I love combining my passions, however simple they may sometimes be.
Dinner, wine or spirits, cigars- all great on their own but take on a different level when combined, especially in the company of friends. Not too long ago I had the pleasure of sharing such an experience with two very dear friends of mine- one is a fellow model, Julianna, and the other is a photographer you may recognize- Tracy Tesmer. Actually, make that three- because behind the scenes was another great friend, and amazing hair stylist I might add, Clemente Javier. They are also all cigar smokers.
We have had many nights together over cigars in the past, and our conversations have brought up ideas for incorporating what we do. We love it. One passion fuels the other and the whole experience is a fun and memorable one. We don’t need a camera to have fun, but it brings things to a different level when we combine our skills and energy into a full on shoot. For some it may be hunting or fishing, but for us it is a photoshoot!
Here are some behind the scenes previews from our most recent shoot: (these are by no means final- they were taken on cell phone cameras, ha! Yes, Tracy can even make a mobile camera shot look that amazing)
Cigars featured in the shoot: Adrian’s Costa Rican Cigars Julianna is having the Maduro and I am having the Connecticut shade wrapper.
Now, this next preview wasn’t taken by Tracy but is the final preview I have. (In fact, you might see her in the background of this shot!) This is how we like to combine our passions. And the entire day and evening, beyond the shoot, was the experience. It was about getting together and enjoying life, enjoying what we love. Not to mention, some really great smokes for the occasion!
I cannot wait to see the final images from Tracy! She has already put up a teaser on her site with some photos you will want to check out:
Her photos from IPCPR are incredible, too. Take a walk through her site, I think you will appreciate what you find. Her perspective and skill is absolutely beautiful. I believe she represents the leaf well and I look forward to all her future creations!
I am flattered Gary Korb of CigarAdvisor.com included me in his latest column with an interview. This was a fun turn of the tables where I found myself answering questions rather than asking them. You can view the interview here: Ashes to Ashes: An Interview with The Smoking Hot Cigar Chick or by clicking the image below.
You will usually see me having a cigar while out with friends at a cigar shop, bar, or outside on the patio during the week. It is a casual and comfortable time enjoyed between work schedules. Lately, a few of us have been getting together once a week to indulge in something special. We escape any stresses of the outside world and walk into Pappas Grill for some appetizers, libations, lighting up a cigar, and a night of conversations.
The difference is the setting, but it is nice to have a place that makes a day a bit more special in its own way. It’s fallen into our routine as a highlight of relaxing, ending another busy week and getting refreshed for the new one. The service is first class and the entire evening feels like a reward. It isn’t an every day event, but it is something to look forward to. Because it is special we will often have a cigar to compliment- either one we bring on our own or a few we share with each other so all can enjoy something new.
This is a fine dining restaurant, with incredible steaks and wines, but also with a bar that welcomes cigar smokers. I love walking in, seeing the sign posted by the door, walking past the piano and into the bar where I can light up my smoke.
The setting brings in a different focus. No television (but maybe the sports, muted, in the distance of the bar), a table we are all seated at keeping us all in eye contact but relaxed with our own seats, the opportunity to share appetizers and try new foods as we sit and enjoy our cigar. The waiter checking in to make sure everything is great is a pleasant bonus. When you have the whole thing together it feels like another time in history. We always plan it so that we have the entire evening open. That way we are never rushed and can truly forget about time and focus on what matters.
Do you have a weekly ritual or special self-created occasion? Maybe something that is once a month? I think it is a nice way to celebrate what we love with those closest to us.
Have we missed a week? Sure we have, but we try not to if we can help it.
Last night was a wonderful evening filled with cigars, libations, food, and great conversations. There are so few places you get to enjoy this combination, and last night was a treat.
At the Monnalisa inside the Hotel Sorella, we enjoyed a beautiful setting overlooking the pool and indulged in our favorite luxuries. The food menu may be small, but the items are quite delicious! I’m looking forward to having more tonight. The cocktail list is what is focused on at the Monnalisa. There are some great selections, and with Ken of Santa Barbara Cigars there for the night- he will have a great cigar to pair with your beverage of choice.
It felt like an escape from the city, especially when you consider the ever growing restrictions of laws. Many people were visiting from out of town for the OTC which lead to meeting great new people and engaging in fun conversations. If you can make it to CITY CENTRE tonight then join us for a great evening. The party starts at 7PM and will continue throughout the night; I hope to see you there!
I want to bring up a topic that isn’t necessarily focused on cigars, but rather all the things we appreciate and why. Whether it is a hobby, lifestyle, or moment reminding us of our fondest memories, there are things in life that have a special place in our mind. What they all have in common is a connection and a beginning.
Think about the things you enjoy and why you enjoy them. What meaning do they hold do you and where does that meaning come from. For some of us it may remind us of our childhood and the things that made an impact in our lives as we grew up. For others it may be the surprises that came up in moments where we escape the busy day and make time to focus on ourselves. There may even be a mix. But when something is important to us there is a connection. Let’s take food for example.
Food and comfort go hand in hand. There are items that perhaps our parent’s prepared for us that we remember fondly not for just what it was, but the circumstances and story behind it. It may create a starting point for us to grown on and make into our own. There are elements that we respond to and take pleasure in. We begin to make a palate for those elements and look to expand on them as we grow in life. Some things change and some stay the same, but there is never a wrong or right to it, just what meets our satisfaction. This is where appreciation comes in, and the value of our time.
Hobbies or ways we chose to relax let us connect with our strengths and rejuvenate. They make time stand still as we enjoy them, and those we enjoy them with.
For me, growing up it was those closest to me and my environment that made the impact. My father made me aware of the power of knowledge and finding answers from different sources. If ever I had a question, at any age and however simple or complex the question may be, even though he knew the answer he made me discover it on my own. He would guide me to books and people and the questions to ask (yes, more questions for my one simple question) until we looked at it in a more thorough light. From the history of where things came from to the science of how they are made, my father always pushed me to discover more and to discover it on my own. I thank him for that. As a child it wasn’t the best at the time, and the funny thing was if I avoided asking him I would have to find out on my own just as he would have me. But he was always there to guide and support me.
My mother and aunt are those I spent the most time with and are where a lot of my passion comes from. This aunt was not an aunt by blood, but very much was my family. You see my mother’s family is something we know little to nothing of as she was orphaned as a child and grew up on her own. My “aunt” left her family to start new opportunities in America. When she and my mother met they were family, and so she is mine. I was told at a very young age that my mother would pass away and I had said my goodbyes. My aunt played a significant part in this as she raised me along side her. Fortunately my mother survived years past what the doctors had expected, making each day I had her in my life a blessing. I cherished every moment and detail. And that is where much of my passion and appreciation comes from. You see they loved to cook, to entertain and host parties, and to make their own business allowing them the time to enjoy life. Every day was given detail, however simple or grand the occasion may be. And they always included me in all that they did. My aunt believed strongly in always representing ourselves through our words, actions, and appearance. Every single day she raised me in this belief.
At home every meal was made from scratch in our home, and I would watch or participate where permitted. Even breakfast was done properly at the table with time to enjoy the meal. It may have meant waking up earlier, but it was important to take out time and enjoy this moment and prepare yourself for the day, focused and ready. During events I would assist in setting up and making sure guests were attended to properly. Conversations, detail to food, enjoyment of wine- it was all there and something that I have a strong connection to to this day. It made me happy, and especially happy to share it with others who held that same appreciation. We never know how long our lives will be or what each day may bring us, but we are in control of making the most of each moment.
Now, as far as smoking is concerned most of the women I knew growing up smoked cigarettes and many of the men cigars. I always enjoyed the smell of a good cigar, but never found an affinity for cigarettes no matter how much my aunt smoked them. There was nothing there for me. Looking into cigars and the culture and process that goes into them was something I could relate to and find enjoyment in. It goes back to food and the palate, and what is enjoyable. There is an experience to be had.
And so when I enjoy a meal or smoke a cigar, yes there are details to consider of what is liked better over another, but at the end of the day the goal is the same: to enjoy life.
And so I want to ask you, what are your beginnings? What goes through your mind when you are relaxing and indulging in your hobby or luxury of choice? I think the little things are important as they help us paint a bigger picture.
I like to enjoy at least one element of what I appreciate each day. Maybe it is reading and discovering something new about my interests, having a cigar, a fine wine, or a great conversation with a friend. Whether on my own or with company, I make an effort to do something each day. This is one of the reasons I created this site, as a place to share experiences of our appreciation to life’s luxuries.
Be sure to pick up a copy of the latestCigar Press Magazine from your local tobacconist. In this issue you will find my article on “Distinguishing Taste” which discusses how all of our senses play a vital role in a complete cigar experience. You will also discover photography featured by Tracy Tesmer of www.tracytesmer.com for the images in this article.
If you have never picked up a Cigar Press before then you are in for a real treat. Thor Nielsen of Cigar Press really knows how to speak to cigar smokers. He gives us the information we want to know, as well as the profiles of cigars so we can have our own experiences be based on flavor and strength, and not by ratings. Cigar Press is what the culture of cigars is all about.
How often is it these days that we can enjoy dinner at a fine dinning restaurant, followed by a fine cigar with an after dinner drink at the bar, all indoors, in a beautiful setting and still welcomed as a part of the whole fine dining experience?
Places still exist, fortunately, but the number is quite small making these gems a very special luxury. Laws are different from city to city and depending where you live, it makes for quite an issue of where to smoke. I have the fortune of having great cigar shops with welcoming lounges nearby when I wish to enjoy a cigar inside and in great company. But for those moments I want to have a drink or feel like a part of the fine dining experience, options are very limited.
The photo above is a view of the dining room from the bar at Perry’s Steakhouse in Champions, TX. This particular location welcomes cigar smokers in their bar very proudly. And this is a bar that is not tucked away off to the side and hidden from eyes, but placed where you still feel included in the whole experience. During my last visit the dinning room had a nice crowd present, the bar was comfortably packed with patrons enjoying a cigar and drink, and the room was filled with the sounds of the piano being played from the dining room.
It is a rare treat, and a bit of a drive for me. But experiences like this are worth it.
And so I ask you, do you have locations that offer the fine dinning and cigar experience? A place to go for a special occasion or celebration, a place that isn’t your home but a part of the community?
Cigar bars are fantastic when permitted by the city, but the whole dinning and cigar experience is an even rarer gem. Let me make a distinction when I speak of bars. There are “bars” and then there are cigar bars. When you are surrounded by cigarettes, the enjoyment of a cigar is not ideal. Cigars are a tradition and ritual to be respected, not lost amongst the smoke, but savored. This is what separates the cigar bars from the other bars. And even those are few in number.
Please share places you know that still welcome smoking where laws allow them. The art of smoking a cigar being welcomed as a part of the dining ritual is such a rare treat now. A place that welcomes and respects cigars just as they do their wines and libations is fantastic and must be enjoyed.
For me, I smoke my cigar until the tips of my nails can no longer hold on- down to the cap. The very end of the cigar is my favorite and I like to take my time as I enjoy it. You know a cigar is a great one when it lasts you this long and doesn’t have any heat to the taste, just a nice beautiful finish.
It is the part I look forward to equally as much as the first draw. When everything comes around full circle, the transitions have been made, and the story comes to a close it is pure, delicious enjoyment.
It may not be every single cigar I do this with as some don’t have that finish I’m looking for. But when a cigar is great, sometimes you just don’t want it to end. And I’ll enjoy it to the very last moment, whenever or at whatever length of a cigar that may be. Some come sooner than others and when that last draw happens you know the experience is complete. It’s a beautiful thing.
But maybe I am on my own here. How far do you enjoy smoking your cigar?
Halloween is just around the corner and what better way to celebrate than with The Drac! Last year Pete Johnson of Tatuaje presented us with a stylized coffin consisting of 13 cigars called The Frank. With 666 boxes made, this was a limited treat.
This year we have two things to look forward to. First is the new series designed for this year: The Drac, a 6 3/4 x 52 Torpedo with a Habano Maduro wrapper. Nom.
Next, is a playful reminder of last year. The Frank will be making it’s appearance this year “out of costume” as The Boris, named after actor Boris Karloff. (We can be looking forward to The Bela (Bela Lugosi) making an appearance next year.) The Boris is a 7 x 49 Churchill with a Sumatra Ecuador Rosado wrapper.
The party starts soon, this Halloween! Cigars this fabulous deserve an equally great event to celebrate. For Santa Barbara CigarsHalloween event, a theme has already been discussed- Zombies! I’ve decided on my costume to be a zombie of a certain actress, and am looking forward to all the great costumes everyone come up with. It will be a night filled with cigars, costumes, and great conversations.
I’ll let you know more on this particular event as it becomes available.
Also, I want to thank Pete for sending me some killer swag! From t shirts to booty shorts, I am enjoying them all. It is no secret that tatuaje cigars are my favorites, and I am delighted to wear the name and designs. Style and cigars- love it.
Now, this next preview wasn’t taken by Tracy but is the final preview I have. (In fact, you might see her in the background of this shot!) This is how we like to combine our passions. And the entire day and evening, beyond the shoot, was the experience. It was about getting together and enjoying life, enjoying what we love. Not to mention, some really great smokes for the occasion!
