All the Good Stuff in Review (November 28, 2008)

All the Good Stuff in Review

Okay, T-Day came and went with me settling into full-on Xmas mode and thinking back on all the good stuff that's happend this year. Most recently, the good stuff's included an awesome photography course, a pizza recipe designed just for me and an extraordinary comment left on this blog!

Enjoy your weekend,
Chris

ontoLondon - ontoTravel - The Adventures of Tiki Chris - tikichris to go

THANKS!

I’ve got so much to be thankful for. Family, friends, kitties, interesting work, a nice home in the world’s greatest city, etc. 2008 has been a brilliant year for me and judging from stuff lining up for ’09, next year promises to eclipse the ‘08 fun. I hope everybody reading this post has been having a blast as well. Thanks!





Sappy Thanksgiving,
Chris

Good Oil Pizza

Wow. Hat's off to the good folks at Good Oil and their Splendid Communications allies for mastering the follow-up (see more about Good Oil here)! A quick convo about my favourite food (on the spot I said pizza) resulted in a recipe for "Chris's Tiki-Margarita Pizza." That's kinda cool. Sounds pretty yummy and - when I find that elusive free time - I might just be inclined to give it a go!

Changed Priorities Ahead - Amazing Story!

I just wanted to take a moment to point out an extraordinary comment left about the image on my 14th of November Too Busy Having Fun post. Check it out!


That picture reminds me of the time 12 years ago when I went to visit my little brother in the insane asylum after he tried to commit suicide. I got him out to go for a pint and we were arguing whether or not the universe was inherently good or bad, he said it was bad and i said that "no the universe is good and out to help you, you just have to be positive" and then we turned a corner and the first thing we saw was huge "changed priorities ahead" sign and then the Dali Lama walked past.true story.

- Atomic Tony Tiki

Good Week in Review (November 21, 2008)

Good Week in Review

• So called Good Food Show (but really just so-so)
  
• Phenomenally educational photography class
  
• Yummy dark Belgian chocolate
  
• Proper burgers on High Street Ken
  
• New pubby pub in Clerkenwell
  
• Brilliant Bloggers Meetup
  
• Creative camera-less photographs
  
• Good Oil

Enjoy your weekend,
Chris

ontoLondon - ontoTravel - The Adventures of Tiki Chris - tikichris to go

Why I Love Facebook (and Hate My High School Nickname)

A really friendly feller I knew in high school (when sadly a lot of people referred to me as Ozzy) left this comment on a recent Facebook status I posted:

Ozzy, your photos and stories make my day Brother. Party On.

I love it ... and by all means I do indeed intend to PARTY ON!

Too Busy Having Fun (November 14, 2008)

Too Busy Having Fun

This was another of those too-busy-having-fun-to-actually-write-about-any-of-it sorts of weeks (but I should be able to blather about the good bits over the weekend and next week). So, I guess it’s a good thing I started my tikichris to go mobile blog to capture moments on the run, such as randomly happening upon Nigella Lawson yesterday or checking out a kick ass view while enjoying a kick ass drink!

I also managed to publish a couple of posts about the super fun time I had roamin’ round Notting Hill with some of my favourite London bloggers and the friendly dudes from Elements 8 premium rum (even got some killer cocktail recipes for ya!).

And yep, my London Daily Photos keep rolling on!

Enjoy your weekend,
Chris

ontoLondon - ontoTravel - The Adventures of Tiki Chris - tikichris to go

Subject and Object as One (This is Now)

Subject and Object as One
by Chris Osburn
This is Now
11th November 2008



Here’s another shot by yours truly that made the cut and has been included in the This is Now Flickr pool. The photo, of a young woman seemingly immersed into Monet’s Water Lilies (also known as Nympheas) was taken at l’Orangerie in Paris during my summer 2008 visit.

Read the complete by Subject and Object as One post at This is Now.

Elements 8 Rum Cocktails from Montgomery Place

Man oh man. I had a blast roaming round Notting Hill for last night's Rum Do with Elements 8. You can read about the "do" in my write-up for Qype does London. In particular, I was blown away by the yummy cocktails served at Montgomery Place. Here are the recipes of the fantastic drinks designed specifically for us by Montgomery Place's Marian Beke. Awesome.



1. Chestnut Tom & Jerry (10 Portions)
8-10 Eggs (depending on size)
400ml Elements 8 Gold
300ml Cognac
100ml Chestnut Liqueur
4 bar spoons caster sugar
1 Litre full fat milk
4 dashes Cream

Separate egg yolks and whites in to 2 bowls. In one bowl whisk the egg yolks with the caster sugar until foamy. In another bowl whisk the egg whites until frothy. Bring the milk to a boil. In a big bowl mix the milk with the egg yolk mixture. Add Elements 8 Gold, Cognac and Chestnut Liqueur and mix well. Ladle and float the frothy egg white on top.Sprinkle with cloves, cassia bark, nutmeg and shaved bitter chocolateServe from the bowl in to small, preheated ceramic cups / mugs.

2. Molasses Daiquiri
50ml Elements 8 Platinum
1 barspoon molasses
10ml honey water - honey and water mixed 1:1 (easier to do if water is warm)
Fresh lime juice of 1 fresh lime

Stir the molasses with the other ingredients.
Add mixture and 1/2 of the lime in to a shaker and shake hard.
Strain in to a glass and add a large chunk of ice and garnish with the other lime half.

3. Bohemian Negroni
40ml Elements 8 Gold Rum
25ml Becherovka Cordial
25ml Sweet Vermouth
10ml Campari

Mix all ingredients in mixing glass with 3 large ice chunks. Strain in to a glass filled with a lage ice chunk and sprinkle with Campari Dust (Campari that has been dried and changed in to powder form) and an orange zest.

4. St. Lucian Storming
60ml Elements 8 Gold Rum
Juice of half a lime
Ginger beer (Montgomery Place uses home made ginger beer that has been fermented for 3 days using honey water, and is then cooked and blended with spices, though D&G ginger beer may do the trick for home)

Add rum to a silver mug filled with a big chunk of ice. Fill glass with gingerbeer and squeeze lime juice on top. Finish with tiki bitters sprinkled on top and garnish with a mint sprig.

Glaswegian Mummy Tussle!

Just when you thought is was safe to hit the streets of Glasgow (yeah right!) - and for me to move on and start blogging about non-mummy stuff - comes this Herald story:

Men attacked by fancy dress gang - ringleader dressed as mummy

Big thanks to Atomic Tony Tiki for shooting this story my way. Sez ATT about the fancy dress gang article:

... it's such a "only in Glasgow" news story, a few years back now on Halloween I got to see Elvis fighting Ginger Spice in the center of Glasgow. I'm not a fan of violence but Elvis beat Ginger Spice so badly her/his tits exploded.

I love it!

Momentous Week in Review (November 7, 2008)

Momentous Week in Review

What a week, huh? When not anticipating, live blogging or reeling from the US election, I did a little shopping at my neighborhood design-centric book and fun stuff shop, caught the new James Bond flick (and hated it), enjoyed a brilliant cocoa-co-operative photography exhibition, checked out some gruesomely hacked up cartoon characters and had a fantastic meal (with some awesome cocktails) at a Thai restaurant in Soho ... and a yummy pizza in Fitzrovia.

I also started guest blogging for the This is Now photography project.

And for Halloween last Friday (which seems like ages ago)? I popped round to the TrustedPlaces’ Day of the Dead party at Chilango. Fun stuff.



Enjoy your weekend,
Chris

ontoLondon - ontoTravel - The Adventures of Tiki Chris - tikichris mobile portrait blog - tikichris to go

Hi! (This is Now)

Hi!
by tikichris
This is Now
7th November 2008

Hey, I’m Chris Osburn (aka tikichris) and I’ll be guest blogging here from time to time. Although this is my introductory post, it’s not my first. I started posting here on the 4th but there was just too much of an Election Day buzz in the air for anyone to bother reading about lil ole me.

Read the complete introductory Hi! post at This is Now.

Election Day Anticipation (This is Now)

Hey y'all, I started guest posting for This is Now, an "an unparalleled collection of images that capture the essence of now." Basically, I'll be digging around their Flickr pool looking for timely photos to then write about. Check out my first topical post:

Election Day Anticipation
by tikichris
This is Now
4th November 2008

It’s the Tuesday that the whole world’s been anticipating for months!

To read the complete Election Day Anticipation and to see its corresponding photo visit This is Now.

Quantum of So What?

He's really good. She's absolutely stunning. But, sadly, the new James Bond movie is just boring. It simply wasn't that much fun. The only time I was on the edge of my seat during Quantum of Solace was when I started anticipating the end and thought I could get up and stretch my legs. Casino Royale this ain't.

I Want My Mummy (One More Time)!

Just when you thought it was safe to go about your business without having to deal with any more stupid mummies ...







I caught sight of this Sainsbury's employee as I passed by the Fetter Lane Sainsbury's en route to the TrustedPlaces Day of the Dead/Halloween party. It was good to see this mummy making the most of his afterlife and doing his best to be a fully integrated, productive member of society.