Frosted gingerbread & Eggnog cupcakes

When you think of Christmas flavors what comes to mind?
How about gingerbread and eggnog?
Both make me think, "Christmas!" and they just might be seasonal flavors that are the most synonymous with the holidays to me.  

Eggnog and Gingerbread Cupcakes from Frosted in Long Beach 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

I peaked into Frosted Cupcakery to see what handcrafted Holiday time cupcakes they had and was delighted to see they had an eggnog cupcake! People either love eggnog or hate it, I love it and was excited to finally try an eggnog cupcake.
Like many other cupcake places, Frosted has a  Chocolate Peppermint cupcake this time of year but their December flavor of the month rang yuletide more. Gingerbread. 

Eggnog cupcakes from Frosted in Long Beach 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Both had sprinkles on top of their buttercream frosting: the eggnog cupcake with bigger colorful confetti sprinkles, the gingerbread with small colorful sugar crystal sprinkles that remind me of sugar plums dancing in sleepy heads. 

Gingerbread cupcakes from Frosted in Long Beach 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Rich and creamy buttcream frosting topped both.  The frosting on the eggnog cupcake was tinted with the Wintery drink in flavor as well as color while the frosting on the gingerbread cupcake had a merry and bright zest of lemon in every bite. 

The eggnog cake was so buttery and I can't tell if the frosting was more eggnoggy or the cake itself. It's almost like a vanilla cake with a little Christmas spirit boost. 

Eggnog cupcake from Frosted in Long Beach 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Gingerbread cupcake from Frosted in Long Beach 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The gingerbread flavor was just as subtle in the gingerbread cake. It also wasn't as buttery but maybe that's because I waited a day to eat it. 

Christmas time can be overwhelming but there's no overdoing it with these two Christmasy cupcakes from Frosted in Long Beach!

Courtney Marie Andrews @Troubadour 12/14/2022

Courtney Marie Andrews @ Troubador 12/14/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Courtney Marie Andrews brought her velvety, story telling vocals to the historic Troubadour in West Hollywood on December 14th. She'd been on the road since November 2nd in support of her new album Loose Future, of which the tailend found her at one of my favorite venues in San Francisco, The Independent the night before she played in LA and would bring her to the Casbah the follwoing night. 

It was a chilly Wednesdsay night in LA  but it was nice and cozy in the qaint music venue that boasts of a 500 capacity which is hard to believe once inside. It's small stage, wood paneled walls and dive bar lighting reminded me of that favorite San Francisco venue of mine only smaller, much smaller. 

There was a meager crowd for the opener Johnny Fritz who served a comic relief before the headliner, mixing folky guitar playing with humorous lyrics. The place filled in a little bit more but was by no means full by the time Courtney Marie Andrews and her band took the stage right before 9:00. She was dressed in all white with slithering snakes down each white long sleeve which could have, and were, easily mistaken for tattoos. Her and her four accompanying bandmates comfortably fit on the stage under swirls of purple, blue and crimson lighting. 

Courtney Marie Andrews @ Troubador 12/14/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

With her smooth, calming voice a nostalgic feel wrapped around the room as soon as she started singing. First up, "Burlap String" off of her 2020 realease Old Flowers. The 33 year old from Arizona has been busy. She's released seven albums since her 2008 debut, Urban Myths, making this year's Loose Future this country desert song bird's ninth album. 

Her soothing sound strikes as country but without the twang: a slow drawl with a gentle delivery, painstakingly painting a new picture with each song.
An Americana woman of our time, Andrews serendipitously manuvers through the murky waters of emotions navigated by steadfast singing and humble accoustic guitar playing. She's a young woman with an old soul, that of which is heard through her music. 

Sharing excitement for her first headling show at the Troubadour, Courtney Marie Andrews showed fans in LA her lighter side quite a bit with bountiful banter between songs. She prefaced a new song by saying it should be enjoyed with a paloma in hand before telling us that that was what all of them were drinking that night. Then, the light percussion, easy strumming o f guitar strings and whimsical singing of "These are the Good Old Days" swept us away to an island somewhere with the likes of Jimmy Buffet. 

 

Courtney Marie Andrews @ Troubador 12/14/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

There wasn't too much action on stage but there didn't have to be with Miss Andrews steering the ship. The small crowd needed nothing more than to be spellbound by her singing stories carried by the Troubadour's spot on accoustics that night. 

Courtney Marie Andrews @ Troubador 12/14/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

It was a solid show.
There's no denying that she can sing when you listen to her music but seeing her live, hearing her sing live,  is something else.  She's set to hop the pond for a UK tour next year but will the new year bring her back to some stages in the US? A Courtney tour might be fun: Courtney Marie Andrews opening for Courtney Barnett.  We'll have to wait and see what the new year brings! 

in the spirit of giving thanks: Harry Styles @ The Forum 11/15/2022

Thanksgiving dinner, get togethers and turkey trots.
Black Friday.
Small business Saturday.
Cyber Monday.
Giving Tuesday.
All of this year's Thanksgiving festivities are over but the spirit of giving is still in the crisp Autumn air and I'm still in the spirit iof giving thanks. 
 There have been a lot of great concerts this year, a lot! Too many to name and so many to be thankful for.

I was fortune to be a part of some really awesome shows either as an attendee or as a cog in the production to bring the live show to life or to review it. I am thankful for each and every one of them, big and small.

Today in particular I give thanks to Harry Styles' Love On Tour. 

I worked Coachella this year and Harry Styles was one of the headliners. My shift started early on show days which means I was cut early on show days, two and a half hours before the headliners go on to be exact but "When will I ever get the chance to see Harry Styles again? And for free?" I thought to myself. So, weekend two, I took a nap in my car afterwork and dragged my sleepy self back to the Empire Polo Feilds to see some Harry. With a theatrical decent down a "Gone with the Wind" styled staircase,  he opened with "As It Was" the first single off of his third album, Harry's House which would drop shortly after the festival.  I wasn't fimiliar with the song at the time but never the less it eleated me. It's catchy, sparkly hooks have that feel good power. Plus, there's something about being in the thick of thousands of screaming adoring fans that really gets those juices flowing. And of course, there's Harry himself. 

I only stayed for two and a half songs cause a working gal has got to get her beauty rest sometime but this was the moment I knew I was in trouble because I knew then that I was a Harry Styles fangirl. 

Fast forward to November 2022.
After residencies in New York, Austin, Toronto and Chicago, Harry's last North American Love on Tour stop was at The Forum from October 31st - November 15th and I still can't believe that I was lucky enough to be at the last show of his residency. 

I made it to Harry's House!

The Forum 11/15/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The perimeter of The Forum was laced with specs of rainbow colored boa feathers wiggling in the breeze left over from past Harry's House guests. Lyrics like "In a LA mood" from songs off of Harry's House dressed up the columns outside the building in case anyone needed to increase their excitement before entering. Inside, the oblong stage was in the center of the floor and over it was a jumbo tron flashing numbers to text for different things like ending gun violence and volunteer opportunities. 

The Forum 11/15/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

As I made my way on to the floor, or the pit as it was being called, The Forum was a buzz with chatter and the occasional oburst of bloodcurtling screams in the wake of possible celebrity sightings (still haven't gotten use to that aspect about seeing shows in LA).  
I was beside myself with excitement as I stood  shoulder to shoulder with young Harry Styles fangirls waiting for the show to start in utter disbelief that this was my life.I didn't care at all if I was the oldest person in the pit.  

Finally, Harry Styles graced the stage, opening with "Daydreaming" but all that could be heard was screaming fans singing along, word for word. One minute he was out of sight, doing his thing across the stage to the other side of the room and the next minute there he was, right there in front me and then he was gone again. It took my breath away being that close. 

Harry Styles @ The Forum 11/15/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

His band was situated on either side of the stage, creating a makeshift cat walk for Harry to perform to either side of the room. When he performed the slower, sad love song "Satellite" he walked an actual cat walk that extended out into the crowd just to the right of where I stood.
He was lively and charsmatic, smiling as he made his rounds accompanied by enthusastic kicks, fist pumps, hip swivels and flailing arms encouraging fans to cheer louder.

 Harry Styles is a great showman.
Pauses between songs were filled with chants from the crowd that sounded like barking dogs. Still not sure if that's a Harry Styles fangirl thing or a One Direction fangirl thing but I did not partake. 

Harry Styles @ The Forum 11/15/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Introspective songs like "Keep Driving" and "Little Freak" built up the first half of the night with it's fearless leader galavanting around like it was the first night of tour. After introducing his amazing band and bringing out the horn section they all turned things up for the second half of the set with "Sushi For a Sushi Resturant", one of my favorites off of Harry's House. I danced. I Sang. I closed my eyes letting it sink in though I still couldn't believe it when I re-opened my eyes. New songs filled the night but there were some off his first and second albums, including of course the incognito risque "Watermelon Sugar" and even a One Direction song. 

Harry Styles @ The Forum 11/15/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Harry Styles @ The Forum 11/15/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

A little more than half way through the set Harry stopped and had fans hold up signs. Like magic the place was full of homemade signs on posterboard with handwritten messages in magic marker instantly.
Another fangirl thing I had no clue about.
He picked three lucky signs out of the crowd and read them, each one garnering roars from the crowd. From a far he engaged playfully with each fan who's sign he read and the crowd roared. One sign asked for his helpcoming out to someone's mom which was very heartwarming. 

Sensing that the end of the set was approaching, as much as I didn't want to leave I also really really really didn't want to get stuck in egress madness and traffic so I started heading out.

In an appropriate way to wrap up seeing Harry Styles live in LA, as I slowly made my way out, looking around at all of the happy faces in the pit and all of the people up in the seats, I spotted Olivia Wilde, Harry's now ex-girlfriend enjoying the show.

Harry Styles @ The Forum 11/15/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

When he left the stage in prepperation for the encore I knew it was time to go otherwise I wouldn't be able to leave if I saw him on stage again.

Right before exiting the building I heard the faint sounds of my favorite track off of his first album, "Sign of the Times". Turns out that was the most appropriate way to end my night seeing Harry Styles. If I was still in the crowd I for sure would have cried like the girl behind me did when he played "Matilda". Leaving early ended on a high, as I walked to my car with a smile on my face that wouldn't go away.  

Love on Tour went on to spread the love in South America and will pick up again next year in Australia. Not before returning to The Forum in LA for three nights in January 2023 to make up for the shows he had to skip because he was sick, though!

Thank you for a great night Harry!

The Forum 11/15/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

11/15/2022 set-list

1. Day Dreaming 

2. Golden 

3. Adore You

4. Daylight 

5. Keep Driving 

6. Matilda

7. Little Freak 

8. Satellite 

9. Cinema

10. Music For a Sushi Restaurant

11.Treat People With Kindness

12. What Makes You Beautiful 

13. Late Night Talking 

14. Watermelon Sugar 

15. Love of My Life 

encore

16. Sign of the times

17. Medicine 

18. Boyfriends 

19. As It Was