BuzzSugar

Sisters of DC Cupcakes Share Valentine's Day Baking Tips and Chocolate Ganache Recipe

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 03:16:28 PST

What's sugar and spice and everything nice? Cupcakes! And no one knows more about our obsession with the lil confections than Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis, co-owners of Georgetown Cupcake and stars of TLC's DC Cupcakes. The sisters, who learned their kitchen skills from their grandmother ("We followed her around the kitchen and always begged to help"), have been known to bake up to 10,000 lil cakes a day, much to the delight of the patrons who line the block of their Washington DC store. The duo - who just opened their first outpost in New York City - gave me a few minutes of their time to discuss their tasty desserts.

LilSugar: Cupcakes have moved from kiddie birthday party staple to a favorite of adults and kids alike. But kids aren't always willing to try new flavors. Which are most popular with kids?
Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis: Our Vanilla Birthday (vanilla cupcake with vanilla buttercream and rainbow bobbles), Chocolate Birthday (chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream and rainbow bobbles), and Milk Chocolate Birthday (vanilla cupcake with milk chocolate buttercream and rainbow bobbles) are the most popular with kids. We think it's the color rainbow bobbles!

LS: Moms are busy; what shortcuts can you recommend to making delicious, beautiful cupcakes without spending the whole day baking and decorating them?
SL and KK: Try to keep a stash of baking staples - butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, milk, all purpose flour, baking soda/powder, salt, and cocoa powder/chocolate on hand in your kitchen at all times and you can make almost any flavor! Our recipes are very simple - we don’t use cake flour or pastry flour - just all purpose - we find that works best. Also, we're big fans of chocolate ganache icing. It's so easy - just two ingredients - chocolate chips and heavy cream. You just melt them down (two cups of chips to one cup of cream), and dip your cupcakes in and you've got a super fast and unbelievably delicious frosting.

LS: Do you ever make "healthy" cupcakes for those who want to skip some of the sugar? If so, what goes into it?
SL and KK: We have a carrot cake cupcake, which has fresh carrots and fresh apples grated in it. We skip the walnuts, to save on calories, and it's a light and delicious cupcake!

The new season of DC Cupcakes begins on Feb. 25, but if you're looking to create their Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes for Valentine's Day,

Jenna Lyons Discusses Style, Decorating in Brooklyn, and Whether J.Crew Will Open a Home Line!

Elka Karl — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:35 PST

In a recent article in House and Home magazine, J.Crew creative director Jenna Lyons chatted about fashion, style, and design, as well as her lovely Brooklyn townhouse, which was one of your favorite house tours last year. The house is currently under contract - congrats to whomever is buying the gorgeous property! Let's take a look back at the home and hear what Jenna has to say about decor, design, and her home's style.

Source

Pirate Rock! Disney's Sharky and Bones Open Up About Pirate Culture, Jake, and Peter Pan

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:37:27 PST

Can you talk like a pirate? If your lil one is between 2 and 5 years old, chances are he'll know exactly what we're talking about!

Since its launch last February, Disney's Jake and the Neverland Pirates has become the top-ranking series among kids in that age group. The animated show - about a new crew of pirates who work together to outwit Captain Hook and Smee around Pirate Island - is about to embark on its second season with a prime-time special Jake and the Never Land Pirates: Peter Pan Returns (airing Feb. 13), where the little boy who won't grow up enlists the minipirates to help him find his lost shadow. As with the daily show, the special will feature original pirate rock songs written and sung by Sharky and Bones of The Never Land Pirate Band. I spoke with Loren Hoskins and Kevin Hendrickson, the men behind Sharky and Bones and the stars of the live-action music videos featured at the end of each episode, about the popularity of pirate culture and what it can teach tots today.

LilSugar: Obviously you two are well versed in little kids' obsessions with pirates. How did it start for you two?
Kevin Hendrickson (Bones): It started before our kids. Loren and I met maybe 12 years ago, and we both just had a love of pirates and the old Disney records we grew up listening to. We decided to make a pirate album for kids, even though we didn't have kids.
Loren Hoskins (Sharky): We were pirates before pirate was cool. We had an affinity for pirate and pirate culture and the old Disneyland rides - you know the old Pirates of the Caribbean attraction - and we combined all those into a rock album for kids of all ages. We say "for buccaneers of all ages" because we had a lot of fans that were not kids and a lot of fans that were kids and then families that were fans. We just decided to not be a children's band, but a band for all buccaneers!

LilSugar: It's been almost 60 years since Disney released Peter Pan, and unlike other Disney flicks, it hasn't received a rerelease or a 3D upgrade. Why do you think the pirate obsession remains so strong today?
Loren Hoskins (Sharky): I have always maintained that what pirates represent for play is all the best things about play. That's imagination, adventure, being bold-hearted, silly voices, and fun dress-up costumes. You put all that together and you get classic kid play. It's like pirates and dinosaurs. Dinosaurs were huge for a while, and I think for the same reason – you can just go "roaar," and play all these great games, and they were bold and adventurous and from exotic locations. Pirates are the same thing. They're one of those classic play building blocks

Keep reading for more of our talk about pirate rock and the show's educational value.

Lauren Bush Shares Relationship Advice and Thoughts On Giving Back

Annie Scudder — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:50:27 PST

Lauren Bush is much more than a pretty face and famous last name. This past weekend at Pixar Animation Studios, Lauren spoke about giving back creatively at the Intersection Event, a conference on innovation.

Before her panel, I caught up with the newlywed model and founder of FEED, a project to fight world hunger in conjunction with UN World Food Programme. She shared her relationship advice, as well as the issue she hopes women will pay more attention to and details about her upcoming FEED back. Read our interview below.

TrèsSugar: How have your relationship and career priorities changed with age?
Lauren Bush: "It's been a flow to this point. I don't think there's a perfect science to it. Maybe there is and in that case I'd love to know. I don't have kids yet, therefore I can travel more easily perhaps. I think it's about doing what you love. FEED for me is like my arm. It's like second nature. I feel like I'm in this rare awesome position where getting up to go to work isn't really work, it's exciting. If you find something you love, it melds naturally. To be an entrepreneur is all consuming. And lucky enough, my husband was an entrepreneur himself, is very entrepreneurial, so he just gets it. It's also about surrounding yourself with people who will support your passion."

TS: What piece of relationship advice would you share with young women?
LB: "Don't sweat the small stuff."

TS: Who are your female role models?
LB: There are more women now than when we started five years ago that I can look to. Sheryl Sandberg (the COO) from Facebook. I saw her speak and she's so inspiring. Also, Somali Moms, a foundation in Cambodia with this amazing woman. And Christie Brinkley and what she's been doing with Every Mother Counts is really inspiring.

Keep reading to find out about more about FEED and its newest bag.

10 Essential Steps to Take Before a Job Interview

SavvySugar — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:26:39 PST

Once you've snagged a job interview, the inevitable nerves that follow can make it difficult to focus on preparation. With a little bit of planning, though, you can bring your best business-ready self to the table. Follow these tips leading up to your big moment.

Several hours earlier:

1. It's important to have a healthy, substantial breakfast, of course, but it's just as important to eat well the night before so that you feel your best in the morning. Choose nutritious foods that fill and satisfy, and remember to limit caffeine to one or two servings. Chances are you'll already be feeling jittery, so put a cap on your coffee consumption.

2. Check the hourly forecast and grab any extra items that you may need: an umbrella, a raincoat, gloves, or suitable footwear, for instance.

3. Shoes are important: make sure your pair is both weather-appropriate and easy to walk in, because the last thing you want to do is trip your way through the office. The night before your interview, wear the selected shoes with socks for a couple hours to guarantee that they're broken in and comfortable.

Continue reading for more essential tips.

5 Steps to Rocking Your Grad School Interview

Emily Co — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 05:00:05 PST

Many of my friends are applying to business schools right now and a couple are interviewing. I've picked up a number of useful tips from friends and people with graduate degrees, so read on to find out how you can prep for your interview.

Know Your Reason For Going. Why do you want to go to school? You need to figure out your reason for going because it'll help in your interview and essay-writing process. Go into your interview with a clear objective and be sure to have examples to back it up with. You need to be convinced before you can start convincing the admissions officer why you really want to be accepted.
Showcase Your Diversity. There are going to be a lot of people with similar backgrounds so try to dig deep to find that extra something that will make you stand out. Is there a cause you're passionate about? A side project that might surprise (in a pleasant way) interviewers? Think long and hard and it'll make your case even stronger if you can display some leadership abilities.
Practice Makes Perfect. You should practice with a couple of people before interviewing. Alternatively, you can learn a lot from the interviews you do with the other schools you're applying for.

For more tips, read on.

5 Festive Ways to Find Intimacy During the Holidays

Annie Scudder — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:55:56 PST

"Getting through the holidays isn't always easy, especially when it comes to your relationship," admits sexual health expert Dr. Hilda Hutcherson. Despite the challenges, the director of the Center for Sexual Health at Columbia University and co-author of the new Seasons of Love ebook believes the holidays actually provide an opportunity to improve your relationship. We caught up with Dr. Hutcherson, and she gave us five tips for turning the stressful season into a sensual one. Here they are:

Make time for date nights. "Just as you set aside time on your calendar for a cookie swap and office party, reserve at least two nights just for you and your partner," advises Dr. Hutcherson. And she suggests letting Winter inspire your date ideas. "Take a walk to admire the decorations in your neighborhood and keep warm with a cup of hot chocolate," she says, or "grab an hour or two and go ice-skating at a local rink."
Use sexy stocking stuffers. "Who says toys are just for kids?" Dr. Hutcherson asked us. She thinks we should spice up our stockings. "For the more tame, grab massage oil and some candles; they will not only set the mood for more romance, but a soothing rubdown can ease even the most tense of partners." As for the adventurous givers, "a vibrator is sure to get her engine revving and rid her mind of any Yuletide blues. Looking to fall somewhere in between? Take it up a notch with an arousal gel to heighten sexual pleasure and sensitivity, like the new K-Y Date Night Packs."
Make sexolutions. "We take the time to focus on our finances, waistline, and jobs come Jan. 1," says Dr. Hutcherson, "but why not our relationships?" Her tip for making them last: "Take small steps and gradually build up to a great result. For instance, don't make a promise to have more or better sex, be more specific - have sex once a week, try out a new position once a month, enjoy a date night twice per month."

Keep reading for two more sensual suggestions from Dr. Hutcherson.

My Week With Marilyn Director Talks Michelle Williams and the Modern Marilyn Monroe Obsession

Annie Scudder — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:50:53 PST

"It's a love letter to the agony and ecstasy of celebrity," director Simon Curtis, pictured above, told me about his latest project, My Week With Marilyn. The film starring Michelle Williams is out on Nov. 23, and follows the icon on a 1956 trip to London, which doubled as a honeymoon with playwright Arthur Miller and a work trip to film The Prince and the Showgirl. The movie, based on two books, catches up with Marilyn after her husband leaves and she begins to befriend 23-year-old set assistant Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne).

My Week With Marilyn attempts to pull back layers of Marilyn the sex symbol to reveal a more authentic depiction of the private star - without turning her into a depressed or drudged-out caricature. I sat down with the filmmaker, and here's what Simon Curtis told me about Michelle's performance and what he learned about Marilyn Monroe.

TrèsSugar: Why did you want Michelle Williams to play Marilyn Monroe?
Simon Curtis: With Marilyn Monroe you have a certain, very limited number of people who are the right age, the right potential Marilyn Monroe looks. Michelle was way at the top of my list. Not only is she gifted and brilliant, she's incredibly hardworking and she wanted her performance to be as good as I did.

TS: You came in with high expectations. Did the performance exceed that?
SC: Yes, it does actually. You never know when you're making something, but she just amazed me on every single day. There's something about her fearlessness taking on the complexity of Marilyn, who I think a modern mental health professional would diagnose somewhere in the bipolar, borderline personality area. And certainly those wild mood swings - one of those beguiling things about Marilyn is that you never knew who was going to walk in the door, or who was going to walk out. And Michelle just went for it and presented this multifaceted character who's also incredible as Marilyn.

TS: What about those bookend song performances by Michelle? I had to do a double take for the final one because I couldn't quite tell if it was Michelle or Marilyn.
SC: We wanted to present in those songs the fantasy, the Marilyn people saw or remember, because so much of our film is this private, unexpected Marilyn.

TS: The movie is a window into her life rather than a biopic. By experiencing the details of her life, what do you think will surprise audiences about Marilyn?
SC: This is a very crucial time in Marilyn's life. In 1956, she came to London with such high hopes because she was going to work with the great Laurence Olivier, she had set up her own production company way ahead of her time, was in fact a producer of this film, and of course was married to the great Arthur Miller, who she thought was going to rescue her and give her some intellectual credibility. And the story of our film is how those things all went very quickly wrong.

TS: But there's a lot of humor in that dark story of things gone wrong. It sort of surprised me how feel-good it was in a way.
SC: I'm glad. It's a very nuanced film and there is a lot of darker stuff, but that's right. It's a love letter to filmmaking, the agony and ecstasy of filmmaking. I love it that the actors found so much humor, specifically Ken Branagh. We wanted it to have all of those qualities.

To find out why Simon Curtis thinks Marilyn is so relevant today, whether he used body doubles, and what he hopes audiences will come away with, just keep reading.

American Quilts, "Smalls," and The Perfectly Imperfect Home: Continuing Our Chat With Deborah Needleman

Elka Karl — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 06:00:54 PDT

Yesterday, I posted the first half of my interview with Deborah Needleman. The former editor of Domino magazine and the current editor of WSJ. Magazine, Deborah's new book The Perfectly Imperfect Home explores the concept of a comfortable, stylish home that's uniquely your own. Keep reading for the second half of my interview with Deborah Needleman!
CasaSugar: I love how you include American quilts in your list of ethnic fabrics. I feel like they’re underappreciated in the world of high design. How do you suggest highlighting them to their most stylish advantage?
Deborah Needleman: American quilts can be amazing. You can use them obviously on your bed as a coverlet, or just folded at the end of the bed for some color, or draped over the back of a sofa, or covering a round table or over a console against a wall. I don’t love them hung like art on a wall, but that doesn’t mean that someone else shouldn’t hang them like that if they do.

CS: What are three lessons from your book you wish all people would try?
DN: Well, to relax, have fun, and keep in mind the point of it all - which is to create a nice setting for the life you want to lead not to impress others. But, also for people to hang pictures lower, move furniture away from the walls, and kill the overhead lights as much as possible.

Keep reading to learn more about the book, and to find out how Deborah Needleman's home is perfectly imperfect.

Talking Imperfect Perfection With Deborah Needleman

Elka Karl — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:00:51 PDT

This year at High Point Market I was thrilled to finally meet Deborah Needleman, one of my all-time design heroines. The lovely Ms. Needleman led a design luncheon at High Point where she talked about her new book, The Perfectly Imperfect Home. It has risen to the rank of my favorite home decor book of the past year, and it sits atop my slant-top desk next to a small box filled with antique German coins, one of the "smalls" that Deborah talks about that make my home personal, happy, and perfectly imperfect.

The former editor of Domino magazine and the current editor of WSJ. Magazine, Deborah recently answered some of my questions about her book, decorating philosophy, and personal favorite decorating ideas and quirky pieces. Keep reading for the first half of my interview with Deborah Needleman!
CasaSugar: What inspired The Perfectly Imperfect Home?
Deborah Needleman: It was inspired by how uncomfortable I feel in overly decorated, everything-just-so houses, and how inspired and comfortable and happy I feel in houses that are stylish and real. I love houses that are portraits of their owners.

CS: How do you think the concept of designing imperfectly can spark creativity and growth in decorating?
DN: You can’t be creative if you are constantly just trying to keep everything neat and perfect. If the evolution of your life is reflected in your decorating, that means your decoration will not remain static. It changes as you change; it grows and morphs with you. I’ve never liked or believed in the idea of decorating as something that can be finished. Like life, it is a work in progress.

CS: Can you describe one of the stylish, welcoming, and imperfect homes you’ve visited and found particularly inspiring?
DN: The decorator and design writer Rita Konig is my patron saint(ess) of stylish imperfection. She was raised by a fancy decorator (Nina Campbell), has lived in and visited beautiful houses her whole life, and knows all the rules of decorating, but she is never hampered by rules or fussiness. She is inspired by the kind of life she wants to go on inside her house. It is always inspiring, exciting, and completely comforting to be in her home. Her home always smells fantastic. It has a lot of personality, quirk, and color. There are soft pillows on the sofas and chairs, lots of books you want to read, and interesting things on the walls. Plus, she’s a doting host, always ready to make you something nice to drink and eat.

All the top editors at Domino had homes like you describe - stylish, welcoming, and imperfect - and they inspired me enormously. I hired them so they could inspire others like they did me. The brilliant Sara Ruffin Costello (who now writes the best and cheekiest decorating column out there for the Off Duty section of the Wall Street Journal), Tom Delavan (who is now editorial director of the recently launched GiltHome), Dara Caponigro (editor in chief of Veranda magazine), and the aforementioned Rita Konig (who is European editor of WSJ. Magazine magazine)

Keep reading for more of our conversation with Deborah Needleman!