Holiday Classics: The Nutcracker

This post is from December 26 and The Nutcrackeris most likely not being performed anymore.

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Even though it is after Christmas, The Nutcracker is still being performed by many companies.  I think I have mentioned before that I have been in the show for seven years- so much fun!

I saw The Nutcracker three times this season- once by Joffrey Chicago and twice by Cincinnati Ballet.  It was definitely weird seeing Joffrey's performance because it was the first time I saw a different company perform The Nutcracker.  It was also the first time in at least seven years that I had sat in the audience and watched the show as an audience member from start to finish!

I had seen The Nutcracker over the years from the side of the stage or dress rehearsals that started and stopped, but never from beginning to end all the way through.  It was very good! I was really impressed with everyone in the cast.

I saw Cincinnati Ballet's performance of The Nutcracker twice.  The second time I saw the show it was  with Adi Almeida Santana as Sugar Plum and Sarah Hairston as Snow Queen.   WOW! They were great! Sarah was beautiful as always, performing one of her best Snow Pas de Deux I had seen her do.  Adi is an incredible dancer and I am glad I got to see her perform.  She was at Cincinnati Ballet a few years ago but left to go to other companies.  Now she is a freelance artist with Joseph Gatti.

I would highly suggest going to a ballet if you can.  It is definitely an experience and a great way to "be cultured."  One ballet will not hurt and you may even like it!

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and are having a Happy New Year!
 

Birthdays! ~ Uncommon Ground

Birthdays are something that I love.  Not just my own but other people's too! There are 7-8 girls in my group of friends on my floor and for everyone's birthdays, we go out to a different restaurant to celebrated.  For one of my friend's birthday's we went to Thai Spice, previously reviewed here.

THAI SPICE

The owner is one of the nicest people and gave us some appetizers and desserts on the house!

We had mochi, macarons, and some kind of little chocolate covered bananas.  Everything was delicious.

My friend had to leave early because she had rehearsal so my friends and I went back to our res hall and filled her room with presents.  Her boyfriend sent presents and pretended to forget it was her birthday.  She was shocked and so excited when she opened her door to her flowers and presents.  

UNCOMMON GROUND

The Monday of our finals week, it was another of my friend's birthdays.  This time we went to Uncommon Ground.  It was delicious! We ordered sweet potato fries with goat cheese fondue for our appetizers. Oh my goodness, they were delicious!  For my main meal, I ordered two appetizers- shrimp and the mac and cheese.  

Yum!

For dessert we ordered a small flourless chocolate cake and split it between the 7 of us because we ordered a strawberry torte cake for later.  

It was also very good! 

We also have a "Birthday Tree" that we put on the door of the birthday girl.  We are definitely a hallway that likes to spoil! :)

New Things on my List: Maybelline Baby Lips Dr. Rescue

My lips are ALWAYS chapped.  Literally.  ALWAYS. chapped.  So today while I was at Target, I picked up Baby Lips Dr. Rescue by Maybelline.  I had seen an ad for this in Seventeen Magazine and decided to give it a try.  

Some of the lipbalm is tinted and can be doubled as a lipstick (in my opinion at least).  Also, the Dr. Rescue is medicated and provides 12 hours of hydration.  There is also a touch of ice menthol in the lipbalm.  Unfortunately, on the package it says to only use 3 to 4 times a day, because it is medicated, I am assuming.  

Image from Maybelline

I picked up the Just Peachy Dr. Rescue today.  Target was out of the color I wanted so I thought that this one would be best.  I was afraid of going too dark so I went lighter instead.  Although the color isn't exactly what I wanted, I think I am going to really like this lipbalm.  It is basically a combination of lipstick and lipbalm and has a minty feeling to it! What could be better?

What lipbalm would you recommend?

Thanksgiving

Yep, this post is about 2 weeks late.  But better late then never!   I love spending time with my family.  Sometimes they can drive me crazy, but if your family doesn't drive you crazy sometimes, something is wrong.  My family LOVES to bake, especially my father and my middle sister.  Thanksgiving is no exception.  We ended up making cupcakes, a chocolate pecan pie, and apple and cherry strudel.

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Chocolate Cupcakes

I don't have a good picture of the strudel.  Otherwise I would post it!

I am on winter break now so expect many more posts.

Brownie Cookies

Things I love: sweets!

If you haven't been able to tell by now, I love sweets! I also love baking. Unfortunately, I have not had that much time to bake in college and it can be a hassle because the kitchen is in the basement. However, I did make brownie cookies last week for one of my friends's birthdays! 

Unfortunately I do not have a picture of them. They were delicious though! I wanted to make brownie cookies instead of brownies so it would be easier to eat and to share. The recipe can be found here. 

I expected the brownie cookies to be a little fudgier, but they were still very good! All of my friends loved them. 

My next post will be all about thanksgiving and the baking I did at home with my family. 

Senior Project- Cincinnati Ballet in Anchorage, Alaska

At my high school, all seniors are required to do a "Senior Project."  This year long "project" must involve a learning stretch.  We have to write a research paper, complete the project and give a ten minute presentation in front of a panel at the end of the year.  For my Senior Project, I created a documentary about what it takes to move The Cincinnati Ballet's production of The Nutcracker from Cincinnati, Ohio to Anchorage, Alaska.

I have been dancing in the Cincinnati Ballet's Academy for nine years, was in The Nutcracker for seven years, and was the rehearsal assistant for six years.  Although I was constantly busy, I loved it! I would not change a thing.  The Cincinnati Ballet became my second family.

I went to Anchorage, Alaska on November 17, 2013.  I filmed the crew loading in and setting up the theater.  The children rehearsing for the first time on the stage.  The Cincinnati Ballet dancers in the theater spacing and then with the children.  The performance.  The crew backstage during the performance.  The orchestra playing.  There is so much involved in putting on a performance.  Much more than even I knew about.  I was so surprised how much work goes into setting up a theater before the dancers get there!

After I got all of the footage I needed, I had to put the documentary together.  This took much longer than I expected.  I finally finished it- all by myself- a few weeks ago.  I am now allowed to publish it.

If you have time, I would love for you to watch it! I put so much time and effort into making it and I want people to learn about all the work that goes into a production!

It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I LOVE Christmas time!  Everything is decorated beautifully.  There is snow on the ground (although I hate the cold weather...).  Christmas music is playing.  And everyone is just in a good mood!

The mall has been decorated for a little while now and it looks so pretty.  I went to the parade the week before Thanksgiving. It was SO cold but it was a lot of fun!  Mickey and Minnie were on the first float counting down until the lights would turn on on the Mag Mile.  There were some cool floats.  There were also fireworks at the end of the parade but it was so cold my friend and I left early. But it was really cool to see the lights light up the Mag Mile and decorate Chicago for the Christmas season.   

It is December 1st (can you believe it?!) and after Thanksgiving.  So that means that it is officially the Christmas season.

I have to add this picture again :)

My hall in my residence hall is decorating the hallway this week and we are having a friendly little decorating competition.  It is going to be fun, I love a little competition! 

How are you preparing for the holiday season?

Catching Fire

Oh my! Catching Fire was incredible!  I saw the 10:30 PM showing the night it came it.  The only thing I can saw is that is was amazing.  I read the entire trilogy and I really liked the first movie.  In my opinion, the second movie was even better than the first one.

I am totally Team Peeta all the way! Did you see the way he looked at her? Melts my heart.  I am a little scared for the third movie because well, I don't want to spoil the ending.  BUT for those of you who read the book, you know what I am talking about.

I think that the movie did the book justice.  Although some of the scenes were cut from the movie, everything that is important is obviously in the movie.  

What do you think? Did you like the movie?  Did it do the book justice?