Campfire Cookery

What a delightful book! I assumed it would be a fun cookbook, but it is filled with many more clever insights like:
- elementary stargazing and orienteering
- tarot card and tea leaf reading
- ghost stories
- interesting information on the "true" marshmallow
- fishing lure & lore
- how to whittle away
- how to build a fire and more....

With whimsical writing like "Oh, sublime magnificence! Would one dare to eat such a peach?" or "To quiet one's cantankerous belly in the peckish hours before the evening meal, one can do no better than these nibbles; we also find that children flock, as if following the Pied Piper, to the tartine table." Who wouldn't want this book? I love it!

My Idea of Heaven

My idea of heaven on earth would be to take off during the summer in one of these lovely vintage treasure-filled caravans. I would lounge, read books, play games, rock hunt, cook minimal yet tasty meals, and just be present in that sunlight. To find out more about this amazing book, click here.

Trip to Santa Fe

I took a trip to Santa Fe with my mother for a very special Thanksgiving, here are some photos...

Paused to take in the grandeur of the Palisades Sill on the way to Taos.

Santa Fe public library green window and the shops/buildings in the downtown area...

We made two trips to the O'Keeffe Museum on Friday.

One of the oldest houses built ~1646 is next to one of the oldest churches, the San Miguel Mission.

inside San Miguel

The Kagyu Shenpen Kunchab Buddhist Center and Bodhi Stupa; I wish we could have gone inside, but they were closed on Thanksgiving day.

We stayed at the Santa Fe Hostel -- good people, awesome kitchen and food, which made up for having to seriously clean our room before feeling at home. I suggest upgrading to get your own bathroom! The staff were generous and cooked a delicious and healthy meal to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Breakfast at the Counter Culture is a must! (and stop by the book store and other shops next door, plus the Hospice Thrift Store just up the block) Lunch at the Shed is about an hour wait, but delicious once you make it in! (strategy: put your name on the list, walk around the Plaza, come back in 45 minutes and get a buzzer so you'll be seated within 10-15 minutes)

I am always looking to experience donuts like the Doughnut Plant in NYC, so when I saw the write up for Whoo's Donuts in THE, I had to try a couple. My favorite was the Candied Orange with Apricot Glaze filled with Cardamon Cream donut (I ate too fast to take a photo of). The lemon pistachio white chocolate was awfully tasty and if you are looking for dessert, the pecan bourbon cream filled donut was something else. Still not as perfected as the NYC donuts, but still very good (coming from someone who doesn't really like donuts).

Saturday we spent most of the day near the railyard at the Flea Market, Farmers Market...

I bought these vintage embroidered napkins at the Flea Market.

Agitated Histories at SITE Santa Fe was interesting. I had seen Daniel Joseph Martinez's Divine Violence at the Whitney Biennial, but enjoyed seeing it again. (Sam Durant's neon in front)

Detail of Deborah Grant's Suicide Notes to Self at SITE.

Yummy salad and fish/chips to go with the Imperial Porter and the Cream Stout at the 2nd Street Brewery.

On the way home, we stopped in Pecos at the Hummingbird Cafe. If you have a chance, its delightful -- live music, astrologer, homemade pie and 'jars of things'.

Raton Pass

Poto & Cabengo Jewelry

I love this jewelry! Poto & Cabengo's combination of vintage pieces with a unique take
on current trends makes for truly special accessories for any style.

Check out P&C this Wednesday, September 21st at the Colorado Art &
Farm Market at the Fine Arts Center here in Colorado Springs.

current lines include:

Glyph - downtown edge meets ancient mystery, for the fashion forward girl
who likes to make a statement with a secret language all her own

Sparrow - subtle, sweet, and nature-inspired designs for pretty elegance that never goes out of style

 

Rust - rescued and repurposed vintage and antique elements find new life
in one-of-a-kind or limited run accessories that add a special flare to getting dressed

CS Thrift Store Review: Repeat Performance

Repeat Performance

829 N Union Blvd
Colorado Springs, CO 80909

This unique shop is packed full of fun stuff. It seems deceptively small at first, but it keeps growing -- small room after small room! Women's and men's clothes from the 40's through the 80's, wedding and prom dresses, jewelry, hats, knickknacks, kitchen items, a strange mass collection of Raggedy Ann dolls, and lederhosen! All sorts of treasures to find, assuming you show up on the right day/time. Hours: Wednesday to Saturday, noon to 4:00pm. The outside of the building looks run-down, made me wonder if it was still in business. But the couple met us as at the door and quickly C was roped into helping move a shelf to the front. (minimal furniture, mostly clothes and things)

CS Thrift Store Review: Encore

Encore Consignment Shop
2218 East Pikes Peak Avenue, Colorado Springs

Notes from 8/2010 visit:
- accessible / lots of parking (in small strip mall) Nemo's coffee nearby
- clean, well lit and organized space (although not much 'thrifting' to do)
- quality, designer label clothing, hats, shoes and jewelry for women
- mostly for women 40+ years ... but they had a pair of beautiful Cavalli pants!
- couture labels; leather jackets
- interesting date/$ tag system

...and as my friend noted: "The use of cheap locks and chains on the designer pieces from the estate was a nice touch."

CS Thrift Store Review: DAV

Disabled American Veterans Thrift Store
2444 East Platte Avenue, Colorado Springs

Notes from 8/2010 visit:
- large building with clean, well organized sections
- half-off tags change daily, sometimes more than one color is on sale
- fun flashback clothing scores
- tricky to get to if going east on Platte (median) and parking lot entrance is close to intersection
{men/women/kids clothing and shoes, jewelry, furniture, housewares (linens, lamps, frames, knickknacks) kitchen items, some electronics, videos, cds, books, craft corner and holiday section - Halloween costumes were already out}