Some background: I met Jane with fellow creative Anne Hardy (just as fun, by the way) who has known Jane for a few years. We three explored magical Washington Depot and Kent, Connecticut  for a story pitch. Anne chose the concept for the story, Jane brought her camera to her vision, and I chose what to eat for lunch. Actually, what Jane ordered looked a lot better than mine. And she’s a sharer,  my kind of gal.

We agreed on everything – like who we thought was cute – (a farmer did catch our collective eye), who we thought was not so great (top secret) and how Flirtation Lane deserved a photo – with said farmer please.

Yes, readers, I know. Just because Jane is lively and entertaining doesn’t mean she’s talented.  But she is. She has worked for Elle Decor, the New York Times, AD, Veranda, Vogue, Condé Nast Traveller and a whole host of top tier titles. Just look at her web site if you want to see beautifully-shot interiors.

“Once we began to work together,” says Anne, “I realized what  I admire is the sense of place she brings to a shoot.  That is what makes her such an interesting creative to work with – she sees what she is shooting in context – which, I think, makes her work particularly resonant.

“Jane helps keep everything lively and fun”, adds Anne. “She talks about her work filling her cup. She fills ours.”

I asked Jane how she ended up in photography – a mid-career decision after working in fashion at Esprit. (note the stylish neckerchief)

“I grew up in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, born to a painter mother. The house was full of paints and easels, but no dark room, which was a blessing, because I hated chemistry. But I  always loved art.”

Jane studied art history at the University of Michigan, spent spring breaks in Paris and New York City blissfully visiting museums alone and doodling Matisse interiors on restaurant placemats She enjoys doing both to this day.

When digital came along in the early 2000’s, Jane found her calling.

“I am a photographer who came of age as film ended and digital began”  She prefers shooting interiors, food and travel. Jane in action at The Flat in Westport.

I asked her to do a headshot of me for a magazine. She rarely does portraits, but made an exception. People often feel sorry for me. (Note: discuss with shrink)

Here are a few of her pics…

Not bad, eh? And Jane politely said they didn’t need much retouching. Love her!

September, 2018

Top photo of Jane with camera was taken by her talented teacher Elyse Shapiro at Silvermine Arts Center.

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So I spent a lot of my time in Austin – my first trip to Austin or Texas for that matter –  in the bath. I even had lunch in the bath (a ’why not?’ moment). In spite of all my time underwater, I still managed to see a lot, perhaps because my hotel was well located on South Congress Street, a quirky street that takes some time to warm to.

We’re here, said the cab driver.

Really?

I looked out of the car window at a bunch of unassuming, low built, bungalow style 1930’s buildings bordering a wind-blown deserted street.

This is it?” I asked, not sure I wanted to get out of the car.

Whacky doodle

is how architect and native Austinite David Lake of the talented Lake Flato practice describes South Congress Street. There’s an ad hoc, funky town element to South Congress that gives you a good flavour of the city and its unofficial slogan ‘Keep Austin weird’.

Austin is more tattoo than tiara, explained my sister Alexandra when advising me on what to pack. If only she’d mentioned tossing in some thermals. Weather-wise Austin – the fun, cool, hipster capital of Texas,  is nicest in the spring and fall. Don’t miss the April wildflowers at Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center),

If heat’s your thing, summer is ok too.

I grew up in Texas, so I like the heat,” says Lake. “The best thing Austin has going for it is this huge green canopy of trees and open space. There’s a commitment to linear trails and park systems. Creeks, rivers flow down into the Colorado river. There are all these swimming holes that are natural- Barton Springs– which is spectacular, 69 degrees (fahrenheit), very cold. Deep Eddy is another one.

Winter-time, my vote goes to the steamy bath option on South Congress.

The street itself is lined with independent shops, restaurants and clubs. Top picks include By George for clothes, Perla’s for oysters, the Continental Club for music and  Jo’s Coffee for …

Funky as it may be, Austin is also booming thanks to tech, low taxes and the University of Texas. Much of the city feels like the Pacific Northwest, the Seattle of the south. The city has a thriving music and restaurant scene. Plus this month’s unveiling of  the late artist Ellsworth Kelly’s sublime secular chapel on the UT campus has put  a luminescent feather in Austin’s cultural Stetson.

I had come to Austin to join my mother

and friends to see the Kelly sanctum, an ode to creativity.

“Austin” as the chapel is called is the only standalone Kelly building and  a must-see, must-meditate spot.

Read this excellent article in the New York Times to learn more about Kelly’s final masterpiece.

Here I am, learning how to signal the Texan Longhorn, UT’s mascot, at the Kelly gala

If you visit Austin this spring, don’t miss two Kelly shows –  “Form Into Spirit” at the Blanton Museum of Art adjacent to Kelly’s Austin on the southern border of UT’s campus and “Ellsworth Kelly: Prints” at the Lora Reynolds Gallery.

Other sites to visit now or in the future: Lake’s firm has just finished Austin’s Central Library and is working on a 3 block project on South Congress … including a new Soho House, a new hotel called the Magdalena, and an addition to the existing St Cecilia hotel, plus plenty more restaurants and shops.

The upcoming Magdalena, St Cecilia and San Jose hotels – all located within a few blocks of one another –  are owned by Liz Lambert and her Bunkhouse group of cool hotels. She also owns the aforementioned Jo’s Coffee.

We did the San Jose 22 years ago, says Lake. We didn’t have much money.  It was a motel, a dive, the entire site was asphalt. So we kicked out all the cars and did an enormous amount of landscape.

The more expensive St Cecilia is located on a quiet side street off of South Congress with lovely rolling terrain, live oaks and a pool.

The 100-room Magdalena will sit  somewhere between the two price-wise  when it opens in 2020. It will feature an 85′ pool, reminiscent of Austin’s beloved natural pools.

Music is everywhere in Austin – live bands play on street corners, clubs, even a chili cook-off on South Congress …

Last of what I did see when I wasn’t submerged  was the terrific Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum on UT’s campus.

Following JFK’s assassination, LBJ presided over a tumultuous six year presidency (1963-69) spanning Civil Rights protests to the Viet Nam War. Three hours raced by in this multimedia extravaganza as I dove deep into the sixties, Johnson and the slew of landmark legislation Johnson got passed during his short tenure.

Don’t miss the illuminating and entertaining taped conversations between LBJ and the First Lady, Ladybird Johnson, Washington Post Editor Katherine Graham and various congressmen Johnson  charmed, cajoled and bullied to get bills passed.

I wish I had had more time in this city. Next trip I want to visit when it’s warmer and trade my hotel bath for a natural one. I plan to explore the city trails around Ladybird Lake on foot or bike, check out Ai Weiwei’s bike installation, and follow Lake’s advice at the capital building:

I just love going in the dome and lying on the floor and looking up. It drives the guards crazy, but there are all these kids doing it. Why let them have all the fun?

Food-wise Austin is full of tempting food trucks. But which are the tastiest? Lake’s team at Lake Flato singled out their top picks:

Veracruz All Natural, Migas & Migas Poblanos Tacos
Micklethwait Craft Meats, BBQ
Dee Dee, Northern Thai
G’Raj Mahal, Indian (technically ex-food truck, they just opened a bricks and mortar)
Kebabalicious, Turkish (same)

And restaurant wise -I loved Lambert’s (owned by Lizzie’s brother) for its barbecued meats, and cocktails. Eat downstairs, but use the loo upstairs.  I was tempted to strut my stuff when I passed the live band on the way to the bathroom. ATX Cocina  is a trendy Mexican  with delicious duck tacos, buzzy bar scene and a youthful crowd. Others I did not try but will on my encore  are  Italian Red Ash, Japanese Kemuri Tatsuya and Launderette. This last one serves American fare in a converted gas station/laundromat.

And last, but so not least, is a souvenir like no other. Local artist Eliza Thomas raves about the hand-made cowboy boot shop  ML Leddy’s  in San Angelo, a pretty three-hour drive west from Austin. Eliza says the boots take ten months to make but are worth every second.

February, 2018

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And it all started with a questionnaire. Two years ago Pavilion Road’s landlord Cadogan Estates conducted an in-depth survey asking local residents what they wanted in a neighbourhood. The answer was resounding:  independently owned shops selling quality produce. And with the arrival of numerous markets and farm-to-table eateries, foodies and organic enthusiasts are flocking to this popular London road.

Everyone who works in these recently opened shops is young, food-obsessed, knows how to cook and is thrilled to be there. Stop by for a demonstration on top-to-tail butchery (not for the faint of heart) at Provenance Butcher which gets its meat from just three farmers in Staffordshire and Yorkshire (247 Pavilion Road).

There is no middleman in what we do,  attests butcher George Jephson. It’s direct from the farms to us.

Borough Market’s renowned Bread Ahead has opened its third London outpost on Pavilion Road where customers can not only indulge in mouth-watering custard-filled donuts, sourdough, focaccia and all things bread-y, but learn how to make them  in daily workshops (249 Pavilion Rd).

All breads are baked on the premises where the head baker reports in for work at 1:30am.

Don’t miss this month’s weekend bagel making courses, guaranteed to rival New York’s finest.

It’s all about community, says Bread Ahead owner Matt Jones. We live in a world where everything gets delivered by drones. This is really about bringing the people back, not just to shop, but to meet other people, drop in for a cup of coffee. The majority of our customers are regulars.

Alongside Provenance and Bread Ahead is Pavilion Wine (255 Pavilion Rd).  London Cheesemongers (251 Pavilion Rd) .

and fruit and vegetable specialist Natoora (245 Pavilion Rd)

Australian chef Bill Granger will be bringing his popular all-day dining restaurant Granger’s to Pavilion Road in early June.

It will be his forth London outpost after Notting Hill, Clerkenwell and King’s Cross. A vegan café will follow later this summer, and rumour has it that coffee specialists The Roasting Party are also slated to join the hood. Plus a new restaurant will open its doors on this foodie mecca next spring as part of the recently renovated boutique gem 11 Cadogan Gardens Hotel. Informal café April’s already exists in a lush courtyard off the cobblestone Chelsea street.

For those looking to burn off all that gruyere,  sourdough and Cabernet, Pavilion Road will be getting a swanky gym called KX Urban this autumn. The sprawling 7,655 square foot wellbeing and fitness hub will be open to non-members.

Later this month (May 22-27) the Chelsea Flower Show hits town. And so does Chelsea in Bloom, safari inspired floral displays across 50 Chelsea shops, including some on Pavilion Road.

Chelsea just gets better and better.

 May, 2017

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The only way I can distinguish between what I heard at Princeton from Brown is that in the former the speaker was wearing a headband and pearls, and in the latter the speaker had red hair and blue tights. Beyond that, I’m voting for Vegas.

Some easy  tips for parents:

Go with a friend (i.e. fellow parent) with a sense of humour.

If possible skip the campus tour and get a student you know to show you around – that will be 1,000 times more honest and fun. Even better, take a student out for a meal. Free food is the best currency for college scoop.

Sit in on a class.

Visit during autumn –

Visit during Halloween. Sleeping Beauty and Elmo below at Georgetown.

And remember to breathe when you and your child get on each other’s nerves. Close quarters and all. Inhale deeply when the  teeny hotel bathroom is covered with her makeup, assorted beauty products and random items of clothing, everything but a toothbrush, which she forgot.

“It’s no big deal,” she says,  refusing to use mine as a backup. “That’s kind of gross, Mommy.”

Grosser than the alternative, I wonder? Breathe. This particular  trip is God’s way of making everyone excited about college.

But it’s not all gloom. I have asked a trusted bunch of college kids for their top tips. So if your future includes  information sessions and campus tours in New Haven, Providence, Philadelphia and/or Georgetown, don’t despair. Read on.

Fun-loving Cristina, a recent Yale grad and second from right, offers these New Haven suggestions:

Edgewood Gallery often falls under the radar and they do beautiful shows there (just behind Pierson) – Rob Storr often curates. YCBA and YUAG — always cool student-oriented programming so good to check websites before going for tours, talks etc. Albers Foundation is in Bethany, CT and by appointment only… It’s such a beautiful place, and only thirty minutes from Yale.

Here is Saria, a sophomore at Brown, in front of a RISD designed blow-up structure.

“The best thing about Providence is definitely the food… it’s amazing!”

Saria’s favorite restaurants include parent’s weekend classics New Rivers and Al Forno. For breakfast she likes the charming and quaint Kitchen (very small, just fits 14 ppl – no reservation) with its homey breakfasts – delicious thick bacon and croissant, french toast, all styles of egg and huevos rancheros.

And for the adventurous, try North (chef trained under head guy at Momofuku in NY… very strange and delicious menu – Dan Dan noodles, for example, are korean rice cakes with fermented chili, squid and mutton… the vinegar for oysters changes daily, and the mustard that goes with the ham also changes daily…once it was Dr. Pepper mustard).

Once fed and watered, Saria recommends seeing the RISD Museum. Stay at the hip boutique Dean Hotel (beats the huge, impersonal Omni any day) and order a Bolt Coffee on the ground floor cafe to keep you wide-eyed for forthcoming session.

Next up is Ale, looking very healthy at Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park. 

Ale suggested I take my daughter and two Penn frat boys (talk about good scoop!) to Parc, Philly’s version of Balthazar in the picturesque Rittenhouse District. I loved it, almost as much as I loved my massage and pilates class at the Rittenhouse Spa & Club across the square. Every college trip parent deserves a bit of pampering.

Other eating spots Ale likes are Vernick, Tinto, Barbuzzo, The Dandelion, Barclay Prime, Talula’s Garden, and Amada.

Shoppers should browse Walnut Street. Don’t miss Rittenhouse Square’s upscale, eclectic boutique Joan Shepp.

Art lovers might want to pop into the Barnes Foundation, as well as the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Sylvester Stallone made a promotional return to the museum  last week – 40 years after Rocky was first filmed training on the museum steps.

And for Georgetown,  my eldest Kate has such a long list of shops and restaurants that I had to yell, ‘Cut’. A parent’s job is never done.

Here’s the abbreviated version: For restaurants in Georgetown but slightly off the beaten track Kate suggests Café Bonaparte,  a cute little French restaurant and Unum, on M Street, close to the Four Seasons. She also likes Baked & Wired, a delish bakery with really good cupcakes and coffee.

Burn off those carbs at Kate’s fave,  Fuel Pilates on 37th Street.

“The owner Kelly was so nice and loved us all.”

Core Power is good for a cardio hot yoga workout.

Kate recommends exploring nearby Washington DC.  Le Diplomate and Zaytinya are two restaurants that top her lengthy list. Zaytinya is Greek/Mediterranean by the Capital and Le Diplomate is a buzzy French brasserie in an up and coming neighborhood.

Make time for the Newseum and the The Philips Collection with its Rothko room.

And for shoppers, Kate is emphatic:

 “Hu’s Wear is the best shop  by far in Georgetown. Let me know if you want any more ideas – obviously I have more, haha”

November, 2015

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Friends and I visited my sister Diana (second from the left above) last month and got really sandy – in a good way. Leave the Dolce wedges and Missoni kaftan at home. It’s time to be a kid again.

Get soaked in a kayak,

chilled to the bone in the Pacific and winded big-time by all the stairs on the Steep Ravine Trail.

Start by renting a car in SF and zipping across the Golden Gate Bridge, eventually getting to the extremely curvy and dramatic Highway 1 to Stinson Beach. Or opt for the equally  gorgeous, more pastoral Panoramic Highway, which splits off from Highway 1.  Both drives take under an hour and get you here…

When I was growing up my family had a house at Stinson and we went “to the beach”  every weekend. My sister Diana now summers there with her family and, while a bit more crowded today, Stinson and the towns nearby still stun me with their natural beauty.

Chill with the seals….

Hike up Steep Ravine and back down the Dipsea Trail loop. Don’t be deceived by the gentle beginning…

Soon, you’ll be climbing amidst a canyon of redwoods, ferns, endless stairs and bridges…

Kayak across the lagoon to hippie town Bolinas,

where the artsy locals shun tourists so much that they took down the road sign to Bolinas. You miss it even if you don’t blink…

Stop in and smile at Smiley’s, which opened its Bolinas doors in 1851 and prides itself on being “the oldest saloon west of the Mississippi”.

We dined on fresh Drake’s Bay Oysters and grilled Red Snapper at the Coast Cafe,

then we kayaked home with the moon lighting the way.

ps My foodie niece Sarah strongly recommends a drive to the nearby Point Reyes Station Farmer’s Market held every Saturday morning 9-1, July through October. Feast on GBD‘s grilled cheese sandwiches (voted “Best Grilled Cheese on the Planet” by Gourmet magazine), hummus from The Hummus Guy (‘addictive pita chips’, niece warns) and Mount Tam cheese is Sarah’s ‘♯1’ from the Cowgirl Creamery spread onto a baguette from Brickmaiden Breads.

Two seconds later Sarah sent me another text: “Don’t forget Stellina in Point Reyes Station, Saltwater in Inverness and Sir and Star in Olema. Oh, and Beth’s Bakery is opening soon in Bolinas.” If anyone is looking to hire a Bay Area food blogger, Sarah’s your gal.

September, 2015

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