New Fall Shows: New Girl

May I just say how nice it is to be able to actually sit down and watch the fall television show premieres without having to pick a few and watch bits and pieces at a time, during spare minutes on Hulu? Or half-watch half-study/read?


It's the little things...


So great is my enthusiasm that I thought I would share my thoughts on the new shows that have piqued my interest this year.


First up: New Girl on Fox.

At this point, you are probably sick of of me saying how much I adore the adorkable (yes, I stole that word from the show...it is my new favorite word) Zooey Deschanel, but how was I supposed to know that she would, once again, play an incredibly lovable, unique, and quirky character...and now, once a week!? 

"Who's that girl? It's Jess!"

I don't think I've ever seen a character on TV that I like more than Zooey's character Jess, the new girl of New Girl. She comes up with and sings her own theme song for whatever scenario she currently is in. She thinks "sexy farm girl" is the perfect look for her rebound date. And, she makes Lord of the Rings references. Who wouldn't love a girl like that? I can't wait to discover what other fun quirks she has and what pickles she may get herself in. 

"Hey, sailor"

The other aspect that I really liked about the show is that it depicts three guys who, while not perfect, seem like genuinely good guys who are great friends and roommates to Jess. 

But the hands-down, greatest thing is...the Douche-Bag Jar. This is a jar that the guys have to put a dollar in every time one of them says something douche-bag-esque. The best part about it? It existed before Jess even moved in with her three male roommates...which means that the guys came up with and enforced it all on their own! I think every guy should have one of these. Mandatory for every guy in his twenties.


Did you watch too? If not, you can catch up on Hulu and then catch new episodes of New Girl on Fox Tuesday nights at 9:00 (right after Glee!)


Next up for tomorrow: Revenge (bum, bum, bum...)

All photos from Fox website

Glee-ful Websites

As my coffee mug can gleefully (pun intended) attest to, I am a Gleek, and proud to be so. So, I am super stoked for the season premiere tonight and wanted to celebrate with a slightly Glee-esque post.

 

One of the things I enjoy the most about Glee is that everyone in the cast seems like such genuine, humble, kind, down-to-earth people. And in today’s world of Jersey Shore casts and Disney stars gone wrong, I think that is a rare thing to see.

A few cast members have blogs (tumblrs actually…but that whole concept intimidates me a bit still for some reason) that I like to peruse occasionally mainly because they tend to feature great songs, videos, photos, drawings, and quotes. They are positively gleeful. Literally.

Fell Down the Rabbit Hole

 

Dianna Agron is an Alice in Wonderland-Tim Burton-Audrey Hepburn-travel-enthusiast who also has an extensive and killer taste in music…and movies, and art, and dance, and so much much much more. Which is why I love her blog so very very much. She shares YouTube videos of artists I’ve never heard of before but instantly love, fun photos that she has found or taken herself, and playlists of songs she listened to throughout the day.

She just posted this yesterday:

Muppets and a great song? Do you really need any more convincing than that?

Paintyhands

 

I actually discovered the Paintyhands blog as a result of Dianna Agron’s since, while not an actual Glee cast member, Ms. Paintyhands was a dancer on the Glee tour and has danced on several episodes. She also appears to be a frequent contributor for hitRECord, even working with Joseph Gordon-Levitt himself on some of his projects.

She frequently posts (usually at 11:11!) beautiful artwork and photos, and great quotes. It seems as if she has undertaken the simple mission of contributing a bit of beauty in a place (the internet) that is often riddled with ugly and hateful words and images. But a visit here never fails to make me smile.

In addition to these smile-inducing websites, I recommend checking out a lot of the cast’s side projects, including bands, albums, a certain theater company, and so much more. Actually,  I don’t think any of them sleep.

New Music Monday: Of Monsters and Men

The Icelandic folk-rock band (that fact alone puts these guys on a whole other level of cool), Of Monsters and Men, is still only in the process of recording their debut album, but the small handful of songs that they have released, already has the music blogs a-buzz with anticipation. And me too!

 

To me, their songs sound like a duet between Mumford & Sons and Feist, but with an individual and unique sound (hurray for accordions!). This is most certainly a band to keep your eyes on.

Their single, Little Talks, can be streamed at various places on the internet, or is available for purchase on iTunes.

Fall Recipes (Part 1 of Many)

Fall is hands down my favorite season.


The cooler weather, the colors, the leaves, the clothes (scarfs and sweaters and jackets, oh my!), the food, baking, and drinks (pumpkin, apples, cinnamon, maple...these are a few of my favorite things). I love it all. To the point where it may be a problem.


So to celebrate the first weekend that really feels like fall to me, I made a breakfast worthy of the season I love oh-so-very-much.

Apple Cake


I love (I really need to come up with an adjective for "love") apples. Hot apple cider, apple pie (make it with some apple spice wine and you will never look at your grandma's homemade apple pie the same), apple crisp, the list goes on and on, but this is one of my favorites, courtesy of my granny's recipe box. Also, note, once again, the trend of turning a dessert into a breakfast, that reigns supreme in my house.

Recipe


Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour rectangular cake pan.



Add to large mixing bowl and beat:
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter2 eggs
Peel six medium apples, dice into small pieces, and add to bowl. 

Mix together:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon

Add dry ingredients to apple mixture and mix well. Can add chopped walnuts if desired.

Bake 30 to 40 mins at 350.


Pumpkin Spice Latte


If I love apples, then I am obsessed with pumpkin. I also have an addiction to coffee, which means I am one of those really annoying people that counts down the days until the first Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season. But as all of my fellow Pumpkin Latte Anonymous members know...this is not always very easy on my wallet. I would therefore like to present my homemade version of this fall staple.


Recipe (for 1 serving)


Brew 1-2 cups of expresso (I will be able to do this one day I hope) or strong coffee.


In saucepan, combine:
1 cup milk
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 Tbsp sugar


Heat, constantly stirring, until mixture begins to steam.


Add to milk mixture:
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg


Bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat. Whisk mixture thoroughly, add to expresso/coffee in your mug o' choice. Top with whipped cream and cinnamon sugar if desired.


Warm apple cake and a pumpkin spice latte on a beautiful, cool Sunday morning? You'll never look back at summer.

Website: Pottermore = More Potter (Who'd have thunk it!)

I’ll try to keep this short and sweet in order to prevent myself from turning this into a giant Harry Potter love-fest. Although, I make no promises. You have been warned.

When I read the announcement about the new website, Pottermore, from J.K. Rowling, I was little confused. An interactive reading experience? What exactly does that mean? But the part about how Ms. Rowling herself would be providing never-before released background snippets on characters, the wizarding-world, and the book plots? That aspect of it I got loud and clear. Oh, and the part where the whole thing would be free…I understood that pretty well too.

I was positively giddy with excitement, since this announcement could not have come at a more perfect time. With the movie franchise coming to an end, and having read the books more times than I should probably admit to, I was worried I may go into Potter-Withdrawal (a very serious condition), but no…J.K. Rowling to the rescue! And at a time in my life when I have the TIME to explore and enjoy the site without feeling guilty about it (although no one should ever feel guilty about indulging in some Harry Potter action)!

Registration for the new site is not open to the public until October. But through August and September, the administrators have been staggering the entrance of one million individuals who gained the privilege of early admittance through the Magical Quill Promotion that was held the first week of August.

Guess who one of those lucky ducks just happens to be?

If you said this guy, you're wrong...at least as far I know

Me!

I’m not exaggerating when I say that it was solely pure, dumb luck that got me one of those spots (and it was indeed lucky, since about 150,000 spots would be zapped up in about 15 minutes…this was no joke). But nevertheless, I received an email a few days ago saying that I could finally enter!

To be quite honest, the best way to describe Pottermore is exactly how the announcement did: “an interactive reading experience”. But a pretty darn cool one!

I haven’t progressed that far yet, but I have made it far enough in the first book to have gotten a stellar wand (Unicorn Hair, Rowan, 11 inches, slightly yielding), sorted into my house (Hufflepuff, thank you very much, and proud to be so!), and make some advancement with brewing potions, casting spells, and winning points for my house.

But the best thing by far is all of the scrumptious Rowling “extras”. That wonderful woman certainly did not disappoint!

Don’t worry! October will be here soon and then anyone can join in! And if you are a Harry Potter fan, no matter your age, I recommend taking a peek, if only to expand your knowledge of that magical world that so many of us wish we could be a part of.

Heck, I’m STILL waiting for my Hogwarts letter. I think Prof. McGonagall has been slacking a bit…

Introducing: New Music Monday

My absolute favorite thing that I have been able to explore lately is new music (and by new, I don’t necessarily mean new new, but rather new for me). Mainly because I have a slight addiction to music…if I could I would probably go through life with my headphones permanently over my ears (although my people-phobia may have a little something to do with that too), but also because in this technology-crazed age, there are endless amounts of music available at your fingertips…for free!

Before the FBI comes knocking on my door, let me clarify and say that I am not talking about illegal downloading. With resources like YouTube, Bandcamp, SoundCloud, Pandora, Pitchfork, and even (I kind of hate to say it, but its true) MySpace, songs can easily be streamed right to your computer or phone for the lovely price of $0.00. You will find a lot of songs and music that you will never hear on the radio, or have yet to make it to iTunes. And if you are lucky, and know where to look, you can (legally) download a lot of great music for free.

But, I digress. Like I said, I have discovered, and re-discovered, some great songs, covers, and artists lately so I would like to share some of my finds in this space every Monday. Each week, I’ll feature one or two (or three, or…ten) songs, albums, bands, artists, etc. that I have probably had on repeat over the past week, and hopefully I will get some new suggestions in return too.

So, here is the very first New Music Monday. Ready, set, go!

Sometimes (album) – City and Colour

 

I have had City and Colour’s 2005 debut album, Sometimes (stream entire album at link), playing on repeat for the past few weeks now. No matter how hard I try, I can’t get the songs out of my head…and I’m kind of okay with that to be honest. All of City and Colour’s albums and songs are wonderful, and will stick with you, but it is this particularly haunting album that I just can’t get enough of.

Here are a few of my favorites, but the entire album deserves at least one listen.

Amy Kuney

I’m not quite sure how she does it, but Amy Kuney’s voice manages to go from high and clear on one note, to deep and rich on the next. I have yet to hear a song of hers that I don’t love, whether it is one she wrote herself, or one of the many covers she posts on YouTube. In fact, it was her cover of The Blower’s Daughter that got her a spot on Damien Rice’s tour after he heard the cover of his song.

Also, check out her website to listen to some of her original songs and to get a free download of the acoustic version of her song Gasoline Rainbows.

Sidney Bechet

 I’ve had a slight obsession with Sidney Bechet lately. No explanation necessary.

Side Note: All of these artists make spectacular listening for a crisp Fall day in my opinion.

What have you been listening to all week? I would love to know!

Travels: Knoxville Road Trip

I love to travel. Anywhere and anyway. But road trips are definitely a favorite of mine. I can’t say I have had too much experience, at least compared to my road trip Obi-Wan Kenobi, but I’ve done a few, and have been itching to take more.

I’ve taken a road trip with a group of friends, and a few with my family, and while I think everyone should take at least one road trip with a group of people (lots of laughing, story time, bonding time, and you can split up driving), there is just something about taking a long road trip by yourself.

I’m not going to lie, driving for several hours on end without much of a break, is kind of painful. But it is well worth it when you consider the fact that you get to drive through new places with new sights to see, getting lost in music you forgot you had, with just your own thoughts.

So, I decided to take advantage of this past holiday weekend and take a road trip to go visit my brother in Knoxville, TN for a few days. The drive down there is about 9-10 hours, and one I have done before, so nothing too outrageous, but still great. If you have never been there, I highly recommend it.

 

A few highlights of the trip were watching the Boomsday fireworks (which were then cut short by a small fire breaking out), seeing the orange-mania that took over the city for the season’s first football game, and simply getting to just spend time and relax with my bro for a bit.

But within my trip was another trip. While I was there, I took a mini road trip to Nashville to watch my brother race, also by myself since he had to travel with his team. However, the only thing I had to get me from Point A to Point B was Google Maps on my phone, which we all know is not always very reliable. Lucky for me though, my temperamental little helper provided me with some nice surprises.

The race was in Percy Warner Park on the outskirts of Nashville. I was a little distracted driving through what was clearly music-executive-mansion-row to realize that Percy Warner Park is huge…with many many entrances. I ended up driving all over the park; through golf courses, up a mountain, down a mountain, around horse farms, until I finally found it. At least I made some friends along the way!

 

Then, after the race was over and it was time to drive back, my phone decided it didn’t know where it was either. So, I drive along looking for the on-ramp that I need, with no clue where the heck I am, when I come over a bridge and…

Oh, hi Nashville

Seeing the entirety of the Nashville skyline, at night no less, when completely unexpected, was definitely a terrific shock. That single moment makes me want to jump back in my car and go straight to Nashville to explore the music city (stopping in Knoxville to pick up someone first of course).

Therefore, as a result of this and some past adventures, I present to you:

Road Trip Lesson #1: Do no be afraid to get lost. You will never know who (or what) you might meet and what you will find. In fact, it is highly likely that you will find some incredible things. Just ask Christopher Columbus. Or maybe not, I hear he wasn’t very nice.

And Road Trip Lesson #2: If you are in a strange city where you do not know anyone, are far away from home, by yourself, parked on a side street (bonus points if it’s called Lucky Street!), on a holiday, in the middle of winter, do not, I repeat, DO NOT, lock your keys in your car. Not that I would know…that is just a for instance.

Take a road trip, take several, solo and ensemble. Just follow my two rules!