Nita Lou Recommends...

A Beginner's Friend: Planet Waves NS Pro Capo

2012-03-11T10:36:00.001-07:00

Planet Waves NS Pro capo
photo by Nita Lou Bryant

I started writing songs about a year ago, but it wasn't until last June that I first picked up a guitar to learn to play my own songs. Up until then, I would sing the melody and my husband would try to figure out on his guitar what chords could be used as accompaniment. Learning how to play a few chords myself opened up a whole new world for me in terms of songwriting, but I quickly discovered that some of the songs I composed were in keys I couldn't possibly sing in, much less play on guitar yet.

Bother.

Enter the capo. In my case, a capo my husband had obtained 30+ years ago when he was first learning to play guitar. A capo with a lot of mileage already on it. A capo I completely wore out in six months time. A capo impossible to replace because they simply don't make them the same way anymore!

Double bother.

Looking at the capos on display at my nearby music store, my heart sank. They were huge and looked as though they'd stick out about a foot from the guitar neck. I explained to the sales clerk that I am a beginner and, as such, I already have enough to work around when trying to play guitar. Further, I explained that mine is a 3/4 size guitar. I asked if they carried any capos that might be less...obtrusive? Another clerk suggested I might like the one made by Planet Waves and handed a package to me.

Like? It was love at first sight!

Planet Waves NS Pro capo
photo by Nita Lou Bryant

It's petite but also fits a larger guitar perfectly, lightweight, and easy to put on and remove with one hand. Plus I think it looks quite elegant. Kind of like my guitar is sporting a slim back barrette. (See photos, below.)

Planet Waves NS Pro capo on 2nd fret side view
photo by Nita Lou Bryant

Planet Waves NS Pro capo on 2nd fret
photo by Nita Lou Bryant

So that's me singing the praises of the Planet Waves NS Pro. Every day I work on learning new chords in new keys, but in the meantime it is extremely helpful to be able to "capo up" as they say. Because I don't know how long it is going to take for me to learn how to play in the key of B flat, which seems to be where my voice just tends to want to go more often than not.

Triple bother.

Cazuelas!

2012-02-12T13:13:00.000-08:00

Cazuela Bubbles Close up
photo by Nita Lou Bryant

Well, I don't know about you but I'd never heard of these things before in my life. I was hosting an early Valentine's Day dinner for some dear friends and the theme and menu I'd chosen was West of the Pecos. I planned to try my hand at making stacked enchiladas and I needed individual baking dishes in which to serve them. Fortunately, the grocery store where I do most of my shopping carries a few tableware items, and that's where I found cazuelas.

The terra cotta color went well with the table setting I was planning, so I checked out the information card displayed alongside the dishes (see photo below).

How to Care for Your Cazuela from La Tienda label
photo by Nita Lou Bryant

Soak for 12 hours? Rub with a cut clove of garlic? Boil with water and vinegar? A technique used since the middle ages? I was intrigued.

So I bought some cazuelas, brought them home, and plunked them into a bucket of water to start the soaking process. The close-up photo at the top of this post shows bubbles coming up while the dishes were soaking. Below are photos of the cazuelas in the bucket and on the stove top, with the water and vinegar in them.

Cazuelas Soaking in Bucket of Water
photo by Nita Lou Bryant

Cazuelas on Stove Top with Empty Vinegar Bottle
photo by Nita Lou Bryant

Close up of Casuela on Stove Top
photo by Nita Lou Bryant

I wish I'd had the presence of mind to take a photo of the stacked enchiladas in the cazuelas when they came out of the oven, but I didn't. They looked so appetizing we just sat right down to dinner.

When I checked the La Tienda website just now I discovered they have a whole line of cazuelas in different sizes and shapes, with lids and without. And that they originated in Spain. They worked great in my little house in Austin, Texas, though, for a West of the Pecos early Valentine's Day dinner. I may write about that dinner in more detail over at my other blog, Studio Nita Lou. For now, I just wanted to tell you about cazuelas.

Honey Bee Soap

2012-01-14T11:35:00.000-08:00

Honey Bee Soap
photo by Nita Lou Bryant

My sister-in-law gave me this soap for Christmas and I used it for the first time today. Oh, my gosh--it is wonderful! It smells so good and leaves your skin feeling smooth and clean, clean, clean. But the coolest thing about it is: you can see through the bee's wings! (Who says grownups can't have bathtub fun?)

Below is a photo of the label showing where you can buy it.

Where to buy Honey Bee Soap
photo by Nita Lou Bryant

Thanks, Soo!