Lost Cowboy

Is there any better flavor combination than that of figs and goat cheese?

Seriously – I love figs stuffed with goat cheese, salads with figs and goat cheese, pizzas with figs and goat cheese – I mean really anything with figs and goat cheese.

Now I found the perfect recipe for the perfect brunch: this recipe for Fig, Pancetta, and Goat Cheese Brunch Casserole I found from Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

About the recipe for Fig, Pancetta, and Goat Cheese Brunch Casserole from Better Homes and Garden magazine:

“This easy casserole is made the night before for an easy and stress-free brunch.”

Find this and all the other recipes and great tips from Better Homes and Gardens here.

With so many people in need across the world it is hard to decide where to channel resources. By supporting The International Rescue Committee, you can help some of most in need all at once.

About The International Rescue Committee:

“The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. At work in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities to restore safety, dignity and hope, the IRC leads the way from harm to home.”

Learn more about The International Rescue Committee here.

FF: The Vintage Blacksmith Wall-Mount Pig Dinner Bell from Pottery Barn

I am really digging the Vintage Blacksmith Wall-Mount Pig Dinner Bell I found from the good folks at Pottery Barn. Yes, Pottery Barn.

About the Vintage Blacksmith Wall-Mount Pig Dinner Bell from Pottery Barn:

“Round ’em up for a home-cooked meal with this old-fashioned dinner bell. 4″ wide x 4.5″ deep x 4″ high. Made of aluminum with a blackened finish.”

Find the Vintage Blacksmith Wall-Mount Pig Dinner Bell from Pottery Barn here.

See all the latest from Pottery Barn here.

FF: The Rhubarb Chutney from Beth Farm Kitchen

Meanwhile, I am also digging the great Rhubarb Chutney I found from the fine folks at Beth Farm Kitchen.

About the Rhubarb Chutney from Beth Farm Kitchen:

“Hints of tamarind and fenugreek pull you to this camembert topper. Goes with crab cakes and rice rolls.”

Find the Rhubarb Chutney from Beth Farm Kitchen here.

Check out all the great products from Beth Farm Kitchen here.

FF: Larry’s Boots

If you are looking for a good pair of cowboy boots – and related items – you have to check out the fine folks at Larry’s Boots, where you can pick up a pair of Ariat Crossfire Square Toe Cowboy Boots.

About the Ariat Crossfire Square Toe Cowboy Boots from Larry’s Boots: “Ariat Cowboy Boots for men combine the quality and name of the Ariat brand with ruggedness, style, and determination. With a wide variety of Western styled boots, for work, the ranch, riding and roping, or out on the town, Ariat has your feet covered in authentic style and western heritage. The word cowboy creates an image of a man who has the resolve and determination to do what it takes to get the job done. Ariat Cowboy Boots are rugged, comfortable, and the perfect complement to the men that wear them. Purpose built to keep your feet comfortable and safe, and built tough for the men that wear them, Ariat Western Boots and Ariat Cowboy Boots are the right boot for you.”

Check out Larry’s Boots here.

I have just discovered the Los Angeles-based retailers and exhibitioners better known as Giant Robert and I am wondering why it took me so long.

The legacy of a 90’s Asian American pop culture magazine, the fine folks at Giant Robert operate a store and a gallery featuring products and art from around the world.

About Giant Robot Store: “Giant Robot Store, established in 2001 features products from around the world. Notably, fun housewares, gifts, stationeries, t shirts, comics, plush and toy figures. Giant Robot is often cited as the birthplace for Asian Pop Culture products and Uglydolls.”

The store features cool products like Julien – a Micro Cubebot (above right):

“Wooden Cubebots! From a cube to a bot. Play with the limbs to create any pose you can imagine. Elastic-band muscles and wooden parts will allow for years of fun! One per package. Julien is a little more advanced than standard cubebs. He has extra joints for extra possibilities and difficulty!”

Or how about these glass buttons by Happy Owl featuring a silhouette of a Rhino (right):

“There’s something really cool about glass – it’s smooth and has a glossiness to it that we really love. Each one is handmade and unique, so colors may vary. Choose which color you prefer from the drop-down menu.”

Lucky for us Julien, the glass buttons and many of Giant Robot other fine items can be found on their online store.

Meanwhile, Giant Robot’s gallery – the GR2 Gallery – features exhibitions from some of the best contemporary artists working today: “GR2 Gallery features art exhibitions by notable artists like Katsuya Terada, Luke Chueh, David Choe, Mari Inukai, Deth P Sun, Rob Sato, Ako Castuera, Sean Chao, Yoskay Yamamoto, Uglydoll, and countless others.”

The Giant Robot Store is located at 2015 Sawtelle Blvd in the great city of Los Angeles, CA.

The GR2 Gallery is located at 2062 Sawtelle Blvd in Los Angeles.

The recent film Mortdecai, a star vehicle for Johnny Depp, was a critical and box office flop. I saw it and it was truly horrible, which is sad, because the books it was based on, The Mortdecai Trilogy by Kyril Bonfiglioli, are fantastic.

If the film’s failure had any positive impact, it may be that some people have been drawn to read the late midcentury trilogy of Mortdecai books and discover for themselves how great they are. Part James Bond, part Pink Panther, the Mortdecai novels are great fun and deserve to be revived.

About The Mortdecai Trilogy by Kyril Bonfiglioli: “Collected in a single volume for the first time Don t Point that Thing at Me, After You with a Pistol, and Something Nasty in The Woodshed chronicle the misadventures of the Honorable Charlie Mortdecai: degenerate aristocrat, amoral art dealer, seasoned epicurean, unwilling assassin, and general knave-about-Piccadilly. Don’t Point That Thing at Me finds Charlie momentarily distracted by a police charge accusing him of stealing a priceless Goya a nuisance that he overcomes without passing up a single glass of fine wine or plate of foie gras. In After You with the Pistol Mortdecai is roped into a marriage with a beautiful Viennese heiress, who is willing to blissfully accompany him on his life of taste and intrigue as long as he can help her with one little errand . . . assassinating the Queen of England. Something Nasty in the Woodshed features Charlie, exiled from London due to his growing unpopularity fueled by the aforementioned shady art deal, taking refuge on the island of Jersey. What begins as a epicurean interlude morphs into a macabre manhunt as Charlie seeks to expose a local rapist. Don’t miss this wickedly entertaining blend of aristocratic humor, heinous crime, and enthralling suspense!”

The Mortdecai books are truly entertaining, and now the trilogy have been put together in one volume which is a perfect addition to your library or nightstand as these stories and characters stand the test of time.

The Mortdecai Trilogy by Kyril Bonfiglioli is available from Amazon and other fine book retailers.

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I was working on my container garden. Well, over the long holiday weekend, I finally transferred my little seedlings into containers and moved them outside.

I started with the containers. I looked around and decided that why spend money on expensive decorative containers when I could get some perfectly fine containers at Dollar Tree for a dollar each?

I found these great Multipurpose Rope Handle 2.5 gallon Buckets (above right) and bought eight of them.

Next, I bought several bags of Miracle-Gro Flower and Vegetable Garden Soil (right) from Lowes. I filled the buckets with the soil and then transferred my little seedlings into the soil.

My mix of plants this year includes: a few varieties of tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, peppers, basil and peppermint.

When I realized that I had more plants than buckets, I high-tailed it back to Dollar Tree and bought ten Red Plastic Buckets with Handles which I filled with the soil and my remaining plants.

In addition to my vegetable plants, I also filled several containers with some lovely annuals to add some to my garden.

Now I just need to make sure the plants received enough sun and water and try to protect them from become lunch for all the rabbits that enjoy dining in my yard.

So, today’s find, the fine folks at Rejuvenation, is the perfect Lost Cowboy find.  Like us (the fine folks at Lost Cowboy) Rejuvenation is also crazy about vintage finds and preservation and restoration. The have a great inventory of fine restore antiques and vintage items and we love them all.

About the Restored Antiques from Rejuvenation: “Restoration is in our DNA. As much as our own lighting and hardware reproductions are chips off the old blocks, the heart, soul, and origin of Rejuvenation is rooted in lighting restoration and architectural salvage. We opened shop in 1977, and ever since then, preservation, restoration, and a great respect for tradition and craftsmanship have been at the core of our values. Choose from original vintage lighting, shades, and hardware from Victorian to Mid-Century Modern styles in finishes that have been expertly revived, reconditioned, and protected.”

Rejuvenation has a ton of great restored vintage items like this really cool Boot Repair sign (above right): “Items like this very cool vintage Boot Repair sign: “What’s not to love about this magnificent five and half foot tall Boot Repair sign? It features hand-painted lettering and shadowing, a fantastic boot shape, complete with heel and rounded toe, and boasts fully restored, bright red double-sided neon. Comes ready to hang with two top brackets and a steel side arm, but this sign is just as impressive standing on its own. Signed by ‘Best Neon’ in hand-painted lettering at the toe.”

…or this “Rare Green Fritos Display Shelf C1940” – I smell bar cart!:

“When C.E. Doolin started selling Fritos corn chips out of his Model T Ford in 1932, he probably never imagined the future scale of his snack-food empire. Made from stamped steel, this bright green display shelf was distributed by the Frito Company in the late 30’s or early 40’s in order to proudly present the novelty of conveniently bagged Fritos corn chips to hungry shoppers. Even though this piece would have originally graced a general store or local grocer’s shop, we can imagine this in almost any room in your home. “

Learn more about Rejuvenation and see what they have to offer here.

It has been about 18 months since my epic road trip to Kentucky and I am itching to make my way back there. Everywhere I turn I find something new I want to check out on my next trip – like today’s find: Joe Ley Antiques of Louisville.

As the fine folks at Joe Ley say: “Come step into a joyful piece of the past where you can poke around, feast your eyes, and maybe find a piece of history to take home with you. It’s a carnival, a museum, a treasure hunt, a trip through time three stories high. Come often, because everything old is new again.”

This sounds like the perfect place for me!

About Joe Ley Antiques: “Two acres of treasures fill the 1890 schoolhouse with a vast array of styles and merchandise sure to fit anyone’s taste. A well known establishment for over 35 years providing the most unique in unconventional shopping. Constantly changing inventory attracts people from all points abroad and has proved to be a popular place for the filming of country Music Videos, movies and commercials. Joe Ley Antiques is an architect’s and builder’s delight. With 5,000 doors, a wide choice of door hardware, hundreds of mantels, balconies, fences, gates, posts, newels, railings, dentils, brackets, shutters, moldings and architectural ornaments, you can find the right item for any new or restoration project.”

Joe Ley Antiques is located at 615 East Market Street in the great American city of Louisville Kentucky.

The AIDS crisis may not be in the headlines these days, but it is still very real and there are many people affected by the disease that are also facing homelessness. The fine folks at Housing Works are trying to help with both challenges.

About Housing Works: “Housing Works is a healing community of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Our mission is to end the dual crises of homelessness and AIDS through relentless advocacy, the provision of lifesaving services, and entrepreneurial businesses that sustain our efforts.”

Learn more about Housing Works and how you can help here.