*** Moved ***

I have shifted all future posts over to my other blog, Brunch Anytime.

This Strange Thing Called Prom

There is a great article in the NYT from earlier in the week about how students at "the International High School at Prospect Heights, a public school that serves newcomers to the United States, had no clue what a prom was" and it follows them as they learn the rituals to prom and try to throw one. It's a great, charming story, you can read here. Also apparently, Brangelina just bought the rights to it. (Photo courtesy of NY Times)

Wordle

A fun new site to play around with.. Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes.

Coldplay

The new Coldplay album is pretty good and I went to see their live show at MSG last night and it was it fantastic. They did an amazing job of making a big room feel small. They had great light spheres, lasers, they played on a smaller stage almost mid room for a few songs and played 'Yellow' acoustic in the middle of the stadium amongst the third tier seats in the audience. Highly recommend their live show.
(photo courtesy of Bk Vegan)

Sigur Ros

I had the amazing pleasure of going to see Sigur Ros perform at NY's MOMA this week. The new album is beautiful and the setting for this show was pretty perfect. The PopRally exhibit is really awesome--- crazy light displays and moss walls. The show was incredible (with free Icelandic brews) and was set with stunning spheres that lit and changed with the music. A full brass band at one part came down the stairs and played several songs with the band, need say more. You can stream the full album here. (photo courtesy of NY Magazine, more images at BK Vegan)

Brooklyn Waterfall

Last summer brought the floating pool to Brooklyn and now that it has been shipped to the Bronx, we are getting a waterfall this summer. I just heard that it was turned on (test run) and will be one of four along the river. Hear hear to public art installations.

Richie Tenenbaum

I think the subject line says it all... who doesn't love Richie Tenenbaum... "I always wanted to be a Tenenbaum."

These wooden figures at The Mountain Label are pretty awesome.

Monaco

Now that the sun is out, I have been kicking back at one of my favorite french bistros for brunch and whenever I am there, my favorite thing to get is a Monaco. Really light and refreshing, super tasty! Made popular in France, here is the recipe, easy peasy:

splash of Grenadine
2/3 glass of beer (Stella)
1/3 glass of 7up/Sprite

ps. this is the only photo I could fine and it looks way more appealing then this one...

Moo Cards

Someone gave me a small, matte business card a year or two ago and told me all about this company, Moo and I only remembered them again when another friend whipped them out this weekend. You can use your flickr photos to make mini business cards that come out really cool. You can make stickers and postcards too but I haven't seen those although I will clearly be ordering a boatload now.

Reprise

I saw the Norwegian film, Reprise this weekend and LOVED it. Shot beautifully and told in way that at time somehow makes the characters, situations, feelings and moments feel familiar.

Great usage of a Le Tigre song as well!

Cassette from My Ex

Okay, I am not trying to create an Ex theme here but I ran across this site today and I kind of love it. It's charming and well, I have definitely made a boy a cassette mixtape in the day. As they aptly describe their site: "They were into you, so they made you a tape. Today you don't have a cassette player, but you still can't toss that mix. We share the stories and the soundtrack to your earliest loves." Check it out here. I think I need to start digging for my old relics.

Gossip Girl

Okay, its not surprising but I have jumped on the Gossip Girl bandwagon. Like the 90210 of the 90's and the OC of the early 00's, Gossip Girl is pure camp, teen angst and drama. The best part is it is set in the socialite world of New York. The season finale is this Monday but the show has been picked up for 24 episodes next season, part of which will take place in the Hamptons. The last few episodes have really picked up the pace. That NY Magazine cover seemed to have kicked something into gear...

Sample Dialogue from last episode:
Nate: She's right Serena, I mean none of us are saints.
Blair: [points at Chuck] Yeah, I had sex with him in the back of a limo.
Chuck: Several times.
Nate: I had sex with you, at a wedding while I was her date. [looks at Chuck] Once.
Blair: [looks at Chuck]
Chuck: I'm Chuck Bass!

For Sale: Ex Boyfriend Jewelry & Reservations

So I guess everything is for sale. Two recent sites were brought to my attentions. Ex-Boyfriend Jewelry, I think the name speaks for itself. The tag line is Buy, Sell, Trade, Blog About the Boy. The other sites allows you to sell your dinner reservation online, TableXchange. I haven't tried either and I am not sure that I would but my curiousity is piqued. Sorry, they don't have Momofuku Ko up there (yet!).

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

I had The King of Kong sitting in my apartment for weeks now and just hadn't got around to watching it until this weekend and I am so glad I did. It focuses on the rivalry between legendary gamer, Billy Mitchell and outsider family man, Steve Wiebe as they compete to top each other's scores at the old school arcade game, Donkey Kong. It was really endearing, funny and totally interesting. I am by no means a gamer but this movie was so well done and even if you don't know anything about gaming at all, totally riveting.

The Michael Showalter Show and Clark & Michael

Both these online shows have been kicking around for a bit but both are HILARIOUS and worth repeat visits...

Michael Showalter- More can be found on Collegehumor.com

See more funny videos at CollegeHumor

Clark & Michael- More can be found here

Ciao Bella Blood Orange Sorbet

This stuff is eat-the-whole-carton good. Really light and refreshing. Anything blood orange though is pretty much ace in my book.

TasteBook

Since I also try to keep up with my Brooklyn Food blog, the idea of being able to create your own pretty cookbook really appeals to me. On TasteBook, you can upload your own recipes and photos or your favorites from Epicurious and for 34.95 you get a custom printed book with glossy photos. I'm sold!

I Will Possess Your Heart

I like the video more then the song I think, very Lost in Translation. I do fancy The Gibbard.

Barack Gets that Dirt off His Shoulders

Bon Iver, Paul Simon & Marvin Gaye

I am kind of sick of all the music I have been listening to lately, I have ADD when it comes to new music in general but the three albums I cannot stop listening to is Marvin Gaye's expanded edition of Here, My Dear, Paul Simon's 1972 self titled album and Bon Iver (addictive). All three are worth revisits or first visits.

Pinkberry

I know Pinkberry has been around for a bit but as spring is finally starting to hit here in NY, it restarts the cycle of cravings for Pinkberry that seem to (somewhat) wain in the winter. I stopped on my way home the other night and got the original (they now have a coffee flavor in addition to the green tea) and made it my dinner. Also, news to me but apparently you can ask for mochi too and they will pull little pellets of mochi out from under the counter and add them to your toppings.

Plastic Polar Bears

An inventive NY artist has started to make polar bears out of plastic bags and then tie them to the subway crates so when the air comes through it inflates the bears. Pretty cute.

You can see it on Youtube here and read more here

Jason Segel

How can one not like Jason Segel? First seen in one of the best show ever, Freaks and Geeks then later in UnDeclared (both on DVD) and several other Apatow projects since. He will next be seen in Forgetting Sarah Marshall of which he both stars in and wrote and will then be reviving the Muppets franchise. How can one not love someone who shares in the new EW, "I was making out with this woman, and my shirt was off, and she leaned over, and in a really cute, girly voice, went "Hey, Fatty!"

Vernors

I have been sick for the last week and whenever I am sick, the only thing I want is Vernors. My mom would always give it to me when I was sick and after talking to several friends from Michigan about it, apparently she wasn't the only mom to do so. Sadly, Vernors is not readily available outside of the midwest and it is like trying to find a needle in a haystack on the east coast so I am usually forced to grab a ginger ale. It can be shipped but it's pretty pricey for soda. Oh how I miss the gingery goodness!

Friday Night Lights

This is such a good show and like all good shows, no one is watching it. I highly recommend you catch up on Friday Night Lights on DVD. I too just shrugged it off as some football show in the beginning but the minute you start watching, you realize it so much more. It has been on the brink of cancellation twice now but word came in yesterday that through a special Direct TV/NBC deal it will be back for one more season.

Deal breakers

The NY Times wrote a great article about relationship-killing incompatibility standards based on personal reading habits. For some it is one's personal DVD collection, for others it is bad punctuation on instant messenger. Read the full article here, It's Not You, It's Your Books.

Something I Don't Fancy

I try to keep it positive but one thing I think is so ridiculous is when I see adults riding on those tiny Razor scooters. It's embarrassing. There is a reason they are made so tiny and that those people have to almost bend down to hold onto the handles. And really, do they go that fast when you are 5xs the weight of a child. I see this all the time in my neighborhood and can't help but roll my eyes. This post is probably better suited for StuffWhitePeopleLike.

Directors I Fancy on YouTube

Some crafty person on YouTube who really knows how to edit, made some great compliation reels of the works of Paul Thomas Anderson, The Coen Bros, Michael Mann, Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino. He also made ones for the films of the 1970s and 1990s. Really well done and if you are a fan of any of the above, definitely worth a click.

MuxTape

Ok so still loving Muxtape and for all those who went on yesterday, it was down because the servers were overrun but all is well now so try again and post any mixes you make in the comments so I can check it out.

Who doesn't love to make a mixtape and now you can make a muxtape! Muxtape is a brand new site that launched on Monday that lets you upload 12 tracks onto their site to create your very own mix that can be sent to your friends. You can also listen to other people mixes on the site. The site has been getting a lot of traffic so its a bit slow but a lot of fun. I'm in the process of working on mine but here is what I have so far: My MuxTape

The Hills

Yes, I watch the Hills. Yes, I loved to make fun of Justin Bobby. Yes, I DVR'd the premiere. No, I don't think Heidi Montag is a "feminist hero" as the NY Times contemplates. More on the intellectualizing of The Hills here.

ps. the premiere had the highest rating of any cable telecast this year with almost 5 million viewers

Spa Week

Spa Week is almost upon us. Come April 14-20th you can go to over 80 spas throughout all five boroughs (and for those not in NY, it also is happening in CA, DC and many more, see link below). and get treatments for only $50. For a list of all the spas participating and where, go here. I suggest you book early as options get limited as the week nears.

I Have a Crush on Obama

a different video then the first image implies... courtesy of JA

She & Him

Lately, I have really been enjoying the sweet twangy tunes of She & Him which is actress turned singer, Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward. Check it!

Music: Myspace

Mr. Show - Part 2?

Mr. Show was one of the funnier series to air in the late 90s and looks like the comedic duo of David Cross and Bob Odenkirk are reteaming for HBO pilot tentatively called ‘David’s Situation.' As Cross tells MTV "It’s a sitcom, it will follow a traditional sitcom feeling, but will also feel like a big sketch, even though the characters will remain the same each week... I’m playing me. I’ve left Hollywood, I’ve had it with Hollywood. I now write for in-flight magazines, and I’ve moved to a gated community in an unknown suburb; you don’t know where it is or what part of the country. I have two roommates - one is extreme right wing, a cranky conservative pro-America guy. The other is this left wing, hippie, liberal-activist guy. And I’m right in the middle.” Well, if the Arrested Development movie doesn't come together, this is the next best thing and if you haven't checked out Mr. Show, do yourself a favor and add it to your NetFlix queue.

Miranda July

I know some people find her brand of ingenue annoying but I like director/ actress/ playwright/ author/ performance artist Miranda July and I liked her movie, Me And You And Everyone Else. I haven't read her books, Learning to Love You More and No One Belongs Here More Than You but I want to. Here is a video of her on VBS. TV learning to make buttons.

All Things Oprah

I have always been an Oprah fan, literally from when I was in grade school, I wrote a report about her and stuck my head on her body. No joke. My Oprah love has not waned but it has been contained to DVRing the show everyday, downloading her podcasts and reading the magazine (if we can call that contained). Recently, I came across a women who is taking it to a whole other level, Living Oprah is an experiment by one women for one year to live just as Oprah advises. Whoa.

NCAA Brackets

I never thought I would say this but I love the NCAA bracket game. I have absolutely no knowledge about college basketball but decided to join a pool anyways and base all my picks off wins vs loses (and team colors when in doubt). I am not sitting at my computer watching the games online or anything but now that I am in it, I am in it to win it (although *high* unlikely). I'll keep you posted how I do, I'm ranked 9th on the first day.

90210

Growing up, I LOVED 90210. I wanted to hang out with Brenda, Kelly, Dylan and Brandon at the Peach Pit (although in later years that might have been awkward for the four of them to hang out since Brenda was with Dylan who then hooked up with Kelly and Kelly was later with Brandon). Despite my nostalgia, I am appalled by the fact that they are doing a spinoff of 90210.

Variety reported today that "the new take on the Aaron Spelling-Darren Star sudser will focus on the Mills family of BevHills and offer a lot more racial diversity than the original show.

Matriarch of the family is Tabitha Mills, a 60-something actress/alchoholic who was a major star in the 1970s and had been linked to everyone from Warren Beatty to Jack Nicholson. After her latest bout at Betty Ford, Tabitha decides to try to live on her own in her BevHills estate.

Worried for his mom's safety, do-gooder son Harrison "Harry" Mills, a 1980s graduate of Beverly Hills High, decides to move back home to the 90210 after years in St. Louis. He brings with him his wife, Celia, an Olympic athlete who's looking forward to living in Cali, and ends up working as a personal trainer.

The couple have two 16-year-olds: Daughter Annie and adopted son Dixon. Annie is an emo/theater kid who's desperate to fit in with the cool crowd. Dylan, er, Dixon is a supersmart bad boy who has lingering social and behavioral issues -- and not an ounce of nerdiness in him."

Sites We Love to Check in the Morning

I promise I don't know the people who run the site but I do love Design Sponge. It has been around for a bit so I am sure it isn't new to many of you but they have great taste. On the downside, everything they post about I want to buy which isn't good for the wallet.

Simply Breakfast is one of those nice to wake up with sites. It has beautiful photography of one girl's breakfast every morning, no words for the most part and no recipes, just pretty images. Try it with a cup of coffee

:: The Playlist ::
A place dedicated to that sweet spot where music and movies meet

For pseudo cinemaphiles like myself who also love music, The Playlist is the site to check out. They report on music used in films as well as general movie developments on actors and directors I actually really like.

The Vulture is run by NY Magazine and a great go to source for all things culture, very NY based but has a cross section of information. They update constantly and their GrubStreet site is good too

Similar to Design Sponge but less product driven, Apartment Therapy makes you long for the time and creativity to turn your small space into one that is could be in a west elm catalog.

I could go on and on but for now, these are some current favorites for morning perusing...

Making Jewelry In Your Own Image

A few steps beyond the name necklace. Why not? Rick Ross is doing it.

Late Addition to SXSW

So I have finally returned to Brooklyn, exhausted but happy to be home. Saturday night ended on a good note with late night drinking debauchery but beforehand, I got to see a great show at St.David's Church where Jim James played a special solo show with guests M.Ward and other MMJ members. Sitting for a show was also a big plus at that point in the weekend.

SXSW Conclusion: No Day Parties

SXSW Day 4 Best Of: A couple activities got canceled so I was able to enjoy the sunny, warm day. Today's highlight was most definitely having a proper meal and sitting in the sun on the terrace of the Intercontinental. I am really looking forward to getting back to NY (rainy weather and all)

Fleet Foxes

Day Three of SXSW Best of: One of the most talked about and best bands at SXSW, Fleet Foxes is a name to remember. Just signed to SubPop, their debut album is due in the fall.

Music: www.myspace.com/fleetfoxes

Clipse

Day Two at SXSW: Most fun day party today- Clipse

Music: http://www.myspace.com/clipse

Grand Ole Party

Day One of SXSW, favorite show today: Grand Ole Party. Super cool trio from San Diego with female singer/drummer

Music: www.myspace.com/grandoleparty

Someecards

These free ecards have been around for a while but it seems like they have been updating their site a lot more and having more topical cards (maybe it's my imagination). Perfect for when you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, go this site and read some of the greetings, they will definitely make you smile. Or you can just send to your friends to make them smile.

Siggi's Yogurt

I have been enjoying a lot of icelandic yogurt recently. I discovered it at my local cheese shop a few months back and despite it's higher price, have been treating myself to some of the new flavors. It is thicker and less sweet then regular yogurt, more in line with greek yogurt flavoring. They have great flavor options: Plain, Blueberry, Pear and Mint, Orange and Ginger, Pomegranate and Passion Fruit.

The Wire Series Finale

I have posted about the Wire before but since I won't be able to do so for much longer, I just have to say how much I am going to miss the series. This season has not been my favorite but the last couple episodes have really stepped it up and I am getting word that the finale does the same. I recently bought a new HD TV in anticipation for the finale and after working on some kinks, have been enjoying it immensely. There are some good deals on there on TVs right now as the newer models come out.

Pineapple Express

This hit the web a bit ago but I decided to post now because I think they use M.I.A.'s song "Paper Planes" really well and it has made me go back and re listen to that album. Plus I love me a good Seth Rogen/James Franco movie.

Spring!

Okay, yes this one is way broad but NYC is experiencing a couple early days of slightly spring weather and I am loving it. The anticipation of spring weather is exciting especially since it only sticks around for a couple of weeks these days before summer sets in.
Note: the picture looks nothing NY (yet).

TED

TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design and is one of the more amazing conferences in the States. It was started in 1984 and brings together people from all three areas for over four days with 50 speakers each take an 18-minute slot with the sole mission of spreading ideas. This year's conference had people like J.J. Abrams, Jeff Bezos, Al Gore, Richard Branson and the list goes on and on of incredibly inspired people. The conference just concluded this weekend and you can find out more about the presentations on their website.

Treehouses

I love treehouses, not that I get to really frequent them these days but I had one growing up (a pretty awesome one if I say so myself). I came across this site that had the the 10 Most Amazing Treehouses. They are all pretty cool and some are kind of Neverending Story/Lord of the Rings like. It makes me want to build a fort.

MOMA/DFA PopRally

Okay, so I guess this would be something I would have fancied if I hadn't slept on getting tickets so rather I fancy the idea of this creative event. MOMA has a new exhibit they are debuting that "explores artists’ use of ready-made color—from paint chips to colored tape—features works by forty-four modern and contemporary artists, including Gerhard Richter, Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, and Angela Bulloch."

So they are throwing a dance party with DFA with DJs Juan Maclean, T&T (Tim Goldsworthy & Tim Sweeney), Holy Ghost!, Justin Miller & Jacques Renault. Best part, they encourage you to dress like the art in bright, bold colors! Maybe I will still dress like a crayon, put on my ipod and check out the exhibit during the week.

Passing Strange

The new rock musical, Passing Strange is getting a ton of attention. I really dislike musicals but have decided to give this one a try after multiple friends adamantly endorsed it. I have tickets for later this month so no real opinion yet but I'm excited! It was originally staged at the Public and has now moved to Broadway and the raves are pouring in. Here is the description from NY Mag:

The plot itself—ambitious middle-class black man struggles with what it means to be “authentically black”—could be adapted from Obama's biography. But there's nothing heavy-handedly relevant about this rock musical in the spirit of Spring Awakening (with which it shares an amazing set designer). In fact, it's a blast. Stew, the Negro Problem band member who co-created and narrates the show, leaves plenty of room for rock riffs and loose-limbed forays into various musical styles. It's likely to be even more impressive on this big Broadway stage than it was last year at the Public, when Jeremy McCarter celebrated “the easy pleasure of a show that doesn’t feel the need to explain itself.”