Little Rock - Part 1

Supper Club took the show on the road to Little Rock, Arkansas over Memorial Day Weekend. This week's posts will be dedicated to our trip and this lovely town.

I thought it would be fun to do an illustrated journal, my first one ever. A small sketch pad, a pencil, a Sharpie, some colored pencils and a giant eraser was all it took to record the memories. Here are a few of the better ones (click on pictures to see them bigger)...

George and I had never seen an armadillo before so the sight of a dead one, not smashed flat as a pancake with its legs up in the air was hilarious. This is a quick sketch from what I did manage to see as we drove by. On the way home, we saw at least five more. When it rains, it pours.

Our intrepid leaders decided to take the Pig Trail, a winding, steep and scenic route to Little Rock. One problem? The Bob Mobile is a bit older, a little fragile and not too happy with having his brakes rode that hard. It got a little smoky, but good ol' Bob was a trouper. Besides, it gave us a chance to get out of the car, stretch our legs and see our second armadillo. This one was quite a bit flatter and a lot more deader. {illustration by George Vial}

 
Miss Becky, our gracious hostess, used to keep a turtle journal, marking, numbering and documenting their activity. She told me this story one afternoon, poor turtle.

Jeff mixed up this light, delicious breakfast treat: cream cheese with the juice and zest of one lemon, cucumbers, parsley, capers, wrapped in smoked salmon. I ate almost all of it by myself. So good.

Funny George making us French toast without his shirt on. That really is how his chest hair grows. 

When you follow someone, you assume they know where they're going, even when they pass the exit that says home. But it was detour day. One quick loop-de-loop and we were pointed in the right direction again. {illustration by George Vial}

Blast to the Past

I have been cleaning my office and you know the treasure that can be found under all the mess....these budding fashionistas, for example. Can you believe these fashion opposites are married now? The heart wants what it wants.

Send me a funny picture of yourself as a child - the person who makes me laugh the hardest will get a special handmade surprise from Bristow Fresh.

Pink Dot

http://www.pinkdotsg.blogspot.com/

via casualpoet

Spring Fashion

photos by katiedid

Katie is a Brooklyn mom with three kids and a husband in a spacious 600 square foot space. Katie, please adopt me so I can wear your beautiful clothes every day. Streamlined, full of color with inspired details. These dresses and skirts take my breath away. via Soon Lee

Talking to Dogs

I'm no Dog Whisperer, but I did manage to have a deep and meaningful conversation with a couple of dogs named Zephyr and Chloe on facebook.

Shout Out

Just a shout out to fellow local Kansas City blogger and animator, KC Food Guy and his blog Food, K.C. and Other Things. Some of my favorite links (all Asian-related but I'm biased) from his posts are...

{+}  The United States of Sirircha / New York Times, Dine & Wine, May 17, 2009

{+} F*ck Yeah Cilantro / a site dedicated to cilantro, my absolute all time favorite herb

{+} Twitter + Kogi = One Hot Taco / Newsweek, video / Drool-worthy Korean BBQ Tacos- Kogi founder Mark Manguera talks about how Twitter changed his business

Condiment Gallery

Condiment junkies, go here to see all your favorite sauces in packets.

Rolling Basket Love

I can just imagine the looks of envy I'd be receiving if I was wheeling this Rolling Cart from French Basketeer around The City Market. But it's not going to be happening anytime soon. At $325 for the cart and another $35 for the liner, I'll be sticking to my totes and carrying everything myself.

Portraits

For my wedding anniversary next month, I'm thinking about getting a professional portrait done with George. I have two options...

A traditional photograph shot in an untraditional way. Ever since I saw Max Wanger on Joanna Goddard's blog, I have been thinking about how dreamy his photos are.

photos by Max Wanger

OR a one-of-kind illustrated portrait by Ashley Goldberg. I especially love the ones with men in mustaches and their pets in the illustration. See more on Ashley's flickr site. via freshly{blended}

Illustration by Ashley Goldberg

Here's a caricature we had done recently by local artist Deborah Moreno.

What do you guys think? Photograph or Illustration?

Stay Hydrated

I like these stainless water bottles from Blue Q, more on their site. One percent of the sales will go to support the Nature Conservancy with Blue Q guaranteeing a minimum contribution of $50,000 through 2011. The design on the first bottle (far left) is by Helen Dardik. See more of Helen's work at her site or blog.

Gennine's Art Blog

Gennine is one of my favorite artists. A majority of her work is concentrated on birds and nature, but I am posting this one because the colors make happy. Check out her blog here. She also has an Etsy shop, new work coming soon!

Awkward Family Photos

I am laughing hysterically at 6:30 in the morning, guffawing and cackling like a loon. This is how funny this website is. Awkward Family Photos - what a great way to wake up. {via A Cup of Jo}

Oyster Royster

Oyster Royster is an annual KCPT (Kansas City Public Television) benefit sponsored by City Tavern and local intimates favorite Birdies. A fashion show, oysters and wine for $45? A great steal. When your friends invite you and you get to go for free? Even better.

If you haven't had oysters at City Tavern before, then go! Dollar oysters all day on Mondays and 4-6 pm, Tuesday through Friday. Get there early if you want a seat.

Some highlights of the fashion off the runway...

Love the colors on this great tie. The best part? It's a clip on!

Martha and Linda were perfectly matched in black and white. Martha (left) was stunning in her zebra print jacket, checked shorts and chunky bracelets. She's also wearing the perfect purse, over your shoulder, flat and hands-free. 

Karin and Heather B. some seriously gorgeous legs and the vertical striping on the stockings...let's just say wow.

Shoes that caught my eye.

Check out these convertible sunglasses. So much fun. I'd probably fold them in half and sit on them.

From his pinstriped trouser to the orange flower in his shirt, Todd's mix of pattern, color and detail were impeccable. I love it when guys pay attention to the details.

Fresh Bread

photos by Fresh Fish

Local bread artisan, Fervere, has the cutest little spot next door to Blue Bird Bistro on 17th and Summit. They only sell their fresh, wood-fire baked breads three days a week (Thur, Fri, Sat), and only stay open until the bread runs out, which is fairly quickly. This particular Saturday morning, I actually made it in time - barely - to grab a couple of loaves that were left, the Pain de Campagne and the Ciabatta. Check out their site for a 360-degree view of their rustic bakery and a full list of all the breads they offer, complete with photos for each. 

Snow Cones!

photo by Sarah Farrar

Local snow cone gourmets, Fresher Than Fresh Snow Cones, made it into this month's issue of Food Network Magazine. A full page at that. Woo hoo! I haven't had one of their delectable sounding snow cones yet (Lemon Prickly Pear, Watermelon Basil, Blackberry Lavender), but am definitely trying it this weekend. You can find a full list of flavors and times and locations on their blog. The illustrations made for each flavor are adorable. Here are some of my favorites, but you can see all of them here.

Jacqui Oakley

Jacqui Oakley has such a great illustration style. The colors are so vivid and I am especially intrigued by this one called "In the Morning." See more of her work here. {via designworklife}

Luggage Lost & Found

This voyeur buys unclaimed luggage and photographs all its content for our viewing pleasure. I'm a little worried by some of the pieces that don't contain any underwear, but c'est la vie! If you've ever lost your luggage, check this site out before you lose all hope. {via Douglas Wilson}

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

So many of my friends are now mothers, it's sometimes hard to believe. I tend to go with the more traditional gifts of flowers, make-up or perfume for my own mom, but this is for all the young, hip mamas out there.

{1} Leaf Pop-Out Earrings Supermarket, $44
{2} Grand Naiad Necklace Supermarket, $125

{3} Bubbles Tee Supermarket, $28
{4} Hills Tee Supermarket, $28

{5} Cup Cozy Kit Etsy, $8
{6} Coconut Cream Canted Bag Ruche, $38.99
{7} Cutting Board & Tray sale $34 (regularly $49)


{8} Believe in Yourself Poster Right Brain Terrain, $14.95
{9} Portland Map Poster Ork Posters, $22

Very Cool Bar

When I walked past this table at Costco yesterday, I did a double take, then I stopped in my tracks, glanced up at the price tag ($49!) and threw it in my cart, giddy with the magical feeling you get when you know you scored a good deal. It's a cooler, a stool and a cocktail table. Lightweight, sleek and multi-functional, the CoolBar is listed at $89.99 on-line but I saved $40 by going to the store myself. Now I'm thinking about buying a second one so I can bookend my space at the Mission, Kansas "Battle of the Brisket" competition this September.

Supper Club

Who likes to clip out recipes and let them sit stagnant in a folder, on the fridge, but more often, underneath a stack of junk? In order to dust off some of those recipes, we started a monthly Supper Club. The group is limited to eight so it's not overwhelming and everyone gets a chance to talk (very important when we are all social butterflies and loudmouths). It's been so much fun that friends are clamoring to join, but this is an exclusive club and very hard to get into. :) Our solution? The hosts get to invite two extra people to dinner. Here are some guidelines if you want to start your own exclusive foodie club:

1. Choose friends who enjoy cooking and eating. It doesn't hurt to know someone in the wine business either. Ahem, Craig.
2. Keep the number of the group relatively small.
3. Do it regularly, but be flexible.
4. Come up with basic ground rules. For us, the host provides the main course, everyone else chooses a side, appetizer or dessert to complement the theme...and it's always on a Monday.
5. Have fun! This is about enjoying the food, wine and company, not talking it to death.

George and I hosted this month's supper and the theme was Argentina. The setting was all about bright colors, a casual setting and one huge box of paper napkins. We ate like kings: grilled clams, roasted artichokes, corn & shrimp salad, Caesar salad with cheesy crisp, roasted garlic, grilled corn, Asado (rough cuts of meat, charred and grilled) with chimichurri, quinoa, and carrot cake cookies. Some food snapshots...