I have a few interesting drink quirks. Whenever I’m on an airplane, I always order cranapple juice. If I’m having a cocktail at the bar, it’s usually tequila-based. At restaurants, I resort to my childhood favorites: lemonade or root beer. Lately, root beer has been winning my attention, and for good reason: there are some amazingly delicious root beers on the market!

On a recent lunch date with the teacher man at SPIN! Pizza in Overland Park, Kansas, I got a bottle of Lost Trail Root Beer to wash down my melanzane (roasted eggplant, goat cheese and caramelized onions) pizza. Although my root beer experiences have been limited (who hasn’t downed A&W or Jones root beer?), I have a newfound love for Lost Trail Root Beer. It’s made with real sugar (no nasty high fructose corn syrup!) at Louisburg Cider Mill, located just 27 miles from Overland Park.

{Find Lost Trail Root Beer at your local grocery store. Photo Courtesy Lost Trail Root Beer.}

A bottle (12 ounces) of Lost Trail Root Beer has 150 calories and 37 delicious grams of real sugar. Totally worth it.

I’m excited to stock my fridge with more of this delicious, local root beer. Instead of having Lost Trail Root Beer with my dinner at home, I’m going to try it as dessert (because yes, I eat dessert after every meal). Check out this fun, simple recipe from the folks at Lost Trail Root Beer (I may or may not have edited the recipe to fit my needs!):

Black Cow Recipe

2 scoops vanilla ice cream
1 bottle Lost Trail Root Beer
Lots of chocolate syrup
Lots of whipped cream
1 maraschino cherry

1. Scoop vanilla ice cream into a large tumbler glass or bowl.

2. Add as much chocolate syrup as necessary (I tend to be heavy-handed with the chocolate!).

3. Pour Lost Trail Root Beer over the vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup.

4. Spoon some whipped cream on top of your creation, garnish with a cherry, and enjoy!

What is your favorite brand of root beer? Have you tried Lost Trail Root Beer? What root beers should I try next?

I recently traveled to Willamette Valley to experience Oregon’s take on my favorite kind of wine, pinot noir. While visiting the beautiful vineyards at Archery Summit Winery, I had the chance to fully experience the complex beauty of pinot noir…by blending my own bottle of wine!

{My special blend of pinot noir awaits judgment from Archery Summit winemaker Anna Matzinger.}

With access to five premier 2009 Archery Summit wines, beakers, measuring cups and worksheets, I went to work tasting (and spitting) the different wines. With 1000 mL to work with, I chose a final blend of the following:

• 60 mL Archery Summit Red Hills Estate

• 390 mL Archery Summit Looney Estate

• 100 mL Archery Summit Arcus Estate

• 450 mL Archery Summit Renegade Ridge

Winemaker Anna Matzinger described my blend as “bold, brooding and mysterious.” I wonder what my taste in wine says about me?

{How fancy! I signed and bottled my own special blend of Archery Summit wine. Now, who wants to taste it with me?}

Have you ever tried Archery Summit wine? What kind of wine is your favorite? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of visiting my friend Danny in Austin, Texas, while I was on a work trip. Danny made sure to introduce me to Hey Cupcake, an airstream cupcakery in the South Congress area of Austin, so I could get a little taste of how Texas does cupcakes.

{I want to own a cupcake stand someday!}

{I loved the creative menu at Hey Cupcake. Of course, the Michael Jackson cupcake stood out to me! Danny is a big fan of Michael Jackson, and I love me some MJ, too, but neither of us opted for the Michael Jackson cupcake. Now I wish I would have tried it!}

Hey Cupcake had the Michael Jackson cupcake on its menu long before the King of Pop died a year ago today. Hey Cupcake’s version of the Michael Jackson cupcake is a simple mix of “black and white” : chocolate cake and cream cheese frosting. While I didn’t choose the Michael Jackson cupcake (I opted for the Snowcap while Danny got 24 Carrot), Michael Jackson cupcakes have been on my mind for quite some time.

To commemorate the one-year anniversary of Michael Jackson’s death, I decided to try my hand at baking and decorating Michael Jackson cupcakes. Though I know how to make Lady Gaga cupcakes, designing cupcakes that resemble the King of Pop is a little more difficult. However, with a little creativity (and a few props), I was able to pull off an array of strange, funny, creative Michael Jackson cupcakes. Enjoy!

{My assorted Michael Jackson cupcakes are kind of ridiculous.}

{I used a mix of hand-decorated, funny faces, lettering and printouts to decorate my Michael Jackson cupcakes.}

{In my world, Michael Jackson's mouth is made of a red-hot candy.}

{It was difficult to emulate the contours of Michael Jackson's cheeks and chin.}

{Most of the cupcakes that have printouts of Michael Jackson's face are filled with marshmallow creme.}

{This Michael Jackson cupcake creation of mine is probably the most similar to Hey Cupcake's version of the Michael Jackson cupcake.}

{I wish I could replicate this face with frosting!}

{This cupcake, featuring the image from Michael Jackson's Thriller album cover, is my favorite. Black and white and simple. RIP MJ!}

{I used a gel frosting writer to pen "Thiller" on this cupcake. It's surrounded with red hots.}

{The brightest cupcake shows Michael Jackson at his best: dancing on his toes!}

{I used a gel frosting writer, black frosting and chocolate sprinkles for this Michael Jackson cupcake.}

{I love the typography on the album "Bad."

{Look at that hair!}

{Red sprinkles liven up this marshmallow-filled chocolate cupcake.}

{Half black frosting. Half white frosting. Pure MJ cupcake.}

{This cupcake didn't turn out exactly how I wanted it to, but it will still taste delicious!}

{It was difficult to recreate the subtle waves in Michael Jackson's hair. Fondant would be a fun fix for his nose.}

{I love this cupcake. The black frosting looks so rich!}

{I mixed white frosting with melted chocolate chips to get this light brown frosting.}

Although my macaron taste test ended in epic failure, La Boulange’s open face smoked salmon sandwiches are always a win.

These delicious sandwiches, served on organic, fresh-baked bread, have the right combination of creaminess, crunchiness and tangy-ness with a smooth, smoky salmon to give you your daily dose of omega-3s.

{La Boulange serves its meals in compostable containers.}

La Boulange’s open face smoked salmon sandwich has layers of creme fraiche (a thinner, French-er sour cream ), cucumbers, capers and shallots. I chose fresh greens with mine (you can also get chips) to keep my meal light and healthy. This is my favorite open face sandwich at the bakery, but the goat cheese open face sandwich is a close second. The goat cheese open face sandwich is a little heartier, thanks to those portobello mushrooms, so it makes a good dinner sandwich.

What is your favorite sandwich (from La Boulange or elsewhere) and why? Please share some sandwich-making instructions with me!

Do something nice for your dad today. Remember to take pictures.

{My dad, circa 1926. Grandma has a chic haircut. Grandpa looks pretty dapper, too.}

My first visit to San Francisco’s Ferry Building last month was quite a success. I savored delicious oysters at Hog Island Oyster Company while I sipped on some bubbly from Napa’s Domaine Carneros. As usual, I saved room for dessert and marked Miette off my cupcake hit-list.

Miette, which means “little crumb” in French, is the cutest little sweets shop with a spectacular story. Self-taught pastry chef Megan Ray launched Miette at the Berkeley farmer’s market in 2001 and hasn’t looked back since. Miette has expanded into a full-blown candyland, offering cakes, cupcakes, cookies, tarts, macarons, old-fashioned candy, cake stands and more.

{Bright colors and sweet treats made it difficult for me to pull myself away. Photo By beastandbean/Courtesy Flickr.}

{Miette's cake and cupcake display is ravishing. Photo By feministjulie/Courtesy Flickr.}

From all of these sugary offerings, I chose Miette’s Old-Fashioned Cupcake because it was topped with a generous helping of Italian meringue icing and the simple colors—chocolate, white and red—appealed to me. The chocolate cake was decadent yet not overpowering, and the marshmallowy frosting got stuck to my lips—a good sign! The frosting was fluffy and sweet—utterly perfect. I dug into my Old-Fashioned Cupcake after a long day reporting on a biodynamic farm in Sonoma; it was quite the best treat after a long day!

{Miette's Old-Fashioned Cupcake has loads of frosting and a balanced taste—not too sweet, but not boring.}

Miette cupcakes cost $3.25 a piece and can be ordered ahead of time for in-store pick-up; unfortunately for me, Miette doesn’t ship cupcakes because it can’t guarantee they will look as perfect or be as fresh. (But I can order cookies, macarons and confections to my heart’s desire—or you can order some for me!)

I guess this means I will have to keep Miette on my cupcake hit-list every time I visit the Bay Area. These little cakes are just too delicious to decline.

What are your favorite cupcake shops in Northern California?

While I love decorating, rarely do I get excited over pillowcases. I usually get them with my comforter set and have an extra pair from a sheet set—who really notices these things?

I do, now! These pillowcases from A Lot To Say caught my eye for two reasons. One, I’m a sucker for inspirational and thoughtful sayings. Two, these pillowcases are made from recycled PET plastic bottles; that means these pillowcases keep plastic bottles from hanging out in the landfill.

While PET plastic is easily recyclable (that’s #1 plastic), in 2006, the U.S. sent more than 2 million tons of plastic drink bottles to the landfill! Why are we clogging our overflowing landfills with something so easy to recycle…especially if we can recycle those bottles into something so basic—and beautiful!

{Remember whose happiness should come first. Photo Courtesy A Lot To Say.}

{The star pillow reminded me of Stella, my award-winning magazine prototype. Photo Courtesy A Lot To Say.}

I’m excited to test the A Lot To Say sample pillowcases I received. Naturally absorbent cotton is usually my number one choice for pillowcases (because come on, everybody sweats in their sleep), so I’m interested to see how these recycled PET plastic pillowcases hold up against this sweaty girl (and my picky-pillowcase-choosing cat!).

{Anya sleeps on the pillow next to me every night. She seems a little skeptical of my new pillowcases...or maybe she's just surprised that I actually made my bed!}

I’ve been obsessed with La Boulange Bakery in San Francisco for a few years, but have just now gotten the chance to taste its macarons. Unfortunately, I can’t offer a solid review on La Boulange macarons, because this is what happened to my poor little French cookie:

{Preston crushed my macaron—and my heart.}

It was a windy day on the La Boulange de Market patio, and my well-meaning friend Preston caught my macaron before it flew away into the street; sadly, he didn’t realize there was a beautiful raspberry macaron in that flying pastry bag, because he proceeded to crumble it up into a ball (and almost threw it away) before I could stop him. He tried to get me another one, but the lady in line before him grabbed the last macaron—so I guess that’s a sign that they are pretty delicious!

Looks like I’ll be revisiting La Boulange again when I trek out to Cali this summer; too bad I can’t have some delivered to me (Preston, are you reading?!). Luckily, La Boulange macarons are only $1.50 a pop, so I didn’t have to eat too much money for this…but I did have to eat a lot of crushed filling and crumbs!

Last summer, my friend and coworker Gina and I instituted “Ice Cream Fridays.” We’d take a late-afternoon break and head to the nearest ice cream shop to get a little pick-me-up (and bring back treats for anyone else in the office who wanted something).

This year, with my cupcake fetish, we’ve talked about starting “Cupcake Fridays”—but this could be dangerous, knowing that Daddy Cakes is less than 5 miles away.

Gina introduced me to Daddy Cakes, a boutique cupcake shop in Topeka, when she was planning her wedding last year. Daddy Cakes made Gina’s beautiful (and delicious) wedding cake, and since tasting that cake, I’ve made it my goal to visit the shop more often.

{Gina's wedding cake had layers of lemon, chocolate, vanilla and white.}

We recently went on a dessert escapade (and took our friend and coworker Susan along with us), and look what we got ourselves into:

{I had the cheesecake special of the month—strawberry cheesecake, mmm. Don't mind my grubby little paw prints.}

{I had to keep Gina from digging in to her delicious peanut butter cup cupcake so I could snap this picture.}

{Susan took home a death by chocolate cupcake. That's right...she didn't let Gina or me try it. She got the bigger "daddy cake" size.}

Daddy Cakes has an impressive menu (and a large, new location at 4036 SW Huntoon); you can get more than 10 cupcake flavors every day, and Daddy Cakes even makes specialty cupcakes on specific days of the week. For the diet-conscious (not me!), Daddy Cakes offers four flavors of  “Skinny Cakes” that weigh in at less than 200 calories a piece. That probably means I can get two of those at a time, no?

Daddy Cakes cupcakes come in three different sizes: daddy cake, baby cake and preemie. Single baby cakes (the size Gina and I got) are $2.50 a piece; single daddy cakes (the size Susan got) are $3.50 a piece; and single preemies are 75 cents a piece. While the prices are a little high, Daddy Cakes cupcakes are worth it—you’re paying for artfully designed, perfectly baked treats. My only suggestion for Daddy Cakes? Open a bakery in Lawrence! I will visit you every day (and probably work for you for free…or for cupcakes) if you come to my backyard.

Check out Daddycakes’ photo gallery to get a glimpse at more of its beautiful (and tasty!) creations.

Sometime during the past month, I developed a new obsession: macarons. I don’t know if I was drawn to them because of their petite size, vibrant colors or Parisian sophistication (or maybe because macarons are supposedly the new cupcakes?), but I just knew that I wanted to try these little French treats.

A macaron (pronounced mack-ah-rohn—oh how one less “o” makes a big difference) is a traditional French sandwich-like pastry made of egg whites, almond powder, icing sugar and sugar. It’s filled with cream or ganache and comes in several flavors and colors. Macarons’ claim to fame came at the beginning of the 20th  century, when Pierre Desfontaines, second cousin of Louis Ernest Ladurée of Paris’ famed Ladurée, had the idea to join two meringues and fill them with ganache.

Sometimes the simplest ideas turn into the most brilliant creations.

{Macarons to covet: the magnificent Ladurée macarons, a Paris original. Photo By Louis Beche/Courtesy Flickr.}

Without any experience with macarons (I’ve never been to France!), it took a little research to understand what I should look for and taste with my first macaron adventure. One of my favorite foodie blogs, Serious Eats, was one of my first sources for macaronducation.

{The perfect amount of filling and a light, crisp shell make the perfect macaron. Photo Courtesy Serious Eats.}

I knew that I was supposed to look for a smooth, thin, light crust that has a bit of a crunch to it, revealing a soft, moist filling. Easy enough. But where could I find macarons in the Midwest?

Because Lawrence lacks many restaurants and bakeries with French influence, I began searching for Kansas City-area bakeries to begin my pastry hunt. Natasha’s Mulberry & Mott caught my eye.

Owned by mother-daughter team Vicki and Natasha Goellner, Natasha’s Mulberry & Mott (named after the parallel streets in New York City) is a beautiful bakery in Leawood’s new, luxurious Mission Farms development. Natasha received her pastry arts education at the French Culinary Institute in New York City and, to my benefit, brought her love for baked goods to my backyard. While I would have preferred to see Natasha’s Mulberry & Mott in a less suburban area (Westport? Plaza?), its pricey pastries fit the area clientele—and I would easily drive back to Mission Farms for more of Natasha’s amazing, well-worth-the-price macarons.

{Colorful macarons line the display at Natasha's Mulberry & Mott in Leawood, Kansas. Photo Courtesy Natasha's Mulberry & Mott.}

The atmosphere at Natasha’s was warm, cozy and deliciously perfumed with the sweet scent of sugar. I scooped up a baker’s dozen of strawberry macarons at $1.95 a pop (gotta be able to test those babies all weekend, right?), and was only charged for 12 (great incentive to keep buying them by the baker’s dozen!).  The clerk boxed up my goodies in a baby-pink box and advised me on how to care for my new best friends: keep them cool and move them to an airtight container so the filling doesn’t dry out; consume them within two days for freshest taste (like that was difficult!).

I tried the bonus macaron at Natasha’s, and it was just as Serious Eats told me it should be—light, airy shell with a creamy, semi-sweet filling. Until I go to Ladurée, all macarons I try will have to live up to Natasha’s standard—and she set the bar high.

I brought home the dozen macarons for my mom for mother’s day (we had a French-themed celebration) and got her opinion on the sandwich cookies; she loved how light and dainty they were, and they reminded her of the French dinner dates she had with my father in Saigon when they were courting more than 30 years ago. It’s amazing how the taste of a sweet little treat can bring back such beloved memories.

I hope to keep making memories with macarons. Natasha has an amazing flavor lineup, and I have a whole summer to make weekend trips to Kansas City-area bakeries to perform scientific macaron taste tests with my girlfriends.

Where in Kansas City should I go next?

When someone mentions Bentonville, Arkansas, the first word that comes to mind is “Wal-Mart.” After eating at Petit Bistro in Bentonville last week, though, now the first thing I think of when someone talks about Wal-Mart country is “that delicious pâté and terrine plate.”

Bentonville isn’t exactly known for fine French food, so I was a little skeptical after finding Petit Bistro on Google; as I drove down North Walton, my mother and I were greeted with this adorable little cobblestone building. We chose patio seating, and I was impressed by the lovely woods area in the back; our waitress told us that deer regularly come by, and my mother and I spotted cardinals and blue jays in the trees.

Mom and I started dinner with the delicious Pâté & Terrine Plate ($12). It was a beautiful presentation accompanied by apricot chutney, cornichons (these resemble pickled cucumbers) and dijon mustard.  The foie gras (in the middle…obviously the smallest serving!) was so rich and buttery—amazing stuff.

{Petit Bistro's Pâté & Terrine Plate was beautiful and delicious.}

I tried the Mediterranean Salad ($9) as well. Flavor-wise, it was nothing special. The presentation, however, was beautiful.  That deep purple flower made me smile.

{The Mediterranean Salad features Kalamata olives, feta cheese, roasted bell peppers and caper vinaigrette.}

For entrées, Mom chose Steak au Poivre ($22) and I got Mussels Basquaise ($18). While I was pretty focused on my amazing mussels, garnished with puttanesca tomatoes in a creamy saffron velouté, I tried a bite of her Kobe beef and it was incredibly tender. Solid, solid choices for a special dinner back in Wal-Mart country.

{I may or may not have eaten that entire bowl of mussels...}

{Mom's Kobe beef with pepper came with tasty fingerling potatoes and fresh arugula.}

Petit Bistro has only been open since April, so give them time. I read a few negative reviews regarding portion size (ahem…this is rich French food…trust me, you don’t need any bigger than this!) and indoor seating, but my overall experience was perfect. The executive chef greeted my mother and I when the waitress brought out our food, and the young waitress was extremely knowledgeable about the small, new menu. Mom gave her a few suggestions to relay back to the chef (where’s the onion soup?!), and I managed to bite my tongue about the wine list (why is there an $883 bottle of Chateaus Margaux-Bordeaux on the menu?!).

All I can hope is that when I go back to Bentonville next month (hopefully with Megan, Gina, Peyton and Laura in tow!), Petit Bistro will have introduced a pastry bar—hello, macarons!

If you’re in the Northwest Arkansas area, visit Petit Bistro and let me know what you think of it.

Petit Bistro French Mediterranean Restaurant & Lounge
2702 N. Walton Blvd.
Bentonville, AR 72712
(479)  464-9278

I stopped by the Merc the other day to pick up some fresh strawberries, peaches and kiwis. Combined with pineapple juice I had on-hand, those juicy fruits made for the perfect after-work-pick-me-up.

{Lovely layers of peaches, strawberries and kiwis decorate my gently loved blender.}

I didn’t follow any specific recipe; that’s what I love about smoothies. Just throw some ingredients into a blender and call it good! But in case you’re wondering, I used four chopped kiwis, half a tub of chopped strawberries (about 8 ounces), three chopped peaches and a cup of pineapple juice. I tossed in a couple handfuls of ice and pulsed that baby for about 45 seconds.

{Next time I'll try pomegranate juice.}

A big thank you to my friend and colleague Amy for sending me her gently loved, like-new blender. I’m excited to try new recipes for smoothies and shakes all summer long! Please share yours with me in the comments section.

Some people like to joke that Twitter is a bunch of people tweeting about what they ate for lunch that day. Today, that was almost true—but it was more about what people weren’t eating.

I’m participating in the Meatless Mondays in May campaign, which challenges people to reserve the beginning of their work week for a vegetarian diet. The idea is that people will become more conscious of their health and the health of the planet by eating plant-based meals at the beginning of the week, and hopefully incorporate more fruits and veggies into the rest of the week’s meals. The Meatless Monday initiative, in conjunction with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, aims to increase environmental, social and personal awareness about the effects of a meat-heavy diet.

{I was completely full after having a loaded-veggie sandwich for lunch today. Photo By Nathal/Courtesy Flickr}

The meat industry is responsible for almost 20 percent of manmade greenhouse gas emissions that lead to climate change, according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization. By cutting meat from your diet (and expenses!) just one day a week, you can have just as big an effect as you would if you switched to a hybrid—without chunking down the Gs for a shiny, new, green Prius.

Meatless Monday, however, is no new “hippie,” “green” thing. It’s been an official movement, in this given capacity, since 2003—way before “green” became the cool, hip trend. The true beginning of Meatless Monday, though, stems from the World War I era, when the U.S. government urged families to adopt “Meatless Mondays” and “Wheatless Wednesdays” to aid the war effort. “Food Will Win the War,” the government proclaimed, and Americans found it easier both on their bodies and on their pocketbooks to adopt this simple lifestyle change. Now, Meatless Monday is more about saving our bodies and our planet from preventable diseases and destruction.

While I don’t see myself turning vegetarian anytime beyond Mondays, I like the challenge of participating in this campaign.  I haven’t been too successful in making great, healthy, meatless choices for dinner today (beer and fries are meatless—yet probably not the best choice for dinner), but at least I can fall back on my loaded veggie sandwich lunch choice. I have four more Mondays to get it perfected. Maybe I’ll be better next week.

Now, I have to go tweet what I’m having for dessert.

I have a soft spot for tulips. They remind me of spring in Lawrence, new beginnings and my happy times walking from class to class on the campus of the University of Kansas.

{Tulips add color and cheer to the University of Kansas campus in spring. Photo By Richard Gwin/Courtesy Lawrence-Journal World.}

When I graduated college, I asked for a simple, elegant tulip necklace instead of a clunky class ring to commemorate my four years at KU. My lovely sister-in-law gifted me with this beautiful Tiffany necklace:

To keep tulips in my life without setting aside a chunk of my budget for fresh-cut flowers (wouldn’t that be nice?) and counting on being surprised by special bouquets from nice people I know, I’ve discovered the next-best thing to having beautiful tulips in my apartment.

While researching home fragrances for an upcoming issue of Natural Home, I found a company I absolutely adore. Hillhouse Naturals makes elegant, eco-friendly diffuser reeds and soy candles scented with French Tulip essential oils. I love the soft scent and simple packaging.

{I rarely use diffuser reeds because the essential oils are usually too overpowering, but I love the light, clean scent of Hillhouse Naturals' French Tulip. The essential oils are powerful, but never too heavy. Photo Courtesy Hillhouse Naturals.}

{Soy candles burn cleaner than conventional paraffin-wax candles. Photo Courtesy Hillhouse Naturals.}

Because I share a bathroom with my Siamese cat, Anya, I keep the powerful diffuser reeds on my bathroom countertop to help balance the odors. I was a little worried Anya would whack the reeds around, but so far she’s been fine with the new addition to the countertop. The diffuser reeds release the sweet scent of French Tulips into my bathroom by allowing the highly concentrated essential oils to seep up through the bamboo reeds and then evaporate. I’ve only have the diffuser reeds in the bathroom for 24 hours, but I’ve already noticed a difference in the smell!

{I keep the diffuser reeds close by all my other smell-good stuff.}

I’ll be sharing a more in-depth review of Hillhouse Naturals products on the Natural Home website in the coming week; until then, enjoy these inspiring pictures of my favorite flowers.

After a jam-packed weekend with friends, I was exhausted on Monday and thought I should stay home and rest. Before dropping my friend Tabitha off at her hotel after work, I decided to stop in, see her room (she was staying at the new hotel, The Oread, in Lawrence) and grab a quick beer at the Bird Dog Bar.

Plans for a quick drink evolved into dinner on the patio at Teller’s; because it was a gorgeous evening, we decided to walk from The Oread to Mass Street—a good few blocks.

As we approached downtown, we could hear loud music and thumpin’ bass—somewhat odd for 7 p.m. on a Monday, but hey, it’s Lawrence. Once we got close to Teller’s, we were greeted by a giant, inflated Carl from Aqua Teen Hunger Force. I knew right then that it would not be a simple evening of dinner, wine and conversation.

My Carl, what big...legs...you have!

Once again, not much in Lawrence surprises me anymore, but this was a spectacle! Somehow I was completely out of the loop and didn’t know that that Adult Swim Block Party was making a stop in Lawrence for a Monday evening of nice, clean fun.

This funky little carnival, held on Eighth Street in between Mass and New Hampshire Streets, drew all sorts of Lawrencians out to play. It was a promotional event for Adult Swim, the late-night programming on Cartoon Network. I admit, I don’t watch a lot of Adult Swim (I like to adult sleep instead). While I totally didn’t fit in (I was still dressed in my work clothes and banking on a quiet evening at Teller’s!), it was fun to walk around and mutter, “This is really weird,” to Tabitha every five minutes.

I like making new friends.

All the carnival games were hilarious—people stood in crazy-long lines to potentially win stickers, cups and other silly prizes. But it was fun and free. I just played two games—the mini golf game and the facehole toss—but just walking around and seeing everyone having a good time on a Monday night was enough for me!

Who wouldn't want to knock down some hairy heads?

Children's hospital surgery was one of the most popular games of the night.

I do not like gothic fonts, so I stayed away from this game.

This game was impossible! Well, OK, that guy was able to toss the damp sponge into the facehole. But I wasn't.

Oh Carl, you so sexy.

Way to rep Beyonce, Adult Swim.

The Whigs provided musical entertainment at the end of the night.

My lovely prize of the evening, courtesy the mini golf game.

It’s random little events like these that make me love Lawrence in the spring. I can’t wait to see what else is around the corner.

I’ve lived in Lawrence, Kansas, for nearly six years. Not much surprises me anymore, but I still love the feeling I get when I spot a character while walking down Mass Street on a beautiful, sunny spring day.

I love beer!

I’m pretty sure this beer was part of a six-pack five-pack trotting down Mass Street, but this was the lucky bottle I picked out to get a snapshot with—look how cute and jolly he is! His only stipulation for getting a picture with him was to find him on Facebook…little did he know that he was getting a bonus value by being my first inspiration for a blog post in quite a while.

Beer, where you at? Find me on Facebook sometime! You were funny.

More springtime posts to come. I’m feeling good. Spring is in the air…

Lady Gaga tickets finally went on sale today at 10 a.m. My friend (perhaps new best friend?) Brett secured our seats at 10:03 a.m. Monday success!

Brett: IT IS COMPLETE!!!

me: AYYY! What seats? I AM EXCITED

Brett: 11th row, stage right

I wonder what Lady Gaga will serve at her concert?

Yesterday, Lady Gaga turned 24 (she’s younger than me!). I toasted to her with a bottle of Harp (OK, four bottles of Harp) and crossed my fingers that Brett would get tickets. Success! Now, the question is…what to give Gaga for her (belated) birthday present? I missed out on contributing to her birthday YouTube video:

Luckily, between Gaga’s birthday and scoring these tickets, I’m feeling inspired. Prepare for a second round of Lady Gaga cupcakes. Also…I take full responsibility for starting the Lady Gaga cupcake/baked goods phenomenon. This next round is going to rock your world. Until then…take a look at what may be on your next Lady Gaga cupcake a la kimberlyloc:

How many artists have accepted Grammys wearing Armani? Plenty. How many artists have accepted Grammys wearing custom-made Armani lightning bolt head pieces? One. Score one more for Gaga.

When I was your age, Lady Gaga dressed like a planet. Again, how many people can get away with bringing a throwing star to the 2010 Grammys? Welcome to Planet Gaga.

Lady Gaga goes green. And glittery.

If Lady Gaga were invited to sing the national anthem, I would only hope she'd wear this. I predict this will be a hot look this Independence Day.

So it’s been a while since I’ve made really festive cupcakes. It’s kind of hard to follow my first baking extravaganza—Lady Gaga Cupcakes—so I’ve been mulling over opportune times to bake something really awesome.

Luckily, the Barbecutie/Man Who Cooks recently had a birthday, so I knew I wanted to do something fun for him. Last Friday, in a speed baking session, I came up with the perfect plan: cupcakes in ice cream cones.

25 delicious, festive, fun cupcakes in cupcake wrappers and in ice cream cones for my birthday boy.

While I was a little nervous about this (I’d never done it before!), I knew I had to make it work, and I knew I had to have it finished in a certain amount of time.  Give yourself about an hour and a half to prepare, bake, cool and decorate cupcakes in ice cream cones—and if you have to transport them by car, like I did, factor in another 15 minutes of prepping them in containers and tissue paper so they don’t fall over!

I tried two versions of cupcakes in ice cream cones. Version 1, where you actually bake the cake batter inside the cone, is the traditional way. Version 2 makes the cupcake look like a real ice cream cone because you bake cupcakes the traditional way and then put it on top of a candy-filled ice cream cone. Mix it up to see what you like best, or combine the two for a monstrous cupcake treat (I did that as well!).

how to bake cupcakes in ice cream cones: part 1

ingredients/materials
cake batter
ice cream cones
sprinkles/candy
frosting (see recipe for cream cheese frosting)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Prepare cake batter (use your own recipe or a box).

3. Spoon cake batter into flat-bottom ice cream cones. Fill ice cream cones 2/3 full.

Don't fill the cones too high—you might make a big mess!

4. Stand ice cream cones in cupcake pan. Carefully put the batter-filled ice cream cones into the oven.

5. Bake for 20 minutes. Cupcakes will rise inside ice cream cones and form a nice round head.

6. After time is up, remove cupcakes in ice cream cones from oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes.

7. Frost cupcakes and decorate as desired!

how to bake cupcakes in ice cream cones: part 2

ingredients/materials
cake batter
ice cream cones
cupcake liners
sprinkles/candy
frosting (see recipe for cream cheese frosting)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Prepare cake batter (use your own recipe or a box).

3. Spoon cake batter into cupcake liners 2/3 full.

4. Bake for 20 minutes.

6. After time is up, remove cupcakes and let cool for at least 30 minutes.

7. Gather flat-bottomed ice cream cones. Add candy to the ice cream cones until it fills to the top.

8. Add one thick layer of frosting atop the ice cream cone.

Fill the ice cream cone with candy and then frost the ice cream cone so you have a sticky base for the cupcake to adhere.

9. Place a completely cooled cupcake (liner removed) upside down onto the frosting.

Place the cupcake upside down on the frosted ice cream cone.

10. Add frosting all around the cupcake and decorate as desired!

I made these three "mama" cupcakes inside ice cream cones using recipe part 2.

easy cream cheese frosting

ingredients/materials
4 ounce cream cheese
4 ounces butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
mixing bowl
electric mixer (or hand mixer if you’re strong)

1. Beat butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer (on low) in the mixing bowl.

2. Slowly add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until the mixture becomes smooth.

3. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Baking cupcakes in ice cream cones is fun and easy, but definitely time-consuming. Maybe next time I’ll have some actual ice cream on the side to accompany these little masterpieces. But…I don’t think the Birthday Boy minded that he was without ice cream. Or maybe that was his birthday wish? I’ll never know…

Happy Birthday, Birthday Boy!

By now most of us have heard about Google’s exciting plans to bring lightening-speed fiber optic broadband networks to test cities across the nation.

Dubbed “Google Fiber for Communities,” it’s Google’s experiment in bringing unparalleled Internet speed to consumers at competitive prices. (Yet another step in Google’s plot to take over the world—and I’m OK with that!)

To catch Google’s attention, my neighbor to the west (and the city in which I commute to for work), Topeka, has changed its name to “Google, Kansas” for the month of March. At first I thought this was just silly…but now…I think it’s silly and fun.

Topeka has an official proclamation to change its name to Google, Kansas, for the month of March.

My coworker, Kris, had her friends send post cards to her home in Google, Kansas, and surprisingly—one came through! While we know that the postal service mainly looks at the ZIP code for mailing addresses, I’m sure there are a few disgruntled postal employees who would just love to “Return to Sender” those post cards marked for Google, Kansas.

Kris receives a post card marked for Google, Kansas.

I’m curious to see if this picks up across Topeka Google, Kansas. I’m also wondering why my hometown of Fort Smith, Arkansas, hasn’t jumped on the Google bandwagon; we have a great slogan (Life’s Worth Living in Fort Smith, Arkansas!) and an enthusiastic mayor.

Another idea: Maybe for March Madness, Lawrence, Kansas, could change its name to Jayhawk, Kansas? Or Sherron, Kansas?

Want to send me a post card? Write to Kim Wallace, 1503 SW 42nd St., Google, KS, 66609

When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.

Because of you…

I know how to argue.

I give everyone I love a silly nickname.

I know how to take care of myself.

I don’t put up with nonsense from anyone.

I have compassion for the poor.

I am intrigued by the elderly.

I grew up reading a print newspaper every day.

I find companionship in cats and dogs.

I donate to charity.

I will always laugh at (and decline) giblet gravy.

I strive for perfection.

I value education.

I know how to cook a mean grilled cheese sandwich.

I despise cigarettes.

I have an amazing altar.

I light a white candle every year.

I make it very clear with people where they stand with me.

I am more open-minded about different races, religions and perceptions.

I have vivid dreams from time to time.

I smirk at wood-paneled station wagons.

I do not have any tattoos.

I crack up at Sanford and Son.

I will always have a soft spot for Texas.

I don’t let anything stand in the way of what I want.

Not a day goes by…remember your loved ones.

Death is a challenge. It tells us not to waste time… It tells us to tell each other right now that we love each other.

My bathroom counter is filled with all sorts of magic potions. A small canister of grapeseed oil lives along with my tray of perfume and bottles of olive oil and coconut oil.

Why so many oils? Doesn’t one size fit all?

While olive oil is perfect for almost everything, I like to vary what oils I use for specific natural beauty remedies. While I douse my hair in coconut oil and slather olive oil on my dry face, I like to use grapeseed oil on my delicate cuticles and nails.

Photo By rkosick/Courtesy Flickr

Though I like to keep my nails short, it drives me crazy to have jagged cuticles that snag on snuggly fabrics and lead to painful hangnails. By moisturizing my cuticles with grapeseed oil every night, I keep the cuticles hydrated and smooth. It make having short nails look less masculine; trust me, people do notice your hands.

Grapeseed oil has a light, smooth, silky texture and is odorless.  Grapeseed oil is loaded with antioxidants, vitamin E, vitamin C, Beta-Carotene and vitamin D. Grapeseed oil’s biggest benefit is that, along with all these powerful vitamins and antioxidants, it’s ultra-moisturizing without being greasy like some other fruit and vegetable oils.

Do you use any other oils besides olive oil in your natural beauty routine? Leave me a comment and tell me what other oils I should stock on my bathroom counter.

Ladies, I have stumbled upon a rare genus of man: man who cooks.

Whoa.

I don’t know why, but the allure of a man who cooks is simply irresistible…even when he proposes to cook something that doesn’t sound too beautiful in the English language (or SMS English language, to be succinct):

man who cooks: listen up poker face. shrimp scampi. or loose meat tavern.

me: what is a loose meat tavern? im scared to google that at work.

man who cooks: it’s what we eat in the upper midwest instead of burgers. tangy ground up beef on a bun—but not in a patty form.  saucy and messy.

Because his explanation of this dish, a dish native to man who cooks’ hometown, seemed legit, I was brave enough to risk my IT department tracking me Googling something as risque-sounding as “loose meat tavern.” To my surprise, “loose meat tavern” yields about 5,610,000 search results, with the top hits belonging to The Blue Mill Tavern Loosemeat Sandwich and Iowa Maid-Rites (Loose Meat Sandwiches). Basically, a loose meat tavern is a sloppy joe without the tomato sauce mess and hails from Sioux City, Iowa. Another man who cooks, Abraham Kaled, created the loose meat sandwich in 1934 at Sioux City’s Ye Olde Tavern Inn, according to the Encyclopedia of American Food & Drink.

After consuming all this loose meat tavern knowledge, I was more prepared to let the man who cooks take over my beloved kitchen.

Cast iron skillet + man who cooks = hot.

If you happen to have a man who cooks, or want to toss together your own loose meat tavern sandwiches, here’s the simple recipe, taken from the man who cooks’ recipe box. The original title of the recipe is called “Taverns: Grandmummy’s recipe from South Dakota.”

Loose Meat Tavern Sandwiches
Serves 4-6

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup ketchup
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon mustard (try different varieties of mustard for a kick)
1 pound ground beef
4-6 hamburger buns

1. Heat slightly salted and oiled cast iron skillet on medium.

2. Combine all ingredients except ground beef into a mixing bowl. Set aside.

3. Brown ground beef in cast iron skillet.

4. Add ingredients from mixing bowl to cast iron skillet and turn heat down to simmer. Cook slowly for about 30 minutes so all the seasonings soak into the beef.

5. Serve the loose meat over hamburger buns and enjoy!

If you’re not into cooking, have yet to find a man who cooks, or simply don’t want to mess up your pristine kitchen (ahem), see if you can find some old seasons of the show Roseanne (Nick at Nite?) to get a sampling of what a loose meat tavern is. On the show, Roseanne’s restaurant The Lunchbox specializes in loose meat sandwiches. Too bad she didn’t have a nice-looking man who cooks in her restaurant’s kitchen.

If you’re adventurous and yearning for a loose meat tavern sandwich, you can always take a road trip to NuWay Cafe in Wichita, Kansas, for its version of the loose meat tavern sandwich, creatively called the NuWay—which it’s been producing the old-fashioned way since 1930.

Have you ever had a loose meat tavern sandwich? Can I still consider myself a sloppy joe virgin?

Imagine me sitting at my desk with organic coconut oil slicked all over my hair, which is piled on top of my head and wrapped in a Minnie Mouse towel turban. Attractive image, no?

I rarely heat-style my hair, mostly out of pure laziness and a preference for sleep over having picture-perfect hair every day. But this weekend I went out for special occasions that called for looking better than I do during the week, so I busted out the blow dryer, curling iron and Elnett and did some damage to my hair (though it looked good).

It took a little time and tugging to get my hair blown out for Friday night. Reward for my efforts: cupcake.

I spent an hour creating ringlets for Saturday night...my sister's going-away party! Now I'll spend an hour nourishing my stressed hair.

Now I’m treating my stressed, fragile hair to a warm coconut oil treatment. Coconut oil is great for hair because it’s loaded with vitamin E and vitamin K, is super-moisturizing and is completely natural (and in my case, USDA organic—no need for me to worry about random chemicals seeping into my skin). Various studies say that coconut oil can penetrate hair and reduce protein loss in distressed hair. Coconut oil bonds to weak hair strands and reinforces them (temporarily—it will not mend split ends—only cutting will do that…which I have yet to do to my hair that’s been growing for a year and three months).

Here’s how to use coconut oil for hair:

1. Scoop two heaping spoonfuls of coconut oil into a ramekin or other microwavable container (I have medium-length hair, so adjust the amount according to your hair length).

2. Warm the coconut oil in the microwave for about 30 seconds (coconut oil is solid at room temperature!).

3. Apply to hair and massage into scalp with fingertips. Comb through hair with a wide-toothed comb for even distribution.

4. Dip your ends into the last of the coconut oil (it’s great to concentrate oils at the ends because that’s the oldest and most moisture-strapped part of your hair!)

5. Wrap your hair in a towel turban (Minnie Mouse optional) and keep it on for an hour for maximum effect.

6. Use a gentle shampoo (I like Monave Rosemary Lavender shampoo) after an hour, or for even more moisture and repair, leave the treatment on overnight and shampoo out in the morning (I’ve done this once before and it’s amazing…just make sure you’re using a pillowcase you don’t care too much about because it’s not exactly easy to get oil out of fabrics.).

Find coconut oil at any natural food store or big-box store. It’s in the vegetable oil aisle. While you’re there, pick up some olive oil and grapeseed oil, too…I’ll tell you what I do with these gems in the next few posts.

Do you have healthy hair secrets to share? Please reveal.

I’ve lived in the Kansas City metropolitan area for six years and have only eaten Kansas City barbecue twice. Blame it on my disinterest in driving 30 minutes for food or my ability to get stuck in food ruts. But this year is different—I’m going to visit every great Kansas City barbecue place even if it means I have to convert barbecue sauce into fuel. I’ve already marked Gates Bar-B-Q and Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue off my list; last night, I had the pleasure of marking off Hayward’s Pit Bar B Que and enjoying a nice food coma with my Barbecutie.

Note: I wish all barbecue joints would follow AP Style and get rid of “bar-b-q,” “barbeque,” “bar b que” and all other ridiculous spellings…but I guess it’s a barbecue tradition.

Hayward’s Pit, named for its founder (and fellow Arkie from Clinton’s old stomping grounds!) Hayward Spears, has been around since 1972 and apparently is a Kansas City barbecue staple. I was surprised I hadn’t heard of it when the Barbecutie suggested Hayward’s Pit for dinner, but I was quite impressed at the coziness of the barbecue spot (a dimly lit, deliciously smoky joint near 110th and Antioch). It was quiet and we were one of just a handful of couples there, which made us a little nervous, but the food delivered.

I tried the brisket burger and onion rings (though our side dishes were plated incorrectly…good thing I was in a sharing mood and got to try some sweet potato fries, too). It was delicious! I love brisket (and I know the Imaginary Heroine loves brisket, too—miss you!), and this sandwich hit the spot.  The slow-cooked brisket was tender and flavorful, the sauces were spot-on and the cheese melted perfectly.  I definitely made it into the clean-plate club for Tuesday night (even if that meant eating a sandwich two-serving-sizes-too-big…so worth it), but I wasn’t quite sure my Barbecutie would make it, too. Here’s why:

Heart attack on three buns...this is easily 2000+ calories.

He ordered the Triple Stack, which is a monstrous, three-slices-of-Texas-toast sandwich layered with barbecue sauce, smoked bacon, cheddar and smoked meats…I believe he opted for pulled pork and sausage with a side of heart disease.

"Pain is weakness leaving the body," or something like that...the knife in the sandwich really sets the tone for the meal.

I truly doubted he was going to finish this heart-stopper sandwich…but somehow…some way…he got down to the last bite, washed down 40 ounces of beer, and did what he had to do. Quite impressive. Sometimes I wish I was a 6-foot-3 man with a dinosaur stomach who could indulge in such gluttony!

He made it into the clean plate club!

Barbecutie managed to make it out of Hayward’s Pit without having to unbutton his jeans or make like a sorority girl in the bathroom—but we both definitely had food hangovers during the car ride home.

I think that’s a pretty good indicator of Kansas City barbecue success. I’m already anticipating my next Kansas City barbecue adventure. Where should I go? Would love to know your suggestions…the more obscure, the better.

Time to gear up for Valentine’s Day. I thought this was a smooth move. Apparently, though, nice gals finish last:

At least I tried.

I guess you’d have to understand the odd relationship I have with my friend/coworker. Basically, I say weird, creepy things to her just to get a reaction, and she rejects me every time.

Stay tuned for more Valentine’s Day misfortune.

I love today.

After waking up fairly early (way before noon!), rolling around in bed and piddling around a bit in the shower, I grabbed a delicious breakfast (French toast of course) at First Watch with a nice person. It’s been a while since I’ve been to First Watch; the wait wasn’t terrible (spent 10 minutes reading a sweet children’s book, Owl Moon, which won the Caldecott medal when I was three years old, and paging through the thesaurus—don’t laugh!) and the atmosphere was fabulous. The host seated us at a booth in front of the jolly pianist, who was playing, “All You Need is Love,” and some other fun Sunday songs. What a great start to this sunny, beautiful day.

Because it’s finally above freezing and sunny, I decided it was a good day to give the Camry a good wash. She’d been accumulating tons of snow, dirt, salt and dirt in the past few weeks, so it was time. She looks gorgeous! Now, about that interior…

Cami cleans up well.

After the carwash, I trekked downtown to Borders to find some fun books for my two cousins in Oklahoma City who just had birthdays—12 and 6, wow!. I’m the nerdy cousin who likes to get them educational things for their birthdays (though I have broken down and bought video games for them) because I want them to have the same passion for reading that I had at that age (and now!). I picked up Diary of a Wimpy Kid for the 12-year-old cousin and three Curious George books for the six-year-old boy. I like to try to find fun books that encourage them to expand their imaginations and escape to a fun land. I think that’s a little easier for the younger child; for the older kid, it’s a little more challenging to make reading seem fun. I hope this book does it for him! Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a New York Times bestseller and includes cartoons and a handwriting-esque font that makes it look more like a diary; I hope the colloquial tone appeals to a too-cool 12-year-old.

I hope my cousins love these books!

My most exciting purchase today came from the Lawrence Antique Mall. I love perusing through this two-story mall for treasures (they had adorable vintage valentines that I almost bought, but I like making my own, so I resisted), and every time I go, I always lust over the old-fashioned cast-iron skillets. Well now…I own two! A mama cast-iron skillet and a baby cast-iron skillet (still need the big daddy cast-iron skillet) for $17—score! My mom swears by cast-iron cookware (that’s all she ever uses in the kitchen—and she still owns the same set from more than 30 years ago!) and has converted me, too.

Cast iron is fabulous because it withstands high heat, maintains a superb nonstick surface (sans toxic perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)) and will last forever with proper care. Right now, my new cast-iron skillets are coated in cooking oil and salt and baking in the oven at 400 degrees to amp up the seasoning it may have lost while hanging out at the antique store waiting for me to take them home. When they’re finished baking, I’ll let them cool in the oven, wipe them down and store them until I’m ready to make some cornbread or pancakes.

Look at that adorable baby cast-iron skillet! These look great on my stovetop.

In a few hours, I’ll head downtown again to participate in the Haiti Benefit Show at Liberty Hall and catch up with my former classmate Ranjit over drinks and good music. Have you donated to help Haiti yet?

Hope to see you at the Help Haiti benefit tonight!

What a beautiful day. I love today. How is your day?

Burberry London is my go-to perfume. It’s appropriate for day or evening because it’s soft yet inviting—fine for a date night or just another day at the office. Every time I wear Burberry London, my good friend and coworker Gina raves about what I’m wearing (I’m sure she’s been bugging her husband about picking up a bottle for her, too!).

I'll be due for another bottle of Burberry London soon.

Burberry London is a lighter perfume that incorporates honeysuckle, clementine and rose for a clean, floral fragrance that is soft and seductive.  It does have dryer touches of sandalwood (mama would be impressed) and patchouli (appeasing my inner hippie again!) to round out the floral notes. I’d describe Burberry London as a little more musky than floral—completely sexy but not overpowering—and it’s supposed to capture the essence of bustling London. (I’ve never been, so I’ll just trust that London is sexy but not overpowering.)

I’ve tried the regular Burberry perfume before, and it’s just not as appealing to me.  While Burberry still has notes of sandalwood, vanilla and musk, it’s a little too fruity for me (it has traces of green apple, peach and marigold). Burberry London suits my nose a little better, but I’m interested to sample Burberry Touch and Burberry Brit…we’ll see. I have so many new fragrances on my to-buy list, it’s a little obnoxious. What fragrances are on your list? What do you wear every day? Tell me about it in the comments section.

Everything I learned about beauty comes from my mother. While she doesn’t covet expensive, designer makeup like I do, she does have a nose for designer perfume. I grew up smelling Chanel No. 5, Yves St. Laurent Opium and White Diamonds by Elizabeth Taylor. Judging from these perfume choices, it’s evident my mother is a fan of sandalwood (a note in all three perfumes)-noted perfumes that are on the heavier, more feminine side.

In my own fragrance stash, I have some perfumes that emulate my mother’s nose for fierce, womanly scents. Today, I spritzed on Pure Turquoise by Ralph Lauren. It was a Christmas present from my brother a few years ago, and I only wear it sparingly—it’s a little heavy for daytime (I kept it to one light spritz this morning), but perfect for an evening out (two spritzes for my sushi night out with the ladies).

I love the turquoise-topped lid.

While Pure Turquoise by Ralph Lauren doesn’t have sandalwood notes, it has a base of patchouli (yes, that patchouli!), amber, birch wood and light vanilla, and is laced with lily of the valley, orange flower and rose. Pure Turquoise by Ralph Lauren is sexy, woodsy-floral and definitely exotic. Wear this perfume to get attention; pair it with a smoky eye and long trench coat to really get heads turning.

Tomorrow, I’ll tell you about the perfume I wear most days that even gets my female coworkers asking, “What perfume are you wearing? It smells sooo good!”

What perfume do you wear? Tell me your signature scent in the comments section!

I’ve been the most popular girl at work this week thanks to my Sunday baking spree. On Monday, I brought homemade, whole-wheat-powdered-sugar-double-chocolate-chip-cookies to the office—I was lucky to be able to snag two for myself.

The powdered sugar set these cookies apart—and left an easy-to-trace trail to repeat cookie monsters!

Tuesday, I brought in a batch of funky cupcakes that I decorated on a whim. It was interesting to note which cupcakes my coworkers snatched up first; the last-picked cupcakes were the ones with, ahem, appendages (I was feeling a little wonky with the Twizzlers and Pirouettes!)

It literally took me five minutes to decorate these cupcakes—we'll just call them "abstract" cupcakes. I used Twizzlers, Pirouettes, a Hershey's kiss and half a Kit Kat to adorn these cupcakes. I added Ghirardelli chocolate shavings to this batch of cupcake batter when I baked on Sunday.

Wednesday, I gave everyone a chance to let their blood sugars stabilize in preparation for today: The unveiling of the Lady Gaga cupcakes in real-life form. Most of my friends and coworkers had already seen pictures of the Lady Gaga cupcakes online, but some hadn’t—talk about some funny looks and smiles! My bosses probably think I’m a strange cookie (or strange cupcake?), but I think the Lady Gaga cupcakes fit in with my oddball personality (my blog’s random quote, “You are interestingly quirky,” is something an acquaintance told me before…and I take pride in that! )

I asked those who devoured the Lady Gaga cupcakes to write me a few sentences about their experience taking a bite out of Lady Gaga’s cupcake face (I ate one, too…the Paparazzi-inspired Lady Gaga cupcake). My lovely friend and coworker Megan Hirt, who was bold and chose the red-lace-face Lady Gaga cupcake (the one with the Twizzler hat!), was the first to respond:

I love listening to Lady Gaga’s infectious jams, imitating her dance moves and feasting my eyes on her unabashedly eccentric attire. Now, I can add “taste” to the list of Lady Gaga-inspired sensory experiences I’ve had, thanks to Kim and her fabulous Gaga cupcakes! I had the liberty of nomming the notorious red-lace-face Lady Gaga cupcake, and not only was it absolutely delectable, it was so much fun to eat! I know the idea of “eating your favorite pop star” sounds a little macabre, but Kim’s creativeness coupled with the sugary frosting and “Bad Romance” playing in my head as I chewed made for one of the best food-related moments of my life. —Megan Hirt, Lady Gaga cupcake fan

Megan Hirt shows off her newly acquired, about-to-be-devoured Lady Gaga cupcake.

Notice how Megan was brave enough to eat the Twizzler appendage first, but admits to being too scared to dig in to the Lady Gaga cupcake—she was too enchanted by Lady Gaga’s red-lace-face sprinkles! But eventually, Megan gave in with a little push from yours truly.

I showed Megan how to nom her Lady Gaga cupcake. She is a fast learner (and nommer!).

Check back for more testimonials soon. The Lady Gaga cupcakes were super cute and edible! Talk about frosting overload I’m incredibly flattered and psyched by the response these Lady Gaga cupcakes got in the blogosphere, and I’m pumped (and anxious) to get going on my next pop culture cupcake baking spree (set for this Sunday). I already have a theme in mind, but what suggestions do you have? Write me a comment and tell me what kind of cupcakes I should bake next!

Until Sunday, walk, walk, fashion baby, work it make that bitch crazy!

xoxo

**Update**

Cupcake aficionado and coworker Aubrey Vaughn comments on the Lady Gaga cupcakes:

I feel so honored. Not only did we get to see the original Lady Gaga cupcakes, but we got to eat these one-of-a-kind creations. The Lady Gaga cupcakes are as delicious as they look, with a sweet cupcake taste that is as delightful, though happily more consistent, than the Lady’s wardrobe choices. The perfect antidote for any Bad Romance. —Aubrey Vaughn, cupcake aficionado

I love cupcakes, so I decided to bake some tonight. But these aren’t just any cupcakes…these are Lady Gaga-inspired cupcakes! I think Lady Gaga is genius and absurd—and I hope these cupcakes reflect my admiration for her! I don’t think I’ll be able to eat these Lady Gaga cupcakes…they are just too cute. Enjoy.

Which one is your favorite?

Lady Gaga's sunglasses are a wardrobe staple.

This was my first Lady Gaga cupcake—and my favorite! I love those sunglasses.

Her lips are black, but you get the idea.

This Lady Gaga cupcake was the most fun to make—red sprinkles served as red lace and sliced Twizzlers made up her red crown that she wore at the 2009 VMAs when she accepted her award for Best New Artist.

How could I NOT make a Lady Gaga cupcake inspired by this look? Priceless.

I like the shape of the sunglasses she wears in "Poker Face."

I wish I had clear crystals to don on my cupcake, but I think the design was pretty solid overall.

Who DIDN'T notice this insane wreath-esque headpiece Lady Gaga wore at the 2009 VMAs. This cupcake was simple to produce: dramatic eyes and coconut flakes...done!

I would like a Lady Gaga wreath to hang on my door. But for now, a cupcake will have to do.

This Lady Gaga cupcake was difficult to master. It's inspired by her red carpet look at the 2009 VMAs, where she donned black feathers on her face and bust area and a gold eye shield; very Phantom of the Opera-esque.

Somehow, her feathers don't look like a beard. Hmm.

I hate that I had to outline the Lady Gaga bow hairstyle in black, but it wouldn't have stood out without it. This Lady Gaga bow hairstyle ALMOST makes me want to get extensions. Fabulous.

Lady Gaga's bow hairstyle reminds me of Minnie Mouse.

I like that I wrote "need a disco stick" on my shopping list and sketch paper. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a disco stick at Dillon's.

These sketches cracked me up just drawing them.

Boozy Dessert: Péché Mortel Imperial Coffee Stout Float

This boozy dessert is absolutely fabulous. I was drawn to Péché Mortel Imperial Coffee Stout because it boasted a brew process with real, fair-trade coffee…and I love stouts. Péché Mortel Imperial Coffee Stout would be a perfect breakfast (if I could only get away with that!) drink or a nice sip-on-me beer for a chill night at the bar with close friends. It’s bold, bittersweet and creamy; perfection. I saved about two shot glasses-worth of Péché Mortel Imperial Coffee Stout to pour over some delicious vanilla ice cream—talk about a divine, boozy dessert! This makes me happy.

Beer + Coffee + Ice Cream = Heaven

Surprise Pre-Dinner Dessert: Coconut-Flake Cupcake

Cupcakes are my favorite. I haven’t had a chance to check out the newest cupcake shop in downtown Lawrence, The Pink Box Bakeshop, so…the cupcake fairy came to me! I have actually yet to eat this cupcake because it’s just too pretty—but give me a few hours and a sugar craving, then I will let you know. This cupcake definitely gets an A for aesthetics (and adorable packaging!). Cupcake fairy wins lots of points for this one This makes me so happy. Stay tuned for my Lady Gaga Cupcake Extravaganza…

I really, really like cupcakes. This is my first one from The Pink Box!

Special Dessert for Two: Strawberries and Cream-Topped Brownie

I love when you go to dinner and have a waitress who really takes care of you. At dinner last night, the waitress was quick, sweet and completely accommodating. When it was time to order dessert, we quickly realized the cafe didn’t really have a dessert menu, so the sweet waitress (who, by the way, was working her first shift ever!) said she’d whip up a special dessert with what the cafe had on hand—fresh strawberries, whipped cream, chocolate sauce and a warm brownie. How special is that? I love it when people care enough to make you happy. I was happy. Very happy.

It may not seem fancy, but it was special and sweet.

Afternoon Tea: Teapouro Teas

Some Saturdays, I like to spend time with my buddy Jameson, the BeerGenius, to talk shop and enjoy life. Today, we decided to hit up Teapouro Tea and Espresso downtown. Teapouro is phenomenal; it serves more than 120 different flavors of loose leaf tea and has other fun treats such as bubble tea. The atmosphere is serene—warm caramel colors, Bonsai trees and Asian-inspired decor, designed in line with feng shui aesthetics. I sipped on two cups of a delicious organic pomegranate tea and can’t wait to go through 119 or so more teas. This makes me very happy.

I love the bright tea pot, mugs and saucers.

Nothing better than 52-degree weather, a college sweatshirt and organic tea with my buddy. Photo By Jameson Huckaba.

I enjoy Jameson's company so much—this is a true gentleman! Wish his lovely girlfriend Maggie could have joined us for afternoon tea.

What makes you happy?

Anya gives me a little lip at the end of our photo shoot. Kitty labor!

Lip Balm: Eco Lips SPF 15 Mint Lip Balm

I am addicted to lip balm. I always have at least three tubes in my purse, a stash in my bathroom cupboard and about 10 tubes in my desk drawer at work. While I’m always trying new lip balms, I have a few standby favorites. Eco Lips SPF 15 Mint Lip Balm just happens to be the one I’m using every morning right now, and I’ve been through enough tubes of Eco Lips balms to have the brand on my list of favorites. Eco Lips SPF 15 Mint Lip Balm has octinoxate and oxybenzone for sun protection and is loaded with organic sunflower seed oil, organic beeswax, organic jojoba seed oil, organic peppermint oil, organic spearmint leaf oil, vitamin E, aloe and organic calendula flower extract. It’s uber-moisturizing, healing and completely kissable. It doesn’t cast a weird white glow on your lips like some sunscreen-laden balms do, so it’s perfect for layering under lip gloss or lipstick.

Eco Lips SPF 15 Mint Lip Balm: $3

Lip Butter: Korres Pomegranate Lip Butter

My most recent acquisition (a present from the lovely Sonja) is Korres Pomegranate Lip Butter. It’s been in my beauty bag since November and hasn’t left! This buttery lip balm casts a sheer coral glow to lips and delivers top-notch moisture thanks to shea butter and rice wax. This paraben-free lip balm has a light pomegranate taste and smell.

Korres Pomegranate Lip Butter: $10

What lip products are in your beauty bag?

Anya can't keep her eyes off of (and out of) my beauty bag.

Eyeliner: Chanel Le Crayon Khol Black Eyeliner

When it comes to having my own guilty pleasures, it’s buying Chanel makeup. I get a mini-high from possessing those interlocking C’s, even when it’s just makeup or perfume. It’s even better, though, when those status purchases are completely worth it. Chanel Le Crayon Khol black eyeliner is the best black eyeliner you will ever use. Period. Its intense black finishes the way a liquid eyeliner does—but it’s a pencil! Chanel Le Crayon Khol will not budge until you take it off (or rub your eyes a lot!). Bonus: Chanel Le Crayon Khol comes with its own sharpener. Divine. Completely divine. This eyeliner is worth the splurge and will last a long time, especially if you only wear dramatic black eyeliner on special occasions.

Chanel Le Crayon Khol: $27

Eyeliner: Sephora Liner Electro in Choc Electro 09

I am loyal to my Chanel eyeliner, but I picked up this Sephora-brand eyeliner during my birthday in 2009 (I had to spend something to redeem my birthday gift…interesting trade, huh?), so I chose the most inexpensive makeup product I was remotely interested in—and I’m glad I did! This fun, glittery eyeliner isn’t juvenile…the glitter is barely noticeable, but offers a hint of sparkle and interest to perk up your peepers. At $8 a pop, I could load up on all the colors (nine total!) throughout the year and build a fun color collection to supplement my boring black, brown and navy eyeliner palette. Sephora Liner Electro doesn’t have the staying power of Chanel, but it’s good competition. I can wear this liner for about four hours before it starts to fade, so that’s fine for a low-key night out or a casual, comfortable work day. I also like to use it to line just the bottoms of my eyes to add a hint of definition to my lash line. Would I buy Sephora Liner Electro again if I didn’t have a free gift waiting? Absolutely.

Sephora Liner Electro: $8

Eyeshadow: Becca Eye Colour (Powder Shimmer) in Lurex

I love Becca eyeshadows. Part of this love stems from the fact that I hit the jackpot on them when I scored six shadows for the price of one when Sephora discontinued carrying the line. (These are 24-dollar-eyeshadows!) The other part of this love comes from the stellar color payoff, cute packaging and crease-resistant formula. For oily skin, this is huge. I can tap on Becca eyeshadow at 7:45 a.m. and it will still look good by 5 p.m. The tiny, round compacts have a tiny mirror inside, which is helpful for applying shadow in the back seat every morning in my carpool.

Becca Eye Colour (Powder Shimmer): $24

Highlighter: Benefit Miss Popularity Precision Highlighter

This may seem like a superfluous purchase, but I use Benefit Miss Popularity Precision Highlighter almost every day. It’s the perfect little highlighter for the inner corners of your eyes that you want to highlight to really make your eyes pop. While you can also achieve the same effect with a decent white eyeshadow, I challenge you to find a white, shimmery shadow that has the same depth and shimmer to it as Benefit Miss Popularity Precision Highlighter. This highlighter boasts tiny flecks of copper, gold, silver and peach that combine together to offer a fine sheen and eye-popping glow to your eye makeup. The wand has a rounded sponge tip (similar in size to a Q-tip) that is a little bit big to pat onto your eye corners, so be sure to tap off excess before applying.

Benefit Miss Popularity Precision Highlighter: $15

Eyelash Curler: Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

Serena: Tell me about it. We were in the Beauty Department and she held up this Shu Uemura eyelash curler and said “What is this?” —The Devil Wears Prada

This is the holy grail of eyelash curlers. It’s a beauty staple of the stars, prominent beauty bloggers and yours truly. I’ve been using Shu Uemura eyelash curlers for six years, and they are consistent, strong and deliver a precise curl (as long as you set the curl with the best mascara—see below). The handles fit my fingers perfectly and the silicone pad is soft and easy to clean (just use nontoxic soap on a soft sponge to clean excess product off the pad).

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler: $19

Mascara: Maybelline Full ‘N Soft Mascara in Very Black

I’ve been through dozens of pricey mascaras, but I always go back to my high school favorite: Maybelline Full ‘N Soft. The formula delivers a thick, full, long lash to my thin, straight, Asian eyelashes. Maybelline Full ‘N Soft has all-day staying power and comes in a waterproof version that barely differs from the regular version. While most pros sing the praises of Full ‘N Soft’s older sister, Great Lash, I stick by its younger, hipper sister for all the (eye) drama.

Maybelline Full ‘N Soft Mascara: $6.59

What eye products are in your beauty bag?

Anya makes a funny face at my makeup bag.

Primer: Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer

I discovered Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer four years ago from my favorite beauty blogger, BeautyAddict. I always buy Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer in the “to go” size, which is housed in a squeezable, plastic tube, because when there’s just a little left, you can easily squeeze the remains out (and nuke it for two seconds to get it flowing out beautifully, if you’re truly desperate). Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer is truly amazing; while I don’t use it every day, it’s my starting point for date nights and big nights out, because the formula slides on and creates a perfect canvas for your makeup. Simply start with a clean face, slap on light moisturizer, let it dry and then smooth on the primer. Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer creates a base that holds onto your foundation and concealer better than your skin alone can and helps perfect a matte finish (especially for the dreaded T-zone).

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer To Go: $16

Foundation: NARS Oil-Free Foundation in Fiji

My best makeup girlfriend Sonja introduced me to NARS in 2005, and I’ve been a cult follower of the brand since. I started off with NARS blush (they have the best colors!) and quickly moved on to eyeshadows and glosses. It wasn’t until 2007 when I visited San Francisco and got a NARS makeover at Saks that I realized that NARS makes the best oil-free foundation for my skin tone, color and texture. NARS Oil-Free Foundation slides onto my skin, blends easily and matches my skin to a T. No mask face for me! It offers a nice, medium, matte-finish. It’s also infused with vitamins A and E—probably not enough to make a huge difference, since it doesn’t take a lot of foundation to get good coverage, but still smooth nonetheless.

NARS Oil-Free Foundation: $40

Concealer: Prescriptives Camouflage Cream in Yellow/Orange Medium 04

I’ve been using Prescriptives Camouflage Cream concealer for about four years and it never fails me. It has a nice consistency that isn’t runny yet is liquidy enough to spread neatly around under the eyes and near the nostrils. It’s tough enough to blot on blemishes and not call attention to the blemishes themselves. I tend to get dark circles under my eyes a lot, but instead of blue-based circles, my circles look a little darker tan (blame my olive coloring), so this Yellow/Orange 04 blend works seamlessly with my skin tone and texture. A whole tube of this stuff lasts at least six months (I wear Yellow/Orange Dark 05 in the summertime), but remember, it’s good hygiene to get rid of old cosmetics when their lifespan is up, so six months is the perfect time to finish up your tube of Prescriptives Camouflage Cream—unless you want to spread goopy, germy concealer all over the most sensitive parts of your face.

Prescriptives Camouflage Cream: $17.50

Blush: NARS Blush in Deep Throat

Back to my NARS addiciton—Deep Throat blush was my first purchase from the luxurious brand, and for good reason. This peachy, shimmery blush complements my olive skin tone perfectly; the coveted (and appropriately named) Orgasm blush (peachy-pink) was a little too light for my complexion. While everyone sang the praises of Orgasm (and blushed a little bit when telling friends the name of their new purchase), I, in true Kim fashion, went one step further and got the darker, even more scandalously named blush. NARS Deep Throat blush has good color payoff, a natural look and a handy mirror inside the compact. NARS Deep Throat blush has been a beauty bag staple for me for half a decade and will continue to be the star of my makeup bag.

NARS Deep Throat: $25

What face products are in your beauty bag?

Saturday afternoon, I had the pleasure of BeerGenius Jameson Huckaba’s company for a late lunch and several beers at local sustainable seafood restaurant, Angler’s. I opted for a delicious Tomato & Shellfish Bisque and washed it down with a Koningshoeven Dubbel—a delicious trappist ale from the Netherlands that was gentle, refreshing and pleasant with my semi-spicy bisque.

What a delightful way to start my Saturday: Tomato & Shellfish Bisque and Koningshoeven Dubbel. Yes, my Saturday started as a late lunch. Photo By Jameson Huckaba.

While I knew I’d get a solid beer-ducation with Jameson, I was thoroughly impressed with Angler’s co-owner and beer director Ted Nguyen. Ted’s deep knowledge of food and beer was impressive and made me excited to learn more about his restaurant’s practices and his beer connections! Saturday was my first visit of many…I’m ecstatic to taste more food, drink more beers and talk more shop with Ted. If you’re in the Kansas City/Lawrence/Topeka area, definitely stop by Angler’s…you’re in for a treat and good times with knowledgeable staff and an entertaining owner!

The BeerGenius toasts Urthel Samaranth Quadrium Ale to a lovely Saturday afternoon.

Urthel Samaranth Quadrium Ale is absolutely divine. Smooth, pleasant and aromatic. Yum. Photo By Jameson Huckaba.

I took my good friend and "sister" Mary to Angler's for her 25th birthday celebration Saturday night. She's not a huge seafood fan, but did munch on pita and hummus and approved of the Tomato & Shellfish Bisque.

Ted taught me how to eat crawfish! I've never had to look my food in the eyes before. Photo By Mary Johnson.

Our Saturday night seafood and cocktail feast at Angler's was fantastic.

I heart New York Magazine, but I think they got it wrong on this one:

Trends We’re Tired Of
Mason Pickling Jars As Ornamentation
I know we’re all locavores now, but here’s the problem: Pickle jars are ugly.

Though I definitely LOL’d at this, I beg to differ! Do you think this is ugly?

Anya seems impressed with the Mason jars...or at least with the flickering candles inside them.

I think small candles inside larger glass jars always looks stunning, and the flickering candles in low light create the kind of ambiance that keeps a home warm and inviting. Maybe that’s just me, but from the looks of it…others don’t think these jars are ugly.

The folks over at Design*Sponge took Mason jar home decor a step further and made this impressive fixture: Whitney’s Mason Jar Lights

Try this DIY project at home!

Whitney reveals that she is also a Southern girl, so maybe it’s just a Southern thing for me to be drawn to Mason jars. My Mason jars came directly from my mother, who, every summer, cans her own veggies, makes delicious salsa and preserves pretty much anything else she’s growing in her garden. My jars used to have salsa and homemade pesto in them. Mmm.

The always-chic re-nest bloggers found another beautiful take on the pickling jar trend: lanterns! I imagine sitting outside at the picnic table, sipping lemonade and enjoying light citronella candles inside these porcelain jars.

These Ball jar lanterns cast an elegant glow—and if you use them outside, place citronella candles in them to keep bugs away!

I think the only ugly pickle jars are the ones that still have the labels on them. What do you think? Is New York Magazine right…is this trend over?

I wish we could just call Crystal Renn a model. Yeah, she’s “plus-size” to the rest of the fashion industry, but to real women, Crystal Renn is just another size 12 girl who happens to know how to dress her curves (or have her curves dressed) in the most flattering way.

Crystal Renn is curvy, stunning and has the same size waist as me.

Crystal Renn’s measurements are all over the Internet—and while they’re  shocking numbers to the fashion industry, they’re comparable to the average American woman’s…and mine! She’s a lovely 38-30-42; at 5 foot 9 inches tall and 165 pounds, Crystal Renn isn’t even overweight by body mass index standards.  But she and women her size who work in fashion are treated like such anomalies…until they show up for their first shoots.

In the Times story, writer Eric Wilson recreates the awkward “first shoot” scenario that many “bigger” sized girls experience every day in real life: “You’re not big,” —but every other size 12 is? I had this conversation with a friend before, and when I nonchalantly told her that I was a size 10 (or an 8 in vanity-sized clothing or on good days), she was astonished! Yes, this is what a size 10, 145-pound, 5-foot-7-inch-tall woman looks like:

That's me, right there in the middle, next to my two tiny friends Jennifer and Cara. Jen's a size 4 in H&M (says she's a size 0 in other!) and Cara is probably a 6. We all look pretty much the same.

We have a sad misconception (or misperception) of what real women and real bodies look like. “Curvy” is not code word for “fat.” It’s time that we quit idolizing ribcages and overexposed collarbones—unless it’s Halloween.

What do you think about Crystal Renn and plus-size models coming into the mainstream? What’s your size and measurements? I dare you to reveal.

Why kimberlyloc, you ask?

I'm popular on Google...kind of.

My name is Kim Wallace. It’s a pretty common name (it gets 7,580,000 search results on Google). My given first name, Kimberly, doesn’t do me much better for originality. Do you remember the movie My Best Friend’s Wedding? Remember the character played by Cameron Diaz? The writers used my name, Kimberly Wallace, for Diaz’s spunky character. That made saying my name (“Miss Kimmmmberly Wallace!) pretty popular in junior high.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTVYPLVi0go]

Loc (pronounced “Lock”) is my middle name. It’s my mother’s last name, is Chinese in origin, and is the 70th most popular surname in China (it looks like it’s in my stars to either be popular or common—I’ll let you decide). In Asian culture, women do not change their last names. I am happy that my mother chose to stick with that tradition while starting our own family tradition: Every child gets the middle name Loc so that her name can live on generation to generation.

Though I do share the same middle name with my three brothers, three cousins and my nephew (and countless cousins in Vietnam have Loc as a last name and one cousin’s first name is Loc!), I love the unique touch it lends to my (and their!) names. It’s a great conversation starter, baffles people on the phone (are you still kimberly…um…l-o-c…at ….dot com?) and has become a big part of my online identity (see blog title).

So, I’m kimberlyloc. You can call me whatever you like (I have a lot of nicknames!). Let the conversations begin!

[Side Note: By now, I really hope my name's association with the 2003 American Idol contestant Kimberley Locke has somewhat subsided (too many vowels in her name for me!).]