LAUREN CONRAD MAY have left "The Hills" when she departed the MTV reality show in May, but that doesn't mean glittery, glitzy Los Angeles is totally behind her. In fact, it isn't — that world is splashed all over the pages of her latest novel, "Sweet Little Lies," which hit bookstores Tuesday. In June, Conrad stumped all her haters with her best-seller, "L.A. Candy," which introduced readers to a group of pretty young women who became reality stars thanks to a show on the infamous network PopTV. So, you know — her rise to fame, but on paper. "Sweet Little Lies" is the follow-up to "L.A. Candy," yet another thinly veiled account of Conrad's life, as her main character, Jane Roberts, deals with the hardship of being young, rich and famous. Conrad is stumping for her book like any mortal, but its 309 pages basically tell us everything there is to know about her life, no interview required.
» EXPRESS: What's the most blatant example of you injecting yourself into the novel?
» LAUREN CONRAD BOOK EXCERPT: "Sweet, natural and vulnerable, [Jane] was a person everyone could relate to. She was pretty, but not too pretty. She liked to go out, but she didn't like to get wasted or do drugs. She worked hard. She was loyal to her friends. She came from a close-knit family."
» EXPRESS: Does anyone else from "The Hills" make an appearance as a fictional character in this new novel? Say, just to pull a name out of the air, Heidi Montag-Pratt?
» LAUREN CONRAD BOOK EXCERPT: "Madison was the perfect cliché, with her dyed-to-the-max platinum hair and penchant for shopping, partying, and guys. But she was constantly bugging Trevor for more airtime; so far, he'd managed to keep her at bay with carefully worded compliments on the theme of 'quality over quantity.'"
» EXPRESS: What will people learn most about your rise to fame from reading the book?
» LAUREN CONRAD BOOK EXCERPT: "Jane remembered then that the cameras were still rolling. ... This was what Trevor had told her to do when they spoke on the phone last night, wasn't it? ... Trevor's suggestions ... were simply meant to help shape the girls' conversations while they were on-camera. To make things more interesting for TV. After all, they couldn't just sit there and talk about nothing, right? Right?"
» Borders, 11054 Lee Highway, Fairfax; 22030; Sun. Feb. 7, 2 p.m.; free; 703-359-8420.
Written by Express contributor Roxana Hadadi
Photo courtesy Andrew Macpherson
FOR CHARLIE HUNTER, the limitations of recording can offer a certain amount of freedom. When he got ready to make his latest album, "Gentleman, I Neglected to Inform You You Will Not Be Getting Paid," the jazz guitar player realized he had a smaller budget than normal, but managed to turn a potential drawback into a check in the plus column.
"I had always wanted to do a record that was direct-to-tape in mono," says Hunter of the quick and relatively inexpensive technique. "On all my records, I've never overdubbed anything. It's always live. I don't know why I didn't do it earlier."
Continue Reading "Mono but Never Monotonous: Charlie Hunter" »
ANYONE WHO'S EVER snarfed a French's-coated hot dog at Nationals Park or whipped up a Dijon vinaigrette knows that mustard enhances nearly everything it buddies up to. The condiment — a combo of crushed mustard seeds, a liquid (think vinegar or beer) and other flavorings — has been around since Roman times, when toga-clad diners made it fresh at the table. Still, the idea of whipping up mustard yourself sounds as improbable as discovering the origins of that ballpark frank.
But local foodies and chefs are dabbling in what you might call DIY Grey Poupon, drawn by how making mustard means they can amp up its spiciness and fool around with crazy combos.
"Make mustard yourself, and you control the heat and flavorings," says Brock Kuhlman, who teaches cooking classes at Hill's Kitchen (713 D St. SE, 202-543-1997). He thinks that the pasteurization most commercial mustards go through blunts their piquancy, meaning you'll get more heat if you stir up a batch in your kitchen.
Continue Reading "Get Yellow Fever: Making Mustard at Home" »
CLAIMING VICTORY IN a legal battle that's lasted more than a year, Paradise Springs Winery will finally become Fairfax County's first winery when it opens to the public this Saturday.
Mother-and-son owners Jane Kincheloe and Kirk Wiles cut the ribbon last week from their historic log-cabin-turned-winery in the quaint town of Clifton, Va. The cabin, originally built in the 1800s, is surrounded by 37 acres of farmland. That land was given to the Wileses' ancestors in 1716 as part of a land grant from Lord Fairfax. They considered selling the property but decided to "give new life to the place," according to Kincheloe.
While the Virginia wine industry welcomes Paradise Springs, not everyone is so pleased. Fairfax County officials first denied construction requests due to zoning concerns; neighbors fear the winery will attract noise and traffic; and, the Occoquan Watershed Coalition worries about environmental consequences. For local wine lovers, though, a winery just 40 minutes outside D.C. is a locavore score.
» Paradise Springs Winery, 13219 Yates Ford Road, Clifton, Va.; 703-830-9463.
Written by Express contributor Suemedha Sood
Photo by Susan Biddle/For the Washington Post
ARLINGTON RESIDENT DEBBIE KAPLAN is thrilled that her oldest daughter is happy with her decision to attend Tufts University. The school suits her daughter's talents and interests as well as they hoped. But finding the perfect college match came at a cost — $3,000 to hire a private college counselor. As Kaplan gears up to navigate the college admissions process yet again with her youngest daughter, she plans to explore alternative options.
A new company headquartered in Alexandria helps students find the right fit via a medium today's youth are intimately familiar with: the Internet. Prospective students fill out an exhaustive profile, including a 238-question personality test, data on academic standing, extracurricular activities and preferences (such as location and price range). Parents can register and input details, too, but they can't override the answers to their teenager's personality test. Then, with the click of a mouse, the site generates a list of 32 best-fit matches, categorized by reach schools (long-shot chance of admission), target schools (pretty good chance of admission) and safety schools (almost certain chance of admission). The compatibility analysis is the result of a two-and-a-half-year effort from a group of psychologists and psychometricians. "It's like eHarmony, except for colleges instead of dating partners," said Ben Britt, the company's senior director of finance.
Wisechoice.com isn't the only online resource where students can explore options. Sites such as Unigo.com and Collegeprowler.com allow candidates to branch out beyond traditional means and use high-tech tools that use interactive social media — for free.
"A big mistake high school students make is looking at U.S. News & World Repor and deciding on a school simply because of its rank," said Jordan Goldman, Unigo.com's founder and CEO. "NYU might be ranked highly, but if students can't deal with Northeast winters, they'll transfer." Or worse, the students will "swirl" — a term that describes attending several schools before graduating. According to the National Survey of Student Engagement, nearly 50 percent of college students have taken classes at multiple institutions. Swirling is a phenomenon these sites are hoping to stop.
Continue Reading "Online Matchmakers: Finding the Right College" »
DURING THE PAST 84 years, the Harlem Globetrotters have become famous around the world for their coupling of competitive basketball and hoop-themed hilarity.
The comedic angle of the Trotters, which during game time involves antics like players sliding across the floor while continuing their dribble, or the whole team stopping mid-game for an impromptu football play, originated from the team's heyday when they were known for beating their opponents so badly that they would end up performing tricks just to keep the crowds amused.
But for a travel intensive team that is about to kick off a North American tour consisting of 270 games in 240 cities — including both a Dec. 29 stop at the Patriot Center and a Dec. 30 visit to the Verizon Center — just after completing a tour of 150 games overseas in countries like Iraq and China, cracking a joke or two may also just be what it takes to survive the road.
"I've only found one gray hair on my head," said Anthony "Buckets" Blakes, who sports the #15 jersey on the team, "and I think that's from all the traveling. That's from going through customs. It's hard to laugh going through customs."
Continue Reading "He's Got Game: The Globetrotters' Anthony 'Buckets' Blakes" »
NOTE: This event has been canceled. Get more information from the Patriot Center and DC101.
WEDNESDAY: Sure, you can claim you're going to see Weezer because you want to hear their new album, "Raditude." And you'll hear some songs from that, for sure, but everyone knows you're going for your favorite middle school jams, like "Buddy Holly" and "Undone: The Sweater Song."
Don't be embarrassed. No one believed you went to see "Twilight" ironically, either.
» George Mason University Patriot Center, 4500 Patriot Circle, Fairfax; Wed., Dec. 9, 7 p.m., $50; 202-397-7328.
Photo by Sean Murphy
WEDNESDAY: Bob Dylan doesn't care anymore; that's been made clear. The man released the weirdest Christmas album ever, and that's quite a feat. But he was — as much as he denied it — the voice of a generation and the finest songwriter of his time.
Unfortunately, his singing has worsened — if that's even possible. If you still love him, you can attend his concert at the Patriot Center.
» George Mason University, Patriot Center, 4500 Patriot Circle, Fairfax; 8 p.m., $57.50; 202-397-7328.
Check out our feature on Bob Dylan's craziest moments.
Photo by D.A. Pennebaker, Patriotcenter.com.
TUESDAY: Oh, Dane Cook. It's always sad when a comedian who's actually funny — yes, he can be stupid and sexist, but he's got great timing — goes off to do idiotic movies about bumbling blue-collar workers and Jessica Alba's underwear. We're happy to see Cook back doing comedy on a stage, with no bimbos or shopping carts in sight. It's where he belongs.
» Patriot Center, George Mason University, 4500 Patriot Center, Fairfax; Tue., Nov. 3, 7 p.m., $33-$103; 202-397-7328.
Photo by Jonathan Alcorn/The Washington Post
EXPECT A STAMPEDE of fashionistas at the Tysons Galleria Neiman Marcus Saturday, 1-4 p.m., when heel boy Christian Louboutin makes an appearance. The Parisian footwear designer will sign shoes (purchased at the store, one per customer) and participate in a Q&A with Roopal Patel, accessory editor for Neiman.
» 2255 International Drive, McLean, Va.; 703-761-1600.
Addison Road