts is one thing. (Garth has brought me back special Texan beef jerky on two occasions now.) But to have that thoughtfulness extend to your two, quirky cats is quite something.

Some of you might be wondering why the toy says "ANG" when my cat's name is Dinah. Well, that's because when Seth met Dinah he picked up on an uncanny resemblance....

Pops R Us

In honor of Father's Day next weekend, I thought I'd jazz up my dude supply for Renegade. Do you think these paper ties are too cutesy? I'm hoping to make it more clear for passers by to notice I have items for the mens too!

My melting heart...

Even in the heat today's busy flea market, I could hardly stop drooling over these nearby chocolatiers, I mean, chocolates! Some may know that I am not the hugest chocolate fan, but it was love at first site with Mast Brothers Chocolate. One look at the beautifully patterned papers used to perfectly wrap each bar and I was smitten. I finally ran over to their booth when I saw them packing up early and was lucky to snag a couple of bars that were left.



Please take a moment to view their website, which expertly exhibits their old fashioned aesthetic. Boys, your style, it pleases me greatly. Thank you!

In honor of you.... I old this photo!

The Rare Bird

You know those times when your roommate invites you to see the friend of the guy downstairs play bass for the first time with this other guy... those times? Well we all know its a gamble don't we? And yet we go, time and time again to show support for our brethren, the struggling artists, because a night out with the rooms typically bodes well for you. So you hop on the G train to Williamsburg's Pete's Candy Store and order yourself a shot of whiskey. You thoughtfully nurse that whiskey until his set is done, when, in all honesty, you thank the 'guy' for playing.

And just when you begin debating whether or not to get another drink, it happens. The second act, King Wilkie saves your life. Not only redeeming this and all other nights you've gambled on in the past, but becoming an instant favorite band. Inspiring desires in you to create matching tie tacks and cuff links for each member and learn millinery so you can outfit them in matching derby's or something. They have a nerdy cool presence on stage and the beautiful bass & mandolin combo is heavenly. I really took to them, can you tell?

Crafting with MacGyver

Having exhausted all the 'new' internet episodes of my usual programs: LOST, Grey's Anatomy, Men in Trees, Ugly Betty, Gossip Girl, 30 Rock, Brothers & Sisters, How I met your Mother and Eli Stone. I've now also depleted the fringe shows: Samantha Who, Lipstick Jungle/Cashmere Mafia (they're the same right?), Big Bang Theory, Friday Night Lights, the brief appearance of My So Called Life and Miss Guided. Sadly(well actually it was pretty fun) I've even cycled though all the Digital Shorts from Saturday Night Live! This one is my favorite:



So now I've moved on the MacGyver reruns thanks to our Friends at CBS. It makes sense, doesn't it? That I would spend my quiet rainy Saturday afternoon crafting, while MacGyver fixes the acid leak with chocolate bars in the background? He's pretty crafty that one. It's certainly behind the times, ah "science labs" that mainly consist of brightly colored little flashing lights on a bunch of boards anyone... effing brilliant. It's PC rating is a little behind too, but still, gotta love our DIY hero!

The Boys are back in town

New wares for the fellas. Is it wrong for me to want more boys entering my booth??
I love the message on this sailor photo:

To Ruth-
With love and deep respect.
Charlie BSN
1932

Almond Chicken

He picked me up at Port Authority and went with me all the way to Brooklyn, my new home. I had moved just one month ago, in January, but was getting back from a quick trip home to visit or maybe do some dance thing. Moving to NY was a big shift from small town Maine and I was thrilled to have him there, even if it was only for a few weeks. I clung to his company during this transition to new life. My new, urban, what-am-I-going-to-do, life.

Once in Brooklyn I did the usual: popped off the train, asked what he might like for dinner and went shopping for supplies. I don't remember him having had any preference of what we should eat, so needless to say, Almond Chicken was my decision. It also happened to be the one 'new' recipe I was kind of good at. I ripped it out of my Martha Stewart magazine to bring with me before the move. Being just out of college, any type of cooking was pretty darn impressive and my mind was set to knock his socks off- either with the outfit I put on after my shower or me cooking in it, whichever affected him first. Typically he could barely contain himself, jumping the gun before any key could unlock a door, but not this time. I guess that should have been a warning.

Quietly he sat while dinner was prepared, enjoyed and cleaned up after. Thankfully, before I started throwing myself at him, he launched into his speech, the speech he had obviously been trying to not get to all evening. Yeah, he dumped me. I'll spare you the details but let me stress- if you're going to break up with a girl, please be kind and do it before you spoil one of her favorite recipes!

Tonight, many years later, I gave it another shot and found it's still a great recipe. A favorite, even. Am I healed? Well, writing this story might prove something, but I'll leave it to the reader to decide.

Almond Chicken
from Martha Stewart Living magazine with my words in parenthesis

1/4 cup bread crumbs (mixed with coarse salt and pepper if you want)
2 lg eggs
2 tsps water (I forgot this oops)
2 boneless,skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
2 tbls unsalted butter
2 tbls canola oil (definitely use canola... I tried olive oil and it burned too quickly!)

(If your frying pan is not fit for the oven... like if it has a plastic handle or something, make up a baking pan with a bit of oil an butter in it also. You can transfer the chicken to it in order to bake in the oven. This is what I do and will always do. That is, until someone awesome chooses the new pots and pans for me off my future wedding registry...)

Preheat oven to 400. Place breadcrumb mixture in a bowl (plate.) (Place almonds on another plate.) Crack eggs into a bowl (big enough for the chickens!!) and beat lightly. Dip chicken first in egg, scraping off any extra with your hands (duh) then dip in bread crumbs. Dip chicken again in egg and then coat with almonds.

Heat oil and butter in skillet over medium heat. Saute chicken until nicely browned, about three minutes, and turn over. Cook one minute more then transfer to oven. bake until chicken is cooked through, about 10 more minutes. (I usually go a bit longer than that.)

Tonight I completed my meal with mashed potatoes, orange cranberry sauce and a watercress, bacon & blue cheese salad. Yum.