Patience and Other Things

...Oh and about those Africa photos I've been asked about so many times...

They're coming. Soon - I promise. I have a couple of other shoots this week that coincide with the project as a whole, so I want to present everything to you as a cohesive unit. But trust me: It will be worth the wait. In the meantime, there's a teaser shot to satiate your appetite.

Oh, and go listen to The Very Best's The Warm Heart Of Africa like, NOW.

Friends in High Places

There's an Akron/Family song that begins with, "I've got some friends that you should meet..." and while I'm sure the Ohio bunch certainly does have an illustrious crew, I might chime in and add that I've got some friends that you should meet as well. I've been meaning to blog about the various pieces of jewelry I've received semi-recently from close friends of mine, and today I was shooting product for Asante Sana (more on that later, I promise) so I used my setup to snap a few quick shots of the jewelry.

All of these have been presented to me at various times in my life that seemed absolutely right, and I'm honored to be surrounded by such talented people. I've previously highlighted Jess's stunning contribution to the jewelry collection, so here are a few more.

One cursory glance at my website would confirm that Garamond is one of my favorite fonts, and it's certainly my favorite serif font, so you can imagine my joy when I opened my mailbox a couple of days after I left my last job to find this little gem waiting for me. Jen Murse is a multi-talented graphic design maverick and you can check out her other designs that I can only describe as e-clever at her Etsy shop Plastique*. She also pioneered the inverted diamond rings after we both fell in love with the Alex + Chloe version.

I shot Jonathan Holden's jewelry for his undergrad show at CSULB, and as a token of appreciation, he gave me what is arguably the star piece of his show: The avocado necklace. A Californian symbol of agriculture, and now an icon in my jewelry box.

Ashley has made a number of baubles in her 2009 Jewelry Making Kick, but this little guy is one of my favorites. It's a pin, it's an L, it's simple, and I love it.

One of the first pieces I received, this necklace is duplicated for all the girls in Emily Weiss's life, tokens she picked up in Europe and other far-flung locales and lovingly fashioned into a symbol of her undying affection.

Biola Magazine

A couple of months ago, I hinted at a project I was working on with a client near and dear to my heart, and the fruits of my labor came in the mail while I was in Africa. I had the opportunity of shooting the cover story for Biola Magazine, my former university's quarterly publication (maybe it's quarterly...I'm actually not sure). My boy Brett wrote the story, and I convinced my other B-friend Brady that if there was one box he needed to tick in this life it was to have a centerfold in a magazine. Yowza.

Sorry the copy I have is a bit wrinkled, but you get the idea. Thanks to everyone who was involved!

Jessica Kemp is Your Best Friend

Say!

This is not an Africa-related post, you might be pointing out. You'd be right (and so, so sharp). This is the event I hinted at in a previous post before I left, and I promised I'd divulge the nitty gritty once I got the green light. Well I'm a woman of my word, so here it goes.

My best friend Jessica Kemp is now Your Best Friend, too, and she's joined the fiery comet's tail known as The Interwebs with her own blog. Jessica is one of those supernovas who radiates talent wherever she goes (do wedding necklaces ring any bells?), and her blog is no exception. Art Director and designer by day, budding chef by night, Jess's blog is a receptacle for all her dining-related prowess.

Which brings me to my point: the Monday before I left for Africa, Jess came over to her former place of residence to make us girls dinner. It was a meal she'd prepared for Tyler's birthday the night before (the term "lucky guy" doesn't quite begin to touch on the gastronomical jackpot Tyler hit when he met Jess, but let's suppose it suffices for now), and, having leftovers, she generously donated her time and whipped up some goodness in our kitchen.

Now, when I say goodness, I'm not talking a hearty bowl of pasta and some shoddy garlic bread. That's amateur hour, people, and let's remember that in all areas of life, Jessica Kemp is an artist (emphasis, Salinger! Emphasis!). Her meal was a collision of familiar flavors and wholly foreign ones; an alchemic science experience gone horribly, horribly right. I had the pleasure of documenting the meal for her so rather than wax rhapsodic about cucumber caviar and 22k gold-dusted chocolate, I'll just show you the pictures and you can do your rightful duty as an obedient Son or Daughter of the Internet and click right over to Jess's blog where she has posted full descriptions - AND! GASP! - recipes. Because while she could stop at being cool, she blows right past that finish line and goes for full-stop generosity.

Like I said: She's your new Best Friend.

She's blinding me with SCIENCE! (Or she's making cucumber caviar)

The almost-finished product

Round one: Beet & Portabello Walnut Paté on a Pumpernickel Crouton with Lemon Cashew Cream.

Gin Mini Shot with Cucumber Caviar.

Round two: Sauteéd Fennel, Leeks, Brussel Sprout Leaves, Zucchini, and Pancetta on a bed of Pistachio Cream.

Round three, vegan: Portabello Mushroom marinated in a Coffee Chocolate Rub, Pear and Pumpkin Purée, English Peas, Pasta Spheres in a Macadamia Rosemary Pesto, Pink Peppercorns, Cherry Coffee reduction.

Round three, carnivore: Filet Miñon marinated in a Coffee Chocolate Rub, Pear and Pumpkin Purée, English Peas, Pasta Spheres in a Macadamia Rosemary Pesto, Pink Peppercorns, Cherry Coffee reduction.

Round four: Figs stuffed with a Sweet Potato Anise Mousse, bruleéd, sitting atop a bed of Ginger sand flanked by Purple Potato Chips and Fried Rose Petals with Sea Salt (and my personal favorite).

Round five: Lemon Sweet Corn Cake soaked in Elderflower syrup topped with cut rose petals and strawberry powder.

Olive Oil Raw Gelato with Pear and Tamarind Carmel and a fried Stevia leaf, 22k Gold.

Pine Bud Extract, Figg Seeds, Coconut Dark Chocolate Ganache, fried Stevia Leaf, 22k Gold.

Oh! In my jetlag-addled haste, I nearly forgot the best part! These dinners aren't an exclusive one-time event. Jessica is planning on hosting them once a month for anyone who is interested in expanding their palate. And looky here: The next round is looking for willing participants. Beer pairings, anyone?

Aaaand BACK.

Stay tuned, friends. There's much, much more to come. 

25 Hours And Two Layovers Await Me

Well folks, I'm leaving (on a jet plane, as they say, but I won't say since they ALL have said it. Haven't they?) tomorrow for Africa. It goes without saying that I won't be blogging about shoes  (or much of anything, really) for the next two weeks. Bon Voyage, and I'll see you when I return, provided I haven't been kidnapped by angry monkeys!

Stella McCartney Spring2010

As usual, Stella completely kills it. 

Spring2010 Shoes

Since fashion month is finally winding down (Bryant Park seems like eons ago!), I thought I'd compile images of my favorite thing in the whole wide world: the shoes. Though it's only a pipe dream to ever own a pair of these puppies, a girl can dream right?

Ann Demeulemeester Spring2010

Absolutely amazing. The body chains, the leather cummerbunds, the bird print...breathtaking. 

NeuNoir

Though I'm sworn to e-secrecy for the time being, friends, last night was awesome. I'll divulge the full details and images soon enough, but in the meantime I'll whet your appetite simply by saying: It involved syringes, cucumber caviar, and fried rose petals. 

But other than that, my lips are sealed!

After the event, though, we snapped a few pictures with the lighting I'd set up to document the proceedings. So in lieu of an actual explanation, enjoy a few images. Savvy? 

AllSaints Fall 2009

Hi there. 

Weekend Recap: L.A. Field Day

I'd been baited and switched previously in the week by a certain malevolent sir whose first name rhymes with Shady. He baited me: "Laurel, how would you like to go to LA on a field trip on Friday?" I bit: "YES!" He switched: "Great, meet us at Dodger Stadium." 

I will NOT. I will NEVER.

But the exchange did get me thinking about LA and how I haven't been out and about lately. So I gathered the troops on Saturday for a field trip north (with nary a Dodger Dog in sight, thank you very much). Our first stop was the Natural History Museum - not for the dinosaurs, but for the ever-elusive Kogi truck (the truck that is actually quite ubiquitous these days to everyone except for me). Sweet Korean BBQ heaven! The short rib tacos were more than worth the trek. 

Our next stop was Angelino Heights (Echo Park adjacent) to walk around and explore Carroll Avenue. The houses! The tree-lined streets! The time travel! And what better way to follow up time traveling than by going back to the 1970's south Pacific for a tiki drink? (Answer: There is no better way. Trust me.) Tiki Ti afforded us the perfect end to our field trip in the form of Ray's Mistakes and gin gimlets. 

Later in the evening, Brett and Curtis came down and I showed them the views from Signal Hill, and upon winning a bet with Brett, we went to Kelly's for classic drinks in a dark corner of my favorite 50's-style steak-n-whiskey lounge. And what's better to cap your night than with a free Tom Collins? Nothing!