MapQuest Offers Voice Guidance in Free iPhone App

Before now, only Android users were able to take advantage of free turn-by-turn navigation from their phone.

iPhone users, now its your turn.

Through its official blog, MapQuest announced yesterday the inclusion of voice guidance in the latest version of its free iPhone app.

In the post, MapQuest principal product manager Michael Iams describes a trip he took from his Las Vegas hotel to the airport with help from the new application. Basically, users search for the location they are interested in then press the Start button to begin navigation. Whenever you hit a detour or miss a turn along the way, the application brings up a prompt with a button that reads �Reroute me.

Iams also mentions that the app doesn�t waste the phones power, dimming the screen during navigation and allowing the user to customize energy settings.

Other than Google Maps on Android 2.0 phones, the MapQuest app is the only free turn-by-turn navigation app available and the only one for the iPhone, so do check it out.

Source: Tuscaloosa News

Get a Free iPhone 3GS! Yes, that is correct! Why pay for one when CNN, BBC, NBC, and other news sites have proven this system LEGIT. Get it the simple way .... straight to your doorstep! Not interested? Then maybe get a Free PS3!

Spring Chicken (or Duck)

Next up: EASTER!  

 

Thinking Spring around these parts and trying to come up with new ideas and inspiration for The Paper Stork.  The latest are some neutral gender pieces that would work well in a new baby boy or baby girl's room.  I love the bubbles in the background of this vintage inspired ducky - we may use one for the girl's green and yellow bathroom at our house. 

To get you ready for Easter and Springtime birthdays, I'm offering 15% off when you use the code SPRING to all my blog friends.  This code is good until April 15th.

Still working on that camera, who knew photography could be so tricky!

Don't forget to enter my very first Paper Stork giveaway here.  Thanks for your support and have a wonderful day!

GET YOUR CRAFT ON!

I am in awe of this decoupage tutorial over at Tatertots and Jello.  

Now, I've heard some buzz in the blog world about how decoupage can be a little tricky.  Do I dare try it? That's still up for debate.  What a pretty alternative to the regular 'ol plastic eggs that end up in the landfill!  Plus, you can use your scraps of fabric or scrapbook paper and get the kids involved too!  It's on our "to do for the bunny" list this weekend.  

I also love this Spring Ruffle Necklace tutorial - look at how great this looks with a simple white t-shirt!

Finally, I'm really digging these fabric covered pots that I've found over at Creative Comforts and again at Good Gravy! 

Yes indeed, it's most certainly time for me to get my CRAFT ON! 

I'll post pictures of my creations (or flops) soon!

Cabaret Old and New - Songs, Stories and a little Burlesque

Mighty Tiny (April 22-24) is an unusual choice for Cabaret, yet totally brilliant!

Cabaret takes many forms. Its range includes singers who keep the embers of great ballads alive, to the somewhat naughty Kit Kat Klub portrayed in the show and film Cabaret. But lately it is being reinvented especially by The Performance Lab in Boston. We'll get to them in a moment, but first some background.

Cabaret as an art form was born in the clubs of France and Germany in the late 1800's and became burlesque when it was transplanted to the United States. Baggy pants comedy soon gave way to fans, feathers and strippers and the last vestiges of that form died in the latter half of the 1900's. In Boston burlesque and pasties died when the Old Howard Casino in Scollay Square was razed to make room for Government Center. The Naked Eye bar continued the strippers, but not the art.

The late Nancy LaMott was the greatest cabaret artist of recent times.
Cabaret as personal music evolved separately. It sprung up in nightclubs and other small venues where the ladies like Eartha Kitt purred the lyrics, and men like Tom Anderson could bring tears to your eyes . It was Nancy LaMott and Michael Feinstein and it tended to bloom in upscale supper clubs like the Hotel Carlyle and the Rainbow Room of New York City,

Many Broadway stars found sustenance in cabaret when between shows. In Boston there was Blinstrub's until it burned down, and Freddy Taylor's Paul's Mall and sometimes even the Jazz Workshop. Lenny Sogoloff's Lenny's on the Turnpike even offered a chanteuse or two over the years.

But less visible have been the experimental cabaret practitioners like drag queens, experimentalists, and those who deliver acidic social commentary. For every Peggy Lee there has been a Tom Lehrer.

In my mind, Cirque du Soleil has its roots more in cabaret than circus. All Cirque shows feature a smallish band and live singers who act as the thread that holds the whole colorful tapestry together. And Baggy pant comedians? Well, more like clowns trained by Grotowski, and very sophisticated.

Cabaret then is a living art, still evolving. This spring and summer we will see a bit more of it in the Berkshires than in seasons past. In fact, 2010 kicks off with a Cabaret night at Taylor's in North Adams on April 16 with an open mic hosted by local favorite Katie Johnson. Katie and I are having an email discussion of the art form right now, which we will publish in April.

Creators of New Cabaret: (Top L) Jason Slavick, Artistic Director, (Top R) Rachel Hock, Artistic Associate and Webmaster, (BL) Kate Smolik, Production Manager and (BR) Josh Mocle, Media Coordinator
But now, to the main feature of this story, The Performance Lab, a new experimental theatre company based in Boston. They represent the new directions that cabaret as theatre is traveling.

Certainly The Berkshire Fringe has nibbled at the edges of this new form, as have many other groups. But the concept of The Performance Lab goes beyond anything most of us have seen before.

They will open their inaugural show, Le Cabaret Grimm �on April 8th in Boston.

Their first week features The Hubbub - a variety of performers drawn from the rich underground performance scene in Boston. The plan is to rotate the performers each week. Included are singers of songs, performers of poetry, and practitioners of burlesque, circus and more. They call this "a punk cabaret fairy tale (sans fairies)."

Johnny Blazes has a fluid sexual identity.
Le Cabaret Grimm and The Hubbub runs at The Boston Center for the Arts, April 8-24 in the Plaza Theatre. Performances times are Thursdays at 7:30, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00. The Hubbub will be hosted by its co-producer Johnny Blazes, a Boston-based cabaret performer whose gender-bending shows have toured throughout the US.

�We�re bringing a lot of cool things together in one place,� says Artistic Associate and Hubbub co-producer Rachel Hock. �There are so many exciting fringe happenings in Boston. This showcases what not a lot of people know about.�

The Performance LAB has partnered with Johnny Blazes to work with the fringe community. �Johnny has sharp insights putting together shows like this and is deeply connected to the alternative scene,� says Hock.

�I�m excited to work with some of my favorite people on the performance scene,� says Blazes. �It�s an opportunity to bridge two worlds that are important to me: the theatre scene and the variety arts scene.�

Lolita LaVamp lends some transgender talent to the new cabaret April 15-17.
The mission of The Performance LAB includes broadening the live entertainment offerings in Boston and expanding the audience for them. The LAB does this by bringing different audiences together and exposing them to new things.

�Boston has a history of being segregated � racially, geographically, culturally and sexually. We think of ourselves as an enlightened city, but to be that you have to experience things beyond your own comfort zone,� says Blazes. �When different communities interact there�s learning and exchange. That�s paramount to becoming a better society. We can�t call ourselves �the Greater Boston Community� if we don�t have something connecting us across lines.�

Here's the line up for the three different shows:

Week 1 April 8-10

Walter Sickert & the ARmy of BRoken Toys.
Walter Sickert & the ARmy of BRoken Toys, combining music and performance art they create a SteamCrunk, Organic-Industrial experience. "Really, any fan of the Velvet Underground, the Dresden Dolls, or those haunted merry-go-rounds that turn up in horror movies shouldn't miss Walter and the Toys, who elegantly merge the essence of all three" (The Boston Globe)

Jojo, The Burlesque Poetess, a personal commissionable wordsmithy known for her Betty Boop antics and "accidentally fanny flashing".

JoJo is a burlesque poetess. You gotta have a gimmick, right?
Madge of Honor, a queer performance artist who tells stories through drag, burlesque, movement, innovative costuming, clowning and poetry. Madge of Honor is a regular performer with the Femme Show and at Traniwreck, Jacque�s Cabaret, the Middle East, Great Scott, and the Midway.


Week 2 April 15-17


The Boston Typewriter Orchestra
The Boston Typewriter Orchestra, a collective endeavor which engages in rhythmic typewriter manipulation combined with elements of performance, comedy and satire. BTO has been featured on NBC Weekend Today, WCVB Chronicle, FOX 25 News, Fox Cable News, National Public Radio, live on WMBR (MIT) and in several major newspapers.

Ms. Lolita LaVamp, a proud Puerto Rican transgender female Burlesque Artist. She has worked as a professional domme and was featured in the PBS Lesbian and Gay television news magazine "In The Life." She has also performed for Boiling Point Burlesque and The Slutcracker: A Christmas Burlesque. Ms. LaVamp has been involved in HIV Prevention and Education for the past 14 years, advocating for LGBTQ individuals.


Week 3 April 22-24

Mighty Tiny, a journey into the depths of musical madness guided by six masked lunatics playing tunes dating back to the golden days of Tin Pan Alley - those days where songwriting meant more than a weepy man with a guitar at your local coffee house.

Dominique Immora, shades of Cirque!
Dominique Immora, a hula hooping, fire eating, burlesque dancing, stilt walking, poi spinning, whip cracking and aerial hoop artist. Dominique, is one of the longest running fire acts in the northeast. She has won a number of accolades, including Best Solo at the 2007 Boston Burlesque Expo, and appears on Season 4 of America's Got Talent. She has been called "a one woman Cirque du Soleil" by the Boston Phoenix.

Tickets are on sale at www.BostonTheatreScene.com or by calling 617-933-8600, $20 for students and $35 for adults. Discount promotions are available from www.performancelaboratory.com, through Twitter and Facebook. To preview the music, see a webseries of the show or for more information go to www.performancelaboratory.com.

Impromptu Giveaway

Did I throw you off?  

Nope, it's not Thursday but it is Monday and a cold, damp, dreary, rainy happy one here on the East Coast.  I started thinking about why I should be grateful for this rain and of course, in addition to veggies sprouting, green grass and all the lovelies Spring brings, I thought of May flowers...but do we really have to wait until May?  I think not!

For my very first Paper Stork giveaway, I'm giving away one of my Freshly Picked pieces of artwork!  

I developed a love for paper collage when I was looking for nursery art of my own while I was pregnant with my first baby girl.  From there, I started fulfilling orders for friends and colleagues.  Now, my Etsy shop serves as my creative outlet when I need a little break from the day to day.  Not that I don't love the day to day but everybody needs some creative expression every now and then!

This makes a sweet baby shower gift or for your own little one's room!

If this design or color doesn't work for you, that's ok because I will customize it to fit your needs.  

Buy It!  Visit The Paper Stork to purchase

Win It!  I'm giving away one Freshly Picked piece away to one reader

How do you enter?  Visit The Paper Stork and comment here which item you like the most from her shop.  Please be sure to leave your email address so I will be able to contact you if you win.

Extra entries (please post comments separately):

• Get an extra entry for becoming a follower of my blog
• Get two extra entries if you blog about this giveaway (leave a link to your blog) 
• Get two extra entries if you grab my blog button (leave a link to your blog)

This giveaway will end on Sunday, April 18th at 7:00pm EST and winners will be posted here that evening.  Winners will be drawn at random.  Open to US residents and Canadian residents, 18 years +

Thanks to a special friend who encouraged me to host my very 1st giveaway and feature my shop!  Check out hers and a great new free printable here.

My Taylor Made Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations to lucky #4, the winner of the the PDF pattern from My Taylor Made. 

Into Ablivia said, " Wow I love the 3 Layer Skirt. I think I might even try to make that myself! 

My girls would love it."

 

                                                       

Here are your random numbers:

4 

Timestamp: 2010-03-28 23:01:56 UTC

Thanks to everybody who participated in this giveaway!  Also, thanks to My Taylor Made for this special giveaway.  

Some girls will be stylin this sweet skirt created by their Mom!

Have a great day everybody! 

Giveaway Reminder!

Don't forget to enter the My Taylor Made giveaway, it ends tomorrow!

Have a great weekend!

Mmmmmmmmmmmuffins

We love muffins around here - it started for the girls at a very early age.  Blueberry, cranberry, pumpkin...you name it, they love it.  I came across this lower sugar recipe for the little morsels and wondered if they would miss the extra white stuff.  Nope, not a chance.  They devoured them and I may have had a couple as well.

 

  

Did I mention that we made half filled with all fruit jam?  So good! 

Sugar-Free Pumpkin Muffins
1 and 3/4 cups of whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking poweder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup water
Optional:  Fill muffins half way and add 1/2 teaspoon of All Fruit Jam or add 3/4 cup raisins, coconut or chocolate chips (I prefer miniature semisweet chocolate chips�NOT milk chocolate which is too sugary�but this does add sugar to the recipe, though just a bit).  You can also opt to add a little brown sugar and cinnamon on the top - again, adds sugar, so keep that in mind

Mix wet and dry ingredients separately, then mix together until combined.  Bake in muffin cups at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Here's hoping you have a weekend full of goodness! 

Featured artist and giveaway Thursday!

Today's featured shop is My Taylor Made, an Etsy shop that specializes in patterns, fabric and custom made items like peasant dresses and tote bags.  This stay at home mom has been sewing since she was a kiddo herself and loves creating special items for her clients.  Check out some of her most popular items:

The Big Bag Sewing Pattern is large enough to hold a ton of loot. Don't sew?  That's ok, you can contact her to make the bag too.  She works directly with her customers to make them happy.  Love that!

New to sewing?  The 3 Layer Skirt Pattern is perfect for beginners and can be made in pretty much any size.

Baby on the horizon?  This would make a perfect handmade shower gift!  Mama will love you, because the wee one won't kick the blankets off in the stroller with this Baby Buggy Blanket Pattern

Buy It!  Visit My Taylor Made to purchase

Win It! My Taylor Made is giving one lucky reader a PDF Pattern from her shop

How do you enter?  Visit My Taylor Made and comment here which item you like the most from her shop.  Please be sure to leave your email address so I will be able to contact you if you win.

Extra entries (please post comments separately):

• Get an extra entry for becoming a follower of My Taylor Made's shop
• Get an extra entry for becoming a follower of my blog
• Get an extra entry for becoming a follower of My Taylor Made's blog
• Get two extra entries if you blog about this giveaway (leave a link to your blog) 
• Get two extra entries if you grab my blog button (leave a link to your blog)

This giveaway will end on Sunday, March 28th at 7:00pm EST and winners will be posted Monday, March 29th.  Winners will be drawn at random.  Open to US residents, 18 years +

FYI: I did not receive payment in any form for this review.  I just dig these items!

I'd like to thank the academy...

A fellow blogger over at Earthbound Inspiration enjoys my blog and passed on an award to me.  Dylan has a great blog and Etsy store, check out her super sweet organic angel baby shirt here.  She also picks her favorite Etsy seller's items, like this iddy biddy baby hat here. 

I was pretty excited to get the blog love yesterday because as many fellow bloggers know, it can be tricky coming up with exciting (and even unexciting) topics.  I try to keep it fresh, meaningful and funny.

Now it's my turn to pass this award over to seven fellow bloggers whom I enjoy reading daily. If you're on this list, just copy and paste the award image and pass it onto seven of your favorites. If you're not up for it, I completely understand.  I'll keep on reading and just know, I appreciate your writing and creations! 

Funky Vintage Kitchen

Good Gravy Designs

Two Little Tots

Gussy

Into Oblivia

Orabelle Baby  

My Lazy Apples

    
Here are seven things you probably don't know about me... 

1. I love disco music - I love the nightlife, I like to boogie...
2. When I was younger my mother was mortified to find me and my friend sitting outside in trashbags full of water in an effort to create our own little pools.  I thought it was creative, she thought it was well, trashy.  That babysitter wasn't hired again. 
3. My husband snores so much that most nights I have to wear earplugs (attractive, I know) 
4. I have super mommy guilt about a million times a day 
5. My Etsy shop, The Paper Stork is the creative outlet I need to keep me sane on most days 
6. I put jalapeno peppers or crushed red pepper on pretty much everything 
7. I used to travel quite a bit but haven't flown since September 2000 - can someone say scream, "This girl needs a vacation!"

Dylan, thanks so much for passing this over to me and thanks to the amazing blogs that continue to provide daily inspiration! 

Two Little Tots = Two Happy Tots

I was so excited the other day when a very special package came from Two Little Tots.  Melissa, the owner makes fabulous crayon roll ups, hair accessories, bath towels and pencil totes.  Our girls love the take anywhere totes and use them constantly!  

A few weeks ago, she introduced her dollie sleeping bags and they are sure to be a hit at our house!  For now, they'll be put away and saved for Easter...even the big furry guy needs a little help sometimes!

I just know that our favorite dollies and girls, will be thrilled!  Look at these faces! 

Ok, I'll admit they might have seen their new sleeping bags when they came in the mail but trust me, they're good at keeping secrets!

We have a giveaway winner!

Congratulations to lucky #14 who is the winner of the Tracie Seed Designs giveaway!  

Cara said, "My favorite is definitely the recycled ivory and blue necklace...just beautiful! And I too love that she uses recycled materials...yay!"

 

Random Integer Generator 

Here are your random numbers: 

14

Timestamp: 2010-03-21 23:00:36 UTC

Cara, please email me at jlanenh@comcast.net so that we can arrange delivery.  Thanks so much to Tracie Seed Designs for hosting this great giveaway and all my blogger friends for participating!  We'll have another special giveaway later this week!

Hope everyone enjoyed a beautiful weekend!  

The Berkshire Beat is set to shake things up

Proposed cover design by Kaitlyn Squires.
The first issue isn't even printed yet,and already the dream of an alternative to traditional arts coverage has caught fire.

Berkshire Beat has surfaced, via Facebook, and it has already turned people on to art and performance events that escape the attention of traditional media like the Berkshire Eagle. It is shaping up as the place to find out about the local, the truly experimental and exceptional that capture the attention of the younger demographic from high school and college to twenty-somethings.

What is amazing about the development, is that you can watch it happening in real time by visiting their Facebook page, largely fueled by the efforts of Caleb Hiliadis, a Waconah High School Senior with a journalistic career in mind. But he is the first to tell you that he is nothing more than one of many people - some 1500 to date - that are pushing this concept ahead.

As anyone who toils in the arts and cultural reporting scene can tell you, one person can not possibly keep up with everything that is happening in the ever expanding Berkshire cultural world. We have splendid coverage of the BSO and other "top" arts institutions, but the local scene, where the creative ferment really takes place, barely rates a mention in the weekly Advocate which has rested on its laurels for years. It could have been an alternative in the spirit of the Boston Phoenix, but instead tends to play it safe, with a fuzzy focus that results in half its coverage being spaghetti suppers and face painting, and half listings in type so small as to be unreadable. The only redeeming features are their writers Peter Bergman and Judith Fairweather.

Proposed cover design by Kathryn Collins.
Of the local media, Berkshire Living, Rural Intelligence and Berkshire Fine Arts do the best job of covering all the arts, including classical, jazz and rock yet they miss much of what is happening right under our noses. Too many events, too few reporters. (Disclosure: I've written some one hundred articles for Berkshire Fine Arts in the past couple of years and - until I began my blogs - was part of the problem.)

There are dozens of other outlets that specialize in various niches. Foremost among these is Gail Sez, written by Gail Burns who covers theatre not only in the Berkshires, but adjoining states, and rarely misses even the smallest theatre company.

With Berkshire Beat, in essence everyone becomes a reporter, the readers will also be out there looking for new things going on. The key here is that at some point mediocrity will have to be weeded out, and a really sharp editor is going to have to watch the spelling, syntax and personal pronouns.

The major force behind this publication, which will also have a strong online presence, is Philip LaPointe, Jr. of Lee, an Iraq war veteran with a vision. There is an active advisory board, and others involved include Brad Steele. It is their hope to launch a prototype edition in the next month or so to test the waters. Ultimately they foresee a controlled circulation distribution plan, with biweekly issues being sent to 15,000 readers.

Because they will focus on a lot of the newer, emerging bands, artists and writers - they have a niche for poetry and visual arts in their plans - their vision is wide ranging. Since the cost of print is high, and requires major advertiser support, it is likely that the magazine will be a tool that will bring even more people to their website and the content there.

There is a board which is doing the planning, but at this point it is all open concept.

I submitted a cover design as well.
For a peek at the ongoing birthing pains, drop in to their Facebook page or sign up for their newsletter.

Vuole qualcosa da mangiare?

Meaning, would you like something to eat?

                                       

My friend Sharon makes the best pasta fagioli soup, it's that type of comfort food that I love all Winter (and Spring) long.  I have yet to perfect it but I'm up for the challenge this weekend.  A bowl of this, some Parmesan cheese and a loaf of crusty bread and we'll be ready to say DELIZIOZO!

Ingredients

• 3 pounds lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 4 cups chopped onion
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 2 (4.5 ounce) jars bottled minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 8 (14 ounce) cans beef broth
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 2 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 2 cups ditalini pasta
• 2 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Directions

1. In a large pot over medium heat, cook beef until no longer pink. Drain and set aside.
2. In the same pot, heat the olive oil. Cook onion, celery, garlic and black pepper until vegetables are tender, 10 minutes. Stir in beef broth, crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Season with thyme, basil, oregano and parsley. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. (At this point, you may put the pot on a back burner to keep warm and continue with the next steps about 1 hour prior to serving, if you wish.)
3. Stir in the beef and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in the pasta and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the beans and heat through, 10 to 15 minutes. (photo from allrecipes.com)

Have a great weekend! 

Boston's Theatre Scene - Then and Now

The Publick Theatre's Entertaining Mr. Sloane at the Boston Center for the Arts is wonderful. It stars an all-British cast. Pictured are the great Sandra Shipley with newcomer Jack Cutmore-Scott.
When I arrived in Boston in 1960 after an adolescence in the New York City area, I was shocked to find there wasn't very much in the way of a Boston theatre scene. The Colonial, Shubert and Wilbur Theatres were often lit with pre-Broadway tryouts and national touring companies fresh from Broadway, but the experimental, the daring and the surprising little companies were nowhere to be seen.

For a long time there was just the Charles Playhouse which made a valiant effort, and soon after that the Theatre Company of Boston which provided brief, brilliant flashes of creativity in the midst of an otherwise non-existent theatre community.

Al Pacino at last year's Norton Awards accepting a posthumous award for the late Paul Benedict. Photo Bill Brett from the Boston Globe Story.

Some of the luminaries were actors like Olympia Dukakis, Paul Benedict and Al Pacino. Because of the scarcity of real theatres, Pacino ended up performing Richard III in the sanctuary of the Church of the Covenant on Newbury Street.

A decade later I would be doing the marketing for the Pocket Mime Theatre in a little candy box of a theatre in the chapel of that same church, at a desk in Pacino's old dressing room. The little mime theatre even enticed Marcel Marceau to attend a performance and had a nice five year run until the fire inspectors discovered it.

They closed it down.

The late 60's and early 70's saw the birth of several additional resident theatres . Smaller companies like Lyric Stage (then on Charles Street) and the Publick Theatre struggled, and amazingly, survived.

But the Boston Repertory Theatre, The Proposition and Boston Shakespeare Company were brief shooting stars that burned out. They made valiant attempts to sink their roots into the cultural soil only to be rebuffed by the cultural elite who shoveled buckets of money to the BSO and MFA. Even the fledgeling Boston Ballet and ICA were treated like foundlings. It was a hardscrabble existence.

Arts Boston sells tickets in person and increasingly, on line too. Their second Bostix booth, designed by Graham Gund has become as much of a landmark as Copley Square itself.

But from this hardy bunch of pioneers grew Boston's first theatre league, which over time morphed into StageSource. Arts Service Organizations began to emerge, to help develop the management and financial expertise that artists needed. The Artists Foundation, Massachusetts Cultural Alliance are long gone, but Arts Boston remains. Perhaps that organization - which I ultimately headed for a decade in the 80's - knew that the most important thing for an artist is an audience. And the money ticket buyers bring. It's director, Catherine Peterson continues the Sisyphean task of finding warm paying bodies to fill otherwise cold, empty seats.

Soon Boston's two major colleges established the American Repertory Theatre at Harvard and the Huntington Theatre at BU. ART formed a resident company of actors who stayed with Robert Brustein (artistic director) for decades. Eventually he left and the brilliant Diane Paulus prefers rotating casts to fill the roles as needed. Meanwhile, Peter Altman played it safe at the Huntington, which mostly cast its productions from the New York pool of actors. His successors have drawn from both Boston and New York auditions.

Nicholas Martin was the Huntington Company's gift to Williamstown Theatre Festival. Here he is seen with actor Victor Garber.
Today there is a deep and significant reservoir of top talent which lives and works in Boston, although who can say "no" to an offer to go to Broadway, or even off-Broadway. Indeed, many of the ART and Huntington shows, especially under NIcholas Martin, made the transistion to New York. Martin left the Huntington and currently is planning the Williamstown Theatre Festival's summer season.

To my way of thinking, quite a few of what we used to call Boston's small theatres have grown to become mid-sized ones, with million dollar budgets to match. Foremost among them is Lyric Stage which, under the guidance of Spiro Veloudos, has cannily chosen shows with wide appeal and interest and kept its prices affordable. As my interview with him a year ago revealed, he is both creative and cautious.

The Adding Machine: The Musical from Speakeasy Stage is riveting.

On a recent trip to Boston I had the pleasure of seeing the latest work of the Publick Theatre, Entertaining Mr. Sloane (Review here), and the New England premiere of The Adding Machine: A Musical (Review here) at Speakeasy Stage Company. The quality of the productions was uniformly excellent, a testament to the growing strength of both these companies and our local talent pool.

Speakeasy follows The Adding Machine with Trailer Park: The Musical beginning April 3.

Lyric Stage opens Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill March 26, and closes its season with Blithe Spirit starting May 7.

Other companies that have continued to impress are the New Rep which opens Opus on March 28 and will follow with The Hot Mikado beginning May 2.

The Nora Theatre Company opens From Orchids to Octopi on March 31.

Zeitgeist Stage Company has their final production of the season, Farragut North slated to open on April 30 .

Le Cabaret Grimm from The Performance Lab.
And even as these companies continue to grow and develop their own theatrical locovore following, new companies are born with startling frequency. Among the most interesting of the new crop is The Performance LAB, an experimental theatre company. It will present the world premier of Le Cabaret Grimm, a punk-cabaret musical April 8-24 at the Boston Center for the Arts. The show is written and directed by Artistic Director Jason Slavick, with original music by Cassandra Marsh and choreography by Michelle Chasse. It will be their first show.

What is unusual is that it seems to be hip to the newest trends of younger audiences to mix their media. Slavick promises "a wickedly ironic sensibility" in a show that incorporates Cabaret, Steam Punk, Burlesque and old fashioned theatricality. The music reflects such influences as Tom Waits, Ska, R&B and the Dresden Dolls. �We�re using these fun, contemporary styles to draw in the audience� says Slavick, �but we�re combining them with classic tales that have a universal quality and resonate deeply.�

Isn't she pretty?

A 65 degree day in March is too good to be true around these parts.  It left me searching for a little bit of color, some pretty flowers and yes, a giveaway!  

Tracie Seed Designs set up shop about a year ago after a long history of creating, learning and crafting.  Tracie says she learned to sew from her "Big Granny" when she was 7 years old and hasn't stopped since!  

Her Etsy shop says, "I am a stay at home Mom of two gloriously crazy kids, 2 frenzied cats and 1 new ball of love in the form of a golden retriever puppy."
That's a good woman! Luckily she has her Etsy shop to use as a creative outlet and her customers benefit!  Check out some of these handmade products:

Recycled Magenta Pink and Lime Green Necklace

Boo Boo Busters

Recycled Bangle Fabric Bracelet

Fly Away with Me Child Backpack

My favorite...Lemon and Gray Steel Necklace 

Did I mention that she uses recycled materials?  Love that!

Buy It!  Visit Tracie Seed Designs to purchase

Win It! Tracie Seed Designs is giving one lucky reader a special item from her shop

How do you enter?  Visit Tracie Seed Designs and comment here which item you like the most from her shop.  Please be sure to leave your email address so I will be able to contact you if you win.

Extra entries (please post comments separately):

• Get an extra entry for becoming a follower of Tracie's blog 
• Get an extra entry for becoming a follower of my blog
• Get two extra entries if you blog about this giveaway (leave a link to your blog) 
• Get two extra entries if you grab my blog button (leave a link to your blog)

This giveaway will end on Sunday, March 21st at 7:30pm EST and winners will be posted Monday, March 22nd.  Winners will be drawn at random.  Open to US residents, 18 years +

FYI: I did not receive payment in any form for this review.  I just dig these items!

Quote of the day...

Having kids keeps life entertaining for certain.  I just caught myself saying, "Please take the cat out of the cooler" without hesitation.  Thanks Good Gravy, for reminding me that all kids say the silliest things and we don't think twice about it!  Read more here.

Speaking of Good Gravy! they are offering free shipping with no minimum purchase until Friday - call it the luck of the Irish!

PS - Yes, that's one giant, scruffy Persian cat tail you're seeing.  Sorry, you can't have it for your hat ;)

Revenge is sweet?

I saw some candy the other day and it reminded me of an apparently suppressed memory from my childhood.  Perhaps an 80's story of revenge.  We all knew the mean girls - or perhaps you were THE mean girl?  Well, I was subject to the mockery of a very popular mean girl in my 6th grade class.  She made fun of me, the class would laugh and I would smile and try to pretend it didn't bother me.  This went on for months.  I knew she loved candy, so one day, I decided to create my own "dots" (courtesy of my art teacher's paint supply) and leave them out on a roll in the classroom.  The recess bell rang, she came in with her gaggle of friends and spotted them immediately.  There, glistening in the sun, was a sheet of those dots - which she proceeded to scrap off and eat (yes, EAT) before Ms Carey returned and began our lessons again.  The teacher asked a math problem, I went up to the blackboard (so old school) to solve the problem and this mean girl cracked yet another joke after Ms Carey said, "Good job!"  The class still laughed and this mean girl looked at me with a big smile full of yellow and blue paint.  Ah, sweet revenge.

I guess it was evil but don't judge me on this one!  This pales in comparison to many mean girl stories I've heard recently and I can only hope that my girls are not subject to painful and cruel jokes OR participate in them.  Being a kid is tough sometimes... actually, a lot of the time! 

What was the cruel joke you played as a kid?  Feel free to share!  These things do make an impact, never again will I forget Stacy Cox and a trio of friends taunting me on the sidewalk in front of my house as they sang, "fat bottom girls you make my rockin' world go round".  

Charlies Soap Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations to the winner of our Charlie's Soap Giveaway!

# 21 Greta, who said, "I learned that you can even use this on baby clothes! That's awesome because I have to buy two separate laundry detergents right now - one for us and one for my daughter!"

 

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

21 

Timestamp: 2010-03-14 23:31:19 UTC

 

Greta, please contact me at jlanenh@comcast.net to claim your prize!

Thanks to everyone who partipated in Charlie's Soap giveaway!  Come back Thursday, when we'll do another one!

Clever Crafter Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations to the winner of the Clever Crafter's giveaway, lucky #2! 

Crystal said, "I actually really like the green button bracelet, I am Irish as well and I am always looking for something fun and green to wear on St Paddy's day."

Thanks to everybody who participated!  Crystal, we know that you'll be sporting that green bracelet while you're drinking a mug of green beer perhaps?  Please email me at jlanenh@comcast.net so that we can arrange delivery. 

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

2 

Timestamp: 2010-03-14 23:42:26 UTC

I'll be posting the winner of the Charlie's Soap giveaway in a little bit, stay tuned!

BlackBerry Bold 9700 for AT&T Mobility

BlackBerry Bold 9700 for AT&T Mobility is a premium smartphone with the productivity features you want, such as FREE access to more than 20,000 AT&T WiFi hotspots nationwide.

With international 3G connectivity, the Bold 9700 lets you check Microsoft Exchange and personal email accounts, connect instantly to your favorite social networks, browse the web, download apps from BlackBerry App World and more at lighting fast speeds.

The next-generation processor means improved multi-tasking. Record video clips with the 3.2 megapixel camera/ camcorder to share online easily, or meet up with friends using the global aGPS with AT&T Navigator support and watch mobile videos together on the brilliant 2.4" color screen with speakerphone or stereo Bluetooth headphones.

With productivity and entertainment pre-loaded, the BlackBerry Bold 9700 is a smartphone that is the perfect blend of style and cutting-edge technology.

According to it�s manufacturer, the BlackBerry Bold 9700 has 6 hours of talk time and up to 19 days of standby time on Li-Ion battery, which is very impressive for a smartphone with all the features.

And according to FCC radiation tests, the BlackBerry Bold 9700 has a digital SAR rating of 1.55 W/Kg at ear but actual SAR may vary.

With international 3G connectivity, the Bold 9700 lets you check Microsoft Exchange and personal email accounts, connect instantly to your favorite social networks, browse the web, download apps from BlackBerry App World and more at lighting fast speeds.

The next-generation processor means improved multi-tasking. Record video clips with the 3.2 megapixel camera/ camcorder to share online easily, or meet up with friends using the global aGPS with AT&T Navigator support and watch mobile videos together on the brilliant 2.4" color screen with speakerphone or stereo Bluetooth headphones.

With productivity and entertainment pre-loaded, the BlackBerry Bold 9700 is a smartphone that is the perfect blend of style and cutting-edge technology.

According to it�s manufacturer, the BlackBerry Bold 9700 has 6 hours of talk time and up to 19 days of standby time on Li-Ion battery, which is very impressive for a smartphone with all the features.

And according to FCC radiation tests, the BlackBerry Bold 9700 has a digital SAR rating of 1.55 W/Kg at ear but actual SAR may vary.

BlackBerry Bold 9700 Highlights

* Rollover Unused Anytime Minutes Every Month
* Talk and Surf At The Same Time
* FREE Acccess To More Than 20,000 AT&T WiFi Hotspots Nationwide
* 3.2 Megapixel Camera/ Camcorder To Record Memories and Easily Share Them
* Download Apps From The BlackBerry App World To Customize Your Phone
* Connect Worldwide With International-capable 3G Or WiFi
* Find Your Way With Integrated Global GPS and Support For AT&T
Navigator
* View and Edit Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint Documents Attached To
Email
* New BlackBerry OS 5.0 Features Updates To Messaging, Calendar and
Browser Capabilities

Messaging Features

* Email Client � Yes, Easy Email Set-up For BlackBerry Enterprise Server
Accounts and Web-based Accounts Like Gmail!
* Instant Messenger � Yes, IM Chat Using Your Favorite Instant Messenger
Services Including Yahoo!, ICQ, AIM and GTalk
* Multimedia Messaging � Yes, Send and Receive Picture and Video Messages
* Text Messaging (SMS) � Yes, Send and Receive Text Messages
* HTML Web Browsing � Yes, Rich Web Browsing For Desktop-like Experience
Inline Video Streaming, Fast Downloads and More

Entertainment

* Picture Caller ID � Yes
* Custom Ringtones � Yes
* MP3 Player � Yes, Media Player Music and Videos Supports AT&T Music,
XM Radio, iTunes Playlists, and More
* MP3 Ringtones � Yes
* Polyphonic Ringtones � Yes
* Customizable Graphics � Yes
* Facebook � Yes, Downloadable
* Games � Yes, Downloadable
* Twitter � Yes, Downloadable
* Photo Apps � Yes, Downloadable
* Streaming Multimedia Support � Yes, Watch Streaming Video Including
Mobile Video, Streaming Video and More
* Ringer Profiles � Yes
* MySpace � Yes, Downloadable

Digital Camera

* Capture Modes � Yes, Multiple Capture Modes Including White Balance and
Color
* Camera Megapixels � 3.2 Megapixels
* Digital Camera � Yes, 3.2 Megapixel Camera/ Camcorder With Flash and
Easy Web Upload With Camera Connect
* Zoom � Yes, 2x Digital Zoom
* Video Capture / Camcorder � Yes, Record Video Clips To Share With
Friends and Family
* Dedicated Camera Key � Yes

BlackBerry Bold 9700 Advanced Features

* QWERTY Keyboard � Yes, Full QWERTY Keyboard For Fast, Accurate Typing
and Optical Trackpad For Navigation
* Bluetooth Stereo Headset (A2DP) � Yes, Stream Music Wirelessly With
Stereo Bluetooth Capable Headphones (Not Included)
* Bluetooth Wireless Technology � Yes, Connect Wirelessly To Other
Bluetooth Capable Devices Including Car Kits, Headphones, , Etc.
* PC Synchronization � Yes
* GPS Services Support � Yes, aGPS Supports Navigation In 20 Countries and
AT&T Navigator For Mapping and Directions
* Attachment Viewing and Editing (Word, Excel) � Yes, View and Edit Word,
Excel, and PowerPoint Files With DataViz Documents; View-only For PDF
Files
* Use This Phone As A Modem � Yes, 3G and WiFi Tethering Capable For
Laptop Connectivity

Core Features

* Color � Charcoal Black
* Color Main Display � 2.4", 480 x 360 Pixel, 65,000 Color, Half-VGA
Display
* Speakerphone � Yes, Full Duplex
* Vibrate � Yes
* Voice-activated Dialing � Yes
* Voice Memo � Yes
* Alarm � Yes
* Calculator � Yes
* Calendar � Yes
* To-Do List � Yes
* Style � Candy Bar
* PDA Device � Yes

Battery

* Battery Type � Li-Ion
* Talk Time � Up To 6 Hours
* Standby Time � Up To 19 Days

BlackBerry Bold 9700 Technical Specifications

* Hearing Aid Compatible � Yes, M3/ T3
* Dimensions � 4.3" x 2.4" x 0.6"
* Weight � 4.3 oz
* Expandable Memory Capacity � Store More Documents, Music, Photos and
Videos With Up To 32GB microSD Card (2GB Card Pre-installed)
* Network Compatibility � GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900 and HSDPA 850, 1900,
2100
* Phonebook Capacity � No Maximum; Limited Only By Available Memory
* Multiple Numbers Per Name � Yes
* Platform / Operating System � BlackBerry OS 5.0
* TTY Compatible � Yes
* Data Download Speed � 3G/ HSDPA 3.6Mbps
* Micro-USB Port � Yes
* WiFi � Yes, WiFi-enabled To Connect To Wireless Networks (Hotspots) and
FREE Accees To AT&T Hotspots
* Processor Speed � 624 MHz
* Predictive Text Entry � Yes, T9 and iTAP
* Ringtone Types Supported � MIDI, SP-MDI, MP3, WAV
* 3G Data Speeds � Yes, Where Available
* Compatible Carrier � AT&T
* Internationally Compatible � Yes, Data Capable In 185 Countries and
Voice Roaming In Over 215 Countries (Roaming Fees Apply)
* Built-In Memory � 256MB
* Standard 3.5mm Stereo Headset Jack � Yes

Compatible Rate Plans

* Device Supports AT&T High-End Voice Plans � Yes
* Device Supports Blackberry Plans � Yes
* Available For Purchase Without Service Plan � Yes
* Device Supports Add-on Line Plans � Yes

Compatible Features

* AT&T Voice Plan Options � Yes
* AT&T GPS Plan Options � Yes
* AT&T BlackBerry Plan Options � Yes
* AT&T Messaging Plan Options � Ye

What Comes In The Box

* Additional Items Included � Battery, Wall Charger, Stereo Headset, USB
Cable, 2GB microSD Card, User Guide, CD, Carry Case