tet stated.

LSU School of Landscape Architecture ranks #1 and #2....

2010-12-08T10:56:00.003-05:00

DesignIntelligence has released its 2011 landscape architecture graduate and undergraduate program rankings. Louisiana State University was listed as the best undergraduate landscape architecture program and Louisiana State University came in second to Harvard University who topped the list of graduate programs in the annual survey. So proud of my alma mater. Check out the LSU School of Landscape Architecture online. Since moving back to Baton Rouge, I've been afforded the opportunity to reunite with the LSU College of Art + Design by being a guest juror for several graduate and undergraduate architecture and landscape architecture studios. It's nice to be connected to the University again- there is still so much I have to learn, and it never gets old...

love.t

Yesterday while at work....

2010-12-07T13:51:00.003-05:00

...this happened. Since the camera crew were stationed in our ground floor lobby, we were all able to receive the insider info on when the bombs were detonated. It was pretty amazing to watch. Here's a movie my coworker took from the lobby of our building. Enjoy. love.t

2010-11-24T09:59:00.009-05:00

"Two corridor cities rank among the nation's 20 most dangerous. Independent publisher CQ Press puts New Orleans at No. 13 – down from No. 6 in 2008. Baton Rouge has moved up on the national poll ranking the country's most dangerous cities, to No. 16. That's up nine points from the previous year, when the Capital City ranked No. 25. The annual rankings are based on population figures and crime data gathered by the FBI. St. Louis edged out Camden, N.J., as the nation's most dangerous city. To see the complete list, click here."

taken from 10/12 corridor weekly online publication.

The crime here is astounding. I've lived in crazy New York City and shady and transient South Florida and neither compare to the shocking crime and murder incidents we have read and heard about, and even witnessed, recently in our hometown. Over the past few months Downtown Baton Rouge has really taken a hit, with one of the most shocking incidents, the murder of a single mother and the shooting of her 9 year old daughter, happening a street over from me. I've hesitated in publishing this, as it has been a really trying time for Beauregard Town, as we have grieved and sought to find peace with it all and move on. Most importantly we are still striving to feel safe in our homes again and not flee from such a special close-knit community that NEEDS us. Sure, we could move to the suburbs and live picture-perfect "safe" lifestyles in cookie-cutter houses that look the same as the suburbanite's house next door, a block over or even 5 miles away. We could choose to sit in Baton Rouge traffic for 30-45 minutes as we travel to and from work, the store and dinner at a restaurant, but we CHOSE to live downtown as we cannot justify this lifestyle- fine for some, bland and depressing for me. I strive to feel connected to a community. To a rooted community with history. Near a downtown urban center. I want the option to walk to work. I want to be able to ride my child to daycare on my bike if I do so desire. I want the option to walk my child to the downtown Sundays in the park or to the museums. I want restaurant options within 0.5 miles of my home. I want to be able to take a walk and see things- and I'm not talking about large swaths of perfectly maintained, chemically-infused green lawns. And I can have the experiences I desire where I currently live, albeit in a neighborhood that is considered to be "safe" but on the "fringe." Beauregard Town is a cut-through neighborhood in close proximity to one of the most blighted neighborhoods in Baton Rouge, Old South Baton Rouge. While a group within my office works diligently on a daily basis to bring Old South back to its feet, there is always the underlying thought of, "are we even making a difference?" The answer is YES. Our efforts, combined with the passion and dedication of many Old South and Downtown residents who work to see this positive change, have not gone unnoticed. It may take a lot of time, but we believe in baby steps- and creating the foundation, or platform, from which others will soon be able to build upon.

On a positive note, yesterday I received a text from a friend and a notice on my door to let me know that a movie will be filmed beginning next week at the house across the street. Apparently the scene being filmed will be that of a fraternity house and the character is a "hoarder." I've been asked to save my mega stacks of magazines that were headed to the recycling bin, and my toenail and fingernail clippings. and hairballs. Seriously.

Hope everyone has a wonderful thanksgiving holiday. There is so much to be thankful for. Here are some updated house pictures.
love.t

Baton Rouge food.

2010-10-28T12:35:00.002-05:00

This week has been busy, thus a lot of eating out- and in Baton Rouge, there's always something new to try. I love that about this place. People here are serious about their food...

I know it's been open for awhile, but yesterday I tried VooDoo BBQ on Nicholson Dr. for the first time. Delicious. Dad and I split the Brisket and Pulled Pork Platter and ordered 4 sides: corn pudding, greens, baked beans, and mac & cheese. PLENTY of food, although I'm pretty sure we would've devoured seconds on the corn pudding. Here's the menu. Love that it's close enough to go on our lunch break.
Today my co-worker Phillip mentioned that Sadaf, the Greek place, opened up on North Blvd, and that it was really good. So I took a little walk in the sunshine to check it out, and WE HAVE A NEW GREAT GREEK RESTAURANT A BLOCK FROM OUR OFFICE! I was just talking with Liz yesterday about her love for gyros when she was pregnant, which made me crave one, and voila! The gyro wrap and two sides: greek salad and roasted squash, zucchini & cauliflower were just what I needed today. And ps. It was better than Serops. Menu here.
Love. T

Tonight and beyond...

2010-10-21T10:47:00.009-05:00

Congratulations to Dave and Brian! The rezoning request for the Radio Bar passed through the Council last nigh [see blurb below], but not without the hard work of the pairs' door to door explanations, meetings with local civic associations and petitioning for support. The Radio Bar will be a welcome addition to Baton Rouge scene and particularly the Mid-City district!

Also check out Dave's bar, Chelsea's Cafe this weekend- the Pine Leaf Boys are playing Saturday night. A wonderful Cajun band straight from the swamps.And tonight the Myrtles play at the Varsity.Things have been a little crazy lately, but nothing short of good. Here, I'll leave you with something I have been referring to lately and hope you will enjoy also....love.t

Radio Bar gets go ahead from Metro Council

"The Metro Council has approved a rezoning for the site of the Radio Bar, clearing the way for the Mid City tavern. The council Wednesday evening went along with the vote of the Planning Commission that allowed for the Radio Bar, which will be located in the Ogden Park Shopping Center. Residents of nearby neighborhoods had lobbied the Planning Commission for the bar, saying they liked the idea of a place where they could go and socialize over drinks. Radio Bar will be owned by Dave Remmetter, who owns Chelsea’s Café, and Brian Baiamonte, a photographer who works for Business Report and 225. Plans are to open the Radio Bar by February or March, says Baiamonte." BR Business Report 10.21.10

our new home.

2010-09-08T16:02:00.002-05:00

we are enjoying it.
love.t

fighting the good fight.

2010-09-08T15:52:00.001-05:00

Nothing comes without its challenges...
love.t

meow.

2010-09-02T12:05:00.003-05:00

This is my neighbor Erin. She likes cats. Rather, cats like her.
love.t

More on food trucks....

2010-09-02T11:49:00.004-05:00

This article came out today. Go Baton Rouge go! I can [almost] smell the progress.
Dad is going to hit up the Goyaya truck today to check out their new Vietnamese-inspired crepe! YUM.
There's been quite a lot of talk around here about this "new" [to BR] food truck revolution, and there seem to be some great ideas in the works... I even have a few ideas of my own and my father and I often share our ideas back and forth. At the moment, purchasing a food truck won't jive with my budget, having just bought a house and all, but I'm going to keep my idea a little secret just in case...............
This article hits upon some of the realities of food truck-ownership.
I'm hungry.

Ignorance= lack of awareness

2010-08-19T15:41:00.002-05:00

"Louisiana ranks #1 in the country for people who have never left the state. These people have little to no desire for an improved lifestyle because they have no idea what is out there." Amen.
If you care about progress in Louisiana, please try to attend* some of the CPEX Annual Smart Growth Summit today and tomorrow in Baton Rouge, LA. For more information visit our website at www.planningexcellence.org
*If you are not able to attend, all of the sessions are being video taped and recorded and will be accessible in the near future on our website.

our new home

2010-08-09T07:05:00.004-05:00

hope everyone had a nice weekend.

love.t

finally.....

2010-08-06T10:47:00.009-05:00

...the food truck revolution has hit Baton Rouge! I've kind of waiting for this to happen here, as I was pretty enamored by these movable feasts when living in New York.
Taco de Paco makes its debut at Stabbed in the Art tonight! Ninja Snoballs will also be there.

Other food trucks that have hit Baton Rouge in recent months are Latte e Miele gelato truck that Luca DiMartino and his father opened from Latte e Miele on Highland Road, and GO Ya Ya's Crepes that Kevin Black opened from Oh Ya Ya's on Arnold Drive.

I was really inspired by the food carts in Austin, TX when visiting last week. Food trailer parks were scattered with Airstream trailers serving cupcakes, tacos, korean tacos, Vietnamese food etc. The parks were strung above with festival lighting, and cafe seating comprised the empty spaces in the park. Voila! A success!

Also tonight, and worthy of checking out, is The Great Oil Leak Poster Project show at Brad Jensen's Bricks & Bombs shop. Please come out to show your support for all of those affected by the oil spill. Donations will be collected at the door and all proceeds from sold artwork will go towards affected fishermen through Gulf Aid of Acadiana.
Happy Friday.
love.t

thoughts on running

2010-08-05T11:21:00.012-05:00

My hands and ankles are nasty and swollen from ant/ spider bites incurred while spreading 8 bales of pine mulch across the entire yard. The nice man at Lowe's loading the bales into my car forewarned me with, " ma'am I should warn you about the black widows and other spiders that live in this stuff, do you still want it? " as he doubtfully loads up my car at 9:55pm [pretty sure he was hoping to scare me off by now so he could go home]. Spiders? Black widows? Whatever, I'll be fine.
I then spend the next two hours eradicating one spider that I know of and a million ants [HE DIDN'T MENTION ANTS] from my car. 40+ ant bites, one spider bite [obviously the "other" spider] and a happy mulched yard later, I feel fortunate my arms and toes have not fallen off, but I am pretty miserable.
But this morning I convinced myself that perhaps my swollen hands and feet are not from this unfortunate ant/spider mishap but maybe because I'm just getting fat after the two BBQ's this week complete with seconds and dessert [in last night's case, SECONDS ON DESSERT] and because all we do in Louisiana is sit on the porch and drink and cook and feed and celebrate everything, forget national holidays- everyday is a holiday...
In a bit of a panic, I jolted out of the door for an early morning run. A run for the first time, embarrassing admittedly, since I moved into my new home.
As I weaved through the grid of narrow and beautiful tree-lined downtown streets, admiring the historic homes and their surrounding landscapes and the juxtaposition of hundred year-old architecture with modern downtown buildings, I also observed homeowners milling about in their yards, workers renovating old homes, mothers bringing carrying their children into school, bicyclers commuting to work; and I began to experience an invigorated sense of peacefulness as I was filled with the comforting thought that I was finally connected. These people were here to do the same as me. And as if time seemed to stand still, everything was right where it should have been at that very moment...
So, I guess I am thankful for reluctant man who loaded the straw bales and ants and spiders into my car that helped me to get these swollen hands and feet that pulled me out of the door on this beautiful summer morning to realize that this little corner of the universe is one of the most amazing, culturally rich and diverse places that not only deserves exploration and appreciation, but also the continued perseverance and dedication of the residents and others that contribute in making it so unique.
Hello to you, Downtown, I am Tara.
You make me so appreciative of what I have come here for.

stagnance, or lack thereof.

2010-08-05T11:02:00.019-05:00

Over the course of the last month of so I've immersed myself in a bit of self-inflicted craziness which has kept me away.

A few highlights include:
-Taking the time to settle Duke and Ruby and myself into our new home.
-Elected to serve on the Board of my neighborhood civic assn.
-Serving on the organizing committee for the 2nd annual Baton Rouge Green Craw l, to be held on Nov. 11- this year will feature 9 stops and the incorporation of additional green businesses.
-Celebrated my 32nd [!] birthday with a wonderful dinner at Marcello's with my family and new brother-in-law.
-Vacationed in south Florida, and properly relaxed for the first time in the eight years I've been working.
-Traveled to Austin TX, for work with consultants, Code Studio, who took us around to explore the city. We ate way too many amazing tacos and spent a nice evening at a great French restaurant, Justine's.
-Working religiously in the yard and just ripped out my lawn in preparation for a landscape overhaul.
-Still brewing beer with dad, we are on batch no.5 which was a Sierra Nevada clone [to be tasted soon!]. Next up: All-Grain brewing, which is, in simple terms, mashing grains to make our own malt.
-Still cooking in my spare time- cucuzzi squash, stewed okra and tomatoes, a new peach salsa and other dishes with seasonal ingredients from the farmer's market.
-Carrying on the Sunday BBQ tradition that was started with my pretty awesome new neighbors, and the dogs.
-Still planning to relax.

I vow to be here more and to document the progress of my house and continued adaptation to life in Baton Rouge.... love.t

Summertime

2010-06-16T06:31:00.000-05:00

It's summer. It's hot. I don't remember ever being THIS hot in Florida
or New York, perhaps it's the high humidity on top of the 93 heat.
Dad's garden is doing well and presenting us daily with various
varieties of fine tomatoes, cucumbers, and long beans. The eggplant
are now blooming and for those I can't wait. This here is his 2lb.
showpiece. Isn't she lovely?

2010-06-10T13:58:00.009-05:00

photo courtesy of J. Henderson via Facebook

...My words cannot accurately describe what continues to happen in the Gulf. In every direction is a publication who's cover story features the BP oil disaster that is wholeheartedly affecting us here in the south. Many of those covering the events, at the least, are acquaintances of mine, and I trust that they can deliver the facts and emotions over to you in a much more accurate fashion.

Jonathan works as the Coastal Resiliency Coordinator for the Gulf Restoration Network and is on the front lines of this BP disaster managing GRN's BP drilling disaster field operations in the Gulf of Mexico. Jonathan's latest blog post covers his most recent flyover of the spill. Jonathan's facebook update yesterday read,

"Just got back from hell on Earth. Saw some of the toughest environmental warriors in the history of this planet break down in tears because of what we saw on today's flyover. They've seen every awful enviro catastrophe around the world, but nothing like what they witnessed today..."

An article, "BR Feels Effects from the Gulf," written by the Editorial Staff of a friend's online magazine, TIGERWEEKLY.com, portrays the incident as it has affected many of us here in Baton Rouge and in South Louisiana. This disaster really hit home, since learning of the death of Gordon Jones, mentioned in the article, who was my old elementary school carpool bud and a long-time family friend. Gordon was one of the 11 workers on the rig who did not survive. He leaves behind a wife, a child who has since been born since the disaster, and a wonderful family.

And an article, "A Little Requiem for the Coast" by a friend, Frank McMains, who is a Baton Rouge-based [food]writer and photographer. In his commentary regarding a visit to the coast of Venice, LA and the local Baton Rouge Red Stick Farmer's market, Frank says of the disaster,"...it is now plain that much of the food that has defined Louisiana is now in existential danger."

Please keep everyone- the families of the victims, the suffering coastline, the endangered wildlife, the affected fishermen and residents- close to your heart during this tragic time. We can only hope that this will all end very soon.

love. t

nostalgia and moving forward.

2010-06-07T00:37:00.005-05:00

'if you're creative and technical, then youre basically unstoppable."

robert rodriguez via feltron

things are still insanely busy this way. between spending time with my family, moving three people to two places in one week, work obligations and buying a house, my head has been spinning. BUT... i will be closing on my house on june 25th and am beside myself! and good things continue to happen around here. i'm feeling positive, inspired and creative.

i would like to leave you with a photo story nicole emailed to me the other day that immediately re-awakened my nostalgia for my previous home. coincidentally, i'd been following the graphic work of guest designer nicholas felton for some time now [his graphic above illustrates a 24 hr. period of mouse clicks]. new york, new york. i need to get back there for a visit soon. anyone in?

love. t

home sweet....

2010-05-01T13:30:00.005-05:00

It all happened very quickly this week, it was a whirlwind and a bit overwhelming, BUT the good news is.... my offer was accepted! The 'West House' is a historic craftsman bungalow home located in Beauregard Town just south of Downtown Baton Rouge. The home has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths with 10 ft ceilings, original wood floors, a renovated kitchen with cypress cabinets, granite countertops, and a custom built-in cypress breakfront plus a keeping room off of the kitchen. There is original honeycomb ceramic tile in both baths and a claw-footed tub in one. The two original coal burning fireplaces are surrounded by tile, cypress mantles, and have the original metal screens. All three bedrooms are generous in size. In the back is a private deck and a fenced backyard, and on the front of the house is a wrap-around porch. The Foundation for Historical Louisiana has designated this home as historically significant and it has a plaque on the front of the house 'The West House circa 1915.' Yay yay yay! A little nervous about the inspection, so keep your fingers crossed, but staying positive...

It's cloudy and overcast out today so I have been cooking all morning.... roasted acorn squash and roasted cherry tomatoes to be incorporated into a dish this week; homemade guacamole; and homemade pecan, molasses and cried cherry granola with flax and sesame seeds.

Headed to a crawfish boil for Robin and John this afternoon and am looking forward to eating some good Louisiana seafood and having a few beers! For those of you in Louisiana or nearby, please be sure to support your local fishermen, as they will be incredibly affected by this devastating oil leak that continues to spew hundreds of thousands of oil into the Gulf each day. Words cannot describe how sick I am for the birds, wildlife and families that have already been significantly affected by this... My office is currently organizing a trip to Venice, LA to assist in helping with relief efforts. More to come, but please keep everyone in your thoughts....

And have a nice weekend. It's bound to be sunny somewhere!

Love. t

We...

2010-04-19T22:48:00.003-05:00

Had a very relaxing weekend...much needed and i'd say well-deserved. Makes an otherwise hectic Monday actually kind of pleasant- even if people were yelling at one another. When things get rough I just try think about this clown I have at home awaiting my return. And ruby. Who's doing well and responding to her treatment positively. 3 more weeks of cage-rest until the demanding and sweet lady beast is freed!
Love.t

Sundays

2010-04-11T22:35:00.004-05:00

...are for cooking and relaxing. it was a big weekend in downtown baton rouge (live after 5, happys 5k, international fest, sunday in the park) and a warm welcome to the spring season. the weather was perfect and people were everywhere... quite the change from the ghost town i moved away from 8 years ago. a lot of hard work by many dedicated and passionate believers in baton rouge's potential has really paid off. looking forward to many more of these weekends where I don't have to get in my car for anything... and did i fail to mention its crawfish season as well? we did that too. just delightful!
love.t

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T16:18:00.001-05:00

It's a pretty day and Mom and Dad just finished barbecuing/ cooking a delicious lunch for everyone. I made a homemade strawberry ice cream with Ponchatoula strawberries & Smith's Creamery eggs and cream from the farmers market yesterday. Also made a salsa, which is the same recipe I often make and am asked about, so here you go:

Black Bean Salsa

- 1 can black beans, drained
- 1 can sweet or shoepeg corn, drained (or fresh cut from the ear)
- 1 serrano or jalapeño pepper, minced
- 1-2 avocados, diced
- handful or more of cherry/ grape tomatoes
- 1/2 purple or sweet yellow onion
- 1 mango, peeled and diced
- 1 t. ea. chili powder and cumin
- juice of 2 limes (or 1 lime and 1 lemon)
- salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together, adding avocado last. Better after being
refrigerated for a few hours.

Enjoy! And Happy Easter.
Love.t

2010-04-02T11:22:00.004-05:00

andrew bannecker is one of my favorite illustration artists. just look at all of the sweet and whimsical characters!

browse his online shop here, visit his blog here, and feel free to send a print my way!

happy good friday. i'm off of work today and quite excited to relax with the freedom to enjoy the outdoors if i do so desire....

love.t

Beer and Boys

2010-03-31T13:25:00.002-05:00

I just called Dad and he asked if I'd checked my email. No. So he proceeded to explain that he'd just called Jesse at the beer supply store here on town to ask a few questions regarding an order for our next batch that we will be brewing this weekend. YES! My dad and I have been brewing beer, and our first batch, a brown ale, was delicious. More info on our venture to come...

Anyway, this is the email that Dad sent me.

'I need to make your day. When I was attempting to stir Jessie's fried brain on who I was he finally said were you the one with the beautiful daughter. I said I'm the one and she was the beautiful one.'

This did, indeed, make my day, thank you Dad! Darn shame the guy's married- and 1. he doesn't have a fried brain, and 2. Britney you'd love him too....

Happy Spring.... it's so pretty out. Headed out on a nice drive to St. Francisville, where I'll have lunch at Eight Sisters (enough reason alone to make the trip) and then to an exciting meeting!

Love.t

Sent from my iPhone

Monday

2010-03-29T17:58:00.001-05:00

Today consisted of one long fancy string of meetings, but I was able
to capture this photograph of my building as I walked back to work
from lunch (that consisted of a mighty fine gumbo I made last night).
There's just something about spending a Sunday afternoon cooking that
helps to start the week off on the right foot.....
love.t

2010-03-26T11:48:00.000-05:00

things are still afloat here in baton rouge, yet a lot has been going
on that's come in the way of relaxing and writing. i still, however,
use my camera, so I'll leave you with this photo from an early
morning walk with the dogs along the levee, and try to get back to
this blog asap. Love.t

it's raining and cold...

2010-02-04T16:37:00.003-05:00

...and tonight I'll be walking over to the Manship for a screening of 'Visual Acoustics: the Modernism of Julius Shulman.'

Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman from Design Onscreen on Vimeo.

"Narrated by Dustin Hoffman, Visual Acoustics explores the monumental career of 97-year-old architectural photographer Julius Shulman. Populating his photos with human models and striking landscapes, Shulman combined the organic with the synthetic, melding nature with revolutionary urban design. The resulting images helped to shape the careers of some of the greatest architects of the 20th Century, with Shulman documenting the work of Richard Neutra, Rudolph Schindler, Pierre Koening, John Lautner, and many others. Taking its aesthetic cues from Shulman's own sensual and nuanced photography, the film's narrative is built from a blend of Shulman's own images as well as in-depth interviews with architect Frank Gehry, designer Tom Ford, artist Ed Ruscha, actress Kelly Lynch, writer Mitch Glazer, publisher Benedikt Taschen, Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Dante Spinotti, and a host of others."

Showtime: 7:30. i'll be there at 7 with a beer in my hand. perfect for a day when I feel like doing nothing but hibernating.
love.t

...and happy happy 30th birthday to one of my dearest friends, britney....

tonight....

2010-01-26T10:44:00.002-05:00

Show your support for Baton Rouge by attending the East Baton Rouge Parish Comprehensive plan kick-off meeting..... 5:30pm - 7:30pm TONIGHT at the Louisiana State Museum. Public participation is really important in guiding along this process...
Hope to see you there.

us lately....

2010-01-21T10:25:00.004-05:00

i promise it's not all dogs around here, all of the time, just a few pictures of what we've been up to the past few days...
a lot of visits to mom's and dad's backyard- ruby likes to ride in the car, and kind-of sit on duke. and he just kind-of lets her.

a nice MLK day spent with robin on the rooftop. duke lifted his leg on the railing post, ruby followed. yes, she lifts her leg also.

and they had a great time last night taking turns not letting me practice yoga. hovering over me, licking me and pawing at me, sitting as close to me as they could to where i could not possibly move an inch in either direction.
i gave up, and then ruby fell asleep on my mat.
love.t

The new girl in town...

2010-01-18T10:27:00.004-05:00

Everyone meet Ruby.
Saturday I went to CAAWS to check her out after seeing her on the website and of course couldn't leave without her. Ruby's a 3 year-old Labrador, is calm - minus her tennis ball obsession, loves attention, and is not nearly as sad as portrayed by her wrinkled face and worried eyes. I know I'm a sucker but how can anyone deny this?

Yesterday we spent the day running around in Mom's and Dad's yard and running errands. She even jumped in the car- Duke take lessons!

Anyway, Duke seems as happy as I am to have her as part of our little family.... I think she reminds us both of Sydney.
Love.t

baton rouge... laurel street flash mob

2010-01-12T17:03:00.002-05:00

This flash mob came, danced, and then dispersed at the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge's Lollapalooza event last Friday night.... This was in celebration of the Council's 10th anniversary.
The Laurel Street Lollapalooza has been dubbed "the best street party in town"- and my office is the brick building in the background. Aaaah Baton Rouge, I'm sad I missed it, but had a great time in Florida. More on that next post.
love.t

tonight...

2010-01-05T13:37:00.005-05:00

...Midlake plays at the Moon.

Hip Hip !

Love. t

merry*

2009-12-23T13:33:00.004-05:00

We've been having a nice time over here with family and friends {and at the abundant holiday parties}. And it's been so nice to be home for it all this year- no stress with traveling home, as was the case for the past 7 years, and abundant time to help my parents out with shopping and cooking, and just enjoying time together. And did i mention the cold [cool] weather? ...loving it and not even a tad bit stressed about it, as i once thought i might be when i was living in south Florida.
Christmas shopping is done. I bought my nephew an ant farm {!}- i am not sure if you know of my fondness for these things.... and i hope he is just as excited. And I wish I could tell you what I bought my Mom...!
Mom and Dad will be hosting our traditional Gumbo Christmas Eve and Italian Christmas Day for all of the family. They are such good cooks that relatives request they make extras {as in whole 11x14 dish extras} for them to take home with them.
Happy holidays to all of you.... I hope you are able to spend it with those you love.
Love. t and duke

America's Fastest-Recovering Cities

2009-12-09T15:26:00.001-05:00

...and some good news for Baton Rouge dwellers....

Old Man River Project

2009-11-30T12:17:00.005-05:00

Tomorrow at 10am, C.C. Lockwood and the crew from the Old Man RiverProject will be at LASM to discuss and present their respective journeys down the Mississippi River.
I am looking forward to this, as I have followed Old Man River's blog, documenting the crew's 2,400mi journey with Annie down the Mississippi over the past three months.

"The Old Man River Project is an modern day expedition to rediscover the Mississippi River with the explicit intent of supporting the mission of Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper. The expedition has five main objectives.

1. Build a 32 foot wooden York Boat and name her ANNIE.

2. Travel the length of the Mississippi River from Bemidji, Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana – a distance of 2400 miles or 4000 km – without burning a tank a gas.

3. Document the expedition through words, images and video at www.oldmanriverproject.org so others can experience the Mississippi River online with us.

4. Promote and connect people to Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper.

5. Hand ANNIE over to Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper after reaching the Gulf of Mexico."

Baton Rouge will be the home to Annie upon completion of the long journey. I will update my blog with her final resting destination if anyone is interested. She sure does look like a mighty fine 32' wooden boat! You can also view her tomorrow at LASM, although I'm admittedly more excited about viewing the crew [!]

Happy Monday. It's dreary out, and the downtown street trees are beginning to shed their leaves.
Love. t

progress? let's hope so.

2009-11-24T12:00:00.005-05:00

Speaking of our manufactured environment..... perhaps one step in the right direction.
Photo credit here.

State troopers now policing enviro-crimes
Baton Rouge Business Report, Daily Report for Tuesday, November 24, 2009

The Louisiana State Police have long had reign over our highways and gaming establishments, but now troopers also have a hand in white-collar search warrants and apprehending felons connected to environmental crimes. As state government enters an era of consolidations and mergers, brought about chiefly by a shortfall of money, it should come as no surprise that LSP is now collaborating with the Department of Environmental Quality to enforce violations of the Louisiana Environmental Quality Act. It’s a true partnership, not just collaboration on paper, says State Police Superintendent Col. Mike Edmonson. “We will share expertise, training and resources to ensure that Louisiana's environment is protected and preserved for the future," he says. In fact, two law enforcement vehicles have already been loaned to DEQ and many of the department’s investigators are in the process of receiving special LSP commissions and training on surveillance techniques, interview and interrogation, firearms, ground fighting and defensive tactics. “This partnership is a perfect example of implementing streamlining practices to make government more efficient,” says DEQ Secretary Harold Leggett. “We have always worked well with the State Police and now we will continue to do so in a more proactive manner.” In order to accomplish these goals most efficiently, Leggett says comprehensive policies are being established statewide. He adds that the support from LSP will assist DEQ in its “mission of enforcing state environmental regulations with regard to promoting water and air quality, while controlling solid and hazardous waste discharges.”—Jeremy Alford

Freshly baked

2009-11-23T22:27:00.004-05:00

Freshly baked
Originally uploaded by tpinkredt

Speaking of peanut butter and chocolate....I stumbled across this recipe about a year ago. They are so simple to make and too good not to share. I just ate two straight from the oven, and am contemplating no.3 [oink].

Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes
Yields: 2 dozen

Ingredients:
1 cup creamy peanut butter [or almond butter]
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Stir together first 5 ingredients in bowl until blended. Stir in chocolate chips.
2. Drop dough by round tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
3. Bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack and let cool.

Delicious.... enjoy!
love.t

thoughts moving forward...

2009-11-23T12:45:00.012-05:00

http://www.nataliedee.com/archives/2009/Nov/

Mom's been telling me lately, in her southern-belle accent, 'Tara, the Goldenrod is blooming,' and while I dismissed it due to not seeing any actual BLOOMING anything out there, i think it really is true, because i cannot, for the life of me, stop sneezing.

This afternoon i am headed to St. Francisville, LA for my only out-of-town work meeting of the week. I've been really enjoying traveling for work. Even more than feeling like I am actually making a difference in some of these places, I enjoy the downtime in the car, and driving through the small towns. The sun is usually setting on my drives home from St. Francisville, and as you know if you are from south Louisiana, the sun, as it sets into the Mississippi River, casts a glow on the industrial Baton Rouge skyline that is pretty amazing. Perhaps its not appropriate to glorify our major source of environmental degradation, but it's something worth seeing, nonetheless.

Thanksgiving this year is going to be lovely, as I have not been home for this holiday in years. We'll be going to my cousin's house [where the wine flows like water], and my sister Robin and I have been tasked with providing the desserts. Mom has requested the Chocolate Pecan Tart [that i made, and the rat ate last year], and I was also going to make a chocolate pie. But I've been reminded that not everyone is as in love with chocolate as I am so I'll probably just make something boring. Oh, and I discovered dipping Green & Black's 70% cocoa bar pieces into peanut butter at lunch today.... Delicious.

While Fall is not my favorite season [the thought of winter and being cold kind of stresses me out], I am very fond of seasonal fall ales and eating winter vegetables. Spent a majority of the day yesterday in Dad's garden- I have posted some photos from a few weeks ago and it's amazing to see how much it's proliferated since then, even with Dad's new pet mole! Collard greens, turnip and mustard greens, arugula, mixed lettuces, broccloi rabe, and brussels sprouts oh my!

Oh, and I feel like it's worth mentioning that I think my parents are trying to steal my dog. Apparently the other night Mom got really excited when she realized she didn't have to work all week and that Duke 'could come over and keep her company.' So Duke is on vacation this week at his grandparents [Mom be careful what you ask for]. I'm sure this will be a nice reprieve from his strenuous daily routine of political consultancy and Animal Planet...

Love.t

Dreams

2009-11-11T22:45:00.001-05:00

Lately I've been having extremely vivid dreams. If they are not
centered around my job (too many have been really), they seem to
involve train travel throughout beautiful foreign countryside and
spending time with good friends on their farm (I have no idea who
these cool people are and where the farm is, but I hope to meet them
one day).
I half-awoke two mornings ago in tears from one of these dreams. The
husband and wife farm-owners had just lost their dog and the man broke
the news to me through a hand delivered, elaborately written letter
and memoir of the dog's life.
Eight months ago when Sydney died, I told myself that I would
eventually write a similar account of our experiences. But, as time
has passed and I continue to be reminded of him almost daily, I
realize that no writen words will ever be able to describe what this
dog and I had in our almost 12 years together.

bragging rights

2009-11-10T08:39:00.005-05:00

My boss, Elizabeth 'Boo' Thomas recently was awarded the Olmstead Medal by the American Society of Landscape Architects. Boo is an inspiring woman with a remarkable passion and vision for making Louisiana a better place to work and reside- she is always one step ahead of the others and her passion for planning and landscape architecture, along with her dedication to remaining a responsible steward, is extremely motivating on a daily basis.

Oh and while we are on the topic of work, a few years ago a local band, Reception is Suspected, filmed song "Seeing Serving" at our office Downtown. A lot of familiar faces in now a very familiar place [oh and I sit in a plush window seat on in the third floor 'loft'- not these scary cubicles. Mom knows how I feel about cubicles].

It's Tuesday and Feels like it should be Friday. Traveled to north Louisiana for work yesterday. The beautiful drive up north [fall color and hills!] through all of the rural towns, and the positive way in which we were received in both of the communities made the 17 hour day very well-worth it. We had a bit of downtime to explore, and stumbled upon Ruston's historic downtown, which was quite nice. My parents met in college there over 40 years ago.

love.t

2009-11-03T21:51:00.006-05:00

for as long as i can remember, many lovely evenings and weekends spent at my family's house have revolved around their back porch and courtyard. upon moving back to baton rouge in late July, seven years removed, i settled with my parents while mapping out the direction i was headed. our moments together again, and the early mornings and late nights alone in the courtyard, re-experiencing these familiar sounds, brought me to a place where i quickly realized i was meant to be. i will forever be reminded of the calming stillness and natural beauty that surrounds home.

awakening with the sunrise...

bullfrogs and cicadas...

love.t

feliz*

2009-10-30T12:47:00.002-05:00

happy birthday to, hands down, the best father a girl could ever ask for.
i love you dad.... and cannot wait to celebrate on sunday.
love.t

ps. blind pilot plays tonight at spanish moon. will be a much needed night after seriously, the longest week ever. hurry up 5:30....

blind pilot.

2009-10-05T11:17:00.000-05:00

one red thread.... happy monday.
love.t

another...

2009-10-03T20:43:00.005-05:00

saturday night....i just cooked a tomato-based crawfish pasta. duke's been sleeping ALL day. he did wake up to have a taste of his dog food, but as usual, he wasn't interested. about to pour a glass of wine and head out to meet a few friends. living, working, and socializing in downtown baton rouge.... never thought it would be feasible in this town and definitely would not have predicted a year ago that i'd be where i am now. i am loving every minute of it and am glad i am home. there's something to be said about the comfort of the south, the food, music, people, and nothing beats being near my family. love.t

2009-10-02T11:38:00.006-05:00

dr. dog played at chelsea's last night, and as of wednesday, chelsea's reacquired their liquor license- two mighty fine reasons and justifications for having a few drinks on a thursday night. it was a lovely time. and a great representation of folks.
in more important news, duke attempted a taste of a sweet potato slice last night.
can't you sense his excitement?
oh, and for a good laugh, i rediscovered this yesterday...
happy friday. i'm le tired!
love.t

mapping the 7 deadly sins.

2009-10-01T15:07:00.003-05:00

and in conculsion....louisiana is "devilish."
i quite like this study. especially being called devilish, although not for the reasons mentioned therein.
love.t

a new week.

2009-09-28T12:44:00.003-05:00

Today is Monday, there are only 6 meetings this week that require my attendance [4 of the 6 are today], and as a result, there's a growing list of things I'd personally like to accomplish. I'm not too sure what free time is, but I plan to make the most of it this week.
At the top of the list: staying afloat in my apartment where the humidity this morning read 82%. The lack of attention this 'problem' is receiving is really making me sad. But i guess there's no point in crying about it, as my tears would never dry up in there anyway.
Second on my list: Run. Everyday. This beer, wine, vodka, bread and cheese diet is O V E R. Third: buy plane tickets to Florida. I cannot wait to see my friends.
Fourth: Give some undivided attention to the sweetest [alive] dog in the world, Duke.
Fifth-Eleventh: Cook a pear tart, catch up on a ton of reading, learn a computer program, get together with some girl friends here in town, plan a party, plan the fall garden with Dad, and hang this new piece of art i recently purchased. And perhaps when it's all over, I'll be ready for some wine, beer, vodka, cheese and bread again. Excited about all of the prospects...
Love.t

urban parks from above...

2009-09-26T15:26:00.003-05:00

Check out this article posted by The Infrastructurist. This feeds my continual fascination with aerial imagery and site comparisons at consistent scales. Maybe this doesn't interest everyone but rather can be attributed to my 7 previous years of site design experience....

love.t

to the brilliant individual who conjured up the idea of a noodle bar at Whole Foods, I LOVE YOU...and more.

2009-09-25T14:56:00.006-05:00

It's Friday, it's beautiful out, and despite the 80% humidity inside of my house, things are good. Fought off the swine flu, oink, this week [not really, i think it was just a cold] , attended 4 days of meetings, and am fueled with a bit of lingering energy that is about to be invested towards making this weekend happen, ASAP. The energy can be attributed to the copious amounts of zinc I've consumed this week- this precious metal has really helped me through.

Tonight is the St. Joseph Street Social Club gathering which falls in, around, and between Melissa's and Frank's homes on St. Joseph Street in Baton Rouge's historic Beauregard Town. Tonight's occasion is three friends' birthdays. Frank has been smoking two pork shoulders since last night and recently got his hands on a few cases of some"damn fine" bison grass-flavored Polish vodka. Tonight's offerings in his words, "Drink special at my house this time is Bizonovka Vodka with Apple Juice cocktails. Coffee and Cherry smoked Pork with Salvadoran Curtido and Pepper Aji." And I will be baking three phyllo pastry- wrapped brie wheels, each with it's own filling. Headed home now to cook, take off my heels, and perhaps pour a glass of wine.
Let us all have a wonderful and well-deserved weekend.
love.t

the most boring update.

2009-09-21T20:37:00.004-05:00

wake up 6am, walk duke around the block, walk next door to the gym, cover the treadmill clock with a towel, run 4-5 of the most boring miles of my life, hop off, run home, ride the elevator up with one of my eccentric neighbors and engage in an interesting conversation, ok bye. get ready for work while listening to a good song or two, or maybe npr- depends on my mood, drink hot tea, walk through the bank parking lot to work. say hello to my co-workers, we are all talkers. 30 minutes easily pass. headphones. write 1,000 emails, call 1,000 people, edit something for someone, attend an inner-office meeting, back to work, oh, another meeting? ok, another meeting. back to work. tara will you attend this meeting tomorrow in ascension parish? sure i can! update the calendar. maybe eat lunch with dad. back to work through the lot. oh tara, i think you should come along to this meeting next week. i agree! update the calendar. tara will you go to a meeting in a different parish every day this week and fill us all in? of courrrrse i will. i am completely booked. and it's all a bit frantic sounding, i know, but honestly it's quite enjoyable. taking it all in as i should and am stimulated and motivated by the interesting places to which i am traveling and by all of the nice people i've been meeting.

my 'weekends,' however, typically begin on wednesdays for a reason.

love.t

2009-09-15T11:59:00.005-05:00

"Baton Rouge economy seen as one of nation's best"

"Baton Rouge was ranked as having the sixth strongest economy in the country during the second quarter, according to a report released today by the Brookings Institution. The Capital Region actually moved up two spots from the most recent Brookings report, released in June, which ranked Baton Rouge as having the eighth strongest economy out of 100 major U.S. cities. The Capital Region was helped because employment remains fairly stable (Brookings says its down less than 1% from the peak in the fourth quarter of 2007) and home prices actually went up 3.3% in the second quarter. San Antonio, Texas, was ranked as having the strongest economy in the second quarter, while Detroit was ranked last."

...from baton rouge business report . visit a larger map here.

oh hello.

2009-08-23T17:10:00.004-05:00

i know it's been a long while.... it's nice to be back...

duke and i are settling in our new home and i am pretty pleased to announce that i have scratched almost everything off of the once ever-so-overwhelming To Do List. it's starting to feel more like home here every day- i've been meeting new neighbors in the elevator, going to the YMCA next door, walking down my street for lunch with dad, and acquainting duke to his new life [although, again, he seems relatively unfazed].

tomorrow i start my job , just in time for the Smart Growth Summit. apparently i already have an overloaded work email inbox and a multitude of meetings to participate in this week which will, i imagine, get me back into the groove pretty quickly. i'm extremely excited, as i will be working with some of the most passionate people in the profession, most of which, in this case, happen to be women. what a nice change! ... and i hear women don't have mullets.

headed out now to pick up duke from his weekend of sleeping on beds, bird and dirt-dobber chasing, and eating human food at the grandparent's house. tonight i will cook dinner, perhaps drink some red wine and listen to music while the 65 degree [can you believe?] breeze blows in through the windows. it's been a really nice weekend, weather-wise and other-wise.

love.t

because this makes me happy...

2009-07-31T00:39:00.005-05:00

i love neko case. and i've always wanted to jump-rope atop an elephant and go about my daily life on stilts with friends.

love.t

home.

2009-07-27T22:59:00.004-05:00

i'm not going to attempt to play catch-up today. but what i will say is that the past week in baton rouge has been rather enjoyable. i am home. I AM HOME !

...been spending a lot of time with mom, dad, robin and john, and it's so nice to not feel rushed, as has been the case for the past seven years when i'd arrive at home, 3 days at a time twice a year, to a house full of relatives for a brief hello, dinner and drinks, and goodbye see you next year.

the thought of being here indefinitely, something i was not so sure of a month ago, is all starting to make sense to me, and i am pretty sure that i do not in any way miss my mullet ex-boss, the unstable work environment and being in a place where i knew i didn't want to reside for the rest of my life. i do, however, really miss my friends but am comforted in knowing that i will always carry them with me [and hopefully vice versa], as they are a large part of who i am. and south florida will always be a great place to visit. so i will be here. in louisiana. eating delicious food, soaking up the culture, and getting used to random people approaching me merely to have a genuine conversation. people truly live in the south. it's fascinating. and a very welcoming place to return.

love.t

Lately...

2009-07-17T12:06:00.001-05:00

It's been a bit of an overwhelming experience this week as I have been
packing everything I own for my future that remains up in the air...
Driving to baton rouge next week and am hoping a job opportunity will
present itself- something inspiring enough to keep me there and allow
me to settle for awhile. I have one exciting opportunity thus far and
can only think that physically being there & establishing more
contacts will help to open new doors. Right now i sit in my house
among a mess of 1,000 packed boxes, piles of furniture, rolls of
bubble wrap and half-full bags & boxes (apparently i have a serious
case of packing ADD. And I keep losing the tape gun).
... and somewhere in the middle all of this dusty clutter, a little
dog named duke is cold chillin' on my bed. If he hasnt freaked out by
now, i guess he wont? Anyway, I'm pretty sure he's vowed to remain
unaffected through this big change. What an aspiration! We'll see how
he behaves on the car ride. Time before last, he pooped in the car.
Love.t

Happy*

2009-07-09T00:13:00.001-05:00

in the glow of jess's headlight
Originally uploaded by tpinkredt

I had a wonderful birthday today spent with some of my most favorite people. Robin and I went to breakfast at St. Bart's on the beach this morning then relaxed and read in the sand all afternoon. Slight resume 'editing' detour (thank goodness Robin was once a business English teacher) and then to dinner on Las Olas. Smith & Jones was delicious, I'd been wanting to try it for awhile. The 'creative comfort food' was just what my tastebuds needed.... Oh, and the Carvel ice cream cake (with the improv match candle) and awesome gifts that followed really made my night...There was some wine drinking in there too.
Thank you Robin and Chris for making today so special!
Love.t

of kin.

2009-07-07T00:06:00.004-05:00

tara (l) robin (r), circa 1983 shreveport, la

excited for my sister's visit tomorrow.... she's always so sweet to come around my birthday. makes celebrating that much more special.

love.t

oh the times.....

2009-07-01T16:30:00.002-05:00

...did i just hear you correctly?

...i must be dreaming.

no tara, it's the harsh reality of the economy.

the dead truth.

yes, i am officially unemployed, as of yesterday, due to the company's continued, yet unsuccessful, efforts to obtain steady work.

so here i sit, still a little in shock, a little shaken, and of course a little upset, yet i am hopeful for what the future holds for me. as cliche as it might sound, i know in my heart that this was meant to be for me and i am going to make the most of what might come my way. in the meantime, please keep your eyes and ears open for any creative-driven opportunities that you might run across. i have fond fond memories of many good times over the past 6 years, and know that i poured my heart and soul into what i was doing; therefore i refuse to question why i was one of the "chosen ones" and especially refuse to feel victimized in this situation. i will grow from this, and in the face of challenging times such as these, i can only remain hopeful and positive that this is where i am meant to be at this time in my life and that things will, in time, get back to normal in our world.

whew! enough on that. i hope all of you are well. it's goshdarn HOT here!

love.t

2009-06-25T11:17:00.005-05:00

"The vocabulary of furnishings...the stainless steel sinks, the antique saltware, the modernist furniture, the white bistro china ...reads like a primer on contemporary taste."
-anonymous

I re-discovered this quote today, it was hidden away in an 'ideas' folder of mine, and I began thinking how I am continuously driven and inspired by the design of interior and exterior spaces, and the elements of composition that make each space unique and seemingly timeless in nature. I've come to realize, over the last seven years in my career, that the success a space very much relies on the utmost consideration of the client and of the inhabitants that will enliven the space.
Communication with the client, understanding and delivering-through design- his perceptions of the ideas in his mind, and maintaining a willingness to adapt to the ever-evolving nature of a project, while upholding a sustainable, progressive, yet timeless 'design vision' are what have been most important to me in my success as a landscape architect and designer.
Thank you for letting me ramble today. Oh, and i baked last night. See photo. Lots of yum sweet stuff, although I have decided I prefer to not follow recipes.

love.t

my SIGG

2009-06-24T15:52:00.008-05:00

This is how it goes:

On days like today, I sit at work and challenge myself to drink 8 cups of water in 8 hours. Cake. Two refills of my SIGG water bottle, gulp gulp, pan pan zoom, ctrl+alt+delete, bathroom, gulp gulp, undo undo, bathroom, gulp gulp, pan, zoom, ctrl+alt+delete, gulp. And Done, the day is over.

Onto Bikram Yoga. I replenish the 15 gallons of water lost from my body in 1.5 hours with my SIGG-full of water [4 cups] spiked with 1,0000 mg of vitamin c. Thank you SIGG for keeping me alive and kicking.

Then there's Friday nights in le park. And the well-deserved [and hefty] SIGG gin and tonic.

So sneaky, and so so smooth.

Dear SIGG, my new friend...
Despite the fact that I bought you b/c you looked cool [i think my sweaty yoga compadres and earth-saving fellow landscape architects also appreciate that you have cute little people on you and read "THINK GREEN"], you really have been a worthwhile investment for a number of more important reasons. Where would I be without you?
love.t

Read more below about the functionality and versatility of the environmentally sensitive SIGG water bottle. And don't forget to pick one up at your local Whole Foods Store or order online.....

"...these high-tech bottles are resistant to fruit juice acids, energy drinks, alcohol and virtually any consumable beverage. Because the liners are taste and scent neutral, you can enjoy any beverage you'd like – without any lingering smell or taste of the last beverage you drank. The composition of the liner also reduces the chances of bacteria build-up. And because the liner is virtually baked into the inner walls of the bottle, it will not flake or chip even if dented on the outside. Recently, there has been a lot of press concerning Lexan plastic water bottles (Polycarbonate #7) leaching harmful chemicals into the container's ingredients. It's extremely important to note that SIGG bottles exceed FDA requirements and have been thoroughly tested to ensure 0.0% leaching – so they are 100% safe. Combining function and fashion, SIGG bottles come in over 100 unique designs. Utilizing 30 independent artists from around the world, SIGG Switzerland introduces new styles every year. SIGG bottles are manufactured in an ecologically-friendly environment and are 100% recyclable after their lives. In fact, most SIGGs in Europe are still being used 10-20 years after purchase."

2009-06-23T13:26:00.002-05:00

"One of the signs of a damaged ego is absolute certainty."
Milton Glaser's Ten Things I have Learned....
Love.t

what have i been doing lately?

2009-06-18T12:12:00.003-05:00

*not blogging, obviously.

*sweating. a lot. thank goodness though, for the ocean's breeze.

*trying to figure out the quirks of the king [dog] of the house, Duke. i am seriously baffled. maybe the heat's gotten the best of him too?

*dreaming of a little vacation.

*working on the viceroy anguilla, and enjoying being productive at work

*pondering my age. i will be 31 soon- in less than 3 weeks.

*pulling out a few gray hairs [see above]. i'm pretty sure two do not grow back in the place of the ones i pull out.

*listening to some newly acquired music. elvis perkins, grizzly bear, cassettes won't listen.

*being creative in the kitchen- spaghetti squash with grilled shrimp, herbs, toasted hazelnuts, and olive oil recipe coming soon. also made a noteworthy guacamole [finally!] and used chiles en adobo for the first time on taco tuesday. yum.

*getting back in shape. took a two week hiatus due to a minor setback and am now back in action! and sore.

*ebaying. i am still treating this as my semi-successful secondary source of income.

*looking forward to friday nights in the park again. the first one of the summer is tomorrow! can't wait to see everyone and their babies [and babies to be].

*looking forward to and planning my sister Robin's visit and planning a trip to the keys...

*catching up via telephone with old friends and bringing back old memories.

*reminiscing about new york, as always. i know you all are sick of hearing about it.

*reading reading reading

*retaining my smile and positive thinking that these tough economic times, too, shall pass.

love.t

The High Line

2009-06-10T17:10:00.006-05:00

photo courtesy of www.thehighline.org

The High Line in Manhattan officially opened to the public yesterday! The landscape architecture firm i worked for in New York, Michael van Valkenburgh and Associates, submitted a proposal for the High Line project competiton right before I went to work there but were not awarded the project.

The High Line was constructed in the 1930's, and runs through the West Side neighborhoods of the Meatpacking District, West Chelsea and Hell's Kitchen. At about a mile-and-a-half-long, the High-Line was elevated 30' off of the ground in an attempt to lift freight trains off of the streets of Manhattan. It has been out of commission since the 1980's and was blocked-off to the public and rendered useless. The desolate beauty of the wildflowers and the various plants that rooted themselves along the High Line were always a refreshing sight for me when I lived in New York- I always appreciated, in passing, that piece of nature within the city.

The newly integrated landscape design for the High Line, by landscape architects James Corner [Field Operations] and architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, combines meandering concrete pathways with naturalistic plantings [by Piet Oudulf], and will function as an inner-city public park. Fixed and movable seating, lighting, and other special features are also included in the park, and I can't wait to finally be able to walk through and explore it a bit the next time I visit [i'm WAY overdue for one of those, ps.]...
love.t

2009-06-07T13:28:00.005-05:00

The Bubble was a huge success.... It was incredibly refreshing seeing so many different people gather together yesterday, despite the tumultuous south Florida summer weather, for art, good music and drinks [ooh i just realized i forgot to try the sangria]. Working the door, I was able to greet a plethora of people, all of whom seem just as excited and hopeful about the success of the warehouse gallery project as we've been. There was a total turnout of about 550, and the energy was consistent and awesome, so thanks to all of you who came out and contributed to this... [Tonight Chris will be editing his photographs of the event. I'll post a link soon].

It's Sunday... Duke and i spent our morning at the dog park- he particularly likes the little dogs, huge mud puddles and baby pools. He's since been bathed and has crashed- too tired to even greet me at the door upon returning from the store.

Spending the afternoon making a homemade chili- if it turns out as well as everything else i've made from this cookbook, I'll be sure to share the recipe.... Hope you all had a nice and productive weekend.

love.t

colorful inspiration

2009-06-05T08:11:00.004-05:00

Yesterday while in a half-dreary state, a co-worker, Jessie, emailed me this captivating video that i have proceeded to watch over and over:

Jessie had agreed to help out in organizing the photography/ image database at work, and as she was sorting through the thousands of photos, she ran across this series of images [see below]. Although we are not sure why these were placed in our 'Art' folder [this really has NOTHING to do with landscape architecture], we have decided not to delete them- what a pleasant reprieve from the millions of photos of aluminum garden sculptures!

Anyway, it is our understanding that the images were shot during the filming of a Sony BRAVIA advertising campaign video which backs their slogan, "Color like.no.other." For the video, 250,000 brightly-colored rubber balls (real, not computer-generated) were deployed into the streets of San Francisco using 12 air mortars and three giant skips, each lifted 50 feet into the air, containing 35,000 colored bouncy balls. "The first shot required 50,000 balls to be sent cascading down a hill, colliding at a road junction with a further 50,000 that had been fired along a side street. A team of 50 interns was on hand to gather up the balls for the six takes it took over four days. Golf nets were erected at the sides of the street and every drain was blocked." Amazing. And the song is Heartbeats, performed by José González,

And behind the scenes: [The soundtrack is Everything Is Alright by Four Tet].

Enjoy everyone, and happy Friday....love.t

The Bubble

2009-06-02T14:20:00.005-05:00

photo by artist todd blaisdell, warehouse mural painted by francesco locasto
[both artist's work will be on display Saturday]

The [highly anticipated] Bubble is on Saturday! We've been spending a lot of our time at the warehouse this week, hanging art and helping Yvonne and Garo out with random last minute preparations. The warehouse [pictured above] is looking pretty amazing. There's still so much to do, but its all coming together thanks to everyone's helping hands and some serious generosity.
Hope everyone's doing well and hope you see some of you there... I will be shift-working the cotton candy stand in a pink dress on Saturday, so come say hi.
Love.t

2009-05-26T11:19:00.005-05:00

view from A1A, fort lauderdale beach

last night as i was lying in bed, i was counting down the credit card payments until i am officially debt free {7! sept 4th!}, and i realized that i have been an entire month off in my head for awhile, or maybe even a few months..... is it really already the end of may?! no wonder it's been raining so much!
anyway, today is finally a pretty day... blue skies the whole bit.... i think summer is officially here...
and this is definitely something to be thankful for.
oh and speaking of summer, we are very much looking forward to fridays in the park soon... june 19th!
love.t

...wishing I had one of these right now...

2009-05-24T21:07:00.000-05:00

Seriously addicted to dark chocolate.
Love.t

2009-05-23T17:19:00.004-05:00

I've never ordered seeds from The Hudson Valley Seed Library but am tempted to after discovering these Seed Packs. Eleven local artists from the Hudson Valley [NY] region were commissioned to create the artwork for the seed packs, so each pack carries it's own individual and unique character.

"The Hudson Valley Seed Library is a homestead-based farm and business devoted to developing a seed production network in our region. Using hand tools and low-tech processes, we cultivate dozens of varieties of agronomic plants on our own farm. We also collaborate with certified organic, certified naturally grown, and other small growers throughout our region to grow additional varieties. Our goal is to offer high-quality heirloom seeds to the public through both our Seed Library program and retail sale. This year we are offering over 15 varieties of locally grown seed. By 2014, we aim to offer 100% locally grown seed. We invite you to join us in this effort by growing our seeds in your own home garden."

The seed packs are available online for $3.50.

... For more information on The Hudson Valley Seed Library, to become a member, or to simply gather a few seed-saving tips and some gardening inspiration, check out their blog.

Guess what? it's STILL raining here....

love.t

2009-05-22T12:42:00.004-05:00

it was a long and productive week at work, sorting & organizing 47,000 images, all part of a network-accessible image database we are about to roll out for the entire company's use. i am not sure if anyone besides the guy "heading up" the project realizes how much i got done in a week, but that's not the point i guess. the point is, i feel muy accomplished, as i contributed a great deal [pretty much all] of my energy and organizational efforts to something that i'm pretty sure will greatly assist my co-workers in the future. not to mention, i'm feeling pretty inspired [if not just a wee bit cross-eyed] from some of the really cool photos i ran across.

anyway, i am off of work, and although it's raining [again] and i am stuck inside, i am SO SO SOOSOSOSOSO SO so glad it is friday and that we have a long weekend.

...may you all have a lovely and safe memorial day holiday.

i'll leave you with this... i definitely learned a thing or two browsing through it. i really do wish the city would give us a bin so i didn't have to guerilla recycle [sneak my bags of recyclables into my neighbors' bins at night when no one's looking]. although it is kinda fun.

love.t

saturday june 6*= art + music

2009-05-21T11:56:00.003-05:00

The grand opening of our friend’s gallery warehouse project, IWAN [independent working artists network], will take place on Saturday, June 6. It will be an all-day music+art event and Chris’s photographs will be on exhibit.

It should be a really fun time and we’d love to see you all there!
love.t

the many faces of duke....

2009-05-20T11:08:00.004-05:00

hi...not a lot of time to post today, but here are a few recent photos of Duke [aka. louis, lou, louie, lou lou, dukie lou, dukie, huey louis and the news, dukester, duke of earl, and/or THE duke].
love.t

2009-05-18T12:22:00.005-05:00

Whole Foods Prairie Bread is delicious! (especially toasted and dipped in yogurt butter). This is a wonderful new discovery of mine, and I'm even thinking my Father will appreciate it, although I know he'll say it's very much like eating birdseed.
Happy Happy Monday. I'm ready for the rain!
Love.t

oh my!

2009-05-15T11:33:00.004-05:00

backup plans in a down economy?
i have one that i'd simply love to do [for the right family, of course]. happy friday! kristen and i are off to eat some dogs [and sip some beer] before she hops on a plane to nc. it's raining outside- the rainy muggy summers have begun but the plants are loving it! the fruit trees are producing, i got my first batch of mangoes from kristen's tree [i love friends that don't love mangoes!] this week, and discovered some other neighborhood fruit trees yesterday while on a walk. soon, duke and i will be starting our secretive early-morning fruit gathering missions...
love.t

Maya Lin

2009-05-14T07:45:00.005-05:00

One thing I always wanted to do but never did while living in New York was visit Storm King. The Storm King art center and its sculptures set in the 500 acre landscape and surrounded by the Hudson Highlands were viewable from the highway when we made our frequent site visits to the bluestone rock quarry in Alcove, New York.
The Storm King Arts Center in upstate New York has recently commissioned a massive land art sculpture by famed artist and architect Maya Lin. ‘Storm King Wavefield’ covers 11 acres out of the Storm King center’s 500-acre sculpture park, and is set in a shallow, amphitheater-like depression that was once a gravel pit supplying material for highways. According to the New York Times, the wavefield’s ”seven parallel rows of rolling, swelling peaks were inspired by the forms of midocean waves but echo the mountains and hills around them.” This wavefield is part of a larger series: the first was installed at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 1995, and the second, completed in 2005, covers 30,000 square feet near the Federal courthouse in Miami, and is called "flutter." I gained a strong appreciation for the simplicity and meaningfulness of Lin's work years ago upon visiting and experiencing her Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington DC.
Is it really already Thursday?!
love.t

cupcakery.

2009-05-12T12:29:00.004-05:00

For Mother's Day Sunday, I cooked a homemade Italian dinner for 7 of us, including Chris's mother and step-father. Despite the stubborn HOT 81 degree temperature in the house, we all had a nice time. One highlight was the batch of chocolate cupcakes I made from a Sprinkles mix my sister recently gave me. Everyone really liked them and I had to bring the rest into the studio due to my ongoing intense craving for them... you know of my weakness for good chocolate... and these are G O O D!
Sprinkles is apparently of utmost West Coast cupcake shoppe fame, and their flavors are pretty diverse and tempting! I'd love to visit one of their stores and scarf a Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cupcake...
Despite the high price of the mix, I honestly can say they were well worth the $14.00.
In other cupcake related news, I stumbled upon these funky paper baking cups today while perusing design blogs [and procrastinating this morning].... Check out Bake it Pretty's Etsy store for more....
Love.t

so....

2009-05-08T09:52:00.007-05:00

Chris and I watched Slumdog Millionaire last night. Despite my unintentional 10 [chris says 40] minute "nap" and a few unsettling scenes [i am VERY sensitive to anything un-positive/ illness/ violence-related, absurd i know], the movie was everything I wanted it to be. The soundtrack was incredible- a perfect blend of Bollywood and hip-hop featuring M.I.A, a favorite artist of mine- and the picture was captivating. Not to mention the film's colorfully-rich setting, the realistically-portrayed streets of Mumbai.
I'd have to say, however, that the last three minutes of the film were my favorite, and made the movie... the choreographed Jai Ho dance has been placed amongst the top-ranked movie/ dance scenes in my head.
This interview with Director Danny Boyle discusses his decision to film the entire movie in Mumbai and his take on the ending of the movie.
Enjoy the weekend! It's lovely here. High 86, low 76. Perfecto!
love.t

friends of fame

2009-05-07T14:08:00.006-05:00

[photo: britney majure 2009]

Some of Chris's work has been featured on a Russian Lomography website. A girl discovered his photographs on flickr and contacted him to ask if he'd be interested in submitting his work for inclusion in a Russian Lomography art show/ contest. He did not know his work would also be featured on the online entry submittal homepage. Check out his flickr website if you get a chance.... he's been shooting for the Broward/ Palm Beach New Times which has been known to expose him to some pretty interesting events [aka. the Anime Supercon gathering]! Great work, Chris, and congratulations!

Congratulations also goes out to Britney Ann Majure! Britney's 'May 1st in Berlin' photographs were published online by Sipa Press this week. Great photos capturing a seemingly cool and well-deserved event, the German worker's holiday... so definitely check them out.

Boss is on a plane to Dubai and I've finished my work for the week. Feels quite quite nice.
Love.t

feliz

2009-05-05T07:53:00.003-05:00

¡feliz cinco de mayo!

...quite possibly my most favorite un-american holiday to celebrate. and for very shallow reasons- those of which i am not afraid to admit- chips and salsa and margaritas.
actually, chris and i started off the week unknowingly in celebratory fashion... chris made homemade margaritas sunday night that were mmm mmm good. he substitued the Cointreau with Patron's Citronge Orange Liqueur and used key lime juice instead of lime juice. i'll get him to post the recipe here soon.
love.t

today.

2009-05-02T13:54:00.002-05:00

i just planted tabasco peppers, cubanelle peppers, fiesta bell peppers, oregano, thyme, and a few other things in the garden. i had no plans to do this today but when i went to home depot with kristen and kent this morning, i couldn't resist buying some actual plants. this germinating seeds thing has not working for me too well this year- except for the lettuces, tomatoes and cilantro- and therefore i have begun to crave more of an "instant" result.

it's beautiful out, i'm in my bathing suit and am headed back outside to catch up on some reading. duke is holding down the fort and tuning into Jazz Fest live on New Orleans radio, WWOZ.

i think i might need a pimm's cup. okay, the sunshine is calling me....

friday

2009-05-01T13:57:00.003-05:00

summer hours in full-effect, it's half-day friday. no time to write, there's a whole friday afternoon world out there to explore [after i mail this ebay stuff away].
happy weekend to all....it's looking like a full one here! and it's pretty awesome outside these days. no time to be stuck indoors.
love.t

new orleans jazz and heritage festival

2009-04-25T18:16:00.007-05:00

vintage jazz fest poster, 1975. [you can buy it for only $1,975.00]

happy jazz fest! the happenings started yesterday and will run until sunday. then pick back up next thursday, april 3oth and commence on sunday, may 3rd. i hold a bit of nostalgia for this annual event, as i think most people do that are from new orleans and south louisiana, right jo-elle? this year marks the 40th anniversary of Jazz Fest. the Jazz Fest experience is pretty indescribable, like no other music festival i've been to, and i've been to a few esp. in my hippie/ handmade clothing/chicken dancing days. I think it's the blend of thick heritage, good music, nice people, the absurd heat and the the best creole & cajun food ever that makes it so unique and such an AWESOME time.

i sure hope everyone's having fun!! i've been tuning in via WWOZ [live coverage] all day and am loving it.

love.t

2009-04-24T11:18:00.005-05:00

i have a cold. i was determined to take care of chris last weekend, and all the while i kept telling myself, "I'm healthy, i take my vitamin c and multi-vitamins daily, i won't get sick!! plus he JUST has a sinus infection and they aren't contagious anyway." haaha. and then BAM it hit me like a ton of bricks tuesday.

but all is well, i've just semi-confined myself to the house the past few days because i don't want to get anyone at work sick. all of us there are mentally ill enough as it is.... kidding.

anyway, it's awesome weather out there- i've been watching the cilantro, lettuce, tomatoes and native red hibiscus [that dad gave me] sprout. it's a nice form of medicine and it keeps me from getting TOO bored. oh yeah, that and eBay. I'm not sure if i have mentioned that i have been rummaging through my possessions for the past 2 months or so and eBay-ing the useless, unnecessary stuff away. last month i made $500. $500! it's a great alternative to a second job that i had considered getting to to bring in a little extra income.

also, the Green Energy Education Act of 2009 passed in the House of Representatives on Wednesday by a large 411-6 majority. The Legislation aims for the authorization of higher education curriculum development and graduate training in advanced energy and green building technologies. This is said to affect the next wave of construction and design professionals by affording them the educational resources to improve upon the energy efficiency and productivity of our nation's buildings. Read more here...

happy friday... sniffle/sneeze, and a bark from duke.

love.t

2009-04-20T18:36:00.010-05:00

hi.

the mussels we cooked yesterday turned out to be delicious. i also made a roasted asparagus risotto that knocked my own socks off, but not chris's. he doesn't wear socks anyway.

seriously, it was the best risotto i've made yet, he just doesn't like the creaminess/ consistency of it. maybe i don't really either and maybe i just really like the fact that my pee smelled like asparagus after i ate it. kidding.

after work this eve, i took duke on a car ride to the happenin' semi-ghetto CVS pharmacy to get Chris some cold medicine. i've always held onto the conviction that boys are babies when sick, but when chris is missing work and doesn't have a camera in his hand, i know it's for real. he's now stocked up on juice, ricola, etc... and i hope i get the real chris back very soon.

this weekend was chill. we went to an art show at the full circle gallery on friday for the closing reception of BLENDER, an exhibit featuring various media of artists Francesco Lo Castro, Peter Giovenco, Skot Olsen, Todd Nolan, Rhee Polamus, and Lisa Parrot. Rhee is a friend of Chris's and I really like what i've seen of his work. One of his pieces on display was an intricately painted bowling pin. I've decided that I desire to one day have a custom set of painted bowling pins in my house at the end of a long and narrow hallway, each painted/ sculpted by a favorite artist of mine.

Last week i carved out some time to research "green" household cleaning products and body cleansers, etc... I will fill you in later, but i thought you might want to know that tomorrow is earth day 2009, and in celebration, mrs. meyers clean day will be offering free shipping tuesday and wednesday for all online orders. Mrs. Meyers was one of the green companies I researched that rated very high in the earth-friendly, biodegradable product, sodium laureth sulfate-free, and cruelty-free categories. It's definitely a deal to take advantage of this free shipping offer, as their product costs are considerably lower than buying locally from Whole Foods. Plus you're supporting them directly... Oh, and my favorite favorite scent is their newest one, Basil.

Hope you all had a nice weekend...

Love.t

Duke

2009-04-16T22:04:00.000-05:00

I have a funny dog. He's very particular and quite nosy. Last week on
our walk, Duke was intrigued by a heavily-breathing runner behind us
and proceeded to stare, with his head turned around, while continuing
to walk forward, until he ran into a lightpole. He was unscathed and I
got a good laugh out of it.
Today in his foodbowl sits three meals worth of uneaten dogfood. Fine,
he's a picky eater, buy what's with his extreme liking for roasted
Brussels sprouts (that he devoured with me at lunch today)? And why
doesn't he eat the morning treats i leave him with until i come home
for lunch 5 hours later? Oh, and please tell me why he only walks down
the stairs on the left-hand side when the left is the same as the right.
Love.t

2009-04-15T14:22:00.004-05:00

In landscape architecture related news:

-A new exhibit just opened at the MOMA in New York City.
"In Situ: Architecture and Landscape" studies the growing relationship between architecture and the landscape that surrounds it.
I think this would be an interesting exhibit to see in a time such as this, as we as a society have been forced to return to a bit of simplicity, eradicating our excessive ways of life and addressing the more important issues that continue to face us.
Landscape architecturally speaking, it's our duty to cater to the realities of what we've gotten ourselves into. We've begun to deal with the products of the avant-garde "starchitecture" movement [excessive and oftentimes isolated architecture] by attempting to re-integrate and re-orient humans to their city surroundings to establish a true sense of place . In my opinion, a true urban experience lies in the proper introduction or experiential approach to the architecture. And this approach heavily relies on focusing on the design or alteration of the urban landscape that in turn creates a successful transition and connection to the surrounding built environment.
Sorry for the tangent. The show will go until September 14, 2009 so have a look if you're in the area...

-Also check out New York Public Radio WNYC's "Cityscapes". My previous employer, Michael Van Valkenburgh, was one of the four architects chosen for the video series. Although i no longer work there, i still feel a strong connection to the firm's work and the projects i was a part of while there. In the two years working for him, I learned more than I have in the remainder of my career [albeit 5 years] as a landscape architect. The videos are interesting, as he's a pretty intelligent, quirky and detail-oriented, not to mention very well-respected, man.
love.t

2009-04-13T11:37:00.004-05:00

marimekko fabric by Sanna Annukka

"i have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning...."
--j.b. priestly (1894-1984) english author

feliz*easter

2009-04-12T14:02:00.006-05:00

hello....it's a BEAUTIFUL day here.... all of the windows are open and the breeze is blowing through the house. duke got a rawhide bone from the easter bunny and has been working on it all day. he's finally finished and is now catnapping in the ray of sunlight shining under the table. i will be going to dinner at Chris's parents here shortly but wanted to share this hummus recipe of Ina Garten's [Barefoot Contessa] that chris and i made for the new year and thought was rather enjoyable. i will be bringing the appetizer to dinner tonight, as i have been recently made aware of his mother's love of endive....

something else noteworthy, i just cracked open an Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager. It's a seasonal ale of the Abita Brewing Company and is mmm mmm good.

happy easter to everyone. i hope you are having a wonderful day and are able to spend it with the ones you love.

love.t

Hummus

from "The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook"

makes 2 cups

"at Barefoot Contessa we make a very lemony hummus with lots of garlic and spice. I like to drizzle it with toasted pignoli, and serve it as a dip for pita bread and endive leaves. This is very quick to make and lasts for a week in the refrigerator"

2 CUPS canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved

1 1/2 TEASPOONS kosher salt

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 CUP tahini (sesame paste)

6 TABLESPOONS freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)

2 TABLESPOONS water or liquid from the chickpeas

8 DASHES Tabasco sauce

Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until the hummus is coarsely pureed. Taste for seasoning and serve chilled or at room temperature *in endive leaves dusted with a little cayenne pepper or paprika.

*my additions.

Enjoy!

mussels

2009-04-08T14:41:00.004-05:00

we never ate mussels in brussels. but we sure did talk about it a lot. maybe we were too young at the time and didn't want to spend the money. or maybe we were distracted by the beer. all i know is i definitely didn't appreciate food then like i do now. that was 2001. and a lot has changed since then [yet i am still the same lovely woman, haha].
anyway, i ran across this article today and thought it was appropriate for a few reasons.
one: on my ongoing "green and sustainable" rant, mussels are considered to be a "responsible" seafood choice.
two: mussels are apparently an inexpensive meal, and since i'm on an extreme saving kick, this is a gourmet meal i will still allow myself to make.
and three: some of chris's favorite foods are steamed clams and mussels. he returns saturday from 11 days surfing in nicaragua, so i think i'll welcome him back with this recipe.
and perhaps even some belgian beer.
love.t

see? the grass CAN be greener for some smart folks...

2009-04-06T13:11:00.004-05:00

One of my best friends Britney moved to Berlin a few months back... Her story is featured in the New York Post today along with some other expats that have decided to up and go in the midst of this frazzled economic time- and who are succeeding quite well. Yay Britney!
There's been an idea or two a-brewin' in my head lately as well.... Details to follow....
love.t

baking success!

2009-04-03T16:57:00.002-05:00

...I made something the other day. Clarification: i BAKED something the other day. Oatmeal, dried cherry and chocolate cookies. And I can't get enough of them!

My creation was an adaptation of the Triple-Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookie recipe from epicurious, so here you go folks:

1 c. unbleached all=purpose flour

1/2 t. backing soda

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. salt

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 c. sugar

2/3 c. brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 t. pure vanilla extract

1 3/4 c. old fashioned oats

2/3 c. shaved semi-sweet gourmet chocolate such as Callebaut or Valrhona

1/2 c. white chocolate chunks [whole foods]

1/2 dried cherries [or cranberries, or both!]

preheat oven to 350 degrees.

whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in bowl to blend. using electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars in large bowl until smooth. beat in eggs and vanilla. add flour mixture and stir until blended. stir in all chocolate and cherries/ cranberries.

drop batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto sheets lined with parchment paper. bake 12-15 minutes or until light brown. cool on racks.

yum yum! enjoy...

off to yoga to burn this sh*t off!

love.t

Earth Hour 2009* observations

2009-03-30T11:13:00.007-05:00

Also, click on the images for more observations of Earth Hour at various amazing places around the world...
Um, I don't see the US in too much of the footage [?], bits and pieces here and there, but I do hope everyone is/ was touched by this in some way and was able to participate in one way or another. I illuminated my house by candlelight and was inspired to keep the lights off the remainder of the evening and into the day yesterday.
happy monday... it's a bright and sunny day today, a nice reprieve from the weekends' clouds and rain.
love.t

Local Harvest, Farmer's Markets and CSA Programs

2009-03-26T15:17:00.009-05:00

I've run across the following website two times in two days and am really excited...
Local Harvest is a searchable database that assists in finding a farmer's market, family farm or sustainable food source near you! This is a Godsend to me, as I've had to really do some internet digging to find farmer's markets, green markets, organic markets and CSA farms near me here in South Florida. And I couldn't, for the life of me, find a website that compiled all of this information for me ON ONE PAGE [!] until now. So I hope you enjoy and can benefit from it as much as I am.
And while you're here, I'll go ahead and fill you in on CSA farm programs [which you can also search for in your area through Local Harvest]. CSA = Community Supported Agriculture... nevermind. I think they say it better.
Anyway, a CSA season typically runs from late spring through early fall, but here in temperate South Florida we have a CSA season of November-April. So I will promptly enroll in July for my first season [I missed the boat the last two years] and cannot wait to pick up my half-share of unknown fresh veggies every Sunday for 20 weeks from the local pickup spot. Since there is only one CSA farm pertaining to this region, my mind's already been made up for me and I'm pretty excited about the experiences that await with Bee Haven Farm/ Redland Organics.

love.t

dad's garden

2009-03-26T09:24:00.001-05:00

dad's garden
Originally uploaded by tpinkredt

a glimpse of louisiana life...
love.t

Get Down Tonight...

2009-03-25T13:00:00.003-05:00

Lately I’ve been dreaming of a Disco rebirth... just craving a little extra bit of Soul around here...
When [not IF] this rebirth happens, I WILL become a regular dancing guest on Soul Train.
Love.t

muddy waters and light bulbs.

2009-03-23T09:47:00.007-05:00

Typical work day as of late:

Kristen laughing to herself at her computer.
Me: Haha, what are you laughing at/ doing/ typing like crazy over there?
Kristen: I am reading this article [turns computer to show me], oh and I am finishing up this thing for bob, and I just blogged. It’s not that exciting today though.
Me: Ian what are you doing? Do you have anything for me to do?
Ian: No. You can print these eBay shipping labels for me. eBay's apparently where I make my living these days.
Me: Um, no thanks.
Me: Krystyna, what are you up to back there?
Krystyna: Just reading about the economy a-gain [in her polish accent]. oh gosssh.
Me: Well.... I guess I will just sit here and sort out our database of image files again. And read magazines. again.

[Happy] Monday, Monday. I think I will appropriately listen to the blues now. and consult the light bulbs in my head for a little help with my inner glow. They also spark my creativity in times such as these.
Things can only get better from here, right? yes.
Love. t

impressed? i am.

2009-03-20T11:00:00.006-05:00

As an advocate of healthy living, Michelle Obama really has been working to get her word out on the importance of building and fostering community gardens, consuming fresh and un-processed foods, and supporting local agriculture- purchasing fruits and vegetables from nearby farms.
Dad sent this article to me this morning [thanks dad!] regarding today's groundbreaking for a kitchen garden on the south lawn of the White House. It will be the first garden on the grounds in decades, and the plan is for the garden to supply with White House kitchen with it's own harvested food.
Children from a local school in DC will be a part of the planting process as well as the harvesting process. Apparently Alice waters of Berkeley's famed Chez Panisse "has been lobbying for a vegetable garden at the white house since 1992" and is very pleased to see this now coming to fruition. She has also urged the Administration in the past to become part of her Edible Schoolyard Project where children grow on the grounds of the school their own fruits and vegetables to be eaten in the cafeteria. More on this later, but I think we are now one step closer to making this a reality in more of our schools...

This all makes me very happy. I see it as a positive step the right direction health-wise for all of us, and for our further understanding and nurturing of the natural environments in which we live.

Anyway, happy friday.
Besides the beach and yoga and running and a trip to a new [new to me, at least] farmer's market and few drinks with friends, i will be making two types of homemade granola this weekend. One recipe is from a co-worker, who refined and refined her recipe, and this granola is literally to die for. The other recipe is a Canyon Ranch Recipe that my boss highly recommends. Can't wait to taste the results and will report back with recipes if I experience notable results....
love.t

Miami City Guide, part II

2009-03-11T10:03:00.005-05:00

...this Miami city guide is a sequel of the one i posted some time ago....enjoy....
it's weird to be so slow at work. what's a woman to do but peruse the internet, enhance her knowledge of relevant things, and dream of food, cooking and travel? ian, miranda and i will be visiting miami [downtown, design district and south beach] on monday and tuesday to photograph the interiors and exteriors various notable modern and historic art deco hotels, for some further design inspiration....and to occupy some time.
love.t

sundays.....

2009-03-08T08:25:00.005-05:00

good morning... did I ever say i love sundays? well, I do.

It's so peaceful here on Sunday early mornings. Duke and I just went for a walk and were able to pick some blooming bougainvillea for the house and smell coffee brewing from the neighbors' homes.

On my way to buy Dukie some dog food at whole foods, where I will also get a latte [I'm a fan of their Allegro coffees] and some good food for the week. Thinking about making a big pot of red beans and rice tonight... after i read the Sunday NY Times, attempt a homemade granola, go to the beach with friends and possibly drink a mimosa or two. I feel like there is something to celebrate... possibly the end of a long week and my LEED certification? Oh and feliz daylight savings! Spring is just around the corner...

love.t

sydney. we will miss you.

2009-03-06T11:31:00.010-05:00

it is with an extremely sad and heavy heart that dukie and i had to say goodbye to our best friend sydney on wednesday night.
sydney, almost 12 yrs. old, was my dog from 18-30 yrs. old and the love of my life as i am sure you all know. running around, herding me to the food bowl, begging underneath my feet in the kitchen for food, and happy until almost the very end, the sweet gray man died peacfully in his favorite spot on the sunporch.
i am devastated with the emptiness that Sydney has left behind and am trying to remain comforted in knowing that all dogs go to heaven [right?] and that he is in a better place.
love.t

more of it....

2009-03-01T14:25:00.007-05:00

whoo hooo! the studying is almost over. almost. the test is on thursday, and NOT wednesday like i have been thinking for the last week, haha]..... airhead.