July Favorites

Wow. We're already ten days (most likely 11 by the time you read this) into August! Where has the summer gone? It feels like it's literally slipped through my fingers and we're barreling towards the end of the year. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. This year has been incredibly odd. I've also had a real bad case of summertime sadness, but that's a story for a different post. I'd really like to introduce a new type of post - my end of the month favorites. So, without further ado, let's get to the things I was jamming with during the month of July! 

  • Micheladas at Disneyland - I am going to be so sad when this seasonal beverage is no longer offered. This tomato juice/beer combo is so refreshing on a hot summer day. Which just the right amount of spice...SIGH. Disney is kicking it up a notch in the snack/drink department and this foodie is trying to make the most out of her pass.
  • Green hair - I installed a green unit this month and while I was unsure at first (I've never had green hair), I have quickly fallen in love and think emerald hued locks will be here to stay for a while.
  • Handmaid's Tale - Just like everyone else, I got sucked into this show and it's warnings about our possible dystopian (not-so-distant) future. While I definitely think the criticism's about it's blind spots were valid, it still hit a hard nerve with me. 
  • Reign - Okay, thanks to my mom and Netflix, I got sucked into everything that is Reign. This is a show that had been on my radar and after catching a few random episodes, I knew I eventually wanted to dive in. And I did. And now I'm beside myself because it's over. The costumes were not period appropriate, but they were GORGEOUS. There was so much DRAMA, and ROMANCE, and MAGIC. And of course, because it's a CW show, ridiculously good looking young people. 10/10 would binge again.
  • Retrowave - A discovered a whole new genre of music thanks to my friends Cristina and Daniel and I am OBSESSED. "Retrowave is a musical genre and growing culture that harnesses the sound, drive and sheer passion of the 80's-90's. It is one of the most refreshing sounds to hit the music scene and has been long overdue." Via NewRetroWave. It is everything in that exerpt and more. It's given me life.
  • Muna - I also became OBSESSED with the band Muna. They're three queer girls from LA who make dark pop and their album is AMAZING. I've included my favorite song of that release on the July playlist. Don't just take my word for it - they're opening for Harry Styles on his upcoming US tour.
  • Banana Pudding - I had the best banana pudding I've ever had at a party on July 4th and now I'm lowkey obsessed with the desert - and I never really cared for it before. 
  • Laura Palmers - Half lemonade. Half coffee. I know it sounds crazy, but it's tart and acidic and totally refreshing. 
  • Green Crush - I'm all about agua fresca when it's hot out, and the only place I know where it's readily and quickly available is Green Crush. The offerings at Green Crush are a bit sugary, and they are only located in malls, but they're still great. 
  • Face Masks - Dude. Summer is rough on the skin. Take care of your precious faces. I've been doing approximately two masks a week and still had some skin flareups from travel, stress, sun, sweat, etc.
  • Carry On by Rainbow Rowell - Picked up a copy at SDCC and read the whole book in about six hours. I am all about SnowBaz and wish there were more books. It basically takes all of the subversive things in Harry Potter that fans complain about and makes them canon. Perfection.
  • DreamDaddy - Damien Bloodmarch is my sweet goth Daddy whom I love with all of my heart. Fight me.

And to finish things off - here's the July playlist. 

Love you all. Be kind to yourselves.

xo.

All photos in this post are the property of their respective owner's and I am using them at the mercy and with the thanks of Google image search. 

Beetlehouse LA

So, I went to Beetlehouse LA for my birthday, and I feel like we need to talk about it. Beetlehouse is a Tim Burton themed restaurant and bar; first done as a pop-up in NYC and then brought to Los Angeles. My honest thoughts? Go to the bar, skip the dinner reservation. 

I was stoked when I first heard about Beetlehouse NYC. I've been a lover of Tim Burton's work as far back as I can remember. The Burton exhibit done at LACMA was one of my favorite exhibits there. However, after that bullshit Tim was talking about black people during the press cycle for "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children"; it's been a little bit harder for me to think of him fondly. That said, I wanted to separate art from artist and enjoy an evening out. Beetlehouse LA's opening was announced a few months ago, and the timing coincided with my birthday, so I decided to make dinner reservations and celebrate in a style that felt true to my aesthetic and interests.

And I did! It's a very cute restaurant. The door is basically a hole in the wall; you're let in by a bouncer and ascend up a thin staircase to a macabre world lit by blacklight. There's fog being pumped through the whole bar, and the walls that house various pieces of artwork based on Burton's filmography have been made to look crumbling and decrepit. There's a host of different entertainers mingling with the guest; from a Mad Hatter, to a Jack Skellington, to a Willy Wonka, to an Edward Scissorhands. There are also freak performers! One approached me and nailed a nail into her nose while my friend watched (there's no fucking way I looked at her doing that. No way). The drink menu features a ton of different Burton themed cocktails. There's a great assortment of "goth" rock playing on the stereo. If it were just the bar; I'd recommend without hesitation. Dinner is a different story. 

(Menu and Decor picture above. Everything is bathed in blacklight; 90% of your pictures will probably turn out like shit.) 

Now, the service I received from the greeter and the host was great. I had a rather large party of seven and a baby, every last one of us was almost 45 minutes late, and they still sat us immediately without any hesitation. The restaurant area is more of the same as far as decor is concerned. It's all very cute. There's a stage where clips from Burton movies are played on loop, and a freak show happens every hour or so. It was a lot of fun. The service we received from our server was mediocre at best. He was a nice person. He really was. But, the food took forever to come out to us, and considering it's a set menu with few options it was rather upsetting. He also copped attitude because my friend and I wanted to split our three course entré. Uh, we're rather petite ladies; we weren't going to finish all of the offered food by ourselves. He also didn't want to let one of my friends order their alcoholic beverages on a separate check, in order to make our splitting the bill easier at the end of the night. I've worked in food service - these are all rather standard requests. That's not where my big gripe is though. My biggest gripe is the food itself. It wasn't really that great. The food is themed as well; but the presentation is lackluster and the food itself leaves something to be desired. For $40 - $45 per plate, plus tax and tip; I wanted the full experience and I've had food at Chili's that tasted better. 

So, all in all, have dinner somewhere else, go to the bar, enjoy the spooky vibe, and try not to think about how Johnny Depp is basically the same caricature in every movie now. 

Phantom Carriage

Alright y'all. I'm about to talk about one of my favorite things: BRUNCH. If you don't like brunch get the fuck out; because how could you hate sleeping in and still getting to enjoy breakfast food, the best kind of food of them all (after Mexican food)? I was recently introduced to a great new brunch spot; Phantom Carriage Brewery in Carson, California! 

Phantom Carriage Brewery is a horror themed brewery that's just over two years old. I was told about it recently by my friend, Melissa, a fellow horror fan, and we both decided we had to go there as soon as possible. The decor is everything you'd expect from a horror themed brewery; vintage horror movie posters, skeletons, specimen jars, etc. It's dimly lit, they blast metal over the speakers, there's a theater room off of the entrance hall where they screen horror movies, and of course barrels and barrels and bottles and bottles of beer. 

I was in heaven the second I stepped inside. Before I talk about anything else; I'd really like to mention the exceptional service. My friend Melissa uses a wheelchair, and I was nervous when I got there before she did, because despite their wheelchair accessible blue signs posted, I didn't see anywhere she'd be comfortable - every table was a high bar table with bar stools. However, the second I mentioned I was being met by a friend who needed to be accommodated; they immediately made sure we had somewhere comfortable for her to sit and brought me a chair the same height, so I wouldn't be towering over in a bar stool. Every member of the staff I met that day was ridiculously nice; made sure we had everything we needed, and were generally just great people. 

The beer selection and the brunch menu were on point. I was a little skeptical, most bars have shit food. However, Phantom Carriage does not disappoint. 

So many great looking choices! I went for the seasonal Ancient Horror, the Breakfast sandwich, and finished off with an Obsidian Stout. Everything was impeccable. The Ancient Horror had citrusy and floral notes and was just sweet enough to really compliment my savory breakfast sandwich that had the most delicious runny egg and an especially sour pickle on the side. Their stout is great; really deep and chocolatey. The don't play around when it comes to the ABV either; I didn't finish my Stout, because I drove.

All in all, Phantom Carriage was a great time. 10/10 would recommend. Got any great brunch spots in the LA area I should know about? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time. xo.

these are a few of my favorite things...

It's my birthday! My favorite day of the year. I'll be 28 at 6:36pm. Being born on the 8th in the year 1988, means that 8 has been favorite number since I was a kid. I love numbers that end in 8, and 28 holds a special place in my heart, so I have high hopes for this year. I've been doing a lot of self-reflection (when aren't I?), and thinking about what this birthday means to me. I got stuck on the idea of favorites, so I'm dedicating this entry to myself and my favorite things! I'm kinda like Oprah, except there is absolutely nothing under your chair, unless you put it there yourself.

I wrote this "poem" (I hate the word poem, btw. It makes my skin crawl. I have the same reaction to it as the word moist. I just feel dirty after it) a few years ago for a project I've since put on pause. It's based on a very real event. 

i have favorites;

favorite songs, favorite films, favorite television shows, favorites words, favorite paintings, favorite books, favorite articles of clothing, favorite foods, favorite scents, favorite songs, favorite people, favorite memories.

my favorites can even be divided into sub-favorites; favorites of the moment, favorites during high school, favorites last winter, least favorites.

and i did not know why until i was hanging out with a boy

and i kept asking him what his favorite thing was;

season, type of weather, class at school

and he kept shrugging and i looked at him like he was crazy and he looked at me like i was crazy (and in hindsight i should have known my infatuation would go up in flames as it did three weeks later)

and he said, he didn't have a favorite anything. and i said, but everyone has to.

he said he never thought about it. i told him i always did. and he asked me

why. and i paused. and then said. stability.

he blinked and asked what i meant and i rehashed my parents and my childhood, (we had bonded over our broken families). 

no matter how many times my dad left, or fights i got into with my brothers, or friends i lost, when things on the outside changed

i was still a girl who like beauty and the beast, spicy tacos, spiced soy chai latte, and the addams family best of all.

no matter how many boys broke my heart, classes i didn't do well in, disappointments i heaped upon myself, 

i will always be someone who loves johnny rocket's because it reminds me of being a little girl and having lunch with my mom,  who likes fall, the rain, the ocean and the full moon best of all.

if i go somewhere else different, lose my family, my emotions change me into a monster, when things fall apart, the universe takes a shit on my life,

and all of the real things that make me a person fade away,

i can fill myself with favorite things like i'm a nun in the sound of music and my favorite things can pull me through until i find out who i am again. 

he cocked his head to the side and said it was cute. then he changed the subject, asked if i had any dvds and wantedto talk about using drugs and bad trips and i had nothing to say on the subject.

so we watched a few episodes of gossip girl before i pretended to be tired and asked him politely to leave. he dumped me a few weeks later in a text message.

i cried for a night, then the next morning, at my best friend and roommate’s behest i put on my favorite jeans, made up my face with my favorite glittered shadow, went to my favorite local coffee shop for a thai tea with soy milk,

and life rolled on, as it has a habit of doing.

I'm so deep, right? Anyway. Here's a list of my utterly favorite and most cherished things out of all the things in the universe. 

Albums

Depeche Mode - Violator, The Distillers - Coral Fang, AFI - Sing the Sorrow, No Doubt- Tragic Kingdom, David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, Prince - Purple Rain, Tegan & Sara - The Con, The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, The Cure - Disintegration, Britney Spears - Blackout, Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine, Amanda Palmer - Who Killed Amanda Palmer?, The Spice Girls - Spice/Spice World, Nirvana - Nevermind, Hole - Live Through This, Siouxsie and the Banshees - Juju, Bauhaus - Mask The Go Go’s - Beauty and the Beat, Fleetwod Mac - Rumors,  Brand New - Deja Entendu, Marilyn Manson- Mechanical Animals, The Used - In Love and Death

Bands/Singers/Etc.

Prince, Depeche Mode, David Bowie, No Doubt, AFI, Blaqk Audio, Queen, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Cure, The Smiths, Cyndi Lauper, Oingo Boingo, Brody Dalle, Tiger Army, Nirvana, Hole, Tegan & Sara, The Horrorpops, Amanda Palmer, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Blink 182, All Time Low, Matchbook Romance, Alkaline Trio, Dashboard Confessional, O-Town, Lady Gaga, Good Charlotte, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Interpol, Brand New, My Chemical Romance, The Used, Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Placebo, The Misfits, Motley Crue, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, theSTART, 30 Seconds to Mars, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Lacey Sturm, Girl In A Coma, Florence + The Machine, Paramore, VNV Nation, Emelie Autumn, Coheed and Cambria, Alien Ant Farm, Lights, PVRIS, Sleeping with Sirens, Set It Off, Black Veil Brides, Issues, Memphis May Fire, Falling In Reverse, Pierce the Veil, Melanie Martinez, Halsey, Banks, Beyoncé, The Weeknd, Drake, Justin Beiber, One Direction, Zayn

Movies

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, What Dreams May Come, Bride of Frankenstein, Moulin Rouge, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Jeux D’enfants, Inception, Labyrinth, The Godfather, Amadeus, Edward Scissorhands, Finding Neverland, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Batman, Kill Bill, Star Wars (The original trilogy), Closer, Gypsy 83, Unfaithful, Dude, Where’s My Car?, Tropic Thunder, A Goofy Movie, Hook, Jurassic Park, Star Trek, The Princess Bride, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Clueless, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Armageddon, The Silence of the Lambs, Studio 54, The Goonies, Monster Squad

Horror Movies

IT, Rob Zombie’s Halloween, The Scream Quadrilogy, The Cabin in the Woods, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Psycho, Sleepwalkers, Silver Bullet, The Shining, Carrie, Nightmare on Elm Street, Paranormal Activity, Friday the 13th

Actors/Actresses

Christopher Lloyd, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, Phylicia Rashad, Audrey Hepburn, Marlon Brando, Marilyn Monroe, Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne, Richard Pryor, Helena Bonham Carter, Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Rene Russo, Christopher Walken, Anne Hathaway, Robert Downey Jr., Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence

TV Shows

The Addams Family, Alias, Game of Thrones, Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, How To Get Away With Murder, Parks and Recs, Bob’s Burgers, Archer, Gossip Girl, True Blood, The Simpsons, Saved By The Bell, Sex and the City, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Married with Children, Arrested Development, Gossip Girl, Elementary, Law and Order: SVU, Castle, Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, Batman, The Munsters, Key and Peele, The Twilight Zone, Orange is the new Black, Once Upon a Time, Goosebumps, BoJack Horseman, Rizzoli and Isles 

Cartoons

Batman: The Animated Series, Jem, Recess, Sailor Moon, Steven Universe, Gargoyles, Duck Tales, Quack Pack, Chip N Dale Rescue Rangers, Tail Spin, Adventures of the Gummi Bears, Darkwing Duck, Animaniacs, Freakazoid, Bobby's World, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, Taz-Mania, Eek! The Cat, Tiny Toon Adventures, X-Men, Doug, The Tick, Phineas and Ferb, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rugrats, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius

Books

Weetzie Bat, James and the Giant Peach, Their Eyes Were Watching God, The Stepford Wives, Needful Things, The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles, Breakfast At Tiffany’s, The Face on the Milk Carton, Christine, The Virgin Suicides, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Choke, Pride and Prejudice, Snuff, Catcher and the Rye, The Giver, The Bell Jar, Peeps, Tithe (trilogy), A Series of Unfortunate Events, Island of the Blue Dolphins

Plays

Medea, Antigone, Salome, Words Words Words, English Made Simple, Baby With the Bathwater, Hamletmachine, The Goat or Who Is Sylvia?, Savage/Love, Blood Wedding, The Crucible, Inherit the Wind, A Raisin in the Sun, Electra, Phaedra, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Fuente Ovejuna, The Tempest, King Lear, A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Musicals

Into the Woods, Hamilton, Phantom of the Opera, The Book of Mormon, Chicago, Dreamgirls,Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Jesus Christ Superstar, Les Miserables, Little Shop of Horrors, Rent, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Sweeney Todd, Westside Story, Wicked, The Wiz, Cabaret

Foods (I was vegetarian for 9 years and am still mostly meatless, so most of these are the vegetarian versions)

Tacos, Chocolate Covered Strawberries, Waffles, Burritos, Cheese, Chili, Lasagna, Veggie Burgers, Nachos, Collard Greens, Egg rolls, Wonton Soup, Ice Cream, Soy Dogs, Mac and Cheese, Peach Cobbler, Gumbo, Cookies, Cheese Cake, Grilled Cheese, PB & J, French Fries, Cinnamon Rolls, Chips and Salsa, Tomato Soup

Fruits and Veggies

Potatoes, Avocados, Watermelon, Peaches, Strawberries, Tomato, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Cucumber, Mushrooms, Pumpkins

Flavors of Ice Cream

Strawberry, Mint Chip, Ben N Jerry's Cookie Dough,  Ben N Jerry's Half Baked,  Ben N Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup

Junk Foods

Dorritos, Sour Cream and Cheddar Ruffles, Hot Cheeto Fries, Chocolate Donettes, Cup O’ Noodle/Top Ramen, Kettle Korn

Cereals

Trix, Frosted Mini Wheats, Oh’s, Raisin Bran, Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Golden Grahams

Candy

Pink Starburst, Haribo Gummy Bears, Milky Way, Jelly Belly’s, Milky Way Midnight, Peanut Butter M&M’s

Drinks

Coffee, Coca Cola (especially Vanilla or Cherry), Tea, Sweet Tea, Champagne, Beer, Sparkling Water, Moscow Mules, Margaritas, Salty Dogs

Starbucks Orders

Soy Chai, Cold Brew coffee with soy milk, Soy caramel macchiato, Strawberry Acai refresher, Citrus green tea latte with soy, Mango black tea , Soy Cinnamon dulce latte, 

Holidays

Thanksgiving, New Year's Eve, Valentines Day, Halloween, Christmas

Things to Do

Sing, Read, Write, Go to shows, Take naps, Laugh, Watch movies, Go to live theater, be kissed, Walk on the shore, Drive really fast late at night, Go to conventions and fan stuff, Be in nature for limited amounts of time, Be with the people I love, Call people by their full names 

Yeah, I like a lot of stuff. I also dislike a lot of stuff, but that's for a different post. Maybe my half birthday?

Here's to the next year. Maybe it full of growth, change, happiness, and favorites. 

Oh, I made you a bonus playlist. Full of, you guessed it, my favorite songs. Enjoy. xoxo