More Halloween Graffiti

Photo taken this morning at the Venice Beach graffiti wall.

Becoming a Bird Watcher

There are hummingbirds that visit our yard but my camera is never handy when they're darting around. Or, they're too fast for me. This weekend we're putting out a hummingbird feeder and I'll be stalking them more regularly.

Here's one from Morro Bay, CA earlier this year.

Here's Wilco's "Hummingbird."

Bob Without the Blowdry

I believe in taking time to smell the roses (that's a rose bush by our fence, above) and I am an advocate of good grooming. I will be always apply lip gloss before leaving the house, but I can't be bothered to blowdry my hair. With a bob, that's a challenge. But I've found a suitable workaround—and it's all about using the right product. What's working for me now is the Bourbon Vanilla & Tangerine hair texturizer by John Masters Organics. Yes, it smells as good as it sounds, and I love that it's made with nurturing and natural (really) ingredients. I take a very small amount and apply it to the ends of my hair while it's wet then comb it under at the ends and it holds, allowing my hair to dry straight and sleek. Voila.

BBQ Staples

For her recent birthday party barbecue, Kristine (that's her, above) asked friends to bring her favorite dishes to the party. She told me she couldn't choose between my guacamole (the award-winning guac, I am proud to admit) and the pesto. So I made both.

Sweet Guacamole
3 avocados
¼ cup Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp. agave nectar
1 Tbsp. crushed garlic
1 Tbsp. yellow onion, chopped finely
1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
Juice of one lime
Juice of half an orange
Salt and pepper

Mix two avocados with the yogurt in a food processor to a smooth consistency. Chop the remaining avocado and mash it with a fork. Add the smooth avocado-yogurt mixture to the remaining ingredients and mix. Serve with avocado pit in the center of the bowl and lime wedges. Serve with tortilla chips; I love Have ‘A Corn Chips and the multigrain chips from Food That Should Taste Good.


Wild Arugula Pesto

This couldn’t be more simple and I give credit to a guy from the Farmers’ Market for suggesting I use the arugula in place of basil.

4 cups wild arugula
Handful of fresh basil leaves
Handful of lemon verbena leaves
1 cup raw walnuts
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup parmesan cheese
2 cloves of garlic
Juice of one lemon
Salt and pepper
Extra parmesan for serving

Blend it all in a food processor and toss with penne pasta. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and garnish with a few leaves of wild argula, basil and lemon verbena.

Graffiti: Happy Halloween

Photo taken at the Venice Beach graffiti wall this morning.

Fit to be Tied: Silver Bows

The super-stylish WendyB has posted about her love of bows in fashion and noted that others are picking up on bows as a style trend. I don't know if I am personally keen on wearing bows on clothing, but I am sure I like bows on jewelry. Here's a pin/pendant I got on eBay, along with a ring I picked up at a favorite thrift store; I paid the cost of a sandwich for both of them.

Style & Support

If you're going to be political, why not be stylish about it? I pinned my Obama button to one of the gazillion scarves from my collection and tied it around the strap of my bag. (This scarf is a cute cotton Pucci.)