by | December 10, 2010 · 11:46 am

Tucson: Part One!

     After a painful nine hour drive, we finally made it to Tucson. We checked into a lovely hotel that has individual cottages tucked away in the mountains and headed to the show to set up.

First things first: FOOD! In order to be as helpful as possible in set-up, I must be fueled!
I strolled the streets searching for restaurants. Most of them were closed, yet all of the tattoo parlors, bars and smoke shops were still swamped. 
I just don’t get it.
Luckily I found a cute little place, Delectables, that was open for another ten minutes and they were gracious enough to seat and feed me. I asked the waitress for her recommendation and got the chicken, pesto and Brie sandwich on a french roll.
This was delicious, but somehow I’ve never been able to come to terms with the fact that I’m eating wax when I’m consuming Brie cheese. Anyone else have this issue?
Post fooding, we were serenaded by a band (I thought it was one of those listed, but they aren’t playing until tomorrow…) while setting up our tent. These guys were GOOD! I wanted to go in and listen, but had to find contentment with listening to their songs through the window. If only I knew who they were :-/
The booths are up! Time for me to crash on my lovely Tempur-pedic mattress in preparation for the long day tomorrey!
I make no apologies for my awful grammar in this post. YOU spend nine hours on the road and three and a half lifting heavy booth material, then we can talk.

4 Comments

Filed under Arizona, bar, Brie cheese, Delectables, Plush, smoke shop, tattoo parlor, Tempur-pedic, The Vases, Tucson

by | December 9, 2010 · 7:45 am

Avocado, Heirloom Tomato and Walnut Salad

     I had a ripe avocado that was begging to be used before I leave for Tucson, Arizona tomorrow. I wanted something light and summery to match the beautiful weather we’ve been having here in Southern California. Enter my inspiration: Lemonade!

I first visited Lemonade during my first blogger meet-up back in August, and fell in love with their avocado, cherry tomato and pine nut salad tossed in a lime vinaigrette. I’ve been dreaming about it for months!
Avocado, Heirloom Tomato and Walnut Salad
(inspired by Lemonade)
1 ripe avocado
2/3 cup baby heirloom tomatoes, cut in half
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
1/2 lime
1 tsp olive oil
1 tablespoon cherry balsamic vinegar
     1. Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit.
     2. With the tip of a sharp knife, trace a checkerboard design into the flesh of the avocado and gently scoop the diced flesh into a mixing bowl.
     3. Add the heirloom tomatoes and walnuts to the avocado.
     4. In a small mixing bowl, combine the juice of the lime, olive oil and cherry balsamic vinegar and whisk until emulsified.
     5. Pour the dressing over the avocado, tomatoes and walnuts and gently toss to cover. 
Makes two servings.
If you don’t have cherry balsamic, any balsamic vinegar will do. The balsamic MADE the salad! Don’t skip that ingredient!
     This salad is buttery, tangy and refreshing, with a nice crunch from the added walnuts. I have a feeling I’ll be making this a LOT over the holidays for my brother and his wife who are both vegans, and visiting from snowy Colorado. One of the perks of living in California is having avocados year round! I have to share the wealth!
Another perk is hiking in 68 degree weather while the rest of the country is spiraling into a deep, cold winter.
I’m off to Arizona again tomorrey!

6 Comments

Filed under avocado, blogger meet-up, cherry balsamic vinegar, heirloom tomatoes, hike, Lemonade, lime vinaigrette, Southern California

by | December 8, 2010 · 6:56 am

Tempe Festival of the Arts

     I got to spend yet another weekend wandering the warm streets of Arizona, perusing the amazing artwork of over five hundred artists, feasting at some incredible local restaurants and being serenaded by street musicians. It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it!

     On Thursday night, the city wasn’t able to close the streets until 9:30pm, so we started setup around 10pm. I lifted boxes full of canvases, erected (if you laughed at that word then you’re as immature as I am) the tent, hung gigantic original oil paintings and used power tools to my heart’s content (nothing sexier than a chick holding a power drill, right? Just humor me). We finished around 2am, sped back to the hotel and collapsed into a coma-like sleep until 8am the next morning.
It was quiet on Friday, so I was able to spend most of the day exploring the booths of the other artists.
There were plenty to see!
This festival had more jewelry and trinkets than the previous ones, probably because the holidays and gift-giving times are coming up.
There were also plenty of fried festival foods to consume.
I didn’t partake in any of these foods.
And by “didn’t partake”, I mean I definitely feasted upon the Island Noodles. They were kind enough to give me a half portion since I can’t physically fit an entire serving into myself. This container was packed with asparagus, broccoli, chunks of sweet potatoes and red cabbage. 
I fell in love. I’m pretty easy to please.
I’m also easily amused.
In case you can’t read that, the sign says:
 (Happy Healthy High Horny Herbs)
I told you I’m easily amused.
I also found some parts of the town that hadn’t been remodeled. I’m sure you’re sick of hearing me saying how much I adore abandoned buildings and ghost towns. Too bad. I LOVE ABANDONED BUILDINGS!!!
These beautiful condos have a sad history. The man who funded them, Scott Coles, apparently saw no other way out when the economy crashed and committed suicide. These buildings and construction on them have been abandoned since his death in 2008.
Since we’re on a sad note, I’d like to note how many street kids were walking around Tempe. Every single one I met was extremely upbeat, and more than willing to serenade me with a song accompanied with a ukelele. I just can’t imagine not having the support I have from my amazing parents and their acceptance and understanding of my dreams. I love and appreciate you so much, mom and dad!!!
When the booth got busy, I ran across the street to Crave and got hummus topped with shawarma chicken and fried pita to snack on.
When the booth was empty, I got up and went to some of the artists to purchase some artsy home decor.
I am completely obsessed with these light switch covers, made by Campbell Auer.
It’s possible that I’ve bought enough to cover almost all of the light switches at my house. Almost…
On a side note, I want to see this film. Any film that receives that many “FUNNY” reviews definitely needs to be seen.
That’s a short summary of my weekend in Tempe, AZ! I still have a dinner party to sum up, but this blog is long enough, so I won’t force you to put up with another barrage of pictures until tomorrey!

1 Comment

Filed under Campell Auer, Charles Trippy, chicken shawarma, CTFxC, Four Lions, Geoplate, happy healthy high horny herbs, Island Noodles, mojito, Scott Coles, Tempe Festival of the Arts, tornado fries

by | December 6, 2010 · 10:41 am

Tempe Wrap Party!

     We’re done with the show!!! I’ll do a full recap tomorrow when I’m home and rested and have better internet connection, but for now I’ll share with you the amazing foods we celebrated with.

Cadillac margaritas are food. Don’t argue with me on this.
Cheese that you can set on fire? YES PLEASE!
Beautiful, sizzling happiness!
Seared Ahi! There’s my balanced part of the meal!
Aaaand cheesy bread rolls with pesto olive oil. This may have nixed the health benefits of the tuna…
If the bread didn’t do it, the chocolate toffee mousse with Kahlua definitely did.
     I found out something incredibly exciting today! I’ve been named one of “LA’s top 100 non-celebrity bloggers that you should take to lunch“! I have no idea what this means, but I’m pretty sure it means that you should all be inviting me to lunch. At least, that’s what I got from reading the article. I repeat, don’t argue with me on this!
     I’m going to pass out now – taking down a gigantic booth and then feasting upon delicious food that has been set on fire is quite exhausting. 
Take my word for it!

1 Comment

Filed under Becki Kregoski, Cadillac, CHEESE ON FIRE, chocolate toffee cake, Kahlua, margaritas, seared ahi, Sparkah, Tempe, Tempe Festival of the Arts

by | December 4, 2010 · 9:36 am

Rapid Fire Blog!

     I just got back from an hour at the hotel gym. After a 12 hour day. After 5 hours of sleep. Needless to say, this blog will be quick, otherwise I may fall asleep on the keyboard.

BAM! Sunset on the drive out.
BAM! More sunset!
BAM! Desert at sunset!
Rat-a-tat-tat! Busy booth at the festival!
Sha-Bop! ART!
THWACK! Surrealist photography!
BOOM! Clothes made from plastic bottles!
Ka-pow! Paintings!
Ka-CHING! Wine glasses waiting for tastings!
BANG! Overpriced painted umbrellas!
THWOP! Carvings!
BARK! Dog on a jewelry counter, trying on a diamond-studded collar.
HONK! Hooters directly across from our booth!
HISS! Fire juggler!
Kaplooey! A map of the gigantic show!
Ole! TexMex restaurant we ate at for dinner tonight!
SIZZLE! Free skillet cornbread with whipped honey-butter!
CRUNCH! Grilled shrimp and avocado on mini-tostadas with chipotle sauce!
BAM! My head hitting the pillow.
G’night!

3 Comments

Filed under Arizona, Arizona State, ASU, Hooters, recycled clothes, surrealism, Tempe, Tempe Festival of the Arts, University, wine, WoofWare, Z'Tejas

by | December 2, 2010 · 9:26 am

Hanging with Celebrities!

     The Monstas are back!!!

Or they were yesterday! This baby had 5 cups of spinach, 1/2 a banana, 1/3 a cup of soymilk, 1/2 cup of frozen berries, 1 lemon and a splash of vanilla extract.
I followed up with a green lunch. I had a big Kitchen Sink Salad with 1/2 a bag of mixed baby greens, 1 sauteed zucchini, 1/2 a container of egg white salad, 1/2 a cup of warmed lentils and 1/2 of a red bell pepper.
     Today didn’t start the same. I had a hot boiled egg and had to run out the door to work an early shift. I bailed out after four hours so I could go to an audition in Valley Village, then went to meet up with Dan for lunch.
Hi, Dan!
We went to Miceli’s on Ventura Blvd.
LOVED the Chianti decor!
We split a FIRE IN THE HOLE!!!! Has anyone ever heard of that? I hadn’t, and neither had our waiter, but he had a lot of fun running around the restaurant yelling, “Fire in the hole!!!” and coming up to our table after we were served asking, “how do you like the fire in your holes?”
Very mature.
It was dark in there, hence the blurry pic. A FIRE IN THE HOLE has pepperoni, jalapeno and pineapple. I think I have a new favorite pizza!
     After lunch I met up with Tanya at Starbucks on Ventura Blvd. If you ever want to see the most beautiful, narcissistic people in the world, there’s where you should go! I walked past the three outside tables, all occupied by gorgeous humans reading highlighted scripts, and into the cafe where there were at least a dozen people all working on screenplays on their computers. I totally blended in in my baggy sweatshirt, flip flops and jeans that have washed to shreds. Totally…
     I had a tall soy chai and Tanya (now a vegan and looking AH-MAY-ZING!) had a decaf tea. We spent a while catching up, then headed over to Urban Outfitters to do some shopping and stumbled upon not only one, but TWO ridiculously successful actors.
(who is just as adorable in person)
I recognized them, but I’m not one to let them know! Gotta let those actors have their peace after a long day on set. Sigh, I’m not jealous at all…
     It’s a crazy, small world out there in the big city! As for me, I’m off to another big city – Tempe, Arizona! I’m back on the clock for my artsy job and I’ll be at the Tempe Festival of the Arts from December 3rd through December 5th! If there are any ASU students out there, come visit! I’m right on your main street! As for YOU, prepare yourself for another onslaught of creative pictures of creative arts!
Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Comments Off on Hanging with Celebrities!

Filed under ASU, audition, FIRE IN THE HOLE, green monster, kitchen sink salad, Melissa Joan Hart, Miceli's, Modern Family, pizza, Sarah Hyland, Starbucks, Tempe Festival of the Arts, Urban Outfitters

by | November 30, 2010 · 11:06 am

Creepy Encounters!

     Have you ever had one of those encounters with someone that leaves you completely freaked out? I have!

Sometimes, I just create creepy moments.
Cuz I CAN, that’s why!

Creepy Encounter #1:
Black Friday, 4am. Guy walks into store with a bunch of friends, all eyes bloodshot to high heaven. Guy smiles at me, I smile back so as to not seem like I’m enraged that I’m working at 4am. Guy sidles (yes, sidles) over to me, still smiling in a creeper-fashion.
Guy: (Reaching out his hand) Hi, I’m Markus.
Me: (Shaking his hand, avoiding the temptation to crush his fingers) Hi, I’m Becki.
Markus: Do you have a boyfriend, Becki?
Me: Yes.
Markus: Can I have your number anyway?
Me: No. Thanks, though! (See how I refrained from complete evility? No, evility is not a word. Yes, I’m still using it in my grammarific blog.)

Creepy Encounter #2:
Since we’re on the subject of weird guys, here’s another lovely anecdote.
Guy: (After making really awkward small talk as I helped him select cologne.) So… do you have a boyfriend?
Me: Yes.
Guy: That’s okay, I can share.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME????


Creepy Encounter #3:
A new coworker walks over to me as I stand at my counter.
Coworker: I Googled you.
Coworker walks away. I suppress a shiver of fear.

Creepy Encounter #4:
I tend to speed-walk through the mall. No reason except that once you’ve worked in a mall, you don’t want to spend any more time than necessary passing by all of the stores. Anyway, back to the encounter.
(I walk by the jewelry store on my way to gorge myself on See’s.)
Jewelry man: (Literally sprinting after me, and with a French accent) Why? Why is you walks so fast?
Me: Um, I’m in a hurry?
Jewelry man: (Chuckling as he walks to back to his store) Oh!! Zis is why you walks fast. I understand now.
(This might be more of an awkward encounter, rather than creepy, but I decided to cover all my bases.)

Creepy Encounter #5:
Girl walks up to Windsor window and begins inexplicably chuckling to herself.
Girl takes camera out of her purse and takes a picture of the store window.
Girl gets home and posts picture to her blog.

My friend Jazzlyn is a model extraordinaire! I love stumbling across her ads. They’re EVERYWHERE!!!
And yes, in case you were wondering, creepy encounter #5 was me.
Creepy Encounter #6:
My lovely mom took me out to lunch at Lazy Dog today. The salad dressing had been stepped in by a dog. A very, Lazy Dog. (Cue the painful groans.)
Ugh, my joke is so bromidic even I’M disgusted with myself.
Moving on. We split an appetizer of spicy edamame.
I had a Mediterranean pizzetti. De-luscious!
Time for some beer tasting? OKAY! Dogfish Head’s limited edition Pangaea, brewed with crystalized ginger. I couldn’t taste any ginger, but I still appreciated the thought. 
I don’t think I’ve ever had a complaint when it comes to Dogfish Head, especially now that they have their show Brew Masters! (Thanks for letting me know about that, Heather!)
     Thank you for putting up with my random post and horrible grammar and words that aren’t real words. 
You’re awesome.

Disclaimer: No animals, living or stuffed, were harmed in the writing of this blog.

3 Comments

Filed under Black Friday, boyfriend, Brew Masters, bromidic, cologne, creepy encounters, Cyber Monday, Discovery channel, Dogfish Head, edamame, Google, Jazzlyn, Lazy Dog Cafe, mall, Pangaea, pizzetti, Windsor

by | November 27, 2010 · 11:07 pm

Thanksgiving Recap!

     Good morning!!! Why so good, you ask? I think it’s because I got a full night of sleep after the longest day of my life.

     Yesterday was absolutely INSANE. As a lowly retail worker, I was forced awake after four measly hours of sleep so I could head off to my job and prepare to receive all the Black Friday shoppers at 3:50am. A-M!!! And so, armed with a gigantic to-go mug of coffee (which, by the way, does NOTHING at three in the morning), I stood at my counter to face the onslaught.
    
     I could not believe how many people actually showed up! The store had lines by 4:10am. If I offend you here, get over it: ALL YOU BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPERS ARE INSANE!!! Why anyone would want to subject themselves to such an ordeal is beyond me. I was barraged by swarms of teenagers chugging Red Bull, adults wearing onesies (seriously), and elderly people who are normally up at this time, but now have an excuse to be at the mall speed-walking even earlier.

     I worked until noon, then went home and crashed for an hour, waking up in order to eat more leftovers and stare in a daze at the television while my mind feebly attempted to comprehend the images that flashed before me. Needless to say, it was a long day.

     THANKSGIVING! Let’s have a recap!

I made the most AMAZING cranberry sauce I’ve ever tasted!
Big thanks to Angela for posting it!
I doubled the recipe. I used 3 and a half cups of fresh cranberries, 1 cup of pure, real maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and  2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar. DO NOT SKIP THE BALSAMIC VINEGAR! This makes the sauce EPIC!
     I also made Itty Bitty Herbed Pumpkin Knots. It was a Glow-y kind of day!
Post-kneading, pre-rising.
IT ROSE! That has never happened to my dough before!!!
Punched, spread out and sliced!
Wrapped into cute little packages. Lovely!
     We had to set up the table in a fancy fashion to fully appreciate the feast that was set before us!
Quaint and festive – just the way I like it 🙂
My one (and only) plate. Clockwise from the top: homemade whole wheat stuffing, a pumpkin knot, turkey with the most amazing cranberry sauce in the world, green bean casserole made with fresh green beans and homemade vegan cream of mushroom soup and caramelized onions, and mashed potatoes with gravy. 
     I was left comfortable full after my plate, and retired to the couch with a glass of Brochelle to have some quality time with the parental unit. The things I do for family, eh? 
     I hope your Thanksgiving was as wonderful as mine! I also hope that you spent Black Friday at home on the couch in your pajamas like everyone is supposed to. If you were out shopping, be warned that I have a little bit of anger towards you. I’d say it’s not personal, but that would be a complete lie.
Have an amazing weekend! Time for some more recuperation for myself!

3 Comments

Filed under Black Friday, Brochelle, cranberry sauce, epic, itty bitty herbed pumpkin knots, pumpkin knots, Red Bull, retail, Thanksgiving, turkey

by | November 25, 2010 · 11:13 am

So Much To Do!

     How’s your Thanksgiving prep going? Mine hasn’t started yet. I’ve been pretty busy with some important, pressing things.

Thai food had to be consumed.
Drives through my neighborhood had to be taken.
The sky had to be gazed at.
Fair-trade beer had to be tasted.
It was good.

Nutcrackers had to be inspected.

It did not pass inspection.

Whole Wheat Cranberry-Walnut Bread had to be made. And consumed.
     I suppose I could claim the cranberry bread as a Thanksgiving dish, but I have so much more to make tomorrow! I think I’ll call it a warm-up training session for Turkey Day. I used Jenna’s recipe but left out the orange zest, used brown sugar instead of granulated, and pressed the batter into three mini-bread pans instead of one big pan.
Awww, baby bread!
You know it’s done when the cranberries on top have burst open in a joyous, tangy display of love.
I highly recommend this bread! Quick, easy and de-freakin-luscious!
     
     Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Enjoy your days off, relax and appreciate the people you’re able to spend time with. I’ll be spending the day in the kitchen with the parentals, cooking, eating and feeling blessed.
And then I work at 3:45am on Black Friday.
I love my job, I love my job, I…
Ugh, forget it.
Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2 Comments

Filed under beer, Black Friday, cranberry walnut bread, EatLiveRun, fair trade, Jenna Weber, mountain views, nutcracker, peak organic, quick bread, thai food makes me happy, Thanksgiving

by | November 23, 2010 · 11:55 am

How to Piss Me Off

     I had a good day today, so I decided to make some lists of things that irritate me – this makes sense, no?

Really irritating – People who stand still on the escalator going down. (Seriously? SERIOUSLY?)
Somewhat irritating – People who stand still on the escalator as it escalates. (Sometimes excusable…)
Okay by me – People who skip up or down the escalator. Bonus points for flapping their hands and singing, “tra-la-la-la-la”. (I may have done this today…)

Really irritating – Guys who call me, “little girl”. (I will flip out and bitch you out. Just to warn you.)
Somewhat irritating – Guys who call me, “sweetie”, “pumpkin”, “cupcake” (or any baked good for that matter).
Okay by me – Guys who feel no need to give me a nickname and act like a normal, cool dude.

Biscuit – another baked good. I call my dog, “Biscuit.” Therefore, you may not call me “Biscuit.”

Really irritating – Couples who call each other “baby.”
Somewhat irritating – Couples who call each other “honey.”
Okay by me – Couples who call each other by their actual names.

Really irritating – Books whose characters know everything instantly just to make the storyline progress more quickly.
Somewhat irritating – Books whose characters learn things as the storyline progresses too quickly.
Okay by me – Good books with good characters and normally-paced storylines. Need I say more?

Really irritating – Crying babies or whiny toddlers.
Somewhat irritating – Children in general.
Okay by me – The twins who play Hope on the FOX show, “Raising Hope.”

Really irritating – All reality television shows.
Somewhat irritating – Shows that are intense and fun to watch (The Event), but have HORRIBLE actors that have nothing redeeming about them except for their looks (*cough* Sarah Roemer *cough*).
Okay by me – Amazing shows like Raising Hope, and Outsourced! ADD THOSE TO YOUR DVR NOW!!!

Really irritating – The fact that Blogger won’t let me copy and paste links.
Somewhat irritating – The fact that Blogger won’t let me embed videos onto my blog so you can enjoy them. (This also goes up with really irritating, but some balance was needed…)
Okay by me – Anyone who can tell me how to fix this!
I’m irritated. Wine might help…

Really irritating – Guys or girls who wear too much cologne/perfume. What are you trying to cover up??
Somewhat irritating – Guys or girls who don’t wear enough cologne/perfume. Why won’t you cover up??
Okay by me – Guys or girls who have good hygiene and good noses to know when they need a little something-something. 

Really irritating – Busy, bustling cities.
Somewhat irritating – Houses with acreage.
Okay by me – Abandoned houses, ghost towns, and creepy buildings. Life After People is my guilty pleasure!

Really irritating – Chicks/dudes who spend all of their blogspace whining about things they find irritating.
Somewhat irritating – Chicks/dudes who spend all of their blogspace talking about pointless things.
Okay by me – Chicks/dudes who spend all of the blogspace whining about pointless, irritating things whilst including pictures.
Sweet potato pancakes topped with cranberry-apple butter in front of a Christmas tree that has been put up ridiculously early.
My picture quota is now fulfilled.
This post took me three hours to write/find pictures/edit. 
I’m going to bed now.

6 Comments

Filed under biscuits, cologne, cupcakes, escalators, Life After People, little girl, Outsourced, perfume, Raising Hope, sweet potato pancakes, sweetie, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest, Titanic