All I ever want to do in May is kick it outdoors and CELEBRATE, and this May in particular has no shortage of reasons to find a grassy spot on which to do a little dance. Between the upcoming launch of Panda Head Mag's sixth issue, a DOZEN friends' birthdays (and a graduation, and a baby shower), and a big exciting INSTALLATION I'm working on for an event at the French Embassy at the end of the month (in conjunction with BYT and St~Germain - yay!) - I'm pretty much going to have permanent PARTY DRESS/EEEEK FACE for the next 30 days (and I wouldn't have it any other way).

Getting this edition of No News is Good News together was a party in itself: Michelle Rigg's photo set of some gorgeous (AND DELICIOUS) Tarts by Tarts offerings was a blast to shoot (and a joy to eat and drink); C. Freeman's documentation of one of Mitchell's all-grain brew days features the sort of GLEEFUL, DOG-IN-A-YARD-TYPE TOMFOOLERY that late Spring was built for (also: beer); the three BONUS videos in my sister's and my Wives Doing Arnold Impressions series...well, fine. They're just ridiculous.

As always, you can poke around this month's OFFERINGS in the menu below each feature. Thanks so much for checking things out!

THIS MONTH'S NEWSLETTER

happy birthday. all-grain. t-shirt weather. kabuki. deep cuts.

all photos by Michelle Rigg.

Emily Hilliard and Kari Nye are Tarts by Tarts, a two-woman baking collective turning out - yes, tarts - but also pies, doughnuts, cookies, and CAKES (all "reminiscent of the time when butter was its own food group"). As May is the BIRTHDAY MONTH to end all BIRTHDAY MONTHS (my life is a veritable SEA of Tauruses and Geminis), asking these ladies to put their heads together, re: BIRTHDAY TREATS was high on my list of newsletter priorities. Not only did they come through with a drop-dead delicious pecan-and-caramel cake (covered in a gorgeous ombre, buttercream frosting), but they ALSO invented a cocktail to go along with it: the Mayday is a hot pink, frozen-blackberry-and-Smooth-Ambler-Gin concoction that (as photographer Michelle Rigg and I found out firsthand) is beyond perfect for warm weather, backyards, and yes - birthday celebrations.

Tarts by Tarts is available for catering, collaborations, and projects GALORE for the entirety of Summer 2012: tartsbytarts(at)gmail(dot)com.

THIS MONTH'S NEWSLETTER.

may. all-grain. t-shirt weather. kabuki. deep cuts.

 all photos by C. Freeman.

In which my husband takes his homebrewing operation out of the kitchen, across the river, and into his parents' backyard. I'm told there are things like "mashing," sparging" and "lautering" going on (and of all of these things I'm immensely proud!), but I'm FAR less familiar with all-grain than I am with the extract brewing that goes on, ON PREMISES. The first and only time I tried to assist on an outdoor brew day I got so nervous upon being asked to balance a vat of boiling water atop a ladder that I nearly NEEDED A SMOKE. I've since opted out of participation; luckily, photographer C. Freeman, our friend Trae, and his dog, Dagger were all able to face the DANGER(!), the HEAT(!), the TEN CITIES INTENSITY(!) that is ALL-GRAIN!

THIS MONTH'S NEWSLETTER

may. happy birthday. t-shirt weather. kabuki. deep cuts.

In a preemptive break from party dresses, here are some more faves from my grody t-shirt collection.

THIS MONTH'S NEWSLETTER

may. happy birthday. all-grain. kabuki. deep cuts.

Stills from an upcoming stop motion feature I'm working on for Panda Mag Issue 6 - makeup (watercolor, actually) by Lauren Gilder and THAT FACE by Kate Greene. And hey! ANNOUNCEMENT: the issue launches the week of May 14!

THIS MONTH'S NEWSLETTER 

may. happy birthday. all-grain. t-shirt weather. deep cuts.