Vauxhall City Farm is a really adorable city farm that is free to visit. It has more animals than you would expect to see including pigs that to have their belly scratched, though I have only seen them peeking their noses out of their stalls.
There’s a cow statue that Bea got to milk, since we couldn’t get the other cows near enough to pet. Also ducks and rabbits.. and some chickens with feathered feet!
by George Selden (1960)I feel like I have to confess something. I began the season, continuing my attempt to do things I’ve always meant to by reading Dune. After getting through more than half, I found I was just not into it. Humorless messiah science fiction has never been up my ally but I do feel like I failed some level of nerdom… alas.
But, in an equally nerdy move, I went on to read another classic I missed the first time round, The Cricket in Times Square.
I love to crack open a young adult novel now and then, but this is for even younger audiences, so I’ll probably be reading to Van in a few years. (Now, how to do the Chinese accents without sounding, er, disrespectful…)
The story of a cricket who makes a splash in the subways below Times Square with his musical talents is thoroughly charming and only takes a couple hours to read. The illustrations by Garth Williams are cute and the characters are endearing.
I was even inspired by it to write a couple children’s books myself.
Never Too Late To Learn the Smokey Eye… Guest Written by Dana:Pixiwoo is a sister team of makeup artists, Samantha and Nicola Chapman that post video tutorials on how to apply makeup.
This is a truly inspirational site for someone, like me, who has always shied away from most makeup, especially any dramatic looks. Samantha favors fashion and catwalk looks and Nicola prefers celebrity styling.
For example, some vlog entries are: Everyday Summer Look with Wearable Red Lips, Elizabeth Taylor Makeup Tutorial, A Guide to Estee Lauder Lipsticks or Jennifer Lopez – ‘On the Floor’ Makeup.
Summery and LightWe call this drink the Mommy Spritzer because I can have one while I am over at Mike and Shaun’s and be fine to breast feed by the time we get home.
It consists of one part campari to 2.5 parts club soda with a huge squeeze of lemon juice and a lemon slice on top (which I forgot to include in the photo) all over ice.
I am sure there’s a real name for it, but I haven’t been able to find it online, so I am sticking with the Mommy Spritzer.
It’s light, low on alcohol, and refreshing; but unlike many summery cocktails, Campari’s bitterness stops it from being too sweet.
from The TripFor those of you, who like me, have been dying to see the BBC show, The Trip, starring Coogan and Brydon, here’s a clip of dueling Michael Caine impersonations.
I’ve just learned that the show is being made into a movie and am thrilled (though I’d still like to find a DVD of the original series).
Iconic Electronic RockerHalf grumpy nerd, half stoic rock star, Gary Numan makes one unusual celebrity.
With double breasted suits, pleather jumpers, and later snow white hair he classifies as a style icon of the traditional sense, and hints of his style can be seen in The Talking Heads, Devo, and even Eddie Murphy (rent Delirious if you don’t believe me).
But he is most notably an inventive pioneer whose catchy electronica from another planet infinitely inspired the music landscape.
I am a big fan and in some strange moods only Telekon will do.
Nowadays, he looks better than some aging rock stars but seems to have thrown away the android Gary for a new Gary that screams like Trent Reznor by way of Leland Palmer.
He still tours (look out for dates this year) and a few years back performed the entire Replicas album live, which would have been super awesome to see.
Other awesome things about Numan? Well, he cameoed in the Mighty Boosh, he is openly atheist, he was diagnosed with Aspergers and proves that success is possible with the disorder, and he married a fan club member (giving hope to fans everywhere that the same could happen to them one day).
London, Guest Written by Dana:I have been coming to Battersea Park at least once a week, if not 3-4 times a week for the past 4.5 years of my life in London. a few cafes, a children’s petting zoo, ducks and swans in the lake, huge playground with areas fenced off by age group, big fields, beautiful gardens, fountains, ice cream.. probably the most underrated London park and my favorite.
1073 Manhattan Ave, GreenpointNorth Greenpoint is home to all sorts of new goodness including the recently opened Lobster Joint that has taken over the previous Lamb and Jaffy space (which really went down hill).
Airy and casual, it seemed like the perfect place to pop in during the hot weather.
After a sweaty walk, I honestly was just not in the mood to fork over $17 for a sandwich, so I opted for the slightly cheaper crab roll because I really do love me some crab.
It was creamy but not over powered by the mayonnaise and was filled with good lumps of crab, not filler. Super yummy.
It came with a bag of chips and slaw, which was eh, but I am not a slaw lover so I couldn’t really say how it fares in comparison to others.
The menu features all sorts of stuff I’d like to try eventually: lobster bisque, fish and chips, and a raw bar.
Inevitably with lobster rolls and the like, the question of cost comes up – and I don’t know yet how to answer it. I can’t expect the incredible value of the Connecticut shore in NYC (a foot long lobster roll for about $13) but is the price we pay really reasonable?
Well, I’ll let that arguement sit for now and not let it cloud judgement on this particular restaurant since the price of lobster is what it is. At the same time, I can’t afford to come here as often as I’d like and get my usual overdose of Summer lobster.
Daughters of the nineties (and particularly sassy sons too), please don’t tell me I am the only one whose inner Funky Diva was let loose when En Vogue hit the airwaves.
With My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It), Something He Can Feel, and Free Your Mind, the Oakland foursome invaded suburbia and no girl was left without day dreams of herself sashaying down a disutopian runway in a push up bra top, or seducing dapper boys in a push up bra top, or denying boys your love in…a push up bra top.
Oh and sampling In Living Color? Hipster bands wish they had thought of it first!
A Classic British Dessert, Guest Written by DanaEton Mess is a very simple English dessert made with strawberries, meringue and whipped cream which is served on the last Wednesday in may at Eton college at the “Fourth of June” picnic/cricket match with Winchester University.
This recipe is what I fed my 3 year old daughter but you can also add port or balsamic vinegar or pomegranate juice. Some people add sugar, Heston Blumenthal makes his with bananas.
The story behind the recipe is that a dog crashed into (or sat on) a picnic basket on the way to the picnic and it made a “mess”. My neighbor says its because of the way the dish looks. A third option in Wikipedia describes it as “a quantity of food”, particularly “a prepared dish of soft food” or “a mixture of ingredients cooked or eaten together”.
Once you make the delicate meringues (which is not a good project with toddlers) the dish is really easy to assemble even with a toddler. I whipped my own cream, my daughter crumbled the meringues, big pieces are better (dyed in pastel colors and decorated with dinosaur sprinkles) and those were mixed. and strawberries plopped on top.
Forgot to take pics of ours, the photo is from My Best Days Ever.