A Literary Warning

The cooler weather had me cozied up and reading under blankets yesterday.

This is a warning to all who were charmed by Julie & Julia, the movie: do not, absolutely do not venture to read the bore of a book by Julie Powell that it was based upon.

The memoir packs a potent dose of the obnoxious, pouting Powell (BARF! I had to stop reading because it was literally--or *literarily*--giving me a headache) with none of the Meryl Streep-sparkle.

If you want to read a memoir, and read something good, might I suggest The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls, who, having grown up poor in Appalachia living in a deplorable shack, pooping in a growing trash pit in the backyard, and digging through refuse for her meals, still does not complain as much as middle-class, mediocre writer Julie Powell.

Summer is...

A tropical popsicle by an infinity pool with a view of the city.

photo courtesy Christine Goo

Ah....

(BAKED) GOOD NEWS

BIGGEST, HAPPIEST NEWS EVER since Sprinkles stepped onto the sweets-scene.......

Magnolia comes to the West coast this fall!!!

My penchant for petite-sweets will have yet another outlet...I want to do a sugar-high happy dance!

Blog Blues, or Blahs

I watched Julie & Julia today, and am currently annoyed with the 'Julie' character. What a mope. A mope with an ugly mop of hair. So for the moment I am grossed out about writing a 'me-me-me' blog. This personal sentiment in no way extends to other blogging friends, whose pages I love reading and commenting on, by the way.

How amazing is Meryl Streep though??

Pet a Piggie

The best part of my weekend was petting this little black pot-bellied piglet at the Montrose Farmer's Market (no offense to friends and family and all the other fun activities--I just love pigs that much). Other kids tried to pet the piggie but I *hogged* her the whole time.

Jessica the piglet.

Baking Bygones

I used to be really into baking. Some highlights include pineapple upside down cake with this amazing caramelized brown sugar glaze, carrot cake with raisins and pineapple, just the way I like it, bagels (involves finicky yeast and you have to BOIL them first!), and chocolate cheesecake (the water bath was so complicated).

Then one day I realized I hated the cleaning part--ooey gooey batters and viscous chocolately mixtures do not wash away easily, and encrusted remnants are difficult to get out without soaking for like 50 hours. So I gave it up.

That being said, I admire people who put up with the clean up. My sister baked a delicious strawberry cheesecake this weekend for my mom's birthday, and Katherine made three separate items for Ban's birthday bash at Hotel Fig.


Triple-Chocolate: Bakestress Katherine and her chocolate cupcakes with nonpareils, chocolate white chocolate chip cookies, chocolate covered grahams topped with fleur de sel.

A Puppet. A Puppet Pet.

After two years in the making, Ben Jackel's first solo exhibition at LA Louver finally came and went (if you find yourself in Venice/Marina del Rey, definitely check it out). The pieces and the turnout were amazing. The best part of the evening, however, had nothing to do with Ben's beautiful creations...


What?! That eccentric old woman brought a little fuzzy kitty with her to the art opening!


How adorable! Can I pet it?


It's cute. but strange. eh?


It's not a pet--it's a puppet!

So random, so wonderful.

*puppeteer/puppet-maker Evelin Popp