311 performs at Mizner Park Amphitheater on Saturday. (Ari Justin Rothenberg for pbpulse.com)

Saturday night reggae/rock band 311 played Mizner Park Amphitheater in Boca Raton. Opening for the band was local guy DJ Soulman.

311 formed in 1988 in Omaha, Neb., but officially burst onto the scene in 1995 with their self-titled album and a song called “Down”.

I was still in elementary school then, but I’ve been hooked on 311 ever since. Their lyrics, melodies and amazing musical ability are hard to ignore. With a mix of alternative, reggae, rap, and rock (I’m confident there are some other genres that could easily apply) and their message of love and unity, 311 draws a crowd as diverse as the music they play.

Their show Saturday was no exception.

Photos: 311 at Mizner Park

The band opened the show with the song “Beautiful Disaster” and continued on to play two sets – never wavering in their talent or energy.

One of my favorite parts of any 311 show is the group drum solo, where all five guys bang along together, drum-line style.
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The much-awaited release of the first part of the last of the Twilight saga, Breaking Dawn, opens in theatres Nov. 18.

Fans of the series are looking forward to witnessing the metaphorical and physical union of Bella and Edward.

Fresh after her high school graduation, Bella Swan marries her vampire Prince Charming, Edward Cullen – much to the chargrin of werewolf Jacob Black. (Totally Team Jacob, by the way.)

On their honeymoon, Edward and Bella consumate their relationship and afterwards discover that — in spite of science — human Bella is pregnant with her vampire hubby’s baby.

Bella wants to keep the child from the minute she finds out that she is pregnant, but Edward – fearing for Bella’s safety – wants his father, Carlisle, to remove it. Bella’s refusal sets her and Edward apart. Once Bella’s pregnancy progresses and he realizes that he can hear the baby’s thoughts while in utero, he warms up to the idea, though he is still fearful of Bella’s safety.

(NOTE: AFTER THE JUMP, THERE ARE A FEW SPOILERS. JUST WARNING YOU NOW.)

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Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint reprise their roles one last time in 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2'.

The second part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows picked up right where the first part left off. (Read Sarah’s review of Part 1 here.)

Lord Voldemort has found the Elder Wand, a legendary wand believed to be the most powerful in existence, and one-third of the Deathly Hallows.

The legend of the Hallows, as we learned in part one, is that three objects (the Elder Wand, Resurrection Stone and the Cloak of Invisibility) were given to three brothers by Death himself, and the possession of all three items will make the owner the master of Death — which is more than a little appealing to Voldemort, who seeks ultimate control and immortality.

Click here for theaters, showtimes for ‘Potter’ | Final Potter chapter getting near-universal praise from critics | Dinner and a movie: Pairing Potter with Bogart’s Bar & Grille | See the trailer

Meanwhile, Harry, Ron and Hermione continue in their search for horcruxes — magically enchanted objects, inside which, Lord Voldemort has concealed fragments of his soul. In order to finally defeat Voldemort, Harry and his friends must find and destroy all of the horcruxes.
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Weston Adams and Samantha Lowe look around at merchandise at the Hatsume Fair. (Photo by Sarah Mulé)

More: Moment of silence at Morikami to honor, mourn Japan’s dead | Hatsume Fair photos

The usually tranquil grounds of the Morikami Museum and Gardens in Delray Beach were transformed this weekend into a colorful, festive springtime celebration.

The Hatsume Fair, in its 32nd year, is the Morikami’s celebration of the start of spring and the museum’s most popular event of the year.

The two-day event is packed with entertainment, demonstrations and activities meant to share the lighter side of life in Japan — the fun, unique things that make the Japanese culture what it is.

In the main vendor tent were tables of anime goodies — action figures and plush toys, colorful jewelry and accessories, tons of fun Japanese snacks (I recommend the Pocky and Ramune), and even swords and nunchucks. Outside were tents of art dealers, woodworkers, bonsai trees and parasols.

There was also a jam-packed entertainment schedule. We were able to catch an amazing Taiko drum performance by Fushu Daiko, a Davie-based group of drummers who specialize in this ancient Japanese practice.
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Miami City Ballet dancers perform the 'Waltz of the Snowflakes'. (Courtesy Miami City Ballet)

More: Directions to Miami performances, nearby dining

The Nutcracker epitomizes Christmas spirit. Even if you’ve never seen it and couldn’t tell the waltzing flowers from the waltzing snowflakes, you know the music. It resonates. And for me, it’s just not Christmas without The Nutcracker.

Miami City Ballet took on George Balanchine’s adaptation of The Nutcracker and performed it with such magic – I was blown away.

Miami City Ballet did an amazing job with the casting of the dancers. They all seemed so natural in their roles.

Some of the big standout characters were Herr Drosselmeier, danced by Yann Trividic, The Sugar Plum Fairy, danced by Jennifer Carlynn Kronenberg, and the Nutcracker/Prince, danced by Palm Beach Gardens’ own Tommy Batchelor.
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Daniel Radcliffe (right) as Harry Potter, with Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley.

More: Locations, showtimes

Part 1 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a different kind of Harry Potter movie for a myriad of reasons.

For one, it’s the beginning of the end – which is not a thought that sits well with me. I read the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone when I was in the eighth grade. That was a lot of years ago but I’ve been hooked on HP ever since.

Another reason is that this movie is dark. It’s emotional, suspenseful and heavy – themes that are certainly present in the other films, but not to this extent.

In this movie, there is no Dumbledore to make things better at the end. There are no quidditch matches and no scenes with fresh-faced students marveling at the joys of being a wizard.
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Hanson performs at Fort Lauderdale's Revolution Live. (Photo by Sarah Mulé)

Gone are the long blonde locks and the bubblegum pop – they’ve been replaced by three grown men with a catchy indie sound.

Hanson, a trio of brothers who got their start as teen pop stars in the late ‘90s, played Revolution in Ft. Lauderdale on Saturday night to a very enthusiastic crowd.

Hanson took the stage and opened with “Can’t Stop,” off their This Time Around album released in 2000.

With Taylor on piano and keyboards, Isaac on guitar and Zac on drums, they played songs from all their albums with what seemed like such effortless musical prowess.

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In a perfect storm of pop madness, New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys are joining forces, Ryan Seacrest confirmed, and embarking on a U.S. tour starting Summer 2011.

Both bands toured South Florida this year (you can read my reviews of those shows here and here), which leads me to hope that they’ll be making a stop here on next year’s NKOTBSB tour.

To get an early taste of this awesomeness, be sure to tune in to the American Music Awards on Nov. 21 to catch all the guys performing together.
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What do you do when you want to roast chicken for dinner but it’s so hot you don’t want to turn on your oven?

Don’t.

Let me introduce you to my new favorite gadget, an oven that won’t make your house feel like a sauna: the NuWave Pro Infrared Oven.
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Josh Webb and Sarah Mulé started a cupcake baking business this year with the goal to have a storefront location for The Chunky Cupcake. (Ray Graham / Palm Beach Post)

Behold, the cupcake. For all its basic simplicity, it’s taking the culinary world by storm.

There’s not much to it, really… cake and frosting and flavors, but it has spawned blogs and websites, artwork and cartoons, clothing, accessories and TV shows — and hundreds of businesses across the country.

This year, I fell prey to the mighty power of the tiny cupcake. I started my own cupcake business. What started out as an idea mentioned in passing, has turned into a serious passion for pastry.
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