Clementine: Now Open

I'm going to try and head down to Middlebury this weekend to check this place out! I'll keep you posted.

Early Thanksgiving(s).

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays! This year I'm getting an early start. Last week, The Curley's hosted a lovely pot luck dinner at their place and invited 20 of their closest friends. Today, we all chipped in and celebrated at work (pic below). Sunday night, I'll eat another bird with some new friends and then, off to the midwest on Tuesday for the main event. Looking forward to more time with good friends and family and of course cooking up some tasty dishes to share. Stay warm you guys. Snow tonight!

November: Gray and Yellow.

I was looking for some inspiration earlier this week. I ended up spending some time getting to know the colors gray and yellow. I've decided to explore 1 color (or color combination) per month just to keep things fresh. Here are some of the pics that I gravitated towards.

The color yellow exudes brightness, light, vitality, energy and optimism. Gray is a neutral, cool and conservative color that seldom evokes strong emotion--although it can be seen as a cloudy or moody color. Together, they are the perfect balance.

*These two images look really small on Blogger. Click on the image to see them at a larger size.

Bleh.

You know those days when you just can't get out of a funk? I had one yesterday. Among other things...Cecil, my black Honda Civic, is on her last legs with only weeks to live. Drama. So, the search for a reasonable solution is underway. To buy? To lease? Honda's use to be the best option but, even they cost $17K-$25K to buy. Hmm...I have lots of ideas but, before I make any decisions, I'll need to thoroughly research some of the top rated vehicles out there. I would like a safe, reliable, fuel efficient, environmentally friendly, really cute, performance vehicle (ha, those last two are bonus). If only the Ford Fiesta was affordable! Yes, I said Ford. Don't tell anyone.

Ideas welcome.

Midwest Thanksgiving!

This Thanksgiving will involve a pretty hefty road trip from Burlington, VT to Fort Wayne, IN. Earlier this month, I searched for flights out of Burlington and other larger airports close by but, the results were pretty grim. Only $800-$1,400 options. What to do? This Thanksgiving is slated to be pretty bad for air travelers due to sold out flights, security delays and the big unknown--weather. I'm pretty excited about my decision to drive. It will save me hundreds of dollars and will hopefully make my time off much less stressful.

Last week, I had the pleasure of spending some QT with Miss Laura Koritz who has lived in the midwest for most of her life. We got to talking and she decided she will join me on this journey. Her family lives in Illinois so, she will continue on home once she leaves me. I'm so delighted to have the company and excited to have a road trip adventure! See ya soon, family.

No Bake Lemon Cheesecake.

OK, so. I know I've already updated today but, I have the time today and I want to be sure to keep this cheesecake pie recipe handy. This blog has become a recipe archive for me. I went back to an old post to get the creamed spinach recipe I used today. The first time I made this pie, I did it on my lunch break. It's so fast and easy AND yummy.

Graham Cracker Crust:

1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter, melted

3 skor bars (I know, terrible but, SO GOOD at the same time).

The Pie Filling:

1-8 oz package of cream cheese, softened

1-14 oz can of condensed milk

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

With mixer, beat cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in condensed milk until smooth. Stir in lemon juice, and vanilla. Pour into crust. Chill for at least 3 hours.

Having a little trouble getting started...

I took today off from work. I've managed to catch a wee cold so, I'm on slow this morning. Off I go to find a cup of coffee before visiting the grocery store. I'm doing some cooking today in preparation for tomorrow's Thanksgiving Dinner at The Curley's. Turkey. YES!

Zucchini Fritters

I tried this recipe a few days ago. It was just okay. I think I needed to cook the fritters just a bit longer so they would be nice and crispy. The forecast is calling for a wintery mix for the next few hours. Today's weather has been dark and stormy. I've got comfort food on the mind for dinner. Hmm...what will I cook?

Ingredients
1 large zucchini, finely chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
1 cup 2% milk
2 cups flour
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
onion powder to taste
dried parsley (optional)
1/4 cup butter

Directions
In a large bowl, mix together the zucchini, onion, eggs, Romano cheese, milk, and flour. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and parsley.
Heat about 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Drop 1/4 cupfuls of the batter into the skillet, and flatten slightly with the back of a spatula. Turn fritters over when the center appears dry. Cook on the other side until golden brown. Set aside and keep warm. Add more butter to skillet as needed, and continue with remaining batter.

Screwheads Weekend.

I knew on Friday that the weekend would fly by and here we are! It's Monday. Working on this JDK Gallery show and planning for the two events that took place over this past weekend was a great experience. There are nuances of event planning that are very different from photography production. Mainly, communicating to the public in an effort to get them to attend an event. All of the planning for the opening on Friday and the after party on Saturday made my workdays insanely busy for a couple of weeks. Looking back on it, I learned so much from the process and of course from the many people who were a part of it. That's important after being at JDK for so many years. I didn't take any pictures during the Saturday night event but, I'm hoping to dig some up. The band Heloise and the Savoir Faire was super fun and the skate ramp was packed! Below is a picture of the upstairs gallery space showing 4 of the 17 artists we featured.

The show runs from November 5th-December 3rd. Swing by if you can!

From the show:

A machine does not make art. And despite the fact that math and precision are so much a part of successful design, no one has yet to invent a device that can create it out of thin air. So the paradigm remains: at the root of any creative visual exploration, you'll always find people.

Subterranean Screwheads is a celebration of the people who move willingly and capably and uniquely toward merging what they love with what they do for “work." These people are the process. And a human connection—not art, not design, not even a finished board graphic that encompasses both—is the final product. When you understand the depth of collaboration—from the initial brief all the way to the finished board—it's no wonder why board graphics manage to connect with people season after season in ways that normal machine-made, formula-concocted “products” never could.

The 2011 Burton Snowboards line is—as has been every line before it—an experiment in the respectful convergence of art and design. The art on display here serves as a reminder of the fact that the final, finished boards are far from the only physical artifacts of the process. There is an oft-repeated saying that art asks questions and design gives you answers. If that's true, a project such as this is truly the alpha and omega of creative questioning, a perfect circle of inspiration turning into action, again and again and again.

Matt & Kim.

Matt & Kim put on a super fun show last night at Higher Ground to promote their new album, Sidewalks. MySpace bought the show so, it was free for everyone who managed to get a ticket. I don't know how these two make it through each performance. Their songs are so high energy and they never slow down. They have a few ballads but, even those (PSYCH!) turn into full on dance parties by the end. Wahooo! Fun times. OK. Back to work.

Photo: Shem Roos

"Mad Men" inspired JDK Halloween Staff Meeting.

We had a little fun during last Friday's staff meeting...

Photos: Greg C.

Subterranean Screwheads.

Over the past few weeks, I've been working on a project with the JDK team that works exclusively with our client, Burton Snowboards. We're producing/curating a show in the JDK Gallery that opens this Friday night. This show has slowly evolved from a large gallery opening featuring 17 artists from around the world to a two-day event featuring DJ A-Dog and the band Heloise and the Savoir Faire. It's going to be lots of fun but, MAN has it been exhausting. Below is the poster that JDK designer Marin Horikawa created for the event. Here is a bit about the show itself...

These are the Screwheads. From the sublime and cynical to the notable and notorious, these are the artists, designers, engineers, and riders who worked for a full year to create the Burton 2011 snowboard collection. Subterranean Screwheads tells their story, going underground and undercover to reveal the voices, personalities, and soul behind the JDK Design and Burton Snowboards creative process.

Opening Reception

JDK Gallery, 47 Maple Street

November 5th, 2010

6-10pm

DJ A-Dog

Queen City Rail Jam After Party

JDK Gallery, 47 Maple Street

November 6th, 2010

8-11pm

Heloise and the Savoir Faire

Hope to see you there!