Mint-spiration

I've been in a very mint-y mood today, probably because it's been hot out, and mint is a very cooling herb.

It started this morning, when I went to my local coffee shop.  I usually get their iced mocha, but I took some time to look at the menu while waiting in line and noticed a "iced vanilla mint latte" under their specials.  I never imagined the combination of vanilla and mint, so I decided to give it a try since it sounded so unique.  IT WAS DELICIOUS!  I even tweeted about it.

Sitting at my local coffee shop with a Iced Vanilla Mint Latte.

 I went grocery shopping afterwards, and saw the bunch of mint while I was grabbing a bag of lettuce.  I thought, "let's make this a mint day!"  I already have dried mint in my pantry, but you can do a lot more with fresh.  I came home and started planning how to fit in mint into the rest of my meals tonight.

I started off with a mint salad dressing.  I looked up recipes online, but there weren't any popular ones that stood out to my liking.  I decided to add it to my normal salad dressing with some alterations:

- drops of lemon juice
- drops of vegetable oil
- pinch of salt
- pinch of garlic powder
- small bunch of chopped mint

I mixed them all in my mini food processor and tossed it into my mixed salad - yum!

Dressing ingredients in my food processor.

I had planned to make one of my favorite Persian dishes, Khoresht Ghemeh, and while it does not require mint in the recipe, I thought I compliment the dish with a yogurt soda drink with mint called doogh.  Doogh is normally served with Persian kabobs, but I don't have a grill and I was in the mood for it.  I'll save the authenticity when I visit my parents, they are much better cooks anyway :)

Anyway, doogh is basically plain yogurt blended with club soda, pinch of salt, and some chopped mint (optional).

Doogh, one of my favorite childhood drinks!

Well, I'm off to finish cooking dinner.  Probably going to add the rest of the mint to my tea before bed tonight!

Hate To Say I Told You So

Friday night was a fun flashback.  A friend of mine mentioned to me that she was going to see The Hives and invited me along.  I haven't heard anything new from the band since high school, but of course I could never turn down a concert.

We met for a nice fondue dinner and headed over to Terminal 5, one of my favorite venues.  There were two opening bands, Flesh Lights and Fidlar, which were not bad.  Flesh Lights were a upbeat, fun trio.  They looked very young, I would guess high school?  Maybe even early college?  It was pretty obvious that they are just starting out, because of their short set, but it looks like they have a growing fan base.

Fidlar was more of a chill skater-rock kind of group.  Most of their songs' lyrics were based on getting high which is nothing I could ever relate to, but musically they were alright.  I think I was more distracted by the lead singer's guitar.

"Burritos"? really?

Finally, The Hives came out, with a crazy entrance of ninjas, lights, and "magician" uniforms.  My only real memory of the group before the show was their first album back when I was in high school.  They had a hit back then called "Hate To Say I Told You So."  I just love how fun, catchy, yet simple their music is.

Myself and my friends started off in the front and center of the audience.  As the band was getting into their second song, the people around me were going crazy, moshing and pushing everyone around them.  After being pushed around and losing my friends, I couldn't take it anymore and moved over to the left side of the venue.  I'm so glad I did, because seconds later, the kids in that area started crowd surfing, and there's no way I would have been able to hold someone up.

I was able to enjoy the concert more being a little further away.  I can't believe I've missed out on a couple of their albums over the years and their new material was great too.  Definitely a fun night, despite all the bruises I have now.

By the way, I just realized that in a previous post that mentioned Terminal 5, I mentioned that I was going to try the balcony the next time I went there...oops!   

How awesome is this stage!!

The Hives are out with fun costumes.

So much energy in the room.

A rare still moment.

So, the lead singer, Pelle Almqvist asked the entire audience to sit on the floor.

Make It Work

I've been on an artsy rampage this week.  I've been playing my clarinet a lot more, I really miss playing in a group.  I'm slowly getting my skills back up to where I was in college, although my higher range is just horrifying, sorry neighbors!

I've been updating my design portfolio too.  I finished the certificate program at Pratt last month, so I haven't had any new projects to create outside of work assignments.  I have been focusing on variations of my logo, which I'm excited about.  It's hard to come up with something that represents who I am without going a little too overboard with color.  Since it will most likely turn into a business card, I don't want to come off as overbearing.


This was actually done a few months ago as a birthday card for a friend, who is a big fan of The Office.  I recently added this one to my portfolio, to brighten up any "Office" fans day!

Dwight K. Schrute

Last night, I had the opportunity to knock off a fun item on my bucket list.  Yesterday morning, I found out on Twitter that Project Runway planned to hold a public fashion show in Times Square for their season 10 premiere.  Naturally, I HAD to go.  I arrived last night about a half hour before the show, and it got packed quickly.  My spot was ok, but not the best considering there were towers of cameras everywhere.  It was such a nice treat to see Heidi Klum, Tim Gunn, Michael Kors, and Nina Garcia from a slight distance.  Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls) and Patrica Field were also there as guest judges.

Now, on to the fashion show!  Filming just started with 16 designers and each had to create 2 looks, so we got a nice long show with 32 models.  There were some outfits that I really loved, some that were too simple or overdone, and some that were just plain weird.  Because it is television, they ran the runway part twice to get better shots, so I got a good glimpse of the first episode.  Can't wait til it airs in July, I wonder if I'll be able to spot myself on TV! :)

Watching the stage getting set up, with the judges chairs on the side.

The hosts/judges of the show greeting us.  Heidi looked absolutely gorgeous, Tim Gunn and Michael Kors were adorable, and I am obsessed with Nina Garcia's dress (who later tweeted that it is by Dolce and Gabbana)

It's Time For Some Change

A lot has happened in the past few weeks.  So much that I can't even remember what I should post.  I've added a "Favorites" list on the side of the page, to share things that I like/care about at the moment.  I'm planning on updating it monthly, but it might turn seasonal.

Now that the weather is a little warmer, I've been making frequent trips to the outdoor Union Square Greenmarket.  They're open 4 days a week, but Saturday is my best day to go, and it is much more peaceful in the mornings.  I went in last week to grab a couple things I love that are in season right now (RHUBARB!!). 

Lots of colorful radishes.  I tried them once when I was a kid and didn't like it, maybe I'll try it again someday, cause these look so pretty!

Lots and lots of strawberries!!  Bought a bunch for my strawberry-rhubarb crumble.

Cute sign!

Afternoon at a Hells Kitchen rooftop, watching the Disney cruise ship leave the dock.

A Weekend of Music, Food, Sun, and More Music, Part 2

My weekend post is in two parts, because I felt that this next section deserved it's own post.

Sunday was the spring concert for Daniel's Music Foundation.  Through New York Cares, this organization has been my favorite to volunteer for this past month.  DMF is a music program for children and adults with disabilities.  If you have some time, look over the story behind how it all got started....amazing! 

Over the past few weeks, I have been able to meet so many great people, and students who have touched my heart.  My job during the courses was to sit with a student and engage them to participate in the class.  Sometimes there were challenges, especially with the younger ones, but in four weeks I did notice a lot of improvements within each individual.  In the adult/high school keyboard class, I just so happened to work with the same student each week, so the instructor asked me to aid him on stage during the performance.  Fortunately, I didn't have to do much, as long as I got him on the right note at the start of a phrase, he was able to figure out the rest on his own. 

I sat with the students in the auditorium during the first recital of the day.  There was a "Rock 'n Roll" theme, which really produced some great acts, that I didn't even get to see during the classes.  Even when the kids were not performing and just watching the others, I saw so much excitement in their eyes, and they were clearly vocal about it at the end of each song.  Made me really miss performing back when I was a kid.

Music really does heal!!!

A Weekend of Music, Food, Sun, and More Music, Part 1

I just had a lovely yet crazy weekend.

Saturday was the Great Googa Mooga Festival in Brooklyn.  This is the first time for this festival of music, food, and drinks.  I heard about it through Twitter several months ago, and it sounded like the greatest idea ever – bands playing while you get to feast on food from various restaurants in the city, and go beer/wine tasting!  Tickets were free for a group of 4 people, so I definitely wanted to take the opportunity to try this out.

The festival was in the middle of Prospect Park in Brooklyn, which I was not at all familiar with.  After arriving to the park entrance, it took me 45 minutes to find the place, because there wasn't any proper signage.  Although once I got in, things were a lot better.  Since it was still a little early, there weren't as many people, and easier to get through food and drink lines.  I managed to try a "Soul Roll" from Cooking with Coolio, which was a delicious egg-roll with groud turkey with veggies, unfortunately with no Coolio in sight :(.  One of my friends arrived an hour after me and we were able to enjoy some beer and the best chicken fingers I've ever had from Dirty Bird To-Go.

As the day progressed, there were hour long waits for just about everything.  The bands playing on the main stage made those waits much better.  There was this weird system for getting tickets to spend on the beer/wine tasting sections.  While waiting in the one line for it, a very sweet New Orleans group, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, kept me and a friend entertained for an hour of waiting in line and for a couple other friends to arrive.  Another favorite was Holy Ghost!, whose sound was just as awesome as the explanation point in their name!  Lastly, the grand finale was the Roots!  I'm a fan of ?uestlove, and really enjoyed seeing how talented this band really is, sousaphone and all.

Overall, Googa Mooga was just ok.  It was really great in the beginning, however, I think the organization didn't account for 20,000 people for a 9 hour day.  I've heard that they worked out some of the kinks for the next day of the festival and hopefully they've grown from this experience for next year.  By the way, I hate that I wasn't allowed to take my good camera, so here are some phone pics.

The main stage at the beginning of the day...it was nice.

The Great Googa Mooga Cake

While waiting in line for drinks, there were people handing out cup holders.  Any Aqua Teen Hunger Force fan will love this!

Hanging out with 20,000 people watching the Roots.

Let's Face It, I'm a Sucker For Eastern-European-Romanic-Period Composers

I got a nice little treat today.  Not only did I get to hear one of my favorite classical pieces performed by a great orchestra, I got to hear them rehearse it!

The New York Philharmonic occasionally has an open rehearsal for their big performances at Avery Fisher Hall for a very affordable price.  This week they were performing the world premiere of Magnus Lindberg's Piano Concerto No. 2, Dvorak's Carnival, and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4.  Obviously from the last mentioned piece I had to see this performance.  Because I am planning on going away for the weekend, the open rehearsal was my only option.

For an early morning event, the hall was pretty packed with all age groups.  I found myself a good seat like a giddy little girl and anxiously waited for them to start.  After the orchestra was seated and the conductor, Alan Gilbert, came out and announced that their resident composer of three years, Magnus Lindberg, was in the audience.  It is his final year and final composition for the New York Philharmonic, so this really is a special weekend for the group.

Up first was the Tchaikovsky piece.  I'm not going to lie...there were definitely tears forming in my eyes (yes, I'm a dork).  I've only heard recordings of the 4th Symphony, so it was nice to be able to hear a lot of the sections that are marked "piano" instead of cranking up the volume on my iPod.  Even though it was a rehearsal, they did play through a whole movement once without stopping before going back and fixing spots.  Honestly, going back and replaying sections was my favorite part of this whole experience, because I got to hear it all over again.

I'm a fan of Dvorak's work, but I have never heard Carnival until today.  It was the shortest piece on the program, which was helpful because I was still on a Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 high, sorry Dvorak!  But honestly, I did enjoy this piece too.  It has a great, catchy theme.

Finally there was the Lindberg Piano Concerto No. 2 premiere.  Mr. Lindberg, near the front of the audience was out and ready with the score in front of him, which made me wish I was sitting a little closer so I can get a glimpse of it.  I could definitely see a connection between this piece and the rest of the program, and the piano soloist's cadenza was amazing!  It was such a nice treat to get the first sneak peak of this composition. 

I'm a little sad that I won't be able to attend the actual concerts this weekend, but this rehearsal was a great alternative.  Do other orchestras do this?  I need to look this up.  I've later looked at the program notes to get a better idea of the work.  It's amazing to read what it took to come up with these masterpieces.

Why Aren't More People Doing This?

For the past few months, I've been searching for a volunteer organization that I can participate in.  I kept running into one's that were full, had very sparse orientations to become a member, or didn't fit into my schedule.  I then stumbled upon New York Cares, and all was right in the world.

This organization is great!  There are 100s of different activities that you can participate in and can volunteer at any time of the day.  I got so overwhelmed over the project list, because I wanted to get involved in everything.  There were so many things on there that related to my interests, and what a great way to give back to the community while doing something that I love.  After attending a half-hour long orientation last week, I was ready to start.

Because some of the more popular projects tend to fill up quickly, I was only able to try three different ones this past week.  I started with giving manicures to senior citizens at a nursing home.  Anyone who knows me well knows that I always have my nails done, and 99% of the time I do it myself, so I thought this should be easy.  I must admit that for my first project this was an experience beyond my expectations.  I arrived at the nursing home on time and it unfortunately took me about a half hour to figure out where I was supposed to go, because this place was like a maze.  When I finally reached the right wing, I was able to catch up with everyone else, and learn the specific procedures of the place rather quickly.  There was only enough time for me to give a manicure to one, a woman who had just turned 96 years old!  She told me how she lived in the same home in the Upper East Side from the day she was born til a few years ago, when she woke up one morning and could no longer walk.  Just by looking at her and noticing her behavior, I could tell that she was a gorgeous, girly-girl back in her prime days.  When I asked her what color she wanted, she said pink, and I showed her some of the options we had.  After turning down several shades of the girly color, she finally settled on a shinny hot pink that she loved.  I feel so lucky that I had a chance to get to know her, and hope I will get a chance to do this project again.

Another project I tried was Music Explorers at a daycare.  The kids were in the 3-4 age group, and could not be more adorable!  Basically, the volunteer's job was to get the kids excited and participate with the teacher who led the group with songs on her guitar.  Most of the children cooperated well while a few were all over the place, but I had no problem dealing with it.  It was so sweet to watch them enjoy what they were singing, and even ask the teacher to repeat the "name song" when a new kid entered the room.  That particular day, the teacher wanted to introduce a new song to the class that involved the kids saying different types of food that "Aiken Drum's" clothes are made out of (anyone heard that song before...it was new to me!).  These kids were shouting out foods like tomatoes, lettuce, and carrots more than typical things that kids like.  Makes me so happy that these children are in an environment that encourages healthier eating!  This is an activity that I definitely hope to go back to.

The last one for the week was a walk/jog in the park with an organization that helps athletes with disabilities.  I figured this will be a great way to get me to workout, because my definition of an exercise is a short time on the treadmill and lifting a couple weights that are not even that heavy.  I chose to go with a group that was only going to do a 4 mile brisk walk, because the 6 mile jog and walking service dogs was just not for me (I'm not the most comfortable person around dogs).  The main focus of the group was a vision-impaired man who had recently ran the Boston Marathon.  This guy wore me out!  The "brisk" walk turned into occasional jogging, and 4 miles seemed like a lot more considering I had already walked 2 miles just to get to the meeting place.  I did, however, enjoy talking to this guy and the others around me.  He even knew exactly where he was in the park just by listening to his surroundings, and I also learned from him that the lamp posts list what street we are closest to – MIND BLOWN!  After an additional 2 mile walk home at the end, I think it's safe to say that I got a good workout in considering it's a couple days later and I still can't feel my legs.  I signed up for next week, so I'm hoping I can keep up next time.

This entire week as I experienced each project and signed up for some new ones for next week, I kept thinking 'why haven't I done this before?'  I really wish this was something that I thought of doing earlier in life, because this experience has been very rewarding so far, and I'm doing activities that I really enjoy.  Another thought...WHY AREN'T MORE PEOPLE DOING THIS?  This world would be a much better place if everyone devoted some of their time to help someone else.  There are no excuses for this, there's always a way to fit even the smallest opportunity into your schedule.  And if it is something you enjoy/are good at, why not?

Coffee, Baked Goods, and Biscotti...OH MY!

Lately, I've been thinking of trying some new coffee/bakery places around the city.  There are just so many around here that I need to branch out from my weekly trips to my nearest Dunkin Donuts (as much as I plan to always remain a loyal customer!)

I decided to finally try this one place called BisCoLatte.  They specialize in 60 different flavored biscotti and they are HOMEMADE.  I love the cozy, coffee shop feel that has a colorful twist – the interior is very cute.  I got the 5 flavor sampler to get a variety that ranged from oatmeal-coconut-chocolate to fig and hazelnut, all of which were delicious.  They also feature soups and oatmeals of the day that I didn't get a chance to try, but definitely makes me want to go back.

During a Saturday of obsessively watching the Cooking Channel, Levain Bakery, was featured in one of the shows.  Watching "food experts" talk about the delicious special cookies and coffee cake, made me want to rush over to their location on the UWS while my mouth was still watering.  I ordered the Chocolate peanut-butter cookie and the sour cream coffee cake.  Their cookies are huge mound shapes that are soft and fluffy, which is my standard for a perfect cookie.  The coffee cake had this gooey cinnamon-brown sugar mixture at the bottom, that put me in a sugar overload for the rest of the day.  The space of the bakery is very small with limited seating, but you can watch the bakers work while waiting in line for takeout.  I got a glimpse of the cookie dough and wanted to jump behind the counter to taste it before it went in the oven.

I had arrived a little early to an event in the Upper East Side one evening, and decided to find a coffee shop to take up some time.  I stumbled in a place called The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.  I had to keep myself out of the customer line for a couple minutes, because I was overwhelmed by so many choices.  It was a little hot out that day, so I went with the Coffee-Ice-Blended flavor Black Forest.  Of all flavored iced coffee drinks I've had, this one is my new favorite.  I know this is breaking my "no sugar in coffee drinks" new years resolution, but I think this is a good once in a while treat.

Do you have a favorite coffee/bakery shop that you regularly go to?  What are some of your favorite menu items from there?

Happy Spring

Eideh Shoma Mobarak!!
(translation: Happy New Year!!)

This week is the official first day of spring.  While the weather warms up and flowers start to bloom, the Persian community celebrates a new year or "Norooz".  This holiday dates back thousands of years to the Persian Empire and many families, including mine, still celebrate it today.  Even though Iran is the only country that recognizes the calendar (it's technically 1391 this year), I think it's cool how the new year corresponds with the first day of spring.  It has a sense of "rebirth" and starting fresh with the cycle of seasons.

Traditions include, doing some massive spring cleaning, taking time to visit family and friends, lots of food and parties, spending time outside, and putting together the traditional Norooz table setting "sofreh." 

I grew up with a sofreh that was detailed and colorful, so trying to replicate that was a challenge.  I live in a typical Manhattan studio where my kitchen, dining room, living room, and bedroom are all in one closet-size space, so I wanted to put together something.

Here is my sofreh "haft-seen" on the corner of my kitchen counter.  Each item symbolizes (7 of them begin with an 's') something for the new year.

There is supposed to be real goldfish (symbolizing life), but I was a little lazy and opted for goldfish crackers.

Colored eggs symbolizing fertility.

Hyacinth flowers, the standard flower in the sofreh.

"Sabzeh" symbolizing rebirth (I used wheat grass) 

Being in the spring mood, I wanted to celebrate by going outside and really experience spring.  It's been absolutely beautiful out the past few days and I had to take advantage.

Performers on a lovely day in the park.

First signs of spring in the park.  The picnics are starting.

The tree that I see outside my apartment window.  I love watching this tree change every season.

I also have a yearly tradition of cleaning out my closet as a part of spring cleaning and donating clothes that are still in good shape that I no longer wear to Goodwill.  I really dug through this year and found shirts that I haven't worn since the first couple years of college!!! (aka, a long time ago)

The bag of clothes I donated.

Can't wait to see what the new season brings!  I actually have no major events set in the next few months, guess that just means that I'm in for a lot of surprises!

The Next Fashion Star

Last night was the series premier of Fashion Star on NBC.  Among the thousand reality shows I regularly watch, I just had to fit this one in (thank God, The Bachelor is finally over!). 

When I first heard about the show, I thought 'This better not be a copy of Project Runway,' because I'm already a huge fan of Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn.  Some other "fashion designer" shows have been a disappointment to me, because they were trying to replicate that concept.  I'm glad that there were some major differences between the two shows:

• Project Runway focused on a runway/couture look, which is great in an artistic way, but Fashion Star took a commercial/ready-to-wear approach, which appeals to a bigger audience
• Project Runway has one adviser (TIM GUNN!) and three judges/guest judge, where Fashion Star has three advisers and three retail buyers
• Project Runway has only one winner per episode, Fashion Star can have multiple winners
• Project Runway has one final winner that funds their first collection, Fashion Star has each winning design PER EPISODE chosen by one of the buyers, H&M, Saks, or Macys, and can be purchased the next day!

After seeing the first episode, I was very confused by the format of the show.  They started right away with two designers showing their work and getting critiqued.  Did they really just jump in...with no intro?  As the show progressed they fit in bios of some of the contestants, showed more designer's work and sped through some of the other designers to save time.  I hate that they skipped through some things.  In a first episode, I'd like to get to know everyone that's on the show.

There were some great designs on the show, which makes me want to watch more to see what else some of the designers have up their sleeves.  Top favorites where a 2-in-1 mini-skirt that had a zipper to change the look and a cerulean blue shift dress with a partial open back.

My worst list was definitely the woman who decided to just show a collar/neck tie combo that went with outfits that she did not design.  WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT ON THE FIRST CHALLENGE?  It was a horrible first impression, and although she was the bottom two, she didn't get eliminated.  The guy, who did lose, at least put out constructive leather jackets.  He was, however, very disrespectful to the judges by saying that women do not know mens' design.  Ouch!

Overall, the designs that made it to Saks, H&M, and Macys are great, but they sold out online so quickly.  I also realized that this 'buy the next day' concept is a great idea, but I think NBC failed to realize that most of their audience will be disappointed, because either an item can sell out in a minute or items can be overpriced.  I know Saks is well...Saks, but seeing a skirt go for $350 versus a H&M dress for $20, I'm gonna be discouraged from buying any of their merchandise.

Regardless, I'm hooked.  Can't wait til next week!!

"Never Trust a Happy Song"

In this case, I think I will trust one this time.

Last night I went to see Grouplove and Young the Giant at Terminal 5.  Four months ago, I initially got tickets because of YTG, but I've recently grown into Grouplove through some of their commercial and tv show exposure.

I got to the venue a half hour early, only to find out that they allowed people in, which was nice because it was cold outside.  Unfortunately, everyone had to head straight to the freezing rooftop to form a line until the "official" doors opened.  Once I got in, I rushed to the front of the stage, without considering the balcony area.  I figured that I was so close that I could get a good view of the front of the stage and get some decent shots with my phone (I called Terminal 5 ahead of time, and they do not allow professional cameras).  While the stage was setting up, I looked around and thought 'I'm pretty sure most of the people here are half my age!' I'll explain in a bit why this was really obvious.

First up was Grouplove.  You may recognize their first single "Tongue Tied" in the iPod Touch commercial that aired before Christmas:

Now you know why I felt so old there?

Anyway, Grouplove is one of those bands that brings so much energy to the stage which is why I love going to shows.  One unique quality I noticed was that even though there is a clear lead singer, just about all five members had a lead vocal in each of their songs.  I've also never seen a band that had so much interaction with each other on the stage.  You usually see musicians just stick to their spots and maybe move around in their general area where their guitar cords let them, but the Grouplove members were literally on top of each other...even the drummer. 

Up next was Young the Giant.  I first saw the group while I was volunteering for CMJ 2010, and they were my highlight for the entire festival.  Especially since I went the "randomly pick the bands" approach that whole week (CMJ has about 900 bands playing at various venues throughout the city for five days).  Seeing them this time was a little different, they definitely have evolved over the past year and a half.  Other than performing songs from their debut album, YTG premiered some new material that they have been working on.  I already can't wait til their new album is out!

Favorite moment of the night:
Young the Giant briefly mentioned their MTV Unplugged performance where they did a cover of The Gorillaz "Empire Ants", where I'm pretty sure I've watched the video about 100 times.  Next thing I know, a string quartet appears and I got to hear it live.

One last thought:

Grouplove - Instragram

Terminal 5 has great balcony sections, where you'll have more wiggle room, and can still get a great view of the stage.  I was down on the ground level, but I think I'll try the balcony area next time, instead of getting squashed by teenagers.

Young the Giant - Instagram

These are Fairy Tales That Don't Have a Happy Ending

This weekend, I had the opportunity to see Iranian rock group, Hypernova, for the third time. I first heard of the group a couple years ago through a Iranian-American site, and at first was a little skeptical. 'A rock group from Iran, and singing in English?' I used to think that combination was a little odd, but this group proved me wrong.

Hypernova, originally from Tehran, Iran, were a part of the underground music scene until they had a chance to come to the United States, the land of opportunity! I immediately purchased their first album, Through the Chaos, and right away noticed a subtle Persian influence on their dark rock sound...no wonder I liked it.

Seeing them this time was the first time after they released their live EP, Exit Strategy, at the end of the summer, so I got to hear some more of their new material other than a sample of it from their July show (last time I saw them). Honestly, I still prefer their older material, but this group has so much potential in their career. All four musicians are incredibly talented, and I can't wait to see what's next for them!

Can't finish a post without some photography :)

This was actually taken last July at their show at Bowery Ballroom.  One of my favorite concert shots ever.

Another favorite from their July show.

An Instagram pic from this weekend at Mercury Lounge.

Here's the video of their first single "Fairy Tales" from 2010.

Let's Have Some "Fun"

It's Tuesday, and you know what that means....

It's just any other day.

But, in another way, Tuesdays are generally "New Release" day in the music/entertainment world.  However, this concept has been overlooked the past few years, because of the digital age and the ease of downloading/streaming music instantly.  Artists these days are offering their first single to be available on iTunes weeks before the full album is out and some of the bigger acts are releasing their latest on different day of the week just for the hype.

Not that I don't like this way of getting music.  Last year, Lady Gaga even leaked one song each week for a few weeks on iTunes leading up to the official release of Born This Way.  Something must of worked out, because not only did that boost sales, Amazon MP3 offered the entire album for 99¢ only on the day of the release, and it crashed their server – genius.  I do miss those days as a teenager where I would get so excited for a band's album to come out, and I would rush to the store on Tuesday and buy the whole CD even though I only heard the first single prior to purchase.

I decided to reminisce those days (but with a 2012 spin on it) by looking up today's new releases and stumbled upon a up-and-coming group called Fun.   To be fair, I had only heard their first single "We Are Young" because the song featured Janelle Monáe, who I love already (Seriously, check out her solo work, it's amazing).  The song has blown up the past couple months as it is placed in more commercials and it has a very FUN nature to their sound....See what I did there :)

I took some time to listen to the whole album by streaming it here .  I'm honestly not interested in buying the full album, but a few tracks will make the cut to my iPod.  Yes, I'm one of those people who still PURCHASES MUSIC.  Some Nights certainly has a lot of energy with a lot of upbeat melodies and the singer's voice has a slight Freddie Mercury tone to him.  One song that really stood out to me was "Carry On".  It's their most simple track other than the intro, with a piano in the beginning, continues with several contrasting harmonies, and ends with a simple drum beat.

Here is the music video to their first single "We Are Young feat Janelle Monáe".  Anyone else thing that the slow-mo effects are crazy?

Typical Day in the Park

I think I just had one of the most relaxing weekends that I've had in a while.  I had no set plans with anyone so I just decided to spend some time cooking and doing other domestic things that I normally put off.

I also got to do one of my favorite things in the city, which is walk around town and just observe everything around me.  This weekend's chosen neighborhood, the upper west side.  There's just something about this area that makes me feel so calm.  Even in my worst mood, I will cheer up instantly.  There's a perfect ratio of shops, restaurants/bars, park space (it's sandwiched between Riverside Park and Central Park), and it's fun place to people watch in an area of mostly senior citizens and families with small children.

One of the things I usually avoid in NYC are the typical tourist attractions.  After living here for almost 3 years, I have discovered so many things that this city has to offer, that I don't even go near tourist areas unless I have out of town visitors.  This time, however, I wanted to test out a new telephoto lens that I recently got as a gift, and I figured Central Park would be a great spot.  The zoom on this lens is so ridiculous that this place would be perfect for someone to walk around with a "paparazzi" dslr.

Here are a few of my favorite shots from the day:

I love how candid this one is! It's like one couple going in, one going out.

While I was in Colorado during Christmas, I took a similar photo, where the lake was completely frozen, and there were children (and my two siblings) walking on the ice, can't do that here.

An opportunity to use the 300mm zoom across the lake.  The father and son were throwing bread to the ducks, and I thought that was so cute.

This guy was playing guitar and a harmonica at the same time, I hung around to listen as I was taking pictures, but everyone else seemed to just walk by.

 

I don't particularly like how the tree branch is in focus and the people are not, but I thought it would be fun to photograph other people taking a photo.

After I left the park, I decided to go get my groceries for the week, but of course I got sidetracked by something else.  I was passing by a flea market that is only open in a school yard on Sundays, and I couldn't help but check out what unique things it had to offer.

About to head in to browse.

Rack of classic fur coats - using the hipstamatic app on my phone.

I couldn't resist.  A flea market find for only $10!

So that was my weekend!  How was yours?

Hello World

For the longest time, I wanted a spot to express my thoughts and interests in a space beyond the limit of other social media (i.e. Facebook, Twitter).  I am currently taking a web course at Pratt Institute and I was having trouble coming up with text to complete my homework assignments – what a great way to kill two birds with one stone!

I recently went to the grand opening of the Soho location of Georgetown Cupcakes.  Because I have a ridiculous sweet tooth, I had to go.  Plus, I wanted to get a nice gift for my friend's birthday and they were giving out one free cupcake.  Who would turn that down?

I was about 30th in line, and I arrived 1 hour before opening.

They handed out free hot chocolate - Yum!

Finally inside, with the cameras for their show "DC Cupcakes"

*drool*

Lots of space for a Manhattan location.

Salted Carmel Cupcake

Cute packaging.

 



















By the way, I'm still working on an appropriate title for my blog.  The current title, "Headphones and Nail Polish", are items involved in two of my major interests, music and fashion.  My life has always been surrounded by sound and color, and that's how I express myself.  If anyone has any suggestions, let me know!