Thought this was cute at Java Nation (BTW, they are a better Starbucks!).
A mini sink that says:
Everything But The Kitchen Sink
Truly, that sorts of like what they are since they sell coffee but also wine!
How did we ever come up with this saying about kitchen sinks to begin with?
Like would you ever make an offer on a property, and say:
I’ll take it, but you keep the kitchen sink.
There must’ve been some pretty cruddy kitchen sinks along the way. 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Thought this was a pretty cool Passover Haggadah.
Shaped like a wine bottle!
Sort of sets the stage for the four cups of wine at the Seder.
I found this Haggadah in Israel, and I’m glad I got a few of them.
Wishing everyone a joyous Passover and Easter holiday! 😉
(Source Photos: Andy Blumenthal)
What a great labeling of this bottle of wine.
Just a big simple smiley face on it!
After I saw this bottle in the store, I just had to take a picture and also look this up on the internet.
It’s part of the “SMILE” wine campaign from Lindeman’s Wines.
Apparently each limited edition bottle reminds you of something that we have to smile about: “family get-togethers,” “discovering new places,” and “randoms acts of kindness.”
Wow, I love this idea.
Wine makes you smile, but so do these wonderful things in life.
And it’s not just showing/associating the product with something positive (like beer and soda commercials always do), but it’s making the product itself smile at you!
I think this is a really smart marketing campaign.
Also, the cute smiley face on the bottle would make this the life of the party.
Great job Lindemans–I’m smiling. 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Just wanted to thank my daughter and son-in-law for a wonderful Shakshuka dinner last night.
This was topped off with Israeli salad, hot bread, and fresh tihini sauce.
To drink was some rich and foamy Israeli beer, wine, and soft drinks.
A Moroccan feast fit for a king!
It was lovely to see how the kids have grown and are able to frankly outdo their parents (-in-laws) on cooking up a real “delicious” storm. 😉
(Source Photo–which doesn’t even do it justice–Andy Blumenthal)
The Shuk (Marketplace) in Jerusalem is one of the most exciting and affordable shopping experiences.
Vendor after vendor.
Row after row.
Items stocked high for the taking and eating.
From the most delicious foods to Judaica items.
Fresh-baked breads and gooey chocolatey pastries.
Halvah and baklava!
Fruits and vegetables.
Spices, olives, figs, and dates.
Fish and meat.
Nuts, cheeses, and wines.
Candy, coffee, and slushes.
Hamburgers and falafel.
Virtually endless.
Dizzying in a good way from all the people and products.
Like the old times, but anew.
So much life and you never know what you’ll find.
It’s exciting in a way that big box Walmart will never be. 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
So we made it to Florida, but the plane ride was horrible.
Spent an hour and a half on the tarmac waiting to take off because of “low clouds.”
Is that for real?
It was raining outside and the damp air and smell on the plane was sickening.
But we made it, and in Florida, it’s always happy and nice–air was warm, the sun was out, and the people were in holiday party spirits.
Headed straight to the pool and had a great swim–pushed myself even though still woosy from the turbulent flight.
We had a nice dinner and then stopped in this store with amazing popcorn–covered in caramel drizzle and milk chocolate.
Only in Florida (these were no Cracker Jacks)!
The lady gave me a sample and I passed it off to my daughter and wife–oops, the one with the big chocolate gob fell on the floor.
Then we passed this tattoo place and watched this guy in the widow getting a huge tattoo on his calf of this fantastical women’s face. The lady proprietor tried to convince us to come in–ah, no thanks.
Next was a bottle of wine for the night and back to the hotel.
Looking forward to more adventures this week. 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
I took this photo of one of the amazing wine bottles at an event last evening at Magen David Synagogue.
Apparently, a very talented lady in there makes these special bottles.
Unfortunately with the lighting, this picture does not near do them justice for how exquisite they looked.
They were in different colors of lacing, with beautiful beads, hamsas, and other decorations, as well as pictures of our honored sages, and their names in hebrew over the photos.
I asked facetiously one lady who was taking home a bottle whether she was going to drink it all that evening, and she pulled the bottle close to her and leaning in to me said, “This is going in my display case!”
And that truly is where these belong…they are amazing.
The wonderful lady that painstakingly makes these gave how many of them charitably so they could be auctioned for benefit of the synagogue.
Aside from a wonderful soul, this person is very talented and should seriously start a business with these because they are awesome! 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
So as a kid, I remember the older folks joking that “wine is fine, but liquor is quicker!”
As we went for some wine for Shabbat in Fort Lauderdale by the beach, we had a whole bunch of surprises in one evening…
– First, I was more than a little surprised to find a bottle of Manischewitz Concord Grape wine–in of all places, CVS!
– On the way to CVS, we ran into the Jamaican Man, from our last vacation, who makes straw hats on the corner by the beach, and he sees me and somehow recognizes me–next thing I know he is practically embracing me as if I am one of his best friends, high-fiving and fist-bumping me–yeah, me the Jewish boy from the Bronx (this was a riot)!
– On the way back, there is a lady with her kids in tow on the street, and all of a sudden she turns to one of the younger kids and says in her accented English, “That’s almost a $100, you little SH*T!” We could barely believe our ears.
What a lot of surprises all in one evening from the Bronx to Jamaica. 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
This was funny at CVS today.
The “value size” extra strength Tylenol (equivalent)–1000 pills!
Think about it that’s something like 500 headaches…
It reminded me when I worked in the financial service industry in New York City.
The Comptroller of the corporation has a mega size bottle of aspirin right on the front of his desk when you walked in.
It was clear he was quite S~T~R~E~S~S~E~D out.
From a personal branding perspective (my wife is the expert at this), I would imagine that this is not the image you would want people to have of you all the time.
Anyway, pain relief for some is a very big bottle of Tylenol and for others a nice bottle of wine or some time at the beach.
My father used to tell me the joke, “If I have to give up wine, women, or song…I’ll give up singing!” 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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