Tim Burton

I totally nerded out the other day.  Well, I got sideswiped by a metro bus, and then I totally nerded out. Seriously. But I’ll tell you about the whole getting sideswiped by a metro bus thing later. Unwilling to let an idiot bus driver who is unaware of the dimensions of his own vehicle ruin my Halloween spirit, I drove my banged up little car to check out the Tim Burton exhibit at the Los Angeles Country Museum of Art.

Confession. I had never been to the LACMA. Nor had I seen Nightmare Before Christmas. But I love Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice. And Edward Scissorhands. And you guys, I love Tim Burton. Not as much as, say, Tim Burton loves Johnny Depp. But a lot. And with over 700 pieces featured in the exhibit, it was so cool to get a peak inside the mastermind that is Tim Burton. 

So cool that I even took notes, like a nerd, so I wouldn’t forget a single detail to share with you. You’re welcome.

Early sketches, projects that were never realized, iconic props and storyboards from some of the most major motion pictures filled the walls. It was a full spectrum body of work. Next to the wicked striped sleeves worn by Beetlejuice was a story outline written on a yellow legal notepad. The simple story thought needs to be two nice old fashioned people die, and when an awful family moves in, they try to get rid of them. Right there. In his own words. Written by the man himself. And then realized, brought to life, and represented in costume. Right there. In front of my own eyes.

And I just about died, and tried to touch, the suit Johnny Depp wore in Edward Scissorhands. Thank goodness the actual scissor hands were in a glass case. Character Profile: Edward is a robot. But by all appearances he is very human. Human except for his hands, long metal fingers that are razor sharp and resemble many pairs of large scissors… His hobbies are making ice sculptures, and playing the steel drums. Someday he hopes to vaction in the Caribbean Islands. Sounds kinda like his match.com profile or something. Cool, huh?

After snapping a picture of the scarecrow from Sleepy Hallow, getting in trouble for snapping a picture of the scarecrow from Sleepy Hallow, watching Bones – the music video Burton directed for The Killers, and saying goodbye to the melted figures reminiscent of Disney’s It’s a Small World from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I was out the door with the exhibit booklet I purchased from the gift store in hand. And then I got to the parking structure and remembered what had happened to my car. Such a bummer. 

Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch

Are you guys ready for Halloween? I’m not. I don’t even have a costume. But I have a pumpkin. The most perfect, darling little pumpkin named Boo Radley. Obviously. Get it? Austin and I found him this past Sunday at Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch. Super trendy, right? Just wait. We had lunch at Joan’s on Third and red velvet cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery too. I know.

On the quest for the brightest, roundest pumpkin we could find, we ventured out of the west side and over to Hollywood to Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch. Okay, so we thought maybe we’d get lost in the hay bail maze only to find Heidi Klum or Gwen Stefani, and with swarms of paparazzi eagerly snapping away at the entrance, our odds looked good. But no such luck.

 I’m not mad about it though, I mean we did find Boo after all – after picking up and examining every pumpkin in the patch. Seriously. Because this is obviously serious business that takes time. We were in no way stalling in hopes that someone cool, like Jessica Alba who was there the next day, or Christina Aguilera who was there the day before, would bring their kids to pick out pumpkins. No way. Ughh. But it was a blast. Way better than picking one out of a bin in front of the grocery store. Opting out of face painting and the spooky slide, we headed home, with Boo buckled up for safety in the backseat. And I absolutely can’t wait to carve him. And eat way too much candy corn. And watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Oh goodness, I just love Halloween. I’m getting more and more excited by the second.

That's me. Everyone was taking pictures with the pumpkins, so obviously I had to too. Who cares that most of those people were babies in pumpkin costumes hidden in the patch. Oh gaaawd. 

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

It rained in Los Angeles the other day. Really. It rained long enough for me to think for a second it was Fall. Long enough for me to explore tasty autumnesque recipes with anything pumpkin in the title. Long enough for me to throw on a flannel, layer Frye boots and thick striped socks over my tights. Long enough for me to cruise the aisles of Whole Foods for the ingredients to make these bad boys. And then it stopped. But already in the pumpkin spice spirit, it didn’t matter.

Selecting these Non-Cakey, Chewy, Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies, I couldn’t have been more thrilled. While I love pumpkin pie, muffins, breads, you name it – I, like the baker who shared this recipe with me, often times find them too spongy. This makes sense, as pumpkin is mostly water. Excited for chewy, not fluffy, pumpkin cookies, I preheated my oven and unloaded my groceries. It was here I encountered my first problem. Remember when I said pumpkins are mostly water? So for chewy, non-cakey, cookies this isn’t good. While I followed this logic, I hadn’t really thought through the process. Until I actually read the directions. And poured a can of pumpkin puree into a saucepan.  Reduced it.  Stirred it continuously. For FIFTY MINUTES. Turning it in to pumpkin bread crumbs. With an exhausted wrist and tendonitis of the elbow, I blended the crumbs in a food processor, making a pumpkin flour, if you will. Ugh. With the exception of the entirely predictable problem number two, setting me back three hours so the dough can chill, it was smooth sailing from there. With every appliance, bowl and measuring cup utilized, it looks like a pumpkin straight up exploded in my kitchen. But the cookies are delicious. Like whoa delicious. And if I can make them, anyone can. So have at it. Happy Fall, my little pumpkin pies. 

Recipe and image via The Knead for Speed

S'More Please

I’d like to wish my dear friend Heidi the most wonderful of birthdays. She turns twenty four today. In an attempt to catch her off guard, we secretly gathered two dozen of her closest friends for a surprise birthday party in San Clemente this past Friday. Her boyfriend, Scott, has an amazing set up on the beach, and did an amazing job coordinating everyone. A far cry from our days in Santa Barbara, when asking my opinion on which Volcom sweatshirt Heids would like best constituted putting thought in to her gift. Nice work, Scooter.

The party went off without a hitch. Yummy Italian take out. Ice chests of beer. An intense beer pong tournament. And S’MORES.  I don’t know what it is, but I have been on a serious s’mores kick. With summer slipping away, I’ve envisioned a final farewell with a beachside s’more send off. With the help of pinterest, my mild craving has turned in to a full blown obsession that seriously cannot be satiated. And you guys, s’mores are on another level. No longer a simple toasted marshmallow and chocolate square sandwiched between graham crackers, the combinations for flavor sensations are endless. Next time, I’m substituting a Reeces peanut butter cup for chocolate. Or adding a slice of banana. And nutella. Yeah, nutella.

Sticking with the tried and true, we toasted marshmallows – or charred as was my case – made a mess, and devoured the sticky treats with the best of company. But Heidi still needed a cake with candles to blow out, and I was happy to lend my expertise. Layering milk chocolate brownies with marshmallow fluff and crumbled graham crackers, the s’mores inspired cake photographed beautifully. And was hard as rock. Apparently marshmallows aren’t the only thing I like to burn. But if you’re able to properly execute boxed brownies without turning them to brick, maybe you should try this cake. I mean. And if now you too have a serious craving for s’mores, you can check out my musings for a s’mores inspired bonfire here. I've been doing a lot of research. You're welcome. 

How pinteresting.

So, I made a pinterest account. I know, I’m trying to stay trendy and current. Before long, I’m sure I’ll have a tumblr account too. Sheesh. This is exhausting. But seriously, it’s pretty cool. It’s kind of like an electronic collage or something. It’s certainly more organized than the bookmarks I’ve filed on my computer and it’s definitely way addicting. Like, it’s taken over my life – yet makes me feel super productive at the same time. For example, pinterest has this evil way of making you feel like you’ve planned your next super chic dinner party, completed some super cute diy project, or baked a super tasty ultimate chocolate lover’s chocolate cake – but really you’ve just stayed up far too late pinning things other people have done as inspiration for said projects. Hmmm.

If you’re at all interested, you can head over to my pinterest account here, where I’m currently obsessing over all things pretty.

Maybe I should stick to the old fashioned methods of tearing pages out of magazines and making a corkboard myself. At least that way I’d have an excuse to buy these darling pushpins. 

Dad

My dad. Cool, right? I know. 

My dad is the coolest guy I know. And today is his birthday. If I know him at all, he’s probably putzing around the house, watching sports, doing yard work when his teams aren’t doing well and he can’t stand to watch anymore, heading to the golf course, and planning what he’s going to grill for dinner.  A lot of people say we’re a lot alike, which is totally fine by me – like I said, he’s the coolest guy I know. I definitely have his freckles. And his sarcastic sense of humor. We’re too stubborn for our own good. We both root for the Dodgers. We love peanut M&M’s. And we both blast Hootie & the Blowfish when we do the dishes - which isn’t very often, but when I do, I think of him in the kitchen with the volume so high you can hear it from the sidewalk, singing along to Only Wanna Be With You.

I hope I’m like my dad in other ways too. Like his strong work ethic. His green thumb. And the way he loves my mom and our family. So happy birthday, Dad. I hope the 49ers can pull off a win for your big day, that your tomato plants are thriving, and that your golf game is spot on, you deserve it.