29 July 2013

Surprise Saturday and Life Around Here

Its been busy around here lately, so I thought I would post a few things going on (if you follow me on FB you probably already saw most of the pics.)

This Saturday past wound up being a busy day filled with lovely surprises...

I had a few little errands to run starting off at the fantastic Petticoat Lane in Chappaqua, NY owned by Phyllis, one of the most lovely, generous, intelligent & beautiful (inside & out) women I know. Also the place to go for discounted Longchamp & Wolford (both workhorses that never seem to die no matter what I put them through!) Their online shop is: http://www.bagshop.com, and they are always running specials. Supporting small & local businesses is important to me, as I was in that position one time and know all too well what happens when the "little guy" gets pushed out & the chains or big designers move in (as was the case where I had my shop in the West Village -- I call it the Marc Jacob-ization of the West Village, no more fun funky shops or quirky restaurants, just one designer shop after another). I do usually shop second-hand but certain things I want new, knowing the quality will last forever (or until I manage to mangle it!) We arrived just minutes after missing the Clintons (drat!) who whether you like them or not, do support all the local shops and restaurants (they live in Chappaqua) which I think is wonderful, setting a good example for the other noted residents in the area who can easily shop elsewhere having someone else do it for them. On to the goodies...

Wolford ribbed merino wool tights. I purchased the stay ups a few years back (from Petticoat Lane of course!) and they are so warm, I thought the leggings would be even better. I got them in "anthracite" which is a black heathery colour, quite nice for a change from plain old black, yet still dark enough for my tastes.

I picked this Longchamp long=handled large Le Pilage for the lovely Christine. This is it all folded up, they are perfect to toss in your handbag when you know you'll be doing a lot of shopping as they are sturdy & hold a ton! (its actually navy, not black, bad lighting!)
This was a gift from the lovely Phyllis, I had admired the colour (down towards the bottom is the true colour) and was blown away by her generosity. She also gifted Gwensday a pair of wayfarers, as we're trying to drum into her head how important it is to wear sunglasses to protect your eyes not only from the harmful UV rays, but from getting sunburned on the whites (not pretty, I've seen it, creeps me out!) See, I told you she was generous as well as all those other good things!

Next up was hitting the movie theater -- R.I.P.D. Eh, could've been a renter, reminded me of "Ghostbusters" but without the great laughs. However, just before we went into the theater, we got a text from Tish saying there was a birthday celebration going on that evening for her sister Snooky, with Snooky's husband's band playing. Nice surprise! Home to throw on a little makeup then off again...

Andy Bale (Sic F*cks and radio fame) singing with "Lick the Toad"
Dennis Dunaway (Alice Cooper Band, r n' r Hall of Famer, Blue Coupe check it out, new music with a special guest -- you'll have to go to the site to find out, nah nah!) stepping up to play for a few songs with Lick the Toad!
Tish and Snooky doing backup vocals.
Some friends also there to celebrate!
Paula Cereghino and Fred Smith (Fred from Television & both of Cereghino Smith Winery, where you can get the very tasty "Rock and Roll Red"!) Lousy lighting, but shows what a great couple they are & they're beautiful spirits! 
Dennis Dunaway and his lovely wife Cindy Smith Dunaway (another woman I can't say enough good things about! I'm lucky to have such amazing women -- and men -- in my life!)

Hubby caught a shot of me dancing. My hair is now "Pink Cadillac" a new shade I adore! Funny thing was I went out early that day dressed like this, heels & all, so all I had to do was throw on some makeup... kinda like I knew the day would lead us elsewhere!
 Weirdest part of the evening? A week or so ago I found out David Bowie has a house not too far from us, maybe 45 mins further upstate in Duchess County. Um, the restaurant was in the very same town... so close, yet so far! Haha! It was a great night filled with great company & great music! 

In other goings on around here... 

Found out the reason Calliope (our kitty) doesn't always answer me is because she responds to German! The lovely & talented Mary (http://www.maryloucinnamon.com) sent me some amazing tarot decks, all the way from Austria, so sweet! Some are in German. I taught myself German many years ago, but can read it better than I can speak it (same as French, I know what to say, it just doesn't come to me when I need it, an hour later I realise what I should have said!) As I was looking at the cards in one particular deck, I was reading the names out loud. She went nuts! She started talking like crazy! So I started saying basic things to her in German and I always get a response. She also will not leave that deck alone, knocks them down from wherever they're sitting & keeps trying to pull out cards. Even odder, I found I had the same deck in English (DUH), but never got good readings like I do with this one (totally bizarre) and she leaves that deck alone! Leave it to me to find the one cat that speaks German, rescued in Brooklyn!
Silly kitty pose. Calliope, Die Deutsch sprechende Katze (the German speaking cat.)

From our garden:

Will be enjoying some organically grown tomatoes from my garden either tonight or tomorrow depending on my mood! No idea of the varieties, I planted a bunch of different ones & of course during one of our many storms the little picks blew away. I do recall the center ones being some odd yellow striped variety, you can see it clearest in the topmost one, with the red center. And yes, one was eaten like an apple, nothing like a fresh home grown tomato still warm from the sun!

The rest is from our local farmers market. Everything is always so fresh, local growers, organic, no hormones (in meat & dairy) and simply delicious. My lovely husband made a quick run for a few supplies, usually we load up on more but it was late & they were sold out of what we wanted. Next week!

Last night's dinner chopped up and ready to go. Rainbow Swiss Chard, the sweetest, best we've ever had!

All cooked up: sauté in olive oil with loads of garlic, season. Toss with capellini pasta, sprinkle a little parmesan cheese over the top. I wish I took this in better lighting, as you can't see the gorgeous colours of the rainbow chard.

Two of our fav cheeses from the Farmer's Market. The top is a spread, heavenly, loads of garlic. The bottom one is kind of like a very mild brie. Those who don't eat the rind on brie, will have to change their minds on this one as the rind is almost the best part!

 Well that's about all for now... most super hot days you'll find us at the yacht club (ha so funny saying "yacht club", this is the loveliest, most unpretentious yacht club with such kind and considerate members.) swimming or lazing by the pool gazing at the gorgeous Hudson River. Its been a funny summer so far, lazy days or super busy. How is your summer going? Or if you're down under how is your winter?

XXX 
Jet


12 comments:

  1. The Stylist is standing beside me drooling over your pasta dish!!! We're suckers for pasta in this house, the simple dishes using super-fresh ingredients are simply the best! Oh and I see how you BURIED the best pic on the interwebz way down in the post, yes the one of you looking absolutely gorgeous on the dance floor!!!!! I knew green had magical properties, I'll be channelling the faeries from now on when I wear our favourite colour:) xoxoxoxo

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    1. The simple dishes are always the easiest! We get baby bok choy & I cook it the same way with the addition of shredded fresh ginger. One of Gwensday's friends of Chinese ancestry absolutely died over it as they usually cook it differently. Thanks for the compliment! Heehee yes green is very magical, I loved when my hair was green though back then it scared the living crap outta people! The faeries will be sure to come 'round yours, you are already magical! XXX

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  2. Oh my your food looks so good!Have made banoffee pie? You would love it. We have here everytime we go out to eat Italian.I made some back home and they devoured it.Your looking so sexy dancing away. I want to see more outfit pics of you amor.That stripey dress looks amazing on your caliente body.

    Besotes

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    1. I've never made banoffee pie because no one here like bananas that much (or at all). But I've had it, yuuuuum! They have really good Italian places in the UK, I'm just used to cooking that way so its easy for me. When we go out for Italian I always order something that takes too long too cook, haha! I'm camera shy, that's why the shot was totally candid, if I knew he was talking it I get all awkward ): Thank you amor, you're so sweet, love you! XXX

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  3. I keep thinking I need to pick up the Longchamp tote. I had one way back my freshman year of college, and I abused it horribly. It lasted until daughter was a baby, and a baby bottle leaked inside of it. Yuck smell afterward! I saw someone carrying one at brunch this morning, and then your post about it. I'm going to take that as a sign. Your tomatoes look amazing. I always overbuy at the farmer's market. It's just around the corner from us every Saturday morning with an amazing cheese guy, two bakeries, one for break and one for pastries, and the most amazing Middle Eastern stand that sells homemade pita chips, 10 different kinds of hummus, and the most amazing garlic spread. I say that I go to be healthy, but I end up buying so many fattening things, it's crazy.

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    1. Well definitely buy from Phyllis not only are her prices better than the designer outlets, but she's a doll & you support small business! If you don't see what you want, I'm close by & love her anyway so I'd be happy to go by and see what she has (I think sometimes not everything is on the website) Also even if you send her an email or call to find out if they have what you want, say you saw the blog post I did on her shop & that you are a friend. She's such a truly wonderful human being inside & out & will go out of her way to help you. But please no biggie if you want me to check it out for you. Oh the farmers market... I'm now obsessed with the fresh from the farm half and half -- coffee NEVER tasted as good as it does with this! And the whole milk, if I heat it, it whips up so well, and I can have a latte better than the coffee shops. Cheese and bread are my downfall! Not too many tomatoes here yet, but I have plenty on the vine waiting to ripen.Ha with all the cheese I buy there I'm not doing too well on the healthy front either -- at least you know it doesn't have all the crap in it like everything does these days! (Okay also go mad with veggies, go some amazing bok choy I have to cook up soon!) XXX Jet

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  4. I'm totally jealous of the merino leggings. I need to pick up something of that sort for the Winter - I am always cold!
    I've said it before on facebook but I'll say it again - you look great in that stripy dress!

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    1. If they're as warm as the stay-ups (and I'm presuming since they don't end at the thigh they are!) I'm gonna be a happy woman! I think Wolford is less expensive in the UK, there may even be an outlet at Bicester Village. Price them, I could always pop a pair in the post or better yet hand them to you in person! Its so interesting, I've had that dress for ages, lost 3 lbs (which to someone who isn't kid-sized is actually one dress size but if I belt it I can still wear it) and now how many years later, everyone loves it! (Okay I do too, which is why I never sold it!) XXX

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  5. Oh nein! I´m so slow and behind everything! es tut mir laid:( I missed so much of your blog lately! Hey i´m happy to see that wolford is known everywhere in the world, one of the few famous austrian brands, i don´t know if i told you that before but i work part time at a lingerie shop (palmers) and wolford was till some years part of the company;)
    oh and i also have a longchamp bag they are so practical and fabulous!
    i think i already told you on Facebook that i love that pic of you dancing! you look hot! superheiß;)
    kuss, mary
    http://www.maryloucinnamon.com

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    1. Guten Tag Mary! No worries,I'm behind on yours too -- sometimes we need to just live & get off the computer! Duh, I had no idea Wolford was Austrian, I knew it was European, but presumed German. Yes Wolford is quite well known here for their great quality, though quite expensive -- I have tights (can't recall the name, the ones everyone buys very opaque --"velvets"?) that are at least 4 years old & still going strong. Same with the meriono stay-ups, so quite excited to have the leggings for the cold NY winter. I do recall you telling me you worked in a lingerie shop, didn't know it was part of the company at one point though, no wonder you always have great hosiery! I love my Longchamp bag too, so great for travel or just lugging around "stuff. Need to clean mine up as its getting a bit dingy from so much use over the years. Thanks again for the compliment, dancing is one of my biggest joys in life and I think it shows in that candid shot! Thanks too, I learned a new word: superheiß! Küsse zu Ihnen auch! (Is that right? Always checking my grammar as being self-taught, I've forgotten so much!) XXX

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  6. Fuck me, you look gorgeous in that strapless number and YUUUM those tomatoes look so good!

    Sarah xxx

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    1. Heehee thanks Sarah! Oh the tomatoes were delicious, and I still have some ripening even now! (just got a few off the vine the other day.) XXX

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