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AMERICAN LIFESTYLETHE MAGAZINE CELEBRATING LIFE IN AMERICA

Compliments of Dan Shanner

Soups On - pg. 10 | New Hampshire Aerial Adventure - pg. 32 | Man of War - pg. 44 | Kitchen Designs Seasoned to Taste - pg. 24

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Dear Bill and Judy,

Welcome to American Lifestyle magazine!

I wanted to take the opportunity to connect and share this terrific gift as a thank you for your continued support through business and refer-

rals. American Lifestyle is a celebration of the flavor and flair of life in the United States, and takes the reader on a journey of the nations

sights, sounds, smells, and tastes. This 48-page publication features articles on interior design, travel, technology, restaurants, and culture.

Entertaining writing coupled with gorgeous photography makes this magazine a must read.

I hope you will enjoy receiving this magazine periodically and that you will allow me to continue to provide great service to you in the future.Please feel free to share this issue with friends and colleagues. I would love to hear what they think of the magazine too.

Thank you again for always keeping me in mind.

Dan Shanner

Dan ShannerThe Shanner Group

Toll Free: (866) 458-4226

Office: (610) 878-5000

Fax: (610) 878-2000

E-mail: [email protected]

www.remindermedia.com

The Shanner Group1100 First AvenueSuite 200King of Prussia, PA 19406

Dan ShannerToll Free: (866) 458-4226Ofce: (610) 878-5000Fax: (610) 878-2000

www.remindermedia.com

The Shanner Group1100 First AvenueSuite 200King of Prussia, PA 19406

Front of Tear Out Card 1

Back of Tear Out Card 1


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6

CONTENTS 6

A Feathery PilgrimageNEBRASKAS SANDHILL CRANE MIGRATION

Each year from mid February to mid April, an estimated 600,000sandhill cranes stop over to eat and roost in the Platte River valleyon their way north.

10 Food in a FlashQUICK AND HEALTHY RECIPESWhen youre pressed for time, but still want a nutritious meal, try outone of these tasty recipes from Healthy in a Hurry by Karen Ansel andCharity Ferreira (Weldon Owen, 2012).

24 Of Juniper and LeatherTHE INTERIOR DESIGNS OF JONA COLLINSInterior designer Jona Collins infuses a Pescadero home with western flair,using natural stone and fabrics, copper fixtures, and reclaimed juniper.

18 No Dirt, No ProblemJOSH ROSENS AIRPLANTSAirplant aficionado Josh R osen relays his fi rst exposure to airplantsand his inspiration for creating Airplantman Designs.

32 Goodbye Dairy AgeWELCOME TO THE VEGAN ERA

An empassioned vegan e mbarks on a food jo urney to visi tevery vegan restaurant in the country.

44 An Artist in UVTHE WORK OF PARVEZ TAJRaised in Nova Scotia, artist Parvez aj talks about his use of UV inkas a fine art medium, and how it feels to be a full-time artist.

38 Cycles of LoveANNIVERSARY BIKING IN SPAIN

A married couple ret urns to Europe t o celebrate their twenty- fifthwedding anniversary, finding themselves on bicycles once again, like their

honeymoon a quarter century earlier.

NEBRASKAS SANDHILL CRANE MIGRATION

Brad MelleMa


4/26

6 AL 7

NATURE

My 5 A.M. wAkE-Up CALL CAME wiTh

the riendly announcement that the current

temperature in Grand Island, Nebraska, was

twelve degrees. Tis better be good, I ussed

as I wrestled mysel out o a toasty warm

bed and began layering annel, eece, wool,and down rom head to toe. Where are those

toe warmers?

As I ventured out into the darkness, I heard

the rst sounds that reminded me o why I

was in the middle o Nebraska in the middle

o winter. A ew minutes later, as my riends

and I trudged across a rozen corneld with

the tiniest o ashlights as a guide, the noise

was all but overwhelming, and I began to

eel the excitement that brings an estimated

70,000 people to this part o the country

each winter.

Te earth slowly rotated into the pink sunrise,

and the source o the noise nally showeditsel. Sandhill cranes. Tousands o them.

And each making that unmistakable sound,

that throaty rat-a-tat-tat, a prooundly deep

Each year from mid February to mid April, an estimated 600,000 sandhill cranes stop over toeat and roost in the Platte River valley on their way north.

N E B R A S K A S S A N D H I L L C R A N E M I G R A T I O Ntext: DIANA LAMBDIN MEYER photography: AS NOTED

A Feathery Pilgrimage

trill that when amplied by the thousands in

the early morning light creates one o those

bucket list adventures worth getting out o

bed or at 5 a.m. and trudging across a ro-

zen corneld in the middle o winter in the

middle o Nebraska.

Like Old Faithul erupting and Niagara Falls

cascading, Nebraskas spring sandhill crane

migration is a spectacle o Mother Nature

that should not be missed.

From roughly Valentines Day to ax Day, an

estimated 600,000 sandhill cranesroughly

80 percent o the worlds population o these

birdsstop on their way north to eed in the

corneld and roost in the shallow waters o

the Platte River valley. Tey winter in exas,

New Mexico, and Arizona, and they summer

in Canadas Hudson Valley, central Alaska,

and the Bering Strait into Russia.

Its a narrow stretch about sixty miles wide

along the river between Grand Island and

Kearney where these magnicent water owl,

And each making that

unmistakable sound, that

throaty rat-a-tat-tat, a

prooundly deep trill that

when ampliied by the

thousands in the early

morning light creates oneo those bucket list

adventures worth getting

out o bed or at 5 a.m. and

trudging across a rozen

cornield in the middle o

winter in the middle

o Nebraska.

NeBraSka ded

Brad MelleMa

NeBraSka ded


5/26

8 AL 9

with red tus atop their heads, are the most

happy and spend about our to six weeks

hanging out, getting at.

In the bird world, this part o Nebraska has it

all, says Brad Mellema, director o the Crane

rust Nature and Visitor Center located at

exit 305 o o I-80 at Alda.

Central Nebraskas massive cornelds pro-

vide an abundance o space and plenty o

ood in the leover waste rom harvest. Te

Platte River provides the water, and the shal-low banks, protected by marsh grasses, pro-

vide a protected place to ro ost at night.

But Nebraska guarantees one other key ac-

tor that no other state in the birds migratory

path provides: saety. Sandhill cranes are pro-

tected in Nebraska. Hunting them is against

the law, and the birds know it. Tey are sae

here, so they stay a while. Tey sing, they

dance, they eat, and they make merry to the

delight o an audience representing all coun-

tries on the planet.

Tis isnt Disneyland, and we dont program

the show, says Mellema. Some days the

birds are remarkable in their behavior, and

some days they are more low-key, but every

day its a show.

Tats why Mellema encourages visitors truly

interested in the sandhill crane experience

to come or a couple o days and experience

them at all hours o the day and night.

When they come back to roost at night,

aer theyve been eeding all day, they are a

little more ruckus and noisy, he said. Tey

are competing or space on the sandbars,

and the younger ones are showing o and

more playul.

Te cranes are never really quiet, as those

who have spent the night in viewing blinds

within ten yards o the birds will tell you.

Teres always a low, throaty murmur com-

ing rom the river that is audible miles away

rom the birds.

But its the early morning hours, as the birds

begin to emerge rom their nights rest, that

make it worth setting your alarm. As the

sun peeks over the horizon, the birds be-

come chattier and noisy. Ten as i on cue,

all o a sudden the entire mass will li to

the sky, at times blocking out the rising sun

and creating thousands o sleek, motion-

lled silhouettes.

Teir mission or the day is to nd yet an-

other corn-scattered eld. Te cranes are

welcome in these elds, but crane watchers

are not. Tese elds are private property, and

although a ew armers make special arrange-

ments or bird watchers, most o the land

where the birds eed is o-limits to human

visitors. Just pull your ve hicle saely to theside o the road, and stay put inside. Use your

car as a blind, and enjoy the show.

But the red-crowned sandhill cranes are not

the only perormers in this show. About -

teen million other migratory birds, includ-

ing snow geese, ducks, and whooping cranes,

pass through this region each spring.

wo primary sources or crane watchers are

the Crane rust Nature and Visitor Center in

Alda, where Mellema works, and the Rowe

Nature Sanctuary at Gibbon, Nebraska (exit

285 o o I-80). Both acilities provide educa-

tional programs about sandhill cranes, pro-

vide maps to public viewing platorms, andcoordinate tours to managed viewing blinds

in the area.

Te city o Kearney, Nebraska, hosts a Crane

Watch Festival the last week o March that

includes guest lectures, art shows, and oth-

er special events. Te Stuhr Museum o the

Prairie Pioneer in Grand Island also oers

programs and exhibits that highlight Ne-

braskas participation in this annual spectacle

o nature.AL :: .nerasanature.org

.roesanctuar.org

.craneatcfestal.com

Then as if on cue, all of a sudden the entire mass will lift tothe sky, at times blocking out the rising sun and creating

tousands of slee, motion-filled silhouettes.

NeBraSka ded

NeBraSka ded

NeBraSka ded

Brad MelleMa

Brad MelleMa


6/26

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O 3 03 _ F D_ O _ S _ H I H _0 8 0 . i n dd / 8 / : 3 P M

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FOOD

M A K E S 4 S E R V I N G S

spinach, pear, and pomegranate salad

cooking instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Spread walnuts on a baking sheet, and toast in oven until

lightly browned and ragrant, about 10 minutes. Immediately pour onto a plate

to cool. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, olive oil, honey, mustard, salt, and

pepper to make a dressing.

Add spinach, pears, pomegranate seeds, and walnuts to bowl, and toss gently to

mix and coat well. Divide salad among 4 plates or bowls, and top each with

about 1 tablespoon blue cheese. Serve right away.

ingredients:

cup walnut pieces3 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

tablespoon honey

teaspoon Dijon mustard

teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

8 ounces baby spinach

2 ripe pears such as Bartlett, cored and sliced

cup pomegranate seeds

cup blue cheese, crumbled

Whenyourepressedfortime,butstillwantanutritiousmeal,tryoutoneofthesetastyrecipes

fromHealthyinaHurrybyKarenAnselandCharityFerreira(WeldonOwen,2012).

Q

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ICKA

N

D

H

EALTH

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RECIPES

text:KARENANSELAND

CHARITYFERREIRA

photography:MARENCARUSO

Food

in

a

Flash

For an elegant all lunch,

serve this colorul salad

with butternut squash soup.

Slice and add the pears just

beore serving, as the lesh

will brown very quickly.

Avoid painstaking prep

by purchasing resh

pomegranate seeds at the

market.


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12 AL 13


chopped salad with broccoli,egg, and radicchio


In a large salad bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice,

mustard, and salt.

Add broccoli, radicchio, cheese, and almonds to bowl, and

stir gently to mix well and coat all ingredients with dressing.

Add eggs, and old in gently just until combined. Serve

right away.

ingredients:

cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard

teaspoon sea salt

pound broccoli florets and tender stems, finely chopped

head radicchio, cored and chopped

2 ounces smoked or regular mozzarella cheesecut into -inch cubes

cup slivered or chopped almonds

2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and grated or finely chopped

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M A K E S 2 S A N D W I C H E S

portobello mushroom sandwich with pickled vegetables


Preheat oven to 400F.

Put carrot, cucumber, and onion slices in a bowl. Add vinegar, and stir to mix

and coat well. Set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce and olive oil. Brush mushroom caps

with soy-sauce mixture on all sides. Arrange on a baking sheet, and roast until

tender, 1215 minutes. Remove rom oven, and let cool slightly. Using a

serrated knie, slice mushrooms on diagonal into thin slices.

In another small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, cilantro, and teaspoon

rice vinegar rom carrot and onion mixture. Spread bottom hal o each roll

with mayonnaise mixture, and top with mushroom slices. Drain pickled

vegetables, and mound over mushroom slices; t hen add roll tops.

Serve right away.

ingredients:

carrot, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks cup English cucumber, thinly sliced

4 thin slices sweet onion such as Vidaliaor Walla Walla

cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

tablespoon olive oil

2 large portobello mushroom caps

2 tablespoons canola-oil mayonnaise

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced

2 crusty whole-grain rolls, split and toasted

his hearty vegetarian

sandwich hints at the

lavors o a Vietnamese

bnh m. he vegetables get

a quick vinegar bath as the

mushroom caps roast. For a

little spice, add some resh

jalapeo chile slices t o the

pickled vegetable mixture.

Whenever you make

hard-boiled eggs, cook a ew

extra to have on hand or

adding protein and het to

salads such as this one. I the

lavor o raw broccoli is too

strong or you, blanch the

lorets or a ew minutes;

then put them in ice water

to halt the cooking.


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14 AL 15

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O303 _FD_ O_ S _HI H_0 8 0 .indd 0 /8/ :40 PM


carrot slaw with lemon-honeydressing


In a large salad bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar,

lemon juice, honey, and salt.

Add carrots, raisins, almonds, and parsley to bowl, and stir

to mix and coat well. Serve right away, or cover and

rerigerate or up to 1 day. Bring to room temperature

beore serving.

ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

teaspoons honey

teaspoon sea salt pounds of carrots

cup golden raisins

cup Marcona almonds

tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped


curried chicken-apple pitas


Preheat oven to 350F. Spread almonds on a baking sheet, and toast in oven

until lightly browned and ragrant, about 10 minutes. Immediately pour onto a

plate to cool; then chop coarsely, and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt, lime juice, honey, curry powder, and

salt. Add chicken, apple, onion, and almonds, and stir to mix and coat well.

Using your ingers, gently open pita bread halves, and tuck a lettuce lea into

each. Spoon chicken mixture into pockets, dividing evenly. Serve right away, or

wrap well and pack to go.

ingredients:

cup almonds

6 tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice teaspoons honey

teaspoon curry powder

teaspoon sea salt

cups cooked skinless chicken breast, cubed orshredded

tart apple such as Granny Smith, cored but notpeeled, cut into small cubes

cup red onion

2 whole-wheat pita breads, halved crosswise

4 butter lettuce leaves

his tasty salad is great or

picnics and lunch boxes.

Keep it in mind when youre

making chicken or dinner,

and plan or letovers. Or,

drizzle 2 boneless, skinless

chicken breasts with olive

oil and lemon juice, and

bake in a 375F oven or

about 30 minutes.

In this sweet-and-tangy slaw,

raw carrots develop lavor in a

lemony dressing, and

delicate Marcona almonds add

a salty crunch. I you cant ind

Marconas, which are imported

rom Spain, eel ree to use

regular sliced almonds instead.


9/26

16 AL 17

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sweet potato oven fries


Preheat oven to 450F.

Scrub, rinse, and dry sweet potatoes; do not peel. Cut

lengthwise into slices inch thick; then cut each

slice into batons about inch wide and 3 inches long.

Pile potatoes on a large rimmed baking sheet, and toss witholive oil and salt. Spread in pan in a single layer. Roast,

stirring with a heatproo spatula midway through baking

time, until tender and edges are nicely browned,

2025 minutes.

In a large bowl, stir together Parmesan, parsley, and garlic

until well mixed. Add ries, and toss gently to coat.

Serve right away

ingredients:

2 pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

teaspoon coarse sea salt

3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

clove garlic, minced

M A K E S 2 W R A P S

smoked salmon and cucumber wraps


Spread each tortilla with hal o cream cheese. Arrange hal o cucumber slices

on each in a single layer over cream cheese, overlapping them slightly i

necessary and leaving a strip about 1 inch wide along one edge o

tortilla uncovered. Arrange salmon over cucumbers, dividing it evenly. Scatter

sprouts over cucumbers.

Roll up tortillas, beginning opposite the uncovered cream cheese and tucking

tortilla snugly around ingredients. Press irmly on cream cheese end to seal.

urn seal side down; using a serrated knie, cut each wrap in hal on the

diagonal. Serve right away, or wrap tightly in waxed paper, plastic wrap, or

aluminum oil and take to go.

ingredients:

2 large sprouted-wheat or whole-wheat tortillas

cup whipped light cream cheese

cup English cucumber, very thinly sliced

2 ounces smoked salmon, thinly sliced

2 generous handfuls of broccoli sprouts orbaby arugula leaves

You can also serve this ast

breakast wrap as an

eye-catching, light and

healthy appetizer: double or

triple the recipe, and cut the

wraps on the diagonal into

1-inch slices. Look or

sprouted-wheat tortillas

at a natural-oods or

well-stocked grocery store.

Serve these enticing oven ries

as an ater-school snack or a

side dishthey go equally well

with sandwiches and turkey

burgers or roast chicken and

ish. Use organic sweet

potatoes, i possible, since they

are not peeled. I youre not a

an o raw garlic, eel ree

to omit it.


10/26

18 AL 19

HAVE YOU ALWAYS LIKED NATURE?

I always held an interest in thought and rea-

son, the human mind, nature in general, and

how we t into the world. So I went to school

at Northwestern University in Chicago to

study philosophy. While learning about the

meaning o everything, I realized my pas-

sions leaned more toward plants and nature. I

took a position working at a botanical garden

to urther pursue this interest, which is where

I rst ell in love with landscape architecture.

From there, I went to grad school at the

University o Arizona in uscon to earn my

masters degree in landscape architecture

beore beginning my career in Los Angeles.

As a landscape architect, I now do a range o

projects geared around creating spaces that

connect people with natureall the while ex-

perimenting with plants and their wonderul

variations. Air plants, in particular, have be-

come very much a personal passion o mine.

From the rst time I saw airplants, a lielong

ascination was born. Many years ago, whileon a trip to Hawaii, I visited a nursery that

had hundreds o airplants on display, and

the eect o seeing them in mass was really

Airplant afi cionado Josh Ro sen relays his first exp osure to airp lants and hisinspiration for creating Airplantman Designs.

J O S H R O S E N S A I R P L A N T Stext:JOSH ROSEN photography: JOSH ROSENNo Dirt, No Problem

striking. I was instantly intrigued by their bi-

zarre appearance (which covered an amazing

assortment o shapes, colors, textures, and

sizes). Tey were anthropomorphicthere

was something humanlike about all these di-

erent orms. Airplants have adapted to this

new ability to take in water and nutrients

directly through their leaves, which made

them all the more ascinating. And the act

that they could thrive without any soil gave

them a special sculptural quality. Teir as-

tounding diversityeach plant boasting its

own unique personalitymade me want to

collect them all. I have been collecting and

designing with airplants ever since.

WHAT EXACTLY ARE AIRPLANTS?

illandsia, or airplants, are an incredible ge-

nus o plants with the ability to live without

soil. In the scale o all the plants in the world,

they are some o the newest to evolve. Tey

mostly came rom South America, although

there are a ew in the southern US. With over

600 varieties, illandsia is one o the most di-

verse plant amilies.

Teir specially adapted ability to absorb

water and nutrients rom the air allows the

plants to inhabit niches in the ecosystem that

are not being ully utilized, like growing on

the branches o trees or on bare rock aces

where there is no soil at all. Some airplants

can even be ound growing on the spines o

cacti in extreme desert environments where

there is a lot o og. But it is important to note

that airplants do not pull any nutrients o o

their host. Instead they utilize whatever they

are sitting on as a perch, their roots simply

gripping onto the surace or support.

Te plants grow slowly because they can

only absorb so much nutrients through

their leaves (it is not quite as robust as hav-

ing a root system). Although they can be re-

ally tiny, especially as babies, a single plant in

some varieties can be almost as big as a bas-

ketball. But they also can become absolutely

enormous when they reproduce. Aer ow-

ering, many species send out what are called

pups at the base o a plant. So over time, asthe airplant keeps sending out more and

more pups, a giant clump will orm. Tese

clumps can eventually be our or ve e et long

and a couple eet wide in diameter, which is

quite spectacular.

IN YOUR OPINION, WHY ARE PEOPLE SO

FASCINATED BY AIRPLANTS AS OF LATE?

I have noticed there is a real ascination late-

ly; airplants have been popping up all over

the place. It is denitely the hot plant. Suc-

culents were the craze a ew years ago, and

while they are still popular, I think there is

a unique actor about airplants that intrigues

people. Tey have a modern, sculptural look;

the variety is appealing; and people are learn-

ing how to display them in more interesting

ways. Te older ways were very kitschy, butI have seen a number o projects recently

where people are more cleanly displaying

the orm.

But I will say that I am also seeing a lot o

what I call airplant torture, where people

are using the plants in completely unhealthy

ways in terms o their longevity. One ex-

ample is the glass terrarium globe you see

everywhere. While it looks cool and it is

a more modern, clean, and interesting

way to display the plants, it is not a good

NATURE

They have a modern, scultural loo; the variety isappealing; and people are learning how to display them

in more nterestng as.

Many years ago,

while on a trip to

Hawaii, I visited a

nursery that had

hundreds o

airplants on

display, and the

eect o seeing

them in mass wasreally striking.


11/26

20 AL 21

long-term situation. Airplants love air

circulation, which these terrarium globes do

not provide. Airplants can be hearty when

you care or them, but they do have certain

requirements, and you have to care or them

properly. Tat was very important to me when

I set out to provide these plants commercial-

ly. I really wanted to take into account plant

maintenance, and incorporate ways that

would make it easier or my customers to

keep them alive. My goal was to create de-

signs that took into consideration what air-

plants need (which is regular watering and air

circulation) and build that into the designs.

TALK ABOUT THE WAYS YOU DISPLAY AIRPLANTS:

I collected a bunch o airplants because I

thought they were cool. At rst, I would put

them on tree branches. But I soon realized

that thanks to their lack o soil, there was a

great opportunity to display them in a more

modern way that really highlighted their

unique characteristicstheir crazy orm and

their ability to live in the air. So I merged my

expertise as a landscape architect with my

passion or airplants to create Airplantman

Designs which ocuses on providing living

artwork to urther connect people with na-

ture. With airplants as my muse, I have creat-

ed living installations or private residences,

ofces, retail spaces, restaurants, and hotels.

Tere are two designs that I have been work-

ing withthe airplant box and the airplant

ramealthough I am constantly exploring

new vessels or my work.

For the boxes, I wrap this special piece o

wire around the airplant, working with the

plants unique shape to create an aesthetically

pleasing way to secure and present it. I then

insert the wired airplant into a box so that

it hovers an inch or two above the surace.

Tat position in relation to the box really em-

phasizes the act that the plant is oating in

air and does not require any soil. Tis visual

display instantly grabs your attention to the

act that something odd is going on, while

cleanly showcasing the plants unique orm.

Since airplants really like air circulation, this

is a healthy way to display them.

For the rames, I work with a tennis racket

stringer. He uses a special, ultra thin, stainless

steel cable to thread through these dierent

custom rames made o metal and other ma-

terials. It creates a ne mesh that the plants

can be inserted into as their natural leaves

hook them into place. Te rames then re-

ally become living paintings. I have to think

about all the dierent textures the various

airplants add to the design, and concentrate

on the ow and the balance throughout the

piece in order to create the overall image I am

going or. I also get to experiment with depth

and three dimension, and oen will vary how

ar some o the airplants stick out rom the

rame. Te act that they all bloom in amaz-

ingly dierent colors just adds to the designpossibilities!

When I compose an airplant rame, I will

literally have trays and trays o thousands

o airplants around me, and will pick and

choose rom all these dierent combinations

to create a color and texture combination.

Te process involves a lot o lling the rame

up and then tweaking the composition a bit.

Beore I begin, I like to separate the plants

into the dierent species, so I can have a vi-

sion o what the dierent colors, types, and

textures will look like. My rst step is to put

one airplant o each species that I am think-

ing o using into the rame, just so I can see

it up there and determine what looks good

together. Even though there is some ore-

thought when this process is actually hap-

pening, I try to turn o my brain and just

create something that eels natural and right.

It takes me hours and hours to create, and

it can be quite excruciating because it really

ends up playing out like a painting. I reserve

a lot o spontaneity with what plants are look-

ing really good at the moment and what just

eels right when it is placed within the rame.

DESCRIBE THE DESIGN COMPOSITIONS OF YOUR

AIRPLANT FRAMES:

I have had people suggest writing letters in

the airplants or doing something much more

literal, like creating geometric lines and

shapes with the dierent plants. But I am

much more into creating an abstract paint-

ing that keeps your eye moving around thepainting. So or that reason, I incorporate

a variety o interesting shapes into the nal

composition. Most o my designs have a

careul combination o spontaneity and being

well thought-out. I challenge mysel to create

a naturally random layout where it appears

random, yet it takes a lot o balance to create

that random eeling. My goal is to create that

perect o-balancethat eeling o balance

that comes rom it being o-balance.

HOW DO YOU CARE FOR AIRPLANTS?

Airplants thrive on bright, indirect sunlight

and ltered water. Tey like temperatures

rom 50F to 80F. Tey can be watered by ei-

ther submerging them or several hours every

ten days or spraying more regularly until they

are dripping wet. o water a single plant, it isimportant to hold it by the wire (airplants do

not like to have their leaves touched because

the oils on peoples ngers can hurt the spe-

cial ability o the lea to absorb water and nu-

trients), and then submerge the whole thing

in ltered water beore sliding it back into

the box. For the larger installations, like the

one that I did at a Quiksilver store, a pump

spray bottle can be used to wet the airplants

every day. Te smaller rames have a remov-

able inner metal rame that hangs within the

decorative outer wood rame. Te inner can

be easily removed when it comes time or wa-

tering, i you dont want to be spraying down

your walls and getting everything wet.

With some species o airplants, the ir lea orm

can curl and change dramatically depend-

ing on how recently they have been watered.

When you submerge them in water and take

them out, their leaves will all straighten out,

and they will contort into a completely dier-

ent orm rom when they went in.

CAN THE AIRPLANTS POTENTIALLY OUTGROW

THE FRAMES?

Te plants will slowly grow and change;

thereore, it would take a really long time or

them to completely outgrow the rame. But

it could happen eventually over many years.

Another really cool thing about the rames

is you can seasonally tweak the design. You

essentially have this living painting that you

can update and change as time goes on. I a

new species happens to be blooming, youcan take een o them and work them into

the rame, removing a couple that look like

they could use a break. I you want to make

With some

species o

airplants, their

lea orm can curl

and change

dramatically

depending on how

recently they have

been watered.


12/26

22 AL 23

the design a little dierent, you can do that

as well. It really gives you an opportunity to

personalize and interact with your art piece

over time.

I try to show my clients how to update their

rames themselves. For the rst time, they are

nervous about it, but as time passes, they get

more and more comortable with the process

and become the artist themselves, which is

something I really like. But it is something

I strongly discourage people rom doing

without having me guide them through the

proper technique. Tere is a really specic

way o doing it. Because the leaves hold it

in place, you have to remove the plant in a

manner that does not pull all the leaves o.

Tat can be challenging, but it is something

that can be taught to a homeowner so that in

time, they can do it too. Once I get them set

up and explain everything, then they are ree

to interact with their airplant rame.

HOW DELICATE ARE THE PLANTS TO MANEUVER?

Tey are both hearty and delicate. It is very

easy to snap o a lea. Tat is problematic

because they grow so slowly. Dropping an

airplant or snapping one o its main leaves

o can ruin it or good because it can take

so long or it to recover. Tey can be nicky

too, like any plant. I have killed my air share.

I have had ones that I am caring or meticu-lously die, and then the ones that I did not

notice, that ell in the back completely out o

my care and sight, are doing great. Tey can

be challenging sometimes like that. Overall,

they are pretty tough i you give them what

they like, which is the bright ltered sunlight,

regular water, and good air circulation.

DO YOU SURROUND YOURSELF WITH AIRPLANTS

IN YOUR STUDIO/HOME?

I admit that I have way too many plants. I am

a bit o a collector; I just want to get every

variety. I there was ever a show Hoarders:

Airplant Edition , I will probably be on there

because I always keep a large stock o air-

plants on handalways more than I should

have. For these rame projects, the plants are

used as the paint, and you do not want to nothave enough paint, so I get a lot o extras.

And when they are not being used, I have to

keep them happy and healthy. I nd mysel

begging people to come by and take them o

my hands because I have too many. But once

they show up, I wont give them upI am

too attached to all the dierent ones! Even

though there are a thousand here, there are

pretty much only three airplants that I might

be ready to let go. I just love their diversity

and how bizarre looking they are. I want to

collect them all!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SPECIES?

It depends. For the boxes, my avorite is using

illandsias caput medusae. Te name reer-

ences Medusa because the plant sort o looks

like a snake head with all the arms coming

o. Tat airplant has a lot o personality, and

is the one that when you soak it, the water

really changes how it looks. Te other one

I really like is called illandsia duratii. Tat

one has these arms that grip onto things and

blooms a big, ragrant blossom which is real-

ly nice. In general, a lot o airplants have ra-grant owers that have just the most amazing

and unique smells.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE THROUGH

YOUR WORK?

I like the message o how airplants show

natures endless ability to be creative. I am

always blown away by how much design oc-

curs in nature. Humans are always trying to

design things on their own to create an en-

vironment. But when you go hiking th rough

a natural space, you see the amazing order

that arises out o the disorder. Tat is what

I am striving to create with my airplant proj-

ectsthis vision o the amazing balanced

o-balance that occurs naturally. I nd that

ascinating and inspiring.

Beyond that, I enjoy creating what I nd to be

aesthetically enjoyable pieces and inspiring

other people to enjoy it too. I am overcome

with great satisaction when clients say to me

that they are getting joy rom their airplants.

Te airplants connect them to nature in a way

they nd relaxing and soothing. Te art takes

them out o the everyday grind o arbitrary

man-made environments and reawakens

the wonder o the amazing diversity and theability o nature to adapt to all o these

amazing scenarios.AL :: .arlantman.com

I am a bit o a

collector; I just want

to get every variety. I

there was ever a show

Hoarders: Airplant

Edition, I will probably

be on there because

I always keep a large

stock o airplants on

handalways more

than I should have.


13/26

24 AL 25

TELL US AN ANECDOTE ABOUT WHEN YOUR

CREATIVE TALENT REVEALED ITSELF:

When I was about nine years old, my neigh-

borhood riends and I would stage peror-

mances o plays in our backyard. I was in

charge o making the whimsical costumes

and stage sets. I took great pleasure in select-

ing the abrics and color schemes or each

event, especially sewing each item as wellas I could at the time to t each perormer.

I loved the process as well as the positive

Interior designer Jona Collins infuses a Pescadero home with western flair, usingnatural stone and fabrics, copper fixtures, and reclaimed juniper.

T H E I N T E R I O R D E S I G N S O F J O N A C O L L I N Stext:JONA COLLINS photography: DAVID DUNCAN LIVINGSTON

Of Juniper and Leather

response we all would receive. Tis was when

I knew that being creative was what I wanted

to do. My mother was a huge supportive in-

uence. In her eyes, everything that I created

was wonderul. She would sew constantly,

creating amazing costumes and clothing or

us. She would sew draperies or throw pillows

or our bedrooms, and I remember wanting

to sew like her. I approach decorating withthe same hands-on creativity that was in-

stilled in me as a child.

DESiGN


14/26

26 AL 27

HOW DID YOU TRANSITION FROM SEAMSTRESS

TO INTERIOR DESIGNER?

I moved to Los Angeles to begin my design

education at Otis College o Art and Design.

It was there that I urther explored my abili-

ties as a seamstress by working with a tailor-

ing boutique in Santa Monica. One creative

venture led to another, and I quickly pro-

gressed rom designing clothing to designing

urniture. Some time later, I opened a small

boutique which carried clothing and accesso-

ries, and it seemed like a perect opportunity

to showcase a ew o my urniture designs.

While on a trip to High Point, North Caro-lina, or my boutique, I met a rep or another

urniture line who suggested that I take a

couple o pieces to be shown at shows. I trav-

eled all over the western states, and the ur-

niture, which was rustic in theme, did very

well. One client in particular in Scottsdale,

Arizona, purchased ve pieces or her new

home in Pinnacle Peak and inquired about

interior design services. Tis was the big

turning point when I decided to do interior

design proessionally. I relocated back to the

San Francisco Bay Area in 2001 and decided

to nish my interior design certication, aer

which I started my own rm in 2003, special-

izing in high-end residential and commercial

interior design.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT INTERIOR DESIGN?

I love all the aspects o interior designrom

the ability to create beautiul, exciting spaces

rom something mundane, to the response I

get rom clients. I like commissioning arti-

sans to create new things, and bringing my

visions to reality in everything rom light x-

tures, bed treatments, and draperies to urni-

ture and new layouts or walls and spaces. I

enjoy planning a room down to the last detail

to create spaces that ow. Custom urniture

design is certainly a part o that because it

allows me to create something just or that

space. Being able to design the entire space,

as opposed to just the urniture pieces, gives

me the reedom to express my entire vision.

WHAT WERE THE CLIENTS OF THIS PESCADERO

HOME LOOKING FOR?

Surprisingly, this project originally started

not as an interior design project but helping

with the design and layout or a barn and

answering some questions about interior

urnishings. I could sense the clients rus-

trations as she attempted to describe what

she wanted to accomplish, but she quickly

elt comortable with me and my approach.

So she asked or more and more assistance

rom me in doing her home until it became a

complete remodel.

Tey elt a connection to nature and the earth

and wanted that reected in their new living

space. Tey wanted better use o the existing

space with more storage. Te kitchen was a

modern nightmare, the other rooms were

completely empty, and the style o the house

seemed haphazard, so they wanted a better

ow rom room to room.

SUM UP THE THEME AND INSPIRATION BEHIND

THIS PROjECT:

Te theme and inspiration was a high-end

western Bonanza eel with modern elements.

Te design also needed to be eco-riendly.

Tis project started with the architecture,

location, and abulous surroundingsthe

residence is located on a horse ranch sur-

rounded by glorious redwood trees and a

running creekand then evolved through

I like commissioning

artisans to create new

things, and bringing

my visions to reality in

everything rom light

ixtures, bed treatments,

and draperies tourniture and new

layouts or walls and

spaces.


15/26

28 AL 29

insight into the clients distinctive person-

alities and interests in horses, music, and the

western liestyle.

HOW DID THE DESIGN PROCESS UNFOLD?

Te rst project in the house was the

downstairs bath, which also has a door that

leads directly outside o the residence. At

the end o a long, dusty day outside with the

horses, they could enter the home through

the spa bath, which would alleviate track-

ing in mud through the main portion o the

house. Tere was enough space to create a

custom bench and cabinets. A wonderul eu-

calyptus aroma, home spa steam shower was

installed to help them relax rom the stresses

o the day, surrounded by natural limestone,

old-world copper xtures, and a so, neutral-

ized mango paint color.

Te natural limestone continues throughout

the home, with added elements o river rock,

reclaimed juniper logs, and antique Native

American beaded artwork.

Te clients strong love or music meant the

entertainment center had to house a high-

end sound system. In the amily room, an

entertainment center was designed in the

same western moti to hold that equipment,

as well as personalized music parapherna-

lia. Custom-designed studded and ringed

urniture, a zebra-print hide, leather rames,

and custom cabinetry displaying art not only

added a rock star eel, it also allowed us to

hide wiring or the lighting display.

Te upstairs bedrooms and ofce contain

varying levels o the themed decor, bring-

ing continuity throughout the space. Staying

true to prescribed themes proved a constant

challenge as we did not want anything to ap-

pear articial. Te end result was a holistic

connection to the conceptand an elegant,

livable space.

HOW DID YOU COMBINE METICULOUS DETAIL

AND FREE SPIRITEDNESS?

Meticulous detail means that nothing is

incorporated into a design without a reason.

Free spiritedness means that whimsical ideas,

things that might even seem silly at rst, may

be brought into a design i they will helpwith the overall eect or eeling. I believe

that i something works, it works, so I keep

an open mind. Troughout the house, all

the custom cabinets have metal studs in the

doors. Tese studs are not normally ound on

cabinet doorsthey are supposed to be used

on upholstered urniture. But they looked so

goodwhy restrict them only to abric so-

as? Adding them as details to the wooden

cabinets enhanced the rustic eel o the

home and created an ambience that the

clients loved.

TELL US MORE ABOUT THE GREEN DESIGN OFTHIS PROjECT:

As a Caliornia native, I am naturally aware

o the environmental movement and keeping

things green whenever possible. Te cli-

ents were like-minded, and they wanted

a natural eeling in their house. So wher-

ever possible, when stylistic touches were

added, they were made rom recycled and

reclaimed wood and natural products. All

o the upholstered urniture that I designed

are manuactured in the US or this project

rom woods harvested specically or this

process. Te kitchen table top was created

rom old barn wood. Old reclaimed juniperlogs were used to create the beautiul carved

art or the end counter, the pull-outs at the

sink, and the tree trunk table at the end

o the island (its glass top shaped to be a

reection o a treetop). Full juniper logs were

used to create the staircase and the mantel.

Remnants o the old juniper were used to

create the drapery rods in the living room.

Te drapery straps in the living room that are

used to tie to the juniper logs are made rom

old scraps o leather.

Natural bers such as organic cotton, wool,

and linen are in the bedding and draper-ies throughout the home. Te cushions are

made with postconsumer recycled polyester.

In addition, we updated the lighting to

METiCULOUS DETAiL MEANS ThAT NOThiNG iS iNCORpORATED iNTO A DESiGN wiThOUT A REASON.

Free spiritedness means that whimsical ideas, things that might even

seem silly at first, may be brought into a design if they will help with

the overall effect or feeling.

was not on the map. I was in continuous con-


16/26

30 AL 31

energy-efcient LEDs throughout the home.

Te insulation or the home was replaced

with a ormaldehyde-ree approved prod-

uct. Te oversized water heater was replaced

with a akagi tankless water system whichprovides a 50 percent energy savings. We

also used only eco-riendly paints rom

Benjamin Moore.

TELL US MORE ABOUT THE ART AND SCULPTURAL

PIECES IN THE HOME:

om Hughes is an extremely talented artist

who lives and works in the San Francisco Bay

Area. His art spans a broad array o themes;

or this project, we selected pieces that best

exemplied western and natural motis. Te

original drawing o the horse in the amily

room is by Jane Rosen, a local artist who lives

on a ranch on the Caliornia Pacic coast.

She lived, worked, and exhibited in New York

or twenty years beore moving to Caliornia.

Inspiration rom nature was the driving orce

that generated the idea behind the custom,

wrought-iron, lea patterned mirrors in both

bathrooms. Hand-orged steel branches and

leaves rame a unique wall mirror. Each

branch and lea is orged with a variety o

welding processes, then tapered and textured

with hand tools. Te steel is sandblasted andnished with a dark reddish-brown patina.

Te carved wooden chair in the amily room

was custom designed by a crasman in Boise,

Idaho, whom I met during a scouting trip to

the Northwest.

While in Wyoming, I had the wonderul

opportunity to view the works o a Native

American artist who created lovely beaded

and hand-painted leather bags and pieces o

art. I couldnt resist picking up a ew items or

this project.

DID YOU HAVE TO OVERCOME ANY OBSTACLES

DURING THIS PROjECT?

Te location o the residence is in a very re-

mote area. Te hood arrived via truck rom

exas, and at the last minute, they reused to

take it to the residence because the location

p

tact with the driver, and he told me that they

would be dropping the $10,000 hood o at

the local post ofce parking lot ve to seven

miles away. My client was panicking! I quick-

ly decided to meet the driver quite a ways out

where I suggested i he brought the hood all

the way to the house, he would be treated to

a abulous country lunch. o my relie, he

said yes. It helped us to appreciate the nal

outcome even more, and it especially made

me realize that a courteous approach can get

you ar.

HOW DO YOU KEEP YOUR DESIGNS FRESH?

I keep things ashion orward. I am intrigued

by the new and dierent. I like to use a mix-

ture o unique pieces and antiques, which

were either designed by mysel or collected

rom ar and wide, and this allows me to tai-

lor a one-o-a-kind look on each new project.

I continually challenge mysel and my cre-

ative vision. Each project takes me to a new,

exciting level o creative energy and direc-

tion lled with the latest abrics or a dierent

technique rom a new artisan that I have re-

searchedor example, a dierent approach

on a carving in wood. I dont restrict mysel

to a small set o vendors and suppliers or my

items. I travel out o the area to nd artists

and artisans who can create unique items that

will t into a space. For example, the over-

sized, reclaimed wood chair in this housewas rom someone I met on a scouting trip

to Wyoming.

SHED SOME INSIGHT ABOUT YOURSELF OUTSIDE

OF THE DESIGN FIELD:

I live a simple lie. My amazing mare keeps

me grounded, and my een-year-old border

collie constantly keeps me on my toes. I have

a tremendous love o the philanthropic proj-

ects that I have been involved with, such as

my work with the National Center or Equine

Facilitated Terapy. As a volunteer, I walk

next to the riders or lead horses during class,

where I provide physical and emotional sup-

port to the riders during their sessions. I also

assist in production o various undraisers. I

enjoy art galleriesI am preparing to take a

trip to France and beyond to view some o

the amazing castles and galleries.

AL :: .jonacollns.com

Natural fibers such as organc cotton, wool, and linen are in thebedding and draperies throughout the ome.


17/26

32 AL 33

NUTRiTiON

i wAS SixTEEN yEARS OLD whEN My

parents told me that they wanted to become

vegetarian as a amily. My brother, Josh, who

is ve years older than me, introduced the

idea o vegetarianism to my parents. When

they ound out that he had already become

vegetarian, they were immediately worried

about his health, as they thought (at that

time) that eating meat was necessary or op-

timal nutrition. But instead o telling him

why he was wrong or shunning him entirely,

they did what awesome parents do: they re-

searched the heck out o vegetarianism. Ithink they were looking or a way to prove to

him why this diet was bad, but instead they

came to the conclusion that its a healthy way

to live. So there we were in 1999 transitioning

to vegetarianism as a amily. I wasnt particu-

larly thrilled, but decided to give it a go.

I went o to college, and my parents kept up

their research. Every time I came home or

a break or holiday, there was something new

and healthy in the rerigeratoror worse,

something missing. I still remember com-

ing home one summer to no more milk or

cheese. It was gone, and I was devastated. Not

the ice cream!

By the time I nished college, my parents

were ull-on vegan, and I was still chowing

down my beloved dairy ice cream and cheese

An empassioned vegan embarks on a food journey to visitevery vegan restaurant in the country.

W E L C O M E T O T H E V E G A N E R Atext:KRISTIN LAJEUNESSE photography: ETHAN DUSSAULT

Goodbye Dairy Age

pizzas. Aside rom the act that I had main-

tained a vegetarian diet, was eating vegan

meals when visiting home, and was gied

vegan-labeled s weatshirts, stickers, and but-

tons whenever my parents were given the op-

portunity, I couldnt athom giving up dairy.

And then, in the summer o 2006, at a veg

event in upstate New York, the sea parted and

in walked registered dietitian George Eis-

man. Despite the act that my parents had at

one time or another gently provided the same

inormation that Mr. Eisman presented on

this day, once I decided to listen and truly un-derstand, I was done with it. Tat very night,

I ate my last cheese pizza and never looked

back. Well, I might have looked back once, or

ve times, but never did go back.

It took me a good year as a relatively un-

healthy vegan to start doing even more re-

searchlike learning how to prepare meals

instead o buying ready-made ones. But some

new reading material (hello VegNews Maga-

zine) and a change in my environment (hey

there, Boston) soon helped me learn how to

live a healthy vegan liestyle. Te riends that

I made along the way gave me support, new

resources, and the inspiration to become a

healthy vegan.

I love telling people who ask about my diet

how much more I enjoy everything about

Every time I came home or a break or holiday, there

was something new and healthy in the rerigeratoror

worse, something missing. I still remember coming home

one summer to no more milk or cheese. It was gone, and I

was devastated. Not the ice cream!

Jennifer Simmons

ood nowrom shopping, cooking, prep-

i d h i idi l b

got there). Aer mapping out the best route

b h d ll


18/26

34 AL 35

ping, and purchasing a ridiculous number o

vegan cookbooks. It eels like it has so much

more meaning now, and I take pride in the

meals I prepare. I never elt this way as a meat

eaternot even as a vegetarian or that mat-

ter. And it all started with my brother, ol-

lowed by my parents amazing support, and

has happily grown into an education, a group

o riends, and a liestyle that I wouldnt trade

or anything.

wiLL TRAvEL FOR vEGAN FOOD

My passion or ood, travel, and all thingsvegan le d me on a journey o a lie timeI

embarked on a year(ish)-long, cross-country

road trip in search o the best vegan ood and

restaurants in the United States (with a ew

stops in certain parts o Canada and one one-

o jaunt to Europe)! Will ravel or Vegan

Food began as an innocent social media post.

I jokingly wrote on my Facebook wall, How

long do you think it would take to drive to

and eat at every single vegan restaurant in the

US? I just might be up or this challenge. I

received a ton o supportive responses and

realized, in that moment, that I could make

this dream adventure happen.

From that moment on, I began taking ac-

tionable steps toward this journey. My plan

was to visit all y states and attempt to eat

at all o the 100 percent vegan restaurants in

the country by my thirtieth birthday this past

October, all the while writing about every

single restaurant that I visit and conducting

video interviews with business owners and

entrepreneurs. Te goal o the trip was to

showcase and strengthen veganism, to con-

nect businesses and other vegans to each

other, and to share my love o ood and travel

with others who share the same passions.

I scoured HappyCow.net, VegDining.com,

Google, and Yelp! to nd all o the 100 per-

cent vegan restaurants in every state. I sied

through e-mails to double check i anyone

had messaged me with recommendations

(or wanted to make plans to meet up when I

between each restaurant and selling my per-

sonal belongings, I hit the road on August 27,

2011my ve-year vegan-versary.

Although general plans had been in the

works or nearly a year, it took much longer

to get started than I thought. Te logistics

were the most challenging part, mostly be-

cause they seemed never ending and could

be exhausting. And then there was the chal-

lenge o getting used to the schedule (driving,

eating, writing, repeat) and planning time ac-

cordingly to make it all work. I lived in mygreen 1995 Chevy sports van, dubbed Gerty.

She needed a lot o work to make her travel-

ready, but with my dads help, we took out the

seats, built in a loed bed, and added storage

and a chest or clothes. I drove to each des-

tination and slept in the van or most o the

trip so I would not inconvenience anyone. I

would nd ree overnight street parking, or

Will ravel or Vegan Food ollowers drive-

ways or couches. Hopping rom one restau-

rant to the next, I drove up and down the

country (north to south, and then south to

north, and then north to south again) until

making it to the West Coast.

ransitioning rom my normal routine to a

lie on the road proved to be so much bet-

ter than I ever dreamed it would be. I was

looking or a liestyle changeone that en-

abled me to live and work anywhere in the

world, take risks or the sake o risk taking,

ollow my whims, chase and accomplish my

dreams, and ultimately live a lie worth liv-

ing. No more waiting to retire to do x, y,

or z; no more working or the weekend;

and no more location dependence. In act, I

had done a ton o research on liestyle de-

sign, minimalism, and digital nomadic liv-

ing beore starting the trip. While reading

up on these topics, Id never been more mo-

tivated or elt a deeper sense o this is what

I want. I completely adjusted my liestyle in

an eort to work exclusively online, so that I

could work rom virtually anywhere. While

I elt like I was constantly working to keep

I lived in my green1995 Chevy sports

van, dubb ed G erty.

She needed a lot

o work to make

her travel-ready,

but with my dads

help, we took out

the seats, built in

a loted bed, and

added storage and a

chest or clothes.

planning the next steps, writing, driving,

scheduling meetings and interviews etc

vegan, and vegan is the new vegetarian. At

least hal o the vegan restaurants in Florida

excellent customer relationship management

both in person and on the web


19/26

36 AL 37

scheduling meetings and interviews, etc.,

I was still able to create my own time map

and schedule. I could spend as much time as

I liked socializing with those I met, drive as

ar or as oen as I liked, and pick up and go

at the drop o a hat.

TRAvEL REFLECTiONS

Most vegan restaurants I dined at were owned

by extremely passionate entrepreneurs. Some

have no experience in the restaurant business

at all, but their passion or ood and veganism

drove them to create something that movesthem and connects them to others. Ive met

some o the most interesting, compassion-

ate, and kind people Ive ever knownrom

nearly all acets including restaurant own-

ers, small business owners, animal sanctuary

owners and volunteers, vegan enthusiasts,

nonvegans, Kickstarter supporters, and Will

ravel or Vegan Food ollowers. Tey came

rom all walks o lieno two were alike (at

least none that Ive met). Some are nine-to-

vers in ofces; some work or nonprots;

some work on Wall Street; some are artists,

musicians, entrepreneurs, doctors, athletes,

or lm makers; and everything in between.

Ive even had unexpected conversations with

customers at the restaurants I dine at, who

inquire as to why Im taking pictures, or they

recognize me and ask about the trip. De-

spite (usually) having veganism in common,

everyone I met was rom a dierent back-

ground, had a dierent story, and was genu-

inely enthusiastic about my little adventure.

I noticed the most successul (with some o

the best tasting ood that Ive had) restaurants

have some interesting similarities including

color scheme (or casual restaurants, lime

green or baby blue were popular; or upscale

restaurants, neutral colors were the most

common). Also, the size o the menu seemed

to be a big indicator o quality o ood. Te

smaller the menu (ewer options), the better

the ood. And I made the best connections

with restaurants that best utilized social me-

dia sites like Facebook and witter. Tey had

least hal o the vegan restaurants in Florida

are raw. But in general, veganism is growing

aster by the minute with no signs o slowing

downespecially in the last ew years, since

a ew well-known celebrities have jumped on

board to promote veganism (Ellen, Oprah,

Bill Clinton).

All in all, I am elated beyond words with how

things transpired! Tere is not one thing I

would do dierently. Everything that hap-

pened on the trip, planned or not, was meant

as a lie lesson o some kind. Every aspect othis triprom planning, to selling or giv-

ing away all o my stu, to quitting my job,

to undraising, to having a travel partner, to

then going at it alone, to meeting complete

strangers, to living in a vanevery aspect

has had scary components to it. Im so proud

o this journey and what it has done or me,

the vegan community, and the Will ravel

or Vegan Food ollowers who have shared

with me how it has aected them person-

ally. My greatest accomplishment was push-

ing through any ears I had, making that ear

work or me instead o against me, and com-

ing out the other side with a better under-

standing o why that ear existed in the rst

place. Teres so much beauty in diversity, in

challenges, and even in pain. What matters is

how you choose to extract that beauty, i you

can see it at all.

Now that the project is essentially over, I plan

to take a ew months o to ocus on building

my other website (Rose Pedals Vegan Wed-

dings) out more. Aer I eel like its at a good

place, I intend to keep traveling. Te schedule

wont be as tight, and I hope it will be ocused

internationally (a ew months in that coun-

try, a ew months in this country). And this

time, I plan to settle or three to our months

in each location beore moving on so that I

can immerse mysel in the culture in order

to better reect what its like to be vegan in

these places.

AL :: .tfeganfood.com

Te sze of te menu seemed to be a big indicator of quality offood. The smaller the menu (fewer options), te etter the food.

both in person and on the web.

I never got tired o discovering new-to-me

restaurants. I think it has a lot to do with the

wide variety o ood that I had the pleasure o

experiencing on the road. You name it, Ive

tried it: Asian, American, Ethiopian, Indian,

Caribbean, Jamaican, raw, every kind o aux

meat and cheese you can think o, so many

sweets like cupcakes, scones, cake, choco-

late ganache (Blossom in NYC has the best),

cheesecake, ice cream, etc. Te variety was

plentiul and kept me interested the entiretime! Within each o these categories, some

restaurants try to have really interesting aux

or mock dishes. In Atlanta, Georgia, Health-

ul Essence has a curry ungoat dish. Inter-

esting. My avorite dish would have to be

resh spring rolls! So simple, but I cant resist

them when I see them on a menu.

I I could move a restaurant to my homet own,

it would be Grindcore House in Philadelphia,

Pennsylvania. I love that its an all-vegan co-

ee shop. I dont even like coee (although I

did indulge in a number o their mocha lattes,

which were topped with soy whipped cream,

drizzled with chocolate, and sprinkled with

cinnamon). I just loved the idea. Tey also

sell sweets rom Vegan reats (which are

amazing). Te sta is great, the vibe is awe-

some, and they have ree Wi-Fi, great ood,

and a big, squishy couch.

I noticed the restaurants did not really di-

er much rom state to state. Every location

seemed to have a variety o vegan restaurants.

I noticed in the South (Atlanta, Georgia, spe-

cically), most o the raw ood restaurants

(the healthiest o all vegan ood) are run by

those within the Arican American commu-

nity. Tere seems to be a big push or super

healthy living within this community right

now. In Chicago, they avored soul ood, with

heavier aux meat dishes. But in Atlanta, its

all about raw. In act, they tend to reer to

vegan (cooked veggies) as a halway point

or as vegetarian. So its as i raw is the new

TRAvEL


20/26

38 AL 39

wE wERE bARELy FivE MiNUTES REMOvED

rom taking a grip on our handlebars or the

rst time, just settling onto our bicycles on

day one. Our inaugural lunch had been com-

pleted a short while beore, midway up the

mountain, about a two-hour ride by private

motor coach rom the hotel rendezvous point

in Barcelona. As we le one o Europes most

dynamic and beautiul cities, heading toward

Catalonia, it wasnt long beore the moun-

tains started to loom in the middle distance.

Slowly the motor coach gained elevation, and

all its inhabitants became tinged with antici-

pation. Te midday meal had been relished

by our ellow travelers, ensconced as we were

in a delightully rustic dining room, part o

a centuries-old edice deep within the olds

o a traditional sheepherding village called

Meranges, in the heart o the Spanish Pyr-

enees. Well ueled on native olives, local

bee, resh baked bread, Spanish rice, and

several swallows o the local vintage, we ped-

aled rhythmically through the tiny village,

quickly reached the outskirts, and then be-

gan our descent rom 1,500 meters. Te air

was crisp, the alpine scenery spectacular. As

the road twisted downhill, uncoiling toward

the valley below, gravity winning as it always

does, tires whirring, then humming, windrushing, then whistling through our hel-

mets, the ngers inevitably tightening on the

TRAvEL

hONEyMOON ANNivERSARy

A married couple return s to Europe to celebrate their t wenty-fift h wedding anniver sary, findingthemselves on bicycles once again, like their honeymoon a quarter century earlier.

A N N I V E R S A R Y B I K I N G I N S PA I Ntext:JOEL ZUCKERMAN photography: AS NOTED

Cycles of Love

hand brakes, one thought in particular kept

crossing and recrossing my mind: this is the

slow road?

Our luxury bike trip through Catalonia, in

the mountainous northeast corner o Spain,

was organized and executed to perection by

the incomparable Buttereld and Robinson, a

Canadian travel company whose newsletter is

named Te Slow Road, and whose mantra is

slow down to see the world.

Te company began on something o a whim

more than orty-ve years ago, back in 1966.

George and Martha Buttereld and her

brother Sidney Robinson took some students

to Europe or a bike trip. Teir idea was to

spend each day biking to places theyd dis-

covered on earlier travels, and then go out

or a great dinner and a bottle o wine. Mod-

est beginnings oen beget great ideas, and

today Buttereld and Robinson oers more

than one hundred exhilarating trips all over

the worldmany by bike, but also walking or

hiking trips and the occasional private seago-

ing vessel which serves as home base while

the daily itinerary leaves plenty o time or

walking, biking, or urther exploring.

Te company succeeds because it real-

ized early on that luxury and activity arent

Much has changed in

our world since that

initial bicycle oray as

newlyweds in 1986

career changes;

relocations; kids born,

raised, and now away

at school.

Buttfi n robinson

Buttfi n robinson

diametrically opposed. Just because one

has the inclination to pedal a bicycle ener-


21/26

40 AL 41

getically or climb to the top o a hill, doesnt

mean they also want to cook over a campre,

burrow into a sleeping bag, and sleep t-

ully in a tent. Tus, the concept o luxury,

active travel.

My wie and I chose to celebrate our twenty-

h wedding anniversary in much the same

way we took our honeymoonpedaling a bi-

cycle through some o the most scenic points

in Europe, all the while enjoying luxury ac-

commodations, ne wines, and ve-star cui-sine. Much has changed in our world since

that initial bicycle oray as newlyweds in

1986career changes; relocations; kids born,

raised, and now away at school. But Butter-

eld and Robinson is still doing its thing as

well as ever, and active travelers looking to

burn o the excesses o the epicurean lie on

the continent still populate their guided jour-

neys, which always eature bilingual, occa-

sionally trilingual, tour guides. And not just

in Italy, France, and other European nations.

Tey oer journeys to Asia and the Pacic

Rim, Arica and Latin America, and even a

ew through the US and Canada.

Speaking o ar-ung travels, the steepness o

that initial winding pitch eventually abated,

and we ound ourselves on the amed Santia-

go rail or a mile or two, a rustic (and slight-

ly rutted) dirt track, a road that has been used

or more than 2,000 years as religious pil-

grims made their way to Spains westernmost

point, Finisterre, or Lands End. So there is

the Buttereld and Robinson experience dis-

tilled down to a single hour: delightul ood

in a unique setting, thrills and majestic scen-

ery on the bike, and a liberal dash o history

and culture.

Catalonia was a perect choice or this pedal-

ing adventure, not only because its volcanic

ats, rolling hills, and rugged mountainous

terrain aord such a diversity o bicyclingexperiences. But the erce independence

o its people, their warm demeanor and

magnicent cuisine, the act that iconic g-

ures rom the art world like Picasso, Dal, and

Gaud are all natives to the region, broadened

the appeal.

Equally appealing was rolling into our deluxe

hotel, orre del Remei, in the tiny hamlet o

Bolvir, at the end o our rst aernoon on

the bike. It was uniquely satisying to come

into our lodgings under our own power. But

in typical Buttereld and Robinson ashion,

always trying to add that extra special di-

mension to a travel experience, our inaugural

happy hour came complete with a three-piece

musical ensemble that provided lively, local

avor by serenading the group with a range

o Catalan olk songs. Tankully that rst

aernoons bike oray was mellow enough

that most o our ellow travelers had plenty

o energy to learn the traditional dance stepsthat the hotel manager attempted to teach us

during our impromptu cocktail hour.

One o the reasons there was no shortage o

vigor or patio dancing at sunset, not to men-

tion the museum visiting, medieval town

touring, and spontaneous exploration that

ensued in the days that ollowed, is the But-

tereld and Robinson mindset. Nobody is

orced to bike. Tere is no groupthink on

the daily rides, which generally range rom

twenty to y miles. echnology has explod-

ed in the quarter century since our last Eu-

ropean bicycle experience, but using the phi-

losophy o i it aint broke, dont x it that

has served them so well or all these decades,

Buttereld and Robinson still does things in

the same ashion they did beore the digital

and wireless revolution swept the modern

world. Every morning begins with route

notes, which are two or three pages o print-

ed directions which say things to the eect

o: Bear right at bottom o hotel driveway.Proceed 2 kilometers to rst stop sign. Go

le at sign that says Empord. In 300 meters,

turn right on Rt. 2-A toward argasonne. Go

3.5 kilometers, and bear le at old wooden

armhouse that says Casa de Llvia.

Te route notes are accurate, easy to ollow,

and always have the name and telephone

number o that evenings hotel clearly marked

on every page. Tey t perectly into the cus-

tom bike bag adorning every set o handle-

bars or easy reerence. And i one was to

miss a turn or two and get o track a little bit,

thats generally part o the un and adventure.

Everyone goes at their own pace, begins the

day when they want, and there is always the

van, or sag wagon, driven by one o the two

guides sweeping the route. Te wagon ea-

tures a snack table, set up at wide spots in the

road every hour or two. Te guides lay out

drinks, granola, resh ruit, chocolate, chees-

es, sausage, and generally ensure that no onewill actually manage to burn away the calo-

ries already accumulated rom the decadent

My wie and I chose

to celebrate our

twenty-ith wedding

anniversary in much the

same way we took our

honeymoonpedaling a

bicycle through some o

the most scenic points

in Europe, all the while

enjoying luxury

accommodations,

ine wines, and

ive-star cuisine.

Buttfi n robinson

Buttfi n robinson

Buttfi n robinson Buttfi n robinson

breakast served up just a ew hours earlier.

(Eggs and caviar, anyone?)

in the center o Girona that was the main at-

traction or the rest o the gang, and possibly

had just as good a time But when one is a


22/26

42 AL 43

Tey also assist with any situation rom a

at tire or a bike that doesnt want to shi

properly, to oering a seat to someone who

doesnt want to negotiate their way up a

winding, switchback hill, to those who had

an extra glass o wine or a second serving at

lunch, and are eeling too mellow to bike all

the way to the next hotel. Aer all, this is a

luxury vacation by bicycle, not a boot camp

or the our de France.

None o the riders in our group o six or sev-

en couples (ranging in age rom late orties

to early seventies, the majority o which were

late ies or so) had any our de France aspi-

rations. But one particularly ambitious aer-

noon, three o us broke away to go o on one

o Lance Armst rongs avorite our de France

training rides in the Pyrenees. We completed

a metric century that aernoon, or about

sixty miles.

Now sixty miles on a bike doesnt exactly

strike ear into the heart o an avid cyclist.

But the amazing climbs and steep descents on

the conierous-lined roads outside the town

o Girona were among the most memorable

and daunting miles Ive ever pedaled. Te

switchbacks on the ascent were so endless,

the grade o the road so precipitous, at cer-

tain points the moment-to-moment goal was

simply to turn the crank, stand on the pedal,

and a micro-moment beore inertia set in and

the bike would come to a complete standstill,

stomp hard on the pedal rom the top to turn

the crank again, and keep the bike moving,

however slowly, up the ascent.

However, the winding descent back into

town, zooming and twisting, leaning into the

banked corners with virtually no vehicular

trafc to worry about, was worth every ounce

o energy, every droplet o sweat needed to

make it to the apex o the ride. O course wecouldve skipped the whole thing, and put-

tered around in the world-class pottery shop

had just as good a time. But when one is a-

orded the opportunity to pedal amidst spec-

tacular terrain in the shadow o Lance, ogling

serving platters and teacups, no matter how

artully constructed, doesnt quite cut it.

Te independence aorded us in our day-

to-day schedule dovetails nicely with, and in

some small ways mirrors, the independence

o the people o Catalonia. A relatively large

sector o the 7.5 million inhabitants supports

the ideas and policies o a sel-determined

nation, separate rom Spain, and advocate

or the ull independence o Catalonia. We

learned about these complicated political re-

alities during another enriching cocktail hour

gathering, complete with slide show, acilitat-

ed by a proud Catalan native and historian.

For those o us not so politically inclined, a

cooking demonstration o wondrous Catalan

cuisine was held concurrently in the hotel

kitchenin this case, the marvelous Mas de

orrent, in the heart o Empord. Tis is a

ully restored, eighteenth-century armhouse

which has earned the ultra-prestigious des-

ignation o a Relais and Chteaux property.

O course the hotel, lovely and historic as

it was, had the comparative antiquity o a

strip mall Marriott in comparison to the

ourteenth-century armhouse we biked to

or what was easily one o the most memora-

ble picnics one could imagine, and one o our

trips tremendous highlights. One dazzling

aernoon aer a ull morning riding, we

were directed to the homestead o Mr. Marti

Planolles, who arms the land that has been

in his amily or upwards o thirty genera-

tions. Te repast in his expansive backyard,

set upon rustic wooden tables that looked

like they had been there or centuries, was

authentic Catalan cuisine. It included all sorts

o great breads, dried meats, resh cheese,

and ripe olives and tomatoes, among other

gustatory wonders. Just as great as the ood

was the incredible tour the proprietor gave us

o the armhouse where he and his amily still

reside, which is equal parts utilitarian living

space and museum-caliber artiacts.

What an amazing experience that was, ex-

claimed one o our traveling companions, as

we got back on our bikes or a short jaunt to

the next hotel in the late aernoon. He was

reerring to the just-concluded interlude with

our host, Mr. Planolles. But he might just as

well have been reerring to our entire trip

through Catalonia, or or that matter, pretty

much any two-wheeled journey taken with

the incomparable Buttereld and Robinson.AL :: .utterfeld.com

Just because one has

the inclination to pedal

a bicycle energeticallyor climb to the top o a

hill, doesnt mean they

also want to cook over a

campire, burrow into a

sleeping bag, and sleep

itully in a tent. hus,

the concept o luxury,

active travel.

Well fueled on native olives, local beef, fres aed read, Spanish rice, and

several swallows of the local vintage, we pedaled rhythmically through the tiny village,

quickly reached te outsrts, and then began our descent from 1,500 meters.

Buttfi n robinson

Buttfi n robinson

Buttfi n robinson

DESiGN

ARTI create the ile with water and


23/26

44 AL 45

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?

I was raised in Nova Scotia, on the east coast

o Canada.

WHAT PART DID CHILDHOOD PLAY IN YOUR

DECISION TO BE AN ARTIST?

Not much actually. Both my parents were

proessionals. I never knew anyone that made

a living rom being creative!

DID YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR PERSON

ENCOURAGE YOU ON YOUR ARTISTIC PATH?

No one in particular. I excelled in math and

science, so that was where I was pushed to-

ward and what I pursued growing up.

Raised in Nova Scotia, artist Parvez aj talks about his use of UV inkas a fine art medium, and how it feels to be a full-time artist.

T H E W O R K O F P A R V E Z T A Jtext:PARVEZ TAJ photography: PARVEZ TAJ

An Artist in UV

I create the ile with water and

acrylic paints and photography.

I then take this ile and print it

directly on the wood with UV

inks. he inks are cured with a

UV light, and it literally bakes

on the image.

obvious job, an architect might work well

with my skill set considering I have a strong

math background. It is in combination withThese aste-to-energ ntates present a rare opportunity for consumers and designers toacquire aesthetically refined low environmental mact artwork


24/26

AL 4746

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THOSE WHO HAVE

SOMETHING NEGATIVE TO SAY ABOUT

YOUR WORK?

I always eel misunderstood i people cantsee my work or what it is, but you cant please

everyone. My goal is to continue to produce

quality content. And Im thrilled that I can do

this or a living.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEDIUM?

I am a pioneer o UV ink as a ne art medi-

umthese inks and the technology have only

been around or a ew years, so it ascinates

me to play with them. Recently I have been

using these inks on reclaimed white wood

barn siding, and the eect is amazing.

WHAT TYPE OF PAINT DO YOU USE ON THE

RECLAIMED WOOD?

I create the le with water and acrylic paints

and photography. I then take this le and

print it directly on the wood with UV inks.Te inks are cured with a UV light, and it lit-

erally bakes on the image.

DID A DESIRE TO BE ECO-FRIENDLY COME INTO

PLAY WITH THE WHITE BARN COLLECTION?

Im committed to continually develop-

ing new and innovative products that userecycled and sustainable materials. Tis

White Barn Collection uses reclaimed wood

siding scored rom white barns around

the country.

Tese waste-to-energy initiatives present a

rare opportunity or consumers and design-

ers to acquire aesthetically rened, low en-

vironmental impact artwork. And because

each piece o wood used is unique, each art

piece is a one o a kind.

DO YOU USE ANY TREATMENT ON THE WOOD TO

HELP IT ACCOMMODATE PAINT?

No. I paint on it as is.

WHERE DO YOU FIND THE INSPIRATION FOR

YOUR PIECES?

I was attracted to the textures that outdoor

barns acquire over years o being exposed to

the elements and the weather. I wanted to in-

corporate that texture in my artworktear-

ing down the barns and reusing these wastes

was a great way to do that. Some o the pieces

are rom the French Collection, which was

inuenced by my travels rom the Alps to the

Eiel ower.

WHAT ENVIRONMENT DO YOU WORK BEST IN?

I preer to work alone with music on and my

phone turned to o. I do my best work at

night time or in another time zone.

CURRENT FAVORITE MUSICAL ARTISTS:

Im a big an o Lana Del Rey. Ive also been

listening to Te Weeknd a lot. I am always

looking or good new tunes because Im lis-

tening to music all day long.

WHO HAS INFLUENCED YOUR WORK

ARTISTICALLY?

Fashion and ashion photographers have

probably been the biggest inuences on me

in regard to design.

YOU DO A LOT WITH ELABO RATE GEOMETRIC

PATTERNS. WHERE DOES THAT INSPIRATION

COME FROM?

Morocco. I personally connect with their

whole aesthetic, but I like to modernize it.

WHAT DRIVES YOU TO CREATE ART?

I love to express mysel. My designs represent

my ideas o what is current and meaningul

to me at that moment.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF ON YOUR

jOURNEY?

I have been a ull-time artist or almost nine

years now. I worked really hard or it, and this

is the best return I could have asked or.

IF YOU WERENT AN ARTIST, WHAT WOULD YOU

BE DOING?

Ideally something that is creative and directly

related with design. I I had to pick a more

design, although I would be scared that the

creative part would be limited.

FAVORITE PLACE I N THE WORLD:

Anywhere with riends!

PLACE YOU HAVENT SEEN, BUT WANT TO GO:

Brazil.

HOBBIES/INTERESTS OUTSIDE THE ARTWORK:

Friends, dining, and dancing.

AL :: .areztaj.com

acquire aesthetically refined, low env

american lifestyle m 055 c 1 i cm

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