Wrap it Up

I don't know the names of the top two Tragic Toys by Tim Burton, but Brie Boy is hanging out on the bottom. You know I know my brie. It is so tasty once you swipe some of that on a cracker. Yum!

Let's move on to deeper things. First, pop a bag of popcorn to throw at the screen. Practice eye rolls. Put your tongue and teeth together in that cluck that grandmothers love to do when disappointed. Hiss like a snake!

Don't blame me. You sent the questions, I gave the answers. You've been warned.

Check out my insanely deep chat & thought-provoking chat HERE!

The Weather Man

Before you watch, let me set the stage.



You walk into the Tate Modern in London.
(Mind the crap comes to mind. Curse that Banksy!)
You're here for an exhibit called The Weather Project. You walk into a room with a big glowing fake sun on the back of the wall. You see hundreds of people lying down on the floor. It's a little strange. Then you notice half of them are looking up. So you sit on the floor too so you can see what they're looking at. The ceiling is mirrored and you can't help checking out yourself and everyone else. You're on a futuristic fake beach. You hear The Blue Danube play in your head as images of 2001:A Space Odyssey come to mind.
Now watch the video.


Hopefully you liked it. I didn't want to ruin it. That was my impression when Robert & I saw the exhibit in 2003.
Now, New Yorkers get to check out Danish artist Olafur Eliasson's latest "refreshing" installation.
He's installing 4 massive waterfalls around NYC this summer. Below the Brooklyn Bridge, between Piers 4 and 5 in Brooklyn, on Governers Island, and on Pier 35 in Manhattan.

BTW, after we had enough sun we went to the gift shop. We normally check out the umbrellas and calendars covered in The Starry Night and get out of there... fast.

But I noticed they had raindrops encased in lucite for $50 by the lovely artist. I wanted one. Only they were sold out. That was the moment I knew I would kill for a raindrop. I still haven't found one. Anyone?

Sweet Dreams

What a whirlwind of a day.

Thank you for watching the webchat. Over 5K hits over the half-hour! Isn't that funny after yesterday's proclamation?

I got about 4 hours sleep last night. So nervous wondering who, if anyone would tune in, ask questions...

In the end, it was a ball. Steve Edwards kindly joined me for a moment... & the questions were a blast. I couldn't believe how many there were!

I'm calling an early night. I fear if I post much more in this sleepless state I might embarrass myself.

I took this photo while we drove to Rockerfeller Center in NYC over the holidays. I still need to post photos from the trip.... zzzzzz

Chat & Dance With Me

Reason to Chat:
I'm doing a live chat for www.myfoxla.com. If you didn't know by now, I work there & it's so much fun.
Wednesday Jan. 30th at 10:15am (West Coast time) or 1:15pm (East Coast time).
Send me any question you'd like or just tune in. I can't wait! :)

Reason to Dance:
I just reached 10K hits. Thanks to you! This began as a way of jotting down something special in my week. Now, it's a little daily affirmation that makes me stop and smell the roses.

Let's watch a classic scene from Bande à part set to a beautiful song by Nouvelle Vague.

Toi & Tootsies

Caroline & I had dinner at Toi tonight. I took this photo in the hallway leading to the powder room. She's working hot boots.


If you're ever on Sunset in Hollywood, Toi is a relaxed, reasonable & yummy Thai place. We ordered pad thai & yellow curry. Both were great.

I just googled it & discovered it's one of Quentin Tarantino's faves too. Here's a quote from the LA Times:

"It's open really late; the food is great. I come in to write. During the day, it's way kicked back. They always play good music. I can sit for five hours, order some coffee and just work. I've been doing that at Toi for 15 years."

I've interviewed QT a couple of times. He's a ball of energy & a total charmer. I asked him (at Movies Rock) to name his favorite song. He told me "Tangled Up In Blue" by Bob Dylan.

My fave song of all time? "Blackbird" by The Beatles. It's sad & hopeful at the same time. When I've been down it's always inspired me. I learned recently that Paul McCartney wrote it about the civil rights movement. Now I love it even more.

So back to shoes. I was wearing my favorite zapatos tonight. They were a Christmas present.


They have the perfect heel. Tall enough to make you feel girly... yet you could walk in them all night. They're Chanel, so of course they're perfection!

Will Cotton Candy

Just in time for Valentine's Day. Some sweet & special art by Will Cotton - The Da Vinci of delicious delights - ok, so that's according to Robert. Yes, he was laughing as he said it.

This first one is titled, "Kiss Me." (Oil on canvas.) All of his creations are pretty cool, but my heart lies with his candy landscapes.

Like this "Peppermint Hideaway."

This one is simply, "Flooded."

How cute is his "Churro Cabin" nestled between glazed donuts?

Below is the photo that started my obsession. It was in someone's home in some shelter magazine. It's called "Chocolate Wave." It's from 2002, so it's pre-Chocolate Rain, people!

By the way, Will Cotton really does feature cotton candy. View his beautiful works at www.willcotton.com

Purring for Porsche

After a day of working in the rain, these photos are like a ray of sunshine.

I love the delicious red Porsche Speedster up top. I took the second photo of the silver '62 model this afternoon.

It was broken down. :(

My greatest fear is breaking down on a freeway.

I need a car with comfort, reliability & panache!

SJP in a Scrunchie

Say it ain't so? SJP is wearing a giant scrunchie! Remember the Sex and the City episode when she said a NYC gal would never wear one - in public - and when a gal was spotted sporting one in a swank bar, the poor gal quickly gave away her out-of-town roots with an exaggerated accent. I'm polite, okay?
I love it. If you're gonna work it, work it big. I love that hair. I'm a big fan of big hair.
I love her wild outfits too. Better to be over-the-top than boring.
Can't wait for the movie.
I first spied this on fredflare.com's blog.

Powder Room Tour

Some of you have asked for more photos of the powder room. I'm a total amateur photographer so Simba's coming along for moral support. Let's go down the hall to check it out, shall we?

It's hidden behind a pocket door.


The kohler toilet has become quite the conversation piece. Who knew it would be such a hit? Most people don't know how to flush it. (Touch the left side.) The wallpaper is Florence Broadhurst with the colors customized by W&R.

We're at one of my favorite things in the room. This sketch features Oyster Boy by Tim Burton. (Yes, I saw Sweeney Todd & loved it.) In this drawing he's decided to dress as a human for Halloween. If you haven't already read it, The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy is a must-read.
Ron Woodson & Patrick Ediger selected the framing. Isn't it perfection?

To the right is the sink is from ZGallerie, the trophies are vintage from the 20's & the mirror is Horchow. The brass mirror was mine growing up.

Below is a look at the detail. The sconce is Restoration Hardware. Custom lampshades by W&R.

Below is the rain shower. I believe it's a Kohler showerhead in polished nickel. The glass door is custom & the fixtures Kohler too... The marble tiles are polished carrera marble from Ann Sacks.

If you look down Little Miss Trouble is celebrating an open door with a playful tailchasing. The floor is Ann Sacks polished marble too... the base is American Standard.

Here's a closer look at the tile. They were customized cuts. I love the look of elongated subway tile. We saw a similar cutout in a magazine for the toiletries. It saves space and you don't see it immediately.

Here's the view as you look out. These little figurines are from Jonathan Adler & (even though they've been knocked over at a few parties) they are troopers. They stand the test of time.

That's it for the pint-sized powder room. Well, here's the photo you see before walking in. Most people don't even notice it if the bathroom door is open. Pink steals the show. It's a beloved piece by David Lynch. I love that man. I remember Robert chasing him down at the NBC lot. Lynch was walking to his car with his signature cigarette hanging out of his mouth. A swirl of cigarette smoke hung over his silver pompadour.

Robert asked what the old couple meant in Mulhulland Drive. David said pay close attention to the opening sequence. We still don't get it. (If you know please tell us.) I love DL anyway & his daily weather report too.

Everything you see is designed by Woodson & Rummerfield. The art was chosen by Robert beforehand. :)

We Feel Fine

If you haven't seen Feist's video for "I Feel It All" go over to youtube and watch it already. Who doesn't love fireworks?

I found a website called wefeelfine.org which scours blogs looking for the phrase, "I feel.... " and their findings are compiled via crazy computer programs to determine answers to questions like: Do Europeans feel sad more often than Americans? Do women feel fat more often than men?

Does rainy weather affect how we feel?

Rain sure affects me. It's been raining for days in LA. In addition to feeling melancholy, I awoke several times during the night praying the hillside wasn't seeping into our home. So add worry to that.

But this site cheers my spirits. I discovered LA feels 6th sexiest right now.

Click here for their findings and see if your city is there.

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Hail on Earth

It hailed in my backyard around 1pm & I caught a few snapshots of our deck right after rescuing Simba from the hailstorm.

She wasn't supposed to be out (she never is) but snuck past me yet again.

Poor thing was howling when the ice started to fall on her back. She can handle rain but this caught her off guard.

No shots of her though, I dried the poor thing off before I thought to get the camera.

The Face Hunter

I love these styles! They're from The Face Hunter. They are young, colorful & fun. Interestingly enough, I discovered the blog on The Sartorialist. Another fashion blogger who spies gorgeous outfits. They're usually classic with muted colors.
These are for a younger demographic.

Vampires Visiting LA

Vampire Weekend will be playing at Amoeba on Sunset Blvd. Monday, February 4th at 7pm! Maybe I'll see you there.. if I'm not working.

My favorite video is below - Mansard Roof - so preppy, Northeastern, do I even detect a sprinkle of The Life Aquatic?

Robert prefers the video for A-Punk. I admit the boys on drums are irresistible.

Crumbs Cupcakes

Whether they are trendy or not, I love cupcakes! I tried a new shop after seeing it featured on my station. Lisa Breckenridge was there & it looked so yummy I had to make a pit-stop.

I wasn't disappointed. Robert & I shared the Strawberry Cream Cheese cupcake & we competed to finish it. That's when we know we like something. It's just a few blocks away from Sprinkles. I like that because Sprinkles is always busy & this place wasn't too busy - yet.

My overall favorite is still Frosted Cupcakery in Belmont Shore. The cupcakes are the perfect size and have a well-balanced sweetness.

But in LA, Crumbs is now my fave :)
Here's the info.

Beverly Hills

9465 Little Santa Monica Blvd (just off N. Beverly Drive)

Makeover Show Gets a Makeover

I love before & afters.

No surprise my favorite tv shows are MTV's Made, Landscaper's & Designer's Challenge, Divine Design, Intervention & The Biggest Loser. I love to see transformations. Be all that you can be...

Normally, I'm ho-hum about HGTV's Design on a Dime, but they have a new designer Kahi Lee who did some budget design that looks fantastic.

It has a crafty Urban Outfitters/Anthropologie look. This is the before of the kitchen.

See the tops of the drapes? I love the shelves to display her china.

The kitchen table was a thrift find. They created the tabletop pattern using paper doilies.

The cabinets, oh the cabinets! The painted border, bird stencil & wood detail at the bottom are genius.

The chandelier was a plain birdcage they repainted. I love the liner so you don't look up & see the bulb.

They built the cabinet surround to fit the fridge, with a spot for the microwave & bowls stacked overhead. I love the shelves again & the message board backing.

View the entire room & more HERE at HGTV's website. All of the pics are from their website & Kahi Lee's blog. Read it HERE!

Watercolors With Spunk

While going through old beloved issues of Domino & Elle Decor, I spotted Margie Bobbish's work. I love the personality in these watercolors. Her signed prints sell for $40 and she also does custom portraits of pets.

By the way, I'm passing on my favorite mags to my brother in law. He just bought a home! I haven't seen it yet. He doesn't close until the end of January, but I can't wait to check it out & share my ideas!

It's a Wonderful Wynn

If you've been here before, you must know by now I've been obsessively watching old Twilight Zone episodes.

Today, such a delight. One of my favorite childhood actors - Ed Wynn - starred in an episode called "Ninety Years Without Slumbering".

I remember watching Wynn with such love & admiration. He seemed so sweet & accepting in roles like Uncle Albert in Mary Poppins. His voice will forever bring back vivid memories of Disney's Mad Hatter.

My maternal grandfather passed before I was born & my paternal grandfather had severe Parkinson's when I was a child, so I never had a grandfatherly figure in my life. I remember imagining him as my grandfather, silly & fun like his role in the Absent-Minded Professor.

You can watch the episode that moved me by clicking HERE. Like most TZ episodes, the 60's home design is fantastic, the story is a bit macabre & you learn more about life when it's all over. It's the best.

I did have a stellar maternal grandmother who let me sleep next to her. She would hand me a stick of Juicy Fruit to chew as we fell asleep. I loved the sugary minty taste, but worried about it falling out & getting stuck in my hair during the night. When I told her my worry, she just laughed it off. I loved that. She was a wild Southern woman who dipped snuff only drank Coca Cola out of the bottle. So decadent!

Photo credit: Twilight Zone Episode 132, Season 5, December 20, 1963.

A Delicious Journey

My parents came to rescue me from the cleaning abyss that is my home. They took me to my fave local restaurant open between the golden hours of 3pm-5:30pm. That's when every single restaurant in LA seems to close & prepare for dinner.

It's Taste on Melrose just off La Cienega. I love their web address http://www.ilovetaste.com/ but their mini-menu is even more delicious.

There's my parents sitting at my favorite table at the bay window. The windows are open overlooking the street for prime people-watching.

We sampled the ahi tuna tartare (Sashimi Grade Ahi, Avocado, Mint, Dill, Spicy Aioli, Crostini $11.50).

Robert & I would've been fighting over it, but I had it all of it to myself & finished every bite.

We shared two chicken & roasted vegetable pizzettas (Chicken Breast, Roasted Vegetables, Macadamia Nut Pesto, Oven Dried Tomato, Goat Cheese $9.50). A must try.

We also had the pommes frites (french fries with Garlic Aioli, Remoulade & Ketchup 6.00) No one ever seems to finish them. It's a heaping yummy helping.

Next stop, Comme Ça. I thought it was closed, but my dad wanted to take a walk, so we crossed the street to check it out & discovered it was open!

The hostess informed us they're open 7 days a week 11am-11pm! I discovered it thanks to Jaime Rummerfield whose store is around the corner. Comme Ça is a brasserie about the closest thing I've found in LA to my fave restaurant in the world.. Balthazar.

It's pretty new. If you go, have the burger. But since we were already full, we had dessert & the insanely tasty Rumble. It's bruised blackberries, rum, lemon & crushed ice. We collectively decided it's an adult snowcone.


We all raced to get bites of the Myer Lemon Tart & we ordered the Brioche Pudding & Ice Cream... but I think they gave us Jr's Chocolate Tart. I dunno. It was like a warm homemade brownie. (A nice break from the molten chocolate cakes that seem to be on every menu). we fenced forks over it.
I sat against the white vinyl for the comfort & the view. It wasn't busy tonight, but last time I was there for lunch, it was a great crowd, with a guy wearing a jean kilt sitting next to us & a group of ladies who lunch in front of us.

I love the restrooms. They aren't over-the-top, but I love the white subway tile, painted doors & stones in the sink. That's mi madre Henrie.