Viernes Video--I Want To Be Happy

Video for my Sissies!

Happy Friday

Viernes Video--Red River Valley

Happy Friday!

Motley Mondays -- Hill Country Review

Day off has arrived and I can't wait to tell you about a place my boyfriend and I went to in Manhattan the other day!

I had heard about this place from other Texans as the best place to get BBQ in NYC. Ladies and Gentlemen, I think my friends were right. Have I had better BBQ in my life? Yes. Have I paid less for that better tasting BBQ? Yes. But Was it delicious? YES! AND they have Blue Bell Ice Cream and Shiner Bock two rare finds in the city! Overall I enjoyed the experience, it's kinda self serve (not a buffet, but you go get the food) so we got our food fast. 

Healthy: 3/5 BBQ. 

Cheap: 3/5  I haven't paid that much for BBQ ever, but the price you pay in NY I guess.

Yummy: 4/5 The sauce wasn't perfect, but the food sure was tasty

Total: 10/15 I will go back soon because I am working around the corner. But I wouldn't take out of town guests there. NYC has better food. 

Viernes Video-- I've Been Working on the Railroad

New Video with guest star!

Started rehearsal for a Play today!
Until my day off,

Motley Monday- Free Dates

New York City is wonderful for many reasons. One of them is all the FREE things there are to do every day! http://www.theskint.com/ is one way that I find out about things.

Tonight my boyfriend and I went to two free parties, with drinks and food and entertainment. He found out about them just by being on the hosting theater's mailing lists.

Free downloadable walking tours are yet another free date idea for NYC.

Free museum nights are another!

Best,

Viernes Video-- You Are My Sunshine!

Grandparents Day is Sunday! 

9/9/12

Enjoy!

Viernes Video - Gonna Get Along Without You Now

What a fun Friday! Some of my friends and I got together and hung out, watched TV, talked, and played music all afternoon and into the evening. I restrung my ukulele with some new and better strings, so my uke is easier to play and sounds better now. While we were hanging out and goofing around I also recorded a video.

The song is an oldie made re-popularized today by "She and Him".

My new goal for this is to record a new video wherever I hang out on Friday and record it with people that I am hanging out with. So, if you want to be featured, leave a comment below or email me!

Hope you enjoyed!

Motley Monday -That Burger- Review

Sometimes after a long hard day of work, you need to forget about the day, forget about the calories and have a good burger and a drink! That is how I was feeling when my boyfriend and I decided to go out to a very highly rated burger place I found on Yelp that was close to the theater that I was working at. Their website says "WE'RE OPEN EVERY DAY INSIDE OF BILLY HURRICANES AND IDLE HANDS BAR AT 25 AVENUE B IN THE EAST VILLAGE."  Yes. They are inside of two different bars. This didn't quite make sense to me, but that is exactly how it is, A burger stand in the middle of a bar. I'm guessing it's a symbiotic relationship, people who are drinking and want food eat the burgers and people who want burgers and happen to be inside of a bar get drinks from the bar. I happened to want both that day and was very satisfied. We decided on Billy Hurricanes. It was Happy Hour on a Friday and we managed to find a place to sit which was great.  I ordered the single burger with cheddar and all the toppings (including FREE grilled JALAPENOS!) with BBQ sauce and a side of tots. I then got a "sweet tea" from the bar. (and man did that taste like regular sweet tea!) The Burger was delicious! One of the best I have had in NYC. and very affordable cheeseburger at just $6. I was most happy with the option of free jalapenos and the choice of sauce on the burger.

To the Rating

Healthy: 2/5 Burger, tots, in a bar...

Cheap: 5/5 You may be tempted to spending money on Booze while you are there though...

Yummy: 5/5 oh yeah! great burger after a long day and week!

Total: 12/15 I will stop by again when I am in the neighborhood for sure!

Viernes Video-- Clementine

Simple song to start off this weekly series!

I was incredibly nervous about recording this. and messed up a little. Maybe next time I will have someone else record me. 

Have a great Friday!

Christmas

Only 126 days until Christmas! I am hoping to do what I have done in the past and have all of my presents be homemade. So, yes, I have started already.

Where I have gone

So tech week struck again! and I had to go missing for two weeks (I am also balancing two shows at the same time...)

BUT I have been thinking about changing a few things on my blog. I will still do Motley Mondays, but now I want to post a video on Friday (Viernes Videos). These videos may be me playing my Ukulele, or a tutorial or something else. You tell me what you want to see!

Until Then,

Love 10 min craft!

I was feeling crafty this week and found some pipe cleaners and made this!













I just shaped the letters to form my word and "Ta-Da!" Easy. Cute. Fun.

Til Monday,

Motley Mondays- My Ukulele

Did you know I have been learning to play the ukulele? Well I have and I love it! It is the perfect instrument for NYC. I can take it with me everywhere, I can practice everywhere and it is always a conversation starter. It is also infectious, because everyone I let play with my uke says, "I've gotta get me one of these!". That is another thing about the ukulele, it is very easy to pick up and learn. I have never played an instrument and here I am, 2 months after buying it, jamming on the uke everyday!

Affordable. I bought my uke and the case, used from Craigslist for $40. The Uke by itself runs around $40, new. 

Overall I am more than happy with my new toy and can't wait to write more about it. For now, I will leave you with my first ukulele video that I made for my friend's birthday.

Until Thursday,

P.S. I was not paid or asked to review ukuleles I just love mine and thought I would write about it!

Planning out outfits

 Hello Readers! Happy Thursday!
 I am a very visual person. (I think that is why I am obsessed with Pinterest.)  I wanted to tell you about a method I used while packing for Texas. I created collages on Polyvore.com by searching for clothes that looked like clothes I have, and creating outfits! This was fun and helped me only pack what I needed. I did buy a dress at Target on sale for $7 so not all of my outfits worked out. (cause I had to wear that NEW dress a couple of times!) So here is how things worked out!

Smörgås Chef @ Scandinavia House -Review

After a crazy week of starting a new show, I am back! and reviewing another place to eat at in NYC!

Smörgås Chef @ Scandinavia House

I have walked passed this place on Park Ave. dozens of time and didn't even realize it was a place to eat! The windows always have interesting IKEA-esque things on display, so why would I think of it as a place to eat? 

When we were at coffee hour on Sunday after church, two of our friends asked us if we had the time to join them for brunch. For once, we had the whole day free! We gladly accepted and by the end, we were very glad we did.

Past the neat window display, there is a little cafe and gift shop. 

The food was so delicious! It had a taste of Scandinavia, without tasting too foreign. I had the "Hamlet" from the brunch menu (I had to because of the AWESOME name!) It was so tasty. It was an omelette with ham, asparagus, mushrooms and tomatoes. It was served with potatoes and a salad. 

AND the Brunch menu had a special with some of the items you could get the special, the meal + brunch cocktail + bottomless coffee all for $18. pretty darn good if you ask me.

So here is my rating, 

Healthy: 5/5 They pride themselves on the quality of ingredients and other than the desserts and alcohol, very healthy Brunch food 

Cheap: 3/5 I think the quality is worth the price, but I have been to cheaper places  and to more expensive places.

Yummy: 5/5 I tried my food, Alan,s food and all the desserts and everything was super tasty!

Total: 13/15 One of my highest rated places that I have reviewed and there was no wait for a Sunday afternoon!

Frying Pan- Review

Earlier this week on e of my best friends was in town for an evening and we wanted to catch up.

Our Group!

 He told me he was having dinner at Frying Pan and we should meet there. I had never heard of the place but I am always excited to try new places to eat in NYC. The place was a little hard to get to because it was on a boat!

It was a really col palace and almost didn't feel like NY because it was on the water! I got a burger and shared fries and we also shared pitchers of beer. we had a great time, even if it was a little of a trek.

My rating.

Healthy: 2/5 Nope, not really healthy. Bar Food.

Cheap: 3/5 Fries didn't come with the burger and they were $5. Burger was $11. The beer wasn't cheap either. But nothing was outrageous.

Yummy: 4/5 I have had a better burger in NYC, but this one was good.

Total: 9/15 A cool place to go to "get away" from the city without leaving. but get there early, tables go quickly. Also, they have nice bathrooms.

Texas Trip

Alan and I had a great time in Texas! We got to see friends and family and eat delicious food! We ate B-b-q and Mexican food and steaks and so much more.

We were the flag on the Fourth!

But now it is back to NYC and back to real life. I start my next show this Saturday and am very excited about it!

Until Thursday,

Tea Thursday- Black Tea

Hello Everyone! I have had a great time experimenting with Tea brewing variables and Now I have a chart to share with everyone!

I will be on vacation next week, visiting family and friends in Texas! But as a result I will not be posting. So look forward to some Texas themed posts in the second week of July!

Until then, Happy Independence day!

Carmine's UWS

Hello all! On Friday I went to a restaurant and Loved it!

Their Website

Carmine's is a pretty famous place in NYC and the last time my sisters were in town for a visit, we tried to go but couldn't get a reservation. This time we picked an off-peak hour and instead of the Times Square location we tried the one on the Upper West Side. It was more convenient and according to the menu on the website, everything was $1-$2 CHEAPER!

Us at our table

We were a party of 5 and since I made a reservation, we got a table right away. (we probably didn't need a reservation for 4pm...) The cool thing about this place is that everything is served "family style" and a la carte.    So you have to work as a table to make a decision. If you don't have picky eaters, this is great! We ordered Chicken Marsala and Penne alla Vodka. Delish! Our waitress made it seem like it might not be enough food, but let me tell you, we had tons! I even took two servings home. The dishes may seem a little pricey at first glance, but keep in mind that that is feeding everyone. The two dishes divided up into how many servings they gave us, ended up about $8/serving. Not bad for NYC! especially for the quality of food!

So to my rating. Especially good for a big non-picky group!

Healthy: 4/5 I'm giving it a 4 because you can choose your own portions and therefor make it healthier.

Cheap: 4/5 $8/serving. pretty cheap for good Italian food.

Yummy: 5/5 Delish. I was happy to take leftovers home!

Total: 13/15 

Opening Night!

Tonight is Opening Night! AND My mom and sister are in town! So I'm busy today and will not post about Black Tea until next Thursday!

P.s. Turtles! I made turtles for the stage management team for opening night!

http://instagr.am/p/MJowxuOFCD/

Buying Tea in NYC

I had to  got to buy tea this past week and I thought I would tell you about the awesome tea shop on Christopher Street in the LWS.

McNulty's

This is the only tea shop that I have stumbled upon while wondering around NYC, but I am also not in search of anything better. This place is a dream! the aroma of tea and coffee engulf you as you enter! Not only do they sell loose tea, but they are reasonably priced and they also sell rare and imported tea as well!
This past time I went I bought Peach Green Tea (which I am absolutely in love with!) and "Berry Cream" Flavored Black Tea. Don't live near NYC? No problem, I just learned from their website that they ship from their catalog! You won't get to smell all of the yummy teas, but once they arrive you get to taste them!

I am not getting paid for posting about this or am I in any way affiliated with McNulty's, I just really like them and like tea.

Where do you buy your tea?

Have a Great Week!

Tea Thursday- Oolong Tea

Guess What!? It's Thursday and I am prepared with this week's tea results!

The Oolong tea that I have right now is Formosa Oolong and it has a kind of smokey flavor I had to get used to.

I am looking to buying some loose black tea and figuring out the best way to brew that!

Until Monday!

Shakespeare Monday

I am working today for the seventh day straight, but I am going to post anyway! 


Since I am at work, I have Shakespeare on the brain and decided to share some of my favorite quotes from As You Like It. 

More info here

“Do you not know I am a woman? When I think, I must speak." (Rosalind)


“Maids are May when they are maids, but the sky changes when they are wives. I will be more jealous of thee than a cock-pigeon over his hen, more clamorous than a parrot against rain, more new-fangled than an ape, more giddy in my desires than a monkey. I will weep for nothing, and I will do that when you are disposed to be merry. I will laugh like a hyena, and that when thou art inclined to sleep.” (Rosalind)


“O, that woman that cannot make her fault her husband's occasion, let her never nurse her child herself, for she will breed it like a fool.” (Rosalind)


"Good shepherd, tell this youth what 'tis to love."
"It is to be all made of sighs and tears,
It is to be all made of faith and service,
It is to be all made of fantasy,
All made of passion, and all made of wishes,
All adoration, duty and observance,

All humbleness, all patience and impatience,

All purity, all trial, all obedience.” (Phoebe and Silvius)

And of course the ever famous

“Thou seest we are not all alone unhappy.

  This wide and universal theatre

  Presents more woeful pageants than the scene

  Wherein we play in."

                                       "All the world's a stage,

   And all the men and women merely players.

   They have their exits and their entrances,

   And one man in his time plays many parts,

   His acts being seven ages.”  (Duke Senior and Jaques)

Green Tea

Here is the updated chart that now includes Green tea! Enjoy!

Until Monday!

I'm Alive!

Hello everyone! I am alive and made it through the big long week of tech! I will be posting the results of Green Tea for my Chart on Thursday, but Today I wanted to tell you about my new favorite thing. Cold Brewing. I know it is not a new thing, and I know I may be very late to discover this, but I tried it and fell in love.

I cold brewed 3 teaspoons of white tea in 10 oz of water for 24 hours in the refrigerator and it was fantastic and easy!

To cold brew, place 1.5 the amount of tea in a cup (or a french press), fill the cup with water, cover the cup and place in the fridge for 12-24 hours and strain into a cup and enjoy! perfect on a hot summer morning, afternoon or evening!

My sisters bought me this Tea/coffee press for Christmas and I love it! it is prefect for cold brewing and it's a travel mug too so you can grab it and go!

More about tea on Thursday!

P.S. I bought a ukulele today. watch out world.