raeannvarona

[raeannvarona]

Playlist: ONDO

A playlist dedicated to all the pets 💗

If you know me personally or follow me on IG, you know that I lost my Ondo last month. It's never easy losing a pet, and losing a pet that was with you during some of your most formative adult years brings a different kind of sadness.

While Ondo was in the hospital, I made this playlist filled with mood-boosting songs that I think exemplify how pets make us feel. Enjoy! 😊😊😊

[raeannvarona]

Dinner Club: Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery

Finally trying Pasadena's fairly new restaurant, "cheesery", and marketplace.

Run by wife and husband duo Vanessa Tilaka and Thomas Kalb who met each other while working at San Francisco's flour + water, Agnes is easily the kind of place you and your friends meet for recurring dinners.

"Contemporary, yet traditional" is how many restaurants are often described, but at Agnes, you feel it.

Set into a historic building built in 1922 as a horse stable, the almost 8-month old Agnes is cozy with its rustic brick walls original to the building and mid-century plaid sofa seats, but still modern with the modern white oak, high exposed ceilings, and stone.

The food is modern comfort food, but it's the kind that evokes memories of home-cooked American (more specifically, Midwestern). Think loaded potato gnocchi, cornbread eclair, hearty "lamburger" helper, and corn nuts on their cheese and meat boards.

Also, the restaurant is named after Kalb's grandmother Mary Agnes who apparently "liked just one gin and tonic when 'company came over.'"

The "cheesery" part of Agnes' full name in itself is sort of an American take on a French fromagerie. Tilaka, being head cheese, is the one responsible for sourcing the quality selection of cheeses found at the market front and on the menu.

Speaking of cheese on the menu, at the bottom of the dessert menu are choices of dessert cheeses in their respective categories: soft & creamy, bold & funky, sweet & salty, and lovely blues.

I only recently learned to enjoy cheese as a dessert and it was actually from learning about Agnes when they first opened up. In short, dessert cheeses aren't sweet, but they're what the French typically eat after dinner, right before dessert. Dessert cheeses cleanse the palate and help taper down the palate into preparing for a more sweet dessert.

Agnes is a great place for dinner. I really enjoyed the energy going on during our 8:30 p.m. reservation. The birthday celebration happening two tables down, a date happening the next table over, the curating of boards on the white oak counters, sous chefs saying "hi" as you walk past towards the restroom — it was a great place to be for a weeknight meal. But I could also see Agnes as also just being a great place to meet with friends and family to just graze over their "snackadoos" and boards.

Here's what we ate:

tinned fish

Of course, I ordered their tinned fish board — chose mackerel from Patagonia Provisions. So good with the dijon mustard, cornichons, toasted bread, and pickled onions.

There are so many great ways to enjoy conservas, and this is one of them.

1/2 and 1/2 board

It's hard to pass up on a cheese board, especially if you're at a place that has a whole case of specialty cheeses in its front marketplace.

The selected cheese of the day came with crackers, corn nuts, house-made jam, corn nuts, grapes, dried fruits, bresaola, pâte de campagne, and the same cornichons and dijon mustard featured on the tinned fish platter.

cornbread eclair

The cornbread eclair is one of those must-haves at Agnes. First impression was how beautiful it looked with the pale pink chicken liver mousse nicely piped onto the cornbread eclair, before being topped off with uniformly chopped chives and four pieces of what I think were either pinot cherries or luxardo maraschino cherries (leaning more towards the latter).

The taste was a nice balance of savory and a bit of sweetness. It wasn't puffy like a regular eclair but was still light. Will be ordering this at every Agnes visit.

lamburger helper

Great things have been said about their loaded baked potato dumplings, but our waiter recommended the lamburger helper and I'm glad he did.

Slow-cooked lamb shredded into a nice sugo before being mixed with a farmer's cheese and aa perfectly al dente riccia/malfaldine (ribbon pasta with beautiful ruffled edges).

So much flavor.

dessert cheese — la tur

If you aren't familiar with dessert cheese, fast forward to 11:10 of this Worth It video to see Tilaka explain it a bit. Basically, cheese is often eaten at the end of a meal in France before any sweet desserts if having any.

Recommended was the La Tur, a soft and creamy cow, goat, and sheep cheese blend from Northern Italy.

Agnes is located at 40 W. Green Street and is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day, except Sunday and Monday.

[raeannvarona]

January Photo Dump

[raeannvarona]

Checking out the new Gjusta Grocer

So I’m back in LA and was finally able to visit Venice Beach's new Gjusta Grocer. Being a lover of specialty markets and curated and unique pantry items, this was something I was super excited about since seeing their opening announcement sometime last month. 

If the name Gjusta rings a bell, it’s because the new grocer is the latest  storefront by the Gjelina Group which many of you may know are the minds behind Gjelina (and Gjelina Take Away), Valle, Gjusta, and Gjusta Goods in Venice. I’ve never had a bad meal at any of the group’s establishments — I come to Gjusta Bakery knowing that I’ll consistently have a good meal at any time of the day.  If I’m on Abbot Kinney craving a pizza, I know I can bet on a good pie at Gjelina takeout.  With that said, I had nothing by high hopes for the new market and I’m happy to say that I was not disappointed.

Straight off the bat, if you know me, you know I love conservas (see some of my gift recommendations here), so I was excited to see a number of quality tins of fish on the first aisle by the entrance.  I’m talking boxes of Jose Groumet, Olasagasti, Fangst Brisling, and Scout amongst others.  I expected to see some other popular canned fish-makers like Fishwife or Porthos which I did see before at Gjusta Bakery, but maybe in the future?

I also absolutely loved their cold case of condiments, dips, spreads, and butters.  I’d love to have their mustardo on a nice cheese board, or any of their pickled stuff like pickled shishitos, onions, or peppers in my fridge for snacking.  Or, maybe for making Gjusta Bakery’s smoked fish and egg breakfast plate at home — just get some smoked fish, labneh, capers, tomatoes, and bread, and voila. And of course, despite being a splurge at $15, I left the grocer dreaming of anchovy butter after seeing them stacked in the dairy section.

Gjusta also sells their own vinegars, marinated oils, and salts, all packed into beautiful clear bottles and jars with minimal labeling. I would imagine their  pomegranate vinegar would be great in salad dressings, drinks, or even as a meat marinade.  And then there are the salts — herbed salt, rosemary salt, chili salt, etc.

I didn’t pay too much attention to their produce aside from their satsumas and their small Japanese sweet potatoes, but Gjelina Group has made purchasing directly from local farmers part of their business.

Gjusta Bakery on Sunset makes amazing croissants, sandwiches, and coffee, so it makes sense they sell a few in the back for a quick grab and go if in the boardwalk area.  

As for the design of the store, I did not expect anything less than what Gjelina Group’s other stores give — rustic and quant as if stepping into a European-style market with their produce baskets and flower arrangements in the front, but still somehow giving off a very cool, very California coastal vibe.

I knew that the grocer would be taking over Windward Farms, which unfortunately had to close due to a 120% rent increase, but I did wish Gjusta Grocer was closer to its other establishments near Abbot Kinney.  Nevertheless, I didn’t make too may rounds before finding parking and loved my visit.

Please enjoy these iPhone photos and visit Gjusta Grocer at 105 Windward Avenue in Venice, California.

Beautiful flower display at the entrance for a pretty rustic feel.

If only my fridge could look like this.

The stacked anchovy butter I was talking about!

And the tinned fish boxes I was also talking about — big fan of the art on Jose Gourmet packaging.

Tiny Japanese sweet potatoes at what I think was $4 per lb?

More anchovies found in the cold case!

A nice selection of sandwiches.  

Pretty vinegars made and bottled by Gjusta.

[raeannvarona]

For your gifting consideration

Some holiday gift ideas that are delicious to give on their own, or small enough to add in a gift basket or stocking.

Everyone has a food lover in their life which is great because finding food-related gifts are probably the easiest, especially if you know where to look. The culinary universe is just so expansive, there's really something for everyone.

I personally love putting together gift baskets and boxes because they're perfect for sharing a little bit of a lot. I could've planned this post better and made a more comprehensive list of things I think make a perfect food basket, but we're only a few days away from Christmas so let's just stick with four basics: chocolates, sardines, spreads, and sauces.

Here's what I've been loving lately:

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Fancy chocolates

Starting off with chocolates, because chocolates have it all. They're pretty, tasty, and the really good ones come with a story. Now, there are a lot of good chocolates out there and I'm not even going to attempt to fit as many as I can here.

Compartés: Of course, Compartés chocolates make great gifts. They've been at the game since the 1950s, attracting big Hollywood stars like Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis Presley, and politicians like the Kennedys and apparently Winston Churchill (??!!). Not only are the flavor combos fun and unique, but they're also visually pretty both inside and out. Take their California Berries bar, for example, which is fully covered by big chunks of freeze-dried strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. Given that its founder Jonathan Grahm is also a painter, it makes sense that each bar is visually appealing. Grahm apparently designs all the packaging himself.

Casa Bosques: Casa Bosques chocolates are also art in themselves. While Compartés is more bright and eccentric in both flavor and design, Casa Bosques makes more travel and destination-centric flavors that bring you on a trip. There's a pattern here with pretty chocolates and their founders. Casa Bosque's founder, Rafael Prieto, also runs a design studio in NYC.

Flavors I'm eyeing: Neri Goma & Gold Sesame Oil; Tahini & Preserved Lemon; Ginger, Bay Leaf & Chamomile Flower; Figs & Furikake; Enoki & Shimeji Mushrooms; Cardamom; and Hoja Santa.

Oodaalolly x Kasama Rum Chocolate: Here's another fun chocolate choice. I interviewed Oodaalolly's founder Hernan Lauber back when he was starting Oodalolly and learned that despite chocolate being such a big part of Filipino history, the Philippines produces less than one percent of the world's cacao supply. Growing up with his Filipino Swiss-trained pastry chef who ventured into the chocolate business in the '80s, Lauber decided to do the same, but by promoting Filipino cacao.

This particular bar collection was made in collaboration with Kasama and consists of three unique tropical flavors, all infused with Kasama Rum: 70% cacao, milk chocolate with creamy coconut milk; and white chocolate with tangy pineapple chunks.

Also, with each purchase, a portion goes to Hospicio de San Jose, a charity center in Manila that consists of an orphanage, shelter for battered women, and a community development center.

Trader Joe's: If you know me, you'll know that I'm rarely ever above getting something from Trader Joe's and that includes chocolates. During the holidays, TJ's has some pretty fancy-looking boxes including some by Baci.

Tinned fish

Yes, I'm recommending tinned fish as holiday gifts and honestly, I didn't think I'd be mentioning more than three. Of course, I'm not talking regular tinned fish. I'm talking elevated tinned fish that will blow your giftee's mind over how good fish out of a metal container could be. And I love how they look in a kitchen. Here are a few good ones:

Fishwife: If you're sensing a pattern here, I like things that come in pretty packages, and Fishwife's branding featuring bright images of strong females will for sure look good in your giftee's pantry. The fish, of course, is of great quality and are sourced from small boat fishers and micro-canneries in Spain, Norway, and the Pacific Coast. Also, fun fact: the term "fishwife" is apparently a 16th century "gendered insult for women who were brash, foul-mouthed, and brassy."

Nuri: This one has a special place in my heart because it's one my parents always dropped off for me or sent me off with when going to college. I've linked Amazon, but I usually find these in my local Filipino grocery like Seafood City.

Bela-Olhao Lightly Smoked Sardines in Olive Oil: Another favorite of mine are Bela-Olhao's sardines that also come in spicy piri piri-infused olive oil, or organic lemon. The company has been family-owned for over 20 years and claims to offer one of the only true sardines on the market, and gives full fillets in their cans. These sardines are a regular in our household because they have lower sodium than many other sardines. I've linked Amazon in case its easier, but I get them at Sprout's!

Güeyu Mar Chargrilled Sardine Loins (Lomos de Sardinas): Someday, I hope to eat at Restaurante Güeyu Mar in Asturias, Spain, preferably on its terrace with a view of giant red fish coming out of its stone walls. But for now, I'll find peace in the fact that I can order canned seafood from them. Güeyu Mar's tinned-sardine loins are unique in that they're first grilled over live oak wood. And if you're wondering where the rest of the sardines are, you can get the tails canned too. Oh, and if you eat squid, which I don't, their Calamar de Otro Planeta (squid from another planet) comes in a retro-looking package.

Patagonia Provisions Anchovies: The Ventura-founded company that now makes some of our fave jackets and vests also makes food and their sustainable canned fish are pretty good. Note: their anchovies aren't the salty anchovies you'd get for pizza. They're small white anchovies which "allow us to enjoy seafood with the health and environmental benefits of eating lower on the food chain." Order online directly from Patagonia, or check your local REI. If you're near Santa Monica or Ventura, their stores carry them too!

Also, check out their roasted garlic mackerel!

Porthos Spiced Sardines: I first came across Porthos, I think, at Gjusta. Big surprise here, but I loved how the cans looked stacked on their shelf across the deli display. The fish apparently comes from one of the oldest canned fish factories in Portugal. And, in good Portuguese fashion, the cans come in beautiful deep and bright colors like blue, orange, magenta, and dark lime green.

Sweet spreads

Jams, jellies and marmalades — homemade or bought — aren't new when it comes to gift-giving. I'll never get upset over getting a nice jar of homemade guava jam or strawberry preserves. I also wouldn't get upset over getting purchased spreads because there are so many good ones out there ready to elevate your cakes, daily toasts, and whatever else you enjoy them with. Here are some that I've been loving lately:

Gianduja: There's Nutella, and then there's gianduia, the OG cocoa hazelnut spread that was invented in Turin, Italy during Napolean's regency. If you know a Nutella lover, gift them with a more luxurious experience of gianduia. You can find a good number of gianduja spreads out there, Caffarel is probably one of the more popular makersas they've been at the chocolate-making game since 1826 and were gianduja pioneers. There's also Ghia's "ghianduja" that comes included in the spirits-free apéritif maker's Le Works gift set.

Houjicha Jam from Konbi: Think dulce de leche, but with a roasted green tea (houjicha) flavor that is more earthy and rich than matcha. I actually ordered a jar for myself and plan on using it in brownies, cookies, and on simple buttered toast. If you're from the LA area, you can pick them up at Konbi's restaurant in Silverlake. While you're there, grab a nice sandwich, a canelé, and any of their house specialty lattes.

Filipino Butters from Big Boi: As in ube, buko pandan, and ensaymada butters. You can't go wrong with gifting any of the flavors, but I say go ahead and gift the sampler set. Again, if you're in LA, you can get these at Big Boi in Sawtelle and treat yourself to some lumpia while you're at it.

The Met Limited Edition Gift Set by BRINS: This set is perfect for the art lover in your life. It comes with three of BRINS' limited edition jams and marmalades made specifically for the Met Museum: "Unicorn Garden" made of pomegranate, strawberries, and rose; "Salted Concord" made of mishio Japanese sea salt and concord grapes; and "Forbidden Fruit" made of peach, fig, and laurel leaf. As with all BRINS jams, they're made with pure cane sugar and without any preservatives.

The sauces

Karam's Garlic Sauce: Okay, this one may look like a bottle of shampoo or conditioner, but fear not, it's only one of the most raved garlic sauces out there right now. I shouldn't even be adding this on the list because it's sold out for this year, but let me just add it so you can write it down and order it for next year.

The ingredients listed on the bottle are fresh raw garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and of course, love. It's Lebanese in origin and was created by Seattle-based chef Anis Karam as an homage to his mom, Rose. Why is it that foods made in honor of loved ones always slap?

Omsom's Southeast Asian Sampler Set: I've been following Omsom since its launch because 1) it's founded by two Vietnamese sisters (yay, for SE Asian representation), and 2) the company brilliantly brings Asian flavors into people's home cooking. The Southeast Asian Omsom Sampler comes with six starters total for Vietnamese lemongrass BBQ, Thai larb, and Filipino sisig. What makes these extra special is that they were each made in collaboration with chefs like Nicole Ponseca of Jeepney, NYC who know and work with the unique ingredients.

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So there's that! With the holidays quickly approaching, I'm not sure how easy it's going to be getting any of these. But if anything, I hope this post sparks some ideas for gifts!

[raeannvarona]

Gratitude is an exercise... 

Plus, fave recipes from Thanksgiving dinner.

Note:  A list of my fave recipes from Thanksgiving dinner are at the bottom if you want to skip the long stuff :)

Happy belated Thanksgiving, if you celebrate it! For being the first get-together with my extended family since the pandemic started, Thanksgiving this year really brought back a sense of normalcy, even if just temporarily.

A few takeaways:

1. If a recipe says you can make it days ahead, do it.  

Once again, I underestimated how much time I’d need to cook everything and decided to start the night before Thanksgiving.  It seems like common sense, but if a recipe says you can make something days ahead, just do it and save yourself the stress.

2. Make that easy and not-so-pretty dessert. 

We’re all tempted to make only the prettiest desserts for the table, but please don’t overlook the recipe that bakes in a pyrex or gets served in a trifle bowl.  I was scared my tarte tatins (oo, fancy i know) wouldn’t be enough for the however many people came through and quickly threw together Magnolia Bakery’s famous banana pudding.  I’m pretty sure that was the best decision I made for Thanksgiving.  

3. Also, make that cheeseboard.  

You don’t have to go all out and get the most expensive assortment of cheeses, but having even just three cheeses surrounded by crackers, jams, chutneys, and fruits will make a party more festive.  Some say a party without dessert is just a meeting, I would like to add a cheeseboard to the saying.

I opted for a cranberry goat cheese log, parmigiano reggiano, and a creamy camembert — all from Trader Joe’s.  Around the cheeses, I put three types of crackers; dried fruits like apricots, figs, and prunes; fresh fruits like black grapes, pomegranate, and persimmons; sweet potato jam, and Wilkin & Sons damson plum jam; and walnuts.  

4. Most importantly, remember that gratitude is what truly matters.

Thanksgiving is a holiday that reminds us of the things to be thankful for, but who are we kidding.  For most of the holiday, we’re preoccupied with dinner prep, hosting, and maybe the football game if that’s your thing.  We love Thanksgiving for the food, friends, and family. But, that’s not a bad thing because what really matters is having gratitude.  

Gratitude is something way deeper than thanksgiving.  It’s long-term — something that, as Mr. Pharrell Williams suggests, should be exercised regularly. It’s an action that involves using that feeling of thankfulness to — as the Oxford Dictionary says — “show an appreciation of kindness.”

To me, it means being more cognizant of the simple things we have in life, especially going forward into the holidays.  It also means finding ways to extend your feeling of thankfulness outwards in our everyday lives, whether it be doing something nice for someone we’re thankful for, volunteering to help those in need, or just keeping a gratitude journal to keep aware.

So don’t feel bad if your Thanksgiving celebrations felt more prep-heavy or if you found yourself stressed out or focused more on the food or football.  Just remember that exercising gratitude regularly and not just on Thanksgiving is what makes the difference.

Okay. Now for the food.  

Here’s a list of things I made for Thanksgiving dinner and loved, including the easy Magnolia Bakery banana pudding.  I sadly didn’t get a photos of the food or even of my Thanksgiving plate, but hey, just take that as meaning everyone dug in right away.  Also, heads up, it’s a lot of BA recipes.

— Dry-brined turkey with sheet gravy:  Super easy, and you can eat the roasted veggies after it’s all cooked!  I’m saving them for some toast with maybe, goat cheese?  Make sure not to skip the last step of raising the temp to 425ºF because like Roman said, you want the skin to get that perfect brown.

— Maple-roasted carrots:  Again, super easy and real pretty on a black plate, especially if using petite carrots. I didn’t use as much brown sugar as the recipe called for after reading the comments.  I tend to go for less sweet anyways, and it still tasted real good.

— Roasted brussels sprouts with warm honey glaze:  This is my go-to brussels sprouts recipe and I’ll most likely be making it again for Christmas, but this year was the first time I added lemon zest and it made sooo much of a difference. Do not skip! 

If you don’t like brussels sprouts, you might still want to give these a try.  I had someone say they didn’t like brussels sprouts unless they were made this way, so there’s hope for you yet!

— Vanilla bean tarte tatin: This one is very pretty and makes you look like a pro.  It’s a dessert that doesn’t require much effort (especially if using store-bought puff pastry), but makes you feel you really did something. And chances are, your guests will think you did too.  

You’re going to want to make sure you really pack in the apples before draping the pasty dough over because they will shrink more when in the oven.  I found myself having to cook a few more apples to add just before then. 

Also, once you make a tarte tatin, you’re going to want to make more. Going to try making shallot tarte tatin soon!

— Mamaleh’s tahini cookies:  Another super easy recipe and one that I make often.  I love these cookies because they aren’t too sweet and require just a few ingredients.  Someone in the comments said they’re like “grown up” peanut butter cookies.  They have a sort of crumbly texture.  That, with the nutty flavor from the sesame makes it polvoron-like, according to my dad.

I’ve also tried pressing the dough into black sesames for a more robust sesame seed taste.  I liked the color contrast too, so maybe try doing a few!

— Magnolia Bakery’s famous banana pudding:  So there’s debate on whether Magnolia Bakery’s banana pudding is legit, but there’s no debate that their pudding is super famous.  It’s surprisingly super easy to put together too and involves nostalgic US-market ingredients like Nilla Wafers and instant vanilla pudding.

The recipe prefers Jello-O’s instant pudding, but if you’re avoiding gelatin or food coloring, any other instant pudding works too.

[raeannvarona]

You meet the nicest people on a Honda.

Iconic, influential, and IMO, the best Honda campaign.

If you’re from Southern California, you’re likely very familiar with Honda’s Helpful Honda campaign.  You know, the one that attempts to set Honda dealers apart from the stereotypical untrustworthy car salesman by dressing them in light blue polos and having them do “random acts of helpfulness” out in their community.  That intimidating suit-wearing dealer with blinding pearly white teeth and an unnecessarily large class ring pressuring you into a quick deal?  Not with Honda.  No, the Helpful Honda Guys are out paying for someone’s day care for a year, helping a teacher prep for their first day of school, or paying for someone’s gas.

Standing apart from something less than favorable isn’t new to Honda.  When Honda first entered the U.S. market with its Super Cub in 1961, Honda had Grey Advertising (now in its 104th year) create its inaugural campaign with a slogan that said: You meet the nicest people on a Honda.

The goal was to show that the motorcycle life wasn’t just for noisy ruckus-causing bikers you’d find on a Harley-Davidson Street Glide.  Nice people too could enjoy the thrill and feel of riding a bike, whether it be to school, to the mall, or just around town.

Americans quickly saw themselves wanting to be like the smiling people riding the bikes in the ads. Who wouldn’t want to ride into town with a dog or a pile of pink shopping boxes in the backseat? Sure, you could get picked up by car, but getting whisked away on the back of a stylish step-through motorcycle is way more fun.  I mean, even Santa Clause rode a Honda Super Cub!

The Super Cub recently came back to the U.S. in 2018 after leaving in 1983. Its return, in my opinion, was a missed opportunity to bring back its nostalgic and iconic campaign.  I would have loved to see the ads use the same styling, but in today’s environment and with diversity.

But in the meantime, I’ll keep enjoying these vintage ads.

[raeannvarona]

Life lately + reintroductions

um HELLO.

So I haven’t been on this blog for quite a while and that’s for a couple of reasons.  For one, I was snatched away by law school.  Another reason is because I was stuck in a writer’s block blackhole and just didn’t know what to write about.  I still don’t know what to write about, but I think that’s a place I want to start off from.  Knowing myself however, I think it’s going to be a lot of food, life reflections, playlists, and car show photos.

But to get things rolling, I thought I’d share some life things I’ve been up to in the past few months.  Nothing too exciting, but that’s how life is sometimes. 

1. Sayonara, law school.

I finished. I’m done.  The three years went by way faster than I thought they would, but that could also be because half of my law school life was experienced through Zoom.  Some highlights? Watching myself slowly deal with imposter syndrome (still a lot of work to do), finding an interest in intellectual property, writing my first Markman briefs, being Senior Staff Editor at our school’s legal business journal, and writing a nearly 30-page research paper on social media platforms and disinformation.  

2. Montecito hot springs

I went to the Montecito Hot Springs for the first time over the summer and I can’t believe I never went while living in Santa Barbara.  I went with one of my closest friends who was back in LA for a bit, and her boyfriend.  The hot springs had 5-6 levels with temperatures getting cooler on the way down.  I personally would have enjoyed an ocean dip after an uphill hike, but it was relaxing nonetheless. I could imagine the springs being nice in the winter.

I made a TikTok of it here.

3. Yes, TikTok

I made a TikTok. I’m nowhere close to being TikTok famous, but a girl at Amazon Fresh asked me if I was a TikToker when I was buying snacks because I apparently look like someone she follows.  I told her I wasn’t said girl. 

4. Live music

I went to my first concert since the pandemic started and saw the last part of Jai Wolf’s set and Porter Robinson’s full set at the Los Angeles Historic Park. Just like before the pandemic, the day started out ambitious with plans of wearing Party City wigs and face jewels.  None of that panned out.  Instead, we ended up rushing to get out of the house, stressing through traffic, getting dropped off by Lyft far from the venue entrance, and being so hungry that we sacrificed dancing to Jai Wolf’s Indian Summer to eat a $13 corn dog on the grass. It’s all a part of the experience though.  Also, these KN95 masks made me feel safe.

5. Montecito Motor Classic

After being cancelled last year, the Montecito Motor Classic came back.  It’s one of my favorite car shows in SoCal because the grass makes for great photos.  It’s almost like the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, but free. I also finally used my Sony a7 with one of my dad’s old Leica lenses.  I absolutely love the lens, but it can be annoying to use when shooting moving cars because my accuracy when shooting manual isn’t too good.  

6. Full house

Ondo has an update too.  He’s now sharing the home with a free roaming rabbit named Bun, and a chicken named Chiquitita who tries to get in the house everyday.  They all get along.

Like I said, nothing too exciting.  Catch you next time.

[raeannvarona]

Black-run Instagrams to add to your IG feed

Elevate Black voices, creatives, entrepreneurs, lives.

The path towards as an anti-racist world continues and there’s still a lot we can do when it comes to the Black Lives Movement. You can find info here. 

In continuing to make sure we include Black voices in our everyday lives, one small area we can start in is in our social media feeds. Below are some Black-run accounts I enjoy following.

@blackgirlssurf 

This photo was actually reposted by Black Girls Surf from the World Surf League, but it speaks volumes.  Black Girls Surf is all about empowering and elevating young Black girl surfers.  

@renellaice 

Renell Medrano is one of my most favorite photographers right now. A lot of her work emphasizes her heritage as Dominican-American — check out her Pampara video for a taste of her style.

@tuna__turner

With a hand spelled with two underscores, @tuna__turner belongs to chef, artist, and first-generation Jamaican American DeVonn Francis. He’s behind Yardy (@yardy.nyc) in New York City, a culinary event company that is now doing meal deliveries during COVID-19. His feed is full of earthy meal platings and fashion-forward self portraits.

@nique_miller

Based in Hawaii, Nique Miller is a professional surfer ranked among the top 10 SUP boarders by the Association of Paddlesurf Professionals.  Her feed consists of deep blue waters, colorful swim suits, and the occasional haku lei.

@mark.c

This powerful photo has been circulating quite a bit in the last few weeks and its just one among the many other photos taken by Mark Clennon of the Black Lives Matter protests.  TIME recently did a piece on this photo which you can read here.

@brothervellies 

Brother Vellies is a black-owned bag and shoe house founded by Aurora James that uses traditional African design practices and techniques while emphasizing sustainability. I’m currently obsessed with their boots and cow print clogs.

@tylersphotos 

Another great photographer, Mitchell is a 25 year old photographer and filmmaker based in Brooklyn who explores what he calls a “new aesthetic of blackness.” He’s the photog behind many fashion mag covers including i-D, Dazed, Vogue (see his Beyoncé cover shoot for Vogue).

@bantuwax 

Bantu Wax is a surf and swimwear brand by designer Yodit Eklund.  Eklund doesn’t really post products on the feed, but what you will get are images that will make you want to take a trip down to Dakar or Cape Town post COVID-19.

@alexwolf 

A tech, culture & business influencer, Wolf is refreshing voice in the tech and business world who has been deemed a “tech philosopher” by TEDx.

[raeannvarona]

An (inspired) list of things I miss, don’t miss, won’t miss, and won’t forget.

A timely quarantine list inspired by Man Repeller’s Mallory Rice and Leandra Medine Cohen.  

Here’s to brighter days ahead post Covid-19!

Things I Miss

Very frequent Trade Joe’s trips.

Weekend cars and coffees.

Being carefree at the beach — you know, not having to worry about getting caught up in a crowd.

Waiting in line for Marugame or Tsujita in Sawtelle, or for Salt & Straw in AK.

Loitering around Abbot Kinney in general.

The Bungalow.  IYKYK.

Crowded brunch places.

The Santa Monica farmer’s market. 

Making dinner reservations.

Picking friends up at the Amtrak station or airport.

Planning trips.

Live music experiences — sweat and all.

Things I Didn’t Think I’d Miss

Lazying around before underestimating how much time I’d need to get ready for a night out, then rushing to get out the door.

Telling friends my ETA.

Late night trips to Target.  I guess, late closing hours too.

A crowded hike spot (a crowded hike spot beats a closed down trail anytime).

The availability of baking ingredients.  

Things I Don’t Miss

Traffic (I love me an empty 101, 405, 10, and 210).

Having to buy gas.

Rushed mornings.

Circling blocks looking for parking.

Rushing for the aforementioned night out and forgetting my wallet (or worse, keys).

FOMO.

But also, having to be somewhere.

Things I Won’t Miss

Masks.

Disinfecting almost everything.

Non-informative press briefings.

Constant Covid-19 updates.

Anxiety over keeping my family and myself safe.

Hour long curbside pickup waits at Lowe’s.

Things I Won’t Forget

All the essential workers who kept it going for all of us.

How much people talked about the value of community.

Family and friends checking up on each other.

How important easy access to healthcare is.

How important access to information is.

How important media literacy is.

The many delivery people who came to my door to deliver food and groceries.

Warm neighbors who smiled during walks and sent over iced tea on hot gardening days.

The abundance of musical livestreams.

How therapeutic cooking is — even if its just one-pan pasta or pancakes.

Gardening with my parents.

Quality family time in general.

The value of spending time with yourself.

[raeannvarona]

Learning the value of silence.

This was originally published on The Startup on Medium.

If your day is anything like mine, it may involve asking Google or Alexa the latest news, weather, traffic, and whatever reminders you set up, right after getting out of bed.

You then ask your smart speaker to play some playlist on Spotify to get you pumped up for the rest of the day. You proceed to your car, and once in, your get-pumped-playlist syncs to your car speakers as you make your way through morning traffic. Once at work (or wherever), you spend a good amount of it with headphones — your work playlist, lo-fi beats, music for concentration, or whatever playlist you swear helps you get the work done.

On the way home? It’s podcast time. Once at home, it’s a combination of more music and some Netflix. Then its relaxing music as you get ready for bed, and maybe a bedtime story or white noise and a shut down timer once you hit the sheets.

You look to sound as something to keep you going — something that reminds you that you have things to do and places to be at. Silence, on the other hand, is for Saturday mornings and days by the beach.

Also, you LOVE music.

Having grown up in the age of mobile technology, I’ve of course heard about the problems that come with screen time and social media (I’m glad the slowing revolution is already growing in light of it all). But what’s the deal with specifically, noise?

… is keeping our ears occupied also problematic?

Sure, we can cut down in our screen time and turn on our Flipd app to lock out of our distracting third party apps. But is keeping our ears occupied also problematic? Or rather, do lose anything important when we choose noise?

UPDATE:  Also check out Flora which I love and wrote about here.

In a TED article titled “Why we owe it to ourselves to spend quiet time alone everyday,” physicist and writer Alan Lightman said, “By not giving ourselves the minutes — or hours—free of devices and distractions, we risk losing our ability to know who we are and what’s important to us.”

Lightman likened the issue to global warming in that this new way of fast living and almost constant external stimulation was becoming more the norm, and slow-paced living and quietness more and more a thing of the past.

“… we risk losing our ability to know who we are and what’s important to us.” — Alan Lightman

Through a power choice of words, he writes, “We are creating a global machine in which each of us is a mindless and reflexive cog, relentlessly driven by the speed, noise, and artificial urgency of the wired world.”

Lightman then goes to make a proposal: “That half our waking minds be designated and saved for quiet reflection.”

Designating quiet time for the sake of self reflection and growth is definitely something we can all benefit from, and it makes sense.

Health wise? It’s not new news that noise pollution — all the unwanted noise coming from cities, etc.—has a significant impact on not only human health. In fact, the World Health Organization in 2011 came out with a report describing noise pollution as a “modern plague” and pointed to “overwhelming evidence that exposure to environmental noise has adverse effects on the health of the population.”

But there’s a good chance that noises that fall outside of unwanted noise pollution are worth cutting back on. For example, a 2013 study presented at an annual American Society of Hypertension meeting got specific and showed that phone calls led to rises in systolic blood pressure.

A quick Google search will bring many more links on how beneficial silence can be, but I really liked this article called “This Is Your Brain on Silence” by Daniel A. Gross on Nautilus.

As mentioned, research on noise and health isn’t new and Gross points that out by quoting the founder of modern nursing Florence Nightingale who once wrote, “Unnecessary noise is the most cruel absence of care that can be inflicted on sick or well.”

While she did also quote a lecture that claimed “sudden noises” could cause death among sick children, her idea of noise being bad for those with illnesses wasn’t too far off from what recent researchers have found.

When making quiet hours for patients, many hospitals have pointed to research showing that quiet environments enhance healing.

Gross cited a few studies on sound. One study done in 2006 by a physician named Luciano Bernardi found that two-minutes of silence between musical tracks proved to be more relaxing than “relaxing” music, but also more relaxing than longer amounts of silence before the music began playing.

The fun part was that Bernardi didn’t have the intention to study the effects of silence, but at the end concluded that there was something important about the sudden silence after the music when it came to relaxation. He said, “Perhaps the arousal is something that concentrates the mind in one direction, so that when there is nothing more arousing, then you have deeper relaxation.”

Rather, two hours of silence per day encouraged cell development in the hippocampus.

Another study Gross looked to was done in 2013 by Duke University regenerative biologist, Imke Kirste. Like Bernardi, Kirste wasn’t interested in the effects of silence — only of how different sounds would affect the brains of adult mice.

What Kirste found was that none of the sounds had a lasting impact on the mice’s brains. Rather, two hours of silence per day encouraged cell development in the mice’s hippocampus.

As Gross put it, “the total absence of input was having a more pronounced effect than any sort of input tested.”

Acknowledging that new brain cells didn’t necessarily mean health benefits, Kirste found that the particular cells being developed seemed to become functioning neurons.

“Freedom from noise and goal-directed tasks, it appears, unites the quiet without and within, allowing our conscious workspace to do its thing, to weave ourselves into the world, to discover where we fit in,” — Daniel A. Gross

Gross then goes into other studies and research that touch on how our brains remain active even amidst silence, and goes into what can be understood as a “default mode” where we (surprise!) get to engage in self-reflection.

He wrote, “Freedom from noise and goal-directed tasks, it appears, unites the quiet without and within, allowing our conscious workspace to do its thing, to weave ourselves into the world, to discover where we fit in.”

So in an age where we’re constantly plugged in and are now trying to rethink how we consume technology, it’s good to remind ourselves that it isn’t just putting our phones away that can be good for us. Getting some intentional quiet time, even for just two hours, can do good too.

For me, a good start might be taking advantage of quiet mornings and evenings.

[raeannvarona]

The focus app using gamification and plants to keep me focused.

”Me, can you focus on me?” — H.E.R’s Focus as sung to me by my homework.

I’ve recently come to realize that I may have a slight app addition.  But it’s something I’m working on.  And ironic as it may seem, I’ve been relying on apps to keep me focused.

I recently discovered Flora after finding out the focus app I usually used began requiring in-app purchases.  What drew me to other app was its app-locking feature that essentially hid all social apps from view so that I wouldn’t be able to check them.

However, with Flora, I’ve not only been staying focused on my own, I’ve actually found myself wanting to stay focused.  Why?  TREES.  Specifically Oak trees and maple trees and Brazilwoods, and even roses, blueberry bushes, açaí palms, and Cattleya Orchids.

Encouragement Through Gamification 

My favorite thing about Flora is that it uses gamification to encourage users to stay focused and refrain from checking all the other apps on their phone.  When opening the app, you’re taken into your “room” where you choose how long you want to focus.  Once you press start, a virtual seed is planted and grows during the set focus time.  Leave the app and the tree dies.  I did it once and got a little message saying I killed a tree.  Never again.

Each time you enter into a focus session and successfully finish, a new tree is added to your virtual garden.  

What makes focus sessions even more fun (focus? fun?) is that you can go on a “Grand Tour” of plants — focusing your way across different areas of the world and collecting native plants.  I currently just finished Stop 6 in the United Kingdom where I got some apples, royals oaks, and tudor roses for my garden.  Next stop for me?  Germany!

If you want to step it up a notch, Flora also lets you name a price you are willing to pay if you fail to go through the whole session.  If you fail, your plant dies, but the money you put down gets a real tree planted.  If you successfully finish a session, no charge is made and you get a special prize.

Focus Together

Flora also lets you focus with others on the app which I think is another great way to encourage focus.  

Other apps I’ve used have had similar social features like allowing people to create groups that friends or classmates can join and even compete in to see who can get to the top of the leader board.  Flora on the other hand allows people to enter focus sessions together and essentially grow a plant together.  If anyone exits the focus session, you guessed it — the tree dies.

I could see this being great in study groups and even meetings.  It’s like an added sense of accomplishment (hello, dopamine!) that people can experience together. 

Another social feature Flora has is its friend feed that basically allows you to see your friends’ recent focus sessions.  While its not like social media feeds where you can comment and like your friends’ activities, for me personally, it’s just another way to encourage me to focus.  Seeing others being productive simple makes me want to be productive.  

Plant Real Trees

What makes Flora even better is that users at any time can use its Flora Real service to plant a real tree in rural communities around the world through partnership with tree planting organizations like Trees for the Future.  

Each time you reach a focus milestone of 120, 60, or 24 hours, a tree is planted, depending on what plan you choose. As of this writing, 35,394 trees have been planted.  

I absolutely love this app and think its great that it can get me to look forward to getting into focus mode.  And so far, it’s been working for me as I work from home and get ready for at-home finals due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  It might not work for everyone, but it’s worth a try if focus is something you struggle with.  

Learn more about Flora and get it on the App Store here.

[raeannvarona]

#StayHome:  Throwback photos of some of the most social of social times for old times sake.

Remembering social gatherings.

We’re over a month into social distancing so I think nows a good time to do a photo dump of some photos I never got around to posting on here from UCSB undergrad days.

Stay home, stay safe!

📸:  Yashica T4

[raeannvarona]

5 podcast episodes about #IntellectualProperty

275 minutes of IP storytelling.

Intellectual property, in a broad sense, is fascinating because it encourages and celebrates creativity and innovation while also involving some limits that can sometimes stifle those things.

Linked below are five podcast episodes that explore the topic and give ideas on how it is in many ways, a backbone to everyday life.

What is Original? — TED Radio Hour

Open Source World — TED Radio Hour

Did Instagram Copy Snapchat? — Recode Decode

Dear Music Fans... – StartUp Podcast

How Internet Censorship Works — Stuff You Should Know

[raeannvarona]

Law School:  Going online and stressing about finals 🙃.

Three windows and over 20 open tabs pointing mostly to UCC codes.  If that’s not stress inducing, I don’t know what is.  Just kidding.  There are so many stress inducing things going on right now, but that is life in the age of #Covid19.

As it has for many, classes for me have gone online.  What was once just showing up to class and doing homework in the library before heading back home to *relax*, has become Zoom classes, Blackboard videos, TWEN course materials, more than frequent email refreshes, having to deal with my sweet but needy dog, and having everything just seeming like one big non-stop homework assignment.  And it doesn’t help that all this is happening as final exams are approaching.  Thankfully none of my Zoom classes have gotten Zoom-bombed, but a few of my professors have said they’ve experienced Zoom-bombers in their 1L courses.  Yeah, it’s tough.  And with the way things are going right now, it’s very likely we’ll be continuing online schooling into the next semester as well.

I’m sure the next few weeks are going to be a big struggle, and that’s true for everything — not just school.  There’s a lot going on right now, and as much as we want to force ourselves to not get distracted and focus on whatever we’re supposed to be doing, it’s only natural that we’ll come across some roadblocks because we’re now living outside of what’s normal.  And as cliche as this sounds, the best way to approach the rest of this semester is I guess, to take everything one step at a time.

Besides, not everything about online classes has been bad, like:

· Being able to wear sweats/pajama bottoms during Zoom classes.

· Less time having to get ready or commute.

· Having access to your bed all day.

· The kitchen.

· Having your dog nap next to you while you study.

· Being able to watch Bojack Horseman on your break without having to worry about not looking studious on campus.

Or maybe this is just me trying to find a silver lining.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[raeannvarona]

Bunker Tunes Vol. 1

Music in the age of quarantine.

In light of today's new norm of social distancing, abiding by stay-at-home orders, and just dealing with added anxiety, we can all rely on music to keep us grounded and somewhat sane.  Take it from the quarantined people of Italy, Spain, China, and elsewhere taking it to their balconies to dance and play music — I could literally watch impromptu balcony DJ sets for hours.

Below is a light little playlist I put together.

What its good for:  WFH background music, cooking gnocchi on a Sunday afternoon, laying out under the sun (away from the public), reading a non-work/school related book or article, writing a personal essay, watering your plants, scrolling through IG, and just lazying around.

[raeannvarona]

Fuori Concorso at the Parker Palm Springs

Hi, from what is now my third-ish week under stay-at-home orders!  Posting another photo dump from better times when we could go explore outside without worry, mingle with friends, and just breathe with less anxiety.

Palm Springs

Palm Springs is known for its affinity for midcentury modern architecture, interior and landscape design, and art scene.  Its the place to find a number of iconic homes including homes of Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Steve McQueen, Elvis, and Marilyn Monroe among others. While there are opportunities to check out the interiors like during Modernism Week, simply cruising around some of Palm Springs’ most stylish neighborhoods like Indian Canyons is always a great way to experience the city’s charm.

Fuori Concorso

I came back the following week to the Parker Hotel to check out a curation of white cars put together by Fuori Concorso which usually puts on events in Italy. I’ve been following them for a while so was thrilled to find out they were putting something together in Southern California. 

The Parker Hotel

The event was held at the incredibly eclectic Parker Palm Springs which opened up in the late 1950s and had Gene Autry as a resident for many years. His two-bedroom, two-bath residence complete with a private patio, living room, dining room, terrace, and kitchen is available for those willing to put down its price.  Our host leading us to the cars told us that Gene named suits after his own grandkids.

The Parker’s current interior is the result of a $27 million makeover by Jonathan Adler and those familiar with his work can see his signature modern glam style all over.