Tea Stains on Parchment

No one is perfect. Couples have ups and downs and little things that will never be fixed. But, there is one couple that breaks that rule. One couple that is absolutely perfect. A relationship based on love, understanding, and, most importantly, honesty. Obviously, I'm talking about Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney Todd. Here are a few tips you can learn from Broadway's best power couple. First off, no one gets Sweeney like Mrs. Lovett does, and don't we all want someone who understands us when others would just run away? Well, Sweeney is one lucky man because when he makes the logical decision that all of mankind is evil and deserves to die, Mrs. Lovett is right by his side. If the love of your life wants to kill everyone under the front of a barbershop, then you should be right there supporting them! Don't just say, "that's great, honey." No, you need to give just as much to this relationship. You have to be complements. So, when your SO says, "I'm ...

Twice a year Philadelphia has restaurant week, a magical time of year when (mostly) high-end restaurants offer a progressive meal at a discounted rate. Now, some restaurants will try to scam you, have you pay $35 for a cheese quesadilla and a piece of chicken. No, don't fall for the cheap places that claim to give you lots of meals. It's ok. I'm here to help you see how to get your money's worth, find places that are worth it (?). And a good, spontaneous meal with good friends makes a day so much better...now my friends are all going to send me sappy texts. So, relax and live through me reliving my meal. When evaluating a deal, you must first study the menu. Again, don't fall for a cheap appetizer or an overly simple dish you can get at home. I chose toast. But, this toast was amazingly complex for a breakfast staple. The base: a charred, slightly dark wheat bread. On top: light and delicate ricotta juxtaposing the darkness below and the earthiness it was toppe...

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Really is Marvelous If you haven't watched "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," what are you doing? This Prime Original is a delight to watch. Finally, a strong female lead that proves that "strong" doesn't mean physical strength or seriousness. A comedy that is smart, witty, and surprisingly relatable. A plot that is actually original. It all comes together to make a show that I can't get enough of. It is so good that I can even look past all the "four star" words that litter the sharp dialogue. But what drew me to "Mrs. Maisel," aside from Tony Shalhoub , was the the exquisite costume design. This show is a vintage girl's paradise. Midge Maisel is unapologetically fashionable. She shows up "overdressed" to every event, is always the prettiest in the room, and isn't afraid to wear heels on the subway. She's not *always* being intentionally showy, it is simply who she is: a woman that dre...

New Year, New You! Time to get back into shape! Take up a hobby! Reinvent yourself! Self-help specialists and newspapers everywhere bombast us with phrases like these. A new year is approaching, and with it, is evidently a new you. Because the some numbers on a calendar change, apparently we must, too. Apparently a method for counting human existence equates progress in our own little lives. Well, here is a "demotivational" post, it doesn't. So, we're approaching 2019—what an accomplishment! A new year seems like a new horizon, like we must be getting closer to something. And yes, sometimes change is great and making a better life for ourselves, but I think that people are just using a new year as an excuse to get their life together. Before I tear into New Year's resolutions, let me preface this by commending us for wanting to make our lives better. It's important to be able to see a problem or point of improvement in our lives and want to change. And that ...

Ever since Instagram, there has been a flood of colorful, photogenic, and unique foods. But, these chic food trends have taken a turn for the outlandish. I mean, drinks served in lightbulbs, burgers covered in marshmallows, and don't get me started on "unicorn" or "rainbow" foods (most things should never be rainbow!). Thriving in this technicolor, toddler—designed food world is the very antithesis of color: black foods. Somewhat unnatural, these black foods are tempting. Dark and mysterious, filled with activated charcoal, could they possibly be any good? Well I never turn down trying something new...especially ice cream. It seems that if I ever go out, it is always for ice cream. So it is no surprise that it was ice cream that brought me to the black food trend. I had heard of the ice cream from one of my favorite shops Franklin Fountain. It was a unique flavor, black, and limited time. How could I say no? Before I outline my adventure on the dark side, let ...

A lot of you here are in school, probable college, and you have a lot of work coming up (you can actually see it on the syllabus). And maybe you're not in school, but you still have a busy life full of stress I'm sure. Honestly, trying to navigate your way through a grocery store can be extremely stressful. There is always something to be cleaned, something to be prepped, a paper to be written, poems to be read--that sentence alone was stressful (because it's true). When there is always something to do, it's hard to allow myself to do nothing. Well, I'm here to tell you, or rather myself, that you can and should  do nothing. OK, stop what you're doing. Sit, curl up under a blanket, diffuse some oils, and breath. Now get back to reading this blog post. I'm not going to tell you to stop worrying because I know that that isn't going to change how you feel. But remember, whatever you're stressing about is only one moment, so take a few moments for you....

About a year ago, I visited Big Gay Ice Cream in Philadelphia. Maybe you remember that I wrote a review about it in a post called "Overrated?" I believe that I said something about this soft serve famous ice creamery was slightly better than McDonald's or some other standard soft serve chain. Well, I do still like soft serve. And the store front is one of the most adorable that I have ever seen. So, I went back, and I think I need to give my updated opinions and thoughts. So, review 2, here we go. First off, I got the "Burnt." A somewhat questionable name just because you sound kinda stupid going up the cashier asking for "a burnt." Obviously I put my awkwardness aside and ordered a burnt in the middle of a technicolored, unicorn emblazoned store. I was intrigued by an ice cream sandwich with chocolate ice cream sandwiched between two cakey cookies, brushed with Sriracha and rolled in orange and red sprinkles. It was both sweet and savory. Confusing ...