AJ Feuerman

Publicist | Social Media Strategist | Brunch Fanatic

Friday Favorites in Beautiful Weather

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I’m enjoying a lot of things in this “episode” of Friday Favorites. Also, it is beautiful outside here in Los Angeles and I can’t wait to venture out of my apartment an enjoy it. What will you be doing to make the most of the weekend?

WHAT I READ

  • I finished Hillary Clinton’s book, What Happened, and I hate to tell you that I wasn’t that enamored with it. We all know how the election turned out so every page of the book felt like salt in an ever-expanding wound. The other issue is that, quite frankly, the book is written very stoically. Perhaps with the exact lack of warmth and emotion Clinton’s opponents often accuser her of. I also felt that much of the book was, accidentally, too self-aggrandizing, without taking the accountability she should have at certain points. I don’t know how else to explain. It just wasn’t what I needed.
  • I also read, believe it or not, some Snagglepuss comics (“The Snagglepuss Chronicles”) from Hanna Barbera that were SUPER enjoyable. Would you believe they’re about LGBT rights in the McCarthyism era? Shockingly profound.

OTHER BLOGGERS & INFLUENCERS

  • My friends have a really funny podcast called “So is HE Captain America?” that you should give a listen. Click here for their episodes that break down super hero movies for the ignorant.
  • And speaking of podcasts, Media Mandy has some show suggestions for you, too.
  • The Takeout put a spotlight on an eggs benedict, tomato soup and grilled cheese combo that – I’m not gonna lie – I would totally eat. Would you?

EARLIER THIS WEEK

  • A film I am working on, Wanderland, got a great review from The Village Voice!
  • I will never shut-up about this. Facebook DOES offer a TON of custom privacy settings. You just have to get up the courage to use them! I wrote a great little piece to help you.
  • Rob Lowe was hanging out with Dylan McDermott and Dermot Mulroney. I don’t know why, but I find this highly enjoyable. And not just because it’s the most handsome photo ever. Dylan and Dermot are notoriously oft confused for one another.

VIDEO SPOTLIGHT

  • Did you like the movie John Wick? I did and I am TOTALLY excited for Hotel Artemis.

  • Obviously Dave Grohl is awesome. And he continues to excel at being awesome by introducing us to “Kiss Guy.”

  • If you haven’t caught it yet on social media, let me also share with you the incredible Prince track of “Nothing Compares 2 U” from 1984, just released:

Friday Favorites – Foodie Forever

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I have to tell you up front, tickets are on sale NOW for one of my favorite events of the year, MASTERS OF TASTE. The May 6 fest, which takes over the football field at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, includes the finest fare from over 40 Culinary Masters and restaurants, sweets prepared by L.A.’s top Sweet Masters, top Beverage Masters who will be featuring signature handcrafted cocktail tastings from 25 spirit brands and bars, a premier 50 yard-line cocktail bar featuring top Mixologists from four of L.A.’s most distinguished drinking destinations, select wineries, local craft breweries, cold-pressed juices cold brew coffee, live entertainment and much, much more. It’s a blast and I look forward to it always. Please come out and join!

P.S. (ALL of the proceeds from the event always go to Union Station Homeless Services.)

WHAT I READ

  • Inc finally validates my bad habit of buying too many books: “Why you should surround yourself with more books than you’ll ever have time to read.” Read here.
  • A new study says cats would kill you if they were bigger. No one is shocked. Least of all me.

Friday Favorites - Foodie Forever

  • I appreciated this article about the stigma of doing things alone. I love doing things alone more and more as I get older. I especially love going to the movies alone. I’ve been thinking about more solo trips.
  • “Roses Are Red” poetry for the Trump Administration. You guys, I read these to myself in a doctors office waiting room, unabashedly laughing my ass off.
  • AXE THROWING, guys. In a BAR. I am totally in. Well, except that it’s in Brooklyn.

Friday Favorites - Foodie Forever

OTHER BLOGGERS & INFLUENCERS

Friday Favorites - Foodie Forever

EARLIER THIS WEEK

  • Frank Ocean interviewed Timothee Chalamet and it is quite delightful.
  • I had the BEST truffle fries EVER. Just wanted you to know.

  • Twitter gave us a way to bookmark tweets. Which is terrific.
  • I attended a great Social Media Club event — my first as just a member in several years (I was a Board member for seven) — and they had a delicious spread from Kite Hill, which I am now in love with.

VIDEO SPOTLIGHT

  • This girl followed her father around, continually scaring the shit out of him and it is QUITE. ENJOYABLE. I asked my mom if I could do this to my Grandfather, but she shot me down. Alas.

Friday Favorites – Happy Olympics!

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I LOVE THE OLYMPICS, guys! Every two years, I sit glued to the television and also, I compile a photo album of the sexiest athletes. It is now up and you may go peruse. In it’s infancy, many years back, it was just hot guys, but I have since altered it to include all the genders and sexual orientations because the point I’m really trying to make is, WE ARE ALL SEXY. Never forget what Ashton Kutcher said (I’m not kidding, it’s a great quote).

Friday Favorites - Happy Olympics! WHAT I READ

  • MY GOD. DID YOU READ THE QUINCY JONES INTERVIEW? Stop what you’re doing and read it. Now. Quincy is spilling ALL THE TEA.
  • And speaking of tea, Uma Thurman is also dishing with the New York Times. It’s riveting.
  • Not quite as scandalous but still very fascinating to me, this interview with Broadway legend Bernadette Peters.
  • Glamour Magazine asks “How Should We Watch the Olympics in a Post-Nassar World?” It’s a good essay. (H/T to Anne for tweeting it.)
  • If you are super into chicken nuggets, there may actually be a career opportunity out there for you. No joke.
  • A Joan Jett documentary is coming. Everyone should see this — I think she is such a badass.

OTHER BLOGGERS & INFLUENCERS

Friday Favorites - Happy Olympics! Carry On Cocktails

EARLIER THIS WEEK

  • I never dreamed about visiting Milwaukee, but now I do…..
  • John Mulaney, who’s currently my favorite stand-up comedian, was on Seth Meyers and it was delightful. (I swear, not a week goes by where I don’t put on one of his Netflix specials.)
  • I spoke at a PR class at USC and had a BLAST. I love speaking to students but this one was just especially fun for some reason.
  • One of my new clients premiered their film’s trailer (Los Angeles Overnight) — check it out!

VIDEO SPOTLIGHT

  • I would say I am a semi-Whovian. Which means I love “Doctor Who” when I get around to watching it (I would say a REAL “Whovian” is like obsessive and never misses it). My favorite “Doctor” is David Tennant and wouldn’t you know he plays SUCH a strong bad guy. The trailer for Bad Samaritan is CHILLING, y’all:

 

  • I don’t know if you’ve seen The Greatest Showman. My two cents: it’s an okay movie with an absolutely gorgeous musical soundtrack. Rebecca Hall stars as “the most wonderful singer in the world” but her singing is actually voiced by Loren Allred, whose Instagram account has been a delight lately. She’s been regramming folks lip-synching her song. Enjoy.

Friday Favorites

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As the Fresh Prince said “my world got flipped turned upside down” this month! While many of my friends and colleagues have encouraged me to take my business freelance for years now, I’ve always hesitated. But in 2018, opportunity kicked me square in the gut so here I am, up and running, with clients and projects and the whole thing. It’s been a whirlwind, but an exciting one, and I cannot tell you how much I am enjoying this way of working and all the collaborating I’ve already been able to enjoy. (Not to mention not sitting in the car for three hours every weekday — the money I am saving on gas alone and the time I’ve earned back for sleeping? Worth it.) And on with the latest “Friday Favorites,” boys and girls!

Friday Favorites

WHAT I READ

  • I thought this was interesting. Airlines are empowering their flight attendants to reward guests with miles in flight. Are they doing so as a conciliatory gesture or to thank people for putting up with the jerk in the seat next to them?
  • HBO is releasing an Elvis documentary. I was surprised there hasn’t been a commercially successful one about him yet.
  • A very cool bar looks to be opening in Burbank soon and I can’t wait to check it out!

Friday Favorites

OTHER BLOGGERS & INFLUENCERS

  • Social Media Club is kicking off 2018 with a big bash. COME JOIN US! The food and drinks are free!
  • Lindsay is nailing down her goals for 2018 and I am a fan. I can also relate.

EARLIER THIS WEEK

  • I participated in Forces of Geek’s “Best of” for 2017. Check out my picks here.
  • I also wrote a piece for ConnectHER’s in-house magazine. I’m pretty proud of it. Check out the issue here — I’m on page eight.
  • Guardians Director James Gunn liked my tweet about him. I died of happiness to know that.
  • Donald Trump was declared healthy at 6’3″ and 239 lbs. Fun fact: One inch shorter than that would have him deemed “obese.” Here are some other people who are 6’3″ and between 235 and 245 lbs.:

Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites

VIDEO SPOTLIGHT

  • But anyway, PANDAS, guys. PANDAS. In IMAX. Cute alert on HIGH. (Oh and let’s not forget “Pick of the Litter” about PUPPIES.)

 

2018: A Continuation of the “Year of NO”

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“New Years Resolutions” is like a dirty word at this point, right? I have seen a lot of the trends that bloggers latch onto continue into this new year. People choosing a “word of the year” or “phrase of the year.” I’ve also noticed a lot of “anti resolutions” pledges such as “I will NOT fly on a plane in 2018 because I’m afraid if flying.” I guess it is easier to predict what you won’t do than to commit to what you will?

Thus my 2018 resolve is a continuation of sorts as well. In 2017 I promised to more often practice using the word “NO.” This was not about being negative, it was about self-care and not being a pushover. About standing up for myself. Sometimes I was successful but sometimes I was not and I am not satisfied with that — I feel in my heart that I still need a little more “no” in my life. So (!) it made no sense to move onto a new vow for this year when I felt so tepid about last year.

In addition, I have made a list of goals for the year as I’ve always done in years prior. Don’t expect these to be life-changing acts or profound philosophical efforts. They are just for fun. In 2018, I have picked out 8 things I want to do:

  1. See ALL of the FAST & FURIOUS movies. I saw the first one many, many years ago and never saw another. All of my friends love this series so I may have to host a marathon. (Or two. Or three. There’s like 19 of those movies.)
  2. Read more. The Goodreads goal on record is 20 books in 2018. I only read a dozen books in 2017. Abysmal.
  3. Clean out my g.d. apartment. My tiny one bedroom is becoming far too cramped with crap.
  4. Make a great soup. I have a crockpot I don’t use enough. This recipe from Spoon, Fork, Bacon sure looks tasty.
  5. I named a number of brunch spots I want to try this year, so these.
  6. Take a solo vacation. I did that last year — it was the BEST.
  7. See an eye doctor to update my prescription and wear my glasses more before the migraines take me away forever.
  8. Visit museums.
2018: A Continuation of the "Year of NO"

Yes, I deliberately used an image from F&F EIGHT.

 

Friday Favorites – 2018: Chapter One

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Happy new year, everybody! I think we can all agree 2017 was the worst and so I have no choice but to conclude this year can only be BETTER. Seems sound, right? If 2010 was “The Year of Suck” (that’s what I always refer to it as), then I hereby proclaim 2017 as “The Year of the Dumpster Fire.” You’re welcome. But I am still bookmarking odds and ends for these “Friday Favorites” and here is 2018: Chapter One for you.

Friday Favorites - 2018: Chapter One

WHAT I READ

Friday Favorites - 2018: Chapter One

OTHER BLOGGERS & INFLUENCERS

EARLIER THIS WEEK

Friday Favorites - 2018: Chapter One

VIDEO SPOTLIGHT

  • YOU GUYS. The Animaniacs are COMING BACK. I am SO EXCITED. In tribute, enjoy my all-time favorite segment, “Yakko’s World” featuring the incredible voice stylings of Rob Paulsen:

  • And one more thing, speaking of Dumpster Fires, this nonsense about “Fire and Fury” is astounding. So watch the video of the author, Michael Wolff, on ‘TODAY’ this morning and that is all.

  • And because I refuse to end on that note, here:

 

Lazy Sunday Musings: What’s Up, Internet?

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I’ve been having the hardest time sleeping this week and as a result, yesterday, I spent the majority of the day rather useless; slumped over on the couch dozing off or completing jigsaw puzzles on my iPhone. I did manage stretches of work here and there but yeah — mostly I was a lazy sloth. So today, as penance, I am trying to be a little more productive…. and I can’t say it’s going very well, but ya know, the day is still young. And in any case, at least you’re all getting a blog post out of me.

Lazy Sunday Musings: What's Up, Internet?

WHAT I READ

  • Lance Bass has questionable taste in brunch. I can deal with Estrella and Laurel Hardware, but I am not having Poke for brunch anytime soon and I don’t have the patience to wait in line at Sweet Butter anymore. And I refuse to step foot in The Abbey because I am over 30 and don’t enjoy getting roofied.
  • Imagine Dragons lead singer Dan Reynolds has a documentary going to Sundance that I think looks fascinating.
  • This scientist wants to bring “Star Trek Values” to Congress.
  • Instagram is testing some new features. I am excited about them. Twitter is also testing a new feature — a “save for later” function.

OTHER BLOGGERS & INFLUENCERS

Lazy Sunday Musings: What's Up, Internet?

EARLIER THIS WEEK

  • My holiday gift guides are rolling out. Check out my book recommendations and my gift guide for brunch lovers.
  • I saw two beautiful movies. Lady Bird and Call Me By Your Name. Both unique and truly special films though I would go as far as stating Call Me By Your Name may be in my top five films of all time.
  • I listen to the same morning show EVERY DAY. If I don’t, I catch the podcast later. I am kind of a known fangirl for it. But at the top of the week, the new station owners fired my favorite personality from said show, Ralph Garman, and I am having a rather strong reaction to it. By Friday, I couldn’t turn the show on at all. I hope it passes — I do like the other people on the show — and I am kind of caught off guard by having this visceral reaction to it.

https://twitter.com/kevinandbean/status/936234511204958211

VIDEO SPOTLIGHT

  • I am rather obsessed with P!nk’s single, “Beautiful Trauma.” The video is GLORIOUS.

  • Jimmy Kimmel took on Senator Ray Moore and it is also GLORIOUS. He holds zero punches.

Friday Favorites – Taking a Big Bite

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I am so hungry. Maybe it’s the weather changing or my stress level but I keep craving weird things at odd hours. Like the extremely salty pickle I just inhaled before I sat down to write this. It’s for the best that I tend to crave savory foods and protein these days, otherwise you’d have to dig me out of a pile of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup wrappers or something. So guess what the theme of “Friday Favorites” is?

Friday Favorites - Taking a Big Bite

WHAT I READ

  • 12 (INSANE) snacks hacks? Yes, please and thanks. Enjoy.
  • A new seafood spot in Pasadena called PRAWN looks intriguing to me.
  • Google is – somehow? – adding wait times for restaurants to Google Maps. I’ll believe it when I see it…. I think.
  • There’s a British Pub coming to…. Sherman Oaks? Well, I totally want to try it. I’ve never had a Scotch Egg.

OTHER BLOGGERS & INFLUENCERS

  • My friend Alyssa is going to be pregnant FOREVER. I’ve been teasing her about it. Because I’m that friend.
  • I hate when my friend Jessica pulls something random out of the back of her closet and manages to look STUNNING. Bitch.
  • Spoon Fork Bacon made a recipe of ALL THINGS I LIKE. Cheesy Herb Baked Mashed Potato Gratin with Roasted Garlic Gravy. DONE. DONE. DONE. Get it for me.
  • I caught this recipe for one pot chicken parm past on Twitter. It looks amazing.
  • I keep seeing Sous Vide recipes and now I really want to try Whitney Bond’s Sous Vide sliders. Don’t they look like perfection?!

Friday Favorites - Taking a Big Bite - Sous Vide Sliders

EARLIER THIS WEEK

  • Forget the “PSL,” I am all about Starbucks’ Caramel Brulée Latte. It is BACK and I am HAPPY.
  • Twitter doubled our character allowance. I don’t know how I feel about it. But I know Law & Order SVU is nailing it.
  • I had one the best dinners of my life at Commerson so I was excited to try their brunch this past Sunday.
  • I attended a media event for Beverly Hills restaurant The Flats. You can expect even more on this later but let me just say, for now, DELICIOUS!

Friday Favorites - Taking a Big Bite - The Flats

VIDEO SPOTLIGHT

  • I am completely obsessed with Jeff Goldblum. Nerdist invited him to critique people’s tattoos OF HIM. He rates them on a scale of one to ten GOLDBLUMS. He is amazing. Just watch.
  • I am also fairly obsessed with the new TBS series, “Drop the Mic.” It’s totally scripted but totally fun to watch.

Friday Favorites – Here Comes The Rain Again

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OMIGOD THE WEATHER. Oh sure, traffic is at it’s absolute worst (on Tuesday, it took me TWO HOURS to get home. I cried.) but the rain is coming, the clouds are rolling in — this is my happier place, folks. I got out my big, soft blankets tonight, ordered in Chinese, and put on some reruns. It’s heaven in here.

Friday Favorites - Here Comes The Rain Again

WHAT I READ

  • Sliders from Israel?! I’m intrigued.
  • What are your feelings on the Bacon Toaster? I own too many kitchen gadgets but I almost can’t resist….
  • But speaking of, I’m actually gunning for the frozen dessert maker Oprah put on her Favorite Things list this year. Her list was pretty lackluster for me — I was drawn to this and a soft pair of socks.
  • Predicting food trends in 2018 – really interesting.
  • If you’re at all into “old Hollywood,” you might enjoy this pictorial on classic Hollywood friendships.

Friday Favorites - Here Comes The Rain Again

OTHER BLOGGERS & INFLUENCERS

EARLIER THIS WEEK

  • Misflix invited me to screen Thor: Ragnarok in advance and review it for their site.
  • I worked right up til the buzzer on my Halloween costume and then some bitch stole my look….

Friday Favorites - Here Comes The Rain Again

VIDEO SPOTLIGHT

  • ((Breathes into paper bag)) THERE…. IS…. A…. BARBRA DOCUMENTARY!

  • And lastly, I shall leave you with this video, which I saw on Twitter, and brings me immeasurable joy:

https://twitter.com/FluffSociety/status/926252646318723073

Friday Favorites – All Dem Apples

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Friday Favorites - All Dem Apples

Last weekend, I traveled to the far and distant land (anything more than 20 minutes away is “far and distant” in Los Angeles) of Yucaipa to pick apples with friends at the Willowbrook Orchard. It was absolutely delightful despite hot weather and long lines. It’s not something I would have ventured out to do a year ago, but about 115 pounds later, I like being outdoors more often and no longer worry about passing out from the simple “burden” of breathing. It’s not without hiccups (I did have to take a beat during the day to catch my breath and get some water rather urgently) but it’s still a lot of growth for me from which I derive more pride than I ever thought I would feel.

Friday Favorites - All Dem ApplesWHAT I READ

  • Well, not read, but found… Someone published this “Push Trump off a cliff” thing that cracks me up. Someone on my Facebook page commented that it wasn’t cool — I replied that being a racist and misogynist is not cool but that this amused me.
  • This woman takes selfies with men who catcall her to make an important point.
  • Food critic Jonathan Gold released “100 Best Restaurants.” This is my porn.

OTHER BLOGGERS & INFLUENCERS

EARLIER THIS WEEK

  • I enjoyed compiling a list of my favorite news e-newsletters. Did you catch it?
  • I went to another Hanson concert. It was the best one yet. Don’t judge me — they are AWESOME.
  • Here’s my crew before we went into the Orchard. Apples ahoy!

  • Patrick Stewart also went apple picking, so you know it’s cool. How do you like dem apples?!

VIDEO SPOTLIGHT

  • I wanted to be at the Linkin Park concert tonight but opted to watch the live stream on YouTube instead.

 

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