Broadband Creativity

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!

Stand By Me

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!

Upcoming Wine Events

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!