It's true - you never forget...

...how to ride a bicycle.

Sadly, but dead seriously, it had been at least 15 years since I had ridden a non-stationary bike until today. How ridiculous is that?

How does that happen? Where I grew up there weren't a lot of places that I could ride to, I went to a small college where it was just as easy to walk across campus as to ride, and now I live in LA where riding a bike is pretty terrifying. (Kudos to my friend Helen in LA who rides to work almost every day - so impressive)

Anyway, my boyfriend lives in Venice and pretty much every weekend we talk about going for a ride on the bike path. I've always found excuses - I don't have a bike, his roommates' bikes are too big, wouldn't you rather play paddle tennis/bocce ball/Wii, etc - but I secretly wanted to, because I dream about owning a badass beach cruiser one day. I was just worried about wiping out and humiliating myself in front of the hoards of people in Venice.

I'm happy to report that aside from getting completely verbally abused by the above-mentioned boyfriend, I came away from a lovely ride on the boardwalk unscathed. If you're just getting back into riding a bike or are looking for a way to pass an hour on a sunny day without getting a sandy bottom, I highly recommend the bike path by the beach. A lot of it (especially the Venice part) was just repaved. And aside from a few morons, pedestrians pretty much stay off of it. And you're literally along the beach the whole ride from Venice to Santa Monica, passing volleyball games, the awesomely insane boardwalk, jungle gyms....there's lots to see.

There are places to rent bikes right by the path (if you take Venice Blvd til it ends, it hits a parking lot with a rental shop), you can also rollerblade, rollerskate, skateboards, pretty much do anything with wheels and without a motor on the path. Exception: the only thing ok with a motor is a Segway. So go crazy all you Segway owners.

Unfortunately I didn't go anyplace else super exciting this weekend, but if one of you did, please post!

Little Summer Camp

I love the concept of Little Radio's Drunken Summer Camp Sunday - and it's definitely a great value for the money. Basically starting at noon every Sunday this summer, you can pay $10 at the door and get unlimited food, drinks, ping pong, badminton, waterslide action, and 3 bands playing live music.
Sounds pretty awesome right? And it was but...but...but, I came home last night and decided that it's basically for lazy Eastsiders who want a beach-like experience without driving all they way out to the sand. Well, with the extra bonus of live music.

But it's definitely an easy way to pass a few hours on a Sunday. And a really fun idea.

I think a lot of it is my own insecurities - it's a super duper hipster silverlake scene. Lots of American Apparel swimsuits, Urban Outfitters everything, and vintage everything else. Also tattoos are essential. Which is all fine, but in my plain old tank top and corduroy beach skirt I felt like a sore thumb. (Although you could argue that since I didn't fit the hipster mold, I was actually the biggest non-conformist there) Also, while playing badminton, our chairs were stolen. Which is pretty shitty considering we had our bags right in front of them. So that was a little unnecessary. But obviously has nothing to do with the even itself - it just speaks to what kind of crowd was there. It wasn't the friendliest group - everyone seemed to come in big posses and I almost felt like I was crashing someone else's birthday party.

But, this was our first pass, and next time we'll know a little better what to expect. Which probably means I'll have more fun and feel more comfortable. Plus, it's something totally different than I've ever done on a Sunday before and kudos to Little Radio for putting this on every single week. It's a great effort!

Now, who wants to go to the Salvation Army store with me?

On the road to Shambala

I have an addition to the list of places that truly make living in LA special... Shambala.

That's right people, Tippi Hedren's very own cat preserve, and I don't mean the little cats that chase birds. She has lions and tigers and ligers, oh my!!! There are also some strange looking ducks, leopards... and Tippi Hedren's own house right on the premises.

Check it out and sign up for tours at - http://www.shambala.org/

Tippi is not some flighty old-bird (getting all these "Birds" references!) flirting with a cause celebre. She spends her life working to stop private citizens from owning/procuring/raising exotic animals and has rescued as many big cats as she could afford to from pretty horrible situations.

Patrick, the liger, was rescued from a down and out zoo that kept him in a small box which caused his leg muscles to atrophy. Out at Shambala he has lots of room to bound around and has regained his strength.

This is a picture of Patrick the liger eating his lunch.



They even adopted two tigers that were left behind when Michael Jackson fled the country and abandoned his Neverland Ranch!

If you have the moola, you can rent a $3000 per night tent and stay over night. Tippi will come out and dine with you and take you on a midnight tour of the cats.

The drive out to Shambala is not too bad, towards the end it does get pretty circuitous and the "entrance" comes up at the last second on your left so don't miss it.




Isn't he kingly and beautiful?

It's an interesting tour, you might want to avoid doing it when it's too hot as it is all outside and dusty etc. But if you get a chance you might just find an animal that you want to "adopt" and help care for on an ongoing basis!

Milk it

I actually shopped at Milk a month ago, but I just wore the dress I bought there to a wedding last week. I'm still in love with the dress, so I'm blogging now.
3rd St. has become a haven/traffic hellhole of boutiques and chic restaurants. I can't handle it on the weekends because parking is unbelieveably difficult. However one weekday I happened to have off of work, so I indulged, and did a shopping tour in search of a wedding-friendly dress. I had read about Milk in Daily Candy - another reason why I hesitated to blog about it. But I think the experience is worth noting.
First of all, I was pretty shocked how big it was inside - compared to other shops on 3rd street, Milk is enormous. And it has a huge selection to go with the space. Normally, I'm really against shops that only put one size out on display and make you ask for normal human sizes. But at Milk they actually HAD the other sizes in stock, which was extremely refreshing. (Especially compared to the store next door - which I thought I would like more but they didn't have a single item in a size larger than small. boo.) When I first walked into Milk, I wasn't sure I could handle it - it seemed way trendier and hipper than I could ever be. But when I started looking through the racks, I made the most amazing discovery. In between the uber-trendy pieces that should have a 110 pound weight limit, they had the most amazing modern classics - a terrible phrase, but absolutely appropriate in this case.
I have a terrible time finding dresses that fit me - my top is much bigger than my bottom - but I had an armful of fun frocks to try. And one of them - an awesome Diane von Furstenburg navy crochet dress - was abolutely perfect: lovely and comfortable and completely appropriate for all 5 weddings I'm invited to this year.
Honestly, it's not a cheap store. But finding one awesome dress that I can wear over and over again this year, is totally worth it.
So when you have an afternoon free, pop into Milk and just give the clothes there a shot. Even if it's all out of your price range, it's an amazing place to sample a ton of different styles.

A picture of the dress has been requested. I had to photoshop the color because it was only in gold on the web, but it's pretty close. It's totally crocheted with a navy lining underneath and a cute scalloped edge at the bottom.

Grub a dub dub

Yesterday I had a lovely lunch date at the adorable Grub in Hollywood.

Now, as you're driving to the restaurant, you will undoubtedly think, there is no way a cute little breakfast/lunch-y place could be on this street. This section of Seward (b/w Santa Monica & Melrose) is lined with post facilities and studio parking lots. But then suddenly, the oasis is there in front of you!
The patio seating has a relaxing garden atmosphere and inside you feel like you're eating in someone's adorable bungalow. The menu is fantastic and everything we had tasted really fresh and wonderful. I had the Gruyere, mushroom and spinach scramble and my friend had the delicious looking berry pancakes. I've heard it can get really busy there during the weekday lunch hours because it's so close to all of those businesses, but we went at noon on a Saturday and got a table right away.
If I had to find one complaint, I guess I would say it was a little distracting that our waiter's brow was so sweaty. But he provided great service and was very friendly and if I were running back and forth to a hot kitchen, I'm sure I wouldn't have a very dry hairline either.
I can't wait to go back. Yum yum Grub!

Some bars are better early. Especially on May 5th.

I'm pretty sure all the It people of LA will disagree with this post but I'm also guessing they're not my target audience.
So, I'm willing to confess this: I like going to bars early. The earlier the better.
I've always abhorred velvet ropes and guest lists. But for many years after college I was willing to deal with cover charges, getting drinks spilled on me, toes stepped on, waiting 20 minutes for a bartender's attention and other ridiculous unpleasantries. Because it's just what you do. But as my 3rd decade comes to a close (that's right, right? because 30 technically marks the start of your 4th decade?) - anyway, I'm happy to admit that I will not deal with all that on a regular basis any more. But I still want to go out. My solution? Be the dork that gets to the bar early. Two cases in point:

This past weekend, I got to a bar way early - noon, to be exact. See, people don't mess around in LA on Cinco de Mayo. It's hard core. More than St. Pat's Day is here. So my bf, his roommate and I headed over to Baja Cantina in the Marina on foot around noon. We got a table outside in the glorious sun, we were served like normal people, and ate, drank, and people watched our little hearts out all afternoon. Now, granted, the problem with this is that I took a four hour nap at 4pm when we got home. But it still made for the easiest, most enjoyable Cinco de Mayo on record.

Two - tonight, since I was temporarily unemployed, I was able to meet a friend for dinner/drinks at 6pm. So we walked over to Red Rock on Sunset - which I haven't been to in over a year. I used to love Red Rock but it was the ultimate in crowded on the weekends, and the layout means a lot of spilling and tripping and sometimes falling down the stairs on the way back from the bathroom. So yeah, I stopped going regularly when I hit 25. But tonight, we got there at 6, had plenty of tables to choose from, had a super friendly waitress, got half price drinks (happy hour 5-7 there!) and were able to talk like normal people. And, if we had wanted, I'm sure we could have made "bar friends" with most of the other people there. People at bars are friendlier and more normal when you go early, at least based on my current un-scientific research.
So if you don't mind sacrificing some cool points and missing the 1-2am starlet arrivals, go early. And have more fun.

Evening at the Improv (Olympic, that is)

Monday night one of my favorite people from my favorite TV show was hosting the Armando Show at Improv Olympic. I hadn't been to see improv in a while - since my last friend stopped doing classes, which was probably at least 5 years ago.

Since we finished dinner early (more on that delicious-ness later) we made it to the early show (8pm). For $10, (12 if you buy tix ahead of time) you're paid up for every show that night. Our target was the one at 9, but since we were there early, we thought why not do it all?

The 8pm show was made up of student groups. The first group was huge and a little rough, then the second group was 3 people and they were a step better. But even though that first hour wasn't non-stop hilarity, it was still fun to watch! And seeing as we were the only people there that didn't know someone in the first show personally, we felt good about supporting the improv newbies. One note to the audience though: just because your friend is done, don't leave IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SHOW. It's only an hour long. So maybe you could just wait another half hour and then leave? Especially if your group is making up HALF the audience? Just a thought. Boo, bad audience members.


Anyway, when we got to the 9pm show, we were psyched! The Armando show was clearly made up of all advanced members/alumni and it was so freakin' funny! Plus, in addition to the lovely Angela Kinsey hosting, the guy who plays Kenneth the NBC page on "30 Rock" was in the show. The 9 o'clock hour flew by and was so much fun! It's great to see smart, quick, funny people playing off of each other non-stop.

So if you ever have a chance, check out the Armando Show (and lots of others) at Improv Olympic. It's a fun, cheap night of laughs. And try to make it to the early show to support those comedians-in-training. It was so great, I was almost inspired to take a class - almost. Plus, you never know where you might see them next!

A Salon and Stylist to recommend

Hi folks. Farrar here.

I'll keep this short and sweet.

I finally found a hairstylist who is awesome. Her name is Melissa and she cuts hair at The Dollhouse Salon.

The first time I went here was to get all my hair (10 inches of it) chopped off and donated to Locks of Love. Because I donated it, the haircut was free. I wasn't expecting much, but I left with the first haircut I've truly loved in years. I silently vowed to return there for my next trim, which happend yesterday after work. I was not disappointed.

This girl Melissa just seems to totally get my hair, which is of a fine but extra wavy and finicky nature. Few people seem to be able to cut it "right". So I'm pleased as punch to have her, and my trim was only $40 bucks, which ain't bad at all for a good cut in LA. And she's local! (if you live in Los Feliz or Silverlake, which I do.)

Anyways, I fully endorse her-- and if you go, tell her Melinda sent ya!

A note about the place: small, super cool, friendly vibe, has cats, not at all intimidating-- which says a lot because I have a ridiculous phobia of beauty salons.

Memphis is right here in Hollywood

Spencer here, Some dear friends took us out to dinner tonight for Mike's birthday.

We checked the restaurant, MEMPHIS, out via the web earlier today and were very impressed by the design of the site and the pics - http://www.memphishollywood.com

Upon arrival, however, we were surprised exactly WHERE the restaurant is - literally tucked in to part of the busiest area of Hollywood Blvd.

The house, the last original Victorian house left on Hollywood Blvd, used to be a schoolhouse called Miss Jane's Schoolhouse.



The food was pretty good southern fare and the waitress regaled us with stories of the haunted house (awesome!) We took pictures before we left to see if any "orbs" show up.

Love the decor and we'll definitely go back, whether for drinks or as a great place to bring out of towners.

6541 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90028
P:

A Wee Bit O' Green

Normally I won't use this blog to push any kind of agenda, but with Earth Day coming up, I thought I could justify a little environmental nudging...

I know we can't call make the switch to hybrid cards or convert all our homes to solar power right now, but this website www.gocarbonzero.com does allow you to make a difference. It will calculate your annual carbon footprint and - if you like - you can make a donation which will be used to plant enough trees to offset your carbon dioxide output for the year. Just for reference, to neutralize my CO2 emissions, it was a donation of about $60. Money well spent! It's still not as great as carpooling, cutting down on your power usage or relying solely on renewable energy but it's a little something to make a difference.

And if you don't do this, it means that you hate polar bears. And New Orleans. And penguins. And your grandchildren.

Thursday is my favorite morning.

Even though I have to get up at 6am, Thursday is my favorite morning.
For about 10 weeks now, I've been getting Pilates training at Harmony Studios. Even though I try to get up most other mornings to workout at 6am too, Thursdays I don't hit snooze, I don't have to get pushed out of bed, and I'm actually happy to hear my alarm. Well, as happy as you can be, getting up before the sun.

I was matched up with my trainer Kristin based on an initial evaluation session - and I think it's a perfect fit! Kristin Anderson is an amazing trainer, and I love that she changes things up every week. Usually we start the session with a non-pilates heart booster - we've done a little boxing, BOZU jumping, cardio with weight machines...it always changes. Today for the first time, it was a more meditative start. I learned how to clean out my chakras. Anyway, once the warm up/intro stuff is done we spend the rest of the time on the reformer or the cadillac, and every once in a while on a mat on the floor (for push ups and plank stuff). It's relaxing and intense at the same time. I never walk away feeling that I did everything easily - there are always new challenges.

Now budget-wise, it's hefty. But this isn't stuff I could ever do on my own. Even with all the mat classes I've taken and pilates DVDs I do at home, this takes it to a whole new level. So it's $68 a session - I know, I know, it's expensive! But with Kristin, I've received tons of other helpful advice for working out on the other days of the week, so I'm getting much more than just an hour's worth of usefulness.
And I have to say - because I've done personal training at gyms before (cough - crunch - cough - 24 hr fitness (the gym is fine but training = disaster) - COUGH), i have gotten way more out of these sessions and feel like there is much more variety to my workout then I ever did with personal trainers at the other gyms. With them, it was useful the first 4 or 5 times but I always felt like I could probably do it all on my own after that initial instruction/boost.

So after working with Kristin at Harmony for 11 weeks now, I feel lots better, my posture is 10x better and I'm getting stronger and more toned every day. Plus, I have a workout I truly look forward to. Now that's something.

p.s. If you want trainers who will just stick to classic Pilates for the whole session - any of the trainers at Harmony will do this too, including Kristin. I just like the vareity.

Think Pink. Wait, no.

Sorry. I just don't get it.
It's really not that good.

Massage on the cheap! Ahhh.

I've been trying to add some new activities to my workout regime. Recently this meant a yoga class once a week. Here's the thing - I'm not yoga friendly. I'm not so bendy. And things have been really achy for 2 days after class. I also take private Pilates once a week - which I LOVE - but this week, the icky yoga totally interfered with my fabulous pilates. I couldn't do some of the stuff I've been doing for weeks because my hips and joints were still aching from yoga torture. My Pilates instructor wasn't fazed - especially since yoga was her recommendation - but thought maybe I should get some body work (read: massage) soon to keep things loosy goosey. I gently explained to her that the private pilates budget pretty much wiped out the massage/day spa budget so I really couldn't do the $120 burke williams experience right now. She told me about Touch Massage on Robertson. You get a one hour massage - any type: Swedish, Shiatsu, Deep Tissue, etc - for $52.

$52!?! Yes, it sounds very suspicious for LA.


But here's the thing - it is really $52 and it is really wonderful there! Now, don't misunderstand - it's not the day spa experience. This is a place to go and spend an hour to get a message. No quiet rooms or lounges or whirlpool tubs to share with naked strangers. However, I was still really impressed - the space is clean and modern and nicely decorated. The staff is extremely professional. And I had a really nice deep tissue massage.

The deep tissues I've had before were actually a little too intense for me, but my trainer said that at Touch it would be a nice middle ground between a Swedish and a hard cord, pain inducing deep tissue. And it was. So if you like a massage that digs in a little and relaxes you, but doesn't make you feel more pained afterwards, then I highly recommend.
No matter what type of massage you like, Touch is undeniably the spot for a quality massage that won't devour all your fun money. Hurrah!

If you ever leave work early on a friday, go here.

Really. If you ever get to leave work at 4pm on a Friday - or any day, you need to do this.
Drive all the way out to the PCH. Yes, I know it's far, traffic's already bad, blah blah blah. Just do it.
Go to where Sunset meets the PCH, look for this sign:

...and pull into the Gladstone's parking lot. Walk your little feet up to the hostess stand and get a table by the window (or if you're outside, near the railing). Now sit back, relax and enjoy the best post-work evening of your life. Fine, maybe you'll disagree. But in terms of places you can drive to in LA that actually give you the utopic beach life we all dream of, Gladstone's is it.
To be realistic, you should probably make a reservation. But that's why the leaving work early thing is key. I can't imagine what the crowds are like late on Friday, or during the day Saturday or Sunday. And I'm sure your chances of a window seat are slim. So just figure out a way to make it happen.
My first sunset at Gladstone's was for a rehearsal dinner for a wedding. I was a bridesmaid in a wedding that...well...it was a little trying...to say the least. But the rehearsal dinner was fantastic - the best part!! We were in the Movie Room, a room for private parties in the back of the restaurant. Two sides were all glass for perfect ocean views. It also has a private door and staircase going straight down to the beach. Totally spectacular! For all the stress and shenanigans that had gone on, I felt like a different person when I sat down for that dinner. The food was amazing too - I'm not a big seafood person (anyone who knows me also knows that's the understatement of the year), but all of the cooked sea creatures looked fantastic and my steak was delicioso. The service was truly excellent too - which is always a challenge when dealing with large parties. I know most people probably go to Gladstone's within a month of moving out here. Well, it took me seven years to get there, but I can't wait to go back!

Not so much for the vegetarians

About a month ago I went wine tasting with 2 fabulous fellows up in the Sideways region - Los Olivos / Buellton / Solvang. After hitting up 4 or 5 wineries, putting something non-liquid in our bellies seemed like a good idea. We had the official Sideways wine region map, which also included some of the restaurants in the movie. We really wanted to try the Hitching Post II in Buellton. Unfortunately it was 3pm and the HP II doesn't open until 4pm on Sundays. Next door to the HP II was the carnivorous wonderland called AJ Spurs. Here's the thing, animal protection rights people, don't even bother walking in the door to AJ Spurs. The pioneer/log cabin/hunting thing they've got going on in the decor outside doesn't hold a candle to the actual weapons and dead stuffed animals (not the cuddly ones - the ones that were formerly actual animals) inside. When you're seated - and they know you're actually going to order some food, they bring you the free appetizer. Not bread and butter, not some fresh veggies - a crock of beef stew for the whole table. That's when we knew this place meant business when it came to eating.
As soon as you open the menu, it's confirmed that this isn't a spot for a light afternoon snack before supper. Everything on the menu is an entree. The only salad option is a Chicken Caesar. I mean, the ONLY one. If you're a vegetarian, you're ordering sides - and all of them will be in oil, butter, salt or some combination thereof. Everything else is carnivore entree city.
As their menu so eloquently puts it, here's what you get when you order a meal:
"All dinners include: A.J.'s hearty vaquero soup, salsa, tequila beans, rice pilaf, garden salad, A.J. spuds, sourdough garlic bread, an old-fashioned root beer float or after dinner liquer. (Tortillas on request only)"
So you're eating, people. Serious eating. A freaking root beer float as part of your meal?!? Genius.
Now, I'll be honest, my stomach wasn't totally prepared for the task and I felt not-so-great in the car on the way back. But I'm pretty sure the wine tastings - probably adding up to a whole bottle in my tummy - weren't the best stomach coater pre-feast at Mr. Spurs.
So when you're up in the area and ready for a Meal with a capital M, go AJ Spurs and go all the way.
And say hi to the stuff polar bear for me. I named him Winston.

Where are we, anyway?

It's been a while, my apologies.
However, I'm back with a whole slew of new spots...
Starting with an new spot discovered during an adventurous girls' night out.

After some spectacular star-gazing at a house with futuristic telescopes in La Canada, we set off to find a place called Airliner for a cd release party/concert of a band I'd never heard before. Usually these kinds of outings can mean disaster - either getting hopelessly lost (yes, it's still possible in the age of mapquest) or listening to 30 seconds of a musical debaucle and packing it in for home. But the Saturday night gods were on our side last night. As we drove down the 2 over to the 5 exiting and merging all over the place, we found ourselves in front of the spot - the Airliner. My pilot and I looked at each other when we got off the freeway and both wondered where the hell we were in Los Angeles. Local signage didn't help - all the non-government signs were in Spanish and none had a neighborhood in the name. Later research (this morning) says we were in Lincoln Heights, apparently. Anyway, once inside, it didn't matter what part of town we were in because the Airliner was packed with all sorts of fun folk. The easiest to spot were the all-girl Kiss cover band, but the rest of the crowd was great too. Even the drunkiest boys couldn't spoil the evening. The bands that played were great and the half outside-half inside venue meant we could maintian a perfect temperature. Not too sweaty not too shivery. Aside from the ladies bathroom being a bit of a disaster and the usual "what does a girl have to do to get the bartender down at this end?" wait for a beer, it was neat-o.

Venice, I think I like you

My boyfriend lives in Venice, a block from the beach.
I really, really hated Venice a couple of years ago.
Dirty, crowded and overrated would have been my top 3 adjectives for Venice. The bf loves it though. Can't imagine living anywhere else in LA. And I just didn't get it. Is it because I'm a girl and need more aesthetically pleasing scenery? Or because I'm a girl and I'm afraid of the crazies and the crooks?

Two years later, I have good days and bad days in my relationship with Venice Beach.

During the summer, it's a lot of bad days. Parking is a bi*ch. It's filled with crazies - both of the performing and accosting/ranting type. It's dirty - on the boardwalk and sometimes on the beach too. There are very bad smells. Although, to be fair, no worse than the odor outside my old hollywood apartment which was right near the dog park...on rainy days, P to the U. And it feels a billion times more crowded than Manhattan Beach or Zuma or any beach not directly adjacent to LA, which doesn't make for a very relaxing afternoon by the ocean. And my bf's apartment has been broken into...but only once.

However now, during the winter, I feel much better over there. We can play paddle tennis, go to Benice or the Sidewalk Cafe for brunch, and just cruise the boardwalk...without fighting crowds of tourists and mentally unstable Venitians. Just the occasional hip hop artist. It's a treat to see GoldMan and SpeedoMan making their daily rounds. Nikki's and James Beach are great for evening drinks. And the Robin's Nest is a cute, hip convenience store right next to the boardwalk. Plus, where else can you buy bikinis, sunglasses, bongs, original artwork, hats, tshirts, psychic readings - all with a view of the Pacific Ocean?

I'm excited about my maturing relationship with Venice. I think we've come to an understanding. As long as I'm never expected to live down there full time, I think we'll be quite happy together.

These kicks were made for walking...

If you're anything like me, you've kind of gotten used to stores with a huge multi-brand selection and terrible service. That works for most things - espcially when you already know what you want - because you just pick the store with the lowest prices.

But, like buying a car, or deciding on a television, I finally realized that I need more information when it comes to getting new athletic shoes. And I don't mean for, like, walking around at work, I mean shoes that will be used for actual sport and fitness. I've been taking long walks in the morning before work and noticed that my shins were starting to smart. Then for the first time in five years, I jogged on Friday. My back and hips hurt by that evening. It was time for some new gear.

After 2 years of listening to my boyfriend gush about his NBs - which he wears all day everyday - I did it right and went over to the New Balance store in Santa Monica. The girl helping me was no older than 25 (at the most) but she knew more about shoes than any Best Buy employee anywhere knows about anything. I know that isn't really saying much, but she was really super. She asked me lots of questions - what would I be using them for: walking, running, weight training, etc., how often, and what problems I was currently having. She measured my foot, which hadn't been done FOREVER. Apparently, I'm a 7.5-8, not an 8-8.5, like I always thought. Then she brought out 4 possible pairs that were all suitable. Over the course of an hour, we slowly whittled it down. Along the way, she took in my feedback, and told me the body mechanics of why some shoes felt better or worse. She also showed me a new (and super cool) way to lace my shoes which keeps my heel in place without cutting off the circulation. It sounds dumb, but it was the icing on the cake. And now, for the first time since I was 10, I have a pair of running/walking/training shoes that feel absolutely 100% perfect.

*Editor's note: Until the age of 10, my mom took us to Keane's Children's Shoes, where they would always measure us, help us put our shoes on, feel our toes in the shoes, have us walk around, and remeasure us. They also had a talking parrot. When you're a kid, you will go anywhere if you get to see a talking parrot.

So, do your body a favor, get some kicks that fit your feet. Join team NB!
And below, my fresh new sneaks:

Van Nuys is full of surprises.

Most of the time, these are the words that pop into my mind when someone mentions Van Nuys: car lots, warehouses, stoneyards (I chose the marble for my kitchen there) and porn.

The San Fernando Valley is known for being the porn-production capital of the world but I'm pretty sure Van Nuys is the king of the capital. Anyway, a lot of Van Nuys is extremely industrial and commercial and not someplace you go to hang out. So, it's shocking for me to write that the best 2 hours of my year (this includes all of 2006 and 2007 so far) happened today on a cul-de-sac in the middle of a miscellaneous warehouse business park deep in the heart of Van Nuys.

A very generous stranger (now, friend) invited me to visit the set of my all time favorite television show today. In the VN. The wonderful, gorgeous, celebrity-studded, movie-magical VN.

So go into the valley, kids, and explore Van Nuys. You never know what you might find.


Thanks Dave!

Food glorious food!

Love love love the Doughboys.
I have never had a bad meal there. I think it may be the most reliable delicious food in Los Angeles. They have the most amazing salads and sandwiches (including homemade bread, of course), not to mention delicious breakfast options if you're an early riser. My 2 guiltiest pleasures: the soup and salad combo with French Onion Soup (a meal in itself!) and the salad with the olive tapenade OR the amazing After School Special, which is a ginormous bowl of creamy tomato soup and the cheesiest grilled cheese ever. The latter is a heart clogger, but damn worth it. Actually, the onion soup is probably a heart attack too, but I like to the think that the salad balances it out.
Sometimes there's a wait and they don't take reservations, but it is soo worth it. Check it out for dinner during the week or an off time for brunch on the weekends (like before 10 or after 2) if you don't want to wait more than 15 minutes. It's on 3rd, just west of Crescent Heights. Sitting outside is a great place to watch foot traffic! And don't forget to check out their homemade deserts in the case inside or take home one of their delicious fresh breads.
I Heart Doughboys!

Fred Smegal

The precious? Not at Fred Segal.

Look, if you have thousands of extra dollars a week and can't think of a charity or anyone in your family to give it to, go ahead and drop it at Fred Segal. Pay for overpriced clothes and jeans, most of which will be on the pages of In Style and US Weekly tomorrow and then show up at normal-priced stores the following week. But if you're just making a decent living working 50 to 60 to 80 hours a week, like yours truly, save your pennies.
If you want to go over to Fred Segal for kicks, to get some new style ideas, or for some old fashioned celebrity gawking, I highly support you. But please, unless it's their semiannual sale, do not pull out the plastic. It's really not worth it. 70% of the merchandise will be "out" in 6 months - so why spend 90% of your paycheck on the cute but short-lived fads. I know the math is getting a little complex there, but just take my word for it. Just say no to Fred. Please.

Always a bridesmaid...

Last weekend, I had the honor of hosting a bridal shower here in LA. Since the bride's 2 sisters are in the midwest, I got to choose the location. We needed something pretty affordable, but I couldn't fit 20 women in my living room and the bride isn't a girly girl tea party kind of bride. Luckily the theme helped me find the perfect place - it was a Spanish theme b/c the bride lived in Spain for a few months and has loved everything about the country ever since. Which, to me, instantly means...TAPAS!!!


My boyfriend and I have definitely sampled our share of tapas places in LA, but by far, our favorite spot is less than a block away from my house. (which makes for easy walks home when you're drunk on 1 of their 3 delicious flavors of sangria). The Courtyard is this fantastic little spot right on Santa Monica Blvd. If you're not on foot, you might not notice it. But the food there is absolutely amazing.

We always love going for dinner but it's a pretty nice (read: pricey) meal so I was worried about the cost of doing a shower for 20 people there. But Tom at the Courtyard was amazing to work with! I gave him our budget ($20 per person) and he absolutely made it work. There were tons of delicous tapas and plenty of sangria to go around. Plus they didn't make a fuss when I asked the day before to move the party indoors b/c of a sudden turn in the normally sunny LA skies. Everyone LOVED the whole experience there and all told me that they couldn't wait to go back for dinner on their own. The favorite dishes of the day were the Bacon-wrapped Dates. I ended up going back the following Wednesday and had another amazing meal - without eating any of the same dishes we had for the shower. My favorite tapa for dinner: Steak a lo pobre - delicious sliced steak over homemade potato chips drizzled with blue cheese sauce.

So go to the Courtyard, eat, drink and be merry! (and go on a warm night so you can sit in the gorgeous outdoor courtyard - you'll feel like you're thousands of miles from La la land.) Yum!

Oh Kitson, you disappoint me.

Long long ago (about 6 years to be precise) I discovered an adorable boutique on Robertson. It was filled with baubles that made perfect gifts and awesome items for my wish list. On any given table, prices ranged from $10 to $500, and I never failed to find something I wanted. The staff were friendly and even remembered my un-famous, but friendly face the first two years that I shopped there. They were the first place I found Me & Ro jewelry - to this day one of my favorite lines. It's name was Kitson and it was great.

But sadly, this is not the Kitson of today. Sure it seems like it must be the BEST STORE ON EARTH - according to People and In Style's photos, a celebrity buys something there every 5 minutes. But do not be misled.
First of all, there's the rope.
A velvet rope so I can stand in line in order to shop and give them money.
No.
Then there's the merchandise.
Gone are the days of hidden gems in every corner of the store. Now you can choose from piles of "TEAM ______" (insert catfighting celebrity name here) or stacks of $300 jeans to be paired with cashmere sweaters adorned with tinkerbell and mickey. There is still some jewelry and gifty items but they lack the luster they used to have. How many mud flap girl necklaces does anyone really need? But mostly, the inside of the store just looks like a tornado ran through it. It's not quite as bad as when Urban Outfitters has a sale, but it's close. And it's not pleasant.

So I say, no thank you, Kitson. You had my love but you threw it away for some famous faces. I'll be going elsewhere for my fabulous gifts for my fantastic friends.

I'd say let's stay friends but we both know that won't happen. When we pass each other on Robertson, I'll make eye contact, you'll give me the nod, and I'll continue on my merry way over to Nanette Lepore and the Newsroom. And don't worry, I'll try to avoid stepping on any of the swarms of paparazzi that hungrily wait for scraps by the front door.

Great skin and a bad hair day

With this blog, I promise to always balance a positive with a negative, a hate with a love and a love-to-hate with a hate-to-love.

There are just so many places in L.A. to spend money - hundreds of hair salons, restaurants, day spas, boutiques, gyms, coffeshops - and I think my opinion counts at least as much as all those fake citysearch reviews. So here we are. I just want to help you have a better time out here in LA LA Land.

So I'll begin with the bad, follow up with the good, and avoid the ugly...at least for this post.

I went to the worst hair salon ever 2 weekends ago. My current stylist is on vacation, and I desperately needed color on my constantly multiplying gray hairs. What's a girl to do? Apparently, some online research. I have incredibly (and unmanageably) curly hair. I found a salon in Beverly Hills that's supposed to be the end-all-be-all to naturally curly hair. How could I pass it up? I hadn't changed hair salons in 8 years and for some reason, thought the start of 2007 could also be the start of new hair stylings. Before I go on, just NEVER EVER GO TO BATIA & ALEEZA SALON. If you want to buy their hair gel online, fine. Maybe even their conditioner. But NEVER GO TO THE SALON. Now, I admit, I was 4 minutes late for my appointment. I was mad at myself about that - I hate being late anywhere - but that can't possibly justify the treatment I received. I changed into my smock in a coat closet. No one made eye contact when I emerged, until I lingered too close to the front desk and was ushered to an empty station. As I surveyed the room, I noticed a woman waving at me from behind in the mirror. I followed her wave to a chair in the back. The only question I was asked was "do you want to go darker?" To which I replied "I'd like kind of a chocolate brown" (close to my natural color). Before I knew it my head was covered in colormuck and the colorist had pitched me 3 different salon products to buy at the end of my appointment. After she walked away, no one spoke to me for the 30 minutes I sat waiting for the color to set. When the timer bell finally dinged, nothing happened. No one paid a lick of attention. Finally the woman who was attending to the client next to me said she's let my person know that the bell went off. Minutes go by. Finally, I'm washed. I'm seated in a chair, dripping wet, at an empty station. I sit there for at least 15 minutes. At minute 10, I'm offered some water. I'm moved to Batia's station (the owner, who is supposed to cut my hair). She is nowhere near her station. She spends the next 15 mintues speaking in Hebrew to her sister and some other friend by the front desk. Me? Still sitting with wet hair and no magazine to occupy me. Finally someone else tells her maybe she should start working on me. I am asked one question before the cutting begins: "do you want to keep it long?" "Yes". That's it, the scissors fly for the next 5 minutes. During which, more products were pushed, and I was told I look like some Hollywood exec's daughter (which I'm not and don't). As she tells me to "love my curl, embrace my curl" she pulls out the curling iron!?! Apparently my natural curl isn't good enough because she's fixing it with a freaking curling iron. The cut wasn't bad, but the experience was terrible.

The bargain price for these 2 hours of anti-social, un-pampered, product pushing? $250
Oh, that's right - two hundred and fifty freaking dollars. And that's without any products. I have never been so rudely treated to pay someone so much money.

And now the good. The very very good.

Like Kiehl's. Oh, my dear Kiehl's. Mondy, I went to the new one at the Grove. Amid the insane stroller-and-star-studded throngs, this tiny storefront is a refuge. Then again, I've never had a bad experience at a Kiehl's. Too-trendy Robertson, posh-Montana, they've all been good to me. The staff are incredibly knowledgeable and friendly without being pushy. Everything smells natural and wonderful. And their products, while hard on the wallet, are absolutely wonderful for the body. Plus, for some reason, the customers in Kiehl's are magically genuine and friendly. Everytime I go to any store, I get into some kind of conversation with both the people that work there and other customers. And they're not LA-fakefriendly...it's an actual, normal conversation. It's like everyone walks in the doors and lets their guard down. It's just a great atmosphere. I don't know how they do it. Oh and did I mention the samples? The best part is that when you buy something, you can ask for samples of pretty much anything, and they will drop a few in your bag, pre-packaged and perfectly trial sized. On this trip, I got a little bottle of corinader body lotion. So delicous smelling and body smoothing. Perfect for these harsh winter skin-drying days. Anyway, despite the damage to my Mastercard (only $90, unlike Batia's nauseating bill), it was the favorite part of my Monday off from work.

Hopefully future posts will be shorter. Anyone want to volunteer as my editor?


YAY Kiehl's. BOO Batia and Aleeza.