Salvation Mountain

We visited Salvation Mountain this past October, just a few months before its creator, Leonard Knight, passed away. Made of adobe, gallons upon gallons of paint and a commitment to his simple message that "God Is Love," Knight's  colorful, religiously psychedelic Salvation Mountain garnered him a following as an outsider folk artist. There is something transcendent about his commitment to the mountain that draws a diverse crowd. Thousands of visitors have traveled to see his painstakingly hand-crafted monument, from art enthusiasts to hipsters to religious devotees. On the day we were there, a group of about 20 Mormons arrived and filed up the mountain together in a white-shirted line. Many visitors donated paint to keep the project going.

The future of the site has been uncertain since Knight  moved into a care facility several years ago, but from the looks of Salvation Mountain Inc.'s website and Facebook page, it seems they're recruiting live-in caretakers and planning a film about Knight. Some of his ashes were recently returned to the site, and visitors and friends helped to refresh the paint on flowers during a celebration of his life. Visit soon for a chance to see it in its current state and explore Knight's vision.

Tune In: Cate Le Bon

Loving this hypnotic mix of skate footage and Cate Le Bon's "Are You With Me Now?" Folksy, a little bit cosmic, a little bit country, her pretty guitar strains have electro-fuzz Os Mutantes moments and her singing has a definite Nico vibe. But the elements all come together in her unique, Welsh-inflected voice.

Ryan Roche

Ryan Roche makes the most beautiful cashmere knits and angora hats in the perfect palette of black, grey and blush. The look is romantic, vintage-inspired and western wrapped together in the best way. Plus, her knits are produced by a women's cooperative in Nepal, combining sustainability with high-quality production. Love it. Shop at Mille and Founders & Followers.

Back In White

Whoa. Major blog heart attack. But I've been really busy in these last few months: I went on a totally unplugged, 5-day hippie retreat to Breitenbush in the Oregon Cascades, spent an extra-long first wedding anniversary weekend in Joshua Tree and Palm Springs, and after many years at the same gig...I have a new job as a Fashion Copywriter at The RealReal!

Not only am I very excited to be working at The RealReal, I'm already addicted to shopping the site. The sheer volume of new arrivals is staggering and there are some truly great finds—it's luxury consignment, so imagine high-end eBay where everything is legit. Case in point, this new Carven moto jacket I'm obsessed with. I'm more adjusted to my new sched, and have been thinking about lots of things I want to share here, so stay tuned!

Summer Reading Party

Go to summer activity: reading party in Mountainview cemetery. 

Before you think 'morbid' or 'goths in hot weather,' let me tell you that while Mountainview has an impressive number of graves and mausoleums, it's also very park-like. It has winding, uncrowded roads where people walk and run, often with their pets, beautifully landscaped hills and grassy expanses designed by none other than Frederick Law Olmsted (Oakland's Central Park?), and some of the best views of the Bay Area. It's also full of history — many notable Bay Area and California families have members buried here, and I've always meant to take one of the free, docent-led tours. It's easy to enjoy walking, running, or having a picnic in such a beautiful place, and I'd say the surroundings cast more of a contemplative than morbid vibe on these activities. We have a favorite spot to lay out a blanket, eat delicious sandwiches from Southie (Oakland's best sandwiches?) and read whatever books and magazines we pile into tote bags. Just don't eat the cute little strawberries the grow out of the grass. Do you have a favorite local spot to chill out and read on a sunny afternoon?

Tune In: Indian Summer

It's almost September and everyone's inner school calendar is probably telling them that summer's almost over. Luckily, in the Bay Area, it's all about Indian Summer. June gloom seeped into too much of July, so I'm looking forward to what I hope will be a gloriously awesome September and October. I'd say we're even owed a bit of November. In that spirit, here's a hopefully-not-belated summer playlist. I recommend listening on a boat if possible, but it should be equally effective for looking out the window on a road trip, walking around your neighborhood on a sunny day, or having a picnic at a park or beach.

Billy Bragg & Wilco | California Stars

Unkown Mortal Orchestra | Swim and Sleep

Kurt Vile | Wakin on a Pretty Day

Roxy Music | More Than This

Devendra Banhart | Never Seen Such Good Things

The Flying Burrito Brothers | Christine's Tune

Os Mutantes | A Minha Menina

Broken Social Scene | Pacific Theme

ELO | Strange Magic

Harry Nilsson | Coconut

Lee Hazelwood & Nancy Sinatra | I've Been Down So Long

Neon Indian | Polish Girl

Listen via Spotify.

Pimmsicles

I'm trying to keep up my (one year) tradition of making popsicles on our somewhat-annual houseboat trip. I made avocado popsicles last time and this year I wanted to try something boozy. As it's often Pimms O'Clock on the boat, I figured Pimmsicles would be perfect. These were super yummy, and it's not often you get to bite into a refreshingly frozen slice of cucumber, strawberry or kiwi. I've posted the recipe I used below, but for more recipe ideas and tips on popsicle technology (apparently my molds are way behind the times, but I still love their classic look), check out my genius friend Kim's Project Popsicle article for The Hairpin.

Pimmsicles
Recipe from thetiffinbox.ca

Ingredients

• 1+1/2 cups Pimms No. 1
• 2 cups flattened ginger beer
• 2 tbsp minty syrup* (1 bunch mint, 1 cup water, 3/4 cup sugar)
• 1 kiwi
• 1/4 of a cucumber
• 2 strawberries

Directions
Bring the Pimms to a boil in a saucepan for exactly 2 minutes. Take off the heat and pour into a heatproof container to let cool. Stir the minty syrup into the flattened ginger beer. Peel and thinly slice the kiwi into rounds; wash and slice the cucumber into rounds; hull and slice the strawberries.

Place a slice of fruit (or mix and match the three fruits) into the popsicle molds, and pour in the minty ginger beer mixture until it fills about 2/3 of the mold. Then pour in the prepared Pimms, leaving a little space at the top. Stir gently so the mixture stays two-toned. Stick in the popsicle sticks and freeze overnight!

*To make minty syrup rinse off a handful of mint leaves and put into a saucepan with 1 cup of water and 3/4 of a cup of sugar. Slowly bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar, then raise the heat and boil for 1 minute. Lower the heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes, then take off the heat and allow to infuse for at least a half hour. Strain through a sieve, discard the mint leaves, and allow syrup to cool.