Monday I had the rare opportunity to do a behind the scenes tour at the SF Zoo. The highlights included riding around the zoo in a VIP cart, seeing the 3 new tiger cubs play while the mother groomed them, feeding celery and carrots to Gahati the asian rhino, bottle feeding Rosie (aka Barbro) the newest baby giraffe and getting 'kissed' by Carolina, another giraffe. The picture to the left shows Carolina reaching down to 'kiss me' and take the banana from my mouth. What an awesome experience!

It was so amazing to see these animals up close, pet them and feed them. Getting the hands-on tour was just incredible and I learned things like Bulldozer, another baby giraffe, was almost 6 feet tall when he was born last year or that a lot of the animals have two names--one given by the donor and one that the keepers call them. However it was an odd feeling of seeing animals that are meant to be wild kept in captivity, and to see some of the larger animals in smaller spaces. There are definitely nicer exhibits than others. For instance the bears area seemed particularly small while the giraffes spend their days in an expansive African Savanna and their nights inside a well-heated clean barn. Overall though the animals are cared for by really knowledgeable and loving keepers and the zoo's focus is on rescuing animals as opposed to plucking them from the wild to showcase in the zoo.

The sad news is that after having experienced such a thrilling day I found out that one of the giraffes, Gezi, died unexpectedly on Tuesday. Gezi was Rosie's mother and died suddenly of a heart attack but after further exams was found to have had other complications as well. Unfortunately she was also pregnant. I still can't believe the timing of everything and my heart goes out to the keepers. Sad.

LORAC just came out with the perfect new eye shadow called Starry-Eyed Baked Eyeshadow Trio that will take you from day to night. I've been rocking Superstar (pictured to the left) for a more natural/neutral look and the smokier Evening Star for glamourous nights out on the town. Apparently the eye shadows are baked, as in an oven I'm guessing. I'm not sure what the advantages are from that but I do know that they are easy to apply and blend, they can be used wet or dry, they last all day long, and I keep getting compliments on my eyes. Plus you are basically getting three different shades for $24. Sweet deal!

My husband's relatives live on the southern coast of Oregon in Bandon and when we visit it's always a fun outdoor time. Clam digging at the beach, boating on the Coquille River, shooting guns at the ranch, picking berries, feeding horses and chickens, chopping wood...you get the idea. It's a small town. So when United Airlines began a direct flight from North Bend (the local airport) to SFO it was big news. We happened to fly out yesterday on the inaugural flight and were interviewed for the local news station as well as landed a picture on the front page of the local newspaper. Here's a link to the clip of yours truly in my KCBY news station debut. ;)

Lately like most of us feeling the effects of the economy, I've been really good about not spending money (except on food, wine and Sunday bets at the track.) However having just seen the SATC movie I have a major itch to shop again. I was drooling over all of the fabulous clothes and the creative outfits that Pat Fields put together, but I could not stop thinking about the Dior Extreme Cutout Sandal worn by Carrie in several scenes. The shoes are my 'must-have' item this summer and after a thorough internet search I found the Steve Madden knock-offs for 1/7 the price! Of course then I rationalized buying them in both brown and black. Is it just me or has SATC brought about a resurgence of shopping?

I've been on the go a lot recently and my skin is definitely feeling the effects of travel, stress, partying and sun. Luckily Skyn Iceland's Skyn Renewal Kit has come to my rescue. It's an awesome travel kit and includes a face wash, healing serum, night cream, eye cream and cool face mask. Their motto is 'Solutions for Stressed Skin' and I love how clean, refreshed and revitalized my skin feels plus how great it smells.

This is for the people who watched 'The Real Housewives of New York.' If you experienced the addiction & intrigue that I did followed by the guilt of wasting an hour of your day watching trainwrecks, then you need to check out this blog. The commentary on every episode and every housewife had me rolling on the floor with laughter because I had the exact same reactions when I watched. Check it out but keep in mind you'll have to scroll thru other postings in between re-caps.

Lately I have been on the hunt for the perfect pinkie ring. I love the look on guys--very macho elegant, and on girls--chic and edgy. The pinkie ring definitely has a cool factor about it but you have to get the right one. My dad sometimes wears one that is gold with a jade stone, symbolizing good luck in chinese. I want to get Drew and I matching gold pinkie rings that we can wear on our right hands. I saw the pictured ring on a De Beers ad and like the shape, but obviously the stones and design are too feminine for a guy. I want something meaningful to both of us too, like a family crest or our initials. Any suggestions? Is this so Sopranos?!

2 cans of drained and rinsed garbanzo beans
3-4 cloves of garlic
juice of 2-3 lemons
1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup of warm water
1 T. cumin
dash of cayenne pepper (optional)
salt + pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender until creamy and according to your own taste. You can create variations by adding ingredients such as roasted red peppers, olives or sun-dried tomatoes. Note: Most hummus recipes call for Tahini (sesame paste) however I usually skip it since I don't have it on hand. This hummus still gets rave reviews and is super easy to whip up!

I'm into reality shows that feature real people accomplishing cool things, have an educational aspect, or that feature down to earth relatable people. Some of my faves are Project Runway, Jon and Kate plus 8, Cash Cab and Work Out with Jackie Warner. Here are a couple more shows I've added to my Tivo list that you might want to check out.

The Millionaire Matchmaker: I love Patti Stanger's no-nonsense approach to handling her clients. She sincerely wants to help people find love and it's hilarious how accurate her analysis of people is.

Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern: This show combines two things I love: food and travel, although thankfully I won't be eating any of the food featured. Andrew leads us on a cultural experience through interesting and often scary cuisine, eating things like bulls testicles, turtle blood and hen's uterus-yuck!

While in NYC we discovered THE tastiest cocktail dubbed "La Poire" at newly opened Bar Blanc. Often times made with pear (as the name suggests), this fab libation is a mix of Elderflower syrup, Grey Goose vodka and Cava bubbly. Pretty simple and such a crowd pleaser. La Poire gets two thumbs up from Splendora!