Cultivation Nation

Wine Making By The Light of the Moon

2010-12-13T21:24:00.000-06:00

Err, more like light of the garage. Our fruit from Borra Vineyards in Lodi finally arrived! I won a ton of Zinfandel and a ton of Barbera at the TWGGA conference earlier this year and after multiple false starts getting the fruit here, it arrived first thing Monday morning at Pheasant Court Winery. We struck up a deal that Pheasant Court pay the shipping, we help with the winemaking, and they could sell the wine under their label. We just want a few cases in the end.

So, on our day off from Benton-Lane, Bobby and I went out to Pheasant Court to process the Zin and Barbera after dark. Pheasant Court is a small operation that is done in what is basically a barn adjacent to Charlie's, the winemaker/owner, house. The "crushpad" was his driveway. Brix levels were taken and both wines are projected to be pretty big- probably in the 14% range. After crushing and de-stemming, we got a grand tour of the cellar and talked wines and vines with Charlie. Via horse trade, Bobby & I scored a bottle of Chardonnay made from Woodhall grapes for a bottle of Bobby's 2009 Pinot Blanc (also Woodhall fruit).

Tomorrow will be pitching yeast and taking more accurate Brix measurements. And then all the excitement and wine management begins! Cheers!

Loading the Zin into the crusher/de-stemmer

Checking the quality of fruit

Processed Zinfandel!

Like Kitten Mittens, Only Funnier

2010-11-12T21:13:00.006-06:00

We fitted Bailey and Hank with booties to wear while hunting or hiking in rocky or rough terrain. It takes some getting used to on the dog's part, so as you can imagine the first time wearing them was a quite an experience. After getting the shoes on, we asked each dog to walk across the kitchen floor, hilarity ensued. See video below:

Thank You, Vets!

2010-11-11T19:34:00.006-06:00

I have never been to a Veteran's Day parade, let alone in one. Well, today was my lucky day. Albany's family owned restaurant Brewsters had a float in the parade and I got to ride while Bobby drove the tractor. We tossed plastic Easter eggs (as Brewsters' "mascot" is a rooster) filled with candy and a coupon to the restaurant. Kids of course went bananas for anything being thrown their way. There were even some adults pushing and jostling to get an egg. Who knew they would be such a big deal?!? We even duped a high school kid into dressing up as a rooster for the parade. He made a pretty comical rooster, but the children loved him!

We rode all the way through the main street of downtown where the street was PACKED with people. I learned this morning that Albany's Veteran's Day Parade is the largest west of the Mississippi. Pretty impressive! Maybe one day it will grow as big as the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. :)

Dwayne, Stacey (Brewsters' proprietor and Bobby's cousin), Alex, Brian, & Emily on board our float!

Farmer Bob drives the tractor

The tractor all decked out and ready for the parade!

In all the hustle and bustle of getting organized and being in the parade it was easy to forget why we were celebrating. I just want to take the opportunity to thank all of our veterans and those who are currently serving our country. We would not be the amazing nation we are today without you. All our thoughts and prayers are with our military today. God bless our troops and Happy Veteran's Day!

In a Jam

2010-11-08T17:49:00.006-06:00

One of my first activities at my new home in Oregon was to make jam. I was a little hesitant to take on this project, as I feared the amount of work would be overwhelming. Turns out, it was was super easy!

Using fresh picked blackberries (my personal favourite), we mixed the berries into almost a puree. After the berries were smooth, we added sugar, lots of sugar. Letting the blend stand for 10 minutes, we heated up the pectin and water to make a gel. The final step was to stir in the pectin to the berry mix and pour into containers! Et voila, blackberry jam!

Toast and biscuits taste so much better with a little homemade jam- especially since it came from my own two hands!

Don't mind the terrible hair, but you can see my stack of blackberry jam and the blackberries before they get mixed in with the pectin. Lip smackin' good!

On the Oregon Trail Once Again!

2010-10-29T14:07:00.000-05:00

Some of you may be beginning to think it's an annual event for me to jam pack my Mini Cooper full of stuff and drive cross country to Oregon. Well, this year is a little different. My road trip to Oregon is of the permanent kind. My boyfriend Bobby and I set out from Fort Worth, Texas to commence our one way trip to Albany, OR.

We quickly blew through the Panhandle of Texas eager to get to Colorado, stopping for lunch at a peculiar, yet somehow famous restaurant in Amarillo called The Big Texan Steak Ranch. They are known for their food challenge, offered to any guest who is willing to risk major indigestion and heartburn, to eat a 72 oz steak in under an hour. Neither of us dared to attempt the challenge, but cheered on the one guy who did- he threw in the towel with a little more than 5 minutes left on the clock. We were back on the road, looking to beat our own clock and be in Denver by nightfall. Since this is a permenant move, I brought my adorable Goldendoodle Bailey with me. He was wedged between the window, my giant suitcase, and our camping gear. Traveling with a dog means quite a few more stops and longer duration at each stop, which also meant we only made it to Pueblo, Colorado our first night. Somehow, Bobby was able to find a brewery in Pueblo walking distance from our hotel! and the icing on the cake was that they allowed dogs!

Bailey and me in the Big Texan wagon

Waking up well rested the next day, we piled back into the car and turned our sights north to Boulder. Not a long drive, but we had a busy day of brewery tours planned. Last year my friend Kevin and I focused on California wineries, this year is all about the beer. We grabbed lunch and a monster taster tray at Boulder Brewery. Next, was a mean game of Scrabble and samplers at Avery's Tap Room. And just for the record, I finally beat Bobby- there is a photo of the

scoresheet to prove it! Turns out we enjoyed our time in Boulder far too long and there was no way we would make our next goal of Yellowstone Park by a reasonable time. So, upon recommendation of the friendly staff at Oskar Blues Brewery, we decided to camp in Lyons, CO. Dinner on the small town's main street and a sweet spot by the river made for a lovely evening.

Our enormous taster tray at Boulder Brewery- good thing we shared this!

Tired of being stuck in the back, Bailey decided it was his turn to drive

It was FREEZING the next morning when we woke up! No matter what Bobby did, he was unsuccessful in getting me out of my sleeping bag. I finally pep talked myself out of the tent and we were on the road yet again. The drive from Lyons to Estes Park is beautiful! You'll wind your way through canyons and along mountain roads. The road then opens up to the gorgeous town of Estes Park. Much to Bobby's delight, Elk greeted us almost immediately upon entering town. A bull elk playing in the brush, while a cow elk cooled in the lake. We came to a quick stop for another elk to cross the street, hop the fence, and enjoy the perfectly manicured grass of a golf course fairway. Clearly, he didn't read the sign that only golfers were allowed on the course. Now, a day behind schedule, we had to keep moving through Estes Park despite our desires to stay and explore. We were determined to reach Yellowstone by that afternoon. We powered through most of Wyoming, stopping in Laramie for lunch. Lucky us, we discovered Altitude Brewery in downtown. After a delicious sandwich and yet another taster tray, I decided I needed more of their seasonal Pumpkin Ale. We walked out with a growler. Where to stash more beer, as we had picked up a few beer souvenirs at some of the other breweries? After a day of hard driving across Wyoming, we decided to stop for dinner and stay overnight in Dubois, just an hour outside the park. We didn't want to drive through the Grand Tetons and part of Yellowstone in the dark, so thought it would be better to leave from Dubois first thing in the morning. We stayed at a cute motel that was comprised little log cabins. They even had a horse corral.

The stunning view of Aspens turning colours and the Grand Tetons from Jackson Lake

After a good night's rest, we were on the road headed to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. End of September is a phenomenal time to visit both parks. All the trees were on fire with yellows and reds. The Tetons were lightly dusted with snow at the very peak of the mountains. We soaked up the stunning views and moved on to Yellowstone with high hopes to see some animals. Another benefit to traveling to Yellowstone in the late fall is the far less traffic you have to deal with as compared to the summer. Less people. More animals. We drove the south loop of the park and enjoyed the scenery. Then headed to a Yellowstone must- Old Faithful. We waited about an hour for eruption. I got terrible video, but some great photos. It was definitely worth the wait. The rest of the afternoon was spent driving around checking out other geysers, including the Grand Prismatic Geyser, and I got my first glimpse of a bison herd. At one of the stops we encountered two people and their van with a gnome strapped on top. They were fellow bloggers tracking their travels: onthegoodroad.com. Late afternoon we got our tent set up and then headed back to the lodge for dinner. How appropriate that Bobby and I camped on our one year anniversary! Our first date was a camping trip in Oregon. On our way to dinner, we were held up in a bison traffic jam! A herd was crossing the road and held up quite a few cars. One buffalo came within a couple of feet from our car. Too bad our camera died and the iPhone photos didn't come out that great due to the low lighting. At night we were lulled to sleep by the sounds of elk calling to each other. What an amazing sound to hear in the wild.

Bobby watching Old Faithful erupt

Close up of a bison, he was mere feet away!

Grand Prismatic Geyser

The next morning was spent exploring the northern part of the park. We spotted several elk, more bison, and to our delight a black bear. We ended up getting within 150 yards of the bear while he ate and scratched his back on a tree. He did not seem to care one way or the other if we were there. Probably the closest I'll ever get to a bear- what an incredible experience! At the very northern part of Yellowstone, we spotted a few sheep on the rocks. Another animal off our checklist! The only animal we did not see was a moose. We took the North Entrance out of the park and headed into Montana, stopping in Bozeman for lunch. Bozeman has a fantastic little main street with lots of streetside cafes, shops, and galleries. We decided that Montana is

definitely on our list to return and explore more of. Over lunch we chose make the beeline home in one day. We were tired and it was now day five of being on the road. We only had one remaining stop to make- Big Sky Brewery in Missoula. Squeezing in just 30 minutes before they closed, we sampled four beers and bought yet another growler to add to our collection. This particular growler was filled with Moose Drool Brown. The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful. We blew through the rest of Montana and into Idaho. We wound through mountain roads with switchbacks and s-turns, the kind of driving the Mini was built to do. We finally stopped in Cour d'Alene, Idaho for dinner and to watch the remaining few minutes of the Oregon Ducks game. It was back in to the car for another 7 hours after the Ducks' victory. At long last we arrived home in Albany at 430am. I don't even remember my head hitting the

pillow. Only to awake a mere three hours later by four dogs demanding our attention and space on the bed.

2, 478 miles traveled

It's good to be here.

Times Ten At Top Chef Challenge!

2010-08-08T07:31:00.003-05:00

Fort Worth, TX Magazine put on their own version of Top Chef Challenge on Thursday. Times Ten was the exclusive wine provider for the event. So, Dustin and I attended the competition to answer any questions there may be regarding the wine, and more importantly, snag some good food! We had a blast watching the chefs create their masterpieces. The secret ingredient was a rack of lamb; the savory smells wafting throughout the showroom were quite inticing. And lucky us, not only did tons of guests drink our wine, but we spotted two of the chefs sipping our Cab throughout the competition. They just so happened to be the top two qualifying chefs- coincidence? I think not!

We are so excited to see Chef Blaine and Chef Donnatella can do in the final round!

Donnatella imbibes a glass of x10 Cab while hard at work

Winners' Circle...cheers!

Fun WIth Bottling

2010-02-21T16:20:00.004-06:00

After two exhausting days of bottling this week, our warehouse is filling up. We now have 8 pallets of 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon and 5 pallets of 2007 Merlot. Our good friend Jimmy Jenkins at Fort Worth Screen Printing dropped by to check out the organized chaos. Using his handy dandy iPhone, he put together a great little video of the bottling process. You can also see Andrew's OSHA stretches on our Facebook page- always a good laugh. Oh! And we're always looking for volunteers for our next bottling!

Ten Times the Wine!

2010-02-10T07:26:00.000-06:00

I am so pleased to announce that we have finally started production here at Times Ten Fort Worth! We brought in 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2007 Merlot from California.

Before any juice could touch our tanks, we had to scrub the inside of the tanks to ensure that they were free of anything detrimental to the wine. Bill, who helps Chris out in our cellar, did a great job getting those tanks squeaky clean. Dustin and I arrived early to sanitize the hoses so that everything that the wine came in contact with was safe.

Chris and Dustin hook up the pump

A huge tanker truck rolled up and had to squeeze down our back alley. It was pretty interesting to see a semi fit between freshly laid cement and a tree. Fortunately, he made it- thanks to years of experience. We hooked up our hoses and let the wine flow!

Truck driving skills at their finest

Opening up the valve. Yay wine!

Quality assurance

More quality assurance by Steve

Dustin and Chris enjoy some of the Cab

The fun part of wine making. Cleaning!

After everything was pumped into the tanks it was time to clean up. I showed off my squeegee skills that I picked up at Benton-Lane.

Bottling commences next week. It's hard labour, but good times are always had.

Fun With Wine: Barreled Down

2010-02-09T14:54:00.009-06:00

Well, Harvest 2009 is long over and I have been remiss to write a wrap up post. So, at last I will finish the story of my time in Oregon.

The last couple of weeks were spent pressing the red wine and digging out tanks. All of the juice goes straight to a juice pan, but there is plenty left in the tank. Someone has to jump in the man-door and scoop out with a food grade shovel all the skins and seeds. Oh, and you're being timed. You have to wear a harness with a rope attached in case you pass out from CO2 overexposure, they can pull you out. But, it shouldn't ever get to that point, as you are wearing a CO2 monitor on your chest and the top is being ventilated by a fan, pulling the carbon dioxide out of the tank. I jumped in and scooped out one of the juiciest tanks there were- lucky me. See me up to my knees in grapes below!

Once everything in the tank has been pressed, a hose is hooked up to a pump, which is in turn hooked up to the barrel filler. Armed with a flashlight and a keen eye for precision, each barrel is filled to the maximum capacity, allowing a little room for stirring. Each barrel gets a thorough scrubbing with hot water (or cold if it is a brand new barrel) using the pressure washer hooked up to a handy-dandy barrel cleaner attachment. They have tools for everything! Once the barrel is sparkling clean and dry, they are rolled over to be facing exactly upright and exactly in line. Once, stacked 12, 14, 20 high, the stack will lean if this is not spot on. It would take me an hour just to do a few rows. Tedious, yes. Fun, no.

Callista moves on to the next barrel with the barrel filler, while Chris tops each one off

Chris fills the barrels with Pinot Blanc

Callista sits atop a barrel to get a better vantage point

Now that everything had been barreled down there was little to nothing left for us interns to do. So, the number dwindled down to three. My dear friends Callista, AC, and Kim. They cleaned up, organized, and stored everything away for next year's cellar rats. And I heard from a reliable source, Kim, that First Class 2008 was bottled just a few weeks ago. Can't wait to taste that out of the bottle- it was phenomenal in the barrel!

I will send out a post when 2009 is released so you can purchase some of my hard work! It was a great year for Willamette Valley and knowing the people I worked with, it will be one stellar wine.

Tis The Season!

2009-12-06T20:10:00.003-06:00

A relatively new tradition has popped up in my house these last several years. I play an animated video of Santa and his reindeer singing "White Christmas" incessantly. Thought I would share the wealth this holiday season. Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

White Christmas - Celebrity bloopers here

Fun With Wine: Week 2

2009-10-18T15:27:00.003-05:00

In my last post I failed to mention my commute. Since the winery is situated in the Willamette Valley, I see the sunrise silhouetting the Cascades every morning on my way to work. If I'm lucky and get off work before dark, I see the sunset behind the Coast Range on the way home. It makes the drive so much more pleasant to be able to examine the varying shades of tangerine and dusky blue in the sky. The fog here is pretty incredible too. It rolls, rises, and settles, whispering around bends. Just a couple of days ago the fog rested over the entire vineyard. You could only see but the first couple of rows. The leaves on the vines have already changed to vivid yellows and browns, so they were an outstanding contrast to the soft grey of the fog. Working in the winery, I watch the changes in the vineyard throughout the day. The fog and rain hover over the property in the morning, but then the sun comes out and burns off

any sign of precipitation, and produce a beautiful fall sunset.

Me in punch down land

Our winemaker Chris filling barrels

Speaking of work, I have been pulling some insane hours the last couple of weeks. On average, my days last 12-14 hours. And during those days, I am involved in intense manual labour. We harvested the entire 140 acre vineyard in under two weeks, making for very close quarters in the cellar. Absolutely all the tanks and large pots of juice are fermenting at once. All of it requires constant care. We have three sessions a day of punch downs and Pulse Airs. Punch downs are a gentle way of pushing the cap (made of grape skins and seeds) down under the juice, keeping the cap moist and homogenizing anything added to the wine, i.e. tannins, yeast. Pulse Airs are used on the tanks to achieve the same results as punch downs. We use a wand that is injected into the racking valves of the tanks to push air up through the juice and over the cap. We've also started filling barrels of pressed pinot noir, which means we also have to clean barrels. Cleaning and filling barrels is an all day process that we've been working on all of this week. Each day we press more tanks and pots of wine that is ready for aging. In the next few weeks, everything will be out of the cellar and in barrels, awaiting the perfect time to be released.

Fermenting juice does not like to be stirred. This is what happens when you make a tank angry

But for now, it is a true work out ensuring that all the wine work is completed each day. I now have a voracious appetite, eating breakfast, two lunches, and sometimes two dinners daily. I haven't eaten like this since I was in high school athletics. Great to be able to eat anything and everything without gaining an ounce again! The hard part will be when I have to return to my normal diet once I am back home.

And home is now only a month away. I am officially half way through my internship. The long hours have pushed me to the brink, and I can see how why this is only a seasonal job. I can already feel myself burning out, and will be ready for some down time when I return to Dallas.

The Beauty of Oregon

2009-10-18T15:24:00.004-05:00

The gorgeous coastline

Sea lions are too cute!

Over the past couple of weeks I have seized the few days I had off from the winery to explore Oregon. My first trip was to the Oregon coast. Having spent years living on the Florida beaches, this was quite a departure from the land of sun worshippers and dolphins. As I decended down the cliff, the wind whipped about, requiring that I keep my jacket on. As I made my way across the beach, I gave close inspection to the sea anemones in the tidepools. I looked for whales, without luck. After spending time enjoying the ocean, I headed to the town of Newport. The sea lions were in full symphony on the pier. I easily passed thirty minutes watching one sea lion try to find a spot to sunbathe. He was clearly on the bottom of the totem pole, as no one would allow him to ascend onto the deck. Another sea lion sneezed on his neighbor and that was enough to motivate me to move on. A stroll through the seaside downtown ended with a short drive to the Rogue Brewer's on the Bay, their world headquarters. A path through the fermenting tanks leads you to a pub that overlooks the bay. A tasting flight of four and a huge angus beef burger comprised lunch- discovering a few new favourite beers. The sunny weather was gorgeous, but I hear watching a storm roll in off the water is pretty incredible too.

Detroit Lake, about 30 minutes from Bagby

I can't get over the enormity of the trees out here

The hand-carved logs that serves as baths at the hot springs

Another day off was spent at Bagby Hot Springs, close to Bend. The drive was absolutely breathtaking. Being that it was the end of September, the trees were starting to show their colours. Several winding backroads and a few u-turns, I found the hot springs tucked away in Mt. Hood National Forest. I managed to set up the tent at the riverside campsite and made the mile and a half hike to the hot springs itself. It was a rustic and beautiful setting. The private rooms each have a hand carved log in which a faucet pours in 138 degree water. You can regulate the temperature with buckets of cold water. It took me a while, but finally got the temperature just right. Sliding into the tub with a glass of wine was just what the doctor ordered. I was so sore from the hard labour I had put in at the winery. I eventually was able to convince myself to go back to my tent after two hours of soaking. The next morning I slept in until 145pm! (I know, gross.) A combination of the rain on the trees and the babbling of the river gave strong argument to stay in bed a while longer. That afternoon I made a second trek to the hot springs, this time checking out the tubs outside. It was so nice to look at the trees and listen to nature while having another soak. I did not want to leave, but had to make it back to Eugene for work the next morning. If you're ever in Oregon, I highly recommend making the trip out to Bagby.

Japanese Gardens entrance

Sarah and Allen pose in the rain

Sarah's condo building!

This past weekend I got to spend time with my friends Sarah and Allen. They live nearby in Dallas, so I was happy to see familiar faces from home. Sarah used to live in Portland, and was in town to finalize her architect registration paperwork. We had something to celebrate! We spent Friday evening with some of her old friends- Andrea was a fabulous host! Upon arriving at the hotel, we requested a cot. Turns out the hotel doesn't provide those, so we all crammed into one bed. Needless to say, I was toasty all evening. Saturday was dedicated to seeing Portland. Breakfast was devoured at the Doug Fir, a very cool Skylab Architecture project. We explored the Japanese Gardens in the rain- very relaxing. Touring around Portland more, Sarah showed us one of the buildings she designed. So neat to see your friend's work as part of a cityscape! We did some quick shoe shopping and I left them back at the hotel. Seeing my friends in a city they know and love was a great way to spend my weekend.

Hoping to explore more of this beautiful state when I get more vacation days. In the mean time, you'll find me at Benton-Lane!

Fun With Wine: Week 1

2009-09-29T16:06:00.006-05:00

The view of the winery from the road

The vineyard with mountains as a backdrop

Benton-Lane pinot barrel

I hit the ground running my first week of my internship at Benton-Lane Winery. Out of 150 applicants, I, along with seven colleagues, was selected to pull crazy hours, get sticky and wet, haul hoses, and play with wine.

The crushpad prepped and ready for the first fruit

On our first day, there was a major awe factor when touring the facilities. They have some of the biggest and best equipment and lots of it! Boasting, 15 stainless steel tanks, a bladder press, pulse air, and so many other fun toys, Benton-Lane is truly state of the art. We sat down for an overview of the winery, our job, and met the winemaker Chris Mazepink and cellarmaster Howie Opatowsky. After orientation and a tour, we had a kick off lunch with a wine tasting and made our own pizzas with the on-site wood burning oven! We also enjoyed some local beer and spent time getting to know each other. Turns out, I'm in the minority for not making my own wine or brewing my own beer. I'm working with fermentation junkies! Not only will I learn a lot from this internship, but from my co-workers.

Making my own pie

With a few days of serious cleaning and ramping up for harvest under our belts, we set up for the first fruit. The first grapes to arrive was the winemaker's personal pinot noir from a neighboring vineyard. We only had to process a few tonnes, so it was a fairly light day. Processing entails sorting, destemming, and crushing the fruit. Sorting is probably the least laborious position, but it certainly is dirty! Earwigs are all over the grapes and they end up in your clothes and hair. I found them in my hair and jacket after I got home- gross! The pinot gris also arrived, which was dumped straight into the press as whole berries. Clean up wasn't terrible and we got used to how a typical day will play out. A couple more days of prep and incoming fruit, all leading up to Monday, which promised to be a huge day. Saturday we scrubbed tanks from the inside, pictures of me doing this soon to come, and we racked the pinto gris. Racking is a clarifying procedure where we pump the wine from one tank to another sloughing off the top layer of peanut butter like liquid. While doing this, I had Howie the cellarmaster shout out score updates on the UT football game. Such a Monday came quickly; we processed 65 tonnes of pinot noir in one day! It was the biggest day in the cellar since the winery opened. I was on the evening shift, so wine work was my responsibility. I learned how to do pump overs. Pump overs take the juice out from under the cap of seeds and skins and pump it back on top. This is essentially like stirring, helping to homogenize the wine especially after additives have been introduced. I love doing punch downs (which is another way to "stir" the wine), so I was equally excited to do pump overs. And it got me out of cleaning!

Bobby and I were tasked for sanitizing the sorting line... job well done!

Another fun thing I participated in was forklift training and test. Had they seen my driving record, I doubt they would have let me on that machine! I need a few more practice rounds, but I was getting the hang of it and managed to pass the test.

Still can't believe they let me behind the wheel!

I magically got a day off last week and seized the opportunity to head to the coast. It is absolutely gorgeous! I spent some time on the beach, checked out the tidepools, visited Newport, said hello to the sea lions, and did a beer flight at Rogue Brewery on the Bay. All in all, a great day off, especially since those are few and far between. The weather is about to turn rainy, so I was happy to get the beach in while it was still sunny.

We had today off due to a 70% chance of rain, can't pick in the rain, so I've taken the time to catch up on all the emails and phone calls I've been neglecting, as well as laundry and errands.

This coming week is proving to be a very busy one and packed in with lots of things to learn. As we get all the fruit in from the 140 acre vineyard, we will be more focused on wine work, fermentation, and eventually transferring to barrels. I'm also helping a fellow intern out with harvesting some of his fruit for his own wine this Sunday. The calendar says it will be a harvest moon! So for now, I am living, breathing, and of course, drinking wine!

More updates to come whenever I get another day off! In the interim, you can see my photos on Flickr.

MINI Goes West: The New Oregon Trail

2009-09-21T22:45:00.009-05:00

3006 miles across the country, a relocation from Dallas, TX to Eugene, OR. Some other stats: 7 states. 5 days. 2 friends. 1 Mini Cooper.

Day 1: I pick up my friend Kevin with the Mini packed to the brim- barely enough room for his pack. We set the trip odometer to 0 and snapped a quick photo of the odometer at 11,139 to commemorate the start of a cross-country road trip. After many errands around Dallas, we finally head out of town.

Blazing our trail all the way across the Texas border, we powered through West Texas and barely crossed the border to stop in Las, Cruces for the night. We waved hello to Cathedral Mountain Vineyard as we blew by the turn off.

Day 2 was just as grueling, checking New Mexico and Arizona off our list. We stopped for a few hours in Phoenix to say hello to Kevin's Phoenix office and see a project he worked on last year. Pretty cool to see the sports complex he designed, better yet, it was for the White Sox! Back on the road we made it just north of LA, me pointing out the famous attractions from the highway.

Day 3: Feeling refreshed and finally a much less ambitious agenda, we wind our way up the coast to Santa Barbara. There is something so relaxing about spending time oceanside. A very chill afternoon spent in town was topped with camping on the beach at El Capitan. We loaded up with campfire supplies and had a delicious dinner made by grillmaster Kevin. You know you're living the good life when you get to sit on the rocks, drink a beer, and watch the sunset.

The next morning it was hard to leave our sweet spot, but we had big plans for day 4. Stopping by the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail, just north of Santa Barbara, absolutely made my day. I was like a kid in a candy store with the litany of wineries to choose from. Koehler was our first stop and a home run. Had some fabulous wines at Fess Parker, and bought Kevin their signature coon hat wine bottle cozy. They look like a rat on your wine, but I thought was too funny and a good thank you gift for sharing in the driving. The last winery we grabbed meats and cheeses for lunch, drove out to a pier and had lunch on the beach. Continuing up the coast, we would have been remiss to not take Hwy 1, despite the extra time it takes to navigate the windy road. Kevin had a blast driving my standard through the crazy switchbacks and stunning scenery. Mini was in her element. In fact, we all were. That part of the country boasts some of the best that nature has to offer. We also briefly stopped in Big Sur for me to pay homage to Kerouac. Thanks to our diversion, we didn't roll into San Francisco until 9pm. We meet Kevin's friend Jason at a pub and I ordered a Widmer, then Anchor Steam, although the Anchor Steam was originally planned to be the first pint. Think local. Drink local.

Day 5 was spent being tourists around San Francisco. We hit the major highlights, but by late afternoon we were sunburnt and tired. Kevin's friends Jason and Katie were participating in Park(ing) Day, so we gave up on sightseeing to go hang out in their parking spot park. I could not think of a better way to experience San Francisco! The evening was spent in The Mission, exploring the edgy part of town's nightlife. I totally dig SF; it is now officially on my list of places to live.

The morning of day 6 we planned for another long day of driving. Mapped out was a haul up the coast for nine hours to Eugene. Along the way, we wanted to see more of the coastline and drive through the Avenue of the Giants. After breakfast and goodbyes, we parted with friends and San Francisco, heading out of town on the Golden Gate Bridge- so surreal! Of course, we could not bypass Sonoma, so another round of wine tastings were in order. We stopped by a few, including Fianza and Cline. Stopping only briefly for In n' Out, then to check out the sea lions, we surged onward into wooded Northern California. It was now getting dark, and we wanted to take the time to appreciate the Redwoods. A joint consensus was arrived to stop for the night and camp in the forest. Lo and behold, we pick a private campsite that is hosting a family reunion with a live band! It was too perfect, we had camping with live entertainment. A great last evening in California.

Day 7 we said adios to California and crossed into Oregon. We took the 30 mile detour through the Avenue of the Giants. A great decision on our part to see them in daylight. We stopped to take photos and hug a few trees. Amazing that some are over 2000 years old! We also took the time to drive through a carved out tree- I folded my mirrors in just in case. Even though the environment is very different from the ocean, there is a tremendous beauty in the forests of the Northwest. Most of the drive was spent with our jaws agape. With hills that appeared to be a sea of trees and sweeping turns, Mini enjoyed the drive as well. We finally reached our final destination in the early evening. Kevin had a midnight flight out of Portland back home, so I drove him to the train station, where we would part ways. Turns out the trains stop running

out of Eugene very early on Sundays, so we got back in the car and sped up Hwy 5 to Portland

International Airport. A quick photo op and a hug, we ended our travels together. I raced home to my new apartment in Eugene and crashed for the night. The next morning started a new chapter for me. I was beginning my winemaking internship at Benton-Lane.

My odometer read 14145 miles, marking the end of the best road trip ever.

Times Ten Fort Worth

2009-09-12T00:35:00.005-05:00

In case you're wondering where I've been, allow me to explain myself and apologize for my prolonged absence.

For the past two years I have been working part-time at Times Ten Cellars in Dallas. Several months ago, an opportunity arose for me to become involved in the opening and running of a second winery in Fort Worth. So, as of August, I have been crazy busy prepping the space and getting organized for the opening. Well, we are FINALLY here! Thursday evening we had a very successful soft opening. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram came to shoot the space and do a write up. I also invited Kevin Buchanan, a fellow blogger to come in and do a small write up on his blog Fortworthology.com. And wow, he did such a wonderful job! Check out his post today: http://fortworthology.com/2009/09/11/times-ten-cellars-has-soft-opening/

Kevin is an amazing source for new restaurants and retail opening in the Fort Worth area, and he has shown much love to the 7th St. area, so we were ecstatic to have him stop by the winery. Loved the photos he took!

Be sure to stop by the shiny, new winery and come say hi! We're in the Cultural District, so you can make a day of it by seeing a museum exhibit, not even a mile away, and finishing off the evening with a glass of wine.

I am about to embark on an eight week winemaking internship in Oregon, so the next several posts will be dedicated to my trip up there...stay tuned!

Exercise Your Mind

2009-08-03T08:25:00.001-05:00

Ever wanted to brush up on your Medieval English? You can subscribe to Oxford University's Medieval English lectures. Want to learn more about bioengineering? Listen to Yale's podcasts! They also have a series of podcasts on Arts & Architecture, Philosophy, Law, and the Humanities. Princeton also offers educational podcasts of the university's presidential lecture series and guest speakers. So if you want to expand your knowledge, these are great episodes you can listen to at your leisure. I am someone that actually misses is school and learning, so I find this a great opportunity to continue analyzing books, studying architecture, and philosophizing. And, all the podcasts are free- so no need to pay that Ivy League tuition! As Yogi Berra once said, "Life is a learning experience, only if you learn." And, with that, happy Learning!

"Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence." Abigail Adams

Spiceman Goes to the Farmer's Market

2009-07-31T07:15:00.001-05:00

Tom the Spiceman at 1410 Fitzhugh has been selling some of the most unusual and delicious forms of produce for a while now. My favourite being sea beans. He is now creating his own famers' market called FM 1410. Below is a listing of some of the things he is offering.

We have Local-Organic:
San Marzano Tomatoes from Ennis, Tx @ $3.50#
and...
Local-Certified Organic from Tioga, TX:
Heritage Vine Ripe Tomatoes retail @ $3.50#, wholesale @ $2.50#
Porter Tomatoes @ $3# a large, pink cherry tomato that's packed with flavor

Cherry Tomatoes and Saladettes @ $3#

Yukon Gold new potatoes retail @ $3# wholesale @ $1.50
Gypsy Peppers @ $4# these are beautiful and sweet grilled or pan seared
Texas Super Sweet Onions retail @ $2#, wholesale 25# bag @ $28 (These are the Onions served at Clarks Outpost BBQ)
Ratatouille Veggies/Eggplant, Cucumbers, Yellow Squash retail @ $3#, Wholesale @ $2.45#
Green Bell Peppers retail @ $3.50#, wholsale @ $2.75#

From Jeff "Dr. Pepper" Carter in Celina, TX.:
15 or more varieties of Global Warming Peppers (we call'em) which have more to do with the fact that they come from all over the world than the effect itself...Kosovo, Spain, Japan, Hungary,Brazil, Italy and on n' on...@ $16#

Spiceman's usual suspects:

Seabeans retail @ $1.00 oz/Wholesale @ $12#
Ramp Bulbs retail @ $1 oz/wholsale @ $13#
Maitake/Hen O' Woods Mushrooms retail @ $20# wholesale @ $12#
Baby Shiitake retail @ $10# wholesale @ $8#

Zucchini Blossoms soon to bloom in the FM 1410 garden

Louisiana Creole Tomatoes SOLD OUT

On the Spiceman's racks at the FM;

Crescent City Cooking by Susan Spicer (yes, my sister) a most classy and colorful book in substance and story

Texas EV Olive Oil 12 oz. btl. retail @ $17 is an excellent finishing oil and spicy like...hmmmm ... j' ne se qua

Cambodian Kampot peppercorns, Sea Salt and Date Palm Sugar cubes which are fine tasting condiments...

Fennel Pollen, Dill Pollen, Wild Sumac berries, Porcini Powder and Perique Tobacco for culinary infusions

Spiceman's "Best of the Dallas Farmer's Mkt" picks:
Texas Figs from Mexia retail @ $4 PT Wholesale @ $40/12 PT flat

Yellow Pear Tomatoes retail @ $3/PT wholesale @ $32 flat (12 PT)

Mixed Heirloom Tomatoes retail @ $4.50# wholesale 10# @ $32

Fresh Shelled Peas (mostly Purple Hull....some Speckled Butter and Pinto Beans limited) @ $5.50#

Israeli Melons retail @ $3 each (short season and selling fast)

Go and check it out! Your next dinner party will be a smashing success!

Boise Bohemia and The Josh Ritter Concert

2009-07-28T13:14:00.000-05:00

I went to Boise, Idaho for my birthday, a surprise trip from my boyfriend. When I told people where I was going I got what I call the Pace Picante Sauce reaction (New York City!?! Boise, Idaho!?!). But there was a method to Chad's madness. A singer/songwriter named Josh Ritter, a favourite of ours, was playing a two night show at the Egyptian Theatre on my birthday.

So, we fly in and as we approach the city, it's nothing but desert wasteland. But, as soon as you're in the city itself, you're surrounded by trees! In fact, the airport boasts a banner that states Boise is indeed the city of trees. We stayed in this very retro hotel called The Modern. It's an old 1950's drive up motel that has been remodeled beautifully. They served croissants every morning that I still dream about. There were surprises every corner I turned in Boise. People with tattoos and piercings everywhere- I don't picture Idaho people being all sewn up. The sidewalks were lined with lavender plants. They have an extensive hike and bike trail that follows the Boise River. And speaking of the river, we floated it on our second day there. But, it's a float where

you have to pay attention, couple of small rapids that could capsize your kayak. All the restaurants we ate at were part of a widespread eat local movement. A couple of places even listed all their purveyors on the back of their menus and had composts in their basements. The Italian place we dined at for my birthday meal served pastas that were made on site that day. The wine list was very nice at a very reasonable price point as well; always a plus in my book. And everyone's mode of transportation? Bicycles. It's a small enough town that it's very easy and pleasant to get around on a bike. The weather is mild year round, hardly any snow in the winter, but skiing is a mere 20 minutes away. It was a bit warm our last day there, but upon arrival to Boise, it was 76 degrees! Coming from Texas where it was 104 at 10am, that's downright freezing! Just on the other side of the desert hills, is a huge national forest. All in all, a great town! Several residents compared their fair city to an aspiring Austin. Which is cool with me.

The Egyptian Theatre was built in 1927, around the same time as the discovery and exhuming of King Tut's tomb. So, the entire theatre is like being in a pharaoh's tomb, except there's a stage and seats. Originally, a cinema theatre, it has hosted all three Bourne movie premieres.

Josh Ritter was playing there the night of my birthday with his full band. The second night would be him on acoustic guitar backed by a string quartet from the Boise Symphony Orchestra. He comes out on stage dressed in all black- Johnny Cash style. He can barely contain

himself, jumping up and down on stage and

repeatedly saying, "This is so cool!" He is so excited to be back in his home state. Ritter and his band are constantly on tour, mainly up north and in the UK. The Irish love him. He rarely makes it below the Mason-Dixon Line, and NEVER to Texas (hence our trek up north). Josh plays all of his classics and shares some new songs as well. He brings a girl named Dawn Landes on stage to sing. We all suspect this is his new wife, but Josh neither confirms nor denies. As he sang a couple of songs sans guitar, unsure of what to do with his hands, he picks at his fingernails and plays with the hem of his jacket. This makes him more human less performer to me. His bassist is quite the character himself. Sporting a handlebar mustache, he twists it into shape each time before playing. At the end of the second night's performance, the bassist does a solo piece for one of the encore songs. And it was hilarious! The subject of the song? You guessed it, his mustache. I wish I would have recorded it.

The opening acts both nights were spot on as well. Blind Pilot, an acoustic band not unlike Death Cab for Cutie- maybe a little less electronic- played the first night. With an accordion and a xylophone as part of the band, you might expect the sound to be a bit cacophonous, but they incorporated the instruments beautifully. I liked the music so much I bought their album, which has yet to disappoint. The morning after the show, we spotted the band at our hotel. They grabbed breakfast and then waited outside their dirty, old conversion van to continue on their tour. I would hate to travel the country in such cramped quarters. I guess I did my good deed of the day by supporting them instead of pirating the music. The second show's opening act was a woman named Tift Merritt. She was so genuinely nice and very personable on stage, despite her apparent nervousness. Her voice ethereal, her sound bluesy. A good pairing with the string quartet performance that followed. Both nights were filled with absolutely impressive music. My kind of birthday!

Seattle Schmap

2009-07-15T08:01:00.001-05:00

Happy News! A photo that I posted on Flickr has been selected to be included in the the 8th Edition of Schmap Seattle! There are Schmaps of many cities, which are downloadable and free. You can even access them from your iPhone or iPod Touch- a great feature if you're on the road. They include photos from fellow travelers as part of the map. I posted our pictures from our trip to Seattle & Vancouver to share with friends and family, who knew one of the few pictures I personally took would be selected!

Here in Dallas we have a few of Jonathan Borofsky's Hammering Men. There is also one in front of the Seattle Art Museum, or SAM, so I took a picture to show the folks back home. Follow this link to see my shot on the Schmap. Enjoy!

Happy Bastille Day!

2009-07-14T06:34:00.001-05:00

But more importantly, it's my birthday! According to the birthday calculator I am:

As of 7/14/2009 6:49:03 AM EDT
You are 26 years old.
You are 318 months old.
You are 1,383 weeks old.
You are 9,678 days old.
You are 232,278 hours old.
You are 13,936,729 minutes old.
You are 836,203,743 seconds old.

Today is also the anniversary of the storming of the bastille in Paris in 1789. To celebrate, Parisians have a huge parade on Champ Elysees and fireworks at the Eiffel Tower at night. To learn more about the holiday click here. Thanks to my parents, I was born on such a fabulous date! On my 21st birthday my best friend and I went to Paris to celebrate. Above is a photo of us after the parade.

Vivre La France! Joyeux anniversaire a moi!

Broadband Creativity

2009-07-12T22:25:00.005-05:00

There is so much creativity on the internet these days. I am introduced to new sites that are abounding with great music, visual arts, photography, ideas, and everything in between. My mom just sent me these two sites which I think are absolutely great.

The Uniform Project- One outfit, 365 days. This girl, like me, grew up wearing uniforms to school. They were always itchy, never fit right, and certainly didn't express your personal style. She is taking an all new approach to the uniform as an experiment in sustainable wear. Everyday it's the same dress, but with different fantastic accessories to give it some flare. I only wish I was that inventive during my school days. And she's raising money for schools in India to provide uniforms and other supplies to the schools in the slums. Fashion at work for a great cause!

Open Sound New Orleans- This site is all about music, conversation, ambient noise. You can navigate through the city listening to all of her sounds. Great for exploring NOLA at another level, especially when it's too hot to go visit right now anyway!

Black Cab Sessions- Of course, I shared this one with y'all a while back. But, I thought I would remind you of the great music that is being exhibited there. I have discovered quite a few new artists on their site, and I love the cheeky bios they give about the artist/band and how the BCS crew was able to wrangle them into the back of a cab.

silent G imagery- I may be a bit biased on this one, as this is my mother and step-dad's site, but there is some great art to be seen at their address. Forever being updated, you can check out their pieces from various cities, animalia, and never lacking in bird pictures. Be sure to stop by!

DailyLit- This site has been around for a while, but I think it's ingenious! Ever wanted to read one of the classics, but just don't have the time to invest in it? Well, the clever folks at DailyLit came up with the idea to email you one chapter of the book of your choice each day. You knock out the book a little at a time, all from the comfort of your computer. Best part is, it's free! I read Alice in Wonderland each morning at work, before I started on actual tasks. A great way to start your morning off and get your mind up and running. Also a good way to find out about new authors.

Does anyone know of other creative websites, obviously these are only five out of many. Please share with the class!

Take the High Line

2009-07-03T11:02:00.000-05:00

(image via DO)

While living in Manhattan, I used to frequent the Museum of Modern Art, more specifically, the architecture floor. One particular exhibit was the model for a revamping of an old elevated rail line into a park. It always interested me, but from what I could tell, no real progress was being made on it in 2005. Well, after years of advocacy, it's actually open! And apparently it's a big deal- the New York Times, NPR, and Design Observer all did pieces about its opening.

The abandoned rail line, out of use since 1980, was scheduled for demolition, but saved by two citizens Joshua David and Robert Hammond. They teamed up with Mayor Bloomberg to advocate for a renovation of the line into a park. Only the first portion is currently open, running up to W. 20th St. The second portion, extending up to 30th, will be open in Fall 2010. The third section is not yet approved. Containing over 100 different wild flower seeds, the plantings were inspired by the overgrown greenery on the railroad. The train trestle park was designed by the architecture firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro. A vast departure from the sprawling Central Park, the High Line is very narrow and flanked by city buildings. But the beauty of the park is that it's not trying to be another Central Park, something it's not.

Fashion designer Diane Von Furstenberg was among one of the big benefactors to the project, along with several other wealthy New York City residents. The organization Friends of the High Line helped raise $44 million for the project. The success of the park has brought to light several other projects for the neighborhood, including a new satellite building of the Whitney designed by the fabulous architect Renzo Piano.

Very inspiring to see this park come to fruition. Reminds us that average citizens can bring about change to our communities.

Paint Yourself A Song

2009-06-23T21:36:00.003-05:00

(via Labuat)

Very Short List introduced me to a Spanish group called Labuat that has a gorgeous music video. And the icing on the cake? It's interactive. You paint along to the song "Soy Tu Aire," translates as "I Am Your Air," while beautiful graphics pop up in sync with the lyrics. And when you're done creating your masterpiece, you can share it with friends. It's simple, clean, and absolutely exquisite. Most artistic music video I have seen in a long time. Here is the link, so you can treat yourself to a little creativity today: http://soytuaire.labuat.com/

You can also go to their website to check out their album: http://www.labuat.com/

Music City

2009-06-19T07:07:00.002-05:00

Greetings from Nashville! I am posting from The Perch, an adorable coffee shop near my hotel in the suburb of Brentwood. And as of right now, I am eyeing their extensive crepe menu. To be honest, Nashville was never high on my list of places to see. I figured I'd get to it eventually. Well, here I am. My boyfriend and I traversed the highways from Dallas to Music City last Sunday, and while that was a harrowing ride (a semi-truck tire tread did some major damage to my car), my time here has been smooth sailing and very relaxing.

Since Chad is here for a history grant program, so that leaves me free during the day to peruse antique shops and explore neighborhoods at my leisure. He would be none too happy if I dragged him through as many furniture stores as I have been to. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised to see how much high design is here. Yesterday I stopped at Epiphany Design Studio on 8th Ave S. to encounter several fabulous pieces and some of the nicest people I have ever met. I also went into A La Maison, for some beautiful European imports. Both of these stores I found courtesy the article "Elle Decor Goes to Nashville." In the Berry Hill neighborhood, I stopped off at Gilchrist Gilchrist- two shops in side by side houses that boast an all white interior which evokes a 1920's beach house. They had some beautiful linens and decor, but it was all a bit girly to be on display on our bed or throughout the house. I sometimes have to remind myself that a boy lives in the house too. But, the one store which knocked me on my heels was Highbrow Furniture, which is actually inside the store Pre & Post Modern on 8th Ave S. They feature all furniture Mid Century Modern! I walked into my own personal Heaven. As I drooled over the Eames chairs & rockers, Saarinen tulip tables & swivel chairs, I sat down in a Herman Miller lounge chair only to look up and see a George Nelson Bubble Lamp. EEK! And the best part, everything was on sale! The Ghost Stool by Kartell 50% off! Too bad my furniture funds are non-existent right now (teardrops are falling on my keyboard as I type). They do have a website, but you have to specify that you want to buy from the showroom if you want a discounted item, and it's only if they are having a sale.

Aside from shopping, I explored the Hillsboro Village area, which is my personal favourite. Early 1900's bungalows, some residential, some commercial businesses, a very college/hippy vibe on 21st Ave S. A lot of Nashville reminds me of Austin; this area definitely said "the Drag" and Hyde Park neighborhood to me. Belmont University is nearby, which probably is where the credit for the granola feel is due. Music Row is nearby, which is very cool and worth driving down. Monday evening we ate at Cabana (2 for 1 drafts and pizza). A very hip, young outpost with a nice patio. It was an added bonus to have such great specials going on. If you sit in one of the "cabanas," you can plug in your iPod and play your own mix- how hi-tech! We didn't get the pizza, but instead I had the Tennessee Sliders- chicken or pork on sweet potato biscuits with peach preserves. Tres bien! Fido is a great little coffee shop, ran in there to get out of the tornado like weather one afternoon. The Bookman was a small shop with many twists and turns, used books awesomely piled from floor to ceiling. The couple that own the shop are extremely knowledgeable. And despite books spilling out into piles on the floor, they know exactly where each one is. I was duly impressed! I finally bought the one and only Jonathan Lethem book that I have yet to read, Fortress of Solitude. Another eatery in the same area we tried was Mafioza's, an Italian joint that is PACKED during their Tuesday night special of 2 for 1 drinks (excluding wine) and pizza slices. Delicious pizza, even though the kitchen was turning out custom slices left and right. All I have to say is get there early.

On Wednesday night we decided to be the ultimate tourists and hit the downtown Broadway area. Even though gift shops abound, it actually has a fairly authentic feel (if you can overlook your fellow tourists). We stopped at the famed Jack's BBQ for some delicious brisket and tried all three of their renowned sauces. After we got a belly full, we popped next door to Robert's Western Wear. It is astounding how many legends have set foot inside that hole in the wall- a few of my faves being King George and Merle. Chad's being BR-549. Robert's is not only known for playing traditional country music, but for the boots lined up on the wall for sale. Not sure how many boots are sold each year, but a neat idea. The band that played was greatness- they covered everyone from Cash to Merle to Stevie Ray Vaughn. Tonight we are venturing back over to the area to check out the band at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge the other very famous C&W bar. I plan to find out the meaning behind that name. Good thing I brought my boots! PS. Parking is something of a myth- we ended up parking at least a half a mile away. And they gouge you at the paid parking lots. The Broadway area absolutely reminded me of 6th St, including the parking situation, but a bit more country oriented and family friendly, and never a cover. I hate to constantly compare Nashville to Austin, but the similarities are undeniable! And I mean it as a compliment, as my heart is still in Austin.

With only two more days to go, I'll be sad to leave Nashville, but plan to make the most of it. My car will be out of the body shop today- yay! There are a few more antique shops to hit and I will be meeting up with a long time friend this evening- can't wait to see her! The landscape is beautiful here. Now that I have been, I can only hope to return here soon. But, I am also looking forward to coming home. I can't wait to see my Boo-Boo (my dog, for those who don't listen to me talk about him on a daily basis)!

Have a beautiful weekend, and be sure to wish your dad a Happy Father's Day!

The Long Lost Polaroid Film

2009-06-08T11:03:00.003-05:00

(Photo via jerkwithacamera.com)

Today's post from the New York Times blog The Lens is all about large format, positive-negative Polaroid film. They feature a slideshow of several examples from photographers who have used it in the past. The two films are Type 55 and Polaroid 665. Photographers who opted to use this film toted white buckets of sodium sulfite to rinse their photos after developing. They were then hung out to dry. Both films had a unique border to them that I think make the photo look more aged than they truly are.

In this digital age, it's nice to go back to the basics once in a while and appreciate what film can do for your art. Unfortunately, Polaroid no longer makes this film. And for that matter, I don't think Polaroid manufactures any film these days.

But, for a little film nostalgia, check out the blog post and read the stories some of the photographers have from their experiences shooting with the Polaroid films.

Transparency. Participation. Collaboration.

2009-06-03T07:22:00.001-05:00

President Obama, in an effort to make the government more transparent and accessible, has begun the Open Government Initiative. Vivek Kundra has been appointed as Chief Information Officer, a position that did not exist until this administration. The purpose for the Open Government Initiative is to make all those public records and data that the government collects more easily accessible. Previously, the way to access most of this information was to march down to Washington DC and view the data in person. For example, when the website is complete, you will be able to hop online and see all the data that the Health Department, has collected, everything from peanut allergies to flu deaths. And not only can you view the information, you can submit your own ideas and opinions about the data or the Initiative itself. Obama is attempting to bring the government to the people, let them voice their concerns directly. This is an amazing new step into the 21st century for our federal government. With a powerful tool such as the internet, we can now have the President's ear faster than ever. Information and feedback will flow easier, certainly a precedent for future administrations. As I see it, we will be closer to a republic form of government- placing power back to the people themselves, instead of solely relying on our representatives to voice our concerns, wants, and needs.

To learn more about the Open Government Initiative please visit the official site. You can also visit the Open Government Dialogue site to voice your new ideas, vote on current ones, and help shape how this initiative will take effect. And furthermore, you can listen to the piece on All Things Considered regarding this topic here.

This is the PEOPLE's government, time for us to utilize the power we've always had!

Parlez-Vous francais?

2009-05-29T10:03:00.007-05:00

These last few days I have been doing some research for a trip to Southern France. Looking at several locations, I think I have it narrowed down to two areas, Languedoc-Roussillon, specifically the Aude Department, and Provence & Cote d'Azur.

Languedoc offers beautiful wine country, somewhat centrally located in the southern region, and amazing medieval cities. And if you're wanting to pop up to Paris, the TGV will get you there in four hours. The town of Carcassonne is a perfect base point for seeing many other cities, but also has a lot to offer in its own right. It boasts a fully restored medieval town, sitting on the bank of the Aude River, fine dining and local bistros, as well as quite a bit of culture to explore. Just northeast of Carcassonne is the region of Minervois- perfect for the wine aficionados. You can do wine tastings and see the small, ancient towns that dot the countryside. The famed commune Chateauneuf-du-Pape is a mere two and a half hours away, if you want a truly incredible wine experience. In the Roman town of Narbonne streets are lined with cafes and patisseries, a foodie's dream come true! Narbonne is a great day trip, easy to walk the entire town, and not too far from home base. Carcassonne is also close to Montpellier, the must-see college town of Toulouse, ski resorts, the coast, and the Catalan influenced town of Perpignan.

Carcassonne (Via Carcassonne Hotel Reservation)

As for Provence, there is so much to see there as well. Just to smell the lavender fields there would be amazing. For lots of hustle and bustle, you can spend time in the city of Marseille, visit the bird sanctuary in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, in Arles follow Picasso's footsteps, visit the Picasso museum in Antibes, or just relax seaside. A friend recommended the town of St. Remy as a base point. Like Carcassonne it's centrally located in its region. Here, you are within driving distance of the city of Avignon, Nimes, Montpellier, and Marseille. Some of its famous residents have included Nostradamus and Van Gogh (he committed himself here after cutting off his ear). Others like Gertrude Stein have spent holidays here. And in more recent times, you'll spot a celeb or two "hiding out" in St. Remy. The Gallo-Roman architecture is absolutely stunning, bistros are abundant, and don't forget to stop in at the chocolatier Joel Durand's atelier to see how his delicous bon bons are made. There are festivals going on in town practically year round, so there is bound to be always something to do.

St. Remy de Provence (via French Essence blog)

Of course, if you really wanted to go all out, there's St. Tropez. Where jetsetters and movie stars populate the beaches. Hang out on your yacht by day and soak up the high-voltage nightlife in the evening. Be prepared to hand over some serious cash and show off your biggest bling. And as I recall, the train running into St. Tropez was infrequent at best. You can hire a car, but you will be sitting in quite a bit of traffic during the peak travel season. However, that may give you time to explore the gorgeous towns that surround St. Tropez.

St. Tropez (via Style Pill)

Which location would you pick? Provence or Languedoc? Carcassonne or St. Remy? Or St. Tropez? Have you booked your flight yet? :)

Sources: New York Times Travel & French Entree.com

Good Boss, Bad Times

2009-05-28T08:41:00.004-05:00

Robert Sutton, Professor of Management Science at Stanford, was interviewed for the McKinsey Quarterly in regards to how to be a good boss during a tough economy. Be it whether you're handling layoffs or paycuts, there are several do's and don'ts he mentions that really caught my attention. Namely, do not make layoffs in multiple rounds. I happen to have quite a few friends who are currently enduring this painful process. Sutton says this is both detrimental to productivity, the staff, and the staff's mental health. Watching the stress build among my friends working in that environment, I completely agree with him. Secondly, he says to give your subordinates an in depth, but understandable explanation of why layoffs need to occur. If possible, promise your employees that there will be no layoffs or paycuts for the next X amount of days. This will give them a small piece of mind, so they are not walking into work daily expecting it to be their last. And finally, treat the survivors well. It builds loyalty to you as a boss and helps keep productivity up during the trauma of letting people go.

I was laid off back in December, but it actually had little to do with the economy. We were doubling in size as a company and consolidating the finance department. While my company treated me very well during employment and also handed me a generous severance package, I felt many things could have been handled better during the transition of workload from our team to the team in Pittsburgh. Policies changed daily to accommodate the sales department, rules that were in place to protect the company's assets were disregarded, workload was transferred to Pittsburgh then back to us when they weren't prepared for it, the hiring freeze on our team required less people to do triple the work. It was an extremely high stress work environment. By the end, no one on my team had motivation to operate at the same level we once did. Arguments would break out between our bosses and some of our teammates, as no one felt as though they were being heard. By the time Thanksgiving rolled around, we were so ready to be out of there. So, I think my experience fell right in line with what Sutton describes.

Watch the video in its entirety to get the full scope of what he has to say. It's very interesting and makes you put your boss under review.

Do you have any good boss or bad boss experiences during this economy or other hard times in your company? Or can you share any experiences as having to be that boss during a difficult economy? It's certainly easier said than done.

Memorial Day at the Vineyard

2009-05-26T21:32:00.007-05:00

Hope everyone had a fabulous and RELAXING holiday weekend! I hauled it out to Southwest Texas to do a little work on the vineyard. We dug holes and moved rocks- it was fabulous! We camped on site and were privileged to see some gorgeous sunsets, a few rainbows, and storms roll in off the mountain. We also took a couple of quick trips into Marfa and Terlingua, Texas. What funky little towns! Below are a few pictures from the weekend.

A storm passing by Cathedral Mountain. It finished raining just in time to see a great sunset. A little brisket and Carignane for dinner, and smores fireside, made for a lovely first evening.

The next day we were hard at work planting 500 new vines- Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc varietals. The white boxes on bamboo stakes protect the new vine for almost a year.

Of course we made time to play as well! We found an old frame and took plenty of goofy shots with it. Our fearless winemaker leads the group. You have no idea how long it took to get this right- and it still isn't perfect!

A glass of Grenache overlooking the vineyard. We surveyed our handy-work from atop a rock near the campsite and toasted each other on a job well done. Oh, and yelled at the javelina to get out of the vineyard.

Southwest Texas truly is a beautiful place to visit. Most people are surprised to see mountains and such unique plant life. The scenery is simply stunning. I highly recommend the trek out there to Big Bend or the Davis Mountains area. You'll come across some fantastically strange towns with true characters residing in them. I'm now sunburnt, sore, and exhausted, but it turned out to be a productive yet relaxing weekend.

Renzo Piano At It Again

2009-05-21T08:29:00.003-05:00

(via DO)

I absolutely love the city of Chicago. My mother and her side of the family all hail from the Southside, so we have spent a great deal of time in the city. Well, over the past years Chicago has made some drastic improvements: see Millennium Park and rooftop gardens. There is always much to offer in regards to culture, and I make it a point to fit a stop into the Art Institute on each visit, to see the latest exhibit. I hold the Art Institute in very high esteem. Friends, it just moved up another notch. Perusing Design Observer, reading today's post about Renzo Piano's new Modern Wing, I squealed with delight! I adore Renzo's beautifully functional buildings. Always stunning. And I have the privilege to live in a city with a Piano design residing in it- The Nasher Scupture Center in Dallas, Texas.

This new wing is expansive and yet delicate. Julie Lasky quoted Piano in her post and applauded him for succeeding at channelling Chicago:

Piano noted, the new urban grid aligned with true compass points (“When you look north, north is exactly what you see”); Chicago’s architecture and its occupants related straightforwardly to their sites. Strength, delicacy, lightness, rationality: Piano sought all of these attributes for his new addition and largely succeeded in imposing them.

All I can say, is Piano has done it again. And how did I not hear about this project beforehand?!? Go to the Design Observer site to see more photos and read some of the background. I absolutely cannot wait to see his work in person. It will be my first stop next time I'm in Chi-town!

Penne Pomodoro Lakewood

2009-05-19T21:27:00.006-05:00

I love Lombardi and his Family Concepts. Taverna, Toulouse, Cubanita, Sangria, Penne Pomodoro- I could eat at each restaurant every night of the week. Penne Pomodoro has always been a mainstay for brunching on Sunday. However, we had to drive to Snider Plaza (a whopping 15 minutes away) to get there. And with their $1 mimosas and bloody marys, it made getting home a little more difficult.

But, now all our life problems have been solved! Penne Pomodoro has moved to Lakewood (a mere 3 minutes away)! Our little neighborhood is burgeoning with Italian restaurants, and we need another like a hole in the head, but at least we're finally getting high quality Italian. So last night we ventured over there to check out the new scene. We started with some appetizers they carried over from Taverna- focaccia and bruschetta. For an entree, I had the pizza bianca with prosciutto, which was delish! Plenty of house specials were offered, all of which sounded tasty. They are featuring gluten-free pasta and several other gluten-free items. Which is great for those who either want low-carb pasta or are actually allergic.

Lombardi typically goes into spaces that include a patio, or at least have patio potential. Alas, this little space, does not. I was hoping for at least trattoria doors, but they're non-existent. However, this may be due to some crazy Dallas city codes, because I know we ran into several strange ordinances when times ten was being built. I guess we'll have to make due with the mural of White Rock Lake. Or, simply walk over to the winery afterward and sit on our patio!

The space that they went into was formerly Kitchen 1924, which received all kinds of rave reviews, was successful for a short while, then shut down. And before Kitchen 1924, it was La Dolce Vita, which actually was open for a good while. On both occasions, I felt the food was overpriced for the quality. This was especially true for La Dolce Vita- as I would have rated that food mediocre at best. So, here's hoping Lombardi can break with tradition and have Penne Pomodoro become an East Dallas institution! He's already on the right track with a time-proven template.

Be sure to support your local businesses in this economy, when you can!

White Rock East Garden and Artist Show: A Review

2009-05-18T09:32:00.003-05:00

We could not have asked for better weather. It was a perfect Sunday for strolling through the neighborhood, admiring the gardens. Artists, including silent G imagery, were set up in a few of the yards. The ones selling outdoor/yard art seemed to fair well, however, we only did so-so. People's focus is definitely on the outdoors and gathering ideas for their own gardens, photography probably wasn't the best fit. But, we were at a gorgeous home, in a beautiful yard, with lovely weather, had perfectly nice homeowners, and sold a few pieces, so all in all a fairly successful event. The organizers should probably try to narrow the scope to just yard art, in the interest of both the tour and the artists, next year. I do have to say, that it was nice to see the community come together. I'll keep this post somewhat short, as I'm blogging from my phone and in jury duty. Cross your fingers that I'm not selected!

Feel the Love Friday: VII

2009-05-15T10:36:00.003-05:00

Paws in the City will be at Bo Concept, on Alpha Road, for a special pet adoption event. Come by between 11am and 4pm and help these pets find a loving home! Below is the address for Bo Concept:

5301 Alpha Road Dallas, TX

Village on the Green Centre, just north of the Galleria

I scheduled Bailey for his "big snip" today. Remember what Bob Barker said, "Help control the pet population. Have your pet spayed or neutered!" Well, I am being the responsible owner and doing just that, but I doubt Bailey will agree with me. Poor guy, he'll never know what hit him.

Just DO it!

2009-05-13T08:07:00.000-05:00

(photo from site's title)

Last week, I added a new link to my favourites: Design Observer. A blog with a rotating staff of contributing writers, all about design and things cultural. Hmmm...sounds familiar. :) The writers that take part in this blog are extremely talented and do a fantastic job of drawing me in on the first paragraph. Today's post by Michael Erard called "Cedars" was simply beautiful. Then again, the guy has a writing fellowship, so he should be good. There was also a post by Ernest Beck reviewing the Bklyn Designs show that stimulated a very hot debate- certainly evidence for a well written article. My Google Reader is chock-full of design blogs, but they are more about interior decorating. This one is more about design as a whole, be it graphic, furniture, art, etc. Pop over for a good read.

I'm One Today

2009-05-12T20:40:00.005-05:00

Chad's niece Audrey had her birthday dinner today. She was treated to a vanilla cupcake topped with pink strawberry icing- her favourite colour! Such a princess!

When to Question "The Decider"

2009-05-12T09:56:00.000-05:00

Obama is way smarter than me. He, his cabinet, and his team of advisors face issues far more grave than I will ever have to deal with. Watching the news about the ongoing "recession", the developing presence of the Taliban in Pakistan, among many other world crises, I don't know how the man does it. But more personally, I have a hard time discerning when he has made a good or bad decision right in the here in now. The world of finance is so far over my head. Believe me, I'm a sucker for all these sales and promotions. So when the government says we need to hand more money to the banks, then I say fine, because I don't have another solution. Just like when Bush said we needed to invade Iraq because we would find WMD's. Admittedly, I said OK, let's go. But we didn't find anything, and it was most likely a hunt for oil. And now we've realized in retrospect what a poor decision that was. Not to say that Obama is currently making poor decisions. I think only time will tell for our current President- he has so many curveballs thrown at him, he can only do what is humanly possible. So, without possessing expert knowledge about Wall Street, foreign relations, healthcare, world history, oil, the economy (both housing and business), religions, etc. how can we keep up? How can we not blindly follow the President's decisions? And do we trust our media to keep us not just updated, but explain the context behind the situations at hand? I read several online news sources a day (granted, most of the time only the front page, because I just can't handle any more Bailout or Swine Flu talk), including one and sometimes two foreign papers to find the most broad perspective. But, I still never seem to get the "how things work" answers I need most of the time. And that's probably due to the fact that there is a limited amount of space- both in airtime on tv/radio and in columns in print- and you're to be expected to already know these things. So, if you don't, where do you find out the basics? Wikipedia? Please. If you have all, or at least some, of the answers, please leave a comment!

PS. In the title I mention "The Decider" which is from HBO's You're Welcome, America with Will Ferrell. Ferrell, in character as "Dubbya", jokes that he became "The Decider" after 9-11 happened. If you haven't seen it, check it out- pretty funny (wait until the kids are in bed; bad language).

Big Blend : Big Bend

2009-05-11T08:12:00.002-05:00

It has arrived...the event of the season. Big Blend:BigBend!

May 21st, silent G imagery and times ten cellars are joining forces to bring you their works from beautiful Southwest Texas. times ten is releasing a new blend from their vineyard outside Alpine, TX, while silent G is debuting their photography taken in the national park. Join us at the winery for sips and snacks Thursday evening. Below is the invitation with all the details:

Southern Open 2009: Reminder

2009-05-09T08:56:00.002-05:00

Just a friendly reminder that the Southern Open starts today! You may recall my previous post regarding this event. Support our southern artists!

Feel The Love Friday: VI

2009-05-08T11:10:00.000-05:00

Since we're on the subject of New York City today, I thought I would mention my good friend and comedienne Jamie Lee. Each month, she performs for Diamonds in the Fluff, a comedy benefit for East Village Animal Shelter. The next show is Saturday, June 6th at Karma (1st Ave & 4th St). This month she'll have special guest Jeff Rubin from College Humor.com! For those of us who wasted away any amount of time in our cubicles on their site (desperately looking for workday diversions), you know who he is. Anyway, if you're in the area, definitely check Jamie out- she's very funny and donations go toward a great cause!

Happy Friday!

The BKNY

2009-05-08T10:41:00.000-05:00

(photo via Flickr)

Skimming the New York Times yesterday evening, tired of reading about banks needing more money, GM needing more money, GMAC needing more money, guess what? I need more money! I saw a little article called Made In Brooklyn. This just made my heart sing! I love seeing good publicity about the arts and design coming out of Brooklyn. My short time living in Park Slope made me fall in love with the area and I can't help but support it. Starting today, the seventh annual Bkln Designs show kicks off in the Dumbo neighborhood's warehouses. Lots of local artists will be there selling one of kind pieces. A great experience to check out some cutting edge design. According to the NY Times, "A design scene is flourishing in Brooklyn." Duh! There are some great home furnishing shops (as well as fashion boutiques) everywhere from Carroll Gardens to Park Slope to Prospect Heights to Clinton Hill. To get an extensive list of shops as well as a background on the Bkln Designs show, check out the article here. And here are a couple of my personal recommendations: Linda & Harriett, they do beautiful letterpress stationary. They also have a cute little blog to check out. And the other is Scaredy Kat Cards & Gifts. Can you tell I have a thing for paper? They also have cute and unique gifts for that someone who has everything (or not). It's really exciting to see such a change of gears in the design world- fresh, young talent coming from Brooklyn instead of the City.

For My Swedish Friend

2009-05-07T21:44:00.004-05:00

Perusing Decor8's blog today; they were talking about this great design site called Style Room. It's an interactive site that lets you upload images and have a go at your own interior design. They have recently launched an UK site for English speakers, but it's a bit more rudimentary than the Swedish site. Check it out though for a fun, creative diversion. Sarah, this one's for you. :)

My Own Charley Harper

2009-05-06T09:13:00.000-05:00

For our third anniversary on Sunday, my boyfriend Chad surprised me with a beautiful tulip and rose bouquet. He also completed a honey-do, which is always a great gift, and hung some art that we acquired (and laid about, waiting for me to find the perfect spot). Chad gets a gold star! So, I finally have Flamingo A Go-Go on my wall! I am a proud owner of a Charley Harper print- and it couldn't be more my style. I wrote a post last week on the artist and the exhibition at The Public Trust. Well, I went to the show, and came home with a new piece of art. And in case you weren't sure from the title, my particular print does indeed feature pink flamingos! I guess you could say I was inspired by Coco+Kelley's post on the subject. Here it is on our dining room wall:

Also, we have an artist in the family, photographer Shawn Hannon. He gave us one of his photos stretched onto canvas. I think he needs to take his hobby to the next step! It hangs next to the Charley Harper, separated by a window. I like that they are so different from each other:

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

2009-05-05T07:01:00.002-05:00

(photo via Flickr)

You know summer is nigh upon us when Cinco de Mayo is here. So, time to break out the margarita glasses, work on your cha-cha, and get your fill on chips and queso! Don't forget to stop by times ten cellars for our own unique celebration!

Pasa un buen dia!

Chicks for Congo

2009-05-04T10:25:00.000-05:00

Looking for something non-traditional to do this Cinco de Mayo? Help a sista out! Three ladies, including our very own beautiful and talented Kelly Cruse, are traveling to the Congo to assist genocide survivors and refugees. They will be providing grief counseling to families who have lost relatives in the genocide, rape and mutilation counseling, and displacement counseling. They will be hosting a fundraiser party on Tuesday, May 5th at times ten too. There is a suggested $5 donation at the door, but the girls will gladly accept any additional donations! You will enjoy the entire selection of times ten wine, as well as our local band Matt Thompson and the Eastwood Band. Please come out and show your support for these lovely ladies and their phenomenal cause! Below are all the details- hope to see you there!

Date: Tuesdsay, May 5, 2009

Time: 7pm- 'til they kick us out!

Place: times ten too 2018 Kidwell Dallas, TX 75214

Feel the Love Friday: V

2009-05-01T08:32:00.001-05:00

Everybody thinks his pet is cute- has that certain star quality. Why not show off your pet's devastatingly good looks and Oscar worthy acting skills in a film? The SPCA of Texas presents Pet Flix! They are now accepting short films, documentaries, and music videos from across the country starring pets! Give Charleton Heston the goldfish his chance to live up to his name. The deadline is Friday, May 15th, so dust off the camcorder and bring out the director's chair! Of course, your dog will want his own trailer! There is a $10 entry fee for each film. The Pet Flix film festival will be June 7th at the Granada Theatre. What a creative way to bring animal lovers together! And there's something in it for you too! They are giving out cash prizes for Best Overall Film, Best Short Tail, and Best Long Tail. Tickets go on sale May 4th for $15 each. All proceeds go to the SPCA of Texas. Pets will be up for adoption at the event as well. Feel the love for your pet, and help one that does not have a home. Here is the website to learn more and download the entry form.

White Rock East Garden & Artist Tour

2009-04-30T08:11:00.000-05:00

On May 17th, silent G imagery will be participating in this year's White Rock East Garden & Artisans Tour! This is a tour of spring gardens throughout the East Dallas neighborhoods with the added bonus of several artists' work on display. We will posted at Lance & Lauren Williams' yard, 8200 San Fernando Way. There will also be a plant sale & raffle. The best part about it, the tour is free! See you Sunday!

Charley Harper's Birds

2009-04-29T12:10:00.006-05:00

If you love birds, or even if you don't, you'll appreciate the late Charley Harper's work. He invokes the mid-century modern design and blends it seamlessly into an organic subject. His colour palette is vivid and unique. I specifically love the geometric shapes he uses- there is something very mathematical about the birds. His work has recently been rediscovered and is seeing a new wave of exposure. I can't help but think that this is intrinsically tied to the resurgence in popularity of mid-century modern design and furniture. Below are few examples of his work (photos via ammobooks.com). Love the flamingo!

Selections from his work are currently on display at the The Public Trust at 2919 Commerce St. in Dallas. Make a point to get over there by tomorrow! This exhibit closes at the end of April. More info here.

silent G imagery Goes to Fort Worth

2009-04-29T10:24:00.000-05:00

Several businesses around the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex chose artwork from a submitted selection to display in their offices. Bob Quaglia, of silent G imagery, has three pieces on exhibition at University of Texas Arlington's offices in Fort Worth. In case you're in the neighborhood, you can check out some of his work. Here are the three photos they chose: Sepia Mesa, Crown of Thorns, Millipede Home. Of course, there's always the website. :)

Hooray for exposure!

Don't Stop the Rock

2009-04-28T11:38:00.007-05:00

The Marquis

Black Kids' lead vocals & guitarist

Mates of State

The Encore

I skate across the floor in my socks Risky Business style, hairbrush in hand, screaming out the lyrics to I'm Not Going to Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You. My neighbors must love me right now. Black Kids opened up for Mates of State last night at the Granada Theatre here in Dallas. From Jacksonville, Florida, these kids put on a high energy and well put together show, albeit a bit poppy. I went in knowing little and expecting nothing from the band, and they vastly cleared the bar. Their other single Hurricane Jane was one of the few songs I knew, but they had me glued throughout their entire set- sometimes it can be difficult to pay close attention at concerts, if you don't know the lyrics. I felt like I was on a sugar high watching these guys. And I think the kid next to me may have been, as he literally vibrated the entire hour. The Black Kids won my heart when they sewed a little bit of New Order into their final song. But, the fun didn't end when they took their final bow. Next up was husband and wife duo from San Francisco, Mates of State- the reason I ventured out on a Monday night. Jason Hammel on drums and Kori Gardner on keyboard, a fiddler/percussionist, and a cellist, create the upbeat and diverse songs. After seeing them at last year's ACL Fest, I had become hooked and anticipating more, now that we were in a more intimate setting. Opening with My Only Offer, set the mood for a great show. Not much talk, and lots of rock, they segued smoothly from one song to the next. Dying to hear my favourite song, I yelled all night for The Re-Arranger. And to no avail, as it was not included in the set. Sunbear, the first act (before Black Kids), came out and joined Mates of State for a fantastic, drum-oriented song. And just when I was about to give up hope, Kori & Jason hit the opening notes for The Re-Arranger! I knew they wouldn't let me down! Ending the show on a real high note, I practically skipped out of the theatre. My only gripe would have to be regarding the acoustics. Not really the bands' fault, but the singers were a bit difficult to understand, and I felt they were drowned out by the music in a way. Granada is usually pretty spot on about getting the sound right, it just seemed a little off- nothing drastic. However, all in all, it was a brilliant way to spend a Monday evening!

Stand By Me

2009-04-27T08:10:00.003-05:00

Playing for Change, spearheaded by Mark Johnson, is all about uniting the world as one human race. He believes, and I agree, that the best way to bring people together is through music. I cannot think of a more creative way to achieve world peace. Starting in Santa Montica with one street artist, Mark and his team travel the world to record musicians playing one song together, though they have never met. Their first project was recording the song Stand By Me. Here is the fantastic result:

Playing For Change | Song Around The World "Stand By Me" from Concord Music Group on Vimeo.

You can also find Mark's video explaining his mission of Playing for Change at vimeo.com. Be sure to check out the other videos he has put together, Chanda Mama is pretty great. You can also visit their website: playingforchange.org

Remember: Envision Whirled Peas!

Feel The Love Friday 4

2009-04-24T08:01:00.001-05:00

Paws In the City presents Paws at the Oasis at Hotel ZaZa! They will be hosting their Spring fundraiser event poolside on Thursday, April 30th 7pm-930pm. Admission tickets are $22, included are two drink vouchers. Additional drink vouchers can be purchased for $6 each. All proceeds go to Paws in the City. Hors D'oeuvres will be passed, goodie bags will be handed out, and several items will be up for silent auction. And of course, you can adopt a pet while you sip! All in all, a nice evening spent in a luxurious setting, helping a great organization. Here is their website for further information on the event. Hope you can make it out!

A little bit about Paws in the City:

Paws In The City is an all-volunteer nonprofit 501(c) 3 organization committed to ending the abuse, neglect and overpopulation of Dallas area dogs and cats. Our goal is that every adoptable dog and cat get a loving home. By providing money for spay/neuter and increasing the adoption rate, we take the first step in making Dallas a no kill city.

Paws In The City has spent many years rescuing and healing the abused, neglected and abandoned dogs and cats of our community. We have placed dogs and cats into our foster homes and then into adoptive homes. We also conduct offsite adoptions for the City of Dallas municipal animal shelter because they kill almost 30,000 animals..add the metroplex and it climbs to 200,000. Every dollar raised goes to foster, adoption, medical and spay/neuter programs.

Southern Open 2009

2009-04-23T08:25:00.000-05:00

The Acadiana Center for the Arts in downtown Lafayette is hosting the 2009 Southern Open jurored art show. Sharon Shero, of silent G imagery fame, has had one of her works chosen! The juror Eleanor Heartney is a well respected, New York based art critic. The exhibition will feature artists from 5 states: Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. Starting May 9th through July 25th Sharon's piece, along with 49 others will be on exhibition. If you find yourself in Louisiana, be sure to swing by the gallery. Look for Local Heroes at Rest by Sharon Shero!

Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-22T10:59:00.003-05:00

Let's make Earth Day every day!

(photo via University of Wyoming)

Closet Space

2009-04-22T08:45:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I was perusing through all my blogs that I follow. And I found a new one called High Heeled Foot in the Door. Her Monday post was all about Cher's closet in Clueless. Who didn't beg her parents for that closet for Christmas that year? Well, now you can be a step closer. Warner Bros. have released an app for your iPhone or iPod Touch called Sex and the City: Carrie's Closet. You take photos of the items in your own closet and then assemble outfits! AND you can email outfits to friends. How fun is that? I'm not sure how practical it is, but maybe if you're trying to coordinate or need advice for appropriate attire for an upcoming event. Then again, this app isn't really about practicality. You can also compile a wishlist of things you don't currently own. All very exciting. Just go to iTunes and download the app- it's free! If you need to find me today, I'll be in my closet snapping pictures of all my clothes!

Texas Tea Party: Are These People For Real?

2009-04-21T08:42:00.004-05:00

Last Wednesday, Rick Perry made an appearance in Austin at one of the many "tea parties" held around the nation, protesting the current administration's spending policies. After his speech, he actually told reporters that Texans may get so fed up that they will want to secede from the Union! He must be joking! With the new rise to secession talk, which obviously will never happen in a million years, my boyfriend and I were curious as to what basis these people actually think they can legally break away. He found a website called TexasSecede.org. They are basing their entire argument on one paragraph from the 1876 Texas Constitution (our current document). Here is what they quote on their website:

"Texas is a free and independent State ... All political power is inherent in the people ... they have at all times the inalienable right to alter their government in such manner as they might think proper."
— Texas Constitution (1876)

Please note the all important first ellipses. Because the line that that ellipses represents is the damning evidence that secession was no longer possible, once we joined the United States. Now, here is the original paragraph as it reads in the actual document:

"Sec.1 A FREEDOM AND SOVEREIGNTY OF STATE

Texas is a free and independent State, subject only to the Constitution of the United States, and the maintenance of our free institutions and the perpetuity of the Union depend upon the preservation of the right of local self-government, unimpaired to all the States."

The words "All political power..." actually are the beginning of Section 2. Some may argue that it does not specifically state that we are subject to the President of the United States, but by saying we are subject to the Constitution, I think that argument would not stand up in court, as the Constitution covers the office of the President. And, to take it a step further, the Constitution of 1869, declared the Constitution of 1861, when we joined the Confederate States of America, null and void. It specifically denounces the power of secession. This was passage was required to appear in the new state constitutions by Andrew Johnson in order for the Southern states to re-enter the Union. Here is Article Twelve, Section Thirty-Three of the '69 Constitution:

"SECTION XXXIII. The ordinance of the Convention passed on the first day of February, A. D. 1861, commonly know as the Ordinance of Secession, was in contravention of the Constitution and laws of the United States, and therefore, null and void from the beginning; and all laws, and parts of laws, founded upon said ordinance, were also null and void from the date of their passage."

Granted, we no longer use this constitution, as a current one replaced it in 1876, however, it is clear that secession is not our sovereign right, nor is it legal to do so. For us to in fact withdraw from the United States, we would have to wage war. Do these people actually want that? They actually want to personally fight for their sovereignty? They have asked Obama to keep his hands out of their pockets and to re-read the US Constitution. Well, I think they need to take a good look at their own state constitution before speaking out of turn. Perry is clearly just trying to drum up voter support from the [very] right winged Texans, but I think he took it too far. No sense getting people so riled up, when seceding not even a possibility. Who actually still believes that secession is a good idea? Obviously the authors of TexasSecede.org do, because if you read their Q & A section, they have some very interesting answers to the common questions that are posed to their group.

Personally, I don't think we've given Obama's new policies enough time to take effect. This nation is not a little tugboat, we are a giant freighter, and can't simply turn on a dime. It will be a long and painful recovery before substantial results are seen. This is major surgery we as a nation are undergoing- we can't be expected to be back on the playing field in full force in a couple of weeks And for that matter, I don't really have any better ideas, and it doesn't seem that anyone else does either, so until we do, let's keep the criticism to a dull roar.

*PS. Thanks, Chad for the history lesson!

Tea With the Mad Hatter

2009-04-20T08:34:00.002-05:00

Wednesday, April 22nd marks the date for the 21st Annual Mad Hatter's Tea Party at the Dallas Arboretum. This annual event is put on by The Woman's Council of the Dallas Arboretum. The theme this year is Under the Cherry Blossoms (oh, my favourite tree!) and includes a champagne reception, luncheon, silent auction, and of course, a hat judging! And most importantly, proceeds go to benefit A Woman's Garden Fund. Here is the link to the website for more information and ticket purchase.

So, ladies, support the fair sex and bring your green hat!

(image from Bailey Doesn't Bark- cutest teacups around!)

Feel The Love Friday III

2009-04-17T22:01:00.005-05:00

Ladies, have any of those fancy ball gowns hanging in your closet? You keep thinking there's going to be that black tie affair or formal wedding to attend, but it just hasn't came up yet. Well, let's put those dresses to good use. The Prom Shop Project is now hosting their 2009 Spring Giving Dress Drive! As they say, you can be someone's fairy godmother and give underprivileged girls to wear a beautiful dress to their prom. You can mail your dresses to Kim Peters, the president and founder, or drop off year round at Kenny's Cleaners in Oak Lawn. Here is the link to their website, you can check for upcoming dress drive events and further information. The Prom Shop Project also promotes emotional growth for young ladies year round. What a fabulous way to put your flair for shopping to good use!

24th Annual Main Street Fort Worth Arts Festival

2009-04-16T07:44:00.000-05:00

Looking for something to do this weekend? Thursday marks the beginning of the Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival! Everything from a juried art show, live performances, concerts, to food tastings will be going on. Not to mention the Fearless Film Festival 3, AKA the 3F3. There's a lot to see, so get out there early! They will also be offering a free park and ride service, so you can save your legs for all the walking around in the festival. Here's is the link to the official website: Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival

Further Details:

When: April 16th-19th

Where: Main St at Weatherford to the Court House

Google Map

(Photo from Main St. website)

French Wines

2009-04-15T08:16:00.003-05:00

We all know France is king when it comes to wine. They have more land under vine than any other country, they started the modern model for wine laws and regulations, and tout some of the biggest names in the business. Before the Easter break, we covered French wines in class- everything from Champagne to Bordeaux. Here are several that we tasted and I liked:

2003 Chateau Trianon Bordeaux- from St. Emilion, and a Grand Cru. This wine has heavy notes of leather, cedar, and lead on the nose. Upon tasting, you will get a well balanced fruit, cocoa with a medium acidity. This wine is predominately Merlot with a little Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Carbonere thrown in.
2003 St. Estephe Bordeaux- Wow! This wine was amazing. Also a Grand Cru, it is oaked with a floral and slightly smokey aroma. On the palate, it is earthy with soft tannins and an incredibly long finish. 68% Cab Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 2% Cab Franc. Unfortunately, I won't be purchasing this wine anytime soon, it's worth over $200! It was great to have a taste though.
2005 Chateau Doisy Däene Sauternes- From Barsac, this wine was surprisingly very complex. Definite notes of botrytis (a disease that sucks the water out of the grape, leaving the sugar highly concentrated- in this case, a good thing). Tangerine, fig, agave, pineapple, pear, brown sugar, honeysuckle- the list goes on. The layers and complexity were endless! A lot of people turn their nose up at sweet wine, but wines like this one can be very good- especially if paired with the right thing. This would be excellent with foie gras.
1998 Cantemerle Pinot Noir- from the Haute Medoc region. The brettanomyces was definitely noticeable with the aroma of band-aid or animal. Some people like this, others don't. I'm not crazy about it, but it's ok in small doses. Hints of tobacco were also evident. This wine had sediment, and a little cloudy- probably due to age- but still very good. I would say drink this now, it's probably on the way down after this year.
2005 Amiot Guy et Fils Alligote- another sweet wine, although, this one is from Burgundy. A musty, aged aroma, with notes of coffee, fig, and raisin. It has a sweet, birthday cake finish with notably high acid.
George D'Boeuf Moulin-A-Vent Gamay Beaujolais- Most people think of the light and fruity, inexpensive, picnic wines of Beaujolais, but this one is quite different. It is purple in color, with a spicy nose. It has soft tannins with notes of black pepper; a medium bodied wine. I was glad to discover a higher end Beaujolais that breaks common perceptions.
2006 George D'Boeuf Pouilly Fuisse- from Macon in Burgundy, made out of the chardonnay grape. Light oak with a touch of vanilla on the nose. I love, love, love me some Pouilly Fuisse, and this one is no exception!
2003 Clos des Vignes Franches Pinot Noir- A Premier Cru from Beaune. Garnet color with a mushroom, cherry, and carmelized nose. Complex, soft and spicy- notes of dried fruit, and light tannins on the palate.
2005 Joseph Drouhin Chablis-Sechers- We'll finish up with this Premier Cru from Cote D'Beaune. There is banana, apricot and a floral aroma on the nose. Maybe a little hint of oak, but it was definitely not aged in new oak barrels. Sweeter, but not overbearing. A high acid wine that would be paired nicely with oysters.

Go ahead, set up a little cafe table, pretend you're on the streets of Paris, dine on some fromage and pate, and enjoy a nice, French wine! Give yourself a little mini-vacay, even if you can't afford that flight to Paris.

Biloxi Katrina Sculptures

2009-04-14T08:16:00.002-05:00

Watching the news the other night, I saw a story on an artist who has taken trees that were felled by Katrina and turning them into beautiful wood sculptures. Marlin Miller wants to bring joy and life back to Biloxi and is doing so by turning something destroyed into a work of art. I especially love his seahorse. Here is an image of the Osprey that he did:

To see more on his works you can go to the Thanks, Katrina blog to see his progress and get updates. This blog also talks about some of the problems they still have in the areas affected by Katrina. They are still not back to normal three years later, and require our help to get back on their feet. We can not let the victims of such a tragedy go forgotten!

Lost Tribes of NYC

2009-04-13T08:08:00.002-05:00

I found this gem of a video on a friend's blog preash.net. Urban anthropologists Andy & Carolyn London, of London Squared Productions, take it to the streets to interview some of New York's overlooked citizens. And what great art came out of it!

The Lost Tribes of New York City from Carolyn London on Vimeo.

http://www.londonsquared.net/

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T10:35:00.000-05:00

This card never gets old in our family. Still makes me giggle year after year.

Happy Easter! He has Risen!

Feel the Love Friday: Part Deux

2009-04-10T08:13:00.004-05:00

Easter Sunday, April 12th will be the 24th Annual Pooch Parade. You can enter your dog in the parade, and win awards like Best Dressed Dog or Best Owner/Pet Look-A-Like Dog! But, the best part, they will have pups up for adoption as well. Feel the love these guys, and bring a deserving dog into your home!

Details: Lee Park, 3333 Turtle Creek Blvd at Lemmon Ave

11am: Registration

12:45pm: Adoptable Dogs Parade

1pm: Pooch Parade

3pm: Dallas Symphony Orchestra concert

Link to Article

Architecture of Relevance

2009-04-09T16:48:00.003-05:00

In a recent article, Cameron Sinclair of Architecture for Humanity comments on the recent shift from 'architecture of excess' to 'architecture of relevance' due to the economic status we are currently in. As Sinclair points out, AFH has been doing humanitarian work around the world for 10 years , but it has taken the economic recession to open people's eyes to the real crisis that has existed for too long. It's about time architects start focusing on the 5 billion people who live in inadequate living conditions and stop only servicing the elite and wealthy.
It's no surprise to me Ms. Zaha Hadid was not willing to debate Sinclair on the architect's role in the built environment. The architecture community is pretty familiar with her formidable persona. What a shame the leading female architect this world has to offer cannot be more in-tune with real problems this world faces and even 'pretend' to care.
I realize it is a challenge financially for architects to do pro-bono humanitarian work, but I think there is a balance that can be achieved in aiding the effort. Little by little we can put our services to good use and make a difference in the world!

Victory Gardens

2009-04-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Spring has sprung and I have decided to bring back the victory garden. My beautiful rose bush in the middle of a planter full of weeds inspired this thought. So, who doesn't love fresh produce? And you can't get more fresh than grabbing a head of lettuce from your own backyard. When I spent the summer in Spain, we ate salads fresh from the garden- most. amazing. salads. ever. I think this is a great way to not only be environmentally friendly on several accounts (no driving to the store to purchase, the plants put put oxygen back in the air, you're not supporting cross-country shipping of produce), but it's a fantastic way to save a little money. If you're like me and buy organic, we all know how pricey that can get. Growing your own veggies can absolutely be organic and help cut down on the cost at the grocery store. Not to mention the workout you'd get, along with Vitamin D from being in the sun. And I think it's good for us to be a little more self-reliant. Of course, when looking at the big picture, if enough people do this, you would be putting a further economic strain on farmers both local and who ship from across the country. This is indeed an economic drawback, but you can still turn to your local produce farmers for those more unique fruits and veggies like Albino Asparagus, the Ugli Fruit, and maybe a little Belgian Endive.

Now all I have to do is getting my hands dirty! And find a way to keep the dogs out. :)

Think global. Grow local!

Wine Down Wednesdays

2009-04-08T09:14:00.000-05:00

Every second Wednesday of the month, we host acoustic bands to come play in our private party building at 2018 Kidwell (adjacent to the main winery on Prospect). It's a smashing success! Young people from all around the area come in for good wine accompanied by good music. Last month, we were mentioned in Daily Candy! And judging by how many people said they were here because they saw the article, I think we're in for even more popularity! Thanks, DC! Here's a link to the article, see you tonight!

The 404

2009-04-07T08:00:00.002-05:00

Ever gotten the ever so frustrating 404 file not found message, when looking for a webpage? You may have seen this before, but I thought I would share some creativity with you. Here are a few clever ways to convey that pesky 404:

100 Best 404 Messages

For the Love of the Game

2009-04-06T09:12:00.003-05:00

I can just smell those hot dogs and funnel cake now. Today is the home opener for your Texas Rangers! After a series of debacles, I was finally able to land tickets. Time to go enjoy a nice relaxing game of base, maybe catch a foul ball, and of course, overindulge in ballpark food! Happy Monday!

Feel the Love Friday

2009-04-03T09:10:00.003-05:00

Dwell: March Issue

2009-04-02T09:45:00.002-05:00

The phone rings, it's my best friend. We're both gushing over Dwell's March issue. It's all about sustainable design in Australia and New Zealand. Two of our favourite topics! They seem to have it pretty well figured out, and some of the innovations/design coming from the Land of Oz are just phenomenal. So, why are they leaps and bounds ahead of us? The magazine suggests it's out of an imminent necessity there, as opposed to a want to find other resources here. Along with other factors such as isolation, egalitarianism, economic prosperity, and an outdoor lifestyle. We should have the same sense of urgency here as they do Down Under. It's ridiculous for sustainable design to be a mere stamp on a blueprint, and not a true goal to be followed through with. JayRay's last post about the fallacies of LEED hits the nail on the head. This isn't something we should be cutting corners or only heeding so that you get the recognition for LEED design. All this had me revisiting the magazine articles. How is it another country is getting this right, when we are just as capable and have all the technology needed to do so? We, as citizens, need to start asking ourselves some serious questions.

If you're looking for a little more food for thought, here is the issue from Dwell that is dedicated entirely to this subject.

Where The Wild Things Are

2009-04-01T09:44:00.004-05:00

At last! The long rumoured film is coming to theatres this October! Here is a trailer for Where The Wild Things Are. As a child who read this book for a bedtime story, this brings me to tears. And in case you're wondering about the music, that's Arcade Fire.

To LEED or not to LEED?

2009-03-31T16:40:00.006-05:00

This has been a debate that I as an intern architect and as a sustainable individual struggle with professionally. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. There is a huge trend in the architecture industry and in related fields that pushes for sustainable design. LEED is currently the foremost standardized system that certifies buildings on various levels from silver up to platinum. And building professionals can get accreditation as a LEED professional showing they are knowledgable about the system. It is definitely a push in the right direction, but the problem is the system is not regulated enough. Many design professionals cut corners to achieve more points that in turn achieve a higher LEED certified rating. Looks great on paper, but doesn't always achieve a truly sustainable building; sometimes it is worst and more costly than without using the system. Here is an article that talks about this issue in more depth.
In the end, I am definitely someone who advocates sustainable design and a sustainable way of life, but I am not quick to jump on a bandwagon that doesn't quite perform to the best that it should. I think all architects should design sustainably without following a checklist to achieve points that may not even apply to a particular project. We should be taught these techniques in school or in the work-place, but unfortunately that isn't always the case. For now, it seems that LEED is the catalyst to achieving a sustainable built world. Hopefully with the current overhaul this year, the system will improve soon.

DRM for Audio Books?

2009-03-31T09:00:00.000-05:00

As I drove to the bank the other day, an episode of All Things Considered on NPR caught my attention. They were discussing DRM (digital rights management), or copyrights, for audio books, as Amazon's Kindle has already implemented. This harkened me back to our first blog post, which was over the very subject of copyrighting! So, I thought I would share the story I heard on NPR with you guys.

This again has me considering the intellectual property question. So many musicians have reaped success from file sharing. This is a way they can gain exposure, and fast. However, the strong argument against piracy is that money is being taken away from the creator(s), and rightful owners of the work. Now that we are starting to see a trend of people reading e-books or listening to them through sites like audible.com, the same questions and arguments are being raised in the publishing industry. NPR interviews several people, including an author with books on Kindle, to gain perspective on the situation.

In my opinion, regardless if you are speaking to any art form- music, literature, etc.- we should embrace the spirit of a collective intellectual property. At risk of repeating my self from my previous blog post, we as a community benefit from the sharing of art. We learn, we broaden our horizons, and we may find the inspiration needed for our own works.

Not everything in American society need be so individualistic.

Image from NPR.org

Shall I Review Some Wines?

2009-03-30T09:14:00.001-05:00

The fun part of sommelier class is the tastings, of course! So here are a few that I have tried throughout the weeks and my picks of the litter:

Week One:

1996 Etude Pinot Noir- aged, and absolutely smooth. This wine was thought to have been over the hill, but it certainly was not! It probably could have held out for another year in the bottle, but personally, I'm glad we got to drink it! Brick red in color, typical of older pinots, light, and easy to drink.

Week Two:

2004 Sbragia Cabernet Sauvignon- I'm not a big cab drinker, but this was a very nice wine. I would bring this to a nice dinner party, provided they are serving a red meat or hearty meal. It's big, but not overpowering. California grapes, so I would have expected it to be high alcohol content and really big bodied, but I would say it was closer to a medium bodied wine.

2007 Rosemont Treminer Riesling- Australian. A very dry wine, what most people do not expect out of a riesling. This is not your typical dessert wine! I could see myself drinking this on a hot day, maybe with a light lunch.

Week Four: We sampled eight wines and then took a test this week! I just about sloshed out of there.

2007 Blue Eyed Boy Shiraz- Holy cow! This wine has a 16.5% alcohol content! We weren't sure how they got the ALC so high naturally. And to top it off, there is a hint of residual sugar, which is very uncommon in wines that hot. I think this is the highest ALC I've ever had. Aside from that, there are heavy notes of pepper, some of which may be attributed to how hot the wine is. Actually very good. This would HAVE to go with a very rich meat, venison, or lamb, or other big game. It would go well with a lamb stew. Do not pair with anything spicy. Be careful- two glasses and you'll be on the floor!

2003 Pesquera Tempranillo- ah, my favourite grape! This Spanish wine was delicious! Lots of tobacco on the nose and the palate. Plenty of spiciness, but a smooth finish. I would probably pair this with pork or tapas. You would need a cheese like manchego or a cheddar to off-set this wine. And a modest 13.5%!

2004 Marques de Murrieta Rioja- Another lovely Spanish wine! Lots of leather in this one, some minerality, and definitely tastes like an old world wine. Medium bodied and very easy to drink. Again, I would pair this with some delicious jamon serrano and other cured meats. The fattier or saltier the meat, the better. The acidity will cut right through.

2001 Cogno Borolo- Wow, this wine was good. Lots of tar and roses on the nose. That may sound bad, but actually very nice. Very smooth and aging nicely. Goes for a reasonable $32 per bottle. But better yet, is the 1999 vintage we tried next! A little more tar on the nose and even smoother! Both of those could have stayed in the bottle for another five years and been just as amazing, if not better!

Aside from class, I've picked up a few other bottles along the way:

2007 Ludovicus Red Wine- From the Spanish vineyard Cellar Piñol. This wine is almost identical to Times Ten's Cathedral Mountain Spanish blend. Except, this one has more granache than tempranillo grapes, and ours is the other way around. Very jammy, lots of raspberry up front, and a spicy finish. I would definitely drink this with pizza and on summer evenings. When you want a red, but don't want to feel heavy and hot after drinking it, Tempranillo and Grenache are the way to go. Best part about it? Only $10.95 at Central Market. What a steal!

Brumale Cabernet Sauvignon- We went to Arcodoro for Chad's 30th birthday dinner and picked this beauty off of their wine list. A very light Sicilian cab, extremely smooth. This would definitely be a crowd pleaser at a dinner or cocktail party. I need to find this at a retail store ASAP!

Inwood Estates Tempranillo-Cabernet- This wine comes from a Texas vineyard out by the New Mexico border. We sell a few wines from other Texas wineries at Times Ten, and this happens to be one of them. I sampled some the other day, it was delicious! Very fruit forward, almost like the raspberry flavour in Grenache. High acidity, which I like, but others may not. The spiciness of the tempranillo grape with the earthiness of the cab. I loved it, but it goes for $40/bottle retail, so I won't be purchasing it for just some random night on the couch.

I have only four more weeks of class, and I've already come across some other delicious wines to let you know about. More on that this coming week!

Fresh Look for Spring!

2009-03-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

The wisteria are in full bloom, two roses have shown their brilliant pink petals on the rose bush, and the honeysuckle flowers cover my fence. Spring is here! In honor of a new season with new life, we decided to change the layout of our blog. A few more changes to come in the very near future. Hope y'all like the new look!

Earth Hour Tonight!

2009-03-28T09:53:00.003-05:00

Get ready to see what a difference we can make tonight! From 830pm-930pm local time is Earth Hour. Turn off all electronic devices, that includes powering down items in standby mode. Unplug all those chargers you may have. Even if they are not charging anything, they are sucking energy out- they're called vampire devices. And, let's break out the candles! A perfect opportunity to spend a little quality time with those we love. Educate your kids about being green, dust off that guitar, or play a board game (you need several candles for this so you can see to read). Or, just sit back, have a glass of wine (which most are organic, even if they don't advertise it), and enjoy the peace.

Here is the link to the official website so you can read up on the event before shutting your computer down. Also, posted below is the video about it.

Happy Earth Hour!

Italian "Walking Buses"

2009-03-27T17:02:00.004-05:00

I recently read a remarkable article about children in northern Italy walking to school in large groups led by adults rather than taking the school bus or having their parents drop them off. This may not seem all that impressive, but in a world dominated by cars and other means of transportation, it is refreshing to see communities trying to change their ways. The biggest reasons for this is to fight childhood obesity, to lower car emissions, and to put kids on the right track now so that they don't become car-dependent as adults. It is also a great way for kids to connect with other students at their schools.
My family lives only 1/3 mile from my sister's elementary, but yet my mom still drives her to school for fear that someone may kidnap her. How wonderful it would be if her school organized a system like this for all the children in the neighborhood. Fortunately, there are currently U.S. cities with programs like this in California and Colorado. Hopefully this idea will spread in the near future.

Art & Architecture

2009-03-27T09:55:00.002-05:00

My friend Sarah sent me a link from the Dallas Morning News chronicling the progress of the new Winspear Opera House and the Wyly Theatre. I am so happy to see, despite new build projects have come to a screeching halt practically across the board, that this one is still going through- and at a pretty rapid pace! Thanks, Sarah for showing me these pictures! Some of the technology going into these buildings is just amazing. Take a look at the slide show.

Add A Little Sunshine To Your Life

2009-03-26T10:21:00.001-05:00

I found out about this darling little blog, thank you Daily Candy, called The Bright Side Project. Every day in March the author Tristan Shout Brando posts a question (i.e. "Where is the most beautiful place you have visited?" Or "What is your favourite memory as a child before the age of 10?") and an item you can win from a designer. You have a week to answer the question by posting a comment. If you're picked, you win that day's giveaway and your comment is posted on the page! So not only can you get free stuff, but you can read about uplifting and happy moments in peoples' lives. As her motto says, "Sunshine delivered daily" right to your computer! What a sweet and joyful ray in such trying and cloudy days.

The Bright Side Project

Times Ten in the Observer!

2009-03-25T23:36:00.000-05:00

We're hot, sweaty, bruised, and tired. It's threatening to rain, the air is dripping with humidity. Unbeknownst to any of us, a photographer from the Dallas Observer shows up! OMG! Where is my make up when I need it! Oh, and my hair, it's fuzzed way out- ugh! And just my luck, I show up in two of the photos. But, on the bright side, x10 was featured and shows some of the ins and outs of the bottling process. Click here to check it out!

Two Degrees of Separation from SJP!

2009-03-24T10:46:00.000-05:00

We visited the Smithsonian's Museum of American History while on our trip to DC. It's a wonderful museum, just renovated, I highly recommend it. At each of the entryways they have collections of various relics displayed. Some of the items were things like one of the first types of gasoline pumps, the scale that determined how much oxygen weighed, mouse traps, you name it. Chad caught a glimpse of the C3PO costume used in Return of the Jedi. Of course, he was absolutely giddy and ran over to take a picture. Lo and behold, next to C3PO, was Carrie Bradshaw's Mac that she used to write her column! Now I was the giddy one. :) So, since I saw the laptop SJP used in the show, that puts me like two degrees away from her, right? Oh, I also saw Colbert's oil painting portrait, so I guess I'm two degrees away from him too! Ha! Here's me with the Sex and the City laptop. Jealous? :)

Abandoned Detroit

2009-03-20T22:09:00.003-05:00

The March 18th edition of Slate.com included a slideshow/article about the abandoned buildings of Detroit. These buildings are so regal yet heartbreaking. The photographer did a great job capturing the sense of loss in these now derelict edifices.

Detroit's Beautiful Ruins

image from www.popandpolitics.com

Poetry Via Email

2009-03-19T22:11:00.002-05:00

We are in DC for Spring Break. And since Chad's favourite game Fallout 3 takes place in DC , I thought I would share an email I received from him one day. It pertains to culture in that it is a poem, albeit it is about a video game that he wasted hours (if not days) of his life away playing. And yes, Chad really is in charge of our youth. Enjoy!

I played Fallout 3,

for a while it was just the Wasteland and me.

hundreds of mutants slain,

thousands of bottlecaps claimed,

I was the scavenger and defender of the weak.

Far from the vault,

a fantasy I caught,

of destruction and anarchy for weeks.

But with the enclave finished,

and project purity completed,

Who will I be,

Without Fallout 3?

Chad Thomas Hannon
7th Grade Texas History Teacher
Austin Academy

Eagles.....Soar!!!!

ArtScape

2009-03-09T20:35:00.000-05:00

The weekend of March 21st and 22nd is the Dallas Arboretum's annual ArtScape show. Come walk among the beautiful gardens, enjoy the sunshine, and check out work from local artists. Silent g imagery will be there! Booth number 38, near the Pecan Grove off the Paseo de Flores. Come look for us! Above is an image of the postcards we sent out that has all the finer details.

Times Ten Cellars 2007 Cathedral Mountain

2009-03-06T10:05:00.001-06:00

Tempranillo, Grenache, Syrah, Cab Sauvignon, Cab Franc, UNITE! Times Ten Cellars has released it's first vintage ever from our very own vineyard in West Texas. After a minor mishap with the labeling, it's back on the shelves! Woohoo! This Spanish style blend is earthy with the spiciness that is characteristic of Spanish wines. With a hint of fruit, the taste finishes smooth and light. Great paired with tapas, Spanish cheeses, and pizza. Though still young, only bottled in November, and still undergoing a little bottleshock, it is delicious to drink now, but will be even better in six months to a year. However, even as I type, it is drinking better every day. I have hidden a bottle from myself to pull out for my 26th birthday in July. We'll see how long that lasts, since I did the hiding. :)

Tax on Miles Driven?

2009-03-04T17:08:00.004-06:00

Here's a new concept I just recently heard about...how about paying a tax on the amount of miles you drive rather than on gas at the pump? Apparently a few European countries are implementing just that...it's called a VMT or 'vehicle miles traveled' tax. The argument is that now that cars have become more fuel efficient, the government is not getting enough money out of the current gas tax to fund maintenance and construction on our highway and road system. Even Oregon tried out this concept in 2006. They installed GPS trackers on vehicles that calculated miles driven and adjusted the tax amount at the gas pump...sounds simple enough. My only question is how would you track this for electric vehicles? Although I was first shocked to hear about this concept, I can understand the need to finance our immense infrastructure. Any thoughts?

Best Job In The World

2009-02-20T15:20:00.006-06:00

I applied for "The Best Job In The World" and here is my application video. Watch for the shameless plug of our blog!

Oz here I come!

Upcoming Wine Events

2009-02-09T10:25:00.000-06:00

Taking a six hour class every Sunday has its perks- I'm now in the know about upcoming wine events. I also hear about them from time to time through working at Times Ten, but now I'll have access to industry tastings too- yippee!

Most recently there was a wine industry only Bordeaux tasting that consisted of 94 different producers. I unfortunately didn't go to this event, but heard it focused a lot on 2006 vintages, namely Cabernet Sauvignons and Cabernet Francs. Of my sources, few had time to venture over to the whites, so I am ill informed of what predominately was being tasted in that section.

You may rely on me, but there is also a website www.localwineevents.com that will give you a listing of tastings, wine dinners, food pairings, etc. in most major US cities. Great if you're on the road and looking for things to do.

Charlie Palmer at The Joule puts on regular tastings for $25 pp which feature different varietals and topics (i.e. Italian Boutique Wines, Italy From North to South, Grower Champagne vs. Negociant). Kozy on McKinney Ave. has weekly wine tastings on Wednesdays. They also host the occasional Open That Bottle! Night, or you may see it abbreviated to OTBN elsewhere. Bring in that bottle you've been saving, and have never found the right occasion to drink it. Share with the other guests, it's much better than letting the bottle sit on your rack and decline! There are quite a few events in Grapevine, Garland, and Colleyville as well.

The weekend of March 6-8th is Savor Dallas. Things kick off Friday with an Arts District Wine Stroll, followed by a Wine & Food Celebration in Victory Park, and the AFI Film Festival gets underway that night as well. Saturday, there is a Reserve Tasting at the Nasher Sculpture Centre as well as an International Grand Tasting later in the evening. The Arts District Stroll begins at Seventeen Seventeen, moves on to the Meyerson, and ends at the Nasher. Wines ranging all price tags appear to be on the tasting menu. The Reserve tasting seems to be heavy on Napa wines, but rounds it out with quite a few wines from France, Chile, Italy, and a New Zealand wine (Sauvignon Blanc, of course). Oh, and one Texas wine! And finally, the heavy hitters come out to play for the International Grand Tasting. The chefs from the likes of Bijoux, French Room, Crescent, Lombardi's Cinque Terre of deliciousness, Dallas Fish Market, and The Mansion will all be there. A slew of wineries will be accompanying them; I spotted a couple of Texan vineyards on the list. There will also be a bier garten and liquor reps in attendance for those who are wined out (Impossible, I say!). You can do the whole weekend for $300, or buy individual tickets. Tickets are available to purchase online or buying at the door is also an option. All in all, sounds like a pretty good weekend!

May 19-23rd, the 18th Annual New Orleans Wine & Food Experience will be going on. I'm drooling as I type! During that week, Wednesday, May 20th, Cakebread Cellars of Napa Valley will be hosting a private tasting and dinner with Cakebread's Culinary Director Brian Streeter, along with the Ritz-Carlton's Executive Chef Matt Murphy. The price is steep at $150 pp, but I am sure the food will be out of this world, as Cakebread is also known not only for their wine, but for their healthy cooking and delicious recipes. If you want to skip the astronomically priced dinner, there is a fine wine stroll, wine dinner, auction, and best of all, grand tasting to participate in. Saturday, the 23rd is the Grand Tasting event that looks just awesome- over 75 chefs and 1000 vintages have signed on to dole out samples of the best they have to offer! All the while, with Louisiana's finest musicians helping you keep the beat as you while hours away tasting and drinking and tasting and drinking. Mmmm! Another fantastic weekend of wine.

I'll be sure to keep everyone apprised of new events and report back on the ones I attend!

HeART and Soul

2009-02-08T00:39:00.005-06:00

Starting Saturday, February 7th through March 7, 2009 the HeArt and Soul exhibit will be on display at the Bath House Culture Centre & the Creative Arts Centre by White Rock Lake. My beloved mother Sharon Shero has a photography piece "All That Jazz" on display and for sale all month! Please feel free to stop by and support our local artists!

Humanitarian Architecture

2009-02-07T18:52:00.011-06:00

Last year I had the opportunity to hear one of my favorite Japanese architects, Shigeru Ban, speak as he presented his work while competing for the Dallas Museum of Nature and Science. Sadly, he was not chosen for the project, but he continues to do amazing work around the world. I recently read an inspiring article on him in Architectural Record, cleverly titled, Ban-Aid, because of the work he does in disaster-prone developing countries and communities. He has used his paper tube concept from more expensive commissions to develop a housing system that can be built by people from the community in a matter of days.

He first got his start in 1995 by offering his services to a Vietnamese community dealing with the aftermath of an earthquake in Kobe, Japan. He and his students began building temporary shelters out of paper tubes, which was so successful, that the priest from the local church allowed him to rebuild the entire church with this concept. After that, people from all over the world started coming to him for help. He has helped communities in India, Turkey, Sri Lanka, China, among many others.

He is able to fund this type of relief from his many other well-paid commissions but puts his priority in humanitarian work. He will cancel or postpone other priorities in order to respond quickly when disaster strikes. And he approaches both types of work in the same ways; “working with the climate, finding good local architects (who, in disaster cases, will volunteer their services) and choosing suitable materials.” What’s incredible about this man is his eagerness to help free-of-commission. In a world where hiring an architect is considered a luxury, it’s refreshing to see a well-known and successful architect unselfishly care for communities that are in need of aid.

America's Architectural Face

2009-02-04T08:34:00.009-06:00

I have been really lax on reading all the magazines that come through my mail drop lately. But, little by little I am changing that and catching up on all my back issues of East Dallas' Advocate, UT's Alcalde, and Dwell. I'll eventually get to my Bon Appetits. :)

In Dwell magazine, one of the monthly columns is "In the Modern World," and the the Super Structure section of the December issue discusses the future architecture of the United States Embassies across the globe. (I wish I could give you a link, but unfortunately, they don't post articles from the print magazine on their website.) Our buildings have gone from the beautiful, open Saarinens, Breuers, and glass paned Neutras to walled off stone fortresses. Of course, since the 50's, a lot has happened to give the US concern for the safety of their diplomats and employees abroad. This immediately made me think of our recent trip to Madrid. We happened to walk by the US Embassy which not only was a large, stone building itself, but had a tall, iron gate surrounding it. Furthermore, an armored personnel carrier sat out front with a heavily police presence all around the block. Not at all welcoming. We took one photo, before I thought to ask if we were even allowed to be taking pictures at all. Fortunately, it was New Year's Day and the officer was in a generous mood. Here is a picture of what most Madrileños see when walking down the sidewalk:

*Photo by Chad Hannon

After the 1998 bombings in Tanzania and Kenya, safety has taken precedent over design. And reasonably so, over 220 people were killed that day. Embassies are now moving toward a pre-fabricated and standardized design called "The Standard Embassy Design" or SED. This eliminates some of the issues of getting employees computer access and plumbing in parts of the world where this is not always easy. And more importantly, it allows for the buildings to be more secure and predictable for traveling embassy employees. As we speak, 22 of the 29 embassies that are currently under construction are using the SED model. There are plenty of good arguments for SED. And granted they will all look a little different on the outside, but are we just expanding our mass-produced cookie-cutter housing and corporate park techniques into embassies and distributing them around the world? What does this say to our global architecture community?

Personally, I believe that SED embassies demonstrate us unimaginative, unwilling to work with the local built environment (albeit in some cases that could be next to impossible), and flat out paranoid. Surely there are local design groups that could have responded to a RFP for designs that are both unique, open, and secure, all while maintaining a budget. Being that they have Knoll office furniture, the budget can't be so tight to not allow for a little hi-tech design.

Black Cab Sessions

2009-01-27T14:07:00.005-06:00

I have a dirty little secret. And I am ashamed to admit that I have kept it to myself for this long! Despite being so delayed in spreading the news, I will tell you about this absolutely brilliant website called Black Cab Sessions. The producers of Just So Films pile artists into the back of black cabs in London to sing one of their songs acoustically or a cappella. For whatever the reasons, the acoustics are perfect and sometimes the lighting is just pristine. They have hauled around everyone from Ryan Adams to Brian Wilson, and Death Cab for Cutie, to lesser knowns like King Creosote, Phosphorescent, and Slow Club. I have stumbled across so many great bands through them and was proud to see that they were named one of the Top 10 Music Websites of 2008 by The Independent (UK Newspaper).

And finally! After a year or so of this project in the UK, they are making their way to the United States- hooray! And in keeping with the theme, they will continue to film in the back of black cabs. Honestly, I think they should go for the yellow taxi, but why change now? So, if you or someone you know happens to have a black cab hanging out in a garage, and are willing to loan it for a shoot or two, you may just end up with the likes of The Kings of Leon in your backseat! Or even better, a young, not yet known band that you come to love. Now, how smart is that?

Obamanos!

2009-01-23T10:05:00.004-06:00

I know this is a few days belated, but I am still basking in the sunlight of the inauguration! Obama's speech was absolutely spot on, and it seems to have been well received around the world. I was happy to hear President Obama say that we need to get to work and rise up above this crisis. I think he brought a lot of hope and inspiration to our citizens with his words.

Kids in school across the country watched the inauguration live via streaming internet video. I can only hope and pray that Obama inspired them to rise up as well. To show them a new kind of role model. Instead of wanting to be the next Kanye or Jay-Z, continue their education and become Senator or even President. Instead of banking on playing in the NBA and out-dunking LeBron James, to get involved in the community and make their own neighborhood a better place.

The excitement that our new President has brought to this country has spread all the way down to the youngest of her residents. So, here's hoping that Obama can make a difference with the future generations.

In case you missed the speech, or you just want to relive the moment, here it is: Obama Inaugural Speech

And for more presidential action, check out Tuesday's NY Times crossword puzzle, it was some all-American fun!

Downtown Dilemma

2009-01-19T09:59:00.012-06:00

For those unfamiliar with the Dallas market, we are a city of great sprawl. Suburbia reigns supreme. In recent years, there has been a huge effort to rejuvenate and revive our business-oriented, and mostly vacant downtown area. They have done some wonderful things with a few of the older buildings, i.e. The Power & Light Building and The Wilson Building. Some great, albeit expensive, restaurants have moved into the area as well. During the business week, you can find little cafes of all different fares open to serve the many professionals that work downtown. Not to mention our arts district. A brand new opera house is quickly taking shape among our skyline, the Meyerson Symphony Centre, the Dallas Museum of Art, and of course, the world class Nasher Sculpture Centre. One of the more recent projects that has surfaced is the renovating of The Mercantile Tower. My mom brought this to my attention via email, as she originally worked for Mercantile Bank and it is where she got her start in project management. The link she attached was this one: Techon Dallas Inc. A blog that follows restaurant and retail development in Dallas. This entry specifically talks about the renovation of The Mercantile Tower into a residence/retail space.

The tower looks great, with its recent relighting and all around sprucing up. However, I think there are a few issues with how they approach drawing new residents downtown in general. I have looked at the rental rates for The Merc (the lofts in Mercantile Tower), and they are OUTRAGEOUS! Developers market to young professionals (ages 25-35) to fill these spaces, but the monthly bill is so high that there are very few in this age group who can actually afford to pay that amount each month. The Wilson Building is one of the few, if not only, buildings that rent is under $1000/month, and just barely. So, most of the condos still sit for sale, and the new apartments for rent. Many buildings, like The Merc, continue to remain practically vacant. The whole idea is to bring people back to the city centre, but it has to be attainable or who will make the move, especially in a time of economic crisis? It's the exact same problem that my mom, our friend, and I discussed over lunch about Victory Park. They aim for young people , but it's priced just out of reach. Victory Park is essentially a ghost town on a daily basis, only filling up for hockey and basketball games. Every store in Victory Park is high end. The stores with more moderate price points or even independent store owners cannot afford to move into the retail space, due to the high rent rates. I realize the demographic they are trying to attract is the successful yuppies that are willing to spend big bucks on a loft, shopping, and dining out on a daily basis. But truth be told, those are a small percentage of the population as it is, and shrinking as our national unemployment rate skyrockets.

If they make living downtown a little more attainable, they may find that downtown will be the vibrant city centre developers and business owners all are hoping for. I'm not saying that we need to hang "move-in special" and "Se Habla Español" signs, and lower the rent to $399/mo, as these developers need a little ROI. But maybe take a down a peg? Our next door neighbor Fort Worth has lofts in beautiful historic buildings for very reasonable rent rates. Their downtown is a thriving and popular destination. Any given weekend you will find locals filling the streets- going out to eat, drink, attending concerts and movies. There are sure to be activities for people to participate, and shows to witness, on of my favourites being the horse whispering contest. Fort Worth may not be as high fashion as Dallas, but I think we should take a page from their urban planners/developers to help bring a pulse back to our own downtown. Granted, it wouldn't hurt to have such benefactors as the Bass family too. :)

There are parks and public interest projects that are in the blueprint stage which will continue to beautify our downtown, but getting them off the paper and into reality is proving to be a real feat.

So we must be reminded, that when it comes time to vote on such propositions like the Trinity River project, to be sure to participate and voice our opinions! Sometimes it requires a public mandate to really get the wheels in motion on such projects.

With a balance of realistic expectations on what future residents are capable of affording, and a little good marketing, we could realize a burgeoning urban centre that all can be happy with.

Transportation Policy Under Obama

2009-01-17T19:07:00.011-06:00

I was pleased to hear that Obama is creating an office of Urban Policy, dedicated to strengthening our cities. Plans are in the works on developing public transit including rail, but there is also attention paid to roads and bridges, which has stirred up criticism for many reasons. Critics argue why we would want to spend any more money on the road system when there are so many negative consequences such as continued pollution from vehicles and encouraging more people to spend time stuck in traffic. The City of Boston spent billions of dollars on the Big Dig in attempts to relieve traffic, but studies have shown it hasn't actually helped in the big way people had hoped to validate taxpayers money spent on the project.

Public transportation is definitely the direction we are headed. And here in Dallas, DART is expanding the rail system in all directions. But, it's important that we don't ignore the highway system that we have already spent so much money, time and manpower to develop. Cars and other vehicles will still be a major means of transportation and shipping even if we do have an extensive rail system. We have done extensive research on alternative fuels that will allow the continued use of cars and other vehicles. Buses are another important means of public transportation. On my recent visit to San Francisco I was pleasantly surprised to see electric/hybrid buses connected to overhead wires! These buses reduce emissions and can connect people to remote parts of the city, which the subway system there does not. Also, the rail system will take years to complete. California is beginning work on it's high-speed rail system that will connect LA and San Francisco, but projected completion date is not until 2030! Can we afford to ignore our current means of transportation and allow our roads and bridges to crumble while we wait for a national rail system that connects us to every destination? We shouldn't forget the horrible bridge collapse that happened in Minnesota two years ago. There are dozens more bridges that could fail in the future if we discontinue or reduce maintenance on them.

I know it seems counter-productive to spend any more time and money on roads, bridges and highways, but we all need to be patient. The planning and construction of rail is in progress, but it will, like most urban policy issues, take time.

Is It Too Easy Being Green?

2009-01-14T09:40:00.006-06:00

We're back! Now that the holidays are over, we can finally settle back into our blogging chairs and get serious about posting. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's!

Since returning from Spain, I finally found the time to play catch up with all the blogs I follow. And today I was reading a stunning little post from my friend's blog named A Lifeboat Called Utopia. It's all about our global environment and economy, and what we need to do to fulfill our role as responsible participants in our ecological system. So, this got me thinking about the popular things people do so they can claim they too are eco-friendly.

Ryan, being the author of a blog with such environmental awareness, you may be able to speak to this subject more extensively, but the one solution to global warming I hear about the most is reducing your carbon footprint. This is can be achieved through a number of ways, i.e. buying a Terra Pass or paying a couple of extra bucks for carbon offsetting on your airfare. This sounds like to me people are just buying their way out of accountability. Not to say everyone who pays for carbon offsetting doesn't make other efforts to better the environment, but the way that I feel this particular solution is marketed, and therefore perceived, is that you pay to reduce your carbon footprint, and then go about living your life with a guilt free conscience. Or at least guilt-free about global warming. However, I think the original idea was to purchase carbon offsets IN ADDITION TO making other attempts to go green, if you will. The attitude I seem to take away from all this carbon offsetting is that you can continue to drive that 20 mile commute in your gas guzzling SUV, by yourself, with no effort to carpool or switching to a more fuel efficient car. Because you've offset the damage you're causing! On the other hand, my co-author gets up every morning at 5am to ensure she can make the train for her 30 mile commute to work, so that she doesn't have to drive her SUV everyday. Now that's responsible!

I don't watch this show often, but I caught a King of the Hill episode a few weeks ago that addressed this very issue. In an effort to better connect with their customers the propane shop that Hank works at "goes green." They do a number of things to clean up their act and become environmentally responsible. Then the competing propane shop across the street "goes green" by simply paying to reduce their carbon footprint, meanwhile going about their typical, polluting, and environmentally irresponsible ways of life. All the while clicking their heels because they can put on an eco-friendly face toward the customer.

I have come to consider this somewhat of a cop-out. I'm all for buying that Terra Pass or purchasing from companies who have carbon offset programs, as long as you've done your homework and they are truly a responsible company. And just as important, doing your own part at home.

Of course, all this is coming from my 35 mpg MINI Cooper driving, no commute to work, high horse. :) I understand not everyone can trade in their pick up truck for a Prius at the drop of a hat, but all I ask is to do your duty as an active member of this planet.

I'll leave you with a few words from Ryan's blog that truly hit home for me:

"Nature is not a zero sum game, where our gain is nature's loss. May permaculture design and a more profound understanding of our unity with nature usher in an era of regenerative economy, rather than extractive false economy. Species of the world unite!"

Image of the Architect

2009-01-08T14:38:00.007-06:00

This poster is pinned up in our office...just thought it's funny how architects are seen

Make Love, Not War

2008-11-20T14:44:00.005-06:00

In my interminable boredom today, I was perusing Very Short List. They posted this amazing animated video of an interview between John Lennon and a fourteen year old fan named Jerry Levitan. Almost forty years ago, Jerry snuck into Lennon's hotel room in Toronto carrying a reel to reel. Lennon graciously gave him a five minute interview. The end result, four decades in the making, is phenomenal. The movie that he has put together to accompany the audio is as fluid as the message is clear. It's no surprise that it was nominated for an Academy Award.

Oddly enough, I found this tidbit on the Wired Blog Network about the Beatles' copyright policies:

Maybe The Beatles are resisting releasing their music digitally because they're waiting for people to create their digital legacy for them, as Levitan and company have done here. On the other hand, Levitan's ownership of the sound recording rights to the tape and the lack of associated song publishing rights certainly helped. With a more liberal licensing policy, perhaps the Beatles estate could expect similar works in the future.

Which brings me back to my first post!

Here is the link. Check it out. You'll thank me later.

"Whatever you do, just do it for peace." -The Walrus
A message we should all live by.

Thinking Outside the Architect Box

2008-11-19T14:48:00.001-06:00

One of my favorite sites for connecting architects, Archinect, has been doing a series discussing architects who are branching out into other areas of design. Archinect features a team of ex-architects who started a studio fittingly called WeShouldDoItAll. They express their love for architecture but choose to work as designers not constrained by one path or expertise. They focus on many areas such as interiors, graphics, products and furniture design that will eventually lead to achieving well-rounded careers as designers. This is definitely not a new concept; architects have consistently followed alternative paths. But, it’s becoming more prevalent in the current economic crisis. Architects are losing their jobs everyday across the nation, leaving talented people looking for work that is non-existent. I, fortunately, am keeping my head out of the water but it may only be a matter of time before I become another victim. Therefore, I am starting to think of my options, both practical and idealistic. What dreams do I have for myself as an architect/designer, “ex-architect” or an architect on a hiatus?

First, let's look at one reason why countless architects are choosing to change direction. From my experience, it's partly due to the stifling nature of the typical corporate architecture firm. My colleagues and I work countless hours flushing out a concept design for developers who call all the shots. Architects are losing respect in the industry. We do all the grunt work coordinating with consultants striving to make our ideas realized while our developer client has the ability to stop production in an instant due to lack of funding, change in project scope, etc. And often we begin work on a project without a contract to receive payment. There is a lack of communication and mentorship between management and staff, leaving many young designers with unanswered questions and no clear direction. These circumstances among others have resulted in our failure to retain talented individuals. Many have changed their focus within the firm from concept designer to the technical/planning/programing side for job security. Being a concept designer is risky because it's easy to fall off the pedestal unless you stay on top of the trends.

On the brighter side, there are other options for people with architecture degrees. There is a trend in Austin of design-build firms that work as the developer and architect, allowing the firm to have control over decision-making on the project. But this is a route many architects avoid because of the financial risk. Also, I am interested in urban design and planning, focusing on the public policy side of the built environment. Areas tied to that are historic preservation and sustainability. These two concepts have been recently merged into one broad concept for the redevelopment of our aging communities. An exciting option is set design for movies or theatre, designing fantasy-like environments and only spending a couple months achieving results instead of a couple years. I too am interested in product design and would love to work here.

The list goes on and on...but whatever path I choose, I'm grateful to know I have options and that I won't be ostracized for following a path that isn't the typical architecture route. I, too, just like Jonathan Jackson from WSDIA, always wanted to be an architect growing up. And I wouldn't have endured 5 years to receive my degree if I didn't think I could make it. But the working world is different from architecture school. I don't aim to generalize all architecture firms, I have no doubt there are many places where architects feel they are on the right path. But it's apparent now more than ever that architects are choosing other paths because there is clearly something missing from the traditional role as architect.

Art's Role In The Intellectual Property Debate

2008-11-17T21:18:00.000-06:00

In all of my free time during the work day, I read an article written by Daniel B. Smith on a theory author Lewis Hyde purports in his upcoming and yet untitled book. His idea is that intellectual property needs to be belong to the community as a whole, not solely to the creator or the purchaser of the piece. This debate covers more than just art, it is something that is hotly contended where the internet and copyright laws are involved. But, without getting too detailed, I would like to share my thoughts on the topic.

As Hyde so succinctly puts it, art needs to belong to a communal pool of IP, how else could an artist and his work gain success if it is not discussed and debated, circulated, reviewed and critiqued? This is how we come to know such famous pieces so well- reading about them, learning about them in class, seeing the actual piece in a museum. Why even have museums if art is only for the possessor and not the benefit of the public? What if something as iconic as Picasso's Guernica was shut away in some private collection? If this was never available for public view, many students could not experience a masterpiece through their textbooks and Power Point slides. Millions of tourists could not stand back and take in Picasso's work in person. And having seen the actual piece, it is absolutely awe inspiring and moving. I would hate to deny anyone such an experience.

One of my favourite authors Jonathan Lethem was quoted on Lewis Hyde's book "The Gift" and how it affected him. And pulling from my personal knowledge about the author (See! I'm sharing my own IP with the public!), Lethem got much of his inspiration from Dick Tracy comics he read as a kid. Thus furthering my point, we wouldn't be reading such great books as "Motherless Brooklyn" and "Gun With Occasional Music" today, if he himself had not been an avid reader the comic strip. Hyde has become the poster child and an outspoken advocate for a communal IP. So, clearly his own work has inspired and brought about many new and brilliant works of art.

The question that initially came to mind upon finishing this article was, "Does a communal IP go against our individualistic society?" Right off, yes! We have always been a society that emphasises the importance of pulling oneself up by the bootstraps- forever imbued and romanticized in the cowboy image and Wild West era. But after further consideration, I realized much of our society is not only individualistic, but also collective. We have countless organisations, societies, charities, and even social networking online to prove it. So, we can still give the credit solely to the artist, but we also share the work through the same discussions and circulation that makes the artist successful, thus inspiring future artists. Hyde makes this point so articulately with Benjamin Franklin as his subject. Franklin was not a genius on his own, he had many mentors, volumes of research and literature, and experience from all around the world to bring him to the discoveries and inventions he made. And we, in today's society, still benefit from that collective knowledge Franklin pulled from. So too can this be applied to the artworld. We cannot stifle creativity by imposing too many restrictions on that which inspires us.

And thus begging the question: Why should art exist at all if it can't be shared?