Luna Park and Heart Throb

Photo: Reception at the Merry Karnowsky Gallery

March has already proven to be an unexpectedly entertaining month. Sandy, Helen, and I had a quaint dinner at Luna Park over the weekend, followed by a romp through Heart Throb with Norma, my favorite. We capped off the evening at JP's Sports Bar in West LA. The fun never ends every time we get together (missing from photos: Jodi, our now Arlingtonian).

Post-script: I highly recommend Luna Park. Helen's Mac-n-Cheese dish was delish! And Sandy was absolutely correct, they make excellent Mojito's and Sangria's!

Post-post-script: I am SO art-galleried out. I've had my fix for the next couple of weeks (months?).

Photos: Norma, Sandy, Myself, Helen

Bonfire at Huntington Beach

British Accent Guy

L.A. Art Walk (March)

First stop on our art adventure was a visit to the Neo Art League. There we met Echo Lew, an abstract and mixed medium artist from Taiwan. The only thing more impressive than his (awesome) artwork was his personality. What a super guy.

Next stop was the Red Dot Gallery (where they also sell Weeneez Chili. Chili and art. Chilean Art. lol). I was impressed by some of the pieces, but Andrew, not so much. I believe he said, in verbatim, "digital art needs to stay on the computer." He can say that in all right - because he too is a digital artist.

Third stop was Billy's Coffee Shop (inmogallery.net). This was definitely an entertaining exhib. Not for the visual arts but for the performing arts. The most adorable (Irish?) boy was entertaining the crowd with violin goodness. We made eye contact. Total chemistry. But the artwork wasn't impressive. At all.

Photo: Boyfriend

Photo: Concept had potential.

Next stop (and highly entertaining) was The Art of Smoking Mirror (by Eduardo Villacis). It's, "A mock museum installation chronicling an alternative history in which the Aztecs conquer Europe in the year 1493 after encountering Columbus in 1492." Oh my gosh. This exhibit was very funny, and I highly recommend that you run by and see it. Presentation is key, and this gallery nailed it. Ends March 24th.

Then there were filler (and strictly for social gathering) galleries: Pharmaka Art, LA Center for Digital Art, El Nopal Press, Photograps of Iceland, and maybe one or two more that I can't recall.

Photo: Gallery Row?

Photo: Photograps

Last but not least (and my favorite exhib to cap off the night) was the Conceptual exhibit at Crewest Gallery on Winston St. It's "A huge group exhibition showcasing original works created on actual spray paint cans. Some of the globe's hottest artists recycle old and rusty aerosol cans into unique and exquisite pieces of art." Ends March 31 (and closing reception will have DJ's and live painting by select artists). For all you urban and street art lovers, check check it out.

Photo: One of the best ones.

On My March/April To-Do List

Photo: Heart Throb

So many gallery openings for the month of March! Be excited! For fans of the Van, read the above flyer. For fans of Mark Ryden, Flavorpill LA has listed the following on their calendar of events this weekend: Mark Ryden: The Tree Show between 12pm-6pm on March 10, 2007 at the Michael Kohn Gallery (8071 Beverly Blvd, 323-658-8088). This exhibition remains on display through April 28, 2007 (Tue-Fri: 10am-6pm / Sat: 11am-6pm).

And for those of you who have time to play tomorrow night, I'll be draggin' people out to the L.A. Artwalk (which will be preluded by a Ramen Dinner). Join us! Please!

Favorite Celebrity Babies

I've been meaning to post this entry for the longest time! I just have to chime in with my two cents on the baby wars! Within the past 3 years, Hollywood has had an explosion of uncontainable cuteness! Here, in order of cuteness and (my) obsession:

6th Cutest Celebrity Baby
Kingston Rossdale
Gavin Rossdale and Gwen Stefani


In 18 years, Kingston's gonna be mackin' on all the babies listed below. In the interim, could this boy be any more rock-n-roll? We wouldn't have expected less from Gavin Rossdale's sperm. Who wouldn't want to have his half British offspring?

5th Cutest Celebrity Baby
Matilda Ledger
Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams


Matilda. The name alone makes me smile in delight. If there's one thing Heath Ledger can't do, it's to ever deny that this child is his. I don't think that there's any other child in Hollywood that looks more like her papa.

4th Cutest Celebrity Baby
Violet Affleck
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner


There is no picture of baby Violet that doesn't involve dimples. This child is flat out adorable, and is no doubt her mother's daughter.

3rd Cutest Celebrity Baby
Shiloh Jolie-Pitt
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie


Were you really surprised at how cute this kid came out? Most pics of baby Shiloh make her look 'average', but the two photos shown here really show off the trademark pout and piercing baby blues.

2nd Cutest Celebrity Baby
Suri Cruise
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes


Suri Cruise is Asian, and I'm stickin' to it. Of all the babies listed here, Suri Cruise will probably grow up to be the most beautiful. Really, look at her! The dark brown hair and grey eyes! Hello, my dream child!

1st Cutest Celebrity Baby
Apple Martin
Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow


Apple can kill you with her cuteness. Really, it doesn't get any cuter than this peach. There are no more words. Just silence.

So there you have it. You CBB readers can stop fighting now. They're all fashionably cute in their own miniature ways. All with obnoxiously unique names. Honorable mentions go to Debra Messing's son Roman and the Witherspoon-Philippe children (Ava and Deacon).

Bridal Shower Invitations

Get dolled up and clear the date, and join as as we celebrate! The Groom's best friend (and bridesmaid, that'd be me) and the Bride's best friend (and Maid of Honor, Diana) are in the planning stages of the best bridal shower that '07 will ever come to know. Lucky for [control freak] me, Diana was in agreement with the theme I picked out: there will be no theme. Instead, we're utilizing a color scheme of pink, black, and white. In lieu of corny decorations, we'll be using punches of color to set a tasteful mood. Ever so inspired by the awesome invitations ($$$) I ordered for the big day before the 'big day'!

Photo: Join us?

Overeverything'd

I'm overworked and overbooked (the latter is a fault of my own). I'm seriously burned out. And I'm trying so hard not to let every little thing piss me off.

Michele Turns 24

Photo: DJ Normatron & her groupie

Photo: Water, water, everywhere!

Use the Record Retention Labels Accordingly

Photo: Dear Management,
Do not destroy anything labeled in pink.

Mommy Blogs

Is it just me, or has there been an explosion of mommy-blogs? It started with The Shins circa 2004, and since then, Blogger and Typepad have been infested with very (very) proud mothers showing off the gums of their teething ten-month-old's. Well, I guess it's a bit soothing to know that the internet isn't solely exploited by perverts and MySpace junkies.

And since God knows I'm so not ready for a child of my own... I leave you with a (random) photo of the cutest child ever! I'd love to have a daughter I can dress like this one day.

Photo Credit: Sartoria List

February Highlights Already?

I'm nowhere near as good as I'd like to be, but I'm getting better and better with every new bruise, scrape, and bloody injury. Ryan, Dan, and I hit the slopes of Bear Mountain to have us some snow-fun. The second pic below is the 'money' shot. My shutter speed has the best timing.

No Added Chemicals

For the first time in 9 years, the amount of strands
poisoned by hair-dye equal the amount of zero.

The OC Says Goodbye

Photo: Adam Brody

I'll admit it: for the past several years, The OC has been my guilty pleasure. Now that it's met its demise, there will no longer be weekly helpings of Adam Brody - a man who encapsulates a lot of the qualities I expect out of an alpha male. Like oh my gosh, he's like, so hot.

The series finale was satisfying - although a huge part of me wanted Mischa Barton to come back for a cameo (maybe as a dream? a hallucination?). Anyway, thank God the Cohen's got out of Orange County (after realizing it's not all it's made up to be). And unlike real-life Adam and real-life Rachel, their characters ended up getting married. Le Sigh.

Since Adam Brody is single and job-less now, he should take some down time to get to know the little people. While a part of me suggests that he become cuddle buddies with Natalie Portman, it's quite obvious that she is too good for him. But I'm not - so holla!

The New Who?

Photo: Bilson, 2007

Perez Hilton dubbed her 'The New Natalie Portman'. But as much as I love Rachel Bilson (and I love her a lot), there will never, ever be another Natalie Portman. Let alone a 'new' one. That doesn't mean we can't appreciate how unbelievably cute Rachel Bilson is - so let's!

Arts Colony

The 100th Pomona Art Walk successfully seduced the attendance of artists and art enthusiasts alike. Second street was dotted with craftsmen from all arenas of the interlocking art world, and was a place to mingle with a camera in one hand, and wine in the other.

After convincing my good friend 'Re fried' to join me for a night of music in the streets and art from head to feet, we shimmied our way down the street's narrow corridors, and found ourselves atop the 2nd Street Bistro, oogling that which is Lisa and Ash's new art loft. Vaulted ceilings, brick wall facades, and floor to ceiling windows were all a cause for me to stand there green with envy. The loft was flat out amazing! So old, and so full of character. Lisa, a good friend and coworker, scored the keys to the sprawling space just last week. It was extremely convenient to have a pit stop amongst all of the galleries and mini-concerts taking place just below our feet.

For anyone interested, Metro Pomona hosts an art walk on every second Saturday of each month. Every gallery on 2nd Street and Garey Avenue are open to the general public - for free. It has definite potential to be an entertaining night out on the town.

Photo: 2nd St. Bistro

What is your pocket blessing?

My pocket blessing is 'a long drive' to absolutely nowhere. When I get frustrated, pissed, sad, overwhelmed, and mind-boggled, all it takes for me to calm down is a long drive. I hop in my car, drive far, drive fast, and most importantly, drive alone. It's me, my thoughts, my music, my self-rationalizing, and my prospective action plans playing out in my head. I leave my house, drive for 1-2 hours, and drive back home. Not getting out of the car once. Sometimes, like today, I'll run by a Starbucks drive through... but for the most part, it's 80 MPH down the 215 to the 91 to the 15 to the 60 to the 57 to the 10 and back home. Very therapeutic. Sometimes I get back with my eyes a bit puffier than when I left. But damn, something about a long drive - alone - at night - is all I really need. Well, that and my dog.