Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Beer Me
Lord, beer me the strength to finish this spec script tonight. Just two more days, and we'll be back to more regular programming here.Labels: writing life
Monday, February 25, 2008
One Fine Day
A week ago, I had a conversation with Ryan's parents about their visit to Laduree in London. I've never had a macaron; most of my attraction to macarons has been for aesthetic value. They redeemed an otherwise waste of time at the movies, they are the stuff home decor is made of, and now they are weekend fodder. How many of my Perfect Day scenarios involve a box of colorful macarons sitting on the kitchen table? Almost all.
This weekend, Ryan & I visited Paulette in Beverly Hills, pretty much as soon as I had caught wind that there was a shop dedicated to macarons here in LA. Give me two of everything. Box it up in a dozen that makes the circling for parking worth it.
A perfect day for me would look something like this: sleep in a little, but get coffee at the conservatory with just enough morning left. Skim the New York Times at the shop, take the dog for a walk with Ryan. Pick up a few things at the farmer's market while on the walk, to make lunch (something cheesy and soup-family, of course). Stop to smell all the flowers on the way home. Make lunch. Take a nap. Wake up to work on a painting until dinnertime. Dinner at a place that has fresh briny oysters for an appetizer. Catch a really amazing film. Read a short story from my recently acquired collection My Mistress's Sparrow Is Dead. Fall asleep to a cool breeze in the dead of summer.Labels: foodie call, good things
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Just get me a really big closet.
The most exciting thing to happen in weeks: the leak of the (official?) Sex and the City movie trailer! That's my big fat present to you on this lovely Saturday night, in memoriam of many past Saturday nights in college spent with Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha.
It makes me want to call up all my girlfriends. And write some really great scripts.Labels: films
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Sunday Tea
Made pumpkin cranberry scones earlier this afternoon, with a recipe from Veganomicon. The cookbook was one of many foodie tomes I received for Christmas, and hadn't cracked until now. I've already spent many weekend afternoons with Nigella Express, and continued to page through Tartine (but often put it aside when I grow increasingly wistful for a life in San Francisco).
I'm glad I cracked the book and found something to do with the can of pumpkin puree I had left over from the holidays. The scone is just perfect enough for the last dregs of winter, with a pat of butter and a nice pot of strong Earl Grey on a lovely afternoon spent squirreling away with season 2 of Dexter. Do you watch this show? You should try it. It's incredible.
After the Mercury-related chaos of last week, I've been lying low this weekend. I'm happy the site is back up, yet I'm holding off on any computer or internet or communication related needs until tomorrow. Some unpleasant things can always wait until tomorrow. Not things like tea and kissing someone wonderful though.
Happy Sunday, friends!Labels: foodie call
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
When Retro isn't awesome.
After learning about Mercury being in retrograde these past few weeks, everything is making sense to me. All the communication breakdown, the complications that came out of something as simple as TRYING TO RENEW MY SEVEN YEAR OLD DOMAIN (don't panic if this goes down for a day or two, I'm trying my best to prevent that), and the more heightened-than-usual need for solitude and overall hermitness.
In other news, Happy Birthday to annplified.com! We're 7 years old (+ one day, technically)! Oh the things that this blog has seen me through; for better or for worse.Labels: holidays, mean reds
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Mr. Mraz, write the soundtrack to my life again, please.
Five really good things, because it's been one of those days:
1. Support.
2. Learning about Jason Mraz's new album dropping in May.
3. Phone calls with friends far away.
4. Coming home.
5. Finding inspiration and gathering fodder.Labels: good things, growing up
Monday, February 11, 2008
Perfect Cheesy Saturday Soup
The best cure for a case of the Mondays is a homemade broccoli, potato & cheese soup. Or at least, warmed up delicious leftovers from the weekend.
Perfect Cheesy Saturday Soup
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half&half
2 cups veggie stock
1/2 pound fresh broccoli, chopped
2 large potatoes, cubed
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups grated sharp cheddar
Directions:
1. Make a roux by slowly whisking together melted butter and flour in a large pot over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Mix in half&half, then veggie stock. Simmer for 20 minutes.
2. While making the roux, put the cubed potatoes in the microwave for four minutes.
3. Add broccoli and pre-cooked potatoes into the thickened soup, cooking over low heat for 20 - 25 minutes or until veggies are tender.
4. Stir in salt and pepper, then add 2 cups of sharp cheddar and stir until completely melted.
For an extra good time, slice a crusty loaf of french bread in half and smear with butter mixed with fresh crushed garlic and a smidge of olive oil. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake on 350 for about 8 minutes.
Hope you're all having a lovely start to the week!Labels: foodie call
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Monday Kind of Skirt
This weekend, along with making delicious foods that I'll expound on later, I made a skirt from the ground up! I used the Naughty Secretary Skirt pattern in Diana Rupp's Sew Everything Workshop book. There were quite a few challenges that made me very happy that the internet was invented, especially when I found the invisible zipper tutorial that saved my weekend. Thanks to this amazing shot-by-shot blog entry, I was able to finally understand how to put on an invisible zipper foot AND successfully sew in my first invisible zipper.
I also learned that linen is incredibly un-ironable, which is kind of frustrating when you spend all night pressing it. There probably also needs to be a lining sewn in, but since I want to wear it tomorrow to make Monday a little more manageable, I'll wear it over a slip.
Happy Sunday night, friends! Remember to sew your hearts onto your hems.Labels: fashion love, sewing
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Luck Dragons & a Valentine's Mix
So the theme of 2008 so far seems to be that I put off planning things and then scramble at the last minute -- NOT my favorite thing to do since I LOVE anything that involves celebrating around a theme. I spent New Years' Eve all mopey because the two weeks leading up to it, I had stomped around and proclaimed how much I didn't want to do a.n.y.t.h.i.n.g. Come actual day, I was depressed that I wasn't doing a row of flaming shots next to some of the MOST ATTRACTIVE PEOPLE I WILL EVER KNOW and TELLING THEM HOW MUCH I LOVE THEM.
Then for our anniversary a few weeks ago, I learned that under no circumstances should you use Blurb as a service for any of your bound book-making needs. When the book was delivered, the dustcover was correct -- but the inside was a 17 year old girl's 40 page suicide book. All the glory of red text on black and disclaimers about "I don't care about your truth or feeligns, this is MYTRUTH (sic)" and "I don't two shits about grammar, spelling, or punctuation (sic)" replacing my corny little book of photos of us. Did I mention all this was hilarious, except that I had again dragged my feet and so the book came a week late already?
So last night, in the tradition of 2008, I panicked because I suddenly remembered that today is Chinese New Year. It's traditional to wear a new outfit on the first day of the year - something to do with luck. Everything in Chinese culture is about attracting that Luck Dragon or something. (I might be confusing my childhood folklore...) Don't worry for me though, I plan on getting a new outfit and be ready for the new year by day's end. Always ready to get a new outfit at a moment's notice.
I'm a little flustered, so I'm going to get a jump start on plans for Valentine's Day. First, here's a mix for you:
01. Put A Little Sugar in My Bowl, Nina Simone
02. Forever Your Girl, Paula Abdul
03. Heartbreaker, Mariah Carey
04. Wishin' and Hopin', Ani DiFranco
05. Funny Valentine, Frank Sinatra & Ella Fitzgerald
06. At Last, Etta James
07. Ain't No Other Man, Christina Aguilera
08. I've Just Seen A Face, The Beatles
09. I'm Yours, Jason Mraz
10. First Day Of My Life, Bright Eyes
11. Such Great Heights, Postal Service
12. Love Love Love, Tristan Prettyman
13. I Found A Reason, Cat Power
14. You Are What You Love, Jenny Lewis
(Sweet present idea from The Curiosity Shoppe)Labels: holidays
Sunday, February 03, 2008
California Dreaming
Between the foggy, runner-covered hills of San Francisco and smoggy, car-lined acres of Los Angeles, there is beautiful stretches of nature in California. This whole state could be its own planet, with the Mediterranean climate of southern California, the vineyards of wine country, the snowy caps of the San Bernardino mountains, and the briny north coast shores. I so needed to step out into it all, to breathe in air so clean that my lungs don't know what to do with themselves.
Late last week, I finished The Seas by Samantha Hunt and It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want To Be by Paul Arden. The Seas was as haunting as promised, almost like being trapped inside the head of an unwilling siren -- or mermaid, in this case. There are moments that are so manic that you feel like you're falling into this murky, unwonderland somewhere off the coast of Maine through the pages of this bite-sized novel. I found it best to read in a nice hot bath at the end of a long, bitterly cold day.
Arden's book is full of all those things someone should have told you at your college graduation. If I were to ever run a college, I would pass out a copy with each diploma.
Now my undivided attention can go to Little, Big. That and reading Bon Appetit cover-to-cover. Speaking of, I'm making Butterscotch Pots De Creme for the second time this week. They're addicting.* You should try them for yourself.
*Edit: I can't seem to get the custard just right yet. It's either too soft still in the middle or overbaked and eggy. I'm willing to work on it til it happens though.Labels: books, foodie call, photolog
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