Notes from Memphis

Last Friday

noreply@blogger.com (M) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 19:16:00 +0000

This is the end of Notes from Memphis.
Thanks for reading, it's been a lot of fun! It may be that one day I re-launch something totally new and different. And if I do, you'll be the first to know.

Five Favorites for Friday

noreply@blogger.com (M) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 06:57:00 +0000

A random assortment of favorites for this Friday:

River Inn Rooftop - a new favorite for cocktails and appetizers

Nail Bar - still a favorite for manicures/pedicures

Lansky 126 - a favorite place to shop for myself and for gifts

Charlotte - a favorite jewelry store

Riverwalk and Bluffwalk - favorites for running/walking

Seriously, Things Like This Make My Day

noreply@blogger.com (M) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:39:00 +0000

This guy was just rolling up and down the streets of downtown today. I don't know what's weirder/cooler, the bike, the hat, the sunglasses, the Lil Wayne "!*ck My Life" t-shirt, or the bike plus the hat and sunglasses and the t-shirt. The whole package was great.

Mobile Music Machine

noreply@blogger.com (M) — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 02:10:00 +0000

As if this blog wasn't testament enough as to why I love downtown, there are still more reasons than I could put into words. For example, tonight after returning home from having drinks with friends on Local's patio, I heard what sounded like live music on the street below my window. Sure enough, it was the Mobile Music Machine...behold Video #1:

And so I opened my window and listened for the few minutes that they were stopped in front of Bardog. Alas, they are mobile and so had to roll on elsewhere. Bonus: there's a cute trolley at the end of Video #2:

Amusing, no? All of this is to say nothing of that hearse parked out in front of Bardog, which they are raffling off for Halloween.

Once again it's been demonstrated that a picture is worth a thousand words. I would never have been able to tell you about this; much better for you to see for yourselves.

Five Favorites for Friday

noreply@blogger.com (M) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 14:41:00 +0000

Five favorite downtown lunch spots:

DejaVu

The Brass Door

Thai Bistro

McEwen's

Flight

A Sugary Recipe That's Good for You

noreply@blogger.com (M) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 20:50:00 +0000

I follow a weekly regimen of spa-like processes at home. Those who know me well know that I adhere to this weekly routine religiously. But buying all of the exfoliators, masks, moisturizers, scrubs, soaks, etc. for all of this meticulous grooming can add up fast. The scrubs (salt and sugar) in particular can be a bit pricey, the ones I like anyway, so I decided to make my own. It's likely you already have the ingredients in your house. Lots of scrub recipes use olive oil but I chose grapeseed oil because it doesn't have a smell. And I also prefer to use sugar instead of salt because salt can sting sometimes.

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup grapeseed oil

1/2 teaspoon vitamin E oil

1/2 teaspoon rose water (which I used only for the rose scent)

Mix it together and store it in either a glass or plastic container. Instead of rose water you could use any of a zillion essential oils or extracts available at stores like Whole Foods and Maggie's Pharm; think about lavendar, peppermint, rosemary, bergamot, lemon, tangerine, vanilla and on and on.

But when you want a real spa experience there are a couple of excellent choices downtown:

Gould's in the Peabody Hotel

Rachels Salon & Day Spa

Rachel's has a few specials during October :

"OCTOBER SPOOKY SPECIALS : Mention codeword "Spooky". Manicure w/Parafin Treatment w/VICKI $30 (saves u $5), Ladies Haircut w/RENEE $35 (saves u $5), Hot Stone hour & half Massage w/STACY $135 (saves u $15), 90 minute Full Body Massage w/CAROLYN $90 (saves u $20) Add a Color to your Highlites w/BECKII FREE (saves u $20)."

100 Tigers

noreply@blogger.com (M) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:01:00 +0000

The University of Memphis was founded in 1912 and in honor of the 100 year anniversary 100 artists have decorated 100 tigers that will be placed in various locations throughout the city. To read more about the tigers, sponsors, artists and to see photos of all the tigers, click HERE

Here are the four tigers at the U of M Law School downtown (two are in front and two are in the back of the building) ...

To see info about the tiger above click : Three by Me Design

Five Favorites for Friday : Some Things to Do This Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (M) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 15:14:00 +0000

Tomorrow, Saturday, September 24th is Museum Day at a few area museums. Museum Day is hosted by Smithsonian Magazine. Participating museums offer free admission for two with a free admission ticket. Go to http://www.smithsonianmag.com/ to choose your museum and download your ticket.

In Memphis, participating museums include:

Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum (downtown)

The National Ornamental Metal Museum (downtown)

Dixon Gallery and Gardens (not downtown , but what beautiful grounds and gardens and the Forain exhibit, which I've already seen, is well worth visiting again)

The Belz Museum of Asian and Judaic Art (downtown)

The Duncan Williams Dragon Boat Races are happening tomorrow at Mud Island from 10 am - 3pm and this is also a free event.

This weekend the Rumba Room hosts the 6th annual Salsa Convention. This will be tons of fun with lots of great live music. Lots of salsa-ing to do.

I have out of town guests coming and they've requested a dinner at the, wait for it....... Rendezvous. I love the lamb riblets.

Tailgating on Tiger Lane before the football game on Saturday. I won't be able to make it, I don't think, but I've been told that my tailgating friends will be serving up brunch since the game starts at 11am.

Very Beautiful

noreply@blogger.com (M) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 23:34:00 +0000

On a walk today I couldn't help but notice this gorgeous little moth in the grass. I was able to get very close and took this picture with my phone. As soon as I snapped the picture, it flew away:

Park(ing) Day Photos: Choose Your Own Five Favorites for Friday

noreply@blogger.com (M) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 19:00:00 +0000

I took a few photos of some of the Park(ing) Day spots, so in lieu of my usual Five Favorites for Friday, you can choose your own favorites from these. Have a great weekend.

The beach

Shelby Farms, http://www.shelbyfarmspark.org/

I love that dog in the bed of the truck driving past. He's thinking, "????"

A see-saw

A desert oasis

Graffiti is art

The human library

Roller Derby

Camping on the Mississippi

Grizzlies foosball

Park(ing) Day

noreply@blogger.com (M) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 15:43:00 +0000

It's Park(ing) Day in downtown Memphis and in cities around the world. Twenty parking spaces on Peabody Place between Front and Second will be transformed from 11am - 6pm into a wide variety of interesting and fun spaces, such as a human library where you can "check out" a person for a chat, a dog pub (for friendly dogs only), and a mini roller derby rink.

Here's the official info from the Memphis Park(ing) Day Facebook page: PARK(ing) Day is a annual open-source global event where citizens, artists and activists collaborate to temporarily transform metered parking spaces into “PARK(ing)” spaces: temporary public places. The project began in 2005 when Rebar, a San Francisco art and design studio, converted a single metered parking space into a temporary public park in downtown San Francisco. Since 2005, PARK(ing) Day h...as evolved into a global movement, with organizations and individuals (operating independently of Rebar but following an established set of guidelines) creating new forms of temporary public space in urban contexts around the world.

The mission of PARK(ing) Day is to call attention to the need for more urban open space, to generate critical debate around how public space is created and allocated, and to improve the quality of urban human habitat during the event.

As Memphis joins the ranks of over 800 cities who participate in this annual event, 20 parking spaces along Peabody Place between Front Street and 2nd Street will be transformed into playful and generous parks on September 16th from 11a.m to 6 p.m. Park(ing) Day Memphis 2011 is hosted by Memphis College of Art and sponsored by the Downtown Memphis Commission and the Memphis Flyer. Partners for this event are: AIA Memphis, Memphis Regional Design Center, and The City of Memphis.

Park(ing) Day website: http://parkingday.org/ Be sure to check out the Park(ing) Day photos HERE to see what other cities around the world have done with their spaces.

Missing Missoni and Purchasing Prada

noreply@blogger.com (M) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 21:47:00 +0000

Back in May I posted on a Five Favorites for Friday a few items I'd like to have, one of which was a Missoni dress. I was unaware at the time that Target was planning to offer Missoni for Target for a very limited time this Fall. The line is available in stores starting today. The Missoni for Target multi-page spread in this month's Vogue looked great with models posed in colorful Missoni style in front of the imposing white Duomo. So, on my lunch hour today I ventured out to the Middle East to have a look-see, being a Missoni fan. There was NOTHING left just four hours after the store opened. The stuff flew off the racks, even the men's Missoni had been picked over. The Target website has been down all day as well. The goods are already all over Ebay. Target will re-stock but it seems all too tragic now. See here and here and here as well.

Sans Missoni, I made my way back downtown. I stopped in Toad Hall antiques for a friend who had sent me there to give my opinion on something he was considering buying. While there I saw, sitting very randomly and casually on a table, a pair of classic Prada shoes with a Target price tag. Che sorpresa! Italy is calling out to me today, no? I thought, sure but they're probably a size 5.5. Nope, they were MY SIZE. Meant to be!

The Winner; Memphis Music & Heritage Festival

noreply@blogger.com (M) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 14:30:00 +0000

Finally a winner has emerged from the 1000th post quiz! Memphis Sarah gave it her best shot but in the end Anonymous K&M was victorious. The answers to my riddle "Memphistanista has appeared in print and press, in which two places you must guess" are:

Print: I wrote the text for Memphis artist David Lynch's calendars (read that post here)

Press: I was mentioned in the Commercial Appeal for the Vin d'Orange recipe I posted (see that article here)

Congratulations Anonymous K&M! I will send you the Buddy Guy CD and I hope you enjoy it.

Labor Day Weekend downtown means the Center for Southern Folklore Memphis Music and Heritage Festival. It's this Saturday and Sunday 11a - 11p both days. This is a FREE festival featuring a ton of great music on four stages - two outdoor stages and two indoor stages. The location is Main Street between Gayoso and Peabody Place. It seems to get bigger and better each year. But there's lots more than music: food, arts & crafts, and lots of activities for kids. See the festival website HERE for the entire program and schedules.

A Sprite, An Elf, A Knave

noreply@blogger.com (M) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 03:23:00 +0000

It's clear to me now that my questions have been mere child's play for the two Notes from Memphis Advanced Readers. They both responded correctly to the second tiebreak question. The answer from today's earlier question (see previous post) is: "A little interesting note about this building is the mosaic high up on the facade. You would miss it unless you were on the other side of the street. The building, built in 1912, originally housed the Puck Grocery and Warehouse. So the mosaic is of Puck, a character from Shakespeare's play "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Puck is a sprite, an elf, a knave."

I have probably insulted both of them with my pedestrian inquiries. It is apparent that a seriously perplexing question must come forth and it shall be in the form of a riddle. Here we go:

Memphistanista has appeared in print and press, in which two places you must guess.

So, Memphis Sarah and Anonymous K&M, email your answers to poppysit@aol.com

The Quiz Continues

noreply@blogger.com (M) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 17:37:00 +0000

I'm shocked. The 1000th post quiz has still not concluded as the two readers who got all the initial questions correct, also got the tiebreaker question correct. The question was: "There are many buildings downtown that fly the American flag, but one building displays the flag of another country. Which country's flag is it?" The answer: France

I must now pose another question for these brainiac readers as they compete for the coveted Buddy Guy CD prize:
Here it is: I'm thinking of a number between 1 and 1000... just kidding. But it may come to that.

Ok, Memphis Sarah and Anonymous K&M, here is your Notes from Memphis tiebreaker question #2 designed for Notes from Memphis Advanced Readers:

There is a mosiac high up on the facade of a downtown building. It portrays a character from a play written by one of world's most famous writers. Name the character and the play and also tell why it's there in the first place.

Good luck!

Five Favorites for Friday

noreply@blogger.com (M) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 15:42:00 +0000

Here's a list of Five Favorite blogs with useful information:

Benito's Wine Reviews - so you have some ideas for what to drink

Sparkling Like a Diamond - so you have some ideas on what to cook

The Sartorialist - so you know what to wear - for women and men

The Book Lady's Blog - so you have some ideas on what to to read

Intelligent Travel - so you know what to do when you need to bail

Quiz Tiebreaker

noreply@blogger.com (M) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 01:37:00 +0000

Well, I received quite a few responses to the 1000th Post Quiz Questions and not one but TWO people answered all of them correctly. Those readers are fellow Memphian Sarah and Anonymous K&M. Thanks very much to everyone who emailed me their answers and to all my readers. Here are the questions with the answers:

1. The Memphistanista Memphis Map is divided up into 5 areas. Name them.
Downtown, Midtown, Near East, Middle East, Far East

2. What/who is the mascot of this blog? Give name and stage name.
Poppy, Superfine Poppy

3. What unusual event happened downtown this past spring?
River Flood

4. What happens at the Corkscrew one day each week?
Tuesday Ladies Day

5. What kind of shop (that I am desperate for) is missing from downtown
Gelato Shop

But now I find that we are facing a tiebreaker situation as there is only one prize and therefore can only be one winner. So, Memphian Sarah and Anonymous K&M if you're still reading and interested in continuing to compete for the Buddy Guy CD, here is the Tiebreaker Question which I hope is sufficiently difficult but not impossible to answer:

There are many buildings downtown that fly the American flag, but one building displays the flag of another country. Which country's flag is it?
Please email your answer to poppysit@aol.com

Keeping it Real; Railroads and Trolleys

noreply@blogger.com (M) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 16:10:00 +0000

Keep it Real at the 477 Store located at, uh, 477 S. Main St. in the Memphis College of Art Nesin Graduate School. Trolley night is this Friday so it would be a good time to wander in and check out this shop.

And I have to admit, I did not know about the.....

You can read about it HERE

France, Italy & Argentina Tonight

noreply@blogger.com (M) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 20:46:00 +0000

It may be time for the End of Summer Wine Tasting at the Madison Hotel's Grill 83 but it still feels like summer to me. I can't get to France, Italy or Argentina at the moment but this sounds like a very reasonable (and cool) compromise. So, until I grab my passport again...

Don’t miss the kick-off of Grill 83’s new wine tasting events! Come enjoy a sampling of six wines selected from France, Italy and Argentina that will be paired with select fares chosen by executive chef Chris Windsor and prepared on-site at three action stations.

Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011

6 to 8 p.m.
Madison Hotel Mezzanine
$35 Per Person, Inclusive of all Tax and Gratuity

Featured Wines:

Ca’ Montini Pinot Grigio, Tuscany, 2008
Monmousseau Vouvray, Val de Loire, 2008
Monmousseau Rose D’Anjou, Loire, 2010
Tilia Chardonnay, Mendoza, 2010
Catena Malbec, Mendoza, 2009
Monmousseau Brut Etoile, Loire

Pairing Menu:

Caesar Salad Station
The freshly made (table side) Caesar dressing is mixed with chopped heart of romaine in a bamboo bowl, topped with grated parmesan. Be prepared for an intense, unexpected complexity- just the way Senor Caesar Cardini meant for it to be.

Brazos Valley Cheese Display

Blueberry Havarti with organic blueberries, eden (creamy Brie wrapped in edible fig leaves), and horseradish pecan cheddar with roasted pecan bits and zesty horseradish, all served with sliced ciabatta

Ginger Crème Brule Station
Served with a variety of toppings.

ONE THOUSAND

noreply@blogger.com (M) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 23:35:00 +0000

This is it! I'm at my 1000th post and I want to give my readers the opportunity to win a prize as a way to say "thank you" for reading. First, the prize revealed: the below pictured Best of Buddy Guy CD. An odd choice of Prize from Memphistanista as he is not a Memphis blues artist but rather the king of Chicago style blues. Nevertheless, when I was wandering around this store on Beale Street this CD was playing and it just felt right. If I were 4,000 miles away and I heard this I would think of home:

Here's one of the tracks on this CD:

Ok, first things first. Rather than answering the quiz in the comments section, send an email to poppysit@aol.com with your answers. In the unlikely event someone actually answers these questions I'll be impressed. In the unbelievable event that two or more people answer all the questions correctly it may be necessary to have a shoot out situation. We'll see what happens.

Good luck. Here we go:

1. The Memphistanista Memphis Map is divided up into 5 areas. Name them.
2. What/who is the mascot of this blog? Give name and stage name.
3. What unusual event happened downtown this past spring?
4. What happens at the Corkscrew one day each week?
5. What kind of shop (that I am desperate for) is missing from downtown?

Quiz Prize Procured and Today's French Lesson Made Me Laugh Out Loud

noreply@blogger.com (M) — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 23:06:00 +0000

The Quiz is imminent! I purchased the Prize today and had a lot of fun in the process I must say. Here's a hint about the Prize; it came from this store on Exciting, Historic Beale Street in Beautiful Downtown Memphis, Tennessee:

Lots and lots of gift and prize ideas were here.

The Prize can be easily shipped anywhere so don't be shy about participating in the quiz. Memphis is also the Home of FedEx and they love to fly little packages all over the world.

My French study continues on in a plodding and boring way most days. BUT today I was finally rewarded by a conversation that was, dare I say it, amusing. Two things to note: 1. I understood the entire conversation 2. I laughed for the first time while studying French. Normally, I have a headache or my brow is furrowed in a confused knot. Granted these are baby French words, but still. I shall recount the conversation here for you:

Man: Pardon, est-ce que vous voudriez boire quelque chose avec moi, mademoiselle?

Excuse me, would you like to drink something with me miss?

Woman: Pas "mademoiselle", "madame"

Not "miss", "madam".

Man: Pardon madame. Mais est-ce que vous voudriez boire quelque chose avec moi?

Sorry ma'am. But would you like to drink something with me?

Woman: No merci monsieur.

No thank you sir.

Man: Pas maintenant?

Not Now?

Woman: Et pas plus tard.

And not later.

Man: Mais a une heure, d'accord?

But at one o'clock, ok?

Woman: Pas d'accord.

Not ok.

Man: A deux heures?

At two o'clock?

Woman: No merci, je ne veux pas.

No thanks, I don't want to.

Man: Plus tard, a huit heures, d'accord?

Later, at eight o'clock, ok?

Woman: No monsieur, pas d'accord.

No sir, not ok.

Man: Ou a neuf heures?

Or at nine o'clock?

Woman: Absolument pas.

Absolutely not. (OMG, she's thinking in her head, what is wrong with this guy?)

Man: A quelle heure?

At what time?

Woman: No monsieur, je ne veux pas boire quelque chose avec vous.

No sir, I do not want to drink something with you.

Man: Ah, je comprends maintenant. Vous ne voudriez pas boire quelque chose avec moi, mais vous voudriez manger quelque chose avec moi. A huit heures ou a neuf heures?

Ah, I understand now. You wouldn't like to drink something with me but you'd like to eat something with me. At eight o'clock or at nine o'clock?

Woman: Vous ne comprenez pas.

You don't understand.

Man: Qu'est-ce que je comprends pas?

What don't I understand?

Woman: Vous ne comprenez pas français.

You don't understand French.

Hilarious. Or it is to me if that gives you any indication of just how rigorous my studies have been.

Five Favorites for Friday and 1,000 is Near

noreply@blogger.com (M) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 13:34:00 +0000

REMINDER:
I've almost made it to my 1000th post! Today's post is #998, so in the next couple of days look for the Notes from Memphis Quiz celebrating this milestone. The winner of the quiz will win something small but special from downtown Memphis.

Today's Five Favorites are Five Favorite Small Space Blogs:

Small Space Style

Apartment Therapy

Little Diggs

Tiny Ass Apartment

Solutions for Small Spaces

Best Vehicle for the Revitalized Area

noreply@blogger.com (M) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:46:00 +0000

Click on this map to enlarge:

The project is growing:

read the article: http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2011/aug/18/bass-pro-pyramid-project-grows/

So trade your Vespa in for this:

Third Thursday Block Party

noreply@blogger.com (M) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 20:37:00 +0000

Downtown Rooftops

noreply@blogger.com (M) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 20:26:00 +0000

Photos of some downtown rooftops visible from my rooftop...

And a shot of the top of the Exchange Building with the sun rising behind it...