Maria = MIA for months and months? Yes. Life is complicated. AHHHH. Yes. But very soon I will be eating Pecan Pie. So.
(1) Bear To Do Notepad. (Little Otsu, $6) Grocery lists. Beer lists. Wine lists. Room assignments. All the better if your to-do list is encouraging — flip the page after you To-Did-It, and the pad itself exclaims, “You Did It!”
(2) Fill-in-the-Blank Cookbook Log (The Small Object, $14). A unique way to organize your cookbooks. Better than post-its?
(3) Anne Taintor Paper Cocktail Napkins (Kitchen Kapers, $5). Subtly tell your family what you really think. (The “Ta-daa! Let’s have a cocktail!” napkin would be particularly apt for me.)
(4) Dysfunctional Family Bingo (Knock Knock, $8). Get the fun ones to play.
(5) Winter Iris Apron (Anthropolgie, $32). Because this is the only piece of clothing in Anthropolgie under $40.
(6) Big Wish Life Size Wishbone Necklace ($32, soradesigns on Etsy). So apparently Jennifer Aniston made a dainty little, tiny wishbone necklace popular because she wore it in “He’s Just Not That Into You.” I prefer my jewelry non-dainty.
(7) Wood Rings Bottle Opener (The Curiosity Shoppe, $34). Much harder to lose when attached to the wall.
(8) BONUS! Not included because has little to do with Thanksgiving!!! But, this is what I’d wear to T-day if I had $88 to spare:
Hi, friends. Like a terrible editor, I got sucked into a hole of moving, traveling, and singing “Just Like Heaven” more times than you can imagine. ABOVE IS AN ALMOST-COMPLETELY-ENCOMPASSING-AGGLOMERATION OF WHAT I HAVE DONE DURING OUR SEPARATION.
1. When we last met, I confessed a profound desire to throw a Johnny Weir party. My adoration has not dissipated, and has unquestionably intensified. Especially since I discovered that we get Sundance channel at home! Therefore, I can watch as much Be Good Johnny Weir as I want (until a certain roommate wants to watch Say Yes to the Dress). The show chronicles Johnny’s skating adventures leading up to the Winter Olympics, and will provoke you to shed tears of sorrow over not being best friends with Johnny Weir. Prancing around in fur hats?! Bubble baths with wigs?! If I haven’t convinced you yet, below is a teaser:
Oh, and PS. I am currently watching Pop Star on Ice, an hour and a half documentary on Johnny Weir, AND, I’m going to see him perform Bad Romance live this week. WIN-WIN.
2. Titus Andronicus recently released an epic second album, The Monitor, a cohesive collection of jangly, danceable punk songs with clever references and battle cries. I love battle cries, and the album makes me wish I was from Jersey. Furthermore, I have the attention span of a chipmunk. Despite this, I gleefully consume The Monitor (whose songs mostly exceed 5 minutes). They’re really nice guys who deserve all the album praise they’ve been getting (an unrelated fact that acknowledges I am biased). ANOTHER VIDEO:
A More Perfect Union
Titus Andronicus | MySpace Music Videos
3. While in NYC, I ate the most delicious cookie I had ever eaten. I’ve ingested many cookies, but all of them are now inferior to the magical Levain cookies. Various fortuitous events led to my introduction to Levain. My sister and brother in law saw Rocco DiSpirito mention his love for Levain on the Food Network + I was a block away from the bakery. The cookies are perfection: they are warm and gooey inside, but slightly crispy on the outside. It’s unfortunate that I don’t live in NYC, and cannot afford to have them FedEx’d to Chicago. This copycat recipe for the chocolate chocolate peanut butter chip cookies, however, is pretty good.
4. Have you ever eaten a sour patch kid, and thought, “self. I wish this was a vitamin.” I have trouble remembering to eat my vitamins, but not when I have One-A-Day VitaCraves Sour Gummies.
5. A couple of weeks ago, She & Him released Volume 2, a breezy follow-up to Volume 1. I have mostly positive feelings towards She & Him. Zooey always wears nice frocks, a fact that should have no influence on whether I like She & Him, but…it is a factor. Beyond the frocks, my greatest criticism regarding Volume 1 is Zooey’s chalkboard screeching voice pings. Example: the high notes in “Sentimental Heart.” Not cute Joanna Newsom screeches. Volume 2 is much stronger, and a great way to herald the arrival of Spring (sort of…it’s still cold in Chicago). I especially enjoy their cover of “Gonna Get Along Without You Now.”ALSO THERE IS THIS CUTE VIDEO, WHICH MAKES ME EXTRA EXCITED FOR MY FUTURE BALTIMORE BAND AND DANCE NUMBERS:
6. I’ve been watching a few excellent TV dramas, oddly all related to drug trafficking. Whereas watching The Wire is partly educational for my future move to Baltimore, Breaking Bad satisfies my curiosity regarding what it would be like if an accomplished science teacher cooked meth. This curiosity stems from college organic chemistry lab, where the teacher schooled us in lab technique, and our fate depended on purity and yield. Breaking Bad is amazingly engaging and well-written. It’s intriguing to witness the character progression of Walt, the science teacher who cooks meth (and has lung cancer…and has a son with cerebal paulsy…and he’s poor because he’s a middle school teacher). His thirst for power consumes his initial apprehension, and meth cooking grants him courage that he had never been bold enough to exercise prior to cooking meth.
As I promised earlier this week, here is an extended ode to CAKESPY. Cakespy is a blog dedicated to all things SWEET. Headed by Jessie Oleson, a freelance writer and illustrator from Portland, Cakespy is especially delightful entertainment during droning afternoon work hours (close rival: finding pictures of cute puppies with my friend, Taylor). HERE ARE FIVE REASON WHY I LOVE CAKESPY:
1. Jessie is a fantastic illustrator.
Cakespy has a glorious shop, filled with Cuppie (that’s the cupcake’s name!)-plastered items. No situation is too scary for dear Cuppie- an incredible adventurer.
He is sometimes chased by zombies…
…or with his cupcake special friend in Chicago.
2. Cakespy is funny.
Cakespy’s posts are always wildly funny, including my favorite on 50 ways to destroy a twinkie. When I think of twinkie destruction, I always think about Michael Pollan’s reoccuring twinkie story that he mentions in interviews: he kept a twinkie in his office for years, and it always remained perfectly perky. Boring story, no? Cakespy’s twinkie saga is much more entertaining. Michael Pollan didn’t subject his twinkie to teddy graham death:
3. Cakespy shares yummy recipes.
Along with being a contributor to Serious Eats (this week she wrote about velveeta fudge!), Jessie shares enough recipes to keep your stomach content for eternity. My favorite section is the “unusual” recipes, which forces me to reevaluate things that I had previously deemed “gross”…like this corn dog dessert.
4. Cakespy has an appetite that spans the country. Yes, I am jealous.
5. Cakespy designed a mug/t-shirt/card for Bleeding Heart, my favorite bakery.
At this very moment, while I am spitting out all my love for cakespy, I am drinking out of my new Bleeding Heart mug. My second cup of polish camomile honey tea, to be exact. When I noticed Bleeding Heart’s twitter debut of the mug, I instantly longed to teleport to Roscoe Village and obtain my very cakespy own donuts vs. cupcakes mug. Why? Because I love cute things wielding weapons, Bleeding Heart (supplier of many vegan and non-vegan treats AND they have a Clash poster AND their tables are neon cupcakes), and cakespy.
If you’re curious what the entire image looks like, here’s a picture of a card that I bought for one lucky recipient.
Happy weekend!
1. Lil Matilda wallet from Bird on the Wire, €14.5
2. Chi’s Sweet Home Plush from Akinaiblog.com, €21
3. Music Monkey Speaker from Urban Outfitters, £30 (it dances!)
4. Gadget Girls print by Kevin Dart from Fleet Street Scandal, $30
5. Generation A by Douglas Coupland from Amazon, £9.98
6. SAND de PANDA sandwich maker from JBox, $12.80 (SO COOL)
7. This is London by Miroslav Sasek from Design Museum Shop, £10.99
8. Ampersand cushion by AuntyCookie on etsy, $45
9. Action Book by Behance Outfitter, $15 (for creative times!)
10. CentralChef Cupcake Holder from Amazon, $17.99
Additional Notes: Ookah constructed the lovely image above, and offered a matching template for all of the other wishlists. The font is Quicksand Bold. Finally, if you enjoy Miroslav Sasek here are five silly facts on Miroslav Sasek.
Yay! It’s my very first Currently Obsessed post! I have a serious sweet tooth – as you will probably find out after subsequent posts – so I thought it fitting to relate all these items to mouth-watering sweet stuff!
1) Cupcake Car: When I saw these incredible “cars” capable of going a whopping 7mph, I actually screamed, in a pretty high-pitched voice: “Ohmygosh! They are soooo CUTE!” Because they so are. If any of you have $25,000 to spare you can get yourself the best Christmas present ever: a vehicle slower than a bike – but probably faster than your normal walking speed – that is fully customisable so you can get a car that resembles your favourite cupcake! I’m dreaming of the day that I arrive to school in one of these…The only question that remains: Do I need a driving license for one of these?!!
2) Oreo Cupcakes: I got pretty obsessed with cupcakes this week, and these look SO delicious! I mean pink panda cupcakes that are made from Strawberry Milkshake flavoured Oreos! Can you get more mouth-watering then that?
3) Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain (Or just Amélie): I’ve just started my A-Level French course at school and my teacher said that we needed to expose ourselves to more French culture; movies, music, book etc. So I decided to watch a French movie – I’m so glad I picked Amelie! It has actually become one of my favourite movies of all time! Its about a kooky waitress in Paris who leads a simple life and decides to devote her life to bringing strangers happiness. It is the cutest movie ever – I know I overuse the word cute, but there is no other way to describe this movie! You don’t even need to speak French – watch it with the English subtitles!
4) Carmex Cherry Lip Balm: Cherry Carmex is the best lip balm ever! I have really chapped lips but this lip balm makes them feel all moisturised and smooth! Your lips actually tingle when you put it on AND it smells so good! Every time I reapply it people will go: Are you eating a sweet? What smells so good? It only costs £2 as well, I can’t find any downsides!
5) Nymph Costume: So Halloween isn’t as huge a deal here in The UK as it is in the US, but I still think it is a great excuse for fancy dress! How beautiful is this handmade, leaf-adorned tunic? I think dressing up as Greek Forest Nymph would make the perfect Halloween costume! It is obviously dressing up, it is a unique idea and its just really pretty and feminine! Too bad it’s not exactly scary!
6) Irregular Choice Shoes: Irregular Choice makes the wackiest most original shoes that I have ever seen! You need to check out their website! I love all the colours and prints and the different structures – can you use the word structures when describing shoes? – that all the shoes have, but, my favourite pair by far are the ones covered with little ice creams! I went and tried them on in the store and everything, but unfortunately I am completely incapable of walking in 6inch heels!
I hope this isn’t getting too tiresome for you non-New-Yorkers, but if so, no worries. I’m leaving here on Tuesday, and promise to be located in a much more boring town for the next two years!
In the meantime… remember when I went to Economy Candy (and then somehow ended up writing a blog post all about food in Children’s Books)? Well, a reader named Stephanie told me I must visit Dylan’s Candy Bar. Which I did, in combination with my trip to Serendipity 3 (two blocks away!).
Even though it’s a little tourist-trappy, it’s a most fabulous and wondrous place for someone with an affinity for candy + bright colors + pretending to still be a child. It’s almost like a little candy art museum: there are tubs of gumballs, stairs with candy stuck inside them!, candy murals, and even a portrait made of Jelly Bellys:
My favorite favorite part, though, was a display downstairs in which famous people filled little boxes with their favorite candies and then signed them. Such a cool idea!
If you want to visit: Dylan’s Candy Bar in NYC is located at 1011 Third Ave. (E 60th and 3rd). You can take the 4, 5, 6, N, R, W to the Lexington Ave stop. (You can take a combined trip to Serendipity 3 which is on 60th between 2nd and 3rd.)
There are also other locations in in East Hampton and Garden City (New York), as well as Houston and Orlando (but I cannot attest to their awesomeness).
After the jump, Steven Spielberg’s favorite candies!:
You might have seen Serendipity 3 a few weeks ago when Steven Colbert ordered the $1,000 gold-wrapped ice cream sundae. Little did I know I’d end up there a week later ordering only $8.50 worth of food (the minimum, per person). I also didn’t know that it would be cute as hell (a fashionable place for Manhattanites to visit) or have the largest, kitchiest menus I have ever seen.
If you want to visit, Serendipity 3 is at 225 East 60th Street (between 2nd and 3rd Avenues). While you’re in the neighborhood, ensure your teeth rot by stopping by Dylan’s Candy Bar (which I should do a post about later) at 1011 Third Ave.
Finally, if you’re at a loss for what to order from their massive menu, Serendipity 3 is known for its frozen hot chocolate (though my friend and I split a $15 brownie sundae).
Alright, so this post will contain several sections, possibly including but not limited to: introduction, children’s books, candy store.
You heard it here first (unless you read my personal blog. or are my facebook friend. or follow me personally on Twitter.): I am moving. Yes, I am abandoning NYC, my home, my lovely lovely home, and making my way southward, all the way down to Virginia, where I am going to become a Writer of Stories and Novels.
But before I become said Famous Writer of Stories and Novels (I just added famous), I am trying to get my few-month, pre-departure fill of NYC. This, by the way, is impossible, but in my travels I have seen many things (Brooklyn Bridge! Purple Rice! Shelves of candy! Pastel-colored malls! Grassy knolls in the middle of city streets!). So here I begin “Places & Spaces,” one of the many columns Stickers & Donuts can never hope to keep up with on any kind of regular basis.
So, my Place & Space is a fantastic candy store which I’ll get to, but walking into it reminded me of the days of old when they seemed to have candy stores — no not pharmacies where you could purchase candy, but actual stores devoted exclusively to the selling of candy to children for a nickle — on every corner.
And if you are thinking, “Maria, you weren’t alive for that era” then you may or may not be right, but I was alive for the era where everyone from that era started making movies and writing books where said candy stores existed. I have always dreamed of going into a candy store with candies piled high to the sky. YOU MUST WATCH THE FOLLOWING PIPI LONGSTOCKING CLIP to get a full understanding of what I mean by the quintessential 1950s Candy Store:
Now, if you also read the same books and watched the same movies as I did in your childhood, you may not remember the candy stores and the food (but, come on, you would remember that scene, right? those bright flowery bags? all that candy?! the kid stuffing the frosted thing in his mouth?!!!). That is because, apparently, ALL OF MY MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD ARE ASSOCIATED WITH FOOD.
Examples:
The first and most obvious book I remember from my childhood is Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. I have a particular memory of the pancake over the school because it combined the joy of both food and a school closing. Unfortunately, I could only locate a picture of the glistening jello in the forest:
I had a lot of Berenstain Bear books. The only one I can remember is the one where they ate Too Much Junk Food. Suffice to say the point really passed over my head and my main memory concerns the double page spread of a table filled with the most delicious junk food you can imagine.
Then, of course, there is The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe. Yes, Turkish Delight sounds delightful, but as I prepared for this post, I desperately searched for an illustration of what I had apparently deemed a memorable tea party at the beginning of the book. These were the only specific details I remember from the entire book which I read ten years ago. And here is the passage my brain chose to remember:
Great. Then of course there is Alice in Wonderland teas and I know I would be remiss without mentioning Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and even as an adultish creature my greatest memory of the movie Chocolat is this rich, creamy cup of steaming hot chocolate that looked like it was just a cup of melted chocolate bars. Oh, and Matlida. I know you are supposed to be grossed out by that giant chocolate cake. Me, not so much.
In Conclusion: Economy Candy is a Fantastic Store in Manhattan
The above tangential section leads me to my ideal place of joy, and yes, all of the above was required to explain just how wonderous it is. It’s not fancy, but it is stackedddd to the ceiling with candy and fruits and nuts and chocolates and CHOCOLATE COVERED S’MORES.
It’s called Economy Candy and it’s on 108 Rivington Street on the Lower East Side. Usually opened 9-6 (Saturdays 10-5). Check out some of these fab images I snitched off Yelp:
And that is the short story long, my friends. Now go to bed or back to work, either way, be sure those sugarplums dance in your head.
Can we talk about this?!
Inspired by Maria’s previous “What I Bought” post, and Mindy Ephron’s blog (things i bought that i love) (which is just as funny as the Office episodes she has written), I’ve created a post of things that I have recently purchased. No, I’m not substantially aiding the economy with 25 cent animal figurines, but they make me happy.
I have no idea why I felt compelled to construct two sentences with “yo,” but I’M NOT GOING TO DELETE THEM.
