Tuesday Tunes: The Rockin’ 1950’s

by Lydia Tuesday Tunes

1950’s!

The United States in the 1950’s experienced marked economic growth – with an increase in manufacturing and home construction amongst a post-World War II economic boom. The 1950s are noted in United States history as a time of compliance, conformity and also, to a lesser extent, of rebellion. However, in the mist of the Korean War and the Cold War, the sock hops were the hottest places to be for the young teens of the 1950’s. Kids crowded the dance floors twisting and twirling to the rockin’ tunes of Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Chubby Checker and the King himself. Rock n’ Roll was certainly here to stay!

Rockabilly Dance

The Twist

Jailhouse Rock

Free Events Thursday: Mother’s Day

by Lydia Free Events Thursday

Soto: The Houston Penetrable

May 8, 2014 – Sep 1, 2014

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Jesús Rafael Soto’s signature Penetrables series is one of the great marvels of contemporary art. The Houston Penetrable—the Venezuelan artist’s final, and most ambitious work—is the only one Soto (1923–2005) designed as permanent or semipermanent, and one of the few he created as an indoor piece.

A vast, floating sea of plastic strands suspended from the ceiling, the Houston Penetrable is completed only by the viewer’s participation. Intended to be touched, handled, and waded through, the strands compose a floating yellow orb on a transparent background. The 24,000 PVC (polyvinyl chloride) tubes, individually hand-painted and tied, hang two stories high from the ceiling to the floor in the Museum’s Cullinan Hall.

Price: $15 (Free for members)

Canvas, Cocktails & Conversation; May Edition

May 10, 2014 from 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

Bisong Art Gallery 1305 Sterrett St. Houston, TX 77002

Bisong Art Gallery presents the May edition of Canvas, Cocktails & Conversation Saturday, May 10 Bisong Art Gallery is unique in that the warehouse district area is a historical arts community. 20 years ago, what was once all industrial buildings, has now been transformed into art studios, upscale living, and restaurants. On the second Saturday of each month, the gallery is transformed into an art class, but no worries if you aren’t the next Picasso. Enjoy your complimentary drink, get relaxed and let your creativity flow with a few of your closest friends so you can create your own take-home masterpiece. Create your own version of Paul Signac’s The Pink Cloud. A local artist will help you recreate this masterpiece; no experience required. Many of the events are free and open to the public.

Art supplies, canvas, aprons, complimentary mimosas and appetizers will be provided. Specials will be available for premium drinks. Seating is limited.

Price: $30

Domaine Sainte Rose Wine Dinner!

May 02, 2014 – May 28, 2014 (Recurring daily) at 7pm

Artisans Restaurant

3201 Louisiana Street, Houston, TX 77006

Come enjoy some creative dishes paired with wonderful wines from Domaine Sainte Rose! Seating is limited so please call 713.529.9111 today to make your reservation!

Price: FREE!!!

Celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

May 10, 2014 from 11:00am – 5:00pm

Asia Society Texas Center

1370 Southmore Boulevard, Houston, TX 77004

First observed by the United States Congress in the late 1970s and finally signed into law in 1992, May is recognized as a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. The month was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese in 1843 and the completion of the transcontinental railroad, worked on by numerous Chinese immigrants, in 1869.

Join us at Asia Society Texas Center for our eleventh Family Day, which will mark Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Activities, interactive experiences, and performances will present a snapshot of Asian culture and the Asian American diaspora. Stay tuned for updates in the coming weeks!

Price: Free for Members, $5 Nonmembers

Heartbreak House

May 08, 2014 – June 01, 2014

Main Street Theater
2540 Times Blvd, Houston, TX 77005

September, 1914. The topsy-turvy household of Captain Shotover and his daughter Hesione Hushabye entertains weekend guests: Ellie Dunn, her father, and her fiancé. Unfortunately, Ellie’s fiancé is a scoundrel, her father is a bumbling prig, and she’s actually in love with Hesione’s husband Hector. This bold mix of farce and tragedy lampoons British society as it blithely ignores the catastrophe looming on the horizon that will become the War to End All Wars.

Price: $20-$32

Mother’s Day Brunch at L’Olivier

May 11, 2014 from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm

240 Westheimer Rd., Houston, TX 77006

Sunday, May 11th from 10:30 to 2:30 3 Course Menu $45 Per Person Price Does Not Include Beverages, Tax or Gratuity 1st Course Housemade Pate chicken liver a touch of brandy Shrimp Cocktail spicy horseradish sauce Housemade Smoked Salmon Goat Cheese Salad mixed greens & cherry tomatoes dressed in maple vinaigrette Butternut Squash Panzotti sage truffle sauce 2nd Course Grilled Prime Beef Medallion with mashed potatoes Grilled Lamb Chop with ratatouille Crab Cake Benedict with poached egg & paprika hollandaise Seared Shrimp with black rice Dessert Creme Brulee Chocolate Mousse Marquise Chocolate Roquefort Terrine.

Price: FREE!!! (Until the bill comes…yay)!

Museum District Walking Tour

Houston Architecture Tours from 10 am – 12 noon

Meet at the Miro sculpture inside the MFAH Sculpture Garden, 5101 Montrose Blvd, 77006.

Street and lot parking available.

The Houston Museum District is one of the few areas in the country with such a dense population of museums, public art, contemporary architecture, and landscape design. On this 2-hour walking tour you will experience the quintessential Modernism of Mies van der Rohe, the structuralist view point of Gunnar Birkert, and the simplicity and craft of Isamu Noguchi. Come explore these and other world class examples of design with ArCH tour guides and trace the chronology of significant cultural shifts from the early twentieth century through today.

Price: $10

Peaches and Cream for Mom

May 10, 2014

Kiehl’s since 1851

4076 Westheimer Rd., Houston, TX 77027

Give Mom the gift of Peaches and Cream! Let her be pampered with a relaxing Kiehl’s mini facial while sipping on a Peach smoothie or herbal tea! Space is limited, so call for your mom’s reservation now!

Price: FREE!!!

United Nations Association International Choir Concert

May 10, 2014 from 5p.m. and 8p.m.

Heinen Theatre
3517 Austin Street, Houston, TX 77004

United Nations Association International Choir is a multicultural group of singers who inspire, educate and bring joy to audiences through world music by performing international choral works in their unique styles and languages. The choir celebrates cultural diversity as part of the greater Houston community through its collaborative environment of camaraderie, learning, and growth.

Price: $25

Eat Well Wednesday: Cauliflower “Mashed Potatoes”

by Lydia Eat Well Wednesday Uncategorized

I have a confession…I LOVE VEGGIES!

They really hold the bulk of my diet because not only do they contain some the best nutrients that our bodies need to thrive, but I just love, love, love, them. The taste, the texture, and the many different ways you can prepare them. My favorite way to cook up a batch of veggies is by roasting them, but I as I experiment in the kitchen I discovered a great way to enjoy cauliflower and the best part, it is like eating a big bowl of mashed potatoes, YUM!!

I present to you Mashed Cauliflower Puree.

Here is what to do…

1. Cut the leave off of cauliflower and wash thoroughly.

2. Cute the stem off and break the cauliflower apart into pieces

3. Steam the cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl with a little bit of water or use a vegetable steam basket.

4. Once the veggie is done, place in a blender, food processor, or Vita Mix.

5. Add about 1/4 cup of milk, throw some salt, pepper and garlic powder in there too and give it a whirl.

6. Blend until smooth. If it is too think you can always add a splash more milk.

And that’s it!!

This dish really does taste like mashed potatoes, as the cauliflower is a starchy vegetable. Feel free to add some kick to it by slicing up a jalapeno to make a spicy puree or add some cheddar cheese in there for cheesy cauliflower. I served this up with some delicious pork tenderloin and broccoli and it was just plain YUM!!!

Jill Tarpey is leading us Wednesday by Wednesday into making better food choices and being more healthful. Tune in every Wednesday to get some great recipes and advice from someone who really knows health. In an effort to fuel her passion to serve as well has enhance the lives of others through their nutritional choices, she started Eat Well SA (San Antonio). Her vision is to educate you on how to incorporate a healthy array of foods into your life. Eat Well is not a diet, nor does it embrace any one specific dietary agenda. She also offers customized programs that are educational and teach you the tools you need to maintain healthy, well balanced eating for your busy lives.

Tuesday Tunes: 1940’s!

by Lydia Tuesday Tunes

1940’s!

The 1940’s were dominated by World War II and pulled the US out of the Great Depression. Women were needed in factories, agencies, companies and even baseball teams and the military to replace men who had gone off to war. Food, metals and various materials were rationed to help the Allies win against the Axis Powers that threatened the world. However, swingin’ new music from Glenn Miller, The Andrew Sisters, Artie Shaw, Count Basie and many others provided fast and up-beat songs for the latest dance crazes of the decade.

Glen Miller …. In The Mood (A tribute to the 1940’s)!

Andrews Sisters and Swing Dancing

The Jitterbug

MFA Monday: Stephanie Todd Wong

by Lydia MFA Mondays

It’s a new day, a new MONDAY. We welcome Stephanie Todd Wong to the Frame Dance blog. Enjoy her experiences today and for the next two weeks!

The Highs and Lows of My Personal Experience

I received my MFA from George Mason University in 2004 and I look back on those three years through a lens of extremes. Fondness, frustration, pride, uncomfort, growth are all words I use often when telling others about my experience. For me, it was a life changing experience full of highs and lows, as I believe it should be for everyone.

Highs:

Structure and resources: I suddenly had both! Class everyday, someone consistently asking me questions, challenging me, reserved studio time for rehearsal and dancers waiting for me, deadlines etc. It is amazing the work you can create when you have what you need to create it and the structure to both support and push you to produce your best.

Friends and colleagues: Some of my dearest friends were either colleagues I met while in school or my professors. The dance world is a small one and the relationships I built while in the program are just as important to me now as they were then. Our paths cross consistently and we still find ways to help and support one another.

Growth: I exited my MFA program a completely different artist than how I entered. I fully embraced the journey and allowed myself to be changed by it. The growth I experienced during those three years is probably one of things I’m most proud of.

Lows:

University politics: I wasn’t prepared for the reality of the politics I was exposed to during this time. I’m not sure if it was because of my specific program or the difference between being an undergrad versus a grad student, but the politics involved were much more evident. There were times I had to fight with administration to do what was best for me and I found it very frustrating. But it was also an important part of the learning process.

Exhaustion/Life Outside the Grad School Bubble: Or should I say the lack of my life outside the grad school bubble. An MFA program is intense with a lot of demands on your time. I taught adjunct while I was getting my degree and between teaching, my own classes, readings and assignments, rehearsals and performances, I was rarely anywhere other than the studio.

Cost: Grad school is expensive and I’m still paying back my student loans. And while I don’t love writing those checks each month, it was worth it for me.

Stephanie Todd Wong moved to Houston in 2008 after spending ten years in Washington DC as a dancer, choreographer, dance teacher and dance administrator. Stephanie holds a BA in Dance from Mercyhurst College and received her MFA in Dance from George Mason University in 2004. While living in Washington she was a dancer in the Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Dance Company, which performed in various locations in DC and New York City. She also had the privilege of working with Lorry May, founding director of Sokolow Dance Foundation to learn and perform Anna Sokolow’s The Lament for the Death of a Bullfighter. As a choreographer, Stephanie’s work was presented at both Joy of Motion and Dance Place. Stephanie also spent time teaching dance and worked to create a high school dance program for The Flint Hill School in Vienna Virginia. Beginning in 2007, Stephanie began working for Dance/MetroDC, the local branch office of Dance/USA, serving as its Programs Associate and ultimately its Interim Director. In this role she was responsible for creating and executing all the organizations programming, including the Metro DC Dance Awards, a region wide awards program that took place at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Stephanie became Executive Director of Dance Source Houston in 2011 and currently sits on the Advisory Board for Arts + Culture Magazine and an Affiliate Working Group of Dance/USA.

Links We Like

by Lydia Links We Like

…I know you just sang that line….now you’re going to listen to the song, aren’t you? …Yeah you will…and why not it’s FRIDAY!!! 🙂

5th grade boys Synchronized Swimming Talent Show Skit

Dude Sits Down At Public Piano…. Gives it a Schoolin

Kid Singin’ the Blues…like a boss

These Marines Just Let it Go

Free Events Thursday!

by Lydia Free Events Thursday

14th Annual Houston Dragon Boat Festival

May 03, 2014 from 8:30am-4:30pm

Allen’s Landing

1001 Commerce Street, Houston, TX 77002

Performances include lion dancing, martial arts, Hawaiian style dancing, belly dancing, and many more activities bringing awareness of Asian and Asian-American culture. The entire family can enjoy the culture and traditions of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans and experience the culture and traditions through a sample of Asian cuisine, colorful arts and crafts and other activities during the festival.

Once again the MD Anderson Super Heroes youth team is competing. This will be the second time the team, which consists of leukemia and cancer teenagers, parents, doctors, nurses and other “sidekicks,” is paddling in our event. Also this year’s festival will feature Blind Fury, a team whose members are from the Lighthouse of Houston. The Lighthouse of Houston is a private, nonprofit education and service center dedicated to assisting blind and visually impaired people to live independently.

Price: FREE!!!

African Art from the Cameroon & Nigeria with Paintings by Lucinda Cobley and Beatriz Olivetti

May 01, 2014 – June 14, 2014 (Every Thursday, Friday, Saturday) from Noon to 6 pm

Gallery Jatad

1517 Blodgett Street, Houston, TX 77004

Gallery Jatad is exhibiting two new exhibits. “African Art from the Cameroon & Nigeria with Paintings by Lucinda Cobley and Beatriz Olivetti” and “three dudes from Corpus”. The exhibit focuses on traditional African art from the Cameroon and Nigeria border region. This is an opportunity to acquire antique objects originally used for ritual purposes from an area of Africa that remained relatively untouched by Western contact well into the 20th century. Smaller objects include whistles carved with a sculptural purity anticipating Modern Art with some covered with multi-colored beads, and skin cover sculptures of heads worn as head crests to honor ancestors. A variety of masks, figures, dolls and textiles are offered, including objects from the Bamileke, Banso, Vere, Mumuye, Mambila, Ibibio, Ibo, Keaka and Ekoi. Contemporary works by Lucinda Cobley and Beatriz Olivetti are featured on the walls of the main gallery. Both artists titillate the eye with color. The north gallery features works by Ricardo Ruiz, Oscar Guerra and Jimmy Pena.

Price: FREE!!!

Bulgari: 130 Years of Masterpieces

May 02, 2014 – October 05, 2014

Houston Museum of Natural Science

Bulgari: 130 Years of Masterpieces will be an exhibition of approximately 150 sizable pieces
of jewelry from Bulgari?s Heritage Collection, including masterpieces from the historical archives of the company headquarters in Rome or on loan from private collections. This exclusive retrospective marks the first time the storied jeweler has showcased pieces representing every period since its Roman beginnings in 1884, making Bulgari: 130 Years of Masterpieces a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Included in the Houston exhibition are pieces from the collection of Dame Elizabeth Taylor, who became almost as famous for her love of Bulgari jewels as for her on-screen triumphs. Other pieces in the exhibition belonged to or were worn by iconic women past and present, including Sophia Loren, Ingrid Bergman, Grace Kelly, Isabella Rossellini, Gina Lollobrigida, Anna Magnani, Juliette Binoche, Milla Jovovich, Jennifer Aniston, Claudia Schiffer, Elizabeth Hurley, Rachel Weisz, Meryl Streep and Julianne Moore.

Price: $25

Drinko de Mayo

May 03, 2014 from 7 pm – 2 am

Howl at the Moon

Enjoy our drink specials and of course, our dueling pianos will be rocking the party all night long! DRINKO DE MAYO SPECIALS: $4 Dos Equis $22 86oz Mega Margaritas $5 Jose Cuervo Shots WIN A CINCO DE MAYO HAPPY HOUR PARTY Follow the link to win a free Cinco de Mayo happy hour party for you and up to 100 friends for even more Cinco de Mayo drink specials!

Price: $10

First Saturday Arts Market

May 03, 2014 – May 02, 2015 (Recurring monthly on the 1st Saturday)

Times: 11-6 Sept – May and 6-10 June, July, August

548 W. 19th Street, Houston, TX 77008

First Saturday Arts Market is a monthly outdoor fine arts event featuring the works of dozens of visual artists. Located in the Historic Houston Heights by Gen’s Antiques at 548 W. 19th St. at Lawrence St., the market showcases paintings, sculpture, photography, jewelry and handcrafted items. Bring the entire family and come enjoy the great outdoors, live music and delicious fare from some of the area’s best gourmet food trucks.

Price: FREE!!!

Houston Food Truck Fest

May 03, 2014 from 12pm – 5pm

6400 Richmond Ave, Houston, TX 77057

Stereo Live will host the 3rd Houston Food Truck Fest on Saturday May 3rd from 12pm–5pm. The event will feature 21 of Houston’s finest Gourmet Food Trucks. Live music, DJ, karaoke stage and a multitude of attractions will keep Fest goers entertained. Family friendly movies will also be shown indoors on our massive 210 sq ft screen.

Price: $12

Eat Well Wednesday: Salsa!

by Lydia Eat Well Wednesday Uncategorized

Tomato season is upon us!

Did you know that tomatoes contain 2 grams of fiber each, loads of Vitamin C helping you stay healthy, and beta-carotene to help make your skin glow?

I will take any chance I can to get some of those benefits into my body and if that means eating salsa, well that is fine with me.

Salsa is by far our all time favorite dip! We consume large quantities of salsa in our house, for the perfect topping to our eggs, to a great dip for our chips. We LOVE salsa!! After sharing with you our Coconut Granola Clusters as an easy and yummy way to save money on your grocery bill, I was inspired to share with you our family favorite, HOMEMADE SALSA.

This recipe makes about 8 cups of salsa and for about $4.00. That is a steal, considering that a 2 cup jar of salsa at the store will cost anywhere form $3-$4!! Talk about cost savings.

Not only is this recipe budget friendly, it is very, very tasty and so fresh. You can whip up a batch in about 1 minute and immediately serve it to your friends and family or store it it jars in the fridge for the perfect dip to your chip or topping for your morning eggs.

Gather up these ingredients:

(2) 28 oz Cans of Whole Tomatoes
(1) Bunch of Cilantro
(1) Bunch of Green Onions
(2) Tablespoons of Jalapeno’s (Jar)
(3) Tablespoons of Cumin
(2) Tablespoons of Sugar
(1) Tablespoon of Salt
(1) Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
Juice of (1) Lemon
Juice of (1) Lime

Here is what you do:

Cut off root ends of green onions and chop onion into 3 inch pieces.
Add green onion, cilantro, jalapeno’s and tomatoes into blender and process until well blended.
Add the seasonings and juice the lemon and lime. Blend for a few more seconds.

And that’s it! Time to break out the chips and enjoy your fantastic dip.

I know that your friends and family are going to love this salsa.

So, what is your favorite dip? Salsa or queso? Leave a comment below and let me know.

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Jill Wentworth is leading us Wednesday by Wednesday into making better food choices and being more healthful. Tune in every Wednesday to get some great recipes and advice from someone who really knows health. In an effort to fuel her passion to serve as well has enhance the lives of others through their nutritional choices, she started Eat Well SA(San Antonio). Her vision is to educate you on how to incorporate a healthy array of foods into your life. Eat Well is not a diet, nor does it embrace any one specific dietary agenda. She also offers customized programs that are educational and teach you the tools you need to maintain healthy, well balanced eating for your busy lives.

Tuesday Tunes: The 1930’s!

by Lydia Tuesday Tunes

The 1930’s!

The 1930’s was a time of celebration and hardship. Talking pictures were all the rage at the local theaters and radio became a household item where everyone could tune in to hear Orson Wells tell the American public of a pending alien invasion from War of the Worlds. The Depression sent many families into poverty and many businesses were closing up shop, but that didn’t stop America’s optimism and ingenious designers from opening the Empire State Building and the Golden Gate Bridge for the whole world to see. The 1930’s had its ups and downs throughout the decade but that didn’t stop people from dancing! Dances like the Foxtrot, Tap and the Waltz were becoming popular once again on the dance floor while others like the Jitterbug and Swing were just getting started!

A Dutch instructional film from 1930, demonstrating the ballroom Foxtrot of the time.

Keep Punchin Jitterbug Contest

Fred and Ginger – Waltz in Swing Time (Waltz, Tap and Swing all in one)

Dinner / Dance 19. Meet Gretchen!

by Lydia Interviews

Hi Framers,

This next performance, Dinner / Dance 19 is taking a turn from our usual abstraction. Because the event is a multi-course dinner, and we are navigating subject matter from planting to eating, I realized a huge part of dining is the drama and dialogue we have on a daily basis while eating a meal. We’ve been working with some funny, and hopefully identifiable characters in rehearsal. And now it’s time to begin introducing you to them.

Allow us to introduce:

Gretchen Charise Kittridge

(aka Ashley Horn)

Gretchen started at Search Optimizer out of college. She accepted lower pay than she wanted because she was promised that she would move up quickly in the company, she was one of the first employees of the start-up. But has only had one promotion in 11 years. Comes early, stays late. Gretchen is only child of overachievers– Mother is a school superintendent and Father is an pediatric heart surgeon. She graduated with honors in 3 years with a degree in Marketing. Always planned on going back to law school, but can’t seem to find time. She’s not particularly liked at work, she’s a little bitter and hated by one of her colleagues. All she wants is fairness and the success she deserves. That’s not too much to ask, right?

Where would you find her when she’s not at work? Reading a book with a glass of wine. Maybe adopting another cat.