Happy Holidays!

My Italian Cigar Menorah: I leave Florence, Italy, for the United States on Monday. Here is my last tribute to the Italian experience- at least from Italian soil. Happy Holidays, everyone! It's been great, and these little Italian cigars have been great as well...

To Market, To Market

As my time in Florence winds down I realize I've been taking for granted (a little bit) the ability to shop "in season" at the Central Market. I'll miss this fanfare of the freshest, most delectable vegetables, cheeses, meats, pastas and baked goods (to mention just a few of the products available here). I'll miss the merchandise, for sure, but also the visual cacophony of so much being so available. Here's to Florence!

The BEST Kebab in Florence

Though I've sampled quite a few kebabs, now, I think my favorite is from La Boheme, via dei Benci 15/R (though I confess to not yet patronizing Amon, which gets great reviews at TripAdvisor). Still, this is an excellent kebab, and, if you like the fixin's, get it with everything. Everything. The hot sauce is hot, so beware! Good stuff!

Boboli Gardens, Sketch Crawl

On Saturday I took my University of Connecticut art students on a "sketch crawl" at the Boboli Gardens in Florence, Italy. For the uninitiated, a sketch crawl is a group of artists getting together and drawing on location. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time. We even enjoyed lunch afterward, courtesy of Palazzo Rucellai (where the students are currently enrolled). What's better than a morning of drawing? A morning of drawing followed by as much pizza and salad as you can eat.

Pre-Holiday Dinner

Just a little visual record of the recent pre-holiday dinner celebrated with friends (and artists) Patti Argoff and Deborah Dancy. Good food, good times, good friends. This is what the holidays are all about!

Merlot. A Bit of Sanity.

When in doubt, a small glass of merlot seems helpful. Just a small glass, in all its ruby-red deliciousness.

Happy Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving I celebrated in a non-traditional way... but it did include this fabulous CAO cigar! Well worth it. Hope your Thanksgiving was just as enjoyable.

More Adventures in Gastronomia

Recently I had the opportunity to try the "Selezione Salumi de Cinghiale" (Wild Boar Salami Selection) at Il Santino, a nice little wine bar on Via Santo Spirito, 60R, in Florence, Italy. My recommendation? Yes!

Chianti! Chianti! Chianti!

Chianti Festival! What a time! Held at the Palazzo della Repubblica in Florence, there was no shortage of delicious chiantis and olive oils to taste and covet. Though it was hard to choose, I ended up with a great organic chianti for my very own. If you are ever in Italy, check out the Fattoria Sant'Andrea vintners. Good stuff!

Chestnuts, All Kinds of Ways

It's truly fall- here in Florence and at home in the U.S., chestnuts roasting on the street smell great and taste even better. Here's a sketchbook page dedicated to the humble chestnut and the joy it brings!

Walking Along the Arno: Italy Sketchbook

Walking along the Fiume Arno, in Florence, Italy, you don't know what you'll see. Though it's a city, wildlife is plentiful. In a way.

Fantasy Fishing

Fish. Big fish, small fish, freshwater fish, deep sea fish, ancient fish, today's fish. Fish are just great shapes to work with. So here are some more fish, fantasy and otherwise, for my readers to enjoy.

Squash Hunt, 2011, Part Two: Resolution

Well, it wasn't butternut (as per the recipe), but I did end up scoring two pieces of some sort of giant squash for this delicious squash curry soup (with apples and onions). The texture left a little something to be desired; the original recipe called for a food processor, which I don't have. Still, it was pretty yummy. Just goes to show you, any port, or squash, in a storm!

La Specola, Firenze, Italy

La Specola is Florence's Natural History Museum. And, what a place! It's full of 18th and 19th century taxidermy and wax models of the human body. Definitely a "must-see" if you are in the area. Six euros well spent, I say. Weird, wonderful, and not to be missed.

A Gal's New Best Friend

Meet my new best friend, "Gimi," a cart procured to tote groceries, my laptop, and other sundry items all over Florence. Gimi is a welcome addition to the family, especially in the heat here. Nothing says, "Let's buy some groceries" like a little two-wheeled help.

Can't Go Wrong With Cappuccino... And Jewelry

I recently had a cappuccino with Naomi Muirhead, fabulous metal worker and jewelry maker. See more of her work here and be amazed:  Naomi Muirhead's Work

Squash Hunt, 2011

Sometimes, all a gal wants is a butternut squash. Alas, it was not to be. Perhaps this week? I have soup to make, damn it! Janet Pritchard's curry squash soup, to be exact. It promises to be excellent, depending upon whether or not I can find the key ingredient... when in doubt, though, you can always still enjoy an Italian cigar and some merlot.

Distance Learning

I was scheduled to Skype with Carrie Patterson's class this week at Saint Mary's College of Maryland (in Saint Mary's, Maryland). They're talkin' with a real live illustrator. Technical glitches kept us apart, but we're looking to hook up this week instead. I love the 21st Century!

Chicken Soup

Remember last week's "Pollo Piccolo?" It's a happy memory. This week he turned into stock, and then into soup. With fennel, carrots, onion, basil, rosemary, and a whole host of assorted herbs and vegetables, it's hard to go wrong.

So far the rental apartment is a lot like high-end camping, but absolutely making the best of it. Ciao!

Uno Pollo Piccolo

Today was market day- Mercato Centrale in Florence, to be exact. I don't speak Italian, but did want a small chicken. "Uno pollo piccolo." Here he is, in all his glory. Goin' into the roaster this weekend. With everything in ºC, wish me luck! (I will use toothpicks and shoelaces to truss him up.)

Late Night Kebab

Sometimes you're just hungry for a foreign version of Blimpie (or Subway). This seems to be it, in Florence. The kebab stand. It's not gonna be in Frommer's, but it surely was good. I have no idea what the meat was, but it tasted great. Thank god for dubious standards!

From Firenze!

Ok, so I've temporarily relocated to Florence, Italy, to teach for a semester. I have no scanner, so I'm trying to figure out how to post my work. Here is a first attempt. Sketchbook page. It is about the beauty of having access to such great balsamic vinegar, as well as truffle infused salt. Mangia!

Back To School

It's that time of year. The time when we put aside childish things, like sleep and eating sitting down, and return to the halls of academe. I know you don't want to go, but go you must. Take this with you- the perfect tattoo! It's all the fun of a tattoo with none of the pain or expense. Don't worry, December will be here before you know it. You can find this in my Zazzle shop or at CafePress, or, you can just think about it as you weep on your way to campus.

Summer Loves

A little more in the series of iPad fun.

Boston South Station Faces

Folks seen passing through South Station, Boston, MA

Killing time is always easy with a sketchbook, and there is no better place than at a transportation crossroads. South Station, Boston, MA, is one of those. Perfect for an afternoon of coffee and blank paper.

A (Very) Dry Martini

Possibly perfect?

Eternal E-Mail

Another in a series of reality-based tattoos. Though intended for academics, this image can be adopted by anyone seeking to express frustration with the overflowing "in-box."

Another Modern Living Exercise

Your Call Is (Not Really) Important to Us...

You've heard this before. Well, don't take it! Go ahead and just hang up!

Problem Solved

Have you wondered how to make Communion more tolerable? Stop wondering. For the religious amongst us, this will be a lifesaver.

New Cocktail: the Pip-O-Matic!

Cocktail culture deserves this. And so do you!

Balloon Head

Sometimes a gal makes a giant balloon head, just because there was a paint splatter that looked like it on her drafting table. Kind of like clouds.

What Are You Waiting For?

This appeared as a sketchbook entry a while ago. Thought I'd finish it up and offer it to my adoring, if unmotivated, public.

The Deadly Migraine

My Favorite Bands!

Everyone's got their favorite bands. Here are some of mine:

That's right, folks; it's "The Good Life" central over here.

Loose Talk

Have you ever wished you could take back something you said?

Middle-Aged Loteria! Play Today!

You're never too young to play Middle-Aged Loteria. Give it a try today!

Happy 4th?

Mixology, and Life, Lesson

Anatomy of a Thunderstorm

A Little Something for the Teachers Out There

Did you ever want that custom, bad-ass tattoo that really (REALLY) reflects how you feel about your job? You've come to the right place.

Another Tattoo for Marie Curie

Because she deserved more than one.