Vacation. It's What I Want

I need a vacation. I crave a break from blackberries/myspace/twitter/facebook.

(Dana, now I know what you were talking about!)

I'll admit I'd miss my blog the most. Let's get to the point. Don't we all need a vacation with recession worries/swine flu/fill in the blank?!

I must check out. I need to dig my toes in the sand. Soon.

I'd like to sport this Eres bikini...

I'd justify the pricey purchase with this cheap chic cover up from Alloy...

Forget Pina Coladas, I'm craving this...

I had the strangest dream last night. I don't know why I remember it so vividly. I was working an outdoor, nighttime Halloween event to entertain a bunch of kids. I love Halloween & I love to entertain, but this was the night from hell. I was wearing a Mc Gruff costume. Yep, the crime dog. (My friend's dad used to play McGruff, so I get that and I used to be Pluto. Long story.) While I was working, and kept taking off my furry paws to talk to a friend or coworker... doesn't matter. The main point was that a woman in charge kept telling me to stay in character. I'd rush and put on my paws again and get to work and I couldn't keep up. There was always another group of children driving me crazy.

I told you I need a vacation!

xoxo

If you're laughing, don't worry. I am too.

O Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

Karen O. I love her different looks. I love her quirky voice. I can't look away when she's doing her jerky posing and dancing. I'm absolutely captivated.

Aimee Wilder

I just discovered Aimee Wilder's "analog nights" wallpaper in chocolate and gray. This color combo is so perfectly seventies I'm digging it. As much as I'd like to say I prefer subtlety, I always get sucked in by bold patterns.
How about just a touch?

How about some Warhol-inspired flowers?

If you have kids, this is about the coolest wallpaper I've seen for a children's room. Mainly because of the little cloud faces. Cute!

I just realized I blogged about Aimee Wilder before here.

Happy Weekend!

This is Phoebe and her 3-day-old baby at the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium.

In case you just can't get enough, more video of the baby learning how to stand and walk here!

Personal Jesus

I had a religious experience last night. I'm not a big concert fan because most concertgoers are too cool for school, standing around and acting bored. I'm the person that wants to dance and clap and sing along, but I don't want to be the only one!

I had plenty of company at Depeche Mode's concert in the middle of Hollywood Boulevard. Dave Gahan was strutting around stage with mic stand in hand, feeding off the energy of the crowd. He's mesmerizing to watch.

They played for about 40 minutes, and the video above was their encore. Robert shot it from where we were standing. (He told me afterward it was hard to keep still during Personal Jesus!)

This song wasn't shown on Jimmy Kimmel Live! For the show, they performed their new single, Wrong, which has an insanely creative and disturbing video you can watch here. Personal Jesus ended the show and that's when the audience went wild. The energy onstage and in the crowd was different from anything I've ever seen at a concert. I want more!

FYI, the good stuff on the video starts around 4:30... :)

Everything Counts

I was the lucky one to preview the Depeche Mode concert for work. Our blogs at FOX11/Good Day LA are down, or else I'd be posting this there too. I have the best job in the world!

The stage going up for DM on Hollywood Boulevard. When I saw the little piece of tape (on whatever the gray thing is) my heart jumped!

I'm super non-stylin when we're on break, so don't judge, okay?! We're walking down the Walk of Fame looking for a bite to eat.

My photographers settled on Dos Burritos. I wouldn't jump for joy over this kind of spot, but these guys do all the work so they get first dibs.

See how happy they are? That's Bob on the left. He took all of these photos in this post, has won an incredible amount of still & film photography awards and he's my music man at work. Marco is in the middle sporting the beret. He loves fast cars and when he isn't working, he's traveling the world. Menu to the right if you want to go yourself. Serving up manly eats near Hollywood & Vine. My breakfast burrito of eggs and bacon was full of 90% bacon, 10% egg. Bob ate all of the bacon.

Next post: The concert. Yay!

Music 4 the Masses

I can't stand it! I'm going to see Depeche Mode!
So what if it's years and years after the above photo was taken. That was a great year. I was 11, listening to NKOTB and wearing neon, while my hip friend Corrine dressed in black, wore blood red lipstick and an attitude.
She introduced me to DM, The Cure & The Smiths and we eventually went vegetarian because everyone knows, Meat Is Murder.*
Depeche Mode was huge in LA when I was a kid. There was a concert at the Wherehouse - now long gone - across from the Beverly Center and there was a near riot. I think they managed to play one song.
Being 11 and awkward and with an older brother 22 years old, he had pity on me and gave me all of his old tapes. To this day, I still prefer their old stuff, which also tells me why I love modern-day electronica/dance music. Depeche Mode paved the way.

*I saw Morrissey a few years ago. He's talented but melancholy and I fell asleep. That's an impossibility with DM!

California Girls

It remains over 100 degrees here in Los Angeles. An icy treat at the beach be so perfect right now. I want an orange otter pop, a push up, an orange juice bar, a big stick, an Icee, a frozen banana, an ice cream sandwich.

These glamazons from the 1960's were shot by Life photographer Loomis Dean. The romantic and dreamlike mood of the photos makes me want to lounge under a big beach umbrella.

I Am Fashion

I don't do fashion. I am fashion. - Coco Chanel

Giovanna Battaglia is fashion editor of L'Uomo Vogue, the Italian men's version of the magazine. She's a former Dolce & Gabanna model with legs for days and her style is off the charts. Forget Cinderella. I want to be Giovanna.

Beautifully sexy shoes. Those insane metallic pants.Those knee high (yet tough) boots. The piping on the skirt!What isn't perfect about the outfit above? The dress, the sweater, the belt, the gloves. Down to the loose half-ponytail. It's scorching in LA today, but she makes me want to bundle up and work on my layering technique.

This is more like it. How perfectly nineties. Click on the D&G ad for a close-up.

I envy her talent for mixing standout pieces so they create a totally fresh look. I need to wear my hair up more...

Discovered on The Sartorialist. He's a master.

Jean-Marie Perier

These photos were taken by famed French photographer Jean-Marie Perier. The photo with the candy stripe background grabbed me. I didn't know who the subject was, I just knew she looked like Drew Barrymore set in the 60's. I now know she's Sylvie Vartan.


First Person Access: The World of Jean-Marie Perier, 1956-2008
Reception for the artist, Thursday, April 23, 7 - 9 p.m.
It is Perier's first US show.

When I visited his website, I clicked on his biography. The link led me to a section titled, Words To a Young Photographer. I love someone willing to share unvarnished advice.

Below is an excerpt.

In all artistic profession – it also holds for photography – lies a key factor for success: chance. Being a talented and hard-working man is not enough if fortune doesn’t smile on you. I admit it’s not fair but chance is usually the starting point for successful careers: look at me.

All my life I had the chance to meet people who accepted to be photographed…even if I know they usually did accept because I was representing a famous French magazine.

To finish up with advice: a good photographer has to be spontaneous. If you’re slow, forget about this job. The thing is to know what you really want to do before the shooting. Of course, I’m talking about portraits or fashion pictures not about photojournalism which definitely requires a courage that I don’t have. I admire those people ready to travel to hostile countries to bring back images. I am just good at making a show. I know the art of lying to bring out the truth.

Swoon.

Happy Friday!

Yeah, yeah. I'm posting this on Thursday. It's been a long week.
Enjoy this brief, charming video as you kick off your weekend!

Chuckle!
Found at four four.

Small & Cool Space

This is Patrick Ediger's apartment, where he lives with his partner Jade Johnson. I am thrilled to get a glimpse of his home because Patrick has done an incredible amout of design and work at ours.

He is featured in Apartment Therapy's Small Cool Space contest. Can you believe this gorgeousness is all within 715 square feet? The winner gets $2K, so please vote for him and check out the other spaces here.

Can I move in now?

One More High Five

How did I miss this during the Inauguration? Oh well, better late than never.

HIGH-FIVE INAUGURATION! - watch more funny videos

Windows to the Soul

When I first spied Sylvia Ji's work, it instantly made me think of Dia De Los Muertos... Day of the Dead.

She's from San Franscisco and debuted these gorgeous pieces at Corey Helford Gallery this past weekend.

She details her pieces with glitter and gold that give it a modern yet religious feel.

If you have a chance to visit the gallery yourself, walk upstairs to watch the five-minute film that shows her painting her pieces in time-lapse video. She begins with the outline, focuses on the eyes and goes from there.

My photos do not capture the detail.

Check out this link to her website for more!

Tower Over the Tulips

Many things look better from a distance. Monet paintings, fireworks and yes, me. Ha, ha. Beat you to it.

Tulips are beautiful up close, but check out the photo below.
That's what 60 million tulips look like.

If I had some serious ca$h to blow, I'd hire a helicopter to fly me over these fields in the Netherlands.

These are from last May's Daily Mail.

Barbarella Bar

The new Star Trek prequel was just released to the delight of Trekkers around the world. Yeah, we call them Trekkies, but they prefer to be called Trekkers.

This is exposing the sci-fi nerd in me. I'll admit I adore Issac Asimov. His book I, Robot is incredible and he coined the term "robotics." Love him.

My husband constantly makes fun of me for dressing up as Princess Leia and waiting in line for the opening of The Phantom Menace. In Eureka. (I didn't really dress up. That delicious detail was added somewhere in the retelling and retelling of the story).

Let's segue to something a bit more cool, shall we?

Barberella! That's what I'm talking about. And not the film, oh no. It's a cool new restaurant/bar/lounge in Silver Lake with hottie waitresses and dark atmosphere.

We went there in early March for a birthday bash. It was a whirlwhind of a night, so I didn't take many photos. Here are some shots of the empty room. You'll have to check out the waitstaff with your own eyes.

I'm not a beer drinker, but there are 24 beers on tap. There are specialty martinis and my favorite part? Nothing's over $19, and that's for the steak. There's valet out front. In Silver Lake?! I know! Yep, it's true. Check out the website & menu for Barbarella Bar here.

In the meantime, here's one more shot of Jane Fonda.

Bright Young Things

Just saw the film, Bright Young Things.
I was dazzled.

It's vapid & decadent and details the lives of friends whose goal in life is having fun. The satire is set in the 20's & 40's. I think I learned something by watching the film, but it's so dizzyingly fast-paced and exciting I can't quite recall what the lesson was.

Okay, I'll be truthful, I do. But it sure is fun getting caught up in the excitement. This film is from 2003 and reminds me of Wes Anderson flicks. The atmosphere and style are intoxicating.

Yes, that is Michael Sheen in the final photo, who portrayed David Frost in Frost/Nixon. He and all of the other actors are stellar.