Seven Articles You Need to Read Right Now

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My selection of my favorites from the articles I have read lately…

  • I Was a Warehouse Wage Slave – If you read nothing else that I’ve linked to today, please, at least read this one. It’s long, but well-written, and fantastic. Something we all need to hear. I learned a whole lot of things I never knew, or even thought about, before. It really puts things into perspective, and I took many thoughts away from this article. I suspect I will not be alone in these revelations.
  • The Wal-Marting of American Theatre –  An interesting theory. Even more interestingly, it references the article above (“I Was a Warehouse Wage Slave”). But I’m torn. I studied the “standard American” dialect in college, and I too have found myself  “shipped” off to New York, and to work at regional theatres across the nation. But I have never abandoned my Texas heritage – and I’d argue that both “shop local” and “diversify” is exactly what a good number of theatres are simultaneously seeking. I am proud to have worked for three professional theatres – all three of which celebrated the uniqueness of their own community, its local flavor, and the artists it bore, as well as valuing and savoring the culture, diversity, and local flavors of visiting artists from all over the nation – most of whom are still very much infused by own their local roots.
  • Sure Beats Bunking in a Barn – How theatres provide housing for their actors. A neat read. I wish this article had been around when I was in college because this was something I always wondered about, but never learned until I worked in my first equity house. By the way, of the three regional theatres that I have worked at, all three offered housing options different from those outlined in this article, so the article is just a sampling of the variety of actor housing out there – but it’s fun and interesting nonetheless.
  • Slideshow: Top 12 Female Directors – First of all, look at all these smart and talented trailblazing women in American theatre! YES. I am tingling with pride! Secondly, Big Fish the musical on Broadway!? Must see! Thirdly, there are some great directing tidbits in here. Finally, it feels great to be reaching a point in my career where I recognize a majority of the names dropped and have read nearly every play mentioned, even some of the brand new ones (one or two before they were even published!).
  • What NOT to F’ing Buy My Kids This Holiday and the sequel What You SHOULD F’ing Buy My Kids This Holiday – Okay, these two articles are riddled with profanity and are anything but P.C. (you’ve been warned), but they are hilarious. I was snickering so hard I couldn’t speak. I sent them to my roommate and she was snorting so hard she couldn’t breathe. A co-worker was audibly cackling desk-side. You don’t have to have kids to appreciate common sense and super snarky writing.
  • 35 Things You Will Never Again See in Your Life – I’m not sure if this can really be considered an “article” due to the sheer lack of actual words, but as a child of the 80s and early 90s, these are pure gold! The nostalgia alone is worth a peek.
  • 102 Year-Old Woman Still Drives Her 82-Year-Old Car – I love everything about this article! Watch the video too. That car is a beauty…and so is that woman! Can you even believe she’s 102 years old!?

So, what do you think? Which one did you like the most? The least? Did you agree or disagree?

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Holiday Favorites

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Stash holiday tea collection – especially the Christmas Eve tea! It’s the perfect holiday flavor.

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Matte nail polish in rich holiday colors you can’t really get away with any other time of year.

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Nothing like a little luxury and indulgence to celebrate the season. What do they put in these Lindor Truffles!? How are they so good!?

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Big, real, heavenly smelling wreaths with lots of natural touches like pine cones and a variety of pine, balsam, and fir boughs.

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Fine, decadent, sweet dessert wine. The kind so good you can only afford it once a year.

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Nothing says Christmas Night quite like a succulent leg of lamb. Sorry vegetarians, but they’re just so cute and tasty!

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Fireplaces. The smell, the warmth, the relaxing….all of it. Yes.

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Breaking in my new ice skates!

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Mom’s homemade chocolate kiss cookies, hot out of the oven, with a tall glass of milk.

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Firebowl parties

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Red velour footed pajamas….So soft! So warm! So Santa-ish! Basically, I grant myself poetic license to look like a gleeful dweeb for 31 days of the year. And it’s excellent.

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Holiday Inn and White Christmas! Without a doubt, the world’s finest classic Christmas films!

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The subtle scent of cinnamon, pine cones, cranberry, oranges, balsam, and fire.

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Clementines and pears – in season holiday snack of choice :) They negate the calories in the kiss cookies, don’t you know?

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The Nutcracker. Love seeing it, love falling asleep to the music at night.

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Nuts. Mmmmm.

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My annual small glass of eggnogg…even better with peppermint schnapps!

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Lengthy Christmas letters with lots of pictures from family and friends. No really. I actually do love receiving and reading these!

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Sequin tanks…another fashion I can only get away with during the festive holiday party month of December.

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Thick, warm, cozy knit blankets. Specifically, snoozing beneath them :)

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Classic Christmas books from my childhood gracing our coffee table so I can curl up beside the tree and read and re-read them all season long!

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Polar Express.

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Old fashioned and/or ever-so-slightly lesser known Christmas tunes the likes of In the Bleak Midwinter, The Christmas Waltz, We Need A Little Christmas, Mary Did You Know, Lullay Lullay, Christmas in Kilarney, River, Home By Another Way, Mary’s Lullaby, etc…..preferably a little jazzy too!

(Fun fact: In 2008 I played Mary in the first fully-realized production of Paul Slade Smith’s musical “Hymn & Carol” since its initial reading and production back in the 90s when it was written, for which he composed the song “Mary’s Lullaby” – totally love that I was in one of the first complete casts of this musical to ever sing this song and now it’s a lovely Christmas hymn on CDs and stuff! It’s a gorgeous song. Also, you should check out the official website for the musical here. Do you see me?)

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I have always loved nativity sets, and Ted and I bought a gorgeous olive wood nativity set similar to this one last year. Can’t wait to finally pull it out!

What are your holiday favorites?

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New Friends

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Meet my new winter friends:

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Kristie and Michelle.

Maybe their famous namesakes will miraculously translate their epic girl power and figure skating goddess talents into my skates. I’ll be doing triple axles in no time.

Yeah, I didn’t think so either.

Either way…

My winter sporting just got a whole lot more awesome.

:)

Outdoor ice rink, you are mine.

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Cats. Love ’em.

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Grumpy Cat is amazing.

Definitely my new favorite thing.

Ignore the mild profanity because these are hilarious and make my life extremely happy.

Click to enlarge.

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Aaaaaaand that is exactly why I love perpetually grumpy cats.

Snark, snark, snark.

Just like our Bella.

She’s a grumpy cat too.

The most unfeeling creature in existence.

And I love her for it.

Oh, and you need to watch this funny 23 second clip.

What a ham!

Again I say….cats.

Love ’em.

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Family Mugs

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{All photos by the lovely and talented Grace Adams Photography}

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{A few of my favorites}

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{Channeling “Modern Family”? Love it. For the sake of completion, let’s pretend that all is right in the world and imagine that Ted is standing behind me.}

And finally…

101 Ways To Piss Off A Cat.

I win.

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Color + Quality

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Butter London nail lacquer in Royal Navy, Jack the Lad, British Racing Green, and Sprog.

I adore these colors, and would be pleased as punch to Amazon the heck out of all four of them.

But I’m having a hard time wrapping my brain around $14 nail polish.

$14 for fingernail decorations is a little steep for a humble theatre artist’s wallet, sadly.

Stocking stuffers? ;)

Or, you know, they could just make it cost $6, like normal nail polish.

The perils of being a girl.

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For the Win

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I’m a sucker for excellent salads with all manner of fantastic, fresh, and eccentric ingredients.

This one is pretty tame by my standards, but it’s so tasty that it’ll blow you away!

  • Spring mix
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Pear
  • Dried cranberries
  • Glazed walnuts
  • Boursin cheese (this one ingredient makes this salad!)
  • Salmon (I bet applewood smoked bacon would be a fantastic substitute if you’re not into fish)
  • Annie’s sesame ginger salad dressing (so good!)
  • Other ideas: figs, pumpkin seeds, apples, garlic croutons, black olives, hearts of palm…

DO IT.

An easy dinner to impress the socks off your friends is served.

You’re welcome.

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The Good Stuff

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A} If you haven’t seen this movie, you should probably go take care of that immediately.

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B} I don’t think it’s unreasonable to want her entire wardrobe. Really, I’d be happy with the hats and shoes and just one dress, if the whole wardrobe is too much to ask. Oh yeah, and you’re going to have to deliver that because I don’t do malls this time of year and the 1920s is a little too far away for me to hit up after work. Gah! Why can’t we still dress like that today!? Our fashions are pure blasphemy compared to this gold!

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C} Also, I want the soundtrack and I think I need to restart tap lessons immediately. My tap shoes are burning a hole in the bin under our bed and that just seems totally unacceptable after having my love of tap traumatically rekindled by this film.

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What They Got

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Gigi got a friend

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Gigi and Tetra. B.F.F. (well, he hasn’t eaten him so far, so…)

and Ace got pregnant.

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You can see the eggs under her tail…our third generation!

More cute, tiny craybies…eeee! Yay!

Love these handsome devils! Wish there were here.

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Christmastime in the City

Saturday, December 1, marked the official ringing in of the 2012 holiday season in many cities, mine among them.

Friday night, appropriately, brought us the first snowfall of the year, and Saturday was the “It’s a Wonderful Life in the South Wedge” festival, lighting of the city tree celebration/parade, and grand opening of the outdoor ice rink in Manhattan Square Park for the season.

Carolers and a toasty little fire
Carolers and a toasty little fire, both of which were far more enjoyable than they actually look. Sometimes the camera just doesn’t do it justice.
South Wedge art
South Wedge art/bench
Woodsy chic store decorations
Loving these woodsy chic decorations in a sweet little shop on South Ave…shop local this holiday season and support small business!
Festive lighting
Festive lighting
Chalkboard paint and bark - a new way of sprucing up your space
Chalkboard paint and bark – a new way of sprucing up your space
A perfect wreath and the cheese wasn't bad either ;)
A perfect wreath and the goat cheese wasn’t bad either ;)
Artisan chocolate truffles TO DIE FOR.
Gourmet artisan chocolate truffles TO DIE FOR.
Rich, hot, bittersweet drinking chocolate samples. In hindsight, it's probably a really good thing I cannot afford the drinking chocolate or the truffles.
Rich, hot, bittersweet drinking chocolate samples. Also TO DIE FOR. In hindsight, it’s probably a good thing that the drinking chocolate and artisan truffles are way out of my price range.
Good thing their espresso and salted caramel ice cream in a homemade waffle cone was affordable. It was so good I'm STILL dreaming about it.
Espresso and salted caramel ice cream in a homemade waffle cone. It was so good I’m STILL dreaming about it. Again, TO DIE FOR.
Black bean, feta, and avocado arepa from the Hello Arepa food truck. Delicious!
Black bean, feta, and avocado arepa from the Hello Arepa food truck. Delicious!
Functional city art in the form of a bike parking post.
Functional yet beautiful city art in the form of a bike parking post.
The ice rink...ready for her grand opening!
The ice rink…ready for her grand opening!
Here comes the parade!
Here comes the parade! Let the band play on!
Fireworks to celebrate!
Fireworks to celebrate!
The holiday season is officially upon us.
The holiday season is officially upon us.
First skaters on the ice before the hordes descend.
First skaters on the ice before the hordes descend.
How could this day be complete without horse-drawn "carriage" rides through the city?
How could this day be complete without horse-drawn “carriage” rides through the city?

All in all…not too shabby ;)

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