Where I've Been.....

I've been swept up with Simpatico rehearsals and crafting a tantalizing crime-fiction short story for a Maryland-based literary magazine.

And good news to report! I'm now the Calendar/"Detours" editor of Chesapeake Life Magazine.

That means, seven times a year, I'll provide more than 60,000 readers (from MD, DE, PA, and VA) with the latest on events in the Chesapeake-region, as well as the arts, food, travel, home, garden, and local personalities.

I can't wait to visit the area, and I hope you'll share any secret gems. Feel free to comment or send an e-mail to RedLipstickAndCandy@gmail.com.

Everyone's Buzzing About....

SLENDER

I try not to steal ideas from the newscast I write for, but I just had to share one of today's "lighter" pieces -- literally.

Slender Wine, based in Indiana, is the world's only naturally-sweetened wine. No carbs. No fat. No sugar. Basically, a diet wine.

Slender comes in white, blush, and red... for just TEN DOLLARS a bottle. Slender hasn't hit the national market yet, but individual bottles are available for purchase off their website.

Dog Of The Week

This is Jesse Monet.* She's a two-year-old chocolate lab and lives with my parents in Baltimore County. Jesse likes bacon-flavored toys, stealing socks and women's underwear, and string cheese.

Jesse enjoys going to the dog park. Though she refuses to cuddle with me, Jesse is quite the socialite at the Baltimore Animal Recreation Park. For only $25 a year, Jesse chills with her dog friends almost every day - rain or shine. She frolics in the 1.5 acre field (for "big dogs"), and enjoys the "all-you-can-drink" special from the park's water fountain.

Though I often call Jesse a "bitch," (she bites me, ignores me, and prefers every other member of my family to myself) I still love her. She's the bratty, but adorable, little sister I never had, and even though I'm slightly allergic to her, I'm proud to call her "Dog of the Week."


*Jesse was apparently a very expensive dog, which is where the "Monet" came from. French for money? I still don't understand.

Mark Your Calendars....

I hope you'll come and see....

SIMPATICO
a play by Sam Shepard
Directed by Joe Martin

with Johns Hopkins University Theater at the Merrick Barn Theater ("The Barn")

February 27, 28 -- 8pm; March 1 -- 2pm
March 6, 7 -- 8pm; March 8 -- 2pm

$5 for students/ $8 for non-students

Featuring film/TV-actor Mackenzie Astin, Hannah Carney, Laura Gordon, Scott Morse, Lisa Rosinsky, and Mike Wills.

Just In Time For Valentine's Day...

Nothing's worse than someone who smells too strongly of perfume or cologne. It's tough to gauge the right amount to apply, so I usually opt for a scented body lotion instead.

But there's one intoxicating perfume that I always go back to...

Philosophy's "Falling in Love" ($25).

It's a delicious blend of vanilla, soft florals, and ripe berries... so it smells like a sexy, fruity cupcake!

Just slip the tube in your purse and apply when needed. The roll-on applicator makes it easy to dab on your "pulse points."

Treat yourself to a special Valentine's Day gift!

Sweet Treat

Thanks so much to Saya for designing the banner for Red Lipstick & Candy! I love it!

Many people have asked me where the title comes from -- especially because I don't wear red lipstick and don't eat much candy.

But you know who does both??..... My grandmother. When we moved her into an assisted-living home, her first request was for red lipstick and candy. Apparently, her most essential possessions.

Therefore, the title is a tribute to the things we love and can't live without -- however bizarre they may seem.

And on that note... I totally owe Saya our FAVORITE meal from the Charles Village area...

Veggie pizza from Hopkins Deli!

Run Away

The best part of the last few [transient] days of nice weather has been running outside.

As much as I love yoga, running outside is the ultimate therapy. While yoga helps clear my mind, running seems to generate ideas. I usually come up with ideas for stories while running, and it's the best way to blow off steam.

That being said, a good pair of running shoes is essential to get up and down Maryland hills. For the past four years, I've purchased my shoes at Fleet Feet Sports in Baltimore.

The shop, located in Pikesville's Festival of Woodholme, is paradise for runners. The employees are energetic and experts in all things running. I've never been disappointed in a pair of shoes, and surprisingly, each pair has cost me less than $100. (Usually around $85)

(The Brooks GTS (9.5/narrow) have been my weapon of
choice for the past two years.)

By watching the customer run in either old or new shoes, the employees offer suggestions in terms of support and shoe structure. They even let you take a jog outside.

Fleet Feet Sports also has a wide selection of running apparel, particular shorts (my favorite: black and hot pink Nike shorts!) and sports bras.

But they're not just a shoe store, more of a running support system.

Fleet Feet runs a 5K training program, which kicks off April 18th this year... as long as you can wake yourself up for the 8am runs.

They also have Tuesday and Thursday fun-runs. Because everyone knows it's easier to get through the miles while chatting with someone -- maybe even a cute runner new to town?

News In My Entertainment

In the past few weeks, I've come across several instances in which news has seeped into my entertainment.

Big Love is an HBO series about a Mormon family. In the current season, characters mention "what's going on in the news" -- which indirectly refers to Warren Jeffs -- the head of the FLDS Church who's been convicted of such crimes as sexual conduct with minors and incest. In fact, one of the central character's plot lines appears to be mimicking Jeffs'. It seems necessary for Big Love -- a show about religion -- to address the news; however, I think without explicitly mentioning the controversy (by name), the references comes off as phony. If the news is going to become an integral character to a series, I think actual footage from the "controversy" and/or more specific references would have made the themes of paranoia and bigotry more textured and less assumed.

A Showtime series, the L Word explores a network of lesbians in the Los Angeles area. The series has always throbbed with politics; the sixth and final season explicitly mentions Prop 8, recent homophobic assaults, etc. But this season I've been frustrated with Max's plot line. A transgendered female-male, Max becomes pregnant after having unprotected sex with his biologically male boyfriend. After discovering his pregnancy, Max mentions the controversial "pregnant man" -- Thomas Beattie. If Max was so familiar with Beattie, you'd think that he'd realize it was possible for a biological female taking male hormones to become pregnant. This plot line feels forced and contradictory. With recycled material from the news, it seems like an appropriate time for the L Word to come to a close.

Also on Showtime, Secret Diary of a Call Girl is probably my least favorite series of the three. However, I think the show does the best job of alluding to a recent news controversy. In the second season, the protagonist Belle, an "empowered prostitute," has an affair with a politician. Unfortunately, a paparazzo catches them and threatens to make the photos public. Problem is, Belle keeps her profession hidden from family and friends. Though Eliot Spitzer's name isn't brought up, the episode immediately brings the former New York governor's situation to mind. The difference is, Secret Diary uses the situation to reveal a different side of the over-told story -- the prostitute's point of view. The episode made me wonder, in a thoughtful way, how Spitzer's "female friend" felt during the incident. While Secret Diary allowed me to ponder news in a unique way, the other two shows seemed to be tapping me on the shoulder in an effort to remind me they were relevant.

So in the end, I'm torn. On the one hand -- keep your news out of my entertainment!! I watch a show to escape, not to be reminded of polygamy, Prop 8, and over-reported political/sexual scandals. On the other hand, I applaud the shows for attempting to be socially and politically relevant. I just wish they'd keep their artistic integrity throughout the process.

A Hot and Healthy Meal for the On-the-Go Girl

The recent salmonella-outbreak is a scary thing. At least eight people have died from the bacteria and more than 550 have been sickened. Working in the news business, I've been keeping track of daily peanut recalls. It was a sad day when I was forced to toss my peanut-butter flavored Nature Valley bars.

But the peanut-butter scare doesn't have me nearly as worked up as this past summer's tomato/salmonella scare. Between salads, sandwiches, and eggs, I probably eat a tomato or two every day.

The perfect counterpart to tomatoes is mozzarella cheese. And though tomatoes and mozzarella work best on top of a crunchy pizza, I've learned to incorporate the yummy items into healthier meals.

I don't cook, and my kitchen is TINY, so most of my meals are prepared in my trusty microwave. About a year ago, I discovered I could actually MAKE EGGS in the microwave!! Several times a week, I'd pour a cup of egg whites into a microwavable bowl, toss in some tomatoes and cheese (or if I wanted to get fancy... basil, salsa, green peppers, olives) and heat on 2 minutes, stir, heat for 2 more minutes. Voila! Perfection in a bowl.

Then just a few days ago, my thoughtful and understanding mother gifted me with this, a MICROWAVABLE OMELET MAKER:

Someone out there realizes that not all of us have the time to wait for the stove to come on. Not all of us dishwashers or garbage disposals that can handle cleaning a pan.

I tested the contraption today and enjoyed a DELICIOUS omelet. It's easy to use and comes out in the shape of an omelet I'd order at any restaurant or diner.

And my friends thought I was crazy....

He is his Own Wife

You have 17 days left to catch Everyman Theater's production of I Am My Own Wife.

Bruce R. Nelson plays the politically controversial transvestite Charlotte von Mahlsdorf in Doug Wright's 2004 Pulitzer Prize-winning play.

Though it's a one-man (or should I say "woman") show, Nelson uses different voices and characters, so it actually feels as though there are a series of actors on the stage.

The first act was a bit slow and weighed down with exposition, but the second act exploded. I Am My Own Wife is funny, sweet, and heartbreaking. The play is not "about transvesties," nor is it "about the Stasi;" rather, its about the choices we are forced to make for art, love, and our personal happiness, and the inevitable repercussions and judgments that continue to follow like a shadow.

See it!

And before -- or after -- grab a mozzarella-tomato-basil crepe from Sofi's Crepes or sangria and the roasted eggplant from Tapas Teatro -- all on the same block as Everyman.

Artist of the Week: Kate Nash

I have a weakness for artists from Great Britain. I think Ricky Gervais (Extras, The Office) is hysterical, and I will always love Amy Winehouse.

My newest obsession from the UK is Kate Nash. She puts Lily Allen to shame. And she's only 21! Kate's lyrics are quirky and dirty, and the playful piano sounds like a happier version of Regina Spektor.

I love her new CD, "Made of Bricks."

I really wanted to add her music video, "Mouthwash," but the embed-link is disabled. Instead, here's a live version:

Power Plant

"No, I would not like to go to Power Plant with you." Just the thought of Power Plant brings back embarrassing memories of dancing at cheesy clubs like Iguana Cantina and Have a Nice Day Cafe. My girlfriends and I tried to see Lindsay Lohan and "DJ" Samantha Ronson at Mosaic Club in October and got kicked out of the VIP area after some trashy girl told us we "didn't know Heather."

And that makes me wonder why Rams Head Live! sits among the tackiest clubs in Baltimore, yet still has managed to become one of the premier concert spots in Baltimore. In the past six months, I've seen the Indigo Girls, Hanson, and on Wednesday - The Black Keys, all at Rams Head.

It's about a $10 cab from Charles Village to Power Plant, or, you can valet your car at a restaurant such as Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. Otherwise, parking's about $20 in the lot. Doors for the concert usually open at 7pm, and the opening band often doesn't hit the stage until 9pm, so I like to pick up my tickets from will-call and then grab some food and a drink. Fortunately, Rams Head is huge and there are several levels, so it's pretty easy to find a spot where you can see, even if it's packed. Also, Rams Head has two bars which are fairly easy to access, and the drinks are around $4-$7.

When I go to a concert with my mother, we'll valet our car at Ruth's Chris and get a glass of wine and some appetizers. (Blackened tuna, chopped salad, and tomato-and-mozzarella, yum!) On Wednesday, my friend and I checked out happy hour at Babalu Grill. The menu seemed too good to be true -- and it was. Mojitos aren't really "in season" right now, but they were two for $4. Big mistake! The mojitos tasted like nail polish remover, and the mint was soggy and brown. We played it safe with two rum and diet cokes for $4.... and figured out why the drinks were so cheap. The bartender clearly used the cheapest rail rum.

The food was decent. The Caribbean bruschetta ($3) was underwhelming, and the chicken fajitas ($4) were soggy and too spicy. The one bright spot was the plantain chips and mango salsa. Delicious! The tab for the entire dinner was $19.97, and though the food was mediocre, it was worth every penny to sit on a conga drum at the bar.

conga drums/bar stools. (Oct. 2006 -- Halloween date party!)

I went to the concert not knowing anything by the Black Keys, and I was shocked that the gig sold out. Unlike most of the shows I go to, the audience was mostly men... and mostly in flannel. Black Keys consists of a singer who plays guitar (with way too much distortion) and a drummer whose talent parallels Meg White from the White Stripes. He kept the beat but didn't offer much in terms of fills or interesting beats. Maybe I'm missing something?

So moral of the story... though I fully support a grand dismissal of Power Plant Live, don't forget about Rams Head; it's the mango salsa in a happy hour of mush.

The Comeback

I'm back!

I've been working crazy hours at work (3-11:30p shifts!) and pretty busy with an upcoming production of Sam Shepard's Simpatico. (More on that later.)

So here we go...