Music Mondays: Ben l'Oncle Soul

A man in a bow tie makes me weak in the knees.  That being said, if Ben l'Oncle Soul picked me up in a dirty pick-up truck a la "Elle Me Dit" for our wedding, I would probably marry him.  And by probably, I mean definitely.  (That video actually reminds me way too much of Paolo Nutini's "Candy," but I digress.) 


Ben l'Oncle Soul is an amazing soul/motown singer from France who has the most kick ass back up singers/dancers/superheroes ever.  I first heard about them when one of my friends sent me his video for "Petite Seour" and as someone who went through an extreme '50s phase in high school, I was sold. 

Seriously, guys.  Look at that bow tie and tell me you don't love him.  He does such an incredible job of bringing that '50s sound to today's generation without making it boring.  


In addition to his own original music, he also does covers of modern songs that sound nothing like the original songs.  And I have to say, for the most part, I like his versions better.  At the top of my list are the White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army" and Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Other side."  (I honestly hate the original versions of both of those songs but can't stop listening to Ben's.) 

The highlight of my 2011 summer was him performing at Central Park's Summer Stage for free.  (One of the many reasons I love living in New York..) He performed "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" better than anyone I've ever heard.  There's no good video from that day, but here's a clip of him killing it in France.     


Listen & let us know what you think!


-Beetle, xx. 

Friday Frenzy: The Manic-Depressive Shopaholic Shawty

A frenzied WahYizzle is a bipolar WahYizzle (I realize this sounds like a Pokémon description and I’m okay with that).

Furious and Feminist:

I love New Girl, but this analysis of Zooey Deschanel’s character is spot on. Even though I have to agree with Jennifer Wright's article, I’m not going to stop watching it because the show isn’t over yet, so there’s still time for her to grow out of the naïve, childlike girl with a heart of gold trope (yes, that is intended to be a pun of sorts, now RECOGNIZE!). Here's a video by Anita Sarkeesian on the many manifestations of manic pixie dream girl in contemporary pop culture.

Happy and Materialistic:

Anyone want to line up with me on Sunday, Feb. 5 for the launch of Jason Wu for Target line?

Picture from http://www.fashionologie.com

Picture from http://www.thelooksforless.com

Hope you guys have a great weekend!


-WahYizzle

Remedies from the Home Country

Last weekend, after bumping into my grandmother on a day that I dared not to wear a scarf and proceeded to get yelled at for 20 minutes, I got sick.  Note:  No matter how many times I claim my grandparents lack common sense and remember advice that gypsies gave them on the streets of Ukraine (true story), they somehow always end up being right. 


So I've been spending most of this week sniffly, with really bad jaw pain.  My mom told me to keep my jaw warm so I wrapped my face in a scarf and sat at work like this: 

At my desk at work.  Considering I work in a hell cave and
rarely have human interaction, the ability to speak is optional.

One of the best conversations I've had with my friends is about the bizarre remedies our immigrant mothers employ to cure our ailments.  


On Monday, my mother was making a salad while I passed by the kitchen.  I came up to taste some of it, and she said "Come here.  Smell this." and shoved an onion in my nose.  I smelled it, it stung like a bitch, and made me cry.  But according to her, "it will kill all germs in your nose." 


My list can go on and on, but my current favorite is the countless times I had bronchitis as a child (or any form of terrible cough) and my mother would put a sack of boiled potatoes on my chest when I went to sleep.  Yes.  A sack of potatoes.  In Soviet Russia, medicine takes you.  Basically, to keep your chest warm and break up your cough, people would boil potatoes, mash them a bit, and wrap them in cloth with a bit of oil.  Then they'd put them on your chest in a bag and have you sleep with it.  For all of my adventurous friends and/or those without health insurance, take note.  


In college I saw one of my best friends, the Kaizasaurus, who is from Colombia, heat up orange juice and honey with a melted Halls at the bottom of the glass.  I don't dare question it.  


And today, NibsnInk told me about one of her Chinese remedies that involved putting a large silver coin (any large silver coin will do, I had this clarified) in a hard boiled egg and rubbing it against any painful spot on your body.  Headache, stomachache, Back ache.. you name it.  Once you rub it, the coin is supposed to turn black and that means it worked.  


No matter what, though, my favorite thing to do when I'm sick is curl up in my PJs with a cup of tea.  Say what you will, modern medicine, but black tea cures every ailment on the face of this earth. 


What are your ancient home remedies for sicknesses?


-Beetle, xx.  

Are the 90s back?

I should have noted this when I bought my pair of Jeffrey Campbell Tardy, but I had to write this post when I read Topshop's newsletter last week. Apparently, one of the trends for Spring 2012 is 90s grunge; this is barely anything new. Platforms have been back for a while and plaid has become a signature of hipsterdom. Now, I'm no fashion expert, not even a fashion junkie, but I do love it and follow seasonal runway shows once in a while. Realizing that the latest decade to emulate is the 90's, I am concerned that 10 years later, we'll run out of past ideas from which to contrive, because by 2000, we were already bringing back bell bottoms of the 70s. I think Retromania: Pop Culture's Addiction to Its Own Past perfectly explains what the heck is going on.

Topshop Ad for 90s trend 
(Photo from http://www.mixmag.net)

My JC Tardys!!! I just had to sneak it in. 
(Photo from  http://www.nastygal.com/ )

Photo from http://erstwhilejewelry.com

I think there are great designers doing great work and bloggers like Susie Bubble encapsulate all that is refreshing in fashion, so perhaps the marketers, publicists, and magazines (Is "Neo Grunge" the best description you can come up with?) from whom we get our information, are main contributors to this hebetudinous and tame fashion machine. What's funny is that this mainly pertains to mass-producing clothing companies. Another reason to support small businesses and thrift stores? Take what you will from this rant, but this girl is sick of seeing $90 price tags for a holey shirt and ripped jeans.


How are you guys feeling about what's in stores now? on the runway? Tell me what's your favorite new fashion piece!


-WahYizzle

Barcelona Adventures Part Tres: Cava & International Dinners

Alright, last Barcelona post, I promise.  Don't pretend like you don't want to read this.  We all want to live in a glorious European country that prides itself on cheap booze and ham sandwiches.  So off we go -- 


After my day of beach strolling and creepily watching old men exercise (I promise I'm mentally stable.  For the most part.  Ok, you're right, even I couldn't type that with a straight face), AW finally arrived from London!  We met virtually years ago through a mutually friend of ours who had studied in England, but I knew from my university in Boston, so it was so great to finally meet in real life! 


After a bumpy start (he missed his flight from London > Barcelona, and then I proceeded to have a panic attack until I was assured that he got another one), we spent Wednesday strolling around the Barri Gòtic, went to Catedral Santa María del Mar and Parc de la Ciutadella.  It was nice, and continued in the theme of relaxing, European wandering. 

I'm not sure what exactly AW is trying to accomplish here,
but I am confident that it was hilarious at the time.

We found some street art on the way to the park.
..and I have the mind of a 13-year-old boy.

Thursday was even better because, yes, there was wine.  Oh, joyous day!  Faithful readers, if you ever get the chance to visit Barcelona, please PLEASE take a day trip to Freixenet.  It takes all of 45 minutes on the train and you get a killer wine tour of the caves for only 6,30€.

That car is in the shape of a wine bottle.
These people know how to start a visit off right.

For those of you who don't know, cava is sparkling wine made in the Penedes region of Cataluña in caves.  HOW COULD I PASS UP THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET DRUNK IN A CAVE?  You're right, I couldn't.  At the end of our tour, they popped open a bottle of bubbly and gave us what appeared to be Ritz crackers, though I felt quite hoity toity eating them whilst sipping on my cava, so I'm convinced they're rich people crackers.  

I basically had to restrain my pinky from
shooting up when I held that glass.

But, wait! There's more after the jump.  (Is the suspense killing you?  I know it is.)

Music Mondays: James Morrison

Currently on repeat on my iPod is James Morrison's new album, The Awakening.  (note:  let's remember that I am a serial repeat-er, as I have probably mentioned.  I can listen to the same song on repeat for over 24 hours without getting tired of it.  It drives everyone insane, but I'm only trying to spread the joy of good music to everyone around me.  Clearly you should be grateful.  Clearly.)


Basically, James Morrison is cute, British, and apparently sounds like Cee Lo Green to everyone except me.  I honestly still don't hear it, but it is entirely possible I have dog hearing, so there's that.  

courtesy of Flickr user Aurora's album

He's got this slow, smooth, raspy voice that is perfect for Sunday afternoon when you're lazing about reading Mindy Kaling's book (as I was doing.  It is SO GOOD.  If you haven't read it yet, do it.  Right now.  Stop reading this. Go.)   


My favorite song from his new album is "I Won't Let You Go" and I have so graciously posted the video below.  I do have to say the video is extremely bizarre, makes no sense, and features a girl laying on the road by herself with a bunch of people staring at her.  I don't understand this.  Who is this girl and why is she laying on the road in lingerie?  Is she trying to reenact scenes from The Notebook without Ryan Gosling?  While I continue to muse on this and avoid doing work, please enjoy his wonderful voice and scruffy face:

Another one of my favorite's from his previous album is "Nothing Ever Hurt Like You."  Eh, voi la -- 

For a sampler of his new album, just click here!  Hopefully he'll put you in a zen mood amidst work stress.  (I know, stress relief at work is a trending theme of mine.  Welcome to the world of shit post-college job.  I try to find any small thing that puts me in a better mood.  This includes mini fruit tarts and Hello Giggles posts.)


What do you think of James Morrison?  Let us know in the comments!


Happy Monday!
-Beetle, xx.  

Friday Frenzy: CAKE

Happy Friday, friends!  We're (sort of) taking a brief break from the Barcelona posts for this week's Friday Frenzy, brought to you by gluttony and easy recipes.    

This is basically how I look at every meal.
(courtesy of cheezburger.com)

When I was in Barcelona, L taught me how to make tiramisu in the fastest, easiest way I have ever seen in my life.  It requires no baking.  (No, really.)  S & L don't have an oven in their apartment, so this is one of the few cakes L can actually make.  It takes more time for me to write and explain it in this post than it does to actually make it.  


We did have to tweak it a bit, since everything has to be low-fat friendly in my house after my sister's gall bladder surgery.  (Check out her kick ass food blog and follow her on the Twitter machine at @CraftyBelka!)  Here is our final result: 


instant coffee (3 tsp)
Mascarpone cheese (1 box, 227 g)
egg yolk (1)
egg whites (2) 
sugar (4 tsp)
lady fingers (1 pack) -- How old does it make me if I giggle every time I hear the words "lady fingers"?


Step 1:  Make really really strong black coffee.  We put 3 tsp of regular instant coffee in one cup.  Pour it into a wide bowl so it can cool off.


Step 2:  Beat egg whites with electric mixer until they stand up when you lift the mixer out of them.  


Step 3:  In a separate bowl, mix in mascarpone, egg yolk, egg whites, and sugar.  Beat well (either with a spoon or electric mixer) until you have an even, thickish, creamy consistency.  


Step 4: Dip lady fingers one by one in coffee.  Lay them down flat in your tupperware of choice.  Then add one layer of the cream you made in Step 3.  Add one more layer of lady fingers, and another of cream to top it off.  (You can technically alternate and do as many layers of lady fingers/cream as you want, but I think two was more than enough for us.) 


Step 5:  Refrigerate until cold (I know that sounds stupid).  Basically, if you do this in the evening, leave it overnight.  If you do it in the morning, you can eat it probably by the evening.  It just has to be cold.  


Step 6:  Sprinkle some cocoa over it and enjoy!  We used Godiva and it was heavenly.

I can't say no to chocolate and coffee.

Voi la! 

Has this put you in the cooking mood for the weekend?  (or maybe just the vegging mood?  That's fine too.)  Let us know what your favorite dessert recipe is!  


-Beetle, xx.

Barcelona Adventures Part Dos: Montañas y Playa

What's the best way to get over a painful hangover?  Walk up a giant ass mountain of course. The day after our vodka-gin-rum night of death, JMS, L & I decided to go to Montjuïc, a mountain in Barcelona with a castle (I know, we're up to here with fucking castles) and a gorgeous view of the city.  S decided to stay home because he couldn't bare any contact with sunlight after the previous night, and no one really wanted to be photographed considering we all looked (or at least felt) like we just got hit by a very large churro truck.  


So instead I give you lots of scenery photos!  They're nice.  Like them.  

There's that castle.
I know, you're just longing for a bungalow.

Good call on that tanning spot.

View #1 of Barcelona from  Montjuïc 

Pretty impressive, no?

Honestly, it was really nice to go up there, sit, and not think about anything.  I know that NYC has places like the top of the Empire State Building and views from the Brooklyn Bridge, but sometimes, amidst all the hustle, I think it can be pretty difficult to find a place where you can just sit down and be at peace.  Montjuïc was that place for me.  


There was another place too.  Read about it after the jump!

Barcelona Adventures Part Uno: ¡Hola tío!

As promised, I am kicking off Tuesday with a quick whirl around Barcelona!  A ramble down the Ramblas, if you will.  (Yes, I am aware of how terrible that pun is.  I already regret it, but I know you will all still love me, even in this state.)  

First thing to know about Barcelona:
They are so obsessed with their football (soccer) team that
they even have their own brand of chips.   

I should've known that my Barcelona trip would be good (and by good I mean completely absurd) from the very beginning because my flight was quite.. interesting to say the least.  I met a fellow traveler from Mexico who was going to Barcelona for a few hours to pick up his belongings before he went back to school in Switzerland. -- Reasons I love Europe:  You can say things like, "I'm just going to Dublin for the weekend!" -- Everything was great until he started talking about how he was smuggling drugs and then proceeded to tell the person in the seat next to me that I was his girlfriend and asked to sit next to me.  So I ended up spending my entire 7.5 hour flight with him.  


And it was actually pretty great!  We watched movies, he tried to flirt with the very gay flight attendant to get free booze (and sadly failed), and exchanged stories about our respective homelands.  Once we got to Barcelona, he helped me with all my stuff all the way until city center.  (Yay for batting my eyelashes and not having to carry heavy things.  Except RAWR! girl power all the way I totally could have done it myself.  But in the great words of Phoebe Buffay, "Oh, I wish I could, but I don't want to.")   


Once I got to S & L's place, I got to eat the yummiest Spanish lunch ever -- homemade paella.  Yes, I asked for the most typical Spanish dish ever.  Sue me.  That shit is good and you know it.  Shortly after, JMS, who I hadn't seen in 2 years finally came!  I kind of jumped on him like a spider monkey and didn't let go for a while. 

I didn't take a picture of L's paella but this one is equally as good!
(courtesy of Flickr user jlastras)

It was really after lunch that the craziness started.  Read more after the jump!

Teeth Tuesdays

Despite the dental genre of the title of this post, I am not here to talk about oral hygiene or dentistry of any kind. The past couple of years has brought back (or "mainstreamed") the cult worshiping the species known as Vampires. Between Twilight, True Blood, Anne Rice and hundreds (thousands?) more, many sides of vampires have been explored and exhausted. As a veteran Vampire lover I've read many books, watch many movies and TV shows on the subject matter. One current TV show I am obsessing over is Being Human. A lot of people may know this title from the British version and may disagree with me when I say that I will choose the American version over the British one.


First off, here is a little information on the show.

Image courtesy of Imageshack.com

Aidan and Josh have nothing in common other than both working at the Suffolk County Hospital in Boston and being supernatural. Aidan is a vampire who is trying to run from his gory past by converting to bagged blood and working as a Nurse. Josh is a werewolf who ran away from home (and med school... who wouldn't run?) to protect his loved ones from his dangerous and painful transformation every month. Both are striving to be human aka "normal" and decide to help each other out when they know they won't be able to control themselves. They rent out an apartment together to simulate normalcy in their life. Little do they know, Sally the ghost is still living there. The trio battles personal issues and supports each other while discovering how to live with themselves (and not to kill people just because they can).  


In hindsight, Begin Human uses a lot of stereotypical supernatural references except for the fact that Vampires can walk out in sunlight. However I think that this works for the show. This show is funny, and dark. It pushes a realistic view on how supernaturals deal with their situation and shows the irony of trying to be "normal". This is a great show for those of you who like True Blood and shows where people bond over living together (sitcoms). I am definitely looking forward to seeing how Season 2 pans out. Let me know if you like this show or not and why! :) 


The second part of my Teeth post is inspired by the video game Alice: Madness returns. 

Courtesy of a person on Blogspot.com

This is a ps3 videogame that has a similar gameplay to Kingdom hearts. You play Alice as she returns to Wonderland to recover her lost memories only to find Wonderland infested with evil creatures trying to devour her I guess. She is equipped with an awesome butcher knife to cut her way thought these monsters to find all her missing memories... There are also secret keyhole rooms where you will find the pieces of her memories. Oh wait! This IS Kingdom hearts..... lol. Besides the countless similarities to KH, I really like this game. The graphics are nice, not as fancy as the Final fantasy game but good enough that I like to stop and admire the game scene and the new outfits Alice has in a new chapter. If you like KH like gameplay and really like to see a new twist to Alice in Wonderland this is a good game to check out. 

Well that's it for me! I hope you enjoyed this post! Please Leave me comments to show me you care! 

<3 Nibs n Ink

Oh!!! I almost forgot the best part of the Game Alice, She collects Teeth as currency in Wonderland. I guess that's useful since you can just punch out the cashier if you're low on teeth to buy milk. :)