My bosses made me write about pie

The guys who run this magazine forced me to blog under the point of a gun. Not really. It was more like non-monetary coercion with a loofah.

Anyway, I'd like to let y'all know about the best piece of pie in the state of Colorado. (Note to perverts: stop laughing.)

If you're down in Buena Vista, you should stop by Jan's Restaurant and order a piece of Candy Apple Pie. It's so good, you'll slap your grandma. Cooked apples drizzled, well drenched, with caramel. The concoction is so perfect, one wonders why no one thought of it before. It's so good, you forget to notice the crust.

I don't remember how much it cost, but it wasn't much. It's the perfect top-off (Note to perverts: stop laughing) after summiting one of the nearby Collegiate Peaks or taking a raft down the Arkansas River.

Jan's Restaurant
304 Hwy 24 South
Buena Vista, CO 81201
(719) 395-6940

Get some custom bling from Cronin Jewelers

There is a wonderful custom goldsmith in Boulder whose name is Bill Cronin and his store is aptly named Cronin Jewelers.

It is rare that jewelers now-a-days have a full goldsmith shop in-house. That is what Cronin has. Everything is made on the store premises. No shipping out to some foreign land or some faceless person in Hoboken, NJ. Cronin works in all types of metal, with a specialty in platinum and gold settings.

Their work is top notch and the staff maybe the most genuinely friendly people in the jewelry business. I know all this from personal experience. When you enter the store you may see Bill walking around with his jewelers' loops draped over his bushy hair.

Cronin Jewelers is located in North Boulder in the Ideal Market shopping center.
1235 Alpine Ave.
Boulder, CO 80304
303-440-4222

You can view a sample of Cronin's custom jewelry portfolio on their website.

It's only Monday, but it is never too early to look to the weekend.

Visit artist Angela Prond and other talented artists at the Summer 2007 Art Market. June 9th and 10th between 10am-5pm at 200 Grant St. in Denver.

Angela was featured in Issue 4 of Cairn Magazine (pg. 22-23) as our Cairn Gallery artist profile. Angela takes a different take landscape painting. In her own words:

"I have always been inspired by the landscape. I love being outdoors. As a kid, I never sat in front of the TV. At every opportunity, I was out the door and experiencing nature firsthand. I did have an inclination at that age that I wanted to be an artist, but didn't know what that meant until I went to an art school for my bachelor's degree in oil painting. It took me four years to learn how to paint what I felt when I looked at a landscape. Experiencing nature is not just how you see it, but what you feel when you are there; I try to communicate that within my paintings using color, abstraction, and collage. Colorado has some of the most beautiful landmarks I have seen and I’ve only just begun. Traveling to see new places is also inspiring. As an artist, I try to express the excitement of seeing a new place on the canvas."

One of Angela's latest work is entitled "Breckenridge":

(click on image for larger version)

The Summer 2007 Art Market, is a prelude to the Cherry Creek Arts Festival. The event is on June 9th and 10th between 10am-5pm at 200 Grant Street.

For more info visit Art Students League of Denver's website or click on the flyer.

On June 18th 'Smack' for a Cause

A lot of us play golf for its enjoyment. Nothing like spending a morning or afternoon outside, smacking a little white ball all over the place. And yes 'smacking' is the correct term when it is I who is hitting the golf ball. Even if you don't like golf you can still support a great cause, while hanging out with some friends.

On June 18th Keep Jack Jumping is hosting the 4th Annual Jumping Jack Charity Golf Tournament at the Ranch Country Club in Westminster. The usually private country club, opens up their doors to all for this annual event.

The Jumping Jack Golf Tournament and Keep Jack Jumping, benefit Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy and to find a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. DMD affects about 1 in 3000 boys every year in the US. It is a cause worth playing golf for and more importantly helping find a cure for.

Keep Jack Jumping was founded in 2003, when Jack, a local boy, was diagnosed with DMD. You can read more about Jack's story on their website.

If you have some time, want to have some fun, and want to support a good cause, please sign up for the golf tournament by clicking on the image below.

Rachel Hawthorn Exhibits New Work

Rachel Hawthorn, a photographer who has shot not one, but TWO covers for Cairn (#1, #3) is currently exhibiting new original work at Vertigo, a gallery located at 960 Santa Fe in Denver. In her words, this exhibit is a "...continuation of my investigation into the way our memories are shaped by the domestic spaces in our history."

The exhibit opened earlier this month and runs until May 28th, so there's still time to check it out and show your support!