Sweet Tooth

One distinct difference between American culture, and Japanese culture, is their meticulous attention to detail in every aspect of life. From their traditional and extensive tea ceremonies, to their obsession with fashion, not one detail is overlooked. A friend of mine recently said I was born in the wrong country, that I was meant to be born in Japan - I think that was her kind way of telling me that I have OCD tendencies when it comes to certain things. One of those things being my attention to accessories, both those firmly affixed on my person (I consider hair and nails important accessories,) or those carried on my person. And what do people always carry with them? Their cell phones of course! A couple months ago when I purchased a new phone, I was ecstatic to find that I finally possessed a phone with accessory capabilities. I promptly went to my local Japanese boutique (in this case Soho's Kiteya,) and stocked up on danglies and doodads. The sweets pictured above are just a taste of the myriad of options available to those who want to sweeten their load. Whether you're adding some much needed funk to a calculator, or some ice cream to your PDA, you really can't go wrong. This trend, like many other Japanese trends, hasn't exactly crossed over to North America yet but that hasn't stopped me from dressing up my phone, and envisioning the streets of Tokyo. Super kawaii!!!

Breaking The Habit

I'll be the first to admit that when I get into a show I'll consume it 'til the last drop. I drank down the first season of Dexter in two days, and months later gorged on the first four seasons of LOST, but I'd like to think that my addiction never superceded other elements of my life. In this hilarious sketch by Saturday Night Live's Fred Armisen, and fiancée Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men) we see what could happen if I really went off the deep end.

[FunnyOrDie via Jezebel]

The Video Vault: LIVE

Blonde Redhead is on my list of "Favorite Bands Of All Time" along with, of course, Fugazi, The Smiths, and Les Savy Fav. What I love so much about Blonde Redhead is their constant sound evolution. I was first introduced to their music at age 15, when a dear friend from New York sent me a mix tape... that mix tape would become my music bible. It was chock full of melodies and orchestral magic - Morrissey, Built to Spill, Enon, Blonde Redhead, and much much more. It was with this introduction, and my consequent purchase of Blonde Redhead's 1995 album La Mia Vita Violenta that I fell in love with the Italian twins, and their Japanese songstress. Flash-forward to 2008: I realize one morning as I leave my apartment, and turn on my iPod to that very album, that 2/3 of the band is standing right in front of me. Such a small world it is, most notably when you're idols end up living next door. Below find a performance of one of my favorite songs, "In Particular" from the album Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons (2000).

Back In The Day

When you're a celebrity, whether you're an actor or a senator, your past becomes an open book. Unlike us common folk who can easily hide that devastating senior photo, or that late night karaoke explosion, for celebrities their past is often documented and broadcast for all to see. Case in point these 90s era commercials starring Jeremy Davies (Saving Private Ryan, LOST), Seth Green (Austin Powers, Family Guy), and Paul Rudd (Clueless, Knocked Up). These dudes are hawking Subaru, Nerf and Super Nintendo - how totally 90s of them! There's a real sense of enthusiasm from these young actors, and considering the amount of success they've had since these ads first aired I'd say that enthusiasm paid off.

Pressed For Success

This summer I've somehow found myself consistently surrounded by flowers. Whether I'm roaming the streets in a floral print dress, ruminating about my fire escape garden (more on that later), or buying a bouquet at the corner deli - I just can't escape them! And I'm not complaining. For the past few years, my mother has told me that I should always have a bouquet of fresh flowers in my apartment, but it's just so sad when they shrivel up and wilt. I admit, there's nothing like fresh flowers to brighten up a space, and any woman who says she doesn't like getting flowers is lying. So what better way to keep 'em fresh than to seal them in CalGel on your very own nails? That's right, those are real dried flowers you see above courtesy of Mika at Valley... now if only I could figure out how to get those darn squirrels out of my flower box.

Nail photograph by Christophe Tedjasukmana.

For The Love of Food

There's nothing like watermelon on a hot sticky day. Today is one of those days, so in anticipation of the heat I whipped up this Chopped Veggie Salad with Watermelon and Feta Cheese last night. Honestly, it is one of the easiest and tastiest summer salads I've ever had - and it'll impress the pants off of anyone (not like I've tried). Although it's popular for breakfast in Israel, it can be eaten at any time of day, and it also works really well as a BBQ side dish. I adapted this recipe from one I found featured in Bon Appétit last summer, but nixed their yogurt dressing in favor of simply delicious olive oil. This sweet and savory combination hits the spot every time...

Ingredients:
1 large tomato
1 cup seeded watermelon, cut into cubes
1 large red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into cubes
1/2 large seedless cucumber, cut into cubes
1 cup cubed feta cheese
1 green onion, chopped
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation:
Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with a smile.

Note: This salad gets pretty juicy as the salt works its magic on the veggies, so drain it on occasion to keep the salad as crunchy as possible. Say no to soggy veggies.

Har Maru Superstar

You are staring into the eyes of Maru, one of Japan's biggest internet stars! Maru's Blog is frequented by people all over the world, itching to see this Scottish Fold ragamuffin in action. Like most adorable felines he loves boxes, sneak attacks and seaweed. But somehow the fact that all of his antics take place in a pristine Japanese apartment, make his endeavors even more endearing. His owner peppers the site with pictures, videos and hilarious recaps of all of Maru's adventures. It was recently announced that Maru will have his very own book, available in Japan in September. Although international sales are pending, I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of this fellow over the next few months. I mean, come on, how can you resist that face?! Below view some classic Maru skills:

American Sweetheart

As a lover of film, I often watch in amazement as an actor embodies their character wholeheartedly. When this happens, it's almost as if I forget I'm watching a film - the actor disappears and all that is left is a parallel world, untouchable, but real if only for a few hours. These actors transform themselves both physically and emotionally, hoping to convince us that they have become someone else. Roles that immediately come to mind are Marion Cotillard as Edith Piaf, Heath Ledger as the Joker, and Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman. Although Bale didn't have to starve himself for the role of Bateman (unlike his recent role preparations) he still managed to bring Bret Easton Ellis' character to life for the screen adaptation of American Psycho. Ellis is one of my favorite authors, and although the film deviates slightly from the book, most people agree that it succeeds in capturing all of the novel's horror.

The art of acting is a fierce creature, always evolving. The next logical step is actors who recontextualize silver screen characters, along with those who played them. Queue up-and-coming thespian Miles Fisher. Fisher takes on Bale's Bateman with the kind enthusiasm and accuracy usually reserved for theater. Check out his interpretation of American Psycho, set to a cover of my favorite Talking Heads track. (Note: The video includes simulated nudity, and other Bateman weirdness so it's probably NSFW).