Celebrate

Happy Fourth of July everyone! Whether you're headed to the beach in a star-spangled bikini or cooking up some hot dogs with your family on this long weekend, I hope you have a fun and safe holiday weekend!

Today if you mention that you follow Becker's Bakery on Twitter or on Facebook, you can receive a free red, white, or blue star cookie from the Manhattan Beach bakery. That is, if you can find parking downtown Manhattan beach. For those of you headed straight to the beach, Old Navy has some great red, white, and blue bathing suits currently discounted as a part of their Star Spangled Sale, so hurry over before you hit the waves.

If you're hosting a backyard barbecue, try out this awesome hot dog sauce recipe. My mom makes a similar one every year that can't be beat--sorry though, that recipe is a family secret. Still in need of some party snacks? Harry & David's candy and snack tubs are 30% off this weekend, so celebrate our independence with delicious food, snacks, and gourmet appetizers.

Then when it cools down and the sun sets, check out abc7.com for a map of firework locations in the South Bay. Some shows start at 8pm, whereas others don't begin til 9pm, so be sure you double check times. Or if you're lucky enough to know someone with a view along the coast, you might be able to catch four or five different firework displays from Malibu to Redondo Beach.

Happy Independence Day, America!

Images from facebook.com/beckersbakery, yumsugar.com and artofmanliness.com

Taste of Summer

Caprese Sandwich
An ideal summer lunch from Manhattan Bread & Bagel Co. is easy to whip up at home.

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of crusty Parmesan sourdough bread or a ciabatta roll
  
• 1/4 cup of balsamic vinaigrette spread
• 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
• 4 ripe fresh tomatoes
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, thickly sliced

Directions:
Spread balsamic vinaigrette spread on both pieces of bread. Layer sliced tomatoes and sliced cheese and basil over sandwiches. Buon apetit!

Image from shuttermike.com

And I Quote...

"Summer is where the girls go barefoot and their hearts are just as free as their toes." -Unknown

Image from twitpic.com

Summer Reading

Laptops don't fare well poolside. And can you imagine trying to get all the sand out of your keyboard after a day at the beach? Sure Kindles are the new thing, but what's going to happen when you get your sunscreen all over the reading screen? Those iPads are cool to play with, but seriously, you're going to take your new not-waterproof $500 toy to a potential splash zone? Leave your electronics at home, and soak in some sun with this summer's recommended reading.

Bergdorf Blondes by Plum Skykes
"If you use the same criteria to choose a man that you would when choosing a handbag, I guarantee you will find one that suits you perfectly." If you are the champagne bubble about town much like this narrator, then you'll sparkle with delight while reading this book.



Island of the Sequined Love Nun by Christopher Moore
What do you get when you mix a pink jet, a talking fruit bat, a missionary and his amoral wife, Shark People, a huricanne, and a World War II aviator who plays cards with a Jewish carpenter in heaven? Kurt Vonnegut and Douglas Adams would be proud of this hilarious story of loss, love (love-making), and redemption.

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
A series of short essays by Sedaris, who continues to keep our sides in stitches.






Cocktails for Three by Madeleine Wickham
Manhattan, men, martinis -- sounds like Sex and the City, right? Throw in three secrets and see how the three women handle life shaken, not stirred.




The Summer We Read Gatsby by Danielle Ganek
It's like a modern re-telling of The Great Gastby, but with females as the leading socialites.





Images from amazon.com, usclibrary.com, reader.com

Island in the Sun Playlist

Happy Summer everyone!

1. Say Hey (I Love You) - Michael Franti & Spearhead
2. She Won't Be Lonely Long - Clay Walker
3. I'm Yours Remix - Jason Mraz ft. Jah Cure & Lil Wayne
4. Gimme That Girl - Joe Nichols
5. If We Meet Again - Timberland ft. Katy Perry
6. All I Wanna Do - Sheryl Crow
7. Dancing In the Moonlight - Toploader
8. You and Your Heart - Jack Johnson
9. Can You Feel the Best I Ever Had Remix - Drake ft. Elton John
   
10. Hell on the Heart - Eric Church
11. My First Kiss - 3OH!3 ft. Ke$ha
12. Summer Girl - Jessica Andrews
13. Your Body Is A Wonderland (Acoustic) - John Mayer
14. This Afternoon - Nickelback
15. West Coast - Coconut Records
16. Taylor - Jack Johnson
17. A Little Bit - Drake ft. Lykke Li
18. Touches You - Mika
19. Pursuit of Happiness (Steve Aoki Remix) - Kid Cudi
20. Better Together - Jack Johnson & Paula Fuga

Image from surfermag.com

Hat's Off to You!

The summer sun can be warm and welcoming. But one too many hours without your SPF leaves your nose peeling and raw--not so welcoming after all. No need to blow your lid! We'd looked high and low for the most sublime skimmers to make sure you're covered.

If you're summer routine has you from running on the beach in the mornings to running errands in the afternoon, your baseball cap is almost as essential as your Reebok Easy Tones. And unless you're sporting a pink Dodgers cap (which is impossible to find these days), up your soccer mom status by trading in that old workout hat for a Lacoste lid that says easy-going class without the garish side effects (I'm looking at you, Coach Tennis Shoes). And for the low price tag of these tams, you can get one to match all your tennis outfits!

Though if your summer consists of shredding the gnar with a couple of bros, then the O'Neill Sonoma hat will provide some shade when you're done ripping the waves, and looks great on dudes and wahines alike. Grab a guitar and switch headgear when you're chilling by the beach bonfire that night for the Brixton Pack Straw Bowler from Urban Outfitters. Then pair it with a sundress the next morning. Or it'll go with you're favorite pair of daisy dukes. Talk about one sleek skimmer.
If you're into bows and batting eyelashes, let your purdah do the flirting for you with a wide-brimmed straw hat. This one from Forever21 is only $7 and worth every penny and pursing of your lips.

This summer I'm turning to the cowl's cousin: a visor. This braided raffia one from Bop Basics is perfect whether I'm riding my strand cruiser down the Strand, chasing after kids at Hammerhead Beach Camp, or relaxing by the Manhattan Village pool.

So go ahead, cock your hat. Angels are attitudes, after all.

Images from urbanoutfitters.com, forever21.com, shopbop.com, lacoste.com, tillys.com

The 2010 Gist List

The New Year usually brings a slew of resolutions often left in the back of your closet with your broken Manolo Blahniks and too-small-but-too-cute-to-throw-away summer shorts. But resolutions give us a chance to reflect the changes we want (or need) in our life, and then promise to follow through. I'm not talking about the 20 lbs you wanted to shed by February or the penny-pinching you promised your pocketbook. It's New Years, not a miracle. While we look to the past at the good times, we're looking forward to the coming year and the promises it brings us. Here are my resolutions for 2010.

1. Appreciate the people in my life for what they are rather than being frustrated by what they're not.
I surround myself with beautiful people, inside and out. That's a fact. And sometimes it's a fact I need to remind myself more often than blame others for my problems, and just laugh my problems away instead.

2. Maintain a sense of humor that carries me through all of life's little bumps.
It's not hard to make me laugh. I was reminded in the final months of 2009 that the right attitude takes you a lot further than the wrong attitude. Plus, a good attitude is contagious, just like a smile.

3. Follow through or shame on you.
I love making promises, and I love keeping them even more. But sometimes I promise too many things to too many people. This year I resolve to focus my energy, and to follow through with quality work rather than quantity.

4. Hear other people's stories.
I can talk and talk and talk all about me, almost anytime, any day. And while confidence is a trait I'm not short of, my listening skills are a muscle that need to be toned this year. Let others steer the topic of conversation rather than feel pressured to keep talking.

Image from fitsugar.com

Christmas Cheer

Now that I'm holed up in a hotel on an overnight layover due to flight complications during this holiday travel season (a la Home Alone 2), I've come to appreciate Macaulay Culkin's request for three scoops of ice cream instead of two. Now after spending almost 12 hours between Syracuse and Los Angeles in Philadelphia, I've had the luxury of watching various Christmas movies on ABC, FX, CW, and many many more channels on my 36" flat screen in my hotel room. Here's my top ten so far:

Elf (2003)
After inadvertently wreaking havoc on the elf community due to his ungainly size, a man raised as an elf at the North Pole is sent to the U.S. in search of his true identity. Not only Will Farrell deliver in this instant Christmas classic, but he brought us Christmas cheer singing loud for all to hear. I'll admit, I pop in this DVD even outside of the Christmas season, and it's always the first one on my list to watch come the day after Thanksgiving.

White Christmas (1954)
My mother made my family watch this movie every Christmas Eve. It's not animated, with little kid-targeted humor, and the allusions and storyline went over my head back when I was ten. Then my mother insisted my sisters and I learned the "Sisters" duet. As soon as the successful song-and-dance team that becomes romantically involved with a sister act (and my mother) had me crooning along, how could I not love the movie. Growing up with this classic brings me back to my mother roasting chestnuts, and my father stoking the open fire (no joke).

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Inside a snowflake, like the one on your sleeve, there happened a story you must see to believe. Back before Taylor Momsen was Queen Bee on Gossip Girl, she was a funny-nosed Who from Whoville. And maybe now it's because I'm older and I understand the "grown-up" jokes going on in the film, but Jim Carrey divulged into the Grinch character and still has me rolling on the floor.

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
Though the number of "Home Alone"s have grown over the years (what are we at now? Number 5?), Number 2 takes the cake. A 10-year old runs around NYC with his dad's credit card while his family worries about his safe return. Sure, he doesn't have the home field advantage like he did in the first, but the witty kid still catches the bad guys in the end. And maybe I'm biased because I'm trying to make it home for the holidays like Macaulay Culkin, but I know I have my two turtledove ornament around here somewhere.

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
A classic. I watched it every year growing up with my family, and it's still my go-to holiday movie. Heartwarming and simple, it always brings my family together. Because that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown!

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Though I would technically classify this as a Halloween movie, Jack the Skeleton lasts us from October 31st to December 25th. It's a original idea that Tim Burton animates and infatuates us with. While "Nightmare" wasn't originally on my list, my co-RA has this movie running on loop in our floor lounge, and it's definitely caught me up in discovering Christmas Town with Jack.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
It would be wrong to exclude the misfit reindeer and his friends who are looking for a place that will accept them. It's an elaboration of the Christmas tale of the red-nosed hero of Christmas that takes us on an adventure across the North Pole and back that never gets old.

Images from imdb.com

Holly Jolly Holiday Playlist

'Tis the Season

1. Bizarre Christmas Incident – Ben Folds

2. Rudolph – Jack Johnson

3. All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey

4. White Christmas – Taylor Swift

5. Jingle Bell Rock – Aly & AJ

6. Run Rudolph Run – Hanson

7. Latke Clan – The LeeVees

8. Baby It’s Cold Outside – Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey

9. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) – Maroon 5

10. I’ll Be Home for Christmas – Rascal Flatts

11. The Little Drummer Boy – Sean Kingston

12. Ay Ay Ay It’s Christmas – Ricky Martin

13. Hanukkah Blessings – Barenaked Ladies

14. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) – Leighton Meester

15. Last Christmas – CASCADA

16. Carol of the Bells – Emmy Rossum

17. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year – NSYNC

18. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town – Bruce Springsteen

19. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – Tyler Hilton

20. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree – Miley Cyrus

Image from celebratestudios.com

Stuffed

Thanksgiving Leftover Panini

Like you're not still in a food coma from yesterday

Ingredients:

• 2 thick slices day old bread (or 1 loaf), such as ciabatta
• Cold gelatinous gravy
• Turkey breast, sliced
• Turkey stuffing
• Cranberry dressing
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 sage leaves, chopped fine
• Butter, softened

Directions:

Spread one slice of bread with a thin layer of cold gravy. Layer the sandwich with slices of turkey, stuffing, more gravy and cranberry dressing, to taste. Season with salt and pepper and top with chopped sage leaves. Spread a thick layer of cranberry dressing on the other slice of bread.

Butter each side of the sandwich on the outside, then toast on a preheated sandwich grill or in a cast iron skillet, pressing the firmly on each side golden brown.

Image from foodnetwork.com

Eat Your Heart Out

What's cookin' good lookin'? Here are some of my favorite (and super easy) fall recipes. Grab your boyfriend, roommate, or the little kid down the street you babysit and try these traditional treats out for size.

Candied Carmel Apples
The season just got a whole lot sweeter.
Ingredients:

• Butter or margarine for greasing
  
• 5 apples
  
• 14 oz. of caramel candies (1 package)
• 1 teaspoon water
• 1/2 cup of crushed nuts or candies

Directions:

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper, and grease with a dab of butter or margarine. Wash the apples in a colander and dry them with a kitchen towel. If they have stems, you may need to help remove them. Insert a craft stick into each apple. Unwrap the caramel candies and add them to a microwave-safe bowl. Measure out the water and add that to the candies.

Place in the microwave and heat on high for about 3 minutes. Stop the microwave and stir the caramels every minute or so. While you hold the bowl (be sure to use oven mitts--some bowls get very hot!), stir with a wooden spoon or a spatula. Continue heating the caramels until they are completely melted and smooth.

Carefully remove the caramels from the microwave. Dip the apples into the caramel and hold them over the bowl to let the excess caramel drip away. Dip once or twice to coat the apples. If you like, you can also dip them into the nuts or candies. Set them on the buttered wax paper to cool.

Sweet & Salty Pumpkin Seeds
You'll end up wanting a pumpkin-patch worth.
Ingredients:

• 2 cups separated and dried pumpkin seeds (from your jack-o'-lantern!)
  
• 1/4 cup melted butter
  
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, toss the seeds with the butter and either the savory or sweet seasonings. Spread the seeds evenly in one layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, stirring the seeds every few minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Taste the seeds and re-season if desired.

Tips:
Choose sweet (sugar and cinnamon) or savory ingredients (cumin and salt), or try a sweet and salty mix.

Creepy Crawly Peanut Butter Spider Snacks
C'mon. We're all kids on Halloween.
Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup peanut butter
  
• 1/2 cup honey
  
• 1 cup non-fat powdered milk
• Graham crackers
• Raisins or currants
• Pretzel sticks

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, beat the peanut butter with the honey and the powdered milk. The mixture should form a dough. Place on your work space. Use three-quarters of the dough to make balls the size of walnuts. Form the remaining dough into smaller-sized balls. Lay out the graham crackers. Place a large ball and a small one on each graham cracker. Cut the raisins or currants in half and place them on the small ball for eyes. Break pretzel sticks into desired lengths, then push in four pretzel sticks on each side of the spider's body to make legs.

And don't worry. That award-winning homemade Halloween costume you're working on? You've got time.

Images and recipes from nickjr.com

Think Blue

Even though the leaves are turning pretty shades of orange, red, and yellow, I'm still blue.

Dodger blue that is.

Sure, baseball is the summer past time, but just because the weather has cooled down doesn't mean my team spirit has. The Dodgers took the win with a 5-1 last night against the St. Louis Cardinals. A three-game sweep had the Dodgers clinching the best-of-five National League Division Series. Last night Padilla turned seven masterful innings; Ethier's two-run homer and Manny's three hits had fans in a craze. LA is set to play the winner of the Rockie-Phillies tournament starting this Thursday. With games like these, how could Dodger fever die down?

So come on, grab an over-sized hot dog, your mitt, your blue LA hat, and Think Blue.

Images from throwbackguy.com and mlb-tour-2008.com

The Fall Edition

We here by solemnly swear to refrain from those old played out fall cliches. There wont be "Fall Back into School" or "Falling into Fashion" nonsense here. No siree.

(But we do hope you Fall in love with our picks for the autumn weather.)

So here's the skinny (literally): we still love our skinny jeans. But to beat the cooler clime we're gonna add a thousand layers on top: long tanks, eccentric vests, wool scarves, soft organic cotton over-sized tees, knits like grandma makes, and a giant purse too. East Coast autumns easily Fall above the West Coast's when I get to start pulling out these essentials. It makes me wish the palm trees at home turned colors and shed their leaves too.

This Fall season, the tucked-in button down is big. Keep up the balancing act with little flouncy skirts like this one from Forever 21 and a sweet brown belt to keep things classy. Don't Fall running to class latte in hand.

And while the best part of this time of year is the color palette of Mother Nature, take a leaf out of her book and go golden too. Bronze looks great in these prints and in subtle embroidery. Fall into the trend with this look also from Forever 21.

I personally always have a hard time with fitting the feet as a sandals-or-nothing kinda gal in the summer, so head over to H&M where their boot assortment boasts high-fashion styles at less then $60 a pop. The whole head-to-toe layered look (above) is less than $140 and every piece is just as Fall-worthy alone as it is together.

Fall is in the air--duh, it's 55 degrees out. So get inspired, grab an apple cider, and fall in love with Fall.

Images from thelivingcolor.blogspot, hm.com, and forever21.com

The End of Summer Playlist

Catch it while you can.

1. Earthquakes and Sharks - Brandston
2. Hollywood - Collective Soul
3. Oh Oh It's Magic - Pilot
4. White Houses - Vanessa Carlton
5. Wake Up - Sliimy
6. Coconut - The Sea and Cake
7. Good Girls Go Bad - Cobra Starship ft. Leighton Meester
8. Feeling Better - The Teenagers
9. It's All Right Here - Hannah Montana
10. How Love Should Be - Tyler Hilton
11. 40 Day Dream - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
12. Wasted Time - Kings of Leon
13. The Blankest Year - Nada Surf
14. Supernova - Mr. Hudson ft. Kanye West
15. Shambala - 3 Dog Night
16. Everything I Asked For - The Maine
17. Silver Lining - Rilo Kiley
18. You Belong With Me - Taylor Swift
    
19. Sunny Hours - Long Beach Dub All-Stars
20. Starstrukk - 3OH!3

Image from art.com

Favorite Holiday of the Year

If you're from Manhattan Beach, California, and between the ages 13-47, you know from the picture and the title of this entry what we'll be discussing.

That's right, the Manhattan Beach 6-Man.

What started as a memorial tournament for Manhattan Beach legend Charlie Saikley, this weekend-long beach festival sports a surfing competition, the pier-to-pier swim/paddle, and of course, the volleyball tournament.

Teams sport themes from the Oompa Loompa dads to Rockstar Energy Drinks-sponsored Rage All Night, participants include world-class volleyball players, top collegiate stars, and hidden AVP pros in their costume-mandatory team colors. And what would a team be without its cheerleaders? With friends playing some (somewhat) serious volleyball for Becker's Bakery and Pancho's, I witnessed girl-versions of the uniforms being replecated, such as Kendall Waters's rendition of OLÉs for the Team Pancho's jersey. Who could resist this competative, debauchery-filled weekend? Just promise me one thing as we head back down the beach for next year's 6MAN: leave all your personal belongings at home. All you need is your bathing suit, some friends, and maybe the things listed below.


Images from Malibu Rum, GirlthingUK, Von Zipper, and Banana Boat; tshirt design complements of Kendall Waters