“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.”
Liking these….
Marshall Major Pitch Headphones
There’s a reason that Marshall’s first product in the headphone world was called the Major. Marshall means serious business when it comes to audio and the new Pitch version of the Major headphones are no different. On the business side, they’re fully collapsible, compatible with anything with a music jack and have super soft cushions to keep you comfortable as the 40mm speakers drive bass into your brain. On the looks end, the speaker housings are made from the same iconic textured vinyl and bear the same notable Marshall logo, but the headband has been covered in denim this time instead of vinyl. Marshall also added a remote and mic to the cans so you don’t have to carry two sets on you at all times. $120
I love me some Jack Purcells and everyone knows it because I have like 16 pair in every color of the rainbow!!!
Undefeated + Converse Jack Purcell
Converse and UNDEFEATED teamed up again for a collab focused on the classic Jack Purcell. What’s the new hotness have over the pair probably already sitting in your closet? Black, red and white colorways. Matching colors in the “smiley face” on the toe. Multi-color laces. Colored leather heel tabs. It’s the same familiar, good-looking profile you’re used to with just a few extra pops that make it stand out that much more. It’s a shiny new paintjob for your favorite comfy kicks. $65
“Self-delusion is pulling in your stomach when you step on the scales.”
This seems like a good thing but I’ll be honest, anything goes wrong with my bike and I just take it in to the experts!
The Bike Owner’s Handbook
Bicycles are relatively simple machines. They might only consist of two wheels, two pedals, gears, a seat and a set of handlebars, but when they break down mid ride you might still be left scratching your head about what went wrong. Rather than trying to deal with 3g service (or lack thereof) for Google, or the technical manuals for your bike (assuming it’s not custom), try The Bike Owner’s Handbook. The book details everything you need to know about basic repairs and maintenance (tire changes, brake and gear adjustments, proper cleaning, etc.) using simple, easy to understand drawings and black-and-white photographs. Plus, since it’s only 6.7″ x 5.2″ x 0.4″ it’s easy enough to throw in your bag and take with you on the go. $15
Makes me think of summers as a kid with my relatives in the northeast!
Cousins Maine Lobster
The lobster roll is one of the most venerated sandwiches.
Rarely do you see “takes” on this summery East Coast favorite. An unorthodox garnish such as tarragon can feel like a radical presence.
Cousins Maine Lobster is largely true to that rigid canon, serving both Maine- and Connecticut-style rolls ($13 each) from its food truck.
It also serves tacos. Yes, a taco of some sort is a food-truck requisite in a city where news of Roy Choi’s possible vegetarianism is treated as a sign of the foodie apocalypse. But these lobster tacos (pictured; $10 for three), with their Baja-like toppings of cabbage, salsa and crema, were not only delicious; they put Cousins in context. After all, pure lobster-roll fidelity would implicitly demand that we mistake the Santa Monica Business Park or that stretch of Main in Downtown for a shack by the Atlantic Ocean.
Of those classically styled rolls, we preferred the Maine version, which features cold claw and tail meat served on a crisped split-top roll smeared with a judicious swath of mayonnaise. The warm lobster meat in our Connecticut roll was, alas, rubbery.
Another break in tradition comes at the sweet end of the meal. Cousins has whoopie pies, naturally, but it also serves lobster-meat-studded vanilla ice cream ($5).
Cousins Maine Lobster; twitter.com/cmlobster
Ya gotta love this! It doesn’t get much better!
Sprinkles ICE CREAM!!!
You’re not usually one to get all riled up about cupcakes. Usually.
But it’s so nice out. You want ice cream. And if, hypothetically, somebody were to take that ice cream and put it between two cupcake tops…
You might kind of want to put that in your face immediately.
And right on cue: introducing Sprinkles Ice Cream, an old-fashioned ice cream parlor that just might revolutionize the ice cream sandwich, opening Thursday in Beverly Hills.
So yeah, Sprinkles. You’ve heard of it. You may or may not have made a 3am run to their cupcake ATM to make someone in your bed happy. But now… now is your time.
You’ll find the new ice cream shop right next door to the cupcake mecca (and that ATM), and it looks… like an ice cream shop: a clean, simple spot with swaths of bright white and penny tile. Step up to the counter and you’ll see flavors from classic vanilla bean to salty caramel to Cap’n Crunch—the obvious choice when they open at 10am.
You can get it in a sundae, in a float or in a red velvet waffle cone. All of which is fine and good. But really, you’ll probably want to ask them to take that ice cream and put it between two red velvet, vanilla or dark chocolate cupcake tops from their neighbors.
Vastly better than a cup of sugar.
Sprinkles Ice Cream
9631 S Santa Monica Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310-274-7890
official website
Checking out the amazing Naia Kete at Hotel Cafe - makes a long board meeting day sooooooo much better. Next dinner with some lovely, dear friends. :)
“Don’t play for safety - it’s the most dangerous thing in the world.”
James Bond SKYFALL trailer!
“Change is not made without inconvenience, even from worse to better.”
Equal Rights Make Sense for U.S. Economy
Interesting…and feels very true.
Four U.S. economists say equal rights for women and blacks have accounted for as much as 20 percent of the growth in productivity in the United States over the past 50 years.
“The will to win is not nearly as important as the will to prepare to win.”
“One kind word can warm three winter months.”
Pretty brilliant!
SBU V3 – Self Balancing Unicycle
On the list of worst ways to get around, the unicycle is right next to the car from The Flintstones. Sure it leaves your hands free while you ride, but, unless you’re a circus bear, who has the time to learn how to use one? The SBU V3 is a self balancing unicycle that is completely controlled by your motions (kind of like the Segway scooter used by your local mall cop to bust perps). You can get a feel for riding the 6061 alloy unicycle in under a half hour, and be on your way dodging pedestrians and barking dogs a la Paperboy in no time. $1795
An Open Letter to President Obama
from Kathryn Hamm
Mr. President,
My toddler son met you in Iowa in 2007 at Tom Harkin’s Annual Steak Fry. You were greeting the crowd at the fence and came over to say hello to my family. You asked me and my partner, knowingly, if we were his parents and we said yes. You nodded and took our son in your arms. You both regarded each other, and, with a broad smile, you said, sincerely and warmly, “He’s beautiful.”
That moment now hangs on the wall in the room of our biracial, adopted son because of all of the possibility it represents. It’s the possibility that a brown-skinned man can become the President of the United States. It’s the possibility that one can be anything, despite challenging odds, but especially when assisted by love and unconditional support. It’s the possibility of the difference that one mom (let alone two) can make in a young man’s life, especially if he’ll never really know his birth father.
I crossed paths with you again at an event in Washington, DC in 2011. As a lesbian living in Virginia with her partner of 19 years and a young son who sees his moms as married, rather than “married,” I could have listed all of the things I still wanted from you. Instead, I thanked you for all of the little things you’ve done to support same-sex couples, including partnership recognition for federal employees. But I especially wanted you to know that I appreciated deeply your leadership on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
And on an otherwise unremarkable day – May 9, 2012 – you touched my heart again when you ‘came out’ and said publicly that you have come to believe that same-sex couples deserve more than civil unions and should be allowed to marry legally.
It was a moment of honesty above the din of political parsing, and a moment that embraced what our children understand about love and commitment, pure and simple. In that moment, as you spoke, I couldn’t find words to replace the tears welling up in my eyes for this gift. Not unlike the first time we met, you embraced my family – including others like us and generations to come – in a deeply significant way.
Your words in support of same-sex marriage, Mr. President, were beautiful.
Follow Kathryn Hamm on Twitter: www.twitter.com/gayweddingscom
“Life should be a marvel, not a habit.”
“You can’t win by being more average than average.”
Mother's Day
I hope you had a great mother’s day and celebrated all the moms who have influenced your life. I love my mom more than she will ever realize. She’s amazing and smart and fiercely protective - all good qualities. :)
I’m awfully lucky I found Tere who is an amazing mama to our babies. I love you baby. Thank you for emailing me 10+ years ago, saying yes when I asked and saying yes every day when you’d rather poke me in the eye. :)
I’m not 100% sure what all this RAGNAR stuff is about but I totally dig their apparel. A dad at our kids’ preschool was wearing this one last night - LOVE! I think I fondled his track jacket inappropriately. Thank goodness our kids are almost done with preschool.