Late night snack for no other reason than cookies just sounded good. One box of Organics mix, an egg, and a little butter later…voilà. Craving satisfied in 9 minutes!

Late night snack for no good reason. One box of Organics mix, an egg, and a little butter later, voilà, craving satisfied.

I’m thinking we could all use a little pampering this week…or everyday.  Working during the summer deserves a great reward!

Make a quick collage for the White House Black Market “Feel Beautiful” Sweepstakes and you are entered to win a spa weekend for two, shopping sprees and their weekly gift cards giveaways.

It takes takes a minute or two to put together something cute that express how you feel beautiful.

My collage is a depiction of my gypsy travel philosophy.  If you have one classic outfit, you can accessorize it many different ways (above: pearls, bling, rockin’ stilhettos) and always feel fresh, chic, and in step with the rest of the crowd.  You can NEVER go wrong with a boucle jacket, white tank, and jeans.  This season instead of denim, opt for the more trendy choice: leather pants.  All of those pieces travel without a wrinkle!

Entries must be submitted by September 20.

(Full disclosure: This post is sponsored by White House Black Market.)

This little hideaway, Agora, is more my speed.  It was also nominated for best coffee shop in Houston and is right across the street from the dreaded Brasil.  Right now I’m sipping on a Pellegrino, so the cappuccino on my next visit will be the true test.

It’s just so pleasant to sit inside this forested little nook that somehow is not stifling hot.

I don’t know why I came back to Brasil for breakfast this morning.  Actually, I do, the wheat bagel I had last time was so good and the food looked solid.  The coffee was a  disappointment (remember the crater face foam), but I thought why not give them another chance.

Well, I’m sure you’re already shaking your head and don’t need me to tell you today’s cappuccino was almost undrinkable.  Burned beans and thick, bubbly foam. The barista, if we can even call her that, was rude and has no idea what it means to steam milk properly. At least TRY!

And, how….

Watch out, I’m about to go on a rant.

How can a place be nominated for “best coffee shop in Houston” and not serve whole milk.  AT ALL.  No whole milk in the joint. You can’t make a proper cappuccino without whole milk.

And the beans make Starbucks roasts look smooth.

Then, I ordered “breakfast eggs” (yes, I know they’re dangerous right now, but I thought I would just go wild this morning) and a bagel.  My grand total: $12.  Twelve dollars for eggs and bad coffee!

The staff must have been laughing as they watched me move from table to table trying to get a wifi connection.  Thankfully, a nice patron directed me to a corner where I could get online and complain about this poser coffee shop for 15 minutes while I waited for a holier-than-thou goth chick to throw down overcooked scrambled egg whites on my wobbly table.

No, the blonde priss is not pouting in the corner and slamming the keys as she types… but it’s just frustrating that I can’t find a cozy spot that appreciates the simple things in life: a proper cappuccino and eggs cooked beautifully.  I would gladly pay $24 if I could find that little corner of Houston.

On to actual important things.

Look how cute my mom is tonight. Excuse me, not cute, beautiful! This pic doesn’t do her justice. We’re at the Houston Fresh Faces event at Tootsies (shocker.)

I love happy hour at Gavin’s house. His fridge is like a farmer’s market.

So Apple’s going social with PING, which as I’m sure you’ve heard is Facebook meets Twitter for music.

Smart idea I suppose (they actually pay Jobs the big bucks).  And as long as I don’t have to update constantly I think I’ll enjoy being more dialed into the music scene.

I’ve been reading around the web to see what other people think.  Mashable’s “article” is more like a note saying, “Hey, Jobs launched this new thingy today” without any opinion.  Obviously Jason Calacanis is a fan.  Sam Diaz on the other hand, not so much.  Sam makes some good points, but I don’t think he’s going to win this one.

UPDATE: iTunes 10, which you need to run Ping, is not available yet.  Hence no one knows how it actually works.  Ok, makes sense now.

I just downloaded two songs (Boy and Too Dramatic) from this band, Ra Ra Riot (they have a tumblr too).  I’m definitely not cool enough to have discovered them on my own…Although with the help of some concerned friends and readers, I’m expanding my horizons.  

But I want to say thanks to the staff at Tumblr for currating all the cool kids’ stuff in one place so I can feel like I’m hip too when I pass along these treasures.

Name Ra Ra Riot
Location Formed in Syracuse, NY / Currently touring
First Post July 2009

Ra Ra Riot is an indie rock band from Syracuse, NY that fuses swooning strings and intricate, emotional vocals to create a unique sound. Formed way back in 2006, they got their start doing shows around the Syracuse University campus and eventually moved up to music festivals. Consisting of a vocalist, guitarist, bassist, cellist, violinist, and drummer, they quickly started to grab attention thanks to their energetic live performances and the well-orchestrated layers of their music. RRR use their blog to show fans glimpses into their daily lives and into life on the road as they tour the world. Their second full-length album, The Orchard, drops today.