Nouveau Sweet

Which do you prefer?

2011-12-22T18:28:00.000-08:00

There's probably not a person on the planet who hasn't heard Billie Jean by Michael Jackson.

A few years ago, Chris Cornell (of Soundgarden fame) did a beautiful, haunting cover of Billie Jean that I instantly fell in love with:

But then this year The Civil Wars did a fantastic cover of Billie Jean as well:

So my question to you is: which do you prefer? I honestly can't decide.

Where would you go?

2011-12-01T19:57:00.001-08:00

image source: wikipedia.org

If you could travel to any place in the world, RIGHT NOW, where would go?

I asked my boyfriend this and he said, without hesitation, Fiji (he's a surfer and apparently this is a surfing mecca).

My answer would be NYC. I know a lot of people who live in NYC and I'm sure to many of you reading this, going to NYC would actually not be a very big deal at all. But living in California all my life, NYC is a location I've always dreamt about visiting. I think I have longed to be immersed in NYC's culture, history, and energy for as long as I can remember.

To think about how many pieces of great art, literature, music and film were created in NYC is enough to boggle the mind. If I were there, I'd want to feel the sidewalk outside of the Hotel Chelsea and think about how many legends pressed their boots against that very same cement.

I'm afraid that my first trip to NYC would have me in sensory overload with an itinerary that would be far too ambitious for one person to successfully complete. I want to see places well-known and obscure; I want to walk the distance of a city block and get a feeling of what it actually means when someone says, "I walked 20 blocks to get to that restaurant the other night" (city blocks in San Diego are HUGE, but I hear they're relatively small in NYC). I just want to take it all in with hungry eyes and appreciate every single moment. I honestly don't care one bit about shopping in NYC--I would be there to SEE and EXPERIENCE, not to buy.

So anyway, where would YOU go right now, if the sky was the limit? And more importantly, WHY?

Candy Ramen & Gyoza

2011-11-22T15:40:00.001-08:00

Unlike most candies, which you generally just open and pop in your mouth, Japanese candies sometimes require fine motor skills, creativity and the ability to following directions before you're able to eat them. For kids, I think the process of creating your candy makes it more worthy of the final reward: getting to eat it!

Check out this video featuring candy ramen noodles and potstickers (gyoza). I'm kind of obsessed with it:

Sour Cherry is like candy to my ears

2011-08-27T21:59:00.000-07:00

You know how sometimes there's a song that, no matter how bad your day, or not matter how tired you feel, once you hear it, you get instantly energized? This song makes me sing aloud and shake my booty whenever I hear it.

What song has that magical power over YOU?

Bubble Chocolate Mania!

2011-07-11T17:05:00.000-07:00

My obsession with bubble chocolate all began when I first post about it here.

Many months later, my amazing friend Yuliya sent me a "random act of kindness" package one day, and in it contained a bar of--you guessed it--Bubble Chocolate. Aren't girlfriends THE BEST? She not only remembered how much I was obsessed with this chocolate, but then SENT me one to try:

As you can see, this is regular chocolate that's been aerated. In other words, they pump air into the chocolate while it's still in a liquid state so that it hardens with tons of tiny bubbles inside of it:

I can't really convey in words what it feels like in your month when you eat this chocolate. If you chew on it quickly, it sort of feels crumbly in your mouth. But if you let it melt on your tongue, you can feel the little pockets of air and it's just so fun to eat!

Hershey's has jumped on board with their own version called Air Delight:

I picked up Air Delight a few weeks ago and, in appearance, it closely resembles Bubble Chocolate:

But to me, it doesn't have the same sensation on the tongue as Bubble Chocolate. I find the chocolate in Bubble Chocolate to have a much firmer consistency, so that you can feel the pockets of air on your tongue quite easily. Air Delight is a softer chocolate, so the bubbles just aren't as pronounced. It's a nice-tasting chocolate bar, but I just don't get the same sensation when eating it. So I suggest, if you want the full experience, to pick up a bar of Bubble Chocolate first, if you really want to feel those bubbles on your tongue.

When I was at my local Japanese market a few days ago, I noticed that in Japan Nestle has a version of bubble chocolate called Aero (I think Nestle used to make a bubble chocolate for the US market a long time ago as well). Oh how I WISH we had these yummy flavors in the US (well technically we do, but you have to go to an Asian market to find them, like I did):

Aero - chocolate flavor

Vanilla Ice Cream flavor

Green Tea flavor

Green tea bubble chocolate? YES please!

Are you a bubble chocolate fan? If so, what's your favorite brand?

Don Draper: what?

2011-06-04T17:26:00.000-07:00

If you're a fan of Mad Men (if you're not, you should really give it a try), I think you've probably already seen this but JUST in case, it's a must-watch:

My boyfriend and I say "What?" to each other like this and it never gets old.

New Pez flavors!

2011-05-05T17:03:00.000-07:00

image source: Pez.com

I honestly can't remember the last time everyone's favorite novelty candy, Pez, released new flavors. So I think this warrants a blog post, don't you?

(from drugstorenews.com)

ORANGE, Conn. — Pez Candy is giving fans more reasons to love its confections with the U.S. launch of two new flavor blends.

Pez said the strawberry-vanilla and raspberry-lemon combinations join its lineup of assorted fruit flavors. The new flavors will be part of a 10-pack bonus candy SKU and then will be packaged with the regular assortments, the company said.

"We are very excited about our new flavor blends. They have done well in Europe, and we have modified the flavors accordingly for the U.S. market," Pez Candy CEO Joe Vittoria said. "Look for Pez to bring more innovation and fun to the consumer."

I'm so excited to try both flavors--how about you? For more info, click here.

She's got Steve Buscemi eyes...

2011-04-14T13:35:00.000-07:00

Steve Buscemi is one of my all-time favorite actors (hello, Ghost World!). One of the things he's known for are those eyes, right? Well, this site is all sorts of wrong, but I'm oddly drawn to it. I just can't turn away:

Chicks with Steve Buscemeyes

I'm in love with Pixelgirl

2011-03-30T16:14:00.000-07:00

Pixelgirl and I go waaaay back, but I don't think I've ever talked about her on this blog. If you have never been to PixelgirlPresents before, allow me to apologize in advance for the huge amount of time you'll probably spend on this site.

After combing the interwebs for cute, free wallpaper, desktop icons and cellphone wallpaper, I always, ALWAYS come back to Pixelgirl. In my humble opinion, this site has the cutest, sharpest images and graphics, it's the easiest to use, and well, who doesn't want sushi rolls as desktop icons?

Eraser porn

2011-03-30T16:00:00.000-07:00

There's makeup porn, nail polish porn, shoe porn, food porn and so many other types of phrases we use to describe sites, blogs, picture galleries, etc. that contain tons and tons of images of the things we love. I'd like to add to that lexicon today and present you with:

Eraser Porn

My favorite pages in particular:

Lipstick Erasers

and

Food Erasers

Enjoy!

I'm obsessed: beards!

2011-03-30T15:39:00.000-07:00

I have a thing for men with beards. Yes, I know it's super trendy, but I really do think that a nice beard can turn a good looking man into a REALLY good looking man (depending on the man, and depending on the beard, of course). My boyfriend's had a beard off and on for years now, and whenever he shaves it off, it's not that I love him any less, but it always makes me sad. There's just something so warm and cozy about a beard...

My eternal crush, Paul Rudd, looks even more handsome with a beard (to me):

But it CAN work the other way around, as in the case of Jon Hamm, who is so much better looking clean-shaven:

HELLO Don Draper!

And here's the only man I've ever seen that looks more attractive with a mustache:

What are your thoughts about beards? Or facial hair in general?

Best website ever (well, maybe not ever, but it's pretty great)

2011-02-19T14:07:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love this site. Take a minute to go through the presentation--it's fun and educational:

Are you a COMIC SANS CRIMINAL?

The importance of spell-check

2011-02-19T13:23:00.000-08:00

My brother actually spotted this one the other day when we were out and about. He knew I was going to bust out my camera when I saw it, and sure enough, I did. How could I resist?

Dear local sandwich shop:

Please ask your banner vendor to run spell-check on your banners before they're printed.

Love,
G.

The cutest Pez dispensers ever?

2011-01-23T14:20:00.000-08:00

When I was strolling down the Valentine's aisle at CVS the other day, I came across these:

What's cuter than three Hello Kitty (and one My Melody) Pez dispensers in a pink lunch box? I mean seriously! And the heads are lucite, to boot!

I'd take these over roses for Valentine's Day, hands down.

Such a beautiful song...

2010-12-19T22:39:00.000-08:00

Do you ever rediscover songs that you once loved but, for one reason or another, had completely forgotten about? It's like seeing an old friend again after years of being apart.

I'm not sure exactly why I'm so compelled to share this song with you, and I know it's not for everyone, but I think it's a masterpiece. It manages to capture a moment in time, a beautiful love, so completely. If you've never heard it before, then I hope you'll take a moment to listen. I hope you enjoy it.

Note: there is no video--it's just a blank screen (which makes me happy because it doesn't detract from the song).

She's Got a Way

by Billy Joel

She's got a way about her
I don't know what it is
But I know that I can't live without her

She's got a way of pleasin'
I don't know why it is
But there doesn't have to be a reason
Anyway

She's got a smile that heals me
I don't know what it is
But I have to laugh when she reveals me

She's got a way of talkin'
I don't know what it is
But it lifts me up when we are walkin'
Anywhere

She comes to me when I'm feelin' down
Inspires me without a sound
She touches me and I get turned around

She's got a way of showin'
How I make her feel
And I find the strength to keep on goin'

She's got a light around her
And everywhere she goes
A million dreams of love surround her
Everywhere

She comes to me when I'm feelin' down
Inspires me without a sound
She touches me and I get turned around

She's got a smile that heals me
I don't know what it is
But I have to laugh when she reveals me

She's got a way about her
I don't know what it is
But I know that I can't live without her
Anyway

I'm obsessed: Scentsicles

2010-11-22T18:51:00.000-08:00

I love pretty much anything that's scented, whether it be candles, plug-ins, potpourri, you name it. But when I saw these recently, I just thought they were so brilliant that I had to share them with you:

Scentsicles are basically little "ornaments" that are tubes filled with fragrance oil that you can hang on your Christmas tree (especially helpful if you have an artificial tree) and they come in a variety of scents (click here to see all the different options).

I don't use an artificial tree during the holidays, BUT, that won't stop me from trying these out. Think of all the different ways you can use these! Hang some in the closet, in the guest bath, heck, in the car even! I love the smell of Christmas trees anyway, so I just can't get over the fact that no one has thought of this before (maybe they have, but I've never seen scented ornaments like this before!).

By the way, they're just $8.95 for an 8-pack and they're available at Hallmark, Michael's, Walmart and Bed Bath & Beyond.

Have you tried Scentsicles?

Songs that never get old...

2010-11-14T12:38:00.000-08:00

Here's a song that came out in 1982, I believe, but it just never, ever, EVER gets old. I don't care how many times I hear it--it always gets my feet tappin' and my bootie wigglin'.

And for those of you born after the era of records and record players, the pops and crackles you hear on this recording are that of a record being played on a phonograph. I miss that sound so much, and am grateful to the person who uploaded this song in all its crackly glory!

Yaz, Move Out

(Turn it up!)

And just because this song reminds me of my junior high boyfriend, here's one more. Aaaah, how many times I practiced writing my first name with his last name while listening to this song...

Yaz, Only You

I'm obsessed: dessert-flavored gum

2010-10-28T14:09:00.000-07:00

Here's my newest obsession, folks. Perhaps you've head of it:

Gum that tastes like dessert. This is either genius or disgusting, depending on your personal taste. For me, it's the former. Why NOT have a stick of game flavored like your favorite delicious dessert? It's sugar-free, and if it satisfies my sweet-tooth long enough to stop me from eating the real thing, I'm totally on board.

I love Extra gum. My long-time favorite flavor (we're talking over 20 years now) is Extra Spearmint (you know, the neon green one?). Since I'm such a long-time devotee of the Extra brand, it didn't take a lot of arm-twisting to get me to try some of the Dessert Delights flavors. I've only been able to locate the two flavors above in my area, but apparently there is also a Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream flavor as well, which WILL be mine as soon as I spot it.

Let's start with Key Lime Pie. This is the flavor that I thought would be the most challenging to interpret. Well, Extra kinda nailed it! Upon first chew, you get the lime, you get the whipped cream, and then slowly, you even get the CRUST! The crust! I detect a tiny bit of maple syrup as well, which is fine by me. This truly tastes like a slice of key lime pie to me, and it's kind of amazing.

The smell alone of the Strawberry Shortcake gum is enough to make my mouth water. The flavor? It's kind of big on strawberry with just a little hint of actual cake flavor. But regardless, I think this is one yummy stick of gum, and if you're a strawberry fan, I think you might love it.

So before you say "no thanks" to dessert-flavored gum, I think you might want to give these a shot (if you like sweet gums, of course). They just might surprise you!

Disclosure: I purchased both of these packs of gum with my own funds.

I'm Obsessed: Asian Candy

2010-10-04T12:14:00.000-07:00

I go to my local Japanese markets so often that I think the employees there may think I have a slight problem. I just love all things Japanese, and I am especially obsessed with Japanese candies. Oh my goodness are they AWESOME. The thing I love the most is that popular American candy manufacturers often make Asian versions of American candies with interesting (and better!) flavors than those they offer here in the US.

Which brings me to my latest discoveries, which, if I had more money (and a smaller waistline) I would have purchased right on the spot. Check these out:

Banana and strawberry flavored Kit Kats

Mango flavored Oreo Candies

Cola-flavored chewy candies

I actually purchased the above candy because, well, that little guy with the soda bubbles for hair totally sucked me in. Here's a look at the back of the package:

I wish I knew what the little guy was saying! If anyone reading this can translate, please please leave a comment and let me know!

By the way, these soda candies are YUMMY! I love how they are chewy (like taffy almost) but there's a hardy, gummy center that takes like bubbly cola.

Do you have an obsession with Asian candies? What are some of your favorites?

The Killing Moon (three ways)

2010-09-20T17:46:00.000-07:00

A little while ago when I was bored at jury duty, I tweeted and asked people to list their three favorite songs of the 80s. I got some fantastic responses, and when I narrowed down my top three, I HAD to include The Killing Moon by Echo & the Bunnymen.

So now I'd like to share The Killing Moon with you, plus two of my favorite covers of The Killing Moon.

First, the original:

Now here's a wonderful cover by Pavement (who just so happen to be appearing on The Colbert Report tonight--yay!):

And here's a cover of the same song by another great band, Nouvelle Vague:

What's your favorite version?

I'm obsessed: Album Tacos

2010-09-17T14:53:00.000-07:00

I LOVE it when people take two totally random things, mash them together and create something completely absurd.

Albums + Tacos = delicious fun!

Check out the magic that is Album Tacos here.

In honor of 90210 Day

2010-09-02T13:59:00.000-07:00

Considering that I was 20 in 1990, it stands to reason that the original Beverly Hills, 90210 played a pretty significant roll in my life and the lives of my friends. We emulated the styles of the characters and, of course, had fun picking apart every hair on their heads. And yes, I did have a huge crush on Mr. Dylan McKay and I'm not ashamed to say so.

So in honor of 09/02/10 (aka, 90210 Day), here are some little tidbits from the greatest teen drama EVER (I won't even debate that. It WAS the greatest teen drama, period!).

Here's my favorite intro, which was used for seasons 2 and 3:

How can any original 90210 fan not love the Emily-Valentine-tries-to-burn-down-the-float episode??

The most iconic moment in the history of 90210 can be describe in three simple words:

And I just have to include one more, which is a more of a fan-inspired clip, but it's so full of awesome that I never get tried of watching it:

What are some of your favorites moments from the best teen drama in the history of television?

A million dollars to change Anderson Cooper's hair color?

2010-08-23T12:12:00.001-07:00

I probably should have posted this on my other blog, but anyway, I thought this was not only an interesting proposition for the "Silver Fox", but also an interesting concept in the world of hair color. A ingestible pill to rid you of gray hair?? (photo credit: Nancy Kaszerman/ZUMA Press via eonline)

From happi.com:

Rise-N-Shine Offers $1 Million to Anderson Cooper

2010-08-20

Rise-N-Shine, LLC, the Sparta, NJ –based maker of Go Away Gray, is offering $1,000,000 to CNN’s Anderson Cooper to get rid of his gray hair for five consecutive years by using its ingestible dietary supplement that contains Catalase.

Go Away Gray was developed by Cathy Beggan, long-time proponent of natural remedies. (You can read more about Go Away Gray in “What A Pill!,” found in the the Aug. 2010 issue of Happi.)

“We feel like Anderson Cooper is a really visible, and well-respected figure and thought he would be a great spokesperson for the product and the company,” said Beggan.

The company is willing to deliver the cash to Cooper after using the pills for 60 days and sharing his experiences with the new look via social media such as Twitter and Facebook.

Beggan thinks Cooper might just go for it. “While Cooper may not need the extra cash, he may decide to go ahead with it and donate the million dollars to a worthwhile charity,” Beggan said in a press statement.

Think Anderson will take the challenge? Something tells me there's no chance whatsoever of this happening. But you never know.

Dreams of Eddie Vedder

2010-08-20T17:05:00.000-07:00

So I had a dream the other night that I just can't seem to get out of my head. I've tried analyzing it over and over again and it still makes no sense to me, so I figure that talking about it here might just give me some resolution so I can stop thinking about it.

OK, so in my dream, it's the early 90s and my boyfriend is Eddie Vedder. And we are MADLY in love. We're in a living room and there's a house party going on. And he decides to bust out an impromptu acoustic version of Black.

In my dream, he's sitting on a chair with a guitar, and he asks me to come sit on his lap while he plays for the crowd in the living room of this house. How I can sit on his lap while he plays guitar and sings is beyond me, but hey, this is a dream so go with it.

Another weird thing: Eddie is wearing a dark prurple button-down shirt with a tweed sports coat over it. SO weird. I mean, who wears purple button-down shirts with tweed sports coats? Certainly not Mr Eddie Vedder, I can tell you that right now.

So I'm sitting on his lap, and I recognize that his hair is long and wavy and flowy (just like in the 90s and in the video above) and that MY hair looks exactly like his (we actually do kind of have the same color and texture of hair). So in my dream, I'm thinking about how COOL it is that we both have the same exact hair. And then, he stops, mid-song, just to give me a big kiss. And we start smooching, while the entire living room is waiting for him to start singing again. And we laugh and giggle after the kiss and he continues to play the rest of the song.

So then we leave and it's suddenly daytime and we're driving in an old beat-up pickup truck and we're in Bodega Bay (northern California coastal town) and we're driving on this beautiful, scenic, twisty road and when the truck stops, I look over and he's gone. Poof! It's just me, alone in the truck. End of dream.

I've thought about how Pearl Jam's Black was pretty much the anthem of my college years. I mean really, is there a more heart-wrenching ending to a grunge-era song than this?

I know someday you'll have a beautiful life

I know you'll be the sun in somebody else's sky

but why, why, why can't it be mine?

And I've also thought about how Eddie Vedder was one of my biggest crushes during that time of my life. But the hair thing, what he was wearing, and how he just disappeared from that truck...I don't know how to interpret that. Maybe some things are better left alone, right? Because that kiss was pretty darn incredible.

You MUST watch this!

2010-08-18T14:04:00.001-07:00

Please please watch the entire thing--the best part is at the end. It's worth it, I swear.

From last night's Jimmy Kimmel show with Justin Long:

Walk on water (really)

2010-08-14T11:47:00.000-07:00

Liquid Mountaineering. YES!!!

Check this out:

I'm obsessed: the new Sharpie Liquid Pencil

2010-08-12T17:20:00.000-07:00

Is it just me, or do you have a favorite pen too? Mine is the old school Pilot Precise v5/7 Fine Point (not to be confused with the Extra Fine Point, which sucks, in my humble opinion). I love love love this pen! It just has a way of making my handwriting neater, prettier, cleaner. It's the best pen I've ever used, and I'm pretty darn faithful to it.

photo source

But then along comes this new innovation in the world of writing instruments:

photo source

From DrugstoreNews.com:

OAK BROOK, Ill. (Aug. 4) Sharpie is bolder than ever with its newest innovation.

Sharpie's liquid pencil hits stores shelves nationwide this September, just in time for the back-to-school season. Using the newest liquid graphite formulation, the Sharpie liquid pencil writes like a pen but erases like a pencil.

"The Sharpie liquid pencil is a game changer in the back-to-school shopping aisle," said Sally Grimes, VP marketing for Sharpie. "Sharpening standard pencils takes up valuable classroom time, and mechanical pencil leads seem to constantly break. The Sharpie liquid pencil means no more sharpening, and it's erasable for up to three days, after which it becomes more permanent. It's unlike any other writing instrument out there."

The Sharpie liquid pencil features a line width comparable to a 0.5mm No. 2 pencil. Suggested retail price for a single pack with eraser refills is $1.99. The double pack with eraser refills is $3.99.

A liquid pencil that "writes like a pen but erases like a pencil"? I'm sold! It's interesting to me that it's only "erasable for up to three days, after which it becomes more permanent". Maybe this new technology is what will set it apart from the horrible "erasable" pens of yesteryear that were awful and tore up your paper every time you tried to erase something.

I'm absolutely obsessed with the concept of this new writing instrument, and I see that it's already available for purchase at Office Depot. Hold me back, people! I need this ~~pen~~ pencil.

I'm obsessed: Bubble Chocolate

2010-08-03T13:37:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be fun to do a new series on Nouveau Sweet called "I'm obsessed" where I feature the tiny things in life that I'm currently obsessed with on a day to day basis.

At this very moment, I am OBSESSED with Bubble Chocolate. I need it. I want it. I will stop at nothing to get it. Chocolate with tiny bubbles inside? The description on the Bubble Chocolate site is enough to send me over the edge:

Distinctly flavored and deliciously different. Bubble Chocolate® reliably delivers a mouth-watering sensation that tickles the taste buds. Its unique light and airy texture promises a consistent balance of smooth, all natural, premium European chocolate. An irresistible experience in every bite!

And look at this pic (also from the Bubble Chocolate site):

And as if that weren't enough, when you go to the Bubble Chocolate site, every time your cursor hovers over a link, you hear a tiny bubble burst.

That's it. I need this chocolate NOW. I'm going to head over to my nearest BevMo (where they sell it in my area) and I'll report back once I've tried it. Until then, have you tried Bubble Chocolate?

Greetings, fellow nerds

2010-07-20T15:33:00.000-07:00

I love love love this kind of stuff. Not because I ever intend to actually make anything like this, but I just love watching the process. And hearing the chemical names. And see it all come together. It makes me "oooh" and "aaah" every time.

Pretzel M&Ms are made for girls

2010-07-14T19:29:00.000-07:00

Why am I devoting an entire blog post to Pretzel M&Ms? Well, I figure that since the majority of people reading this blog are of the female persuasion, there's a good chance that several of you go through monthly cravings for sweet and salty foods. So what better treat can you give yourself during that time of need than a 150 calorie bag full o' sugar and salt?

Seriously, these new Pretzel M&Ms are the BOMB if it's that time of the month. But a word of warning: resist the temptation to bite right into the M&M and chew it immediately after you put it in your mouth. To get the most out of Pretzel M&Ms, you must pop one in your mouth and savor it. Let it melt slowly until all the chocolate coating is gone, and then hold on because you'll hit that salty layer of pretzel which will make it all worthwhile...

It's Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

2010-06-25T17:46:00.000-07:00

There are pretty much two camps of people. Those who think this is the most irritating little song in the whole world, and those who simply cannot get enough.

Considering the fact that this video has over 17 million views on YouTube, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that most people are at least mildly amused when they hear it.

All I know is, I haven't made or eaten a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the past four years without singing this song out loud (just ask my boyfriend--he stopped thinking it was cute after about the 50th time).

IT'S PEANUT BUTTER JELLY TIME, PEOPLE!!!

If you, too, can't get enough of the Peanut Butter Jelly Song, let's see some solidarity! Leave a comment and let me know you love it! Or not.

Not Penny's Tote!

2010-06-06T14:45:00.000-07:00

As many of you might know, I am a HUGE Lost fan. While I am very, very sad that the series is over, I am happy that I was able to get a small piece of memorabilia as a tribute to this amazing TV show. A few weeks ago, I saw this limited edition canvas tote bag online and well, it just HAD to be mine. I got it for $15, which I think was a great price, considering how awesome it is.

You have to be a Lost fan to understand this...I can't really even try to explain the awesomeness of this bag to non-Losties. Sorry!

See the little hand inside the "O" in "Not"?

I LOVE THIS BAG! I can't wait to use it the next time I go to the grocery store. :)

Restaurant Rant

2010-04-30T12:18:00.000-07:00

So the boyfriend and I went out for dinner the other night at a restaurant we had never been to before--and it shall remain nameless because I will never, ever give this place free advertising (if you're in San Diego, email me and I'll tell you the name so that you never, ever go there).

Granted, we were dining kind of late. We walked in and it was 9:20PM, but the sign on the door said "Open until 10PM" so we figured we still had plenty of time to grab a quick bite and be on our way. PLUS, there were...oh...about 15 other tables with patrons still eating at 9:20PM, so we figured we wouldn't be one of those lame couples who run into an empty restaurant at 9:45 and force the entire restaurant staff work an hour longer than they need to. In other words, the boyfriend and I are both very aware of these things, and we're always super courteous. We wouldn't dream of sitting down in a restaurant that's set to close in 45 minutes if we were the only two people in the place. Just not how we roll.

So ANYWAY. We both ordered a type of soup that is VERY hot and comes out literally still bubbling. In other words, it takes a few minutes to cool down, but we both figured we'd still have plenty of time to eat and be out the door by 10PM, no prob.

From 9:30 to 9:45, we were startled over and over again by one of the waitresses literally yelling "We're CLOSED!!" while unsuspecting patrons tried to walk in and be seated. Isn't there a nicer way of telling a potential cu$tomer that it's too late to have dinner? Also, is it standard practice for a restaurant to stop seating 30 minutes prior to closing? (I seriously don't know the answer to this, but in my experience I can't recall ever having a problem with being seated 30 min before closing. In fact, I've had hostesses beg me to come in when I tried to walk away after seeing an empty restaurant 30 min before closing).

Moving along: After the constant barrage of "We're CLOSED!!" in my ear while dining, the same waitress comes up to our table at 9:45 and says, "Can you pay now?" I'm sorry, but I'm a little busy right now since I'm literally putting this spoon into my mouth, lady. Sheesh! I couldn't believe how rude this woman was, so I basically just said, "Yeah. Give me a minute. I'm obviously right in the middle of eating this." And guess what she said in response? "OK but can you hurry?" WHAT?

But it gets better. So the boyfriend and I are now fully stressed out because it's obvious the waitstaff wants to shut this restaurant down at 10PM ON THE FREAKING DOT and they don't care who they run over in the process. Most of the other patrons were running for the door at this point, but as I mentioned earlier, we had hot soup that you just cannot scarf down quickly. The boyfriend kept saying, "Take your time honey. We don't HAVE to rush" but that just made me even more stressed out.

At 9:50, we were then met with waitresses on either side of us, bussing both of the empty tables. But not just bussing--I am convinced these girls were trying to make the MOST obnoxious noises they could make with plates and cups. They were chucking each dish into the plastic bin like little boys with a stash of burnt-out lightbulbs. Smash! Smash! Smash! Such a pleasant environment in which to eat some soup.

Finally, I just couldn't take it anymore. I paid them. But apparently I wasn't quick enough in signing my receipt because they came back (while I was trying as quickly as possible to eat the soup I had just paid for) and the waitress said, "Can you hurry up and sign this?" I KID YOU NOT!

Needless to say, this woman got a very lousy tip from me that night (in retrospect I probably shouldn't have tipped at all, but I've never ever done that). I will NEVER go back to that restaurant again, which is a bummer because that soup was pretty good. But I mean, how do places like this stay in business? Have you ever encountered something like this in a restaurant before?

I'm still so pissed when I think about it....

The Wednesday Song

2010-04-14T11:40:00.000-07:00

Since American Idol is doing "Elvis Week" this week, I thought I'd take a minute to share with you one of my very favorite Elvis performances of all time. The '68 Comeback Elvis is how I always choose to remember "The King" and I'll be darned if he isn't sexy as all-get-out in this video. Yikes!

Aw heck, while I'm at it, here are few of my other fave performances from the '68 Comeback Special:

The Wednesday Song

2010-04-07T13:14:00.000-07:00

Even if you're not a fan of the tv show Mad Men (you're really, really missing out if you're not, but that's a whole different story) I think you might enjoy the Mad Man theme song, which is performed by RJD2. I actually had never heard of RJD2 until I met my boyfriend, who is a huge fan of very eclectic forms of electronic music (thanks, honey!).

Take a listen to this track, which is the theme song for the series Mad Men. Pay no attention to the image in the video (it has nothing to do with the show or the song, it's just an ad promoting a music site). I suggest you open another tab on your browser and continue on with your internet browsing while keeping this song running in the background until it's over. It's quite a musical journey. Enjoy!

The Wednesday Song

2010-03-17T10:26:00.000-07:00

Oops, it looks like I accidentally skipped a week on The Wednesday Song, so I'll post two to make up for it. Let me put on my best classic rock radio station DJ voice to introduce this week's picks:

"10:15 this beautiful Wednesday morning...68 degrees here in San Diego...morning commute is just about over...no slowing or delays...so let's kick things into high gear with a double-shot of Foreigner..."

Have you seen this??

2010-03-06T21:28:00.000-08:00

OK, by now we've all probably seen the famous OK Go treadmill video a million times. But just in case you haven't seen it, here it is--it's pretty incredible:

But who knew they could top that one with something so fabulous that it actually hurts my head to think about the logistics of it all. This, my friends, is probably the most incredible video I've ever seen:

The Wednesday Song

2010-03-03T19:58:00.001-08:00

My brother and I were at a yummy Korean restaurant today and this song came on. Instantly we were both grooving out and just happier. Stevie can, and WILL, do that to you.

Just relax, listen and you'll be in a far better mood than you were before you started listening to this song. Promise.

The Wednesday Song

2010-02-24T19:09:00.000-08:00

Apologies to all you Spoon fans out there, but I still think this is their best song ever.

It's just so darn catchy.

THIS is why I left my heart in San Francisco...

2010-02-22T15:52:00.000-08:00

While I love San Diego (I'm a native), I lived in the Bay Area for a few years and sometimes, when I see blog posts like this, I realize that I truly left a piece of my heart in San Francisco.

French macarons, ice cream flavors with names like "Secret Breakfast" (bourbon-flavored ice cream peppered with corn flakes) and exquisite chocolates that are too pretty to eat, San Francisco, I love you. And I miss you dearly.

Click here.

The Wednesday Song (duets edition)

2010-02-10T12:44:00.001-08:00

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, it seemed an appropriate time to share with you my all-time favorite male-female duets. Duets are so grossly underrated in my opinion! There's something about the harmonies and the choices the singers make as to who sings each line, etc. that just fascinates me. I love 'em. They're like the crack of pop songs for me and I can never get enough of this delicious ear candy! Enjoy (I hope!).

So let me hear it! What are your favorite duets? I know you've got some!

The Wednesday Song (Yacht Rock Edition)

2010-02-03T13:38:00.000-08:00

If you're unfamiliar with Yacht Rock, it's a specific subset of the Easy Listening genre of music from the 70s and early 80s.

Imagine it's the late 70s and you're a man with a beard and you own a yacht. Now imagine the kind of music you would play while sailing the high seas in your aforementioned yacht. If you can imagine that type of music, then congrats: you fully understand the essence of Yacht Rock.

So here are a few of my all-time favorite Yacht Rock songs, for your easy listening pleasure.

And of course, the YACHT ROCK ANTHEM:

The Wednesday Song (totally 80s edition)

2010-01-27T12:45:00.000-08:00

What would a totally 80s Wednesday Song be without a little Flock of Seagulls? And while most everyone thinks of the song I Ran when they think of FoS, Wishing is a much better song (to me, at least).

Enjoy this deliciously cheesey and totally rad video.

Rihanna channels her inner Thompson Twin

2010-01-24T17:22:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry if anybody else has made this analogy but I swear I thought of it all by myself while watching the Hope for Haiti telethon last Friday.

Come on, Rihanna, admit to us that you were going for the Allanah Curry look.

LOL!! And in case you were curious, this is my favorite Thompson Twins song ever.

Losties: Have you seen Matthew Fox on Sesame Street?

2010-01-22T15:36:00.000-08:00

Adorable.

The Wednesday Song

2010-01-20T12:27:00.000-08:00

I'm giving you a double-shot of fun today because well, why not?

How can you resist the intoxicating powers of Chromeo?

And here's an old-school classic for you...I still love it as much today as the first time I heard it.

Grammar Rant, Part 2

2010-01-16T16:17:00.000-08:00

I know I probably sound a bit anal when it comes to my issues with grammar, but that's just who I am and I apologize if it offends anyone.

I've been noticing these days that a lot of people don't know the difference between it's (with an apostrophe) and its (without an apostrophe).

In case you're one of these people and you would like to know, I'll do my very best to explain it for you right now:

It's is short for "it is".

Its indicates possession, just like his or her.

Let's say you're talking about a bottle of nail polish. Here is an example of using it's and its correctly:

"It's a great bottle of nail polish except its label is really ugly."

This is just like saying the following:

"He's a great guy except his shirt is really ugly."

You see? Its is just like using his or her. You just use it when you're talking about an object instead of a human being.

Here's one more example, for good measure:

"That perfume is so lovely, it's worth its weight in gold."

Let's substitute a human for the perfume:

"That woman is so kind, she's worth her weight in gold."

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I promise you won't get another grammar rant of of me for a while (I hope). :)

The Wednesday Song

2010-01-13T18:15:00.001-08:00

This is a song I've loved for a long time by Melanie Safka. The song is called "Brand New Key" (released in 1971) and while this is NOT the video for the song, I love it anyway. It was made by someone in the '70s who put together this film for a high school class project. But to me, it perfectly captures the feel and vibe of the song, so I'd like to show it to you first (in case you've never heard the song before):

Now here's Melanie Safka performing Brand New Key in 1971. I love this live version as well, but video above is just too cute so I had to show it to your first. :)

If you weren't around in the '70s, you might not know that this song caused quite a stir when it was released due to its "overt sexual innuendos". (You can read the full story here). Boy, if they only knew back then the kinds of lyrics they'd be playing on the radio in 2010...it's hilarious to think this innocent song caused such a scandal. lol. :)

A crazy celebrity look-alike

2010-01-02T11:58:00.000-08:00

I was watching a lot of TV over the holiday break and I stumbled across a movie featuring a young James Coburn. If you're not familiar with James Coburn, he was a legendary actor who stared in hundreds of films and TV shows--too many to list here.

So anyway, while I was watching this particular film, I kept saying to myself, "He really reminds me of someone". And then it hit me! I swear to you, he could be the father of Derek Hough, from Dancing with the Stars (he's one of the professional dancers, in case you don't watch that show).

Check this out:

Is it just me or could these two pass for father and son?? It's crazy!

The Wednesday Song (New Year's Edition)

2009-12-31T15:54:00.000-08:00

I think of this song every single New Year's Day, so it was pretty much a no-brainer that I share it with you!

Aaaah, Bono, you were so hot with your early 80s mullet and before the glasses became a permanent fixture on your face (pleeeease take 'em off!). And look how young The Edge looks!

The Wednesday Song (Cheesy Christmas Edition)

2009-12-23T09:41:00.000-08:00

Every year, without fail, I hear this song ONCE during the holidays and it's stuck in my head for the entire month of December. I have never liked this song, but given how catchy and infectious it is (and the fact that I can't ever seem to get it out of my head) I guess there must be something I like it about.

So I'm spreading the love and now it's going to be stuck in YOUR head too. Happy Holidays! :)

The Wednesday Song

2009-12-16T23:53:00.000-08:00

No need to give you a big intro for this one. Either you'll love it...or not. For me, it's just such a powerful, beautiful song...I can't imagine not loving it. I hope you agree.

Ryan Adams Touch, Feel and Lose from his 2001 album "Gold"

I knew I was never gonna talk to you tomorrow
And oh, the birds how they sing
If you were a bird could you sing me a song of sorrow
'Cause all I know now from you is grief
But I never wanted to be your rolling train

I never wanted to be your dancin' shoes
I just wanted you to love me
I just wanted you to love me
Touch, feel & lose
And cry, cry, cry

I thought maybe I could be some kind of shelter
But oh, your storm how it raged
You know your kisses, they like lightnin' and thunder
And your smile is sweet and come down like rain

I never wanted to be your dancin' shoes
I just wanted you to love me
I just wanted you to love me
Touch, feel & lose
And cry, cry, cry
I just wanted you to love me, honey

You've got to watch this (warning: too cute for words)

2009-12-10T15:03:00.000-08:00

I'm not even a Jason Mraz fan (I know, it's blasphemy to say that here in San Diego) but THIS version, I could listen to all day. This adorable kid is FIVE years old!

The Wednesday Song (birthday edition)

2009-12-09T12:40:00.000-08:00

This week's song is one that I have listened to on my birthday just about every year since the year it came out (1992). I love Cracker (David Lowery, the lead singer, was the frontman for the iconic Santa Cruz, CA band Camper Van Beethoven, whom I love as well).

Happy Birthday To Me is a feel-good song, but not in the traditional sense. David Lowery's lyrics always paint a moment in time for a particular character, and this character is kind of a loveable loser who's crashing out in his car and then finds himself talking to a woman with whom he may have had a fling with earlier in his life. Sort of strange, but I like this guy. He, like all of us, is "feeling thankful for the small things today", and I know I'll be thankful on my birthday when I play this song again. Enjoy.

The Wednesday Song

2009-12-02T14:36:00.000-08:00

How do you even attempt to write an intro to a video by The Clash? If you're unfamiliar with The Clash and their profound influence on EVERY band you are listening to today, I strongly advise googling them for more info. There are plenty of Clash resources online and I'm not even going to attempt to encapsulate their history or influence in this post!

When the casual Clash fan thinks about their favorite Clash songs, they're usually the ones with vocals by the amazing, iconic Joe Strummer (RIP). And as you probably know, Mick Jones also performed vocals on several songs. But one of my very favorite Clash tunes has Paul Simonon on vocals, who is famously known as the brooding, sexy bass player (yeah, I added the "sexy" part but come on, all of the members of The Clash were beautiful boys back in the day).

I love The Guns of Brixton not only because Paul Simonon is on vocals, but because The Clash artfully blended their unique sound with Reggae (as they did many times throughout their career) on this track and also the lyrics are just...for lack of a better term, pretty badass. Check it out and turn it up (I've got my speakers cranked to 10 as I write this, I assure you).

(Note, this is a fan-made video as there is no official video for Guns of Brixton. I think she did a great job!)

The Wednesday Song - Eighties Edition

2009-11-24T23:56:00.000-08:00

I can't talk about the most important decade of my youth, the 80s, without mentioning Duran Duran (or D-squared, as we used to call them. OMG, really? Yes, we did. lol.)

I love Duran Duran so much (especially John and Simon) that I'm going to post my TWO favorite songs for your listening pleasure (there's no way I can choose just one for this post).

Enjoy. Or not. :)

The Wednesday Song (One Hit Wonder Edition)

2009-11-18T13:47:00.000-08:00

I got SOOOOOOOOOOO much crap for liking this song when it came out back in 1997 (wow, I can't believe that was over ten years ago). But it's a one-hit-wonder that's still darn catchy, even today. Enjoy.

The Wednesday Song

2009-11-11T12:16:00.000-08:00

You can't turn on the TV or radio these day without hearing At Last but Etta James. But every time I hear it, I can't help but think to myself, "Yes, it's beautiful, but what about I'd Rather Go Blind??"

I'd Rather Go Blind is my all-time favorite Etta James song. If you haven't heard it, take a listen and let me know what you think.

Grammar rant

2009-11-10T15:31:00.000-08:00

I'm not directing this to the lovely little group of people who choose to read this blog. I'm actually directing this to English-speaking people at large, with the hopes that some of you, who may not realize your mistakes, might read this and change your ways. :)

1) It's not "I seen", it's "I've seen".

2) There is no such word as "irregardless".

3) If you say, "I could care less" it means you CAN care less. Which means that you actually do care. The proper term is: "I couldn't care less."

4) Alot? No. A lot? Yes!

5) Casted is not a word, as in: "I don't know why she was casted to play that role in the movie." "Cast" is the past tense and the present tense of the word. Correct: "I don't know why she was cast to play that role in the movie."

6) Orientated and disorientated. No and no. It's oriented and disoriented.

7) Supposably? Oh God no. It's supposedly.

8) Could of? No. Could have? Yes!

And finally, here are some words that I wish people used more often. They are fading into obscurity and it makes me very sad because they ROCK:

1) Schadenfreude.

From Merrium-Webster online:

Pronunciation: \ˈshä-d^ən-ˌfrȯi-də\

Function: noun

Usage: often capitalized

Etymology: German, from Schaden damage + Freude joy

Date: 1895

: enjoyment obtained from the troubles of other

My example: "Watching America's Home Videos is how I get my daily dose of schadenfreude."

2) Sturm und Drang.

From Merrium-Webster online:

Pronunciation: \ˌshtu̇rm-u̇nt-ˈdräŋ, ˌstu̇rm-, -ənt-\

Function: noun

Etymology: German, literally, storm and stress, from Sturm und Drang (1776), drama by Friedrich von Klinger †1831 German novelist and dramatist

Date: 1845

1 : a late 18th century German literary movement characterized by works containing rousing action and high emotionalism that often deal with the individual's revolt against society

My example: "The 2008 Presidential election was filled with Sturm und Drang on both sides."

3) Skulduggery.

From Merrium-Webster online:
Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural skul·dug·ger·ies

Etymology: origin unknown

Date: 1867
: underhanded or unscrupulous behavior; also : a devious device or trick

My example: "Tony Soprano is the master of skulduggery."

It's odd that all three of these words begin with the letter "S". Huh. I didn't plan it that way but it's sort of neat!

Anyway, if you have any grammar rants, etc. that you'd like to add here, I'd love to read your comments!

Original vs. Cover: "Fools in Love"

2009-11-06T10:36:00.001-08:00

I missed this week's Wednesday Song so I thought I'd post something a little different for you.

The song "Fools in Love" by Joe Jackson is a song I've loved for decades. A few years ago, the artist Inara George did a version of "Fools in Love" that I actually ended up loving almost as much as the original. I thought I'd play them both for you now, to see which one you like best.

The original:

"Fools in Love" by Joe Jackson.

The cover:

"Fools in Love" by Inara George.

Which version do you like best? The original or the cover?

The Wednesday Song

2009-10-28T18:35:00.000-07:00

This week's song is one that I've loved for a long time (way before they started using it for tango dances on Dancing with the Stars!).

Really, this song just screams sexy to me. I love how Gotan Project takes traditional tango music and gives it such a modern twist. Enjoy.

"Santa Maria (Del Buen Arye)" by Gotan Project

Sebastian Maniscalco on Jay Leno this Monday!

2009-10-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

If you saw this post I made a while back featuring comic Sebastian Maniscalco doing his famous "Ross Dress for Less" bit, then you know that he's one funny dude. He's so funny, in fact, that I signed up for his mailing list, which is how I found out that he'll be appearing on Jay Leno this coming Monday, 10/26.

I first saw Sebastian on Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show, and I've just adored him ever since. His observational humor, combined with his hilarious facial expressions, make him one of the top comics in stand-up today (in my opinion, of course).

So be sure to check him out on Monday and hopefully he'll be just as funny as ever.

Music Wednesday

2009-10-21T14:19:00.000-07:00

On my other blog, I do something called The Wednesday Question. So on Nouveau Sweet, I'm going to start featuring a different youtube video each week.

This week's video is for the PJ Harvey song "Shame". This song moved me beyond words the first time I heard it back in 2004 (from the PJ Harvey album "Uh-Huh Her"), and it continues to move me today. If you've ever done some things in a relationship that you're not exactly proud of, then this song's for you.

Lyrics to "Shame" by PJ Harvey:

I don't need no rising moon
I don't need no ball and chain
I don't need anything but you
Such a shame, shame, shame
Shame, shame, shame
Shame is the shadow of love

You changed my life
We were as green as grass
And I was hypnotized
From the first 'til the last
Kiss of shame, shame, shame
Shame is the shadow of love

I'd jump for you into the fire
I'd jump for you into the flame
Tried to go forward with my life
I just feel shame, shame, shame
Shame, shame, shame
Shame is the shadow of love

If you tell a lie
I still would take the blame
If you pass me by
It’s such a shame, shame, shame

My obsession with marshmallows...

2009-10-16T21:02:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love a good marshmallow? When we're kids, I think we all obsess over the minis (especially the multi-colored ones) and now, as an adult, these Marshmallow Coconut Toasties that you can find at Rite-Aid are, well, like crack to me. You really can't eat just one. The whole bag can be gone in a matter of minutes if my boyfriend and I have our way with them.

I've also got a thing for a nice marshmallow note in my fragrances (perfumes and candles). There's something so sweet and airy about marshmallow (especially when fresh--I don't care for a toasted marshmallow note). It's comforting and oh so feminine all at once. It's a nice alternative to the sticky-sweet scent of cotton candy which seems to be so pervasive in women's fragrances these days.

So now that I'm an adult marshmallow lover, I think it's time to try my hand at making these lovely confections myself. Here are some photos of homemade marshmallows that make me want to roll up my sleeves and start whipping up a batch asap.

Image from Whisk: A Food Blog (which is an awesome food blog, btw)

Image from Sophistimom (I'm not even a mom but I love this blog).

These last two images are from another absolutely amazing food blog, Sticky Gooey Creamy Chewy.

Can you imagine how amazing a homemade strawberry marshmallow would taste as it melts into a cup of hot chocolate? Or even just to eat on its own--don't you love the feeling of sinking your teeth into a nice, fluffy marshmallow?

Come on...let me hear from you if you're a fellow marshmallow lover. Let's spread the marshmallow love. :)

It's the end of the world and Costco knows it...

2009-10-15T13:21:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the title of this post--it's not really the end of the world but I took that line from the R.E.M. song, "It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)".

So anyway, check this out. Costco is now selling, for the low, low price of $799.99, a shipment of dehydrated and freeze-dried food which is enough food for one person to live on for one full year without the use of refrigeration.

Costco, is there something you're not telling us? Are you privy to a future doomsday event and you're not sharing it with the rest of us?

The scariest part of all is that there is such high demand for this item that it seems to be in backorder! According to the Costco website, orders placed after 10/8/09 will not ship until 11/16/09.

Wow. I just...wow.

Nightmare on Elm Street 10 trailer

2009-10-09T14:02:00.000-07:00

I'm a huge horror fan and, like any good horror fan, I love the original Nightmare on Elm Street. But this one...I don't know. To me it's just too slick. What do you think?

Burger King goes all Jetsons on us...

2009-10-07T10:18:00.000-07:00

Granted, I try to avoid fast food as much as possible, but these newly remodeled Burger Kings have me itching to visit a location soon, just to see for myself.

Meet the Burger King of the future, only it's not in the future, it's now:

These images are of the newly remodeled Burger King in Spring, Texas. Apparently plans are underway to overhaul 12,000 more locations worldwide to this futuristic design. This new BK design includes "rotating red flame chandeliers, brilliant TV-screen menus and industrial-inspired corrugated metal and brick walls."

According to the article I read on Huffington Post (link below), BK franchise owners are contractually obligated to update their locations after a "set period of time", and BK seems to be urging them to upgrade to this design when the time comes. And if your town has plans to build a brand new Burger King, rest assured that it will be built in this design.

For more details, click here.

What do you think of this new design? Will you visit your local BK if you know it looks like this inside?

Say goodbye to cursive handwriting?

2009-09-21T12:21:00.000-07:00

Wow. I just saw this article on Digg and I had to share it. Looks like this might be the wave of the future, which really makes me sad. Thoughts?

From Yahoo News:

By TOM BREEN, Associated Press Writer Tom Breen, Associated Press Writer – Sat Sep 19, 9:44 am ET

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Charleston resident Kelli Davis was in for a surprise when her daughter brought home some routine paperwork at the start of school this fall. Davis signed the form and then handed it to her daughter for the eighth-grader's signature.

"I just assumed she knew how to do it, but I have a piece of paper with her signature on it and it looks like a little kid's signature," Davis said.

Her daughter was apologetic, but explained that she hadn't been required to make the graceful loops and joined letters of cursive writing in years. That prompted a call to the school and another surprise.

West Virginia's largest school system teaches cursive, but only in the 3rd grade.

"It doesn't get quite the emphasis it did years ago, primarily because of all the technology skills we now teach," said Jane Roberts, assistant superintendent for elementary education in Kanawha County schools.

Davis' experience gets repeated every time parents, who recall their own hours of laborious cursive practice, learn that what used to be called "penmanship" is being shunted aside at schools across the country in favor of 21st century skills.

The decline of cursive is happening as students are doing more and more work on computers, including writing. In 2011, the writing test of the National Assessment of Educational Progress will require 8th and 11th graders to compose on computers, with 4th graders following in 2019.

"We need to make sure they'll be ready for what's going to happen in 2020 or 2030," said Katie Van Sluys, a professor at DePaul University and the president of the Whole Language Umbrella, a conference of the National Council of Teachers of English.

Handwriting is increasingly something people do only when they need to make a note to themselves rather than communicate with others, she said. Students accustomed to using computers to write at home have a hard time seeing the relevance of hours of practicing cursive handwriting.

"They're writing, they're composing with these tools at home, and to have school look so different from that set of experiences is not the best idea," she said.

Text messaging, e-mail, and word processing have replaced handwriting outside the classroom, said Cheryl Jeffers, a professor at Marshall University's College of Education and Human Services, and she worries they'll replace it entirely before long.

"I am not sure students have a sense of any reason why they should vest their time and effort in writing a message out manually when it can be sent electronically in seconds."

For Jeffers, cursive writing is a lifelong skill, one she fears could become lost to the culture, making many historic records hard to decipher and robbing people of "a gift."

That fear is not new, said Kathleen Wright, national product manager for handwriting at Zaner-Bloser, a Columbus, Ohio-based company that produces a variety of instructional material for schools.

"If you go back, you can see the same conversations came up with the advent of the typewriter," she said.

Every year, Zaner-Bloser sponsors a national handwriting competition for schools, and this year saw more than 200,000 entries, a record.

"Everybody talks about how sometime in the future every kid's going to have a keyboard, but that isn't really true."

Few schools make keyboards available for day-to-day writing. The majority of school work, from taking notes to essay tests, is still done by hand.

At Mountaineer Montessori in Charleston, teacher Sharon Spencer stresses cursive to her first- through third-graders. By the time her students are in the third grade, they are writing book reports and their spelling words in cursive.

To Spencer, cursive writing is an art that helps teach them muscle control and hand-eye coordination.

"In the age of computers, I just tell the children, what if we are on an island and don't have electricity? One of the ways we communicate is through writing," she said.

But cursive is favored by fewer college-bound students. In 2005, the SAT began including a written essay portion, and a 2007 report by the College Board found that about 15 percent of test-takers chose to write in cursive, while the others wrote in print.

That was probably smart, according to Vanderbilt University professor Steve Graham, who cites multiple studies showing that sloppy writing routinely leads to lower grades, even in papers with the same wording as those written in a neater hand.

Graham argues that fears over the decline of handwriting in general and cursive in particular are distractions from the goal of improving students' overall writing skills. The important thing is to have students proficient enough to focus on their ideas and the composition of their writing rather than how they form the letters.

Data from the National Center for Education Statistics show that 26 percent of 12th graders lack basic proficiency in writing, while two percent were sufficiently skilled writers to be classified as "advanced."

"Handwriting is really the tail wagging the dog," Graham said.

Besides, it isn't as if all those adults who learned cursive years ago are doing their writing with the fluent grace of John Hancock.

Most people peak in terms of legibility in 4th grade, Graham said, and Wright said it's common for adults to write in a cursive-print hybrid.

"People still have to write, even if it's just scribbling," said Paula Sassi, a certified master graphologist and a member of the American Handwriting Analysis Foundation.

"Just like when we went from quill pen to fountain pen to ball point, now we're going from the art of handwriting to handwriting purely as communication," she said.

Even funnier than the last one...

2009-09-19T19:40:00.001-07:00

http://www.nataliedee.com/

I love this...

2009-09-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

This cracks me up.

See more of these here:
nataliedee.com
:)

Show of hands: Who's excited for the return of Curb Your Enthusiasm?

2009-09-19T12:54:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't need a good laugh these days?

I can't be the only one who's super excited for the 7th season of Curb Your Enthusiasm, premiering tomorrow night! And the fact that the cast of Seinfeld is appearing in this new season is just the cherry on the sundae.

I simply adore Larry David and his flawed logic...he makes me laugh like no other person on TV (actually, I'd say that the cast of The Office give him a good run for his money).

What TV shows consistently make you laugh? I'd love to hear your favorites!

In case you've never seen a Scanwich...

2009-09-10T20:19:00.000-07:00

A lot of you have probably visited this site before but, just in case you haven't, allow me to introduce to you:

Scanwiches

Take a sandwich, put it on a scanner, and you've got the magic of Scanwich.

Love love love this site. Not only does it make me hungry, but it gives me some darn good ideas.

What's your all-time favorite Cure song?

2009-09-09T14:56:00.001-07:00

I was talking about this on twitter today because some friends and I were debating the best Cure song of all time. Here are some favorites from friends and tweeps:

Just Like Heaven
Let's go to Bed
Love Cats
Lullaby
Boys Don't Cry

I've got to say that I've narrowed it down to two songs. The first is "A Forest" which came out in 1980 (look at how cute and young and makeup-free Robert Smith is in this video!):

And my second choice would be "Jumping Someone Else's Train" which released way back in 1979. This song is just so darn catchy--how can you not like it?

So let's hear it! What's YOUR favorite Cure song?

Repurposing...fast food?

2009-08-31T14:39:00.000-07:00

There's lot of talk these days about repurposing items in an effort to recycle and eliminate waste. I can go on forever and a day about how crafters brilliantly repurpose everything from old cassette tapes to used coffee bags.

But this website really stands out to me because of what they're repurposing: Fast food! You've got to check this out:

Fancy Fast Food

Wow. Dominos Pizza and a Diet Coke never looked so good.

Dao Mi Noh Chow Mein (Fancy Domino’s Pizza)

Free and truly beautiful desktop wallpapers...

2009-08-28T16:24:00.000-07:00

Continuing my quest for free downloadable art, I noticed that one of my new favorite blogs, How About Orange, just posted a wonderful link to artist Yoshihiro Moritake's online gallery with free, downloadable wallpaper.

Click here to see what's available (just click on the "Gallery" tab to view all).

Currently I'm using "No. 016 Bouquet" as my wallpaper (pictured above) and I love, love, love it. Enjoy!

Free art (and it's super cute!)

2009-08-22T10:13:00.001-07:00

I literally cannot count how many hours I've spent on google looking for interesting artwork to print out to put in a cute dollar store or thrift store frame that I've had lying around. If you're like me, then you know that it's really difficult to find cute artwork online when you're looking for it. And it's especially difficult to find free, beautiful artwork that you can print out easily (and that actually looks good when you print it out).

Well, my lovelies, look no more! I've got you covered:

Feed Your Soul: The Free Art Project

If you can't find a cute piece of artwork here for that adorable little frame you keeping meaning to use, well then I'm afraid that frame might be empty forever.

You can thank me later. :)

PS: Here's the one I'm printing out first and I've got the perfect little black frame to put it in. Yay!

Because who DOESN'T want a giant faux cupcake?

2009-08-16T17:28:00.000-07:00

I love love love this craft project and I swear to you, I'm trying to figure out a use for one of these because the minute I do, I'm makin' one, baby!

How genius is this? And the pink frosting? That's a pool noodle from the dollar store!

Click here to visit the fabulous website, Can't Stop Making Things, for instructions.

Love!

A wonderful tribute to John Hughes

2009-08-06T22:29:00.000-07:00

The passing of John Hughes today brought about emotions in me that are so profound, I'm almost at a loss for words. For some reason, his passing is rougher for me than Michael Jackson's. I need to spend a few days collecting my thoughts about this so that I can writing a proper, fitting tribute, but until then I offer you a wonderful piece, written by Tyna of wehearthis.com. Enjoy.

We will always heart John Hughes

Candy that disgusts me (and that's hard to do)

2009-07-22T18:44:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of different dollar store candies I've found over the past few weeks. Granted, this is probably the reason they've ended up at the dollar store but...somebody's buying this, right?

Gummy Zits, complete with "puss":

Ear Wax Sour Candy Paste (just the word "paste" grosses me out, let alone that this comes out of a weird animal's ears when you squeeze it. Oh! And it's orange...nice touch):

What parent would willingly give their child a candy called "Toxic Waste"?

So I've got a thing for bad boys...who doesn't?

2009-07-13T18:45:00.000-07:00

It's Monday, so why not start the week off in a totally superficial, fun and immature way? I'm going to share with you some pics of my favorite dark, brooding, mysterious bad boys. You know the type and you know you love 'em too.

No matter who you are, I'm sure you can appreciate a good-looking man every now and again, right? Feast your eyes upon these dark, brooding men and tell me if you disagree.

Am I forgetting anybody? Who would you add to this list?

Josh Halloway:

Idris Elba:

Johnny Depp:

Alexander Skarsgard:

Clive Owen:

Christian Bale:

UPDATE: OK, seriously? How could I forget Dominic West:

That f@#$ing Dollar Store

2009-07-08T14:03:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of projectrant.com? If not, let me tell you that it's one of the newest sites to tickle my funny bone. The concept is simple: You submit a rant about anything that's really bugging you and if you're lucky, they'll reenacted your rant in video form.

Let me warn you right up front that there is cursing in these videos, so if that's offensive to you then please move right along and don't bother watching this clip.

But if you're OK with curse words, you must check out this rant on dollar stores. Being a frequent dollar-store-shopper, I can actually relate to this rant--so hilarious, yet so true! Enjoy.

Click here

Happy Birthday Freebies!

2009-07-03T13:29:00.000-07:00

While the US celebrates its birthday this weekend, I thought it only fitting that I present to you a comprehensive list of freebies that you can get on YOUR birthday, whenever that may be.

More with Less Today is a great resource for helping you save money and Lori has compiled a wonderful list of restaurants and retail stores (including some beauty retailers!) who give you free stuff on your b-day.

Check out the list here!

The first time I saw this I cried from laughing so hard

2009-07-01T22:27:00.000-07:00

The first time I saw this bit by stand-up comic Sebastian Maniscalco, I laughed so hard I was in tears. And even though I've seen it probably over 20 times by now, it still makes me laugh.

Warning: If you've never shopped at Ross/Marshalls/TJ Maxx before, you probably won't find this funny. But if you have shopped at places like this...well...enjoy.

Click here.

Absolutely mesmerizing.

2009-06-29T22:51:00.000-07:00

Dave Navarro (guitar player for Jane's Addiction and countless other bands, ex-husband of Carmen Electra, etc. etc.) tweeted this the other day and I've got to say, it is absolutely hypnotizing.

I dare you to watch and not get sucked into a trance...

Click here.

But beware, it goes on forever (I actually have never watched it to the end but Dave Navarro apparently watched for over an hour...).

Did someone say potato salad?

2009-06-28T12:09:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite food blogs is Sea Salt with Food, which features absolutely scrumptious recipes using fresh foods and relatively uncomplicated methods of preparation. But to me, what sets this food blog apart from the rest is the images. Every photo of every recipe on this site makes me salivate and immediately want to start cooking.

So the other day I spotted a recipe for Nugget Potato Salad with Horseradish and well, one look at the images and I knew I'd be making this salad immediately.

Nugget potatoes? Chives? Red onion? Horseradish? DELICIOUS!

And the recipe did not disappoint, let me tell you. I served this salad with some grilled turkey sausage and a side of haricots verts and it was a truly wonderful summertime meal that had the boyfriend licking his plate afterward.

If you're ready to break out and veer away from your usual potato salad, this is your answer. It's got crunch, it's got tang and it's got kick. Yum yum!

But please note that the recipe makes a TON of potato salad, so unless you're cooking for a party or BBQ, you might want to cut the ingredients in half.

If you make this recipe, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Glamorous...gum? Oh yes, it's glamorous alright.

2009-06-27T13:49:00.000-07:00

I love going to Mitsuwa, not only because I"m obsessed with all things Japanese, but because the candy and gum aisle is, for lack of a better word, AMAZING.

Take for instance this gum called "Glamatic." It's by far the most glamorous gum I've ever seen in my life. See for yourself:

From the sparkly, glittery packaging to the name itself, Glamatic Gum has really got it going on. I'm not sure what the difference is between the black package and pink package but they're equally as glamorous in real life, let me tell you. In fact, I didn't buy this gum because I feel that I am just not even close to being glamorous enough to whip this out of my purse for the world to see.

But frankly, who IS glamorous enough to pull off this gum? Ah, well...one can dream.

Speaking of Chris Cornell...

2009-06-25T21:23:00.000-07:00

How could I have ever predicted when I posted my last Chris Cornell video that I'd want to post this one, for completely different reasons?

This has got to be my favorite Michael Jackson cover of all time. I hope you enjoy it.

I never get sick of this song...

2009-06-24T15:39:00.000-07:00

I love me some Chris Cornell...always have, always will. Young Chris, old Chris, short-haired Chris, long-haired Chris, it doens't matter, I'll take it all.

And this song...it's just so simple and beautiful. It's powerful, sweet, sad, and well, I just wanted to share it with you in case you've never heard it or maybe you just haven't heard it in a long time (it was on the "Great Expectations" soundtrack back in 1998).

Dark as roses, fine as sand
Feel your healing and your sting again
I hear you laughing and my soul is saved
On forgotten graves you cry

Crawl like ivy up my spine
Through my nerves and into my eyes
Cuts like anguish
Or recollections of better days gone by

But its all right
When you're caught in pain
And you feel the rain come down
It's all right
When you find your way
Then you see it disappear
It's all right
Though your garden's grey
I know all your graces
Someday will flower
In the sweet sunshower

Eyes like oceans so far away
A feather trail to a better way
Worried mornings turn into days
Then into worried nights

But it's all right
When you're all in pain
And you feel the rain come down
Oh it's all right
When you find your way
Then you see it disappear
Oh it's all right
Though your garden's grey
I know all your graces
Someday will flower
Oh in the sweet sunshower
Oh in the sweet sunshower
In the sweet sunshower

I know all your graces
Someday will flower
In the sweet sunshower
And it's all right
All you'll be you are today
Are today
Its all right
All you'll be you are today
Are today.........

Breakfast Club cupcakes??

2009-06-23T19:01:00.000-07:00

Oh my!! There's a bakery in Brooklyn called Ivy Bakery that makes cupcakes based on one of my favorite movies of all time, The Breakfast Club. These are just way too cute and creative to not share with you!

My favorite? The one for Allison (played by Ally Sheedy) which features Captain Crunch and a Pixie Stick on the top:

Give me one of these, NOW!

To see the entire collection, click on over to Cupcakes Take the Cake (which just so happens to be my favorite cupcake website in the whole world) or Ivy Bakery's Facebook page.

If you live in or near Brooklyn, NY, you are so lucky to have such a creative bakery in your area!

The cutest DIY necklace holder I have ever seen, and even I can make it!

2009-06-23T16:44:00.000-07:00

OK, seriously, how adorable is this? I saw this idea on DollarStoreCrafts (click here for the original source and link to the project over on craftster.org) and I just can't think of a better way to utilize the cute giftwrap scraps and origami paper I've been saving for YEARS now.

All you do is take a dollar store picture frame, fill it with cute paper and glue some old drawer pulls on the side. Viola! Instant necklace holder and it's already mountable for your wall because it's a picture frame! I am sooooo making one of these today. :)

This popsicle is just plain wrong...

2009-06-22T19:57:00.000-07:00

Now, I love me some popsicles, there's no doubt. In fact, you'd have to try really hard to give me a popsicle that I would turn my nose to. Which is why I was simply stunned at the sight of this totally disgusting new popsicle at my local Albertson's:

I don't know, but there's something about a spicy popsicle that just seems all sorts of wrong to me. Am I alone in my feelings here? Would YOU eat this?

I have always hated cleaning my silver jewelry, but now it's kinda fun.

2009-06-18T19:13:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across this post over at MissMalaprop.com (if you've never been to her site, you should visit--it's super cute and interesting). She featured a post from 7YaksDesign about a super cheap and easy way to clean silver. I loved it so much, I just had to share with you.

All you need is baking soda, aluminum foil and a glass casserole dish. If you've got those three items, you're just minutes away from sparkly clean silver jewelry!

Check out the tutorial here, and thank me later. :)

Am I the only one who's still obsessed with cute erasers?

2009-06-16T19:41:00.000-07:00

Come on, I can't be the only adult woman still obsessed with cute erasers, can I? I was fixated with these as a child, spending hours in agony at my local Hallmark store trying to decide which Hello Kitty or Little Twin Stars eraser to buy with my allowance. But even now, as an adult, looking at these little creations makes my heart skip a beat. I mean, look at them! They're freaking adorable!

But the problem for me has always been not wanting to actually use them. They're just too darn cute to use as a regular eraser. Why would I want to actively help make something so cute disintigrate? Enter Dollar Store Crafts. If you've never been to this website, you must visit it immediately if you've got even one crafty bone in your body. This site is FABULOUS for people like me who want to be crafty but don't want to spend any money and don't want to have to commit to a big project that requires lots of tools or skills. These are quick and easy crafts that anyone can do! And the best part? You can find all of the materials for each project at the dollar store. YES! The author, Heather, has each project broken down by budget. There are projects that require materials you can get for free, for $1, for $5 and so on. Seriously, I like craft projects that I can begin spontaneously, without ANY preparation, and are finished in about an hour. Add to that the fact that you don't have to spend more than few bucks per project? Well that's just sheer bliss for me.

Sorry...back to the erasers. So there's a project on Dollar Store Crafts that utilizes CUTE ERASERS and a clock from the dollar store. Um, WHY DID I NEVER THINK OF THIS? Brilliant! Check it out: Sushi Around the Clock. It couldn't be any easier, cheaper, and cuter! Just modify a dollar store clock with cute erasers and you're done. That is soooo my kind of project!

Here's the finished clock from the Dollar Store Crafts website:

Adorable, huh? And it costs pennies to make. I can see myself making every child in my life a clock for their birthday, and a cute pink clock for my bathroom, etc. Oh the possibilites! And let's not get started on finding cute paper for the background! :)

Top Chef: The Masters

2009-06-16T08:55:00.000-07:00

Are you watching? If so, what do you think so far?

I actually kind of like this format because you get to know the four chefs throughout the course of the hour and it doesn't seem as frenzied in terms of the editing. Also, I like seeing executive chefs put into semi-humiliating situations! You get to see what they're made of and if they've become too reliant on their sous chefs, station chefs and the rest of their staff. After years of having the grunt work done for them, can they still manage to do it all themselves? I love that kind of stuff.

The only thing I'm not sold on is the host. She seems kind of stiff and robotic so far.

Are you watching Top Chef: The Masters? And if so, do you like it more or less than the regular series?

My Allrecipes.com addiction

2009-06-15T16:32:00.000-07:00

Are you an Allrecipes.com addict like me? I swear it has saved me more times than I'd like to count. If you're unfamiliar with Allrecipes.com, think of it as the Netflix of recipe websites, but it's absolutely free! You can search through thousands of recipes and, instead of just saying to yourself, "Oh, that sounds like it might be good", you can read the user reviews and find out exactly why it is, or isn't, a good recipe.

Two things I love the most about Allrecipes.com:

1) The user reviews are amazingly helpful. Don't even attempt to make a dish before you read through the reviews because, more times than not, people will tell you how to alter the recipe to make it even better than the original. Quite helpful in turning a good dish into a great dish.

2) You can search by ingredients. Let's say you have a pretty barren pantry and you want to use what you've got to make something new and yummy. Simply go the Ingredients Search and type in what you've got and Allrecipes.com will give you every recipe in their database that uses those exact ingredients. So simple, so genius! Also, there's a column for stating what you DON'T want in your recipe, which is my favorite part.

The other night I wanted to make a dish with a can of garbanzo beans and I also wanted to use some fresh tomato from the boyfriend's garden. Also the only other veggie I had on hand was onion. I didn't have any meat in the house so here's what I typed in the Ingredient Search:

Ingredients I want:
Garbanzo beans
tomato
onion

Ingredients I don't want:
Beef
Chicken
Pork

Allrecipes gave me a wonderful recipe for a Chickpea Salad that ended up being quite tasty! So easy, so efficient...I just can't tell you how much I loooove this site. :)

Are you an Allrecipes.com fan? If so, what are some of your favorite recipes?

Do you like sexy people?

2009-06-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I love looking at portraits from the 80s. The hairstyles, the clothes, the backgrounds and the graphics are just so...awesome.

That's why SexyPeople is one of my favorite time-killers. How can you not giggle when you look at some of these pictures?

Hello and welcome!

2009-06-14T21:54:00.000-07:00

To all of my dear readers of Nouveau Cheap, I welcome you and thank you for drifting over to my personal blog. There are a lot of things that I would love to mention on Nouveau Cheap but they just don't quite fit the theme of budget-beauty, so I created this blog with the specific purpose of talking about all things NON-beauty-related.

I hope you'll pop in from time to time to check out what I have to say here.

Thanks!
Recessionista xo