The Lean to Light Movement

As you can see my blog has gone though another transformation, but I think we have a winner with it's new title:

  

Lean to Light

I have new pages above to navigate and guide you though the site, and if you want to read more about the new concept click HERE.
Basically most things will fall into the categories of

Lightroom, Spotlight, Eating Light, 
Beauty Highlights, and my new favorite...
Giveaways!

I wanted to have more of a bloggy purpose but still have the entries come from a journalistic approach. Light will have many meanings, but overall it will be a metaphor for a lovely light movement towards a lovely light concept of good. Sound good?

Ok moving forward.

I mean, Leaning to light....

The Oscars 2013

Well we all know how I feel about 

The Oscars.

So I don't really need to repeat my over the top, dramatic, exclamations again over the most glamorous night of the year (right behind cinco de mayo, naturally) but I DO have to post some of my favorite pictures from the best annual night celebrating film.

This has always been one of my faves...wouldn't you like to be a fly on that wall listening in on two of the most glamorous legends of all time? (have I used the word glamorous enough yet?)

A compilation of backstage pictures from celebrity photographer Art Streiber:

 Miss Scarlett herself - Vivien Leigh

 Jimmy Stewart and Ginger Rogers

The glamorous Warren Beatty and Natalie Wood making their arrival

The nominated films I saw this year were Les Miserables, Argo,  Life of Pi and Silver Linings Playbook.  They were all outstanding, but Silver Linings was the most surprising to me. I really really enjoyed it, but Jason seems to think it was because we got to hear a talkback with Bradley Cooper after the movie.

I have no idea what he is talking about.

Cooper, DiNiro, and moderator.

I am not sure how I feel about Seth MacFarlane hosting, as is the rest of Hollywood apparently, but hopefully we will see some entertaining moments and lots and lots of...you guessed it....GLAMOUR!

Who were your favorite hosts of the Oscars?

Homemade Starbucks Oatmeal

 But better, healthier, and gluten free.

Let's see...what to do with all that quinoa...what to do what to do...

Breakfast bowl!!!

Of course I has THIS to look at first in my blog feed to make myself feel inadequate:

A vegan chia seed breakfast bowl from Oh She Glows.  Looks amazing. Anyhow, it's ok we'll get there... Baby steps right? Just a little lean...

So this isn't even a recipe. It's a "what to do with that stuff in the fridge" combo platter. 

Take the quinoa. Pour a little bit of coconut milk over it. Put it in the microwave for a few minutes. Take it out, top with walnuts, cranberries and even though Jason says it's unecessary, cinnamon and raw cane sugar. I love them both so they are IN!

Don't have any quinoa cooked up? This post tells you what to do just in case.

Voila. The healthier gluten free version of Starbucks oatmeal. Happy Monday morning!

Valentine's Day-Vermont Edition

Happy Love Day everyone!

So to save ourselves from getting all smarmy (yes I said smarmy) here is my advice to you on V-Day. Single, dating, married, divorced, it doesn't matter....Check out Groupon, see what getaway deals they are offering, and buy one for yourself. Show yourself some love, do yourself a favor, treat yourself, and do something new. I challenge you.

So our chosen Groupon getaway was a little ski trip to Vermont at

The Mountain Top Inn and Resort

Jason actually started laughing when we walked into the room...I don't think he understood exactly HOW MUCH of a rustic mini break I had planned

I mean the room was called Stag's Run. There was definitely a theme. ;)

We probably never would have gone there and never tried something new if it wasn't for the deal. It came with a voucher and we were able to choose what type of winter activity we wanted so we tried cross country skiing. The last time I skied was in Lake Louise and I pretty much saw my life flash before my eyes so I was all about trying something hopefully closer to sea level and not involving careening off the side of a Canadian mountain. Here are some pics from those crazy Canadian rockies:

Note: 1. that's not fog. we are IN a cloud   2. somehow I managed to not look petrified for a couple of pictures.  3. There is a four year old doing what I was petrified of.

I loved Cross Country skiing. It took a second to get used to, but we both decided it was amazing exercise and a fantastic way to hike in the winter!

Happy stance Vermont!

Downton Abbey goes Downtown New York City

Oh my gosh I found this pic online and it just makes me so happy! I am quite impressed that they weren't so above themselves to take public transportation. I pictured myself running into them on the platform and going into total shock. The girls look so adorable out of their rags. And are Mr. and Mrs. Bates really an item?

Gluten Free Beer

So of course the Superbowl was last weekend and what a game it was. Beyonce even blew the power out, it was weirdly awesome.  Seemed like a Baltimore romp at first, but then San Fran came back when the Ravens were distracted in the darkness. The Ravens held their ground though with the help of a couple of amazing plays like the second-half kickoff when Jacoby Jones received the ball in the back of the end zone and raced down the field untouched for a 109-yard touchdown return! Man I love those plays. Are you confused? Why I am talking sports? Don't forget in this musical theater geek there is this JV Cheerleader/water girl.

Anyways what I wanted to talk about was how depressed I got thinking about watching the Superbowl without beer! I forget how many things have gluten and when I remember sometimes it hurts. So we went to the local liquor store on the hunt for a solution and were recommended this Spanish beer

which is not completely gluten free, but the levels are extremely low and a great alternative for those of us who want to keep up with healthy digestion. It was delicious. SCORE! Pun intended. 

Purchase Daura online 

HERE

Engage-aversary

That sounds like a strange word but it has a ring to it. Har har! Get it? Has a ring to it? Groan. 

Four years ago Jason and I went to the infamous, yet now sadly gone from the New York City tapestry,

Tavern on the Green

Where we had a uncomfortable dinner not just because we were shoved under a pillar and had pretty terrible service (hmmm...maybe why business went bad? hmm...) but also because Jason was acting really nervous and jittery. When dinner was over he ran outside and hailed a carriage (the natural thing to do in February) in which we rode to the through the park under a blanket. Something was up and I was starting to get excited. That's what she...ok moving on with the story.

We got to the Bethesda fountain where most of the time it looks like this:

 Quite busy and typically full of people, street acts, and tourists.

But that night it was deserted and looked more like this:

Amazing. So peaceful and serene. All of a sudden our driver said "I need to stop here my horse is tired" or something like that. Since it had only been like a five minute drive, he might have well said he was out of gas so at this point my suspicious feelings were even more founded. ;) We walked all the way down to the fountain in the glittering snow and before you know it I looked down and there was something else glittering in the darkness! A beautiful ring that represents my beautiful Jason.

I love you Mr. Campbell!

Love,

Mrs. Campbell

Miki Berg Reume Onstage, Onsceen and Online

We had the pleasure of taking Miki Berg Reume's headshots years ago back when she was a full time Radio City Rockette.

 She was one of our very first clients back in Astoria and even though Jason can't resist shouting disclaimers regarding pictures taken way back then, I think we got a beautiful shot if I do say so myself. :)

Well since then this beautiful and talented lady has married and has become the spokesperson for
Christian Mingle

where she met her future husband! She appears frequently in their commercials so be on the lookout. Also if you are single and Christian, it seems like a really great site to find successful relationships!

In Defense of Food

One of my blog followers from California sent me this awesome book in the mail.

How do I know it's awesome? Can you see what the dark leafy greens are saying?

Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants.
So simple and you know how I love simple. I read the first couple chapters on set yesterday and I am already really liking how it is DE-complicating something that has been made complicated over the years.
I am very interested to continue reading as to expand my knowledge of food processing and manufacturing in this country. Thank you so much Howard for sending it my way and I so look forward to sharing what I learn!