Standing at the Door of The Slanted Door

11:45am Reservations. We waited in the rain for the doors of The Slanted Door to open. We loved our modern Vietnamese brunch.

As any foodie can tell you more about this restaurant than I, these are the highlights:

five spice duck confit salad with frisee and asian pear - I always try to order something that I would never make at home: duck confit.

grilled black mission figs, lemon ice cream, toasted parmesan: ok, this sounds a little wierd, and it felt a little like judging 'chopped', but yum.

And the tea. I'd had this type of tea at my friend Eileen's home. Here, served in a goblet, steaming on a rainy afternoon, it was just fabulous. I will be serving this at home, with this inspiring presentation.

Oysters for Breakfast

Yes. I am not a big breakfast eater: coffee with half & half is the norm. First thing Saturday morning of a weekend in San Francisco, we crossed the street to the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market . Oh My.

My jaw hit the cement when I saw the Oyster booth. We ordered two of each of today's catch (is catch the right word?). Shuck and Serve on a paper plate with condiments like a hot dog. Oh My. These were the best oysters I've ever eaten. Ever. Traveller's Tip: Eat Oysters at the Ocean. Eat Rocky Mountain Oysters in Colorado.

Priceline.com

I've never used Priceline.com, but boy those commercials stick in my head, especially when I have a few extra bucks in my pocket. It's as close to gambling as I'll ever get. C'mon four star! No? Ok 5 more dollars. No? Ok, three star and 5 more dollars.

So, Las Vegas turned into San Francisco, Hyatt Regency, who boasts the largest lobby in Guinness Book of Records.

I very much enjoyed the lobby. It smelled nice and the glass elevators mesmerized me. But there was no spa, and it was ordinary. A once in a lifetime stay for me. I'm a fan of 'boutique' hotels. I like a lobby and a room that I would not have at home......even Kimptom's Hotel Triton is a bit on the conservative side for me. However, here's a great idea from the Triton's lobby:

spraypainted pinecones! They will be perfect in my hotel suite size apartment in Aspen.

I'm staying in this weekend: broke. But I am planning a pinecone hunt and a little spraypainting.

mmmmmMOMA

How inspiring is the desssert table and menu at the SFMOMA Rooftop Coffee Bar?

Mondrian is translated into so much modern design, usually as literally as this slice of cake, but who cares? It reminds me that art is everywhere and in everything.

Party Parts

What is your favorite part of a party? I love it all, but I can seriously obsess over the tablescape. I spent probably two hours last night just googling 'dessert tables', looking at the same images over and over.

One trick I've learned to stop my overactive imagination from an obsession is to put it on paper, or in this case, the iPad. This morning, I sketched up the dessert table for an upcoming party. Now, I can get on with the fun parts: baking, glittering, stamping, and printing. I bet it's done by the end of the day!





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Location:my sofa

I SCREAM

I just put together my mood board for October's Party-of-the-Month. It's two weeks plus two days away, no big deal, except I live in Aspen, and it's snowing. Basically that means I have to order whatever supplies I need last week to even hope that they arrive by the party. Alas, it keeps me creative.




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Friendship Fuels

This is the type of weekend that makes Aspen famous. The Aspens are changing to perfectly match the blue sky. I flew over them on my return from San Francisco. I should be blogging about either one of these inspiring experiences, but I have a report for work due on Tuesday morning in the form of a four hour PowerPoint presentation, so I've been glued to my lap top every night this week and since Friday night.

Saturday morning, I awoke to a text: I will call you later. I have leftover delicious sirloin beef brisket and it is just enough for your dinner so you can work on your presentation and have a nice meal while you do it.

I can't describe how this thoughtfulness feels. I tear up. I should know...I actually make food for others quite often. Just this week, I made a lasagna for a co-worker's family because she was on a work trip to Asia. I like doing it so to me it seems no big deal. But it is a big deal. Any simple kind doing of neighbors or friends or co-workers is a meaningful gesture that can make life easier and more joyful.

Please pay it forward.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:my apartment