“Combining this whole rock and roll and fatherhood thing is not for the faint of heart. It’s like a well greased high wire act. I highly recommend it, but it’s definitely not for sissies,” says new father and musician Jay Nash.
“I used to go on tour and come back shredded from only getting five or six hours of sleep a night. The idea of getting six hours of continuous sleep these days sounds amazing. I practically come back from tour feeling refreshed.”
Growing up in Syracuse, New York Jay Nash dreamed not only of becoming a musician but of living in California with visions of surfing the Pacific and skateboarding in empty swimming pools. In 2001 he made that dream a reality and moved to Los Angeles to make a name for himself as a singer/songwriter. (He also did a lot of surfing.) But in April of this year he and his wife Rebecca packed their bags and relocated to Vermont.
“We spent so much time traveling to New York to see my parents or Connecticut to see her parents it seemed to make sense to move back east since we were starting a family. Vermont is about equidistant between our two families and it’s just spectacularly beautiful. In our town there are no fast food restaurants and no strip malls. It’s like a step back in time. I tour a lot so it’s a great place to come home and retreat to between tours and lay low.”
I met with Jay when he recently returned to Los Angeles for a week to play a few shows and mix his album that will be released in February of 2011. When asked about his songwriting process he said, “All my favorite songs were written in a very short period of time. It almost seems like they’re written even before they come out. Occasionally there are times when you get a piece of something and you go back and refine it over time, but more often than not the best stuff just flows out of you. There are more verses and more melodies than you even know what to do with because it’s been sitting there and it’s the truth and it just flows right out. The best songs just sort of write themselves.”
Nash is about to embark on a six-week tour that will be done in two three-week stretches. “The longest I’ve been away from my daughter is three days and I was miserable. Now I’m going to be gone twice for three weeks and I’m scared. There’s so much of a change in a 24-hour period. I’m going to be gone for three weeks and when I come back she’ll be a completely different person.
“But I’m really so grateful to be doing what I love for a living. This is the life that I asked for and you know what they say, ‘Be careful what you ask for because you just might get it.’“
Well Jay Nash has certainly got it – a beautiful wife and daughter, a new home, a twenty-one city tour, and a new album due February 2011 – Jay Nash has got it indeed.
*Originally posted to skirt.com on October 11, 2010
To listen to some of Jay’s music click here and to see his tour schedule click here. If he’s coming to a town near you do your best to check him out. You won’t be sorry.
You’re all so lucky. Today we have a guest commentator, my very own daughter, Marley Ross. Marley is even more qualified than I am to make snarky fashion comments, because even though she didn’t wear the same dress as seven other girls at her prom (but she’s only a junior and hasn’t gone to prom yet) she’s only sixteen, so she doesn’t mind being mean like I’m finding it more and more difficult to do.
And while it seems over the last few years there haven’t been that many fashion disasters, that was certainly not the case last night. In fact, IMHO (and Marley’s as well), much of last night’s red carpet was a complete and total shit show. (Except for Marley doesn’t say “shit” – at least not when her mother is around!)
So grab a cup of coffee (just be sure not to spit it at the screen when you read Marley’s comments), sit back, relax and enjoy this year’s Snarky Red Carpet Comments. (And forgive me for once again posting without editing. I hate bloggers who don’t edit, but I’ve got a day job people!)
Giuliana Ransic often makes my best dressed list, but not last night. As she hosts the red carpet show on E!, hers was the first dress I saw and all I could think was, WTF is she wearing? Her dress is pretty (though I don’t like the color), but it is ruined by that stupid cape. And her hair is in a messy ponytail that looks more appropriate for running errands than working the red carpet at an awards show.
Marley’s comments: She looks like skelator. The dress is pretty, but that cape. Why?
Our verdict: Lose the cape, fix your hair and eat one of those PBJs that Jimmy Kimmel’s mom made!
Do yourself a huge favor and lose the cape, Giuliana!
Claire Danes looked pretty (I love her hair), but did she use Donald Trump’s spray tanner? Her skin almost matches her dress. I actually like her dress, but what is that weird gold necklace-y thing that seems to be attached?
Marley’s comments: She looks like an Emmy, an Oscar, a Golden Globe. (Well, I guess she was dressing the part.)
Time to find a new spray tanner, Claire.
Anna Chlumsky – WTF? Where do I begin with this mess of a dress? I almost forgive her because she had a baby three weeks ago, and God knows that three weeks after I had a baby I was no where near awards show ready (hell, it’s been 16 years since I had a baby and I’m nowhere near awards show ready), but this dress looks like a brocade potato sack.
Marley’s comments: Combo of a baby blanket and a grandma sweater.
Um… nope.
I love Connie Britton, but I do not love this dress. It’s just weird.
Marley’s comments: Um, what? She looks a poster girl for my geometry class.
A geometry major designed this dress.
Amanda Peet was trending on Twitter last night because of all the shout outs she got from her husband, Game of Thrones co-creator, David Benioff, but I think she’ll be trending today because of this terrible dress.
Marley’s comments: Where did she get that? Charlie Brown’s closet.
It looks like Carly Chaikin is wearing what her character Darlene would wear if she were going to the Emmy’s. She looks beautiful (oh to be that young and be able to pull off that much eye make-up) and I actually love the top of her dress, but there is too much going on with the bottom. If the bottom had been solid or maybe solid with those silver stripes it would have been gorgeous, but the sheer netting and the polka dots just turns this dress into a big ol’ mess.
Marley’s comments: That dress! I can’t put it into words. And I love her too. She’s so great and so pretty and and I hate that dress. When they asked her who she’s wearing she should say, “A mess.”
I was forever rooting for Lady Edith on Downton Abbey, but I cannot root for this godawful disaster of a dress that Laura Carmichael wore last night. It looks like she paired her favorite summer top with some leftover tulle. Did Lady Mary play a mean trick and switch out her real dress for this monstrosity?
Marley’s comments: Why? What happened? It looks like an Easter basket. It looks like spring nail polish you’d put on a little kid.
Easter barfed on this dress.
Gabby Hoffman looks like she’s wearing pajamas. The end.
Marley’s comments: She looks like she just woke up from a nap and is like, “Okay, Emmy’s time.”
Nite Nite!
Supermodel & Project Runway star, Heidi Klum makes my worst dresses list every year (oh, the irony), and this year is no exception. If this dress was either long sleeves on both sides or spaghetti straps on both sides, it would be like Heidi: a 10. But why the asymmetrical mess? It does not make the dress interesting. It makes the dress stupid!
Marley’s comments: That dress is stupid and I think she was next in line for Donald Trump’s spray tanner.
Heidi Klum will always and forever be a 10, but this dress is more like a 3!
Alright, enough of the negativity and snark (at least from me anyway) – let’s get to the dress I thought were fabulous. First let’s get to the color yellow. (I almost felt like at any moment I would hear Jimmy Kimmel say, “The 2016 Emmy Awards, brought to you by the color yellow.”) I did not used to be a yellow fan, but lately I am loving it. Maybe because my current favorite top is yellow (you can see it here) or maybe because the current yellows are more bright and less chartreuse-y (which is a little to pukey green for my taste), but whatever it is, I’m digging it.
I have loved Minnie Driver since Circle of Friendsand find her red carpet looks to always be beautiful and classic. I’m not sure about this dress. I want to love it more than I do. But she looks fabulous so I think I’ll give it the thumbs up. What do you think?
Marley’s comments: Nope. (I told you the snark was over only for me.)
Taraji P. Henson looks gorgeous and this dress is FAB! For some reason she changed during the awards to present and even put on a wig (and I think she looked fabulous in that outfit too), but I think this red carpet look is stunning. Simplicity at its finest.
Marley’s comments: I love it! (See, she can be nice!)
Angela Bassett’s dress is leaning a little bit towards the chartreuse, but I still think it’s stunning. And so is she – her hair, her make-up, those earrings: love, Love, LOVE!
The ladies in red also looked fabulous…
Kate McKinnon looks GORGEOUS! You can’t see them because of her hair, but there are little cutouts at the V of her dress that gives this simple red dress a little extra detail. That lipstick + that hair + that dress = Va Va Voom!
Marley’s comments: She is my favorite and she looks beautiful.
Gorgeous!
Tatiana Maslany: Marley and I agree – this was our favorite dress of the night! Sheer perfection. And as a side note, I am beyond thrilled that she won the Emmy for Orphan Black. If you haven’t seen it, you must. She plays eight or more characters and she is amazing!
Tatiana wins the Emmy for acting and the Red Carpet Award for fashion!
Tina Fey looked absolutely stunning in green. I loved everything about her dress and her look.
Marley’s comments: She looks pretty.
Beautiful dress, gorgeous color and I love her hair!
The ladies dressed in neutral shades of nude, silver and white also looked beautiful.
Emilia Clarke looks stunning. I would be inclined to have her wear her hair down and would have added a necklace (because I like flowy hair and think everyone should wear a necklace always), but I think I would have been wrong. This look is the pure definition of “Less is More” and it is spectacular.
Marley’s comments: Mom, I like her hair up. She looks perfect.
This dress was a very close second.
While Julie Bowen is my current hair idol, she often misses the mark when it comes to the red carpet. But not last night. Last night she looked amazing and her dress was gorgeous.
Marley’s comments: The back of that dress is stupid. (Marley is wrong. The back of her dress was gorgeous.)
Love the hair! Love the dress! Julie gets it right!
Giuliana Rancic and Heidi Klum take note: This is how you wear a ponytail to an awards show and this is how you wear asymmetrical. Sofia Vergara looks amazing (as always), plus she did eat one of the PBJs made by Jimmy Kimmel’s mom, so she gets an A+ in my book!
Marley’s comments: I don’t like it. It’s weird. Those things look like yogurt swirls. And not good yogurt swirls, like old fruit gone bad yogurt swirls.
Asymmetrical done right!
Felicity Huffman’s look was one of my favorites of the night. That hair! Those earrings! That dress! She just reeked of fabulousness!
Marley’s comments: I like it!
One of the best looks of the night.
I loved Judith Light’s dress. Both classic and original. She looked fabulous.
Marley’s comments: Her dress looks like a striped disco ball. (Sixteen-year-old snarky fashion critiquers sometimes just don’t get it.)
I want to look like this when I’m 67!
I thought Anika Noni Rose’s dress was pretty and an original take on a Grecian style dress. And OMG – I remember when my waist used to be that tiny.
Marley’s comments: The top of her dress looks like a dream catcher.
I had to google Annet Mahendru and Lucian Gibson to see who they were, but I just loved the beautiful simplicity of her dress. Gorgeous! But Lucian needs to google “how do dress at an awards show.”
Marley’s comments: Her dress looks unfinished (wrong, Marley – her dress is perfect!) and what is with that bag. It looks like it has a horse tail! (She might be right about that.)
Kristen Bell’s look was one of my favorites of the night. Here hair and make-up look stunning (with just the perfect amount of spray tan – a lovely bronze with not one bit of orange) and I think her dress is amazing. Seriously, I want it!
Marley’s comments: That dress looks like a cornucopia!
Love this dress! And Kristen said on the red carpet that it was really comfortable.
Allison Janey always looks gorgeous and last night was no exception. Damn I have to win the Lotto so I can hire her trainer. I loved her classic bun (a little to the side) and those earrings are spectacular.
Marley’s comments: Eh, it’s fine. (Sigh…)
There is only one word for Kerry Washington’s red carpet look: WOW! She looks a-maz-ing!
Marley’s comments: I love her dress except for the cape. Why is she wearing a cape? Who does she think she is? A super hero? She’s a mom! (Exactly, Marley. That makes her a super hero.)
This is exactly what I looked like when I was pregnant. (Not!)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus is another gorgeous lady that always seems to make my best-dressed list. This is how to wear a sheer dress.
Marley’s comments: I don’t like the polka dots. (Marley is not a polka dot fan.)
And because I always like to end my list with a little bit of eye candy for the ladies, here you go:
Jon Snow cleans up pretty nicely!
Kit Harrington is my free pass too!
Marley’s comments: He’s pretty.
So what do you think? Did Marley and I get it right? Agree? Disagree? Anyone I missed? Let us know in the comments below.
Last Monday Dave and Marley went to the taping of American Ninja Warrior and weren’t going to be home until about 7:30 or so. I get home from work at approximately 6:20 and I was beyond-words-excited to be something I rarely am: alone in my own house.
I couldn’t wait. As I drove home I fantasized what I would do with my (approximately) one hour and ten minutes all by myself. First I would change into something more comfortable. Then I would put in my earbuds and turn on this station. I might pour myself a glass of wine, but maybe not. I didn’t really need it. And then… I would vacuum.
That’s right, you heard me. Vacuum. I’d been busy. My house was a disaster. Weekends have been crazy and during the week I make dinner as soon as I get home from work, then the three of us clean up (meaning Dave clears the table, Marley washes a pot – that’s right, just one – and you-know-who is stuck with the rest), and then I collapse on the couch and end up drooling ten minutes into whichever show we settle in to watch. You’re all jealous of my glamorous rockstar life, aren’t you?
So I know it sounds lame (hell, it is lame), but I was excited to be home alone, with a cheese-and-cracker dinner and time to clean. I wouldn’t have time to tackle the dining room table that was threatening to buckle under the weight of “that pile” (or rather those piles), but I’d stick my phone into my fanny pack, strap it on, sing along to my country music (poorly and at the top of my lungs) while vacuuming and dusting. Maybe I’d even have time to clean the stovetop. (It was pretty gross.)
Are you picturing me with a fanny pack strapped on, singing at the top of my lungs while I clean house and laughing out loud at the ridiculous image? Stop It! That’s not nice.
When I pulled into the driveway I reached into my purse and realized – oh no, no, no, no, NOOOOO! I did not have my house key.
I know, most people have their house key on the key ring with their car key. Of course they do. I do too. But my car is being worked on and I’m borrowing my mother’s car while she’s out of town and when I clip our extra key onto her key ring it hits my leg and bugs me so I just keep it separately in my purse. But I switched purses Monday morning (or rather switched purses Sunday and switched back in a hurry Monday morning – irrelevant I know, sorry) and forgot to put the key in my purse.
Shit.
And so I did what any normal person would do in such a situation. I tried to break into my own house. Unfortunately there have been some break-ins in our neighborhood recently and our house is like a fortress. Sure I could break a window, but that seemed like a bad idea. (I did manage to maybe destroy a screen in my attempt to dislodge it. Shhh. Don’t tell Dave.)
I could have gone to my mother’s (I have a key to her house), but the 30 minute round trip didn’t seem worth it since I was only stranded for an hour.
I thought about which neighbor I could bug. I tried my friend Mary. I had just gifted her with some trendy vodka to thank her for a huge favor she had recently done for me and thought she might like to share, but she had the audacity not to be home. (Rude!)
I know a lot of people in my neighborhood and in my town, but who could I bug -at dinnertime- who wouldn’t mind me dropping in for an hour? I decided to reach out to Kim. (Lucky her!) She handed me a glass of wine the second I walked in the door, so you know I chose right. I totally interrupted her dinner hour, but she was gracious and her family didn’t seem to mind.
I ate chips and salsa while she made her family an easy dinner. Then we took our wine outside and talked about writing and kids and life. It made not being home alone more than okay.
When I got home Dave and Marley teased me. It’s okay. I earned it. Then Dave told me they were going back Saturday, this time to watch Team Ninja Warrior be taped. They’d be gone most of the day. Did I want to go with them? I thought about it. For about a second. Then I politely declined as visions of vacuums and fanny packs danced through my head.
“Just so you know, I’m not going to be available for anything remotely domestic or marital related for at least a week,” I said to Dave on the first day of August.
“And that makes this week different than any other week, how?” he snarked.
Yeah, and you thought I was the funny one. (I am.)
It was actually a lie, because I had no plans on Tuesday, so I did fulfill the domestic/marital duty of making dinner and was even nice enough to do the dishes, but that’s where I drew the line. His sassy comment meant he wasn’t getting lucky. (Plus it was Tuesday. What kind of married people get busy on a Tuesday after 22 years of sharing the same last name?)
But, I digress.
The first day of August, marked my first week of having anything at all to do this summer. Yes, that’s right, all summer long I’ve been a Facebook voyeur, watching my friends travel to marvelous places like Cancun, Barbados, Costa Rica, shit even “just” Oregon while I’ve been working all day, only to go home and lose brain cells watching the Bachelorette. (Don’t judge – and if you subscribed to my newsletter you’d know why.)
And as JoJo and Jordan start their new life together (or the next six months, which is about as long as I give them), I too have finally started my new life. Or, at least (less dramatically and more truthfully) I’ve finally started to have some fun this summer.
It’s gone a little something like this:
Monday, August 1st: Cards Against Humanity
My writing group got together and played the ever awesome Cards Against Humanity where tough choices like this had to be made.
The answer is obvious.
There was a lot of laughing. And drinking. And even some crying (because we love each other that much). I got home at 1AM. (Yeah, this suburban mom’s has gone rockstar.)
Tuesday, August 2nd: Got My Ass Up After Five Hours of Sleep & Went to Work Like a Boss
Reverted to my boring suburban ways as noted above (i.e. watched season finale of The Bachelorette.)
Wednesday, August 3rd: Cetaphil Party at Cool Celebrity-Owned Restaurant
I was lucky enough to get invited to a party for awesome and influential bloggers thrown by Cetphil. And by invited I mean I was the awesome and influential Kim Tracy Prince’s plus one. The party was at Jessica Biel’s Aw Fudge on Melrose where everyone who works there looks like (and probably is) a model. (Seriously people, the servers are HOT!) The party was top notch. I learned all about Cetaphil (which, BTW, my kids’ pediatrician has always recommended for them), met some fantastic people including Whit Honea (he’s awesome – read his stuff) and Fab Mom Jill Simonian, and got a bitchen swag bag from Cetaphil that included these that literally saved my life (or at least my face) this week full of late nights.
This is how you throw a product party – with plenty of swag and sangria! #MyCetaphilFamily
Thursday, August 4th: #BlogHer16 Expo
I hooked up again with the awesome (and influential) Kim Tracy Prince where we met our friend Rina Baraz Nehdar at the #BlogHer16 Expo.
Hanging with Rina and Kim at the #BlogHer16 Expo
For those of you who don’t know, BlogHer a website that hosts the world’s largest conference for women bloggers and content creators. (And yes, men can go too. If they want.) This is serious business people. Some of the sponsors were Go Daddy, Herbalife, Staples, Go Rving and Best Buy; and this year’s keynote speakers included Sheryl Crow and Kim Kardashian West (I know, but seriously, if I had been able to shove a copy of Frosted Cowboy in her hand so I could snap a picture and post it on Instagram do not think for one second that I wouldn’t have done it) among many, many others. Thursday night, attendees were invited to a huge expo hall where companies wooed bloggers with their wares. We were given huge (and heavy) swag bags upon entry that included everything from Vagisil to vitamins to VELCRO to vibrators. (Okay, I might or might not have stood in line at a booth to get the vibrator.)
I got to meet many women IRL (including the Awesome Angela Amman pictured in the pink blouse in the top of this post) that I’d only known online and the complimentary wine was surprisingly tasty. My favorite item in my swag bag was this beautiful necklace from Saressa Designs supplied by a company called The Artisan Group who bring small craft items to celebrities. (So I guess that means I’m a celebrity now!)
My new favorite necklace. (I’m wearing it in the top photo and the photo below.)
Friday, August 5th: Old Dominion at The Ventura County Fair
I had to skip BlogHer (and Kim Kardashian) so I could see Old Dominion play at the Ventura County Fair with my friend Simmah. And if you are not familiar with them, do yourself a huge favor and listen to their album, Meat and Candy NOW. It’s so good! I entered to win a Meet and Greet pass on their website and the music gods were smiling on me because I won!
Hot country rockstars & happy me!
And even though this is by no means my first backstage rodeo, I was nervous and giddy and forgot to tell them how awesome they were at Stagecoach in my allotted 60 seconds with them, but I did tell them how much I loved their songwriting and in particular how the song Nowhere Fast gives me all the feels. (Like, seriously, it’s so good!) And then I told them they really suck at Twitter. (I told you, I was nervous. Plus, they really are very bad at Twitter.) They were awesome though, so nice. I’m pretty sure they all want me. (Don’t all hot country rockstars secretly pine away for 50-year-old suburban women who babble on non-stop for 60 seconds at a meet and greet?)
Matthew Ramsey totally checking me out. Or defending the band’s lameness on Twitter. In my perfect world both these statements are true.
Saturday, August 6th: #BlogHer16 Convention
I got my tired ass out of bed much earlier than I wanted to attend the final day of the BlogHer convention with Rina and Kim. I’m talking a marathon thirteen hour day.
There was delicious food, engaging keynote speakers, informative workshops, and tons of schmoozing. The convention has such a fantastic energy. Highlights for me were the “The Pitch,” where five innovative women pitched their businesses in hopes of earning a $50,000 prize, hearing Lucy McBath of Mothers of the Movement tell her heartbreaking story, listening to Mayim Bialik talk about her website GrokNation and watching the pilot episode of the Amazon Prime show One Mississippi and the Q&A with the show’s star and creator Tig Notaro afterwards.
And then there was dancing. From 6-9 we took over the Conga Room at La Live and partied like rockstars. Or, like suburban moms in a club before it was even dark outside who were happy to be on a dance floor letting loose after a long weekend instead of at home cooking dinner for our families. (Which is kind of like being a rockstar, right?)
Sunday, August 7th: Warped Tour
Speaking of rockstars, I did not sleep all day Sunday like most people would after a week like I had. No, I got up like the baller that I am and took Marley to the Warped Tour in Pomona which 65 miles from my house and was about two degrees cooler than the surface of the sun. If you are unfamiliar with the Warped Tour you must not have a teenager who likes to listen to music where the word “singing” should be replaced with “screaming.” (Lucky you!)
So, yes, I am freaking Mother of the Year. And I looked like it too. After a week of looking totally cute for country rockstars and parties I put on the most suburban “Suburban Mom Running Errands” outfit I could find – a brightly colored tank top, baggy shorts, this cute baseball hat, and tennis shoes and stuck out like a sore thumb in a sea of black. (And no, you do not get a photo of that!)
The good news is, I have friends in high places and after a little bit of confusion (and maybe some begging) was able to score a wristband that gave me all access backstage where I was able to find a lovely couch under a tree at the commissary patio and sat there all afternoon reading my book. (Yes, I brought a book!)
Okay, maybe I’m not such a rockstar after all. But I don’t care. I ‘d earned the rest.
P.S. If you have read this entire post the real rockstar is YOU! It’s so freaking long. Thanks for sticking with me. You’re awesome!
Who doesn’t love a good Groupon? From wine tasting to checking out that new restaurant in town to treating yourself to a massage or booking a last minute getaway, Groupon has become the standard for saving money on experiences.
But did you know that Groupons can also be used for retail shopping? It’s true! Groupon has recently partnered with nearly ten thousand (10,000!!!) national retailers to introduce their latest service called Groupon Coupons. (Catchy, right?)
Groupon Coupons is a free service (that’s right, FREE), that helps you find coupons, discounts and special promo codes for both on-line and in-store shopping.
Heading out to Bed Bath and Beyond and can’t locate your latest 20% off coupon? Go to groupon.com/coupons & type “Bed Bath & Beyond” in the search bar and BOOM there are printable coupons for BB&B or online codes if you prefer not to leave the house.
Groupon Coupons features coupons for just about every store you’ve heard of. Whether you like shopping on the high end at J.Crew or Bloomingdales or prefer bargain shopping at Kmart or JC Penny, Groupon Coupon has a deal for you.
Groupon Coupons also features coupons for stores you might not be familiar with, like EyeBuy Direct, which lets you “try on” discounted eye wear only online. Check this out:
Now I look as smart as I feel when I shop with Groupon Coupon!
And you can even side-by-side compare how different styles look on you.
Um, I think the Muse and the Brighton are a NOPE!
And since you can shop the site by store name or by category it’s easy to find exactly what you’re looking for.
Please excuse my fuzzy screenshot.
So the next time you’re shopping online do yourself (and your wallet) a favor by checking out Groupon Coupon before you hit checkout. (You totally noticed my clever word play there, right?)
*This is a sponsored post, all opinions are my own. I mean seriously, how smart do I look in those cool blue glasses?
Hip Hip Hooray! July 24th is National Tequila Day!
Is it just me or does that Frosted Cowboy look a little blurry?
What, you didn’t know that was a thing? What’s wrong with you? How can you not have July 24th circled on your calendar every year?
Well, now that you know, you should definitely celebrate. (Like you really needed a reason to drink tequila on a hot summer afternoon!)
And since it’s a national holiday, I’m feeling very generous and thought I would give you a present.
For #NationalTequilaDay I’m going to give you the recipe for a Frosted Cowboy. That’s right, the drink made famous by the book. (Okay, famous may be a stretch.)
When I wrote my book and had my heroine, Laney Delaney, order a drink called a Frosted Cowboy I had no idea what was in it. But when I signed my book deal I knew I wanted to come up with a recipe for the drink to include in the book. I wanted the drink to match Laney’s personality, so it had to be something spicy, tart, and sweet (but not too sweet). And I definitely wanted it to have a kick!
And I knew it had to be made with tequila. Because I looooove tequila!
So if there’s anyone who can tell you how to celebrate national tequila day in style, it’s me!
So without further adieu, here is the recipe for a Frosted Cowboy:
3 ounces silver (blanco) tequila (I like Casamigos)
4 ounces pomegranate lime juice*
2 slices fresh jalapeño (though jarred jalapeño will do in a pinch)
1 lime wedge
1 tablespoon sea salt
2 tablespoons sugar
*If you cannot find pomegranate lime juice you can use 3 ounces pomegranate juice and 1 ounce lime juice (or the juice of 1 lime).
Mix the sea salt and sugar together on a plate. Run the lime wedge around the rim of the glass and then press the rim of the glass on the plate until it is heavily coated with the sugar-salt mixture heavily. (This is the most important part of the drink, well, after the tequila of course, so do not skip this step!)
Pour the tequila and juice into a cocktail shaker with ice and the jalapeño slices. Squeeze the juice from the lime wedge in the shaker and throw that in there too. Shake for about 30 seconds (if you can wait that long) and pour into salty-sugary glass.
It’s a book! It’s a cocktail! It’s BOTH! #FrostedCowboy
Delish!
Let me know if you end up trying the recipe. I’d love to know what you think.
Oh, and if you’re curious about the book that inspired the drink you can get that here. (And while you’re at it, why not get Love on the Rocks (with Salt)here, and get Tequila Slammer for FREE by signing up for my monthly newsletter here.
My friend Julie told me recently that a friend of hers heard from someone in their book club that Frosted Cowboy was going to be made into a movie and the rights sold for a million dollars. Yes, you heard that right – my book being made into a movie for $1,000,000! (Look at all those zeros!)
Only… it was news to me.
How do rumors like this get started? Although please, if you happen to be good friends with a big time Hollywood producer and think that by telling them my book was offered one million dollars for rights to the screenplay and it might intrigue them so much that they offer me $1,100,000 and start a bidding war (against no one), then by all means feel free to spread this rumor. But otherwise, nope, (sadly) 100% not true.
But what if it was?
My book, a movie!
Like most authors (probably), I’ve always pictured my book as a movie. In fact there is so much dialog in my book I’ve often said that it would probably make a better movie than it does a book. (Plus, there’s some serious hilarious physical comedy in there – if I do say so myself.)
But who would play Laney, Tom, Jake, Angel and Natalie?
When I first started writing Frosted Cowboy I pictured Sandra Bullock as Laney. At 36 Sandra Bullock was just four years older than Laney (who is 32).
The original Laney Delaney
The problem is life kept getting in the way and it took me a wee bit longer to write the book than I first imagined and while Laney remained 32, Sandra did not have that luxury, so she became too old. (Don’t feel bad Sandy, it happened to me too.)
As time went on I began to picture Drew Barrymore as Laney Delaney, because, like Laney (and Sandra Bullock), she is super adorable.
Drew would make an adorable Laney!
In fact, I had originally pictured Cameron Diaz as Natalie, so what if the Charlie’s Angels ladies reunited and Drew Barrymore played Laney, Cameron Diaz played Natalie and Lucy Liu played Kim? I am a casting genius!
Fabulous!
Can’t picture it? Then how about this…
Seriously, how cute would they be as Kim, Natalie and Laney?
But the same thing that happened to poor Sandra Bullock happened to these lovely ladies. They continued to age, while Laney did not.
I also pictured Tom being played by Tom Cruise. At the time he was about 10 years older than Laney’s Tom, but he looked like this so who cares.
Tom Cruise when he was hot. Okay, he’s still pretty hot. How about, Tom Cruise before we knew he was crazy.
And also, he had not yet done this:
No one can ever un-see this moment.
But now, like the ladies, he is too old. (And also, just crazy.)
Jake was originally Brad Pitt in my head.
The perfect bad boy
But Brad got old like the rest of them so he became Bradley Cooper. (Yes, I realize that Bradley Cooper is also too old, but I don’t care. Because Bradley Cooper!)
Yeah, I chose a picture of Bradley Cooper shirtless (and made it bigger than all the other pictures). You’re welcome.
And of course, Angel would be played by Angelina Jolie. (Who else?)
Angel looks like a devil, indeed.
But that was the original cast of Frosted Cowboy. Should we meet the 2016 cast?
I love Anne Hathaway. She’s got the lips, is super funny and even looks great with red hair.
My new perfect Laney Delaney!
Sure, she’s too skinny, but maybe she could fatten up ala Renee Zellweger in Bridget Jones’s Diary. (BTW, it is my goal in life to be as “fat” as Renee Zellweger in Bridget Jones.)
I love Renee Zellweger as Bridget Jones so much that I almost forgive her for once being Bradley Cooper’s girlfriend.
A few people have told me they see Zooey Dechenel in the lead role. I have to admit she fits the adorable/funny/awesome requirement that is Laney Delaney.
Zooey Deschanel – adorable, just like Laney Delaney
In the book Tom looks like Chris Pine, and I do find him super dreamy,
Could he be the man who steals Laney’s heart? (He can certainly have mine!)
but lately I’ve been picturing him as more of a Liam Hemsworth.
Hmmm… Chris Pine might have to move over!
And okay, okay, maybe my boyfriend Bradley Cooper is too old to play Jake. Maybe we could get Liam’s brother Chris to join the cast.
Um… Bradley who?
Of course the Hemsworth brothers, being brothers and all, perhaps do look too much alike to believably play two men who are un-related. But look at them:
Tom & Jake? What do you think?
Does it really matter?!
I think Margot Robbie would make a spectacular Natalie.
Blonde: check. Gorgeous: check. Skinny: check. The perfect Natalie.
And for the impossibly beautiful, sexy siren Angel? How about Megan Fox?
Move over Angelina, there’s a new Angel in town!
Of course there are so many other characters to cast (in fact I’ve been told more than once, too many) -Kim, Amanda, Alison, Kyle, Abbie & George- but I’m running out of time (and quite possibly your attention), so I’ll stop now.
But I’d love to know, who would you cast in the movie version of Frosted Cowboy? (And if you haven’t read it yet, what are you waiting for? Buy it here. Now!)
I set a goal last Monday night at my writing group: to go back to writing a Monday Blog Post every week until we meet again. Every. Single. Week. Except for this week because Monday was a holiday and no one reads blogs on holidays, so this week I am supposed to post my piece on Tuesday. Or so I promised my group (and more importantly, myself).
The problem? I have nothing to write about. Well, nothing worth writing about anyway.
I tried writing a clever post about what I did and did not do over the holiday weekend, but when I wrote…
Things I Did NOT Do Over the Three Day 4th of July Holiday Weekend
Do something fabulous or go somewhere fabulous and post the pictures on Facebook like (seemingly) everyone else I know.
…it sounded whiny and bitter instead of self-deprecating and funny as I’d intended.
And when I wrote…
Things I DID Do Over the Three Day 4th of July Holiday Weekend
Exactly one load of laundry – the cloth napkins and kitchen towels, which I folded while watching one of many, many hours of Property Brothers. (So, it looks like I’ll be wearing the ratty underwear this week.)
Got into a deep discussion with Marley about which Scott brother is hotter.
Discussion went like this:
Me: Jonathan’s the cuter one, right?
Marley: Totally, Mom.
Me: Are you sure, because sometimes I think it’s Drew.
Marley: It’s not.
Me: Okay.
Took two naps. (I’m getting over a cold. I’m a little disappointed in myself for not taking four.)
Took Marley to the gym and walked on the treadmill at a ridiculously slow speed while catching up on John Oliver and called it a “workout.” (See above – I was sick.)
Please take note of how the reflection of the florescent lights makes it look like John Oliver is holding a light saber, not the sad, sad time of my “workout.”
Played cards with Dave and Marley Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday night. (Yeah, the three of us – we’re like a party machine!)
Watched fireworks (through some very thick trees) at my mother’s house Monday night with Dave and Marley (Chandler was working) and then played more cards.
… I felt like everyone would die from the boredom of my pathetic life.
Seriously, you’re not still reading this are you? And if so, why? Is it because you feel sorry for me? Are you one of those weird Type-A-OCD people who has to finish whatever you start no matter what, even if you’ve figured out there will be no reward at the end? (Trust me, this post is not going to all of a sudden get better.)
But here is the good news: this blog post will be over soon.
And I can pat myself on the back for doing what I said I would do (at least this week) to achieve my goal. (To steal from and paraphrase the awesome Elizabeth Gilbert, I said I would write a blog post every week, not a good blog post every week.)
And you can be happy because you, too, have achieved your goal by finishing what you started. And because your life is way more exciting than mine. (Hey, I meant that in a funny/self-deprecating, not bitter/whiny way.) 🙂
I have a confession to make. I don’t really practice what I preach. I might even be a bit of a liar. You see, I am constantly telling my kids to live outside their comfort zone. Try something new. Do something scary.
But me?
I don’t do that.
I run the same three mile route. (Because I know I can do it.)
I always order carnitas at Mexican restaurants. (They’re so delicious, why risk getting something not nearly as yummy?)
And I always (always, always) drink California wine. (Non-California wine = Scary!)
So, when I was invited to the Wine and Swine event at Terrine Restaurant featuring wines from the Alsace region in France paired with a variety of pork dishes,I figured it was a great opportunity to take a step (or two) outside my comfort zone. Oh sure, you’re thinking the only reason I went is because of the free wine and amazingly delicious food created by chefs Kris Morningstar of Terrine and Chris Oh of Hanjip, and to that I would say you are being very rude! I was trying to do something new and scary and outside my comfort zone. (Also, remember, I’m a liar, so you’re right, it was totally about the wine and food.)
Anyway…
Wines of Alsace was a terrific host. The day started off with a seminar titled Alsace 101– an in-depth look at the region’s location, terroirs (that’s a fancy word for environmental conditions), culture and main varieties, led by Master Sommelier Brian McClintic of SOMM Films and ViticoleWine.com.
What a great way to start a day!
The seminar was informative and interesting, Brian was super-dreamy, and we tasted six wines: a dry Crémant d’Alsace, a fruity Pinot Blanc, a light Riesling, a complex Pinot Gris (my favorite), a sweet Gewurztaminer (my very-close second favorite) and a Pinot Noir that I was not a huge fan of, but I’m not a Pinot Noir girl, so I’m never the girl to ask about Pinot Noir.
Of course I enjoyed tasting the wines, but I also really enjoyed finding out about the region – its culture, its climate, its food. I’m pretty sure I need to vacation there. Soon.
After the seminar we retreated to the back patio for more wine tasting and the pork dish pairing. The pairing took place on Terrine’s iconic patio where tasting stations were set up for each varietal and the food was placed on tables in the middle.
The menu included:
Alsatian-Style Pork with Sauerkraut (Chef Morningstar made this sausage from scratch and in case you’re wondering, yes it is better than the pineapple bacon sausage you’re currently obsessing on from Costco. Like times one thousand. In other words: OMG! Best Sausage I’ve Ever Had!)
Cuban Sandwiches with Smoked Ham, Capicolla, Gruyere and Spicy Pickle Relish (Crazy good!)
Carnitas Tacos (These tacos were the bomb! Because, carnitas.)
Korean-Style Pork Lettuce Wraps – (Delish!)
Crispy Pork Croquettes with Sauce Gribiche and Frisée (Yum!)
Oh and there were servers passing around appetizers as well, including this burrata-to-die-for with mashed peas on toast (I might have had three. Or five. But who’s counting?)
As you can see, being a food photographer is not my specialty. (However, eating all this delicious food is.)
As my teenage daughter said the other day, “Don’t eat until you’re full. Eat until you hate yourself.” I kind of hated myself. But it was so, so good!
During this time there was a tasting of over 60 wines. (And no, I did not try them all!) But I may or may not have tried 10 different Pinot Gris (shh!), 7 or 8 different Pinot Blancs and a Gerwurztraminer or two. (Look, I’m talking the tiniest of sips.)
Oh, but I was not done. After the food and wine pairing there was one more seminar with my boyfriend Brian. (It makes no difference that he does not know he’s my boyfriend. )
Photographs of cute master sommeliers, also not my specialty.
The second seminar was titled Rocks & Riesling Retrospective. In this seminar we sampled a new and old vintage Riesling from four of Alsace’s top producers.
Zind-Humbrecht RieslingGrand Cru Rangen de Thann Clos Saint Urbain 2012 & 1993
Two more glasses than the first tasting – whoo hoo!
I loved all of these wines and tasting the differences between the old and new vintages was a fantastic experience. The vintages tasted nothing alike. The older wines smelled sweeter and tasted thicker. The younger wines were crisp, grassy, fresh. (Yeah, my descriptions are spot-on aren’t they? I don’t think there’s any chance of me becoming the 24th female American Master Sommelier any time soon.)
I thoroughly enjoyed this tasting and actually learned a thing or two. I even found out that French wine isn’t (that) scary. The next time I’m out to dinner, I might even take a departure from the California wine section and take a trip to my new favorite French region.
As I was walking my dog yesterday I noticed three empty beer bottles and their cardboard carrying box in the gutter by the high school. I guess the litterbugs only had time to finish half the six pack before they were interrupted from their suburban hoodlum activity.
The remnants of suburban hoodlum activity
Upon seeing this garbage in the road I realized I was faced with three choices:
Ignore it and leave the trash in the road, an uncaring witness to the destruction of my neighborhood and my planet.
Pick up the bottles and carrying case and dispose of them in the trashcan at the park, which would be good for my neighborhood, but bad for the planet as glass bottles take approximately one million years to decompose.
Pick up the bottles and carrying case, bring them home and recycle the bottles, therefore being a good local and global citizen.) Plus the recycling center gives 5 cents a bottle – cha-ching!)
So even though Earth Day is over, because I am a good human, I chose option #3.
Now, I never leave the house without a couple of poop bags, but I did not have a garbage bag with me so I was forced to carry the bottles in the cardboard carrying case. Convenient, yes, but it does not, perhaps, reflect the classy image I try so hard to project.
Then a little further down the road I happened upon another empty beer bottle from a presumably different suburban hoodlum (as it was a different brand of beer), so I stuck that in the carrying case as well.
And then, thanks to Jen, who likes her caramel macchiatos venti-sized, I saw an empty Starbucks cup in the gutter a little further down. (I’m sure you make your mother proud with your inability to find a trash can, Jen.)
So, if you happened to drive by and tsk-tsk at the suburban mom walking down the street at 7AM with a brindle-colored dog carrying 4 empties (and a Starbucks cup!), get over your damn self, Judgy McJudgerson. I was saving the earth!
Charlene Ross 