30 Seconds to Mars

My co-worker, Erin, recently introduced me to Jared Leto's band, 30 Seconds to Mars, and we just learned that their latest tour "Into the Wild" is coming to Portland in May!

Let me just preface this by saying I've only been to two typical concerts in my life: one was Lenny Kravitz when I was nineteen and the other was a small, more intimate Clem Snide show last year. Maybe I'm just not a concert sort of girl, preferring instead the performing arts?

Over the last month, Erin has been playing both of her 30 Seconds to Mars cds fairly non-stop, and I found myself beginning to look forward to them. So when she announced that the band was indeed touring here and that the pre-sale tickets were only $29, my brain started whirring.

Hmmm... Sarah at a rock concert?

And suddenly, I had a ticket. Erin was online promptly at 10:00 am, purchasing three tickets as soon as they went on sale. She, being the bigger fan, might also be angling for a deluxe ticket, in which one gets to attend a pre-show party, meet and greet the band, pose for a picture, and sing on stage (all for the bargain price of $295-- yikes). As for me, I'll enjoy my cheap general admission and relish the idea of being a rebel on a Tuesday night ;)

February photo shoot

Last Saturday's gorgeous, Spring-like weather provided the perfect opportunity for an outdoor photo shoot. To be honest, I don't think I'm that photogenic (I sometimes make weird faces when smiling for the camera), but other people seem to-- namely my photographer step-mother.

I'm a notorious squinter/blinker, especially in the bright sun, but we managed to get a few nice shots. I love how red and vibrant the umbrella is, contrasted with the black and white photography ;)











You can find Pat's official website here: http://www.patriciaannzelenyphotography.com/index.html

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 2010

As you fashion-forward folks probably know, it was just Fashion Week in NYC. As with most fashion shows, there was the good, the bad, and the ugly. For the sake of time (and your amusement), I'll just recap a few of my personal favorites, as well as some hideous crimes against fashion ;) Ready?

The Good:

1.) Carlos Miele-- Bright, fun, unique, and youthful collection! Love it.









Cynthia Steffe, Jill Stuart, Tony Cohen, Tracy Reese, Vera Wang, and Zac Posen all had some flirty, funky little frocks too...









3.) Carolina Herrera, Isaac Mizrahi, Pamella Roland, and Venexiana all introduced diaphonous elegance with their evening gowns.






And now for The Ugly (brace yourselves...)













I feel like muppets, Lady Gaga, and Michael Jackson were all inspirations in some of these unfortunate ensembles... What were the designers thinking?

Misson Possible: February

Let me start by saying that there's nothing quite like sitting next to my honey, warm under the electric blanket, and blogging while watching the Discovery Channel's "Egypt Week". Heaven. Dr. Zahi Hawass has the most charming accent.

Friday night was my second Mission Possible cooking project, in which KC and I invited his parents over to be our guinea pigs dinner guests. Deciding on what to make was somewhat of a challenge, but after agonizing for weeks, we finally agreed upon a delicious seared scallops and pasta dish. Jaden, of Steamy Kitchen fame, shared a scrumptious-looking recipe on the Tasty Kitchen blog that looked perfect.

Other than shrimp, I don't have a ton of experience cooking with seafood, and frankly, getting the sear right on giant scallops sort of intimidated me. But as the point of this project is to challenge me to get out of my comfort zone, I knew I had to give it a go.

As is my new tradition, I began by putting on a cute, clean apron...



...and grabbing my kitchen assistant ;)



I boiled the linguine in salt water first and put it aside, and assembled my other ingredients: minced garlic, diced tomatoes, chopped parsley, olive oil, and white wine. Since the scallops would cook up quickly, I wanted to make sure everything I needed was pre-measured and on hand.





While the pasta was still cooking, I prepared a light spinach side salad, topped with chopped walnuts, dried cranberries, and fresh feta cheese.



When the linguine was done, I put it aside and heated up KC's giant skillet. I drizzled in a bit of olive oil, and when the pan was insanely hot, began tentatively dropping in my scallops. Though I had followed Jaden's advice and really patted them dry, I was worried about either not getting a good enough sear or flat-out burning them. My furrowed brow of intense concentration eventually chased everyone out of the kitchen while I hovered nervously over my sizzling critters.



Next time I need to trust the recipe instead of giving into to my own second-guessing. In a moment of weakness, I turned down the heat on the stove, because I was afraid of over-cooking them. As a result, they took longer to sear evenly. Fortunately, they turned out all right, but lesson learned!



After the scallops were finished, I put them aside. I threw the minced garlic into the pan, followed by the diced tomatoes, white wine, and parsley. The mixture was then brought to a high boil-- alcoholic fumes galore!





And finally, the linguine!



I tossed everything together and served each portion with 3-4 giant scallops and a sprig of fresh parsley.



What I love about this recipe: It was light and fresh, and didn't leave me with that bloated feeling that heavier pasta dishes sometimes do. It's also a very versatile dish and would be just as delicious served with shrimp and/or a variation of spices.

What I would do differently next time: More scallops! I seriously underestimated the shrinkage involved with cooking scallops and assumed that almost a pound of them would be enough. For four people? Not so much... I was also hesitant about adding too much seasoning, as Jaden warned that the pasta would be flavored from the salt water. As a result, the dish wasn't as flavorful as I would have liked. Next time, I think I'll try cilantro instead of parsley, along with a bit more minced garlic and pepper. Oooh, maybe even some red pepper or a touch of cayenne for a kick!

"And we all need him."

They recently released a new trailer for "The Last Airbender". It looks fantastic-- really captures the heart and soul of the show. I've heard there has been some controversy over casting, but honestly, I think the featured actors look just like the animated characters.

Lovin' it

Happy Wednesday, folks! Welcome to the second month of the new year ;) Can you believe it's February already? I turn thirty in less than two weeks. How...odd.

What's that, blogsphere? You'd like another list of Sarah's current favorites? Well, I'm happy to oblige!

1.) Avatar: The Last Airbender

I recently discovered this Nickelodeon cartoon, courtesy of KC. Technically, it's a children's show; but the artwork, storyline, characters, and concepts are so imaginative and fantastic. Part of Avatar's appeal, is its graceful fusion of Asian (primarily Chinese) cultures, but what really makes the show so likable are the wonderful characters. I'm three episodes in and already completely hooked. The lead hero Aang, a goofy twelve-year-old "airbender" monk, is utterly charming. My inner pre-teen has a mushy crush on him.

To my great delight, I also found that the live-action version, "The Last Airbender", is coming to theaters this July! It's directed by M. Night Shyamalan (I know, I know. Some of his movies are hit or miss-- but this one should be right up his alley) and the teaser trailer is pretty awesome.



2.) February

I'm just loving this month. All of the frou-frou pinks, reds, roses, and hearts. It just makes me want to wear sparkly, shiny shades of pink MAC make-up. Granted, I didn't always used to feel this way, but this year is different. With a slew of birthdays and a one-year anniversary to plan for, I love plotting surprises! And I'm such a sucker for lovely, unique cards from places like Oblation and Papyrus. So with so many excuses to get my girliness on, what's not to like?

3.) Geisha and Kyoto

I'm back on my "flower and willow world" kick, and pouring over my books on the geisha (or geiko, as they're called in Kyoto) culture. It's still as fascinating to me as it was five years ago, when I first started studying them. After living in Japan, and visited several of the hanamachi ("flower towns") or geisha districts and encountering the mysterious visions themselves, I have developed a new appreciation for their closed and secretive society. It's hard to decide which aspect I appreciate most: the gorgeous kimono and hairstyles, the geisha history, their strict training regime, or their classic style of music and dancing.

A couple of years ago, my mother gave me Liza Dalby's "Geisha" for Christmas, which I've finally just started reading. It contains Dalby's (an anthropologist who specializes in Japanese culture) research and experiences while living in Kyoto among geisha. In order to really delve into the geisha culture, Liza decided to become one herself- the only foreigner ever to do so!


Mom and I, made up as a geiko and a maiko (an apprentice geisha), May 2007

4.) Beyoncé

Seriously, is girl even capable of making a crappy song? Or being anything but gorgeous?



5.) Family time

Whether it's time spent with my family or KC's, I love being able to get together for low-key events where there's lots of good food and laughter. I'm blessed to have such good company in my life! ;)