On the 20th day before Christmas: a Starbucks Wreath

When traveling home for Thanksgiving and waiting at the JFK airport I couldn't help but admire the new holiday themed Starbucks cozies that were placed around each hot container. They have different patterns and fun bright colors. So instead of grabbing just one sleeve insulator for my tall green tea, I took a blue one, a candy cane colored one and a bright green one. 

I had them sitting on my desk for some additional flare, when a coworker joked that if I got a few more I could make a garland. That's when a light bulb went off in my head, I think I even heard a little egg timer ding. For my big idea I was going to make a Starbucks coffee cozy wreath for my office door. I'm big on imposing holiday cheer on others, don't worry I stop just short of annoying and keep it at endearing. For Halloween, I brought in mini pumpkins and candy corn, and now it was going to be a colorful cardboard wreath.

I'm not sure if I'm more proud of the final result or my espionage skills that were employed to get the other cozies. After all, I don't even drink coffee. I'd order a vanilla cream for my boyfriend then snag a handful from the counter. I even picked up one recyclable sleeve that was sitting on the side of the street (it looked clean and it's not like I had to touch the actual cup or straw, just slipped it off). Yes, I know I'm supporting a corporation, blah blah, whatever it looks cute.

Glam it up

On Saturday afternoon, Glam.com invited me and their other LA-based bloggers out for a cocktail party at TART Restaurant located at the Farmer's Daughter Hotel. It was similar to the bloggers who brunch group that I used to belong to and enjoy in NY, where fellow bloggers share advice and tips.  

Among appetizers and mimosas I met Sandra from debutanteclothing.com who is a fan of vintage wares; MK, the sweet celeb gossiper at popbytes.com; Stevie, the West Coast editor at Fashion Tribes who writes the LA Story; Alyson of This Next a shopcasting network who also lives in Venice and gave me some restaurant recommendations; hollyscoop; and entertainment lawyer Joshua at BumpShack.com who writes about "everything" and was previously listed as Cosmopolitan's most eligible bachelors but now is married and expecting his first child in Feb.

That night I drank too much at a friend's pre-xmas party and was unfortunately out of commission all day today, ruining my plans of making stew and going to the gym. *sigh*

Friday night after work though, four of us attended the special improv and sketch holiday show at the Groundling Theater--the comedy school which started the careers of Phil Hartman, Lisa Kudrow, Will Ferrel, Kathy Griffin, Paul Rubens and Jon Lovitz. The show was entertaining, Raphael kept cracking up and I was happy to see that former the enthusiastic Joey co-star, Ben Falcone, was among the improvers, as well as Jim Rash from The Naked Truth. Speaking of The Naked Truth, have you noticed that current Survivor player, Jonathan Penner, also starred on the NBC Tea Leoni show? Yet, the reality show only lists him as screenwriter, but I recognized his voice and face right away.

Busting the chops

Thursday night after work I made breaded pork chops with brown mushroom gravy and fresh green beans in a lemon sauce. Oh and I cheated and heated up microwavable mashed potatoes to use as another side. My stepdad especially likes this chops recipe.

For the chops, I used pork loins--the ones on the bone for added flavor. Then I breaded them by dabbing them in flour, egg and then in bread crumbs. Browned them on a skillet and then baked for 40 minutes.  

While those were baking, I rinsed and sliced up an 8 oz package of fresh white button mushrooms, removing bottom stem parts first. I then put the sliced mushrooms in a frying pan with a little olive oil, letting them cook and reduce in size as I covered them with salt and garlic powder. Once they were cooked I added in a can of brown gravy and let warm as well, stirring occasionally and later pouring over each chop. 

I then tried, for the first time, cooking green beans. Remember I'm new and reluctant to the world of vegetables, but these turned out really good. I didn't use a recipe just created it after tasting something similar at a restaurant. Cutting off the ends I boiled them for only five minutes so they were still crisp then drained and fried them with lots of butter, salt and a half of squeezed lemon. It was very yum and for the first time I ate all the vegetables on my plate :)

Benny and the Jets

When Elton John’s song Benny and the Jets plays, I always think of my dad. Not because it was his favorite or anything, Rod Stewart’s Maggie May was, and not only because my dad’s name is Benny (when translated from Biagio) but he also used to shine shoes for the Jets when he was a little boy. Thus, his connection to the song lyrics Benny and the Jets.

Let me give you some background. Before all the teams headed down to the warm Florida areas for the off season, the Jets pro NFL team used to train in Peekskill, New York in Westchester County. My dad, an Italian immigrant, was five-years-old and was given a shoe shine kit from a local politician, so he’d shine the football players shoes and give the money to his family. The Jets would all leave their shoes out and my dad would return them all shiny and new and they’d give him a dollar in return. All but Joe Namath that is, who although at the time was the richest paid and most popular athlete in America; he’d only leave my dad--a little kid--25 cents.

That really pissed my dad off, which is why he grew up hating the Jets too and liking the Oakland Raiders. At the time they were the only team that could beat the Jets, so my dad started rooting for them and the NY Giants. I also grew up disliking the Jets and Namath as a result too. Funny.

So Benny was shining shoes at 5, but by 19 he had his first pizza place. Pretty amazing, huh? He was never afraid of hard work that’s for sure. When I was younger, I used to pretend the song Benny and Jets was about my dad, funny that it is such a coincidence though. Now I hear it play on the radio and I smile.

Going retro, 80's style

Last week I sported a very 80's ensemble. Why? No reason, just for the fun of it. I had black leggings on with a dark denim mini-skirt over it, and a black and red  tee paired with black denim looking arm warmers. Yes, arm warmers. My coworker said they were "dope."

I later spilled red wine on them though at the John Legend concert in Santa Barbara that Raphael and I attended after work. The concert itself was very romantic although there were a bunch of drunk college kids there.  We could have gone backstage before the show but we ended up getting there late since it was quite a long drive out there. 

I digress though, I got my arm warmers below at UpSox through their eBay store, but Urban Outfitters is also selling a cute pair of military colored, knit armwarmers too.

 

Link: 80's movie trivia game from Comedy Central-- it's harder than you'd think and I know my 80's films.

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