My new hero.

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Oprah’s new network, OWN, has been on the airwaves for only 72 hours, and I think I’ve watched about 60 of those. That has much more to do with the lack of post-holiday primetime programming or my lack of interest in clearing my DVR than any groundbreaking television from Oprah. But I did catch the new episode of Master Class with Diane Sawyer. She’s my new hero.

Photo source: Oprah.com

I’ve never really followed Diane Sawyer, but I’ve felt a kinship with her through journalism. I admire strong, intelligent women who are well-spoken and accomplished in their careers. Plus, she always seems so polished, genuine and nice. I also really enjoyed her series on Appalachia a few years ago. You can see in that how real she is and how much she legitimately likes and cares about people. She has a zest for life, humor, curiosity about the world and love of words that I identify with but also envy. Keep reading »

Back to life, back to reality.

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Happy 2011!

I hope you are all getting back into the swing of life after the holidays. Mondays are a slap in the face under normal circumstances, but they’re so much worse after two weeks of travel and time off. I’m pretty sure I’m already re-exhausted.

Did you all have a fun New Year’s Eve? I have to state that I am usually no fan of that holiday — I’ve literally done everything you can think of to “celebrate,” from throwing a party at my house to paying $300 to stand in a loud, crowded NYC club, to dining out, to sitting on my couch (or even sleeping). It’s always a little bit of a letdown. This year I rang in 2011 with good friends, lots of cheer and a few bottles of wine and champagne — a perfect night, and the best NYE in quite awhile. 2011 sounds like an odd year, and it doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but I survived my flight home on 1/1/11 in seat 11A, so I took that as a positive harbinger of things to come. Keep reading »

A Christmas baking recap.

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I love the holidays. But at the same time they can be challenging. Last week I set off for home with a twinkle in my eye about the four days of rest, relaxation, cocktail parties, presents and time with family I was going to enjoy. In truth, I didn’t sit down for four days.

My Christmas vacation was full of said parties, gifts and family but also a blur of errands, baking and post-Christmas shopping. (Have to stock up on wrapping paper and bows for next year! Even if it’s snowing!) Weirdly enough, it did snow … at Hilton Head Island of all places. That’s especially rare since most years I’m wearing short sleeves on Christmas Day in 70s-degree weather while grumbling about how it needs to be colder. I got my wish this year.

Anyhoo, about the baking. I crossed off a few culinary challenges from my list and added some new items to my repertoire, including: Keep reading »

The year the rat ate Christmas.

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While I was growing up, my grandparents lived on a farm in Middle-of-Nowhere, South Carolina. A few days before Christmas one year, there was an outbreak of large rats, who entered the house through some vents and happily scurried around through the walls. (I should note that this was not common; there were always a lot of “creatures” around, but never, ever rats.) My uncle sealed up the entry holes and put out some poison pellets, so by the time my mom and I arrived for Christmas, the whole ordeal was winding down. Or so we thought.

On Christmas Eve, we added our gifts under the tree. I had found some sugar-free Werther’s candies for Mom; she had bought and wrapped up a silver charm bracelet for me.

Come Christmas morning, after the explosion of wrapping paper and ribbons settled, I noticed that the Werther’s bag was missing. Mom also looked perplexed, since she knew I hadn’t yet opened one important gift. That box didn’t seem to be under the tree either. Keep reading »

An ode to penmanship.

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While perusing Twitter today, I found a really interesting article about the importance of writing by hand. That’s kind of ironic considering a) I read the story online and b) I’m talking about it by typing into my blog. Oops. The gist of the article is that writing by hand develops cognitive skills, so all of our typing and texting may be endangering kids’ intelligence. Isn’t that scary?

I am totally reliant on email and texting now, but I didn’t start using email until my freshman year of college, when we were required by my English professor to sign up for the school email accounts. Back then, email was this little, blank DOS screen with a black blinking cursor. Even so, I used it to keep up with all of my friends who went to other schools. I even met people on an early listserv who are still friends today. (Then I was an early adopter; now I have become old and skeptical of emerging technologies.)

A couple of years out of school, when I was sitting in front of email/Internet at work all day, I started to think about how little I wrote anything to anyone by hand. I mean, I keep and treasure every scrap of mail I’ve ever received from my loved ones. If you sent me a Christmas card in 1998, I probably still have it. So, I can go back and read the letters and cards that my grandparents sent to me or the (hilarious) letters I sent to my mom while I was at camp. A printout of an email or online card, no matter the sentimentality, just isn’t the same. Keep reading »

Obsessions: One Kings Lane

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When I bought my house two years ago, I was daunted by the prospect of filling 2,000 square feet with stuff. Well, not just “stuff,” but pretty and aesthetically-pleasing, matched, probably expensive, uh … furnishings.

One day I stumbled on a little website that has changed my life, and my home (and has seriously altered my bank and credit card balances).

The obsession is One Kings Lane. It’s a subscription-only website (like Gilt, the Foundary, etc.) for home stuff — prints, furniture, kitchen tools, bedding, etc., all at majorly reduced prices.

Keep reading »

'Tis the season.

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Angie and I bought season tickets to the Blumenthal theatre season this year, so we spent Friday night enjoying “White Christmas,” the stage musical version of the Bing Crosby-Rosemary Clooney movie. The production was just okay, but it did kickstart me into the Christmas spirit. My days before Christmas are a mashup of final exams, furious and stressful present shopping, wrapping, mailing, packing, driving, baking, etc. Sometimes you just have to relax and watch a good movie.

During this time of year, I’m not so inspired by Christmas music, but I love a good Christmas flick. Here are a few of my favorite holiday movies that put me in the Christmas mood. Keep reading »

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

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I wasn’t going to get a Christmas tree this year — big exams on the horizon, haven’t bought half my presents, will be traveling for Christmas anyway. Bah humbug.

But Santa knew that I should have a tree. I opened my front door today, and look what Santa brought me!

I think those exams can wait while I deck the halls a bit.

Thanks, Santa!

Sherlock and shortbread.

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I finally watched “Sherlock Holmes” this weekend on HBO — the Guy Ritchie version, not to be confused with PBS’s recent “Sherlock” series. (I loved the PBS series, which cleverly updates the characters to modern times.)

I’m a huge fan of Guy Ritchie’s, ever since I saw “Snatch” at the movie theatre by mistake. I like his cheeky take on things, and I find his camera angles and direction to be really interesting, dare I say genius. Ok, I’m easily impressed. I don’t usually care much about Robert Downey, Jr., or even Jude Law, but I thought the movie was entertaining, and definitely watchable. More importantly, it inspired me to bake.

Something about the cold, somber shots of industrial, 19th century London made me crave a spot of hot tea … with shortbread. So in my usual, rash display of weekend binge cooking (or baking, as it may be), I made homemade shortbread at 10 pm. Keep reading »

The end of an Empire.

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Beware, this post contains my cheap analysis of last night’s “Boardwalk Empire,” rife with spoilers.

I want to like “Boardwalk Empire.” I really, really do, since you know I’m a sucker for beautiful, stylized, compelling television. I want to like it so much that I’ve been reading recaps and tv journalists’ analysis from all viewpoints to convince me that it’s worth it. I mean, Gawker says it’s a letdown; the LA Times says it’s perfect as it is.

Despite my reservations, I’ve loyally tuned in every week, and was even excited for last night’s season finale. But like all the other shows, I was left feeling kind of empty and confused. It’s like something’s missing that I just can’t put my finger on …

Everyone seems to love Steve Buscemi as Nucky, but I find him miscast. He’s almost too nice — someone said passive, and that’s it. He’s basically a gangster, but he’s not menacing enough when he needs to be. He’s a limp fish, so I don’t understand why his ward bosses are enamored by him or why any of them follow him. The LA Times says it’s because Mr. Buscemi is not attractive, and being shallow, we expect our heroes (or anti-heroes) to be beautiful. I get that, but he’s also not charismatic — he doesn’t feel like a leader to whom people would flock. Keep reading »