Vacation Pictures of Omaha

For this year's vacation I went to Omaha, NE.  Above is the pedestrian bridge that connects Iowa to Nebraska.  I didn't actually walk it myself (heights!) but I had fun talking lot of pictures of it.

This is the sign outside of Joe Tess Place a.k.a home of the best fish sandwich EVER! My dad use to take me here all the time when I was little and for sentimental reasons it was probably the part of my trip I was most looking forward to. Joe Tess Place was also on an episode of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives on the Food Network. Below are the before and after pictures (see it's a sandwich because there is a slice of bread at the bottom).













Omaha was pretty packed because of the college games (silly jocks) but we still made it to the zoo. We just made sure to go between games since the zoo is right next to the stadium. Omaha has one of the best zoos. I ended up taking a lot of "wild life" photos.

Foodies and Greeks

Saturday, I was such a foodie!  The Top Chef Tour Bus was in town at the Downtown Farmers Market.  This year Richard (season 4) and Jamie (season 5) came to Des Moines.  They autographed my cookbook right next to Dale and CJ's signatures (which I got last year).  Richard made ribs and Jamie made strawberry gazpacho.  In between shows, they had a Top Chef spin-the-wheel game you could play and if you got your answer right you won a prize.  I got a Top Chef slinky, key chain, fake tattoo, and mints.

The Farmer's Market was enjoyable as always.  I got a new book called Simply in Season by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman- West that I recommend to anyone that likes to frequent the farmer's markets.  It tells you what is in season and provides seasonal recipes.  Joining Buy Fresh, Buy Local is also a good way to keep up to date on what's in season and local product news.  Here's their link http://www.drake.edu/news/dbletter/buyfreshbuylocal/

Later I checked out the 2009 Greek Food Fair.  This annual event is a great way to try different Greek dishes such as souvlakia (shish kabob), spanakopita, keftedes, orzo, and baklava.  The baklava sells out fast so make sure you get their early if you're a fan of the pastry.  If you missed the Greek Food Fair but I've now made you hungry, check out Mythos Grill at 7450 Bridgewood Blvd in West Des Moines across from Costco near the Jordan Creek Mall. 

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Big Hair Ball 2009!

It was time again for the Des Moines Art Center's bi-annual Big Hair Ball.  This time around the theme was "Glam Revolution."  The glitter was everywhere!  

The doors were guarded by ladies with painted on fishnets and brightly colored toy guns.  Inside Techno music pounded while drinks and hors d'oeurves awaited. In addition to the usual hairstylists on hand (ready to make your hair big for you), there was also face painting and (faux) tattoos.  They had actual tattoo artists from Iron Heart Tatoo doing the inking, so you ended up with a gorgeous, intricate design on your arm, leg, etc.  I got an angel on my calf (see below).  

The main event was a runway show featuring different hair designs/sculptures from various local salons.  Each salon had their own theme such as "Revolution around the world" and "Charmed Revolt."  Atelier Hairspace's "Inner Beauty Revolution" also featured fashions from Smash.  This year burlesque dancers entertained between runways instead of drag queens.

Les Artistes

Lucky me, I got to spend my Friday night at a Santigold concert at Peoples!  I was so excited when I found out one of my favorite Indy artists was going to be in Des Moines.  Her debut CD is by far one of my favorite all time albums.  And also one of my most listened to... my poor CD case's hinges are just hanging on by a thread.

I spent my whole work day telling my co-workers about how raring I was to be going to the show that night (I hope everyone wasn't sick of me by the end of the day) and I was surprised that a lot of people didn't know her.  Well if you haven't heard of Santigold, you should give her a listen.  Musically she can't really be categorized.  She is part Hip-Hop, part New Wave, part Electronic and a little bit Punk.  She has had a few songs on the show Gossip Girl so if you watch that show you've probably heard her.

The concert was great!  The audience loved her.  She told the crowd that she had the choice of either coming to Des Moines or Chicago but she had never been the Des Moines before so she came here.  She also compared our capitol building to Paris which was kind of cool.  Hopefully she'll make it back here again:)

How to be a Not-So-Snobby Music Snob or How to Maintain a Rock-N-Roll Lifestyle in Des Moines, Iowa

1. Know your independent music.  Subscribe to Paste Magazine or Off The Radar.  Most of the bands that play Iowa are not the mainstream stuff that you hear on the radio or see on MTV (our hear in the background of an episode of The Hills or whatever).  This can be a good thing though.  A lot of independent artists tend to be very talented and actually enjoy what they do.   They're not in it for the money.
   
2. Go to Starbucks.  (It's okay.  We all do it.  It's nothing to be ashamed of...)  Every week they have a different "Pick of the Week"  free download from iTunes.  It gives you a chance to check out bands such as The Boxer Rebellion, Andrew Bird, and Airborne Toxic Event.  Plus they have some cool CDs for sale.
   
3. Check out locally owned music shops.  Go to Zzz Records and Homers to get local music and buy your vinyl.  
4. Visit live music venues such as Peoples and Vaudeville Mews.  Check out there websites or The Juice for a list of upcoming acts.  I just got my Santigold tickets the other day!
5. Stop by some of our local coffee houses.  Java Joes and The Ritual Cafe frequently have live music.  I have seen Brenda Weiler, The Honeybees, and Joan Jett at these places.
6. Go to the 80/35 Music Festival.  Kaisercartel autographed my CD for me last year and I can't wait to see who I get to mingle with this year. Flavor Flav (ewww!) is going to be here but not to worry there will be plenty of other cool artists.  Check out this year's line up at http://80-35.com/
7. Shop at Target.  Target sells CDs for up-and-coming artists for between $7.99-9.99.
   

Spring is in the Air (pictures by me)

The nice weather got me in the mood to take some photos.  These are pics from the garden behind the art center and the court yard at my apartment.  Enjoy!

The Black Maria Film Festival

In the winter of 1892, Thomas Edison and a few of his friends constructed the "Black Maria" or the world's first motion picture studio. And five years ago in 2004, I saw the Black Maria Film Festival for the first time.  I've gone every year since.  

The Black Maria features independent short films which range from meaningful documentaries to animation to the avant garde.  I've always enjoyed short films ever since I watched them on Nickelodeon as a kid when they used to show them as filler (remember Bambi Meets Godzilla). 

My favorite this year was Nora by Alla Kovgan which won Best of Festival Short subject.  Nora is a narrative/dance film shot in South Africa which is based on the childhood memories of the statuesque dancer Nora Chipaumire who was born in Zimbabwe.  I couldn't find any clips on Youtube but I did find this website http://www.movementrevolutionafrica.com/nora/

Another favorite was Ice Bears Of The Beaufort and the director Arthur C Smith attended to answer questions after the screening.  The film shows the healthy population of polar bears interacting in their natural habitat which is also the same place in Alaska that the government wants to drill for oil.  Hopefully that never happens.

If you want to know more about Black Maria you can check out their website www.blackmariafilmfestival.org