Cupcake Kebab Craze!

So, I went to my first "Cupcakes Take the Cake" gathering on Saturday and braved the rainy weather in Central Park to present my Neapolitan Cupcake Kebabs (Kabobs). My goal was simply to come up w/ something new, fun and tasty - I had no idea how well they were going to go over (or if they'd go over @ all)! It's nuts!

Rachel from "Cupcakes Take the Cake" posted a vid on Monday of me talking about my Kebabs and it has over 800 views already! A google search for "Cupcake Kebabs" shows pics of my Kebabs showing up everywhere as well as the video. (It was even blogged about on BettyCrocker.com!) There are definite fans and definite foes - It is all very interesting to observe.... A word search on Twitter found many mentions and LuLus Cupcakes in AZ tweet - "Cupcake Kebabs - deep fried or no?"

Now I have this wonderful idea that everyone is talking about and...I'm lacking the right paperwork to sell it via my "in the works" online bakery. Nertz. It's exciting that so many people like the idea but a bit frustrating that I can't act on it immediately! (Perhaps I'll just be the Cupcake Kebab version of "The ORIGINAL Ray's Pizza", Har.) I saw that someone blogged about it and said they are trying to convince Crumbs to do it! That would be so crazy to see an idea arrive on the market and know I was the one that started it... My brother joked that if he sees it in Hy-Vee he'll know where it came from! ;)

And already I've found a few pics of people making their own versions! One is from Paris! Amazing! It's kind of like a play - you can have the same script but a different result occurs depending on direction, actors, space, etc.

In the meantime, I've got a head full of other flavor combos for kebabs and can't wait to try them! I've also started a flikr album w/ pics of treats I've made and of course there's the Facebook Group for Nibbles by Nora that people can join and be informed of the progress I'm making towards an actual online bakery!

No matter where this idea may or may not take me, one thing is for sure - I've now learned the power of the internet first hand!

@ the Tonys!

Thanks to a friend of mine who "knew somebody", I got to be a seat filler at the Tony Awards!

When I officially got the word my first thought went to - What will I wear?! Our instructions were to wear "appropriate formal attire". I inserted "practical" in there. Not only did I need to choose an outfit that was background worthy but it needed to be easily moved in (in other words, not dragging on the ground or something I need to tug @) and my shoes need to be something I can skitter in quickly! Oh...And then there's accessories and hair...

So as the big day neared I found a dress (VS online), found the shoes (clearance @ Payless!), found a mini purse (we were advised to leave cells @ home and not bring much - the purse was my BOGO @ Payless), an antique necklace (only $10 @ an outdoor sale in Chelsea) and cleaned myself up a bit (hair cut, brows, nails, etc...) . Then day of, my roomie was kind enough to share her makeup artist skills to glam me up and I chose a fairly basic pull back hairdo - making sure it wasn't too bouffant for those that may be sitting behind me! ;)

We were asked to be at Radio City Music Hall by 4:30pm. When I arrived, I had to wk past a large grouping of police to get in the seat fillers line. I heard one policeman say, "Greenal must the color this year..."

My friend joined me in line and soon we were being ushered into the RCMH and given green wristbands - an easily spotted sign that we were seat fillers and not celebs. ;)

After everyone was seated in the back of the auditorium, we waited and watched snippets of the rehearsal that happened earlier in the day. We were given a steady countdown of how many minutes we had left to use the bathroom - once the show started there would be no trips to the bathroom (probably one of the reasons why we weren't provided w/ water while we waited to sit!) Soon we were given instructions as to how the night was going to roll. Err...Is it a problem that I'm not totally clear on who's who and where I'm supposed to go?! My friend assured me that once we were in motion I'd get it. I hope so. They said our movement would happen during the 4 minute commercial breaks - w/ most of the movement happening in the last 30 seconds and if you didn't have a seat by then you needed to get your ass back to the line!

They also told us that 2 very expensive watches were going to be given away during the commercial breaks and told us that only people that PAID for their tickets could win. (Later, the friend of my friend laughed at that saying off-handedly that no one on the main floor actually paid for their tickets. Har. Probably truer than we know. Although we were told the seats we were in were going for $500.) Later the guy that gave away the watches milked his kinda/sorta 15 minutes of fame. First he said he could dance - so he did in a "Go Watchman! Go Watchman!" kinda way and then the next time he was out there he sang "New York, New York" and specifically called out Jane Fonda as the person he was singing it to.

We were in the 2nd row of seat fillers so we headed to the left side of the stage (or stage right). And there we stood and stood, with the occasional musical chair moment and then we'd stand some more. My new shoes needed some gellin' insoles! But as the awards progressed more and more seats needed permanent or long term (i.e. - more than a segment) filling so it really started to pay off!

Here are some "highlights" from the night -

*Standing on the side, we saw Bret Michaels get clobbered only we weren't sure who it was. The audience gasped but quickly got over it as the show went on! (It was kind of a - did I see what I just think I saw?! - moment.)

*Sat by Geoffrey Rush briefly, only to discover the guy who's seat I was filling was standing in front of me the whole time but didn't say anything until he was ready to sit down. Then he said, "Okay, I'll take my seat now. But that's a very nice green dress you're wearing."

*I should also note that while I was sitting by Rush, Angela Lansbury touched his arm and said "Geoffrey" in a way that I can't really type out.

*When I got up to vacate the seat next Rush we were being scurried off and Raul Esparza thankfully tucked in his feet as I cut the corner close - oops.

*Anne Hathaway uses a lot of "sweeties" and "hon/honey" when she talks - wasn't sure if that was an always thing or just when she's in those situations. She introduced her father to Colin Hanks (Colin was w/ what we think was his gf...she took a pic of him w/ the stage behind him on her phone) and then later flew past and handed Raul a Starbucks Coffee - where did she get that from?!

*One of the seat filler wranglers said that Jane Fonda's bf was a "free spirit" so they'd have to keep an eye on him. ?! And he referred to James Gandolfini as "Jimmy".

*After actresses from Mary Stuart were done waiting to see if they'd won their category - they started munching on candy! - one had elbow-length evening gloves on, too! (I think it must have been a bag passed out to all the attendees as another seat I sat in had it lying on the floor. Which brings me to a side note: Not only did you have to get yourself past people in a quick and decent fashion - do I put my ass or front to the celeb?! - but you had to be mindful of items left behind.)

*Speaking of "ass or front" - Chandra Wilson had a lovely green dress on but it was looooong and in order to sneak past it, I did turn my ass to her and drop my mini purse in my friend's lap who just happened to be sitting in front of her. ;)

*More on Chandra - there was a mini "Grey's Anatomy" reunion as she and "Meredith's Mom", Kate Burton, excitedly greeted each other and chatted for a bit.

*While standing on the side during pre-show there was this entourage coming down the stairs for who?...Harvey Weinstein.

*Also while standing on the side we saw several celebs pass us on their way back stage and out again - Will Ferrell, Bebe Neuwirth, Poison, Samantha Mathis, Oliver Platt (wearing what looked like a Converse type black shoe - white soles w/ a tux), Lauren Graham and others...

*After Geoffrey Rush won, my friend and I ended up sitting next to each other in the vacated seats. Our hair and faces were touched by a cast member of "Hair" and the cast of "Norman Conquests" flew past us when they won. We were kinda hoping Rush wasn't going to come back but he finally did, apologizing for making us move. (By then he probably knew our faces as we seemed be cycling around that area a lot.)

*I sat by another seatfiller behind one of the gentleman (director? producer?) involved w/ Billy Elliott. When the 3 boys won the camera sat on him and the seatfiller next me was texted immediately after the segment and told she was on there (btw - obviously some people brought their cells. I did. But I kept mine off in my purse and wasn't texting during the show - Sheesh!). Anyway, I was all excited that I was probably on too and then when I found the clip all I could see was my sleeve! (you can see it about the 3:14 mark) LOL! BTW - The seat I was sitting in was vacated by Stephen Mangan (Norman from "The Norman Conquests") - they did not come back to their seats before the end of the show.

*Neil Patrick Harris entertained the audience w/ magic tricks during a couple commercial segments. First he asked a "random audience member" to pick a number, any number as he wrote on the small dry erase board he brought out. He guessed the number, she said "no" and he flipped his board around...it said "no". ;) Then the second time he came out and asked another "random person" (both times stressing that he'd never met the person before, right?) to guess a number and then forget that number and guess again. This time he actually got the right number (82)! Not sure if the person was a plant or if he truly was magical! ;)

*During another commercial break they aired "Shrek Auditions" which someone in the balcony apparently recorded! They also aired a "teaser trailer" for the upcoming Addams Family musical and the crowd lit up as they listed the cast. And they tossed in a few retro ads for previous versions of "Hair" and "Guys & Dolls" on Broadway.

Although my feet weren't very happy by the end of the night it was still an amazing experience....and something to reflect upon when I'm actually there as a presenter or nominee...someday... ;)

**Note: As we were filtering out of RCMH I turned on my phone, turned around and snapped this pic...

Eric Bana abbreviated

The Tribeca Film Festival is in full swing and the Apple Store in SoHo has been hosting special events in conjunction w/ the festival...for free. :)

I saw that Eric Bana was going to be there to promote his new doc - Love the Beast and I thought that just might be worth checking out!

So a friend and I met up there after work and discovered that despite some seating it was full and now SRO. I found a spot to the side (later discovered it was in direct view of Mr. Bana and swear he was looking @ me sometimes...although there was a well-cleavaged woman wearing sunglasses that was standing beside me...perhaps he was looking @ her instead?! teehee.)

Fortunately, the wait time for the program to begin wasn't too bad. Bana came out and the girls behind us immediately started commenting on how small he is in real life and how he looks better in the "Love the Beast" movie poster than he does in person. Then there was an overzealous perfume wearer standing next to my friend. I started to feel hot but tried to keep my focus on the interview and watching clips from the movie - which looks really good btw.

Bana talked about how he used to race his car w/out movie producers knowing his passion for cars (as they tend to tweak out when their actors put themselves @ risk). He said that of course this movie will put the end to that secret.

I was starting to feel worse. Do I walk out or pass out in front of Eric Bana? Hmmm... I opted for the "walk out" and my friend followed. I quickly discovered there really is no place to sit @ the Apple Store beyond the steps so that's where I sat as the guard looked on. After a few minutes I did start to feel better but rather than have a repeat, we decided to move on to dinner @ Silver Spurs. Once again, it was a new place (to me) to dine - I ordered the "Ana Madama" and a Milkshake to maybe cure what ailed me. ;)

After a bit of detective work my near pass-out may have been the result of donating blood the day before. (I donated @ The Rock and was asked if I was an NBC employee.) Next time I will know to time it better as I also ended up feeling like crap for an audition the night of when I donated....however, I DID get a callback! Go figure.

Burden Me 3

A one act, "Burden Me", that I was in for the first time over a year ago seems to have legs as the playwright keeps getting it accepted to area theaters/festivals. 2 of the 3 original cast members were in the "revival" at the Winter Strawberry One-Act Festival (the playwright stepped in as an actor) but this time I was the lone original. Although I had the lines, our handful of rehearsals pre-performance proved I couldn't be on autopilot (which was a good thing) as different actors meant different reactions. In that respect it made an "old" show new again, which was kind of fun and gave me a chance to do different things w/ the character I hadn't done before!

This time we performed for Awakening Drama in the West Village. And I think it was the best audience we've had as far as audible reactions - you could tell they were catching all the subtleties.

Afterwards, the playwright's wife (and our director) took our cast pic on Minetta Lane. And that was the day. It always amazes me how much work can go into a production and how just like that, it's over. But I guess that's life - weddings, babies, vacations, etc. Lots of prep and waiting and then - there it is and gone. Don't Blink!

Night @ the NYMF - Best of Fest

Word that I'm trying to get an online bakery established is spreading and a friend of a friend contacted me to see if I would be so kind as to provide treats for a fundraiser for the New York Musical Festival (Best of Fest) in exchange for some advertising. Sure! Why not? (My logo can be seen in the bottom right hand corner of this flyer.)

I committed to offering 4 flavors of mini cupcakes (Angel Food Cupcakes w/ Cotton Candy Buttercream Frosting, Orange Zest Cupcakes w/ White Chocolate Frosting and Orange Slice Stars, Chocolate Cupcakes w/ chunks of Andes Candies and a Dark Chocolate Mint Frosting w/ Junior Mint on top and Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cupcake w/ Chocolate Chip Buttercream Frosting), 98 total. I was totally excited about coming up w/ the flavor combos and creating/baking but I always forget how much time can fly during this process and I didn't get to bed until about 2am - morning of the show. Eesh.

Then there was packing them for transport. Since I've yet to settle on the best way to transport my goods I've been alternating in my forms of transport. This time it was buying white pastry boxes from The Container Store and dividing the rows w/ wax paper. Sadly, although all the minis were tasty some were gooey-er than others (I'm talking to you, dark mint chocolate). I was a bit worried about their appearance for such an important event. That worry was compounded by the fact that I needed to tote them to work then on to the show...in a downpour. Wheeee!

A friend and I managed to get them to the New World Stages w/ hopefully minimal roughing up of the minis. Then we headed to Blockheads (heard about it many times but it was my first time actually going!) for a meal before going to the "Best of Fest" ourselves. (An added bonus to donating my minis to the event, I was able to get a ticket plus 1 to the show - to our surprise our tickets landed us in front row center!)

The show was made up of songs from past NYMF shows and made me highly curious to know more about many of the shows that we only got snippets of. As soon as the show was over, it was time for the reception where my minis would be served. I was pleasantly surprised by how they had been displayed and how great they looked!!! I did that! :)

They seemed to be a hit and while my friend and I sampled other goodies there we had an awkward encounter w/ a 40+ year old that preferred to have a convo w/ our chests rather than us. Ewww. It was clear he was trying to network w/ bigwigs and impress us w/ connections that he *might* have. He repeated several times that he was disappointed that some of the "names" that had performed at the fest didn't stick around. We made it clear we really didn't know anybody, politely said "no" when he offered to get us more drinks and finally dodged him by taking a trip to the Ladies Room. Sheesh.

Although I brought business cards, I'm not sure how many peeps will be in touch. Perhaps a little bit of buzz will start to build...if anything I'm just glad all that work was enjoyed by others!