LA Cupcakes: Layers

For our 23rd Los Angeles Cupcake MeetUp, we tried Layers Cupcakes, an online order only cupcakery in L.A., which delivers throughout California. They've been growing steadily by word of mouth over the last year and are looking for a potential storefront in the future. Since there wasn't an actual store to visit yet, I hosted the meetup in my condo's quad area. I setup some tables, had some milk and Ebony from Layers provided 36 cupcakes. We had a really good turn out too with 25 people in total.

If you're looking for plain vanilla or chocoalte cupcakes, Layers just isn't it though. Instead, we tried their unique flavors like Lavender Honey, Vanilla Rose, Strawberry Lemonade and Mexican Hot Chocolate (spicy!).

My group seemed to really like the Strawberry Lemonade the best, but I liked the Vanilla Rose. Most of all, you could tell each cupcake was homemade and were light and fluffy. One member went so far as to say it was their favorite cupcakery she's tried with us so far.

Below is a quick video from the event and check out here for more photos.

Layers will also be among the shops participating in the 2nd annual Cupcake Challenge at the end of March and I'll be one of the judges again this year.

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Best Picture Showcase

I just attended the AMC's 2009 Best Picture Showcase out in The OC, where all 5 of the Best Picture nominees were shown back-to-back in one day at 97 AMC theater locations throughout the country for one ticket price of $30.

Since I had seen all the films except Frost/Nixon, I just headed to that particular showing. I was given a souvenir lanyard, with artwork and info on the five nominated films and also received a large popcorn with unlimited refills, which would have come in handy if I was there the whole day like most of the people there.

I wasn't expecting Frost/Nixon to be as good as it ended up being. The trailer didn't do it justice. I thought the film was going to be just the TV interviews, but it was more behind the scenes and featured other talented cast members like Kevin Bacon, Sam Rockwell and Oliver Platt. Plus, Best Actor nominee Frank Langella's performance as Nixon was uncanny and It reminded me a little of Good Night, and Good Luck in its focus on a jounalism-era event, however, I liked the style of this film more. Overall, it was like watching a really good candid 60 minutes with some comedy mixed in.

Below are my thoughts on each of the other Best Picture Nominees:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The long title is like an omen to how long this film was going to be at 166 minutes. It wasn’t the length though that bothered me, it was the overall build up to nothing. I just felt let down by this film. I like how it started, interesting concept and the plot kept moving and then it just stalled, yet kept driving its audience along for the ride. Yes, Brad Pitt did a good job talking gravelly and not looking so perfect, but eh. Actually, that’s how I felt about this film—“eh.” I had people argue though that it was a beautiful love story, but I didn’t find it all that romantic and that the relationship was pretty shallow and depressing. As I said before, I liked the beginning of the film before the romance even started. Overall, I thought it was over indulgent and at times boring. Can’t help but feel Forrest Gump, which did win best picture in 1994, did a much better job telling a similar and a more interesting story.

Milk A good political bio picture, it enlightened me on who Harvey Milk was in the first place and easily had my support in his fight for equal rights for gay citizens in San Francisco. The acting was strong as was the late 70s early 80s film coloring, props and overall time capsule look. Although I enjoyed this film and thought it was definitely a must watch, I don’t think it was the best picture of 2008 or anything that special to warrant that particular distinction.

The Reader This was an unexpected surprise for me. I didn’t know much about the film when I walked into the theater outside of Kate Winslet was starring in it, but I really liked the many different layers of love, hate, revenge and suffering. The film takes place Post-WWII Germany and starts off as a love story between a 15-year-old boy and much older woman (Kate). Nearly a decade after the affair came to a mysterious end, the boy now turned law student re-encounters his former lover as she defends herself in a war-crime trial. I wasn’t expecting the trial portion and the change in direction the film took, although it was evident that “something” was brewing. Overall, the film shows you how much love can affect you, hurt you and cloud your judgment and decisions. Kate also did a wonderful job playing the complicated and stern character, she has my vote for Best Actress.

Slumdog Millionaire Now here is a romance, drama, spectacle, biopic and more. Everything a Best Picture winner should be. Final answer. I must say I wasn’t interested in seeing this British film until the groundswell of buzz and awards escalated it to new heights. I then feared my expectations would be too high, but I was captured right from the start and enjoyed the emotional ride. I wasn't alone as the entire movie theater stayed in their seats until midway through the credits not the typical rush to the exit and to their car.

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L.A. Blogger Spa Party by BOCA

Today after work and a weekend of being sick with strep throat, I headed to a L.A. Blogger Night presented by BOCA, the makers of those meatless patties, a line of soy-based foods from burgers to sausages to chik'n and entrées. Held at the swanky Voda Spa in Hollywood, fellow area bloggers (half mom bloggers, half lifestyle) and I were pampered with an evening of mani/pedis, mini-massages and easy meditation tips designed to help live balanced lives.

Now, if you know me, you might already be laughing, because you know I'm not a veggie person, so I wasn't particularly looking forward to the food at the event, however, I was pleasantly surprised. The soy chik'n lettuce wraps could rival P.F. Chang's and I didn't mind the mini burgers, maybe because they are soy and not veggie burgers. Apparently BOCA products are a good source of fiber, which is something I do need more of in my diet as well as vegetables, which my husband keeps insisting is the reason why I get sick so often and he doesn't. I went home with some coupons and I'm actually going to cash them in and try incorporating into my diet.

At the event, I got a mini massage and learned some yoga moves to do at my desk, especially took away the need to exercise your hands if you work on a computer all day by rolling them around or squeezing a stress ball throughout the day. I also got a manicure and went bold and picked a jungle red-like nail polish (the new version of the film The Women was the inspiration for that).

Besides the coupons I also walked away with some cool items, which they kindly gave me double of to do a blog giveaway here for my readers. So up for grabs I have a a pretty daily calendar, meditation CD, free BOCA product coupon, recipes and an eco-friendly bag from Envirosax (this one). Just comment here with your email addy or a way that I can contact you along with info on any excerisizes that you do during work or your take on BOCA patties and I'll randomly pick a winner this Sunday. Good luck!

Update: Heidi at legallyheidi.com won the BOCA gift pack. Congrats.

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A Valentine's Day fever

My Valentine's Day was HOT! 102.2 fever hot. Wish it was the other kind of hot, but unfortunately it was more of the flu variety. So my hubbie and I spent the day making my great-great-grandmother's chicken soup and me sleeping 13 hours. The fever is gone, but I'm still achy and have a sore throat. I finally went to the doctor and was told I have strep, so I'm now on antibiotic at least.

Prior to VDay though I did get in two days of skiing up in Big Bear Lake, Calif. It still amazes me how different east coast handles snow and how west coast handles it. As the local weatherman said while reporting on the recent rain and snowfall this week, "it would be bad for the east coast but it's paralyzing to the west coast." Despite the amount of snow that Vermont gets, I never had to put chains on my tires to be able to drive in it, since the roads are usually plowed pretty quickly. Up in Big Bear Lake though, they don't seem to plow as often, leaving the roads white and signs stating that chains are required. Anyway, so after four inches hit the area Raphael had to struggle to put metal chains on our tires and I trekked back down the mountain towards Los Angeles with them on my Jetta. Here are some photos along the way:

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TOMS Shoes sample sale

Saturday I attended the TOMS Shoes sample sale in Santa Monica. I've written about TOMS before, the cause-based company that donates one pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair of shoes purchased.

It was hard to find the warehouse lot, even passed by it twice, until I noticed a bunch of people in an alley leading to the entrance. The sale didn't include many size fives for me unfortunately, so I settled for a blue green plaid linen pair and picked up red canvas ones for my friend. They were on sale for only $20 each instead of the normal $48 price. While combing through the boxes in vain searching for something smaller than a size 6, I look up and see last year's American Idol contestant Jason Castro. Deep blue eyes, darker dreads, etc. He was there with a guy friend and even purchased a pair for himself. A group of young girls were squealing after seeing him and while he was in the checkout line, asked if they could get a photo of him. That's when I braved to take a shot myself with my cell phone, but only got the back of his head though:

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Do This, Not That! 20 Green Tips

You might remember earlier in the year that I made the resolution to use reusuable grocery bags instead of plastic and I'm happy to say that I have been sticking with it. I was amazed at how fun and easy it was to be a little greener in my day-to-day life. I'm hardly "granola," but using reusable bags was an easy lifestyle change for me, which is why I started seeking the advice from experts and enthusiasts for 20 other simple tips that can be made to help the environment without having to turn to a solar powered condo and shelling out the big bucks for a hybrid, etc.

The Do This and Not That Green List a.k.a. the greener of two evils:

1. Use rechargeable batteries instead of single-use or alkaline batteries--good for your wallet and the environment (read more at ecomii.com)

2. Use dimmable lights instead of regular light switches--when you dim a light, you lower the amount of energy flowing to that light bulb (read more at ecomii.com)

3. Use cloth napkins instead of paper – looks better, feels better and can go in the laundry with your other stuff. Always get darker colors so you can use them longer (theveggiequeen.com)

4. Use natural table décor instead of buying something new for each occasion. Take your kids out for a walk. Pick up all sorts of natural items—leaves, rocks, pinecones. Come home and arrange in glasses. (CelebrateGreen.net)

5. Buy local produce instead of items that need to be shipped from afar

6. Buy recycled golf balls and you can reduce the demand and production of new balls plus you save up to 50% on the price (LostGolfBalls.com)

7. Download music online instead of buying music on CDs (greenwala.com). Sweet, I already do this!

8. Wash clothes in cold water with detergent formulated for cold water washing. You'll save carbon emissions and money by not using heated water (greenwala.com)

9. Pack your child’s lunch in reusable containers instead of using a disposable paper bag and plastic baggies each school day (americasgreenestschool.com.)

10. Eat a vegetarian meal once a week instead of meat. A vegetarian meal requires significantly less greenhouse gas emissions to produce, and is a healthy alternative to add to your diet (OneMillionActsofGreen.com)

11. Unplug your cell phone charger when phone isn’t charging (ecostoreusa.com)

12. Use “organic” eco-friendly skin care products instead of skin care products with man-made chemicals that deposit harmful toxic residue in your body and the environment (Ungenita.com)

13. Go for a walk outside instead of on a treadmill (The Non-Consumer Advocate)

14. When brushing teeth. Wet the toothbrush with a small trickle of water, and then turn the water off! Turn it back on to rinse the toothpaste off the brush at the end. A family of four could save hundreds of gallons every month just from this simple trick and not keeping the water running (frugalfun.com)

15. Park your car and go into a fast food restaurant or bank instead of sitting with your car idling in the drive through line (cleanairmakemore.com)

16. Replace an old-style picture tube TV or projection TV with a new flat-screen HDTV plasma that is Energy Star rated. You can cut your TV energy use by a third and get better picture quality, a sexy flat screen, and a bigger picture too (plasmadisplaycoalition.org)

17. Use an Energy-Star dishwasher rather than handwash your dishes. By using an approved dishwasher, you use half as much energy as washing by hand, and use nearly 5,000 gallons less water per year, compared to washing dishes by hand (Whirlpool)

18. Don’t use disposable coffee or tea stirrers, instead pour milk and sugar in first and then add your drink. And even better, use a mug instead of a disposable cup (GradeGuru.com)

19. Light candles, open windows instead of using canned air freshener (nrdc.org)

20. Read blogs and online news sites instead of newspapers! wink, wink, nudge, nudge (Me!)

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Super Bowl Sunday

Cake decorator I'm not, below is my attempt to make football cupcakes for a Super Bowl party Raphael went to.

I spent the big game though watching and tracking the views of Pepsi's ads, all of which I thought really stood out during the game. My husband and I love the MacGruber SNL sketch so were happy to see it made into a Pepsi commercial, too clever. I personally like this other version better though, lol.

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