The Demise of Couth

Like I’ve said before- I don’t cook.  But I can “prepare” really well.  I stole this recipe from a great little bistro on Bleeker and Broadway.  It’s called Corner Shop Cafe.  It’s very French, very intimate, and just looking at the online menu is making me miss NYC.  (That and Baked by Melissa cupcakes- but that’s a post for another day).
 

 This is my take of their Spinach Salad with Orange Vinegarette.
 
What you need: Prepackaged spinach leaves, an orange, an avocado, balsamic vinegarette, a splash of orange juice, and a hard boiled egg (optional).

Instructions (you don’t have to be a rocket-scientist): Fill a large bowl with spinach leaves.  Peel and break orange into segments.  Slice or dice avocado.  Slice egg as well.  Mix balsamic vinegarette with OJ.  And put it all together.  

It’s so fresh and sweet.  Enjoy!

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“The Intent to Live,” by Larry Moss

I highly recommend this book to actors, directors, movie fans, shy people, people looking for a good read, anyone who wants to be inspired, public speakers, writers, people with an imagination and really anybody else I haven’t mentioned.  And I haven’t even finished reading the book.  There’s a lot of info and there’s a lot of great lessons to be learned on every page.
 
How did I discover it and how do I know it’s good? I took an acting workshop in NYC and a fellow classmate recommended this book.  From just reading half the book, I’ve learned more about acting than the NYC workshop teacher taught me in that summer.  And I know it’s good because every time another actor or acting teacher sees me reading it, they rave about it!
 
The author Larry Moss writes in such a easy-to-read voice.  But watch out, he includes dozens of nuggets of knowledge in just one paragraph.  So read with a highlighter at the ready.

He first teachers the reader how to break down the script and story and how to get as much info as possible out of it.  He then goes on to creating your interpretation and finishes with all those details that really craft a character.  

I’ve found a sort of Cliff’s Notes version online (here), but if you couldn’t tell already I highly recommend reading the whole thing.  He includes anecdotes about well known actors and directors!

It is also available on the Nook and Kindle, so you have no excuse!  Enjoy!

I want everything in this pic!

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The Best Nail Polish… that isn’t even nail polish

So I’m kind of obsessed with this stuff.  It’s called Salon Effects by Sally Hansen.  You can find it at Walgreens, Walmart, probably most drug stores.  Sephora has this type of thing but it’s about double the price.  At Walgreens it was $9.99 which I thought was way too expensive but I thought I’d give it a try anyway.  (Just discovered it’s $8.50 at Walmart.)

 I’m on day three (pictured above) and there has been only minor chipping, although inconsequential.  I chose a bright glitter pattern.  It’s called Frock Candy- love it!  It actually contains real glitter which chips off the end but because of the busy pattern any chipping is unnoticeable.  I’d be interested to see how a sold color will do.  I’ll keep y’all updated.

So how does it work?  You basically stick these strips on your nails like a sticker and smooth it out using the tools provided.  Then you file away the excess.  Since I’m a perfectionist when it comes to my nails, it took me 25 minutes to do all 10 nails.  BUT, there’s no dry time.  Which is a miracle!  I absolutely hate it when I paint my nails, sit around completely still for an hour to let them dry and then I graze past a piece of fabric for a millisecond and my nail ends up with a fabric imprint.  Because of this I have been known to paint my nails at night and the next morning have to take it off.  Yeah, I’m that much of a perfectionist.

 There’s two sets of stickers per box, but it’s completely possible to get about three sets out of a box if you’re careful with which size stickers you use on which nail.  It claims to last 10 days, we shall see!  I’ve included a pic some of the different prints.  I’m not really into the flowers and camo but one of you may be!

 So like I said, I’ll keep y’all updated to see how long it lasts and what other colors I may try!  LOVE this!  
 
PS. When using bright colors or patterns, it’s usually best to keep the nails a bit short.

Just bought Electric Shock from Walmart.  The best way to describe it is highlighter yellow.  Y’all give it a try too.  Let me know what you think. And enjoy!

Valerie Chiang

Don’t have much time to blog today but I wanted to send you all a link to this incredible artist.  I like looking at pretty things and these photos are definitely beautifully composed. Her name is Valerie Chiang and she’s only 19 years old. 

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Bananas Foster Cupcakes

I would just like to preface this entry with a disclaimer that I have yet to turn the stove or oven on in my apartment and I am AWFUL at cooking.  But baking… baking I’m good at and I can decorate a mean looking cake.  I don’t do it often and I only bake when I’m at my parent’s house, but I know my sweets so any recipe I give, I know it’s good!

Firstly, I love mini cupcakes. Why… because I love all food in miniature.  

Secondly, I love Bananas Foster.  Naturally I love it because it was created in New Orleans in 1951.  It’s a mixture of bananas, rum, brown sugar, and butter flambéed over vanilla ice cream.  Basically it’s divine.  

So I love cupcakes and I love Bananas Foster.  Here is the recipe for my very special Bananas Foster cupcakes!

Ingredients
For cakes:            1 Box yellow cake mix
                               1-2 bananas, mashed (optional)
For frosting:        1/2 cup packed brown sugar
                               3 tablespoons butter
                               1 1/2 cups (about 2 large) finely chopped, firm ripe bananas
                               1/2 teaspoon rum extract
                               1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions: 
Prepare cake mix as directed and bake.  Feel free to add one or two bananas to the cake mix before baking.  It just depends on how much you like bananas.  Let cool. For frosting, combine brown sugar and butter in medium, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave uncovered, on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute. Add chopped bananas, rum extract and cinnamon; stir. Microwave an additional 4 minutes, stirring once. Cool completely.  Fold sauce into store-bought white icing, to taste (some people like a stronger banana taste.)  Frost cupcakes.

 Yes, I use a cake mix (this girl’s got no time to make stuff from scratch) and double yes, the sauce is made in the microwave (it’s easy and it works!) Don’t judge. 

When I first made them I took the trouble of piping mashed bananas into the center of the cupcake (really not necessary.)

You can garnish them with little sugar pearls or banana slices or drizzle some of the rum sauce on top.  And best of all ENJOY!!!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

So, you know when you’re just too lazy to figure out what the hell to wear.  And then you do laundry and you realize you’re washing the same stuff over and over when you have a closet full of rarely worn clothes.  
And then you know those days when you want to look cute but you’re totally uninspired.  Well, thanks to my addiction to fashion magazines I’ve kind of figured out a way to deal with this dilemma. (If you’re thinking this is not a dilemma, then fashion is obviously not as a important to you as it is to me, no worries)  But for those who would like some help, here goes.

Create a lookbook.

Go through fashion magazines and catalogs and fashion blogs and cut pictures out.  Hell, go out on the street and take pics of people whose outfits you like.  Now grab an old notebook or notepad and tape these pics in.  (I tape them instead of glue them so when you’re over an outfit it’s easier to replace.)
I separate the outfits into season, and then into casual vs. business, etc.  So say it’s a summer day and you want to wear jeans, flip to those pages and you have outfits already assembled for you.  Just swap in what you have in your closet for what you see in the pic!
You can also create a file on your desktop to collect online images!

I hope this helps someone.  I’ve been told I dress well so I can’t lie, I get help from the mags!

Note the pile of magazines and pics I have to go through… yeah I’m a bit of a procrastinator

Haven’t been posting… hardly ever really.  I’m too busy, for my taste.  
A few random musings to tide over anyone who may be interested.
Will be posting pics from recent projects such as two of the three student films I worked on.  Sorry no pics from Twilight, not allowed.
Also my hair is long now so all of these pics on the various pages of this site are just wrong.  But new pics cost money- something this girl does not have.
I would like to post a list of my Oscar favs.  I do have Oscar favs but because of the aforementioned busy-ness I have not been able to see the majority of the films nominated.  And this distresses me greatly.  
And my least favorite bit of news- I started bootcamp.  It’s basically hell from 5:30-6:30am Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, lifting weights, running a lot (which I don’t do well, nor do I like) and other such hateful activities.  But I’m going to keep it up.  They also want you to write down everything you eat everyday.  That’s very funny because I like food and they would rather us eat healthy, bland, and in my opinion disgusting food (in small portions).  So I like cookies, so sue me.  
Well, that is all for today.  I swear I will b making an appearance here more often, but then again I often say that.

So I am getting a nook for Christmas.  And while I feel I’m losing some dignity and becoming less civilized by ridding myself of paper books, it also feels refreshing (like a literal weight off my shoulders). After all, I do not intend to stay in the same small apt. for the reset of my life, must less another year fingers crossed.  Moving ten boxes of books is a hassle.  And it will also be nice to pull up any book from a small 8x10 inch machine.
I’m trying to recall what it was like to move from CD’s to downloadable music.  I don’t remember having nearly as much trepidation as I do now.  Perhaps 5 years from now, we will look upon a paperback book as quite obsolete in the same way I look at an actual CD.

In other news, I have been cast as a “vampire witness” in the upcoming Breaking Dawn of the Twilight series.  No lines but I’m on set for what looks like 20 days or more.  I see this as an excellent learing experience, a way to network, and to make a comparable salary doing what I actually want to do for a living.  

 I’ve been really tired lately, office managing and working retail.  Office job early in the morning, retail job late at night.  It’s killing me.  What doesn’t help is that it’s absolutely freezing in my apt.  This morning I stood for 10 minutes in front of my little space heater, doing nothing, just trying to get warm.  
 
 On the 17th, I get to go visit my nephew for his 2nd birthday party.  He’s incredibly adorable and over Thanksgiving break he started calling me “Jessy,” which made my day.  I was playing with one of his toys and he said, “No Jessy.” But my favorite was when I went to get my phone out of my room and he followed me calling my name.  I love that boy sooooo much.  

So, I finished the student films, great experiences all around.  Again, learned a lot.
Hahaha, that reminds me of my old roommate who would use the word “allot” when in actuality she meant “a lot.”  She was an idiot for various other reasons… but that’s a blog for another time.  In one email, I finally had to call her out and included definitions for both allot and a lot.  Hopefully, the self-righteous wench was temporarily corrected.

Audtion coming up next Friday/Saturday.  Looking for a contemporary British monologue.  Better get on that!

Not really, of course. I just don’t think people are really going to care about what I have to say or what I’m doing (basically cause I’m not doing much). But that’s the story of my life- apologizing for taking up your time. I wonder how long I will keep this up before I get tired of it. We shall see won’t we…
So what will I write about… anything I damn well please. Maybe I’ll write about what I wore that day, since that can take up a lot of my time. I’ll probably write a lot about movies because I watch a lot of them over and over. Speaking of, I have twenty minutes to go on a film called Angel with Romola Garai. I mainly wanted to see it because Michael Fassbender is in it, and I have a major crush on him right now. It is a very odd little movie. But I can’t really give a full opinion until I finish it. Sooooo, stayed tuned (if you’re even tuned in to begin with).
In closing, in my very first post I will explain the origin of the title of this blog- The Demise of Couth. In all honesty I stole it. While visiting my grandmother, her cousin (an Episcopal minister) was speaking to my aunt about when it was that teens starting misbehaving as they do now. It was “The Twist,”popularized in a 1960 cover by Chubby Checker, the song and the dance allowed teens to dance without a partner, leading to the want of freedoms that would make their mothers blush. Then he said, “it was the demise of couth.” And that little phrase stuck with me… for 6 years. I write a lot and planned on using that as the title for an unwritten novel but I couldn’t think of a quirky clever title for this blog so I resorted to thievery. So there you have it. (*as a side note I just discovered my computer does not recognize the word couth and wants me to change it to couch. This led me to second guess myself and look it up on dictionary .com. It is in fact a word and I especially enjoyed the provided example- their hockey team had more talent but far less couth.
 As a post script, I would also like to send very heartfelt gratitude laced in sarcasm to my grammar school computer skills teacher. Ms. whatever-your-name-is, thank you for never correcting me when, in order to capitalize the first word of a sentence, I pressed the caps lock button on and off instead of simply holding down the shift key. I already feel the carpal tunnel creeping into my left wrist after only four paragraphs. Pen and paper is so much more rewarding and comfortable and has so much more character.