here are 28 of my favourite everyday jamaican gems. maybe we share some in common or mabe you can give one of mine a try. please leave a comment and tell us your favourite.

1. statement necklaces from baubles and threads
2. alia michele bags
3. wrightstyle shirt dresses
4. a full body massage at eva spa centre
5. donna patricia lavender juniper spray and pimento essential oil
6. starfish oils ortanique scented candle and “sweet jamaica” bar soap
7. photos from picturesfromjamaica.com

8. bin26 wine bar
9. special appleton reserve cocktail created by lovejoy at medusa’s
10. the book club at bookophilia
11. l’acadco in concert, especially amanyea stines and kaalil aaron vereen

12. a tony wilson 6:00pm dance class
13. oysters at the beach, or at a friend’s house
14. tarty lemonade mixed with brown sugar
15. red rose tea with condensed milk from my locally made ceramic mug
16. hands in clay bumpy head girls by robert campbell
17. gene pearson masks
18. jerked pork and turn plantain from mannings hill jerk centre
19. seafood chowder from norma’s
20. dusk at home. maybe just because it means i am home.
21. calaloo by elisso designs
22. friday mornings at papine market
23. spin class at shakti
24. early morning walk/jog at the dam or mountain spring
25. coconut jelly in a bag from the coconut industry board
27. yam chips and salsa from peter’s principle
28. old fashioned jamaican hot chocolate. (add a cinnamon stick in the mug for glama-puss style)

these are some of my simple treats….what are yours?…leave a comment and tell us what you love….

this is the last post for this “28 days of love”, but i am happy to say that we have already started make plans for next year’s “28 days of love” and a special event later this year as a prelude to that… prepare to be a.m.a.z.e.d.

finally, thank you thank you thank you, for sharing your time and snippets of your lives with us… and please remember to subscribe to our blog so that you can stay in the know.

live in love. and always… make it. personal. idyllic. wow.

more love,

one of the ways i bring in love into my life on a daily basis is through the people i choose to share my time and space with. one thing they have in common is that they try to live in love, honesty, giving and gratitude. they are my biggest fans even while they challenge me, and that is the way i like it. making me stronger. making me better.

and then there are the other less complicated things that i do to treat myself, to imbue a jolt of loveliness in a mundane day…like a an early morning jog while the sun rises, bright yellow roses or stark white stock blooms in a simple cylindrical vase, or coming home to the beautiful orchid blooms that my mother and my mother-in-law have loved and cared for and passed on to me to enjoy. or turning up the music ridiculously loud as i drive around, blocking out all the “noise” around and listening to whatever it takes to soothe or uplift my soul…and that can be anything on any given day, sometimes its cirque du soleil, beethoven, alanis, amy winehouse, alicia keys, movado, kartel, serani, or etana, and sometimes its the just the sweet voices of my girls singing along to “shoo fly, don’t bother me”. then there’s turning every shower into a spa experience with delicious smelling soaps and oils. and if i am lucky at the end of the day i steal a moment with a glass of wine and browse one of my dozens of magazines or coffee books (the stack (x2) goes as high as my bed head!) with my favourite scented candle or essential oils burning. and then, there is one of my sweetest treats, that i don’t do nearly as often as i should…picking up my bible and enjoying His word, basking in the peace and joy that only He can provide…you know what, this list is so long its crazy. there are just so many little and big ways to love yourself no matter how hectic you find your life to be…and after writing it i appreciate even more the beauty of my life…again i float a little higher. and retrospectively, since this post took days to be completed i know exactly why the plan to invite someone to share with you about loving yourself didn’t work out…because having done it myself has me loving me more!

and so, the last thing i want to share with you is about my experience at an industry seminar. its one of those moments that you expect to be fairly trite, but depending on your perspective, you can experience it in a different way…i had the privilege of meeting simon t. bailey, author of a transformational book, “release your brilliance“. he gave an amazing talk and after i thought i should buy his book and why not have him sign it since he was there… “aiesha, never stop believing that you are in the right place at the right time”. how many times have i heard that or a similar version before? many. but this was the first time i “got it”. for me that translates to being content with where you are, so that you can experience more in the moment and therefore see clearly to move forward to a higher place…of love

and so i say to you what he said to me…please believe that you are in the right place at the right time… and do us the favour of showing yourself love, so that our lives too, may be made brighter by your light.

more love,

in our last week of “28 days of love” we go beyond love in our personal relationships, and explore love in other fundamental ways. whether its our lifestyle or simply the comforts we surround ourselves with or at the very top of the list, love of self, from which ultimately, all other forms of love are given life.

today is all about the love of work, because working is one of the few things that most of us cannot escape, so i think its important to find a way to love what we do; or better still, take a bold step and do what we love. so…

step into the work love affair of andrea + bookophilia…

my love affair with books began …
when I was young and every week my grandma would take me to a huge bookstore in glasgow. i had never seen so many books and we would spend hours in the aisles reading. i was instantly in love.

the moment bookophila was born i was…
i was sitting on the patio at my friend’s house in jack’s hill overlooking a beautiful panoramic view of kingston at sunset. we were swapping ideas about an arts space that would encompass all forms of art – music, theatre, visual arts, literature and even the culinary arts. later on, that is the vision that i tried to express through bookophilia.

and i knew that bookophilia was the one when…
when i closed the door at the end of that first day and felt a feeling of pure satisfaction and joy…i knew that this was the right decision for me.

a bookophilia soundtrack would include …
bob marley’s “three little birds…” and of course a special track mixed by dj sawandi with some jazz, samba, reggae and worldbeat – reflective of the cultures, tastes and backgrounds of all of our customers.

books that inspire my work love are …
“the power of intention” by wayne dyer
“the four hour work week” by timothy ferriss
“the seven spiritual laws of success” by deepak chopra
“execution” by larry bossidy and many, many more.

at the start of the work day i feel …
excited, full of anticipation and all the new ideas that I want to try out. this job is an opportunity to be creative and I love that.

i knew i wanted to wake up to bookophilia everyday when …
hmmm… every single day? did i mention that i’m a commitment-phobe? (laughs)
i evaluate the relationship with my darling on a regular basis. if i’m happy and feeling joy in the present moment then we continue.

my most memorable moment at bookophilia is…
one friday night, we had a live cuban band that was fantastic. the audience sang along with the songs, then created a poem by passing around a sheet of paper and each person wrote a line. then afterward, people spontaneously formed a circle and were dancing meringue in the store. i mean, there was so much warmth and love in the air – it was like a family gathering or a party, definitely not your typical night at a bookstore!

I love books because …
because i just do! love needs no rationale, it just IS.

this is a love story that delights me and inspires me. i wish the same for you…

and if you missed the opportunity to submit pictures for our love exhibition please go ahead and submit your photos to us at love@pussbackfoot.com by Wednesday, February 24. (see here for submission guidelines).

more love,

i hope your valentines weekend was filled with extra sweetness and love, with friends and family, and all that makes you smile. our girls made the most adorable cards at their pre-school which was just the sweetness i needed…it was a bunny made almost completely from hearts!

and so today we share one more story from the heart to keep the love glowing…

from the heart of sarah
love means… giving of yourself selflessly without expecting anything in return

my love soundtrack would include…
sade
bat for lashes
fuerza bruta soundtrack…this list can possibly never stop…

first kiss …hmmmm…somewhere close to the ocean…I remember it being salty

my perfect date involves… a yummy meal or a great show/movie .. actually … both! *smile*

we finish each other’s...dessert *smile*

favourite jamaican romantic hideaway … so many…Jamaica is such a romantic place once you get out of kingston *smile*

i’m always telling my love he is…passionate, honest, dedicated to anything he loves

what’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done for love … allowed it to win me over even when I was terrified of being hurt by it

love is beautiful. enjoy its glow.

more love,

valentines day is tomorrow! but we don’t need much of an excuse to have a good time here in jamaica, so most of us are celebrating for the entire weekend. why not take advantage of the extra time, so we can celebrate in different ways with friends, with family, with crushes and with loves?

pussbackfoot has collaborated with jamaican culinary experts, kerry jeter in los angeles and nigel spence in new york to bring you a few special recipes to help you do it all…

so you decide to have early cocktails with friends tonight because fun times are always sweeter with your girls and with your boys, try…
the man eater
with gin, peach schnapps, rum, tequila, vodka

forbidden love
with vodka, pomegranate, orange and lime juice

love on the rock
with mango juice, sorrel, rum and triple sec

glama puss tip: to make your drink beautiful just choose one of the fruit ingredients cut a wedge or a thin slice, even some seeds or an edible flower (most are) and float in the cocktail. remember to choose interesting glasses and sometimes it doesn’t have to be a glass depending on the drink, you can use a bud vase, a small candle holder…get creative!

after early cocktails you can celebrate by having a quiet dinner, or enjoying tapas at a lounge or nightclub and then dancing the night away. whatever you choose, we wanted to help you with ideas for the morning after, to help you extend the moment for as long as possible.

the morning after
have breakfast in bed or hop out of bed, throw the duvet on the living room floor with lots of cushions and pillows and create an inside picnic, while slipping into your favourite sexy comfy wear and playing your favourite tunes. pussbackfoot recommends etana the strong one, gentleman, tesanne chin,taurus riley, beres hammond,freddie mcgregor, sara tavares, miles davis, billie holiday to name a few …

classic french cuisine chef, kerry jeter suggests indulging in the following yummy platter…

mango bellini
fruit salad
crepes suzette or stuffed french toast (stuffed with cream cheese and strawberries)
banana bread
toast

how to make:

mango bellini
with mango juice and sparkling wine

crepes…and believe me its easy

4 1/2 oz cake flour
1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 eggs
* lightly beat second egg using only 1/2 for the mixture
1 Tbs. unsalted butter (melted)
1 1/2 Tbs. vegetable oil
pinch salt

optional
1/2 tsp brandy
1/2 tsp grand marnier
1/2 tsp orange zest

batter
put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
strain through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth.
let sit in refridgerator for 45 minutes to an hour to get rid of air bubbles.

crepes
warm 8″ to 10″ non-stick pan and just barely coat the bottom with butter. remove excess butter with paper towel.
ladle 1 1/2 ounces of batter into the pan (enough to thinly coat the pan). swirl pan to get and even coating of batter covering the entire surface of the pan.
cook over medium heat until batter starts to set. then flip and cook on second side.

storage
layer crepes with parchment in between layers
will last in the refridgerator for a few days and for a few months in the freezer.

serving suggestions
berries, powdered sugar, and whipped cream or sweetened mascarpone cheese or
caramelized bananas or apples cooked in brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, and rum

banana bread
1/4 lb. or 1 stick of butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
3-4 ripe bananas, mashed
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
pinch of salt
1/2 cup whole milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon zest (optional)

preheat oven to 350 degrees.
grease and flour loaf pan.
sift flour, baking powder, and baking soda
add cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and set aside
cream butter and sugar in seperate bowl.
add beaten eggs, mashed bananas, zest, and vanilla to butter mixture
stir flour mixture into batter
add milk

pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 1 hour until knife inserted comes out clean.

i am sure you will enjoy.

slow down. make sweet dreams. make beautiful promises of love. take in the moment. enjoy. never ever forget….promise?

more love,

nigel spence is a renowned jamaican chef. he trained at the culinary institute of america and is the owner of ripe, a jamaican restaurant in new york. he has appeared on major tv shows including food network, martha stewart and air jamaica’s “island stylee” programme. click here for more on nigel.

kerry jeter is a jamaican living in los angeles. she is a graduate of the california school of culinary arts le cordon bleu and specialized in classic french cuisine. she has worked at some of l.a.’s hot spot restaurants including wolfgang puck’s vert and at ortolan under chef eme.

last night we launched the love exhibition, capturing some of your favourite images of love… i.LOVE.it.
and today we follow up by getting closer and exposing some of the feelings behind the beautiful images we see. we invited writer, kaci hamilton to lead some intimate interviews in a way only she can.

well, no more talking from me, instead…

from the heart of gina may
love is my big beautiful family

my love sound track would include …
“you’re all I need” mary j blige + method man
“throne of gold” steel pulse
“ain’t no sunshine” bill withers
“soul thang” brady o’connor
“ready for love” india.arie
“better together” jack johnson
“love of my life” dave matthews

my first kiss ... hmmm *chuckle*

my perfect date involves…barefoot, sand in my toes, yummy food in my belly and laughter + music floating on the breeze

the first time i saw my husband I …let my hair loose and was head banging to puff daddy’s “it’s all about the benjamin’s (rock remix)”. in my defense i thought he was there to check someone else so he really got the uncensored unabridged version… apparently through all that flying hair he saw something he liked.

we finish each other’s …haagen dazs

my children make me ...*deep breath* *sigh* depends on the time of day + the day of the week – in turns renew my faith in the potential of the future, remind me how to be free + let it all hang out, gasp, swear, experience immeasurable joy + amazement, tired, laugh, want the world to be a better place, just be.

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

from the heart of cezar
the first time i held my daughter… i prayed. gave God thanks. i didn’t do the customary crying, it was more important to pray at that point.

my love soundtrack would include…

nat king cole, he has a song, “je vous aime beaucoup”. that’s definitely up there
curtis mayfield “i’m so proud”
bob marley “turn your lights down low”
sade “by your side”

my first kiss…was pretty enjoyable; it was very enjoyable actually. i was very young.
it was my last summer after prep school. and it kinda happened unexpectedly, but it was a great experience. it happened at a house up in the hills that we really weren’t supposed to be at, where we had been walking along a road. we ventured onto a property, to this day I don’t know whose it was, but the place looked like it was abandoned. but we strayed onto the property and sat down on a hillside overlooking the city. these people actually had canons on their property and we were sitting on a canon. i don’t remember how it happened, because there was nothing that led up to it.

it kinda just came out of the blue. it only happened one time with that person, but i guess the setting was right.

favourite jamaican romantic hideaway…portland. geejam. you just feel like you’re nestled in the midst of paradise. you have a very tangible connection to nature and to God, it’s a simple thing but it’s also very powerful at the same time.

i’m always telling my love she is…beautiful, in the true sense of the word, not necessarily just physically, but inwardly. beautiful, and appreciated.

we finish each other’s…you know what? i tend to finish her food. i don’t like wasting food.

what’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done for love? i used to walk to and from one of my first girlfriend’s house…at all hours, when it was raining, sunny… i would literally walk over at 3, 4 in the morning, in the rain, just to get to see her. i would walk for half an hour, or an hour, just to see her for five minutes.

love means…unconditional acceptance. giving as much of yourself as is possible, whether that is in the form of emotional or physical or tangible ways. Basically, sharing who you are with someone else, and accepting who someone else really is and taking them into your heart.

 

michelle and suzanne…two sisters…two friends

from the heart of suzanne
she’s the only person in the world that…understands all elements of who i am.

she has to be there when… i would say whenever i have any big event in my life. it’s kind of hard, i think it would have to be for everything.

the craziest thing I’ve done for her is…hired a male stripper on her 18th birthday in florida with all my grandparents, great-aunts and relatives, and had him strip to barely, well actually nothing and had him gyrate on my grandmother, which absolutely humiliated her and all of my friends.

i know she’s lying when…she gets flushed red in her face and her chest, and she has a paranoid look in her eye.

we finish each other’s… shopping lists. whenever we go shopping, we always end up getting the same thing or buying each other the exact same things as presents.

she colours everything with… with love, actually.

from the heart of michelle
she’s the only person in the world that…is so honest in everything that she says. that sees truth in situations and people, and she speaks an honesty that sometimes offends people because they’re not prepared for it, but she’s the only person i know that has the ability to see with such clarity, right to the core of matters and calls it as she sees it.

she colours everything with…joy, and zest for life and happiness and a great sense of humour. she loves to laugh, everything in her life that happens she makes it into fun.

i know she’s lying when...she starts speaking really fast, and sort of blusters, i don’t know what the word for that would be, sort of stumbles over her words.

we finish each other’s…wardrobes. basically, if i don’t have something and she has it, then she’ll say, “well, you take this.” we can’t wear each other’s shoes, but anything to do with make-up or jewellery or whatever, yeah, definitely.

she has to be there when… i need emotional support, or if i’m down.

the craziest thing i’ve ever done for her is… well, i can’t think of anything crazy that i’ve done for her. we’ve done lots of crazy things together for sure.

when we were young, i was about six or seven and she was nine, we were in england for the summer and we ran away. we were asking if we could camp out and we were told by our parents that we weren’t allowed. we decided that we had to live this life of adventure, so we didn’t care what they said. so we went into the room and we packed up our clothes in heaps and threw them out the window, hid the bicycles in the bushes.

it was the summer in suffolk in the countryside, and when evening came, we told our mother to go upstairs because she had to look for something in the closet, and we took off on the bikes and high-tailed it and rode like five miles down the road, and camped out and hid for half an hour and then came back to sleep out in a hut near the house. our mother, who would have none of it, came out and pretended to be a rolling calf and scared us half to death, so we had to run in the middle of the night. that was pretty wild. i thought that i was attacked by a rolling calf for about ten years of my life. we stole out the hobnobs and the blue cheese and the stilton, and took the teddy bear and the nightie and set up camp.

we left a note! we said to them, “this is something we have to do. we are sorry, but we are running away! but you’ll find us in the shed in the morning.” we had some wild summers there in england when we were young, and that was one of them.

 

i hope you have enjoyed this moment as much as we have….please feel free to share your stories with us too by commenting on the blog.

more love,

kaci hamilton is a writer and communications consultant with a travel addiction. if the ticket is for an economy aisle seat ride to greenland on the 2nd of February – with layovers – she’ll be there, no questions asked. she does have an affinity for writing in general, and maybe one day you’ll be at a barnes and noble and she’ll be asking who to make it out to. for now, she’s working her way through life one writing gig at a time and waiting for the next chance to return her tray table to the upright and locked position. check out her blog at www.kacihamilton.blogspot.com.

a very special thank you to all of you who shared a piece of you with us… as kira williams says “love is a verb, a choice that begins when you open your heart…”. i haven’t heard it more beautifully said….please enjoy the video and the collage!

more love,

this dreamy place on earth is Jamaica Inn in St. Ann… understated charm and pure soulful bliss. There are not many places where you can fall asleep to the humming sound of the ocean, step off your own oversized verandah onto the sand, enjoy delicious jamaican cuisine with the backdrop of the sea… and just refresh and indulge… in every way! (if you’re wondering what all this sweet spot talk is about, click here)

so, this week is chocked full of fabulousness as we give you the dish on loving…pussbackfoot style! be prepared to be treated to fun and soulful gab about experiencing love in different ways, a little “love on the rock”, enjoying the morning after, and living it up with friends!

and, of course, the unveiling of the “28 days of love photo exhibition“! please remember to send in your favourite photos of love by tuesday, february 9 (love@pussbackfoot.com). the more we have the more love we feel and we cannot ask for more than that. i am so thrilled that so many of you have already shared your moments with us. it is going to be AWESOME!

more love,

so i know that as the weekend approaches some of us are starting to think about what we will do to celebrate those we love on Valentine’s Day. i usually outdo myself on such occasions, but this past christmas…not so much, so i really have to make it up to him! whenever i am planning an event, i think about the mood i want to create and the venue heavily dictates the ambience. here are some of my favourite sweet spots for love… and if you can guess (just comment on the blog) the fifth spot, my favourite spot, you can win a bottle of one of pussbackfoot’s favourite wines and a special pussbackfoot “28 days of love” music cd!

1. lover’s leap
as the story goes, two slave lover’s leaped from a cliff in st. elizabeth, jamaica to escape their master so that they wouldn’t have to be apart. so… i am glad that times are different and most of us don’t have to jump off of a cliff to be together, but you cannot find a more sincere sentiment than that. i think its the perfect backdrop, with an amazingly beautiful ocean view to boot, to make some promises to each other, and maybe even seal the deal…with a ring!

2. the cliff at frenchman’s cove
some of us know the beauty of frenchman’s cove beach in portland, jamaica. imagine then what the panoramic view from a secluded spot on an overlooking cliff is like…amazing! a group of us discovered this spot last year on a venue scouting trip, and i have been back only once to just take it in briefly. but i dream about the day that i lay a blanket under the shade of the tree and enjoy the gentle winds, the view (i can only imagine at sunset)…and the company.

3. crystal edge
crystal edge is a little jamaican restaurant located in a prime spot right beside cafe blue in irish town. the food is yummy, but what really has me is the very charming dining room beside the main restaurant. its small, cozy and you are constantly cooled by the passing breeze… doesn’t help that i am a sucker for an occassion to get wrapped up in a pashmina! and to make it sweeter, crystal’s and cafe blue live in harmony so you can enjoy the fare from either menu at either of the spots.

4. hope gardens
as one of my dear friends said the other day, a part of the reason she loves hope gardens so much is because of the word “hope”. ditto. it is lush and beautifully manicured, with so many of the most beautiful story book trees. its the perfect place for families to relax and enjoy each other’s company. we don’t have much of a back yard, so from time to time we carry our girls up there, throw down a blanket and let them run free!

5. my favourite sweet spot
these are pics from my favourite sweet spot….can you guess where? remember the first person to guess (just comment on the blog) wins a bottle of one of pussbackfoot’s favourite wines and a special pussbackfoot “28 days of love” music cd.

please comment on the blog and share your favourite sweet spots with us too.

more love,

pussbackfoot love is definitely in the air. more and more people are becoming excited about experiencing this special month of love with us!  on this third day of love, we are focusing on some of our favourite images of love, and we want you to do the same – love in any relationship: love of couples, love of families, love of friendships, even love of pets, whatever brings you joy.

love is such a beautiful and powerful emotion because it captivates us, fills us up and stays with us as it lingers in our smiles. its intangible quality means that we can see it wherever we go. love is really all around us. sometimes we have the privilege to be able to capture it with our cameras, other times we only have the camera of our mind, but the image, the memory and the feeling is preserved nonetheless.

as i prepared to write this love note, one of these such memories crept into my consciousness, and i smiled: i was driving, and in the distance i noticed  a man and a woman dressed in work-out clothes, walking briskly along the side of the road. i thought nothing special of it, but when i got closer i saw a little more, love was there.
because, as they walked, they held hands, never letting go.
it was a beautiful way for me to start the day.

another such moment, was seeing one of my closest friends just after she had had her baby. she was lying in bed, and the baby was in the nursery. i said “i saw him. he is soo sweet!” and she smiled, a wide-eyed smile that beamed and filled the room. that too, made me step a little lighter that day.

love is all around us. whether or not you are aware, your love makes a difference in others’ lives, so, let’s live in love and make the world a happier place.

it is in this spirit of love that we are launching our “28 Days of Love Exhibition”, where we ask you to share some of your favorite expressions of love of any kind, for us to display in a specially created online gallery. (please see below for submission guidelines).

here are some of my favourite images of love…

a piece of me

my sweet

no words necessary

photo credits: (1) Arrianne Williams , (2) Sandor Panton, (3) Jeremy Francis

photo submission guidelines:
1. email photos to love@pussbackfoot.com. multiple submissions are allowed. all photos must be clean, work and family safe.
2. JPEG format. higher resolutions preferred.
3. captions describing the moment must be submitted with photo.
4. closing date is Tuesday, February 9, 2010. the Exhibition will be published on line for viewing of all photos on Wednesday, February 10, 2010.
5. by submitting, you grant Pussbackfoot the right to publish the photo for the 28 Days of Love Exhibition only
6. thank you!

also, if you are not yet subscribed to the blog, please remember to sign up at the bottom of the page so that you can receive your updates in your personal mailbox. thank you.

more love,