Working from Bank Square is Cool

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Literally, cool as I sit under one of the window air conditioners in the back. My home office is sunny and beautiful, but so far un-airconditioned. But being a working squatter in Bank Square Coffee House is really pleasant, especially on a day like today when it's threatening to storm, and about five of us laptop workers are quietly and respectfully working. Feels like we're in a study hall or something. Eventually, I suppose I'll have to upgrade to the BeaHive, but I've always loved working from coffee shops. Not just for the freshly ground coffee aroma, or the quick access to iced vanilla lattes, but the fast movement, the "ching!" of the door as a new customer walks in.

Beacon Riverfest 2011: Gato Loco on Stage and Others

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Reporting in from Beacon Riverfest 2011, where the weather finally broke and the grass is dry to laying on and listening to Gato Loco Coconino! Except that there is no lounging during these crazy cats, with their funk and ska sound.

Bands that played earlier to our arrival were Rock Band Boot Camp (love that name!), Milton and Jack Grace Band. To follow Gato is Readnex Poetry Squad, and Tao Seeger Band.

Vendor tents in attendance are all of the delicious usual suspects: Poppy's (with their sloppy Joe and pulled pork), Crumb (with their signature lemonade, cookies, and sandwiches), a talapia stand, jumbo pretzels, Tas Cafe, WFUV, The Coffee Shop, and lots of others.

I have to find out how the Art Guitars did...

Fun!

NY Daily News Highlights Beacon as Day Trip to Escape City

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My partner at 'PRENEUR just sent me a picture of this article in the New York Daily News, which recommends Beacon as a scenic, easy destination to breath fresh mountain air in a cool artsy town. Destination? Dia:Beacon via the Metro North, with a stroll up Main Street to hit a few galleries.

So if you're going to do this, I recommend that you pack a picnic and enjoy it on the lawn of Dia (if you're allowed...I've done it, but not sure if it was acceptable or not). If you're driving, pick up your picnic at Homespun or Crumb. Each will give you a delicious selection of sandwiches, quiche, and soup. Homespun also offers a peppy selection of cheeses.

If you want to go simple but good deli sandwiches, stop at Suppa's Deli for friendly, fast service and drinks and chips. If you need picnic food, just up a few blocks is Key Foods which pretty much has everything you might need.

Then...after your walk through Dia:Beacon, come back to Main St and browse the shops! Pick up a trinket at Dreams in Plastic, shop a collection of Etsy designers at Clay Wood and Cotton, browse designers of jewelry and home goods at Global, get a cute yoga top from Mountain Tops, and this is just the beginning. There are more shops on thus end of town, and then more on the East end, near the mountain. Be sure to hit Echo (boutique and toy store), and her neighbor, a hat shop.

This is one day trip. Looks like you'll have more day trips up here to Beacon that will all be different!

Summer S'Mores Without a Campfire

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This is a delicious S'mores recipe - without lifting or burning a finger. It's the no-work s'more that even a small kid could make.

Ingredients:
- 1 graham cracker
- chocolate chips
- sun on an 85 degree day

Take out your graham cracker. Sprinkle the desired amount of chocolate chips on it in a position in which they can melt. Unless you have central air conditioning, chances are your chips are already soft, unless you keep them in the fridge.

Place loaded graham cracker in direct sunlight outside on a porch or other surface, and wait. Check on the chips after 5 minutes. They may not look melted, but try to spread it. Once the chips are soft and warm, you have a nice little s'more waiting to be eaten!

Pairs well with a chilled glass of Pinot Gris. :)

Workin' from Crumb's Back Patio

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It's a welcome relief from yesterday's heat wave! In doing my coffee shop hop for my mobile working, the Crumb guys suggested I try the back patio when I mentioned wanting to work from their chairs out front. Now I'm really going to be a squatter for even longer!! Good thing they have so many yummy things to eat, plus delicious coffee. Today's order: almond chicken sandwich and a trusty chocolate chip cookie.

I know I've been quiet on the blogging front and the Where Is This? contest! We've been relaunching our company's website and brand, so I've gone dark while that happens in order to stay focused on producing those designs, collateral, and emails that need attending! Please come visit us: www.preneur.net. We are hooked on small business, all the more reason I love working from shops here on Main Street!!

Butter Your Banana Bread with Chocolate Instead!

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A nice 4 o'clock snack, or bread item with coffee at breakfast with sunny side up eggs is banana bread with a chocolate spread. Make your favorite banana bread recipe, and for the chocolate spread, melt semi sweet chocolate chips with heavy cream in a pot on low heat. Stir constantly and don't let it get too hot. If it boils, lower the heat. When melted, let cool and spread! Put the extra in a dish and refrigerate. In the morning, take out the chocolate spread to take the chill off. Spread on your banana bread and enjoy!

Blackbird Attic 1year Anniversary Tonight's Second Saturday

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We're on the West End of Main Street for my first walk of Second Saturday , and spotted this sign for Blackbird Attic's 20% off sale tonight for their anniversary! Ruby is distracted by many shiny objects on the sidewalk, so we might only make it to Global for a wood bracelet and Dreams in Plastic for Tootsie Roll socks, and we just finished hanging at Beacon Cycles. Big night!

Early Morning Blowouts at Salon Arje in Beacon, NY

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Really, Beacon, you never cease to amaze me. While browsing BeaconCitizen.com, I spotted "Early Morning Blow Out". Intrigued, and expecting great things, I clicked to learn more. I'm not a blow out kind of gal, because my hair is pretty straight as is (I *wish* for the wave), but I've got friends who I learn from. And I've learned from these friends that they look for early morning blowouts, to perfect their hair to straightness before work or a fancy photo shoot of some kind. So, if you're looking for hair blowouts in Beacon, NY, Salon Arje could be your hookup! They go from 6am-9am on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and it's by appointment only. Call 845-831-4426.

Designer Trunk Show: this chunky ring and more

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This silver ring rocks (no pun intended, actually)! I'm sure you've seen the purple posters around town, but just incase you didn't realize it was May 14th almost, the shopping night at Global on the west end of Main Street is this Saturday! And it's also Second Saturday. I've actually never been to a Second Saturday yet, so I think I'm going to pack my girl into my carrier and head out!

Designers you'll find at this trunk show are Madame Fortuna, Enochian, Alexis Bittar, and more. Global will fix you a drink while you shop! They suggest that you strap on your heels and come on out. I'll be lacing up my purple beauties I got from Echo a few months ago, and will attend!

Glitter and Pattern Manicures Without the Mess, and Lasts

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I'm gazing at my own manicure of seriously compressed gold glitter and black stripe, dubbed Creme de la Creme by the nail polish maker, Incoco. But this isn't your normal nail polish that you paint on - it's stick on, but it's real polish that once it's exposed to air, starts drying super fast, and I mean super fast. It's 3 polishes in 1: the base coat, the beautiful color or pattern, and the top coat. It's been a week, and after caring for a baby who gets a bath every night, and even through gardening and digging out and replanting azalea bushes - NOT A CHIP.

I get my toes done at Love Nails just because it's so enjoyable to get a pedicure. And for my ingrowns. But for my fingers, I paint my own because I can. However, I was on the judging panel last weekend for the Independant Handbag Designers Awards (final awards presented June 15!) and while there, 3GirlsBeauty were offering complimentary mini-manis to apply Incoco nails. I'm not one to get bling glued onto my nails, so when presented with the option of getting a pattern nail polish print, I almost passed. My choice was between gold with black stripe print, or very compressed purple glitter. How can a girl decide?

I went with gold. The girls at 3GirlsBeauty applied it and educated me as to how the nail polish is applied, and why it works. They said people would notice. And they have. Right away. My barrista at my local coffee shop Bank Square spotted them immediately: "Where did you get those? Are those the stick on nails I was reading about? CVS was out of them and I wanted the houndstooth!"
Yes they are, and they rock. They aren't the Lee press-on nails from long ago, which I've tried and they flew everywhere in an airplane once when I was opening a bag of peanuts. They are actual nail polish that come in little strips that vary in size to fit your nail widths. They are thin little stickers that you can flatten into place around your nail.

I can't vouch for how I'll do putting them on by myself, or removing them with nail polish remover, but when I do, this blog will be the first to know. I do know that when I do apply them, there won't be a drying time, so I can go to bed right away if I do them at night when my daughter isn't climbing on me. And there won't be a bottle to spill. This isn't replacing my bottles of essie nail polish, but it's a nice addition to my nail polish collection.