today a very famous LEO signed her latest cook book for me… martha stewart has always been one of my favorite american icons. perhaps it’s because we both have a scorpio ascendant in our charts — i’ve blogged her DIY projects several times on this site. i just love her magazine, her product lines, her love for pets, her animal rights activist daughter, and most recently, her fondness for astrological libations. yes you heard me correctly… the june and november issues of martha’s LIVING magazine feature a cocktail recipe for both gemini and scorpio! i’ve been going on about astro tipples for years now, and there’s always room for another perspective on an infinitely interesting subject. hey, who doesn’t love to drink with the stars? welcome to the party martha!

MARTHA STEWART’S DINNER AT HOME is brand spanking new, and today was martha’s very first signing to promote the book. she dedicates the book “to all the homemakers in america, pressed for time yet caring for their families.” my favorite feature of the book is the way it’s divided according to the four seasons, spring, summer, fall and winter, which makes eating seasonally just that little bit easier. martha then creates 13 four course menus for each season, making sure to include carnivore, vegetarian and vegan meals among them. along the way, she highlights certain foods such as rhubarb — pointing out that this vegetable is not a fruit! vanilla stewed rhubarb, mint pesto, rosemary yorkshire puddings, minty green tea milkshakes, coffee with cognac and cardamom and tequila-soaked lemon sorbet are just a few mouth-watering recipes to be found in this handy collection. ($35)

climate change. be it man made with our excessive use of fossil fuels, or be it natural with the onset of an ice age, there is no denying its existance. perhaps you’re like my friend jim, who screams, bitches and moans that the “dems” have struck fear into the hearts of millions of school children on behalf of a completely false truth. or perhaps you’re a self-hating human who curses his fellow men in their greedy, stupid, oil rich ways. i say, WHO CARES? the fact is that climate change is real — so who cares what precisely caused it? one thing is for sure, and that is that curbing our CO2 emmissions alleviates the impact of global warming somewhat. can we all agree that’s a good thing?

my BIGGEST (oh i have so many it’s hard to choose one) pet peeve is people who sit in their cars with the engines on. going nowhere. eating a bagel. sipping tea. taking a snooze. chillin to the sterio. granted, sometimes it’s hot as hell or as cold as hell froze over and you almost need to idle the car. but most of the time it is not necessary. car idling is a huge contributor to global warming. haven’t you seen the videos of starving polar bears fighting each other to the death just to eat the carcass? try googling it, and then turn off your car. pretty please with strawberry-flavored vodka on top?

above, dog is not only man’s best friend, but bear’s too. (credit)

check out the BLOG ACTION DAY movement here…

my parents (we all hate them) just came back from south africa. my swag was a beautiful hand hammered tribal necklace, AND a hand crocheted and beaded drink doily! apparently they’re all the rage over there in the tourist shops. i think this is so cool—what a practical gift! think about it… how many times have you been sitting out on the porch sipping on your caiphirina when i big ole fly lands on the edge for a little sip himself? well, say goodbye to mr. fly — thanks to the drink doily. the best part was that the lady’s cooperative that made these items funded the livelihood of aids victims. (which is the whole damn continent; another conspiracy…)

there is not a shred of doubt in my mind that we are being completely FUCKED with. most would say i’m a conspiracy theorist, but i prefer to call myself a curious skeptic, anxious to find loving truth under each rock i turn. with my rising sign in scorpio, i’m a natural sleuth, and there aren’t many rocks that escape my scrutiny. often, i’m shocked to find greed and deception laying under the most beautiful rocks. especially lately, in a time when it seems a new cover up is exposed daily. the question is WHO exactly is fucking with us… aliens? the government? an elite secret society? the more one researches any of those three, the more convinced one becomes. in fact, one could spend days googling, youtubing, and surfing to be totally convinced that we are under attack. or one can stoically dismiss the mounting evidence as outlandish, over-imaginative trash talk. all i ask is that you open your mind to the possibility… OPEN YOUR MIND. then make your decision to believe or not believe these “theories”.

if you don’t want to go though the tedium of research, you can cut right to the chase with some groundbreaking films put out by new production company, REALITY ENTERTAINMENT. they have several titles from which to choose, but THE CONSPIRACY TO RULE THE WORLD, FROM 911 TO THE ILLUMINATI, is a good one to start with. i suggest you watch this video to learn how deeply entangled in this web we really are. this film exposes stuff i’ve never seen on the web! 911 was planned: a european news anchor said the tower had fallen as it stood erect in the background. it fell 20 minutes later, so obviously the press release went out early. there were two huge attachments on the bottom of each plane, and they’re captured on film! the hole in the pentagon wall could not have been physically made by an airplane–it’s been proven. numerous firefighters swear they saw bombs go off while they were inside WTC. and my personal favorite is the benign enough looking, but very sinister organization called COMMON PURPOSE. well now, how many times have i heard obama speak those two words in his speeches? apparently the phrase “common purpose” is simply another way of saying “new world order” which is code for “slave system.” hint: we’re not going to be the slave masters if you catch my drift… this video will WAKE you up to the new reality that is upon us!

the key to solving our little predicament lies in staying positive and acting constructively. if you watch an enlightening video like this and then want to kill yourself, well we haven’t solved a thing, have we? that would be akin to someone saying, oh gosh i don’t where to start conserving energy, or saving money, or eating healthy — there’s just too much! and then they just shut down and don’t do a thing because they are frozen with fear, or overwhelmed with depression. just remember KNOWLEDGE IS POWER, and the only way to win this war (if you believe we are its victims) is to THINK POSITIVE, BE HONEST, ACT KINDLY and be a RESPONSIBLE CITIZEN of the earth abiding by SPIRITUAL LAW. that my friends, is the only way we can win. so what are you waiting for? stop the denial… admit you should be more informed… watch the mind-blowing flicks from REALITY ENTERTAINMENT…

this month, i wrote about the birthday sign au courant for my zodiac cocktail column published in MOD magazine… as you might have guessed, it’s all about LIBRA… but isn’t it always though?

Meet The Most Dangerous Beauty Alive… traveling Sword Swallower Charon Henning. We here at IZ are extremely fortunate to have been selected by the aforementioned for the publishing of Charon’s new column, The Cocktail Sword. Let’s give her a warm welcome, a big thanks, some clickage on her blogs: THE SWORD SWALLOWER and ODD ANGEL, and maybe even catch her show live!

Our Airstream is a Leo with a Libra Ascendant. We know this because we have the original bill of sale from the 27th of July, 1966.

I am firmly of the belief that an Airstream, or any other travel trailer or RV, is not officially born until it passes into the hands of its first family (I feel this way about tattoo machines as well, but that’s for another post for another time). Sitting stationary on a dealer’s lot or just outside of the factory is a form of gestation, a time of waiting, of being open to growth when the time is right. The addition of the human element, and subsequent elements that it brings, such as the sharing of food, warmth and companionship, are truly what breathed life into our beloved 1966 Airstream Safari. The entire 22 foot length is brimming with stories and history, which we have been continuing to create with it since the turn of the Millenium.

Currently our family consists of two swordswallowers, one an Aries with a Cancer Ascendant, the other (me) a Scorpio with a Cancer Ascendant, a hairless Sphynx cat, a Virgo with a Scorpio Ascendant (which, now that I think on it, explains an awful lot about her behavior that I’d originally attributed to her breed … ), and the Airstream. All travel brings adventure, all meals are an event and, if you don’t mind me saying so, the sex is pretty awesome. At least for us. The cat’s been spayed. (we call her Brundlefly.)

Given the above variables, it should come as no surprise that we keep a well-stocked cocktail lounge on board. Since we have limited space, we have to choose our bottles, flasks and flavors very carefully. There are foundation liquors to be considered, especially among those of us born under signs that are very much about physicality and the pleasures derived therein. We must always have a few staple items on board at all times and each must serve at least two purposes in the grand scheme of mixology. There are social issues to be considered as well. Living full time in a modern aluminum gypsy wagon means our community changes with the seasons, sometimes with each sign in the heavens, and once the level and style of tippling, or lack thereof, has been established, we know approximately what to bring with us to a gathering.

Generally between 4 and 6 each afternoon the residents of a given campground, fairground, or even the odd truck stop, will come together for some fellowship, story sharing and general face time. At this time each Autumn we find ourselves toting along one of our annual favorites, right as the leaves are changing, when there’s a snap in the air and when something warm to drink is preferable to anything rocks or shaken. Between Mabon and Samhain is, in our opinion, the very perfect time for mulled wine.

Wine is a perfect libation for the time of year when active external energies are waning and quieter introspective energies are one the rise. Dryer red wine is what we always mull, being signs that prefer the rich full bodied flavors of the dark reds, and we offset the slightly bitter taste of the darker cabernets with local honey as we heat it over the open flame of our stove. To this mixture we add allspice, ginger, nutmeg, orange peel, cinnamon, cloves and lemon peel, all spices that complement the seasonal apple harvest as well as the other edible gourds that grace our tables during this time of year. On the chance that we lack one or more of these spices in our pantry, or are simply pressed for time before we gather with others, we have on board as a backup single serving tea bags of Organic Mulling Spices from R.W. Knudsen Family, four bags of which will satisfactorily mull an entire bottle of wine. A little less than half an hour’s simmering will generally suffice.

Being able to buy locally is one of the pleasures of this sort of ambulatory life, and we explore local flavors more fully at this time of year than at any other. The quality of local wines varies greatly but we have never yet been disappointed by any of the small family owned and run vineyards that welcome people each Autumn to their lands offering the same sort of fellowship all of us on the open road enjoy regularly. Many will package their own combinations of wine, honey and spices together for purchase and it is never a bad idea to invest in such a kit, the ingredients having been selected by those who know their product best.

So as the weather chills a bit we will regularly enjoy the pleasures of mulled wine as a complement of the season, watching the steam rise from our mugs as we step outside in the evenings, able to see every star in the sky from our front yard, wherever that might happen to be. As we transition from Libra to Scorpio in the heavens it is a grand time to reward your previous month’s balancing act with a bit of sensual goodness straight from your local vineyard. Enjoy!

CHARON’S MULLED WINE:
*1 bottle red wine of your choosing (we prefer the dryer to the sweeter)
*1 cinnamon stick
*1/4 teaspoon whole cloves
*1/2 teaspoon each of the following, wrapped in cheesecloth and tied
(Organic is always best … ):
allspice
ginger
nutmeg
orange peel
lemon peel
*Organic honey to taste

Combine all in a pot on the stove or over a fire, bring to a low boil and reduce heat to simmer, stirring, for about half an hour. Ladle into mugs to serve and go slowly! It hits you like a well-aimed pillow.

Cheers~Charon, The Most Dangerous Beauty Alive
theswordswallowers.com
oddangel.com

Charon Henning is one of a handful of female sword swallowers in the world today. She’s performed on carnival midways and at wine tastings, on theater stages and grassy lots.

Charon also reads tea leaves professionally, a skill she inherited from her grandmother on her mother’s side of the family. Tea-leaf reading is a wonderful and elegant form of entertainment, suitable for many time periods and venues.

Charon loves being on the road seeing new places and meeting new people. Want to catch Charon on the road for her live show? View her tour schedule here. Or, book Charon’s talent for your next event!

astrology can be applied to anything at all. a restaurant… a flower… a person–all of these things enjoyed a point of conception, a time at which they were created or born. besides the obvious entertainment of reading all about yourself, you might wonder, how does any of this “party knowledge” help me now, other than to gain a better understanding of your personality? well here’s how: you can use astrology as a “when to take action” guide, which is referred to as horoscopic astrology.

it is said that ronald reagan tore down that wall using horoscopic astrology — he would sign treaties at 3:08 am. i for one, started intoxicated zodiac LLC using this methodology! there are web sites galore instructing you how to live your life on any given day for optimum results using astrology. they’re called horoscopes! so, here is what you should look for if you want to better your odds at a game of chance like say, bingo

optimally, one should have Jupiter & Pluto in harmonious aspect to Venus. Unless you’re a professional astrologer this can be hard to determine. so, look for these key words when reading your monthly horoscope: “jupiter in the fifth house.” the fifth house is ruled by the sun, hence leo, and pertains to gambling of any sort. this can include financial risks, iffy matters of the heart, or any wager in life that could potentially score some significant pleasure. now let’s talk about jupiter, the planet of big time luck. if your horoscope shows Jupiter transiting the fifth House, it’s time to play bingo games – of course there are other planetary transits and alignments to consider…

for example, throw a transiting uranus into the mix and the unexpected has an even better chance of happening. uranus is the planet of unpredictability and ruler of aquarius. or, you might win REALLY big if pluto is around. pluto is the mighty planet and ruler of scorpio, whose strength cannot be matched. or the presence of venus could make your windfall a nice, easy, comfortable win. venus rules taurus and is the planet of creature comforts; its also indicative of financial wealth. if mars, ruler of aries, is influencing this area of your chart then your victory will arrive quickly. the one planet you don’t want hanging around your chart or horoscope when you’re getting ready to bet money is saturn, ruler of capricorn and bringer of austerity. yeh… that’s me, cappie.

introducing our new contributing author…. the one and only, exceedingly beautiful, unashamedly cool, and piercingly intelligent, DIRTY LOTUS, whose slutty dating and sloppy drinking tribulations we are now privy to follow… enjoy reading LOTUS’ first post below. thanks dirty lotus : )

“STAY OR GO? TWO TAURUSES ALWAYS STAY” BY, DIRTY LOTUS

There comes a time in every single girl’s life when she has to make that age-old decision; stay or go. Does she GO out with the man in question, whom she may have been dating…let’s say…a few weeks? Traipse about in the wet rainy Houston eve, getting her Ralph Laurens soaked, so they can sit in some fattening little café sipping wine and exchanging banter? Banter that let’s face it- is really just verbal foreplay at this point? Or, does she opt for a different route and STAY; exchanging that same witty conversation over a nice drink, right there in the comfort of her quaint little single girl’s apartment.

Well, I chose option B last Saturday night; when my latest male conquest asked me if I wanted to get together. I thought the rain would be the perfect excuse to stay in. I was just a little California girl who didn’t know the proper Texas rainstorm etiquette. He was a lonely Detroit boy, lost in a sea of suburban developments and Whata-Burger food chains. So when I timidly suggested we stay in for the evening, he pretended to timidly agree.

To make the evening even more entertaining, Mr. Detroit and I were two of a kind. Taurus’s that is, 5 days apart (me, May 17th and he, the 12th). My only experience with the male Taurus species had been a few friends in college and an old neighbor of mine. I could never get passed the clone-like ridged disposition and the blatant sexual energy. Basically, they were way too much like…ME! But Mr. Detroit was different, laid back and not stubborn at all. In fact the only thing, in my humble opinion, that qualified him entitlement of the Taurus name was the fact that he was unequivocally the depiction of walking sex; tall, dark, chiseled and extremely handsome.

There I was rummaging through my closet trying to decide if I should wear an entire outfit or just throw on something casual. I finally decided to wear my favorite red strapless cotton vintage dress and touch up my toe nail polish. “There” I told my mirrored image, “You look pretty damn good.”

Later that evening Mr. Detroit and I sat on the couch sipping Sailor Jerry’s rum, Dole pineapple juice, with a slice of lemon on ice. We clinked our glasses together and sipped sloooowly. Jill Scott and Kings of Leon poured out of my stereo and we started to have the kind of conversation that isn’t’ trying to be anything but a conversation. We lent our inhibitions to the wind and relaxed long enough to genuinely enjoying ourselves; me and my abrasive sexual energy melted into demure flirtation, and he came into his Taruocity long enough to share his opinions. Three glasses of rum later and…

…Well, none of your business. (©2009 dirty lotus)

SAILOR JERRY & PINEAPPLE
1.0 splash Lemon juice
0.75 oz Pineapple
1.5 oz light Rum
Directions: shake, strain into cocktail glass

want more dirty lotus? visit her at I SAY HELLA, or just stay tuned to IZ.

long overdue posting! IZ featured Gifts & Decorative Accessories show recap: