As Summer Eases Into Fall
As we must begin to “say goodbye” to poolside drinks and warm nights, I'm holding on to a couple of this summer's obsessions while looking forward to new fall favorites.
Signature cocktail at the Kempinski Palace in Portorož, Slovenia
Aperol Cocktails :: With so much vacationing last month, I drank a lot of cocktails. So I became a little obsessed with anything and everything made with Aperol, an Italian aperitif which is less bitter (and lower alcohol content) than Campari. While spending a few beautiful days in Friday Harbor, Washington, I tried a new cocktail each night, like the Paper Plane (Bourbon, Aperol, Amaro, lemon). In Italy, Aperol Spritz is THE summertime refresher, made with equal parts Aperol and Prosecco, topped with a little extra fizzy water and orange slice. It seemed not a day went by of my European vacation that I didn't have Prosecco. Like as our host in Venice quipped, “Prosecco all the time!”
Come Tomorrow, Dave Matthews Band :: After twenty years of listening to the jam band from Virginia, I was both excited and skeptical with the release of their 10th studio album this summer. DMB’s music as of late wasn’t terribly inspiring for me as it has been in the past, but now that it has spent some time on my stereo, I can say it’s one of their best since Before These Crowded Streets. While the violin is sadly absent (since Boyd Tinsley left the band earlier this year), it is still quite reminiscent of “classic Dave,” with tracks like long-time fan favorite Idea of You (which I actually saw at the Gorge in 2007), Come On Come On, and Samurai Cop (Oh Joy Begin). If you are unfamiliar with DMB, you should know that their live performances are really what make them great. It has been tradition for them to play nearly every single Labor Day weekend at the Gorge in Washington, but this year’s performance was live streamed. It was almost as good as being there.
Jim Carrey’s prints at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, CA (and my feet)
Jim Carrey :: People who know me really well know I’ve been obsessed with Jim Carrey for nearly 25 years, since the first time I saw Ace Ventura: Pet Detective on the big screen. I recently watched the Netflix documentary Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond which chronicles Jim’s experience filming Man on the Moon (in which he plays legend Andy Kaufman). At one point, Jim mentions that every film and project he’s done have always somehow mimicked that point in his life, so my husband had the idea to start with Ace Ventura and watch his films in order to see the progression. This has been a completely new way for me to see and appreciate the greatness of Jim Carrey’s incredible talent, both physically and emotionally. His latest project is a Showtime original Kidding, and based on the preview, I think I know what I’ll be watching this fall.
‘Russell Wilson’s Bird.’ People who know me really well also know that I’m not really a football person (I have my husband to thank for becoming as fond of the Seahawks as I have). Yet somehow I managed to get roped into joining my son’s fantasy football league last week because they were short a team. So of course I had to come up with some kind of name for my team, and I’ve always been kind of obsessed with this Russell Wilson/Macklemore commercial. Russell Wilson’s Bird it is. I admit, it was fun to have my younger son sit with me and give advice on who to pick during the draft party. Other than Russell Wilson, of course.