October Festivities -- It's Not Over Yet!

October is almost through and if you think it's time to start planning Thanksgiving dinner, you should think again. There are still plenty of Halloween-inspired activities to explore whether they be spooky or traditional, such as haunted hay rides and terrorizing movies versus pumpkin carving and Autumn-themed baking, as well as getting your hands on those last minute Halloween items. I have comprised a list of both with a promise of keeping the Halloween spirit alive and haunting:

Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights
Where: Universal Studios
You still have two days to experience a haunted hayride at its best and these tours are much more than that. Part on foot and part ride a Universal Horror Night recreates the scariest pieces of popular horror movies and may be the perfect last minute activity before October is over. General Admission is 54$

http://www.halloweenhorrornights.com/hollywood/2009/index.php

Paranormal Activity
Where: Any theater near you!
Looking for something a little less pricey? This sleeper hit proves yet again that low-budget horror has a place among mainstream audiences. It isn't a gore-fest but reviews say it will leave you in the perfect spine-tingling mood for Halloween.

http://www.paranormalactivity-movie.com/

Pumpkin Carving!
Where: Probably at home
If you are looking for an activity that won't scare you but will instead become the perfect transition from October to November then this activity may be the best choice. Pumpkins with happier looks very much have a place on your front step as November begins and baking the seeds with a little oil and salt always makes a yummy snack.

http://www.ehow.com/halloween/templates.html

Pumpkin Pancakes!
Where: Once again, probably at home
Even if the pumpkins on your front step have goblins carved into them, pumpkins as a Fall ingredient can very much be a part of any baking that goes on throughout the season. Take pumpkin pancakes for instance: Add one cup pumpkin puree, some brown sugar and ground cinnamon to any ready made mix and you've got pumpkin pancakes! Or, you can make them from scratch, which may make them even more delicious:

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons vinegar

Directions

1. In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt, stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

*Courtesy of allrecipes.com, check them out for an even wider selection of pumpkin-inspired recipes!

Michael's Craftstore
Where: Various locations, check in your area
I've driven by popular Halloween stores, such as Ursulas Costumes in Santa Monica, and the line was out the door and down the block. Don't panic if you still need a few items to make your costume pop, or even if you need the whole thing. Whatever your case may be, it simply means that it's time to get creative. A craft superstore, such as Michael's has everything you need to make that perfect costume.

For example, my friend Jen is going as a ladybug and after pulling a red top and skirt from her wardrobe we went to Michael's for pipecleaners and fuzzballs to make antennae. She folded the pipecleaner into a small circle at the top end and placed a few drops of glue on it; the black fuzzball (which came in packs of seven) went on top and she was done! Once dry, the pipe cleaners will be folded around a headband as a comfortable and easy accessory. She also cut out circles from black tape to use as ladybug spots for the back of her shirt.

I, on the other hand, used Michaels to get all my supplies for fairy wings. I needed a sheet of formcore board (3$), three packs of feathers (8$), two packs of on-sale ribbon (2$) and a skinny white boa (2$). Once home, I printed out an example picture of fairy wings and drew my own pattern on the large board. I had to saw through it, instead of cut, so it may be helpful if you own an exacto knife, just be careful! I cut one half out first, flipped it over and traced it for the other half. I used the ribbon to laced the two together. Then I glued feathers around the inside edges of my wings and let them dry. After that, I glued them onto the front portion. Take a look! The photo to the left only shows half the wings to help outline its feather details and if you look closely you can see where I laced them up. The last piece to making wings is cutting two holes on each wing and lacing the boa through it. The boa goes over my shoulders and ties behind my back, making these wings easy to wear.

No matter what you do these last two days of October just make them count! Fall won't be here forever and it happens to be my favorite season of the year.

Worth Waiting For: Parks and Recreation

When mocu-mentary style TV show "Parks and Recreation," starring Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Paul Schneider, and Aziz Ansari, first aired last season it was off to a slow start. The chemistry and the writing, however, has steadily improved since its pilot, and with its topical and witty season two premiere, "Parks" is proving it can contend with sister show "The Office" and comedy leader "30 Rock." In the season two premiere, Poehler's character, Leslie Knopp, the passionate albeit naive deputy director of Parks and Recreation in the small town of Pawnee, decides to help out a local zoo and marry two penguins after she learns that penguins mate for life. Unbeknownst to her, the penguins are both male and she ignites a storm of controversy, splitting the town into two camps, liberal and conservative. This episode, titled Pawnee Zoo, can be viewed at hulu.com, or just follow this link: http://www.hulu.com/search?query=Parks+and+Recreation
Upcoming episodes hold strong promise for the future of this show, which include an episode involving a Pawnee Beauty Pageant where Leslie volunteers to act as a judge, and despite her high hopes to chose a smart, sensible, community service and government-geared teen, she must deal with the stereotype that beauty, not brains, always wins pageants.

Obama On Late Show

Barack Obama appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman last night to discuss health care. He brushed off allegations that protesters of health care reform had their opinions rooted in racism and instead kept the atmosphere light, stating, "I was actually black before the election." He emphasized that times of depression and the subsequent need for change have in the past "riled people up." He concluded that what needs to be discussed, "is that the overwhelming majority of people-republican or democrat-they just want to see some common sense. They want to see some honesty and integrity in Washington. I think they're turned off by the shouting and the yelling and they expect more from the Republican elected officials."

view the interview here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmE7tuR0364

Medieval Times

I've never been a lipstick fan, chapstick, yes...lip balm, sometimes...lip gloss, maybe-until my hair starts sticking to it...and what about those "all day" lip wear products? For me, they dry out my lips and are a pain to get off. Basically, I'm a chapstick junkie and nothing else ever really takes its place. Admittedly, chapstick can only do so much and it's become, well, rather boring, which is why when I noticed my mom getting ready for work while visiting home in New Jersey, I had to ask her what lovely shade of lipstick she had on. She showed me this lip stain that comes in the form of a tube of lipstick. It's called Medieval - Tinted Treatment and it's from the brand Lipstick Queen. It's supposed to look different on everyone and it uses your lips natural pigmentation to achieve a flattering color on you. Depending how much you put on affects how rich the color is, and a little goes a long way. The bottom line: just a tiny bit will perk your lips up without being sticky or cakey. It's one of the best alternatives to old school lipstick that I've come across in a while.

ScanFest '09!

After a few years of busy schedules and missed opportunities, my mom and I were able to attend ScanFest '09 last month. Located in Budd Lake, New Jersey, ScanFest, short for Scandinavian Festival, celebrates the heritage of Americans whose roots reach back into the Northern region of Europe, including Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland. My mom, like many who share similar roots, has a light complexion, (fish-belly white as she calls it), lots of freckles and green eyes. Since I have my dad's darker Sicilian looks, I've felt a strong urge to keep in touch with the side of me that's essentially under the surface, which is why I was happy to venture out into the woods of New Jersey in search of this festival.

When we first walked in we were given stickers with our nation's flag on it. We had prepaid online for a reduced rate, but tickets at the gate were 14.00$. Although, many of the festival-goers were decked out in traditional garb, which landed them free admission to the day's festivities. The festival had a large variety of tents set up with jewelry, embroidered bags, shirts, sweatshirts, dresses, books, glassware, pins, figurines, paintings, all for sale and all with ties to a particular Scandinavian country. Some of the items were handmade and some were imported. The most traditional pieces, including a painted, wooden, Swedish horse varied in price from a few bucks to hundreds of dollars depending on where the piece originated from and whether or not it was handcrafted. After much deliberation I purchased a white T-shirt with a wonderfully robust viking head printed on it as a souvenir. I also picked up a miniature viking carved out of wood for a friend. My mom found some trinkets for herself and before we knew it, we were starving. Food vendors cooked traditional meals mixed in with staple choices, such as Icelandic crepes, kettle corn, Swedish coffee bread, Danish pastries, sausages, and more. I stuck with a veggie burger and sweet potato fries, but my mom had a meal that her mom used to make for her: Swedish meatballs with lingonberries and crackers.

After lunch we browsed the aisles some more and also visited the Artisans section where artisans from all over set up instructional booths and taught traditional skills, such as Scandinavian woodcarving, paper-cutting, and weaving-a skill my mom had mastered in college. There is something about connecting with customs that go back hundreds of years that felt fresh and enjoyable, and at the very least, they were quite entertaining to observe. At the end of our day we bought some delicious ice cream and watched the live band. Many of the festival goers danced with their partners or friends with moves I had never learned. But my mom had learned the dances when she was younger and being there allowed me to hear more of her memories and reminisce about a culture she was more familiar with. Going to a festival like this is a first step in enjoying a part of your past and making it feel not so far away.

If you are interested in connecting with any piece of your heritage, I recommend doing a quick online search to find events or festivals near you because you may be surprised at what events your community holds each year. As far as ScanFest goes, you can find more information by visiting http://scanfest.org/

The Getty Museum: Round Two

This week I ventured up the California mountainside via a modest white tram and arrived at the Getty Museum for my second visit. The Getty Museum in Los Angeles exhibits a wide array of art, including European sculpture, paintings, manuscripts, artifacts, and European and American photography. During this visit, the French Bronze exhibit impressed me as much as any sculpture exhibit would with its wonderfully detailed subjects crafted from copper and tin. The subject matter of the pieces ranged from biblical to mythical to political and royal, but I decided to focus this blog on a different exhibit: the Walls of Algiers: Narratives of the City, an exhibit focused on the history and subsequent bloody battle of the African city Algiers.

The French occupied Algiers in 1830 and held this occupation until the War of Independence ended in 1962. While in power, the French segregated the city into the "Arab" sector and the "European" sector. The exhibit at the Getty Center highlighted this with old photos taken of the people of Algiers, including mandatory snapshots taken by a photographer ordered to document every Arab citizen. These photos were used to issue each citizen a French Identity Card. Think of every ID card or license you've had to get over the years. Usually the problem with ID photos is how goofy your smile is or that your eyes are half-closed and you now have to live with that photo in your pocket for the next few years. The listless expressions on the faces of the men and women I saw were cold and strong. There were no smiles and their eyes were all wide open. They had a much different problem. They looked very much like people who had something to say but had no choice but to sit or stand in the middle of the street and receive an identity they didn't believe in.

If you are interested in learning more about the War of Independence, you should check out The Battle of Algiers, a classic black and white film that came out in 1966 and highlights the brutal tactics that both the French and the Algerians utilized in attempts to gain the upper hand during the war.

This exhibit can be viewed until October 18th. The rotating exhibits and breathtaking views at the Getty Center, Los Angeles, make it worth a repeat viewing.

Parking is 15$ and entry into the museum is free.

For more information visit-
http://www.getty.edu/