Red Hot NAMM 2012

Every year I attend the NAMM show – (The National Association of Music Merchants).  I have absolutely no business or reason to attend the show.  I am not a musician and I don’t work in the music business.  But I do love Rock N Roll and thus the NAMM show where where hundreds of people who attend feel the same way.  Dr. Malibu likens the show to a high school reunion, bumping into old friends and reconnecting.   Getting your hands on a NAMM badge takes some connections but it’s not a tragedy if you can’t actually attend the show.  There’s a lot going on outside the convention center walls.

This year I ran across a booth Ultra Case which had a uniquely crafted quilt backdrop.  The owner’s sister in law, Liza, made the quilt using a collection of his treasured vintage rock t-shirts.  If you don’t know anything about quilting, you should know it’s one of the most undervalued and underappreciated forms of art.  To do it well requires a lot of skill, a good eye and even more patience.  Quilts take a long time to make.   I love that the notes along the border play Bohemian Rhapsody.  Amazing!  You an check out Liza’s work here.

You never know what you’ll see NAMM.  People are dressed in some crazy gear, girls are decked out in mini skirts and fishnets, boys in their metal finest, tattoos from head to toe.  A few merchants post scantily clad girls around their booth to attract attention.  Gator Cases put this gator gal on display to capture interest from the crowds.  I couldn’t resist a quick pet and photo op.

I wore my newest and coolest Pink Polkadot Dress and ran into the designer herself – Sharise Neil – who spotted me wearing her dress!

The highlight of the event for me, was meeting Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers!  Chad tolerated my death grip on his jacket and stepping on his toes during my excitement over meeting him and getting a picture!

When the convention center shuts down for the day, the evening is just gearing up.  Groups gather in the Hilton Anaheim lobby or the Marriott.  Literally, people party like rock stars until morning.  I mixed up a few shakers of lemon drops (of course) for the gathering in our room.  Just the right way to kick off the evening where more rounds of reunion occur and new friendships are forged.  Rock on!

Diaper Cake

My best friend forever (Really?  Forever?  thank you Bridesmaids) called upon my craftiness this week.  Yes, Wilma Fingerdoo was invited to a baby shower and to her full credit, she saw, somewhere in the interverse, a Diaper Cake –  which apparently is all the rage for baby showers.  Full credit because Wilma is not exactly know for her maternal instincts.

Now, when I was having babies, they didn’t exist yet.  (diaper cakes, not babies)  What a GREAT idea!  You can never have enough diapers when you have a baby – and diapers are expensive!  Wilma asked for my help (she knew I’d have all the supplies) and it sure looked like fun.

It’s ironic that the day that I’m helping make a diaper cake, I bought a high school graduation card for the son of my other BFF, Kat.  I threw Kat’s baby shower right before Jaggar was born.  It was the first baby shower I had ever thrown.  And now he’s G R A D U A T I N G!  How the hell did that happen?

I didn’t bother to put the instructions here making on diaper cakes, just the results.  A quick search on your favorite search engine is going to give you all the options and details that you need.  I will tell you we went with the “swirl” method (oddly appropriate for a diaper cake if you think about it).  Wilma may not have deep maternal instincts but she instantly figured out that the other methods involving rolling up diapers and securing them with rubber bands would be a pain in the butt for the new mom.

Lemon Drop Martinis, the squirrely kind

I’m posting this very late  – better late than never, right?

When I was packing for the 2011 NAMM show, I’m was thinking of my best friend Kat, excited that I would see her soon!  I met Kat at the Rainbow 20 years ago.  I was hanging out with a friend and Kat overheard our conversation about boobs – um, yes boobs, and she “busted” right into our conversation.  It was love at first sight.  I’d never met a cooler chick in my life (still haven’t and she’s got a lot of competition these days).  We were so head over heals for each other that when Kat mentioned that she wanted to transfer to Los Angeles, (she was a flight attendant living in Chicago) I said she could move right in with me… without bothering to check with my boyfriend.  So she showed up one day, and well, I don’t see him anymore… but that’s how it goes.

Kat ended up marrying her rockstar, moving to Scottsdale and is raising 4 amazing kids.  Despite her moving away – we remain very close, talk daily and visit each other regularly (but not nearly enough).  Kat didn’t introduce me to Lemon Drops – but she did teach me how to make them.  They’ve become my favorite drink of decadence.   Making them is always fun and every girl  needs to know how to make her own!

You will need:

• Cocktail Shaker
• Martini Glasses
• Shot Glass
• Ice Cubes
• Vodka (citrus flavored is not necessary)
• Lemons
• Triple Sec or better yet Grand Marnier
• Sugar

Fill your martini glass with ice cubes to properly chill the glasses.  Pour it out right before serving.

Fill your cocktail shaker with ice cubes

Measure the following into your cocktail shaker:

• 1 1/2 shots of your favorite and chilled vodka
• 1/2 shot of Triple Sec (or Grand Marnier)
• 3/4 shot of fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp of sugar.

Shake then pour into your chilled martini glasses.

You can coat the edges of your martini glass in sugar by dipping the edge of the glass first in water, then into a plate of sugar.  I opt to skip this part as I really don’t like my drink too sweet and the sugar always sticks to my lipstick.  This of course, it’s Kat’s favorite part – she likes to lick the sugar off the rim.

These are quick and easy to make – master these and you’ll be invited back to the next party….  CLINKIES!

A funny thing happened that last time I went to make a lemon drop.  The famous Wilma Fingerdoo stopped by for a cocktail and I had all the ingredients set out to make us a quick cocktail.  But Thing 1 had left us with no ice cubes.

Faced with an ice cube shortage, Wilma and I headed out to scout out the neighbors to see if we could borrow a cup ‘o cubes.  Sure enough, my neighbor Tom was heading out and how could he turn down two damsels in distress.  As we followed him to his apartment, a cute little baby squirrel came running out of the bushes and tried to crawl up Tom’s pants.  To Tom’s credit, he didn’t scream but the squirrel, despite his tiny size was relentless!  It charged again and again, undaunted by Tom’s foot gently trying to block him.  The situation when from cute to crazy and Tom finally escaped to a stairway while Wilma and I were practically rolling on the ground, hysterical with laughter.  We finally all escaped the squirrels advances and made it safely into his apartment for the ice cubes.  When we left, the squirrel made a half hearted attempt to follow us but clearly it was waiting for Tom and quickly gave up.