Middle-aged White Guys plus Gail

The Gail Gordon Group, New Mexico's hottest new blues band. See them soon at a blues club near you. Festival gigs coming up too. I'm waiting for a higher resolution photo, before I tell you which one of the middle-aged white guys is my sweet husband. BTW, he plays a mean Fender Strat.

Coyote Crossing

Husband heard neighbor dogs barking like crazy, so he went to the bay window late this afternoon...two coyotes were trotting through our front yard. He was able to capture a photo of the second one.

Drama in the New Mexican sky

Darling husband took this last week with my little digital. Note to self: DH deserves a professional digi camera for his birthday. Is that a UFO?!?







This evening's sun setting, Edgewood, NM

From M&Ms to Altman

How's that for a subject change..

Just heard on news this morning (and confirmed by googling) that Robert Altman is producing a movie written by my beloved home-town boy Garrison Keiller. Evidently it's a [satirical? my word] look at "at what goes on backstage during the last broadcast of America's most celebrated radio show [A Prairie Home Companion], where singing cowboys Dusty and Lefty, a country music siren (played by Meryl Streep), and a host of others hold court," according to www.imdb.com. Who better to poke fun behind-the-scenes of contemporary Americana without any sentimentality than Robert Altman.

Not wild about the other cast of characters (I'm not a Harrelson fan, and I take or leave Lindsay Lohan), but Streep, Lily Tomlin and Robin Williams should be a hoot.

Sort of a Hollywood makes fun of Scandinavians with some East Coast wit tossed in for bite?!?

Feel free to register your divergent opinions. I'm sure you're thinking them already. Ha! I love blogs!

21 Colors of M&Ms

Here's a fun idea: M&Ms in your wedding colors.

Got a red and silver theme going? Put out clear glass bowls of red and silver M&Ms.

Spring wedding with pink and dark pink? You can do that too; they'll even custom print them with your names.

http://shop2.mms.com/21colors/index.asp

Cigar Bars: Wedding Reception Trend

OK, this one's been around for a couple of years but is still gaining ground.

What's a good resource for cigars? The uninitiated would say Thompson's.

Darling husband has a different opinion. He corresponds reguarly with his old work buddy Bruce, from Racine WI, about various topics, including cigars. The subject of Thompson's came up.

PLEASE DON'T FLAME ME! The following opinion comes from a Cigar Guy!!

Bruce says...

IMHO.......

Thompson sells a few premium cigars at very high prices, but it seems to me that most of their cigars are very low-mid range cigars that they tout as super premium brands with prices to match. In reality they are glorified versions of what you'll find at the corner bar or at a gas station. I think most of their business comes from new smokers who know very little about the industry and what is quality and what is hype.

My 2nd favorite is Famous Cigars or Famous Smoke Shop out East. They have a great web site (www.famous-smoke.com) and I have talked to these people in person. A good place to do biz with if I need to.

My fav is Mike's Cigars (www.mikescigars.com) in Kane Harbor Florida. They have the best deals on QUALITY stuff. They do not sell the low budget psuedo-boutique crap that Thompson sells. Customer service is second to none. Definately get on their mailing list for their monthly catalog.

They have a house brand called "Old Fashioned" that are Macanudo / Partagas / Hoyo de Monterray seconds that are a killer value. They would rate in the mid-high 80's in a Cigar Afficionado tasting I bet.

Some of my favorite brands there are (not in order):

Fonseca, Licenciados , El Rey Del Mundo , Punch (Puro's) , Hoyo De Monterray / La Gloria Cubana (Serie R, Lusitania (great cheap brand), San Louis Rey, Diamond Crown, Partagas....

Macanudo is a huge brand, but to me they have a nasty mineral taste that I don't like, but that is my taste preference.

Some day I will smoke a Fuente Opus X.

If you need anymore help with cigars, just ask....

Note from Cynthea: well there you have it! Cigar Guy's Humble Opinion

Great wedding tip

Was on the phone today with my dear consultant friend Mark Kingsdorf from Philadelphia, owner of The Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants (how cute is that?!?) and he shared a great organizational tip for brides that I wanted to pass along.

Get two file boxes (the fold-out kind with cut-out handles and lids) from Office Max, Staples, etc. Mark one "Ceremony" and the other "Reception." Store your DIY program projects, vow readings, and other ceremony items in the first box. Store your toasting flutes, cake knife and server, guest book and other reception items in the second. Of course, if you've got lots of votives, candles, etc, you'll need to create a Reception II box. Makes it easy to identify for carrying to your site on your wedding day and you won't have odd size boxes for packing.

Watch for Mark (www.qohweddings.com) on the Style Network's "Whose Wedding is it Anyway?" He'll be the featured wedding planner on an early April program.

Thanks Mark! Now if we can just get you to take a weekend off for a getaway in Santa Fe...

Wedding Trend...Cake jewelry?

For the brides who love glitz and jewels, take a look at one of the wedding trends for 2006--cake jewelry.

www.cake-jewelry.com

www.verydifferentcakes.com

www.paristiaras.com (warning…expensive)

www.advantagebridal.com (warning…there’s a lot of “frouf” on this site)

Mailing your wedding invites? Price goes up

Postage prices are going up. Postmarks after 1/8/06 will require a minimum of 39 cents for mailing regular size wedding invitations and those RSVPs that you're inserting in your invites. So either get those in the mail in the next 24 hours (unless your post office closes at noon on Saturday) or be prepared to add a two cent stamp...See photo for the 39 cent flag stamps, OR, if you've already purchased some special 37 cent stamps for those wedding invitations, why not add the 2 cent Navaho-inspired stamp. Perfect for those Southwestern destination weddings!

New Mexican Sunrise

My husband went out this morning with our dog Midnight and captured these beautiful sunrise photos from our front yard in the East Mountains. The first photo is our view to the south of South Mountain and the Ortiz Mountains. The second photo is our view to the west of the Sandia Mountains.