Spring | Snapshot Chronicles

Spring has sprung, and I’m out and about

05.09.2014 by Susan Getgood //

It’s finally spring in the Northeast. The relief on the faces you see on the street, in the subway, on the commuter rail platform is palpable. Even a little rain doesn’t seem to dampen the spirits. Last weekend, I was out and about in the glorious weather.

Starting with a reception for the exhibit of Posey Krakowsky’s quilts Friday night.

If you are in NY this month, and in the vicinity of Lex and 54th, take a few minutes and stop into the Narthex Galley at St. Peter’s Church and check out the quilts. It is a small exhibit of 4 large wall-size quilts, so it won’t take you long, and well worth the stop. The exhibit, originally scheduled to end at the end of May, now runs through June 27th.

On Sunday, I attended the New York Listen To Your Mother show at Peter Norton Symphony Space. BlogHer is the national media sponsor.

There are Listen To Your Mother shows in 30-plus cities across the country, so while you’ve probably missed the boat for this year, mark your calendars now for next spring. This year’s performances also will be on YouTube by summer, and they just announced that a collection of essays will be published next year, so plenty of other ways to Listen To Your Mother.

Looking for something to do this weekend?

Friday May 9th is the premiere of Laurie David’s new film, Fed Up. I was privileged to attend a launch event for David’s new cookbook The Family Cooks where she also screened the trailer for the film. Co-produced by Katie Couric, the film digs deep into the true impact of sugar on our diets, and promises to share some truths about food and exercise that the food industry doesn’t want us to know.

For my part, this week I am in Las Vegas at the BlogPaws pet blogging conference. Thursday, I led a workshop on monetizing your blog, and today I will be soaking up the positive mojo from so many lovely pet people.

Here’s the early morning view from my window at the Westin Lake Las Vegas.

Next weekend (May 16-17) is the BlogHer Food conference in Miami. Always a good time (and good eats). I have passed through Miami many times, but have never had time to actually visit the city. This time, I arrive the day before and am hoping to grab a little time to check out the food scene in Little Havana and South Beach. I know the Food Conference will offer tons of inspiration for my weekend “pretend to be a food blogger” videos, so I apologize to you in advance!

Happy Mother’s Day — whether you are one, have one or know one!

Color Obsession: Radiant Orchid

03.15.2014 by Susan Getgood //

Radiant Orchid Picks by susan-getgood featuring a sephora collection lipstick

The Pantone 2014 color of the year is a bright fuschia pink called Radiant Orchid. And while I wouldn’t say I’m obsessed, I have bought exactly four things for my spring wardrobe so far and they are all variations on this theme. A couple of accessories, a lipstick and of course nail polish to add a little pop of color and brighten up the Spring wardrobe without spending a lot of money.

1. Pendant from Moose & Nigel on Etsy. I originally spotted it on blogher.com in December and finally broke down and bought it this March. It’s nice now with a turtleneck but in the spring, it’s going to be the centerpiece of my casual wardrobe — white t-shirt, jeans and light jacket. $30

2. Bonjour Paris Scarf from amazon.com I tumbled on the pendant. But searched for just the right scarf to add to my wardrobe. Scarves are by far the easiest way to inexpensively add a pop of color to an outfit, but I really wanted something with orchid, not pink, notes, as I already have a great multi-color scarf from Ford’s 2011 Warriors in Pink collection (no longer available from the Ford website but check out the 2013 version.) The Bonjour Paris one is simple, and has the added attraction of featuring Parisian architecture, a reminder of one of my favorite cities. $19

3. Radiant Orchid lipstick from Sephora. This particular color originally was an exclusive for VIB Insiders but most lines have a similar shade, and I think this one is now generally available. $18

4. Footloose from the Spring 2006 Essie collection. $8.

Total investment, less than $100.

How does the garden grow

05.25.2013 by Susan Getgood //

Just about a year ago, we moved into an old turn-of-the-(20th)-century home that needed (and still needs) a lot of work. We’ve been making slow progress, and with the exception of some initial and very necessary construction to remodel the very rundown kitchen and a few other improvements, doing most of the work ourselves. But one of the things we began work on almost as soon as we moved in was the gardens. Here are just some of the early Spring flowers (photos shot May 5, 2013)

And Cash

And Penny