Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Mad Men Party!
my search for the perfect dress for halloween led ben and me to Playclothes, the awesomest vintage shop in the valley. when we were at the counter, a MAD MEN COSTUME PARTY flyer caught my eye. any picture of christina hendricks, Mad Men's red headed bombshell Joan Holloway, would catch my eye. the flyer promised 60s jazz, cocktails, a fashion show, and a talk by the guest of honor, the show's costume designer Janie Bryant.
we immediately asked if we could come, and the nice Playclothes lady put us on the guest list. i dusted off my 1960s rhinestone encrusted cocktail dress (last seen at our wedding) and ben got into his suit with skinny tie and pocket square.
my bowl cut transformed into my mom's high school 'do - minus the hair bow.
we headed out to Playclothes and joined the other Mad Men devotees (and one cast member, Rich Sommer aka Harry Crane) for the party.
this guy was wearing a Kennedy for President pin
two kitty romano special pegnoir sets
sharp!
being a wellesley grad, i asked more questions of Janie Bryant than anyone else and then approached her afterwards to ask even more. here are some tidbits we learned:
- surprisingly, while they do buy and rent a lot of vintage pieces for the show, almost everything the male principal actors wear, and EVERYTHING joan holloway wears, are "built" from scratch by the costumers.
- joan's pen necklace was purchased at the pasadena rose bowl flea market. they wanted her to wear something secretarial, but didn't expect it to become her trademark.
- the way the men's pocket squares are folded reflects the characters' personalities. she said the silver fox's is always far more elaborate than others because he's so much more flamboyant.
-that crazy hat jane sterling wore in her first appearance in the third season was by givenchy - she said the actors thought it looked like an old fashioned hair dryer.
fashion show model in bridal suit
ben draper and his thunderbird
we immediately asked if we could come, and the nice Playclothes lady put us on the guest list. i dusted off my 1960s rhinestone encrusted cocktail dress (last seen at our wedding) and ben got into his suit with skinny tie and pocket square.
my bowl cut transformed into my mom's high school 'do - minus the hair bow.
we headed out to Playclothes and joined the other Mad Men devotees (and one cast member, Rich Sommer aka Harry Crane) for the party.
this guy was wearing a Kennedy for President pin
two kitty romano special pegnoir sets
sharp!
being a wellesley grad, i asked more questions of Janie Bryant than anyone else and then approached her afterwards to ask even more. here are some tidbits we learned:
- surprisingly, while they do buy and rent a lot of vintage pieces for the show, almost everything the male principal actors wear, and EVERYTHING joan holloway wears, are "built" from scratch by the costumers.
- joan's pen necklace was purchased at the pasadena rose bowl flea market. they wanted her to wear something secretarial, but didn't expect it to become her trademark.
- the way the men's pocket squares are folded reflects the characters' personalities. she said the silver fox's is always far more elaborate than others because he's so much more flamboyant.
-that crazy hat jane sterling wore in her first appearance in the third season was by givenchy - she said the actors thought it looked like an old fashioned hair dryer.
fashion show model in bridal suit
ben draper and his thunderbird
Friday, September 25, 2009
gems from book party
i am in a book club - or as one of our members likes to call it - wine club. or as we also call it - book party. we meet about every 4-6 weeks and while we do discuss the book, we really just enjoy each others' company, talk, laugh, eat and drink.
lately the ladies have been sharing some favorite websites - 5 of our 7 members have iphones so they whip them out and we check out the suggestions. a few favorites, maybe you've heard of them, maybe you haven't:
from carrie:
Shit My Dad Says
this guy justin writes down quotes from his cranky 73 year old dad. my personal favorites
"What are you listening to?...I know who Hall & Oates are god dammit. It's the mustache guy and the gay man."
"Your mother rented this film, What Happens In Vegas. I thought it was going to be non-fiction, but it's fiction, and it's about some idiot.
from holly:
It Made My Day
people submit little "wins" to the site - for example
Yesterday I was playing with our new daughter, and I screamed out “She said her first word!” My wife yelled back “Unless ‘Lady’ is in front of it, ‘gaga’ isn’t a word!” IMMD.
I called my grandma to find out how long until left-over chicken goes bad, she told me to Google it. IMMD.
from lise:
Find LA Food Trucks
this site brings you all the best LA food trucks whereabouts on one easy page. nice!
from dana:
People of Walmart
people post and caption photos taken of unique walmart shoppers. i am tempted to send in my south bend photos of the horse and buggy parking, but there are no people in the pic.
like this
neat!
lately the ladies have been sharing some favorite websites - 5 of our 7 members have iphones so they whip them out and we check out the suggestions. a few favorites, maybe you've heard of them, maybe you haven't:
from carrie:
Shit My Dad Says
this guy justin writes down quotes from his cranky 73 year old dad. my personal favorites
"What are you listening to?...I know who Hall & Oates are god dammit. It's the mustache guy and the gay man."
"Your mother rented this film, What Happens In Vegas. I thought it was going to be non-fiction, but it's fiction, and it's about some idiot.
from holly:
It Made My Day
people submit little "wins" to the site - for example
Yesterday I was playing with our new daughter, and I screamed out “She said her first word!” My wife yelled back “Unless ‘Lady’ is in front of it, ‘gaga’ isn’t a word!” IMMD.
I called my grandma to find out how long until left-over chicken goes bad, she told me to Google it. IMMD.
from lise:
Find LA Food Trucks
this site brings you all the best LA food trucks whereabouts on one easy page. nice!
from dana:
People of Walmart
people post and caption photos taken of unique walmart shoppers. i am tempted to send in my south bend photos of the horse and buggy parking, but there are no people in the pic.
like this
neat!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
The Ballad of Rocky Raccoon (parts 1 and 2)
Several months ago, I would come into the office in the morning to find that our work cat had had a very exciting night. Her food would be mostly gone, her water bowl filled with a gritty dirt, and generally things in the office were askew. At first we gave the cat the credit for this, thinking her appetite had increased, that she'd lost her table manners, or was trying to tell us something.
About a week later, a neighbor at the office mentioned seeing a possum coming around at night. AH! so that's what's going on! The possum was coming in through the cat door in the middle of the night and wreaking havoc.
After much research about the proper and humane way to dissuade a possum from partying in your office all night, i ordered something online called Shakeaway. This magic brew was supposedly concocted of fox urine, and the predator's scent was enough to keep the possum away from the area. When the Shakeaway arrived, the label showed the active ingredient as garlic extract! No joke! this stuff smelled like my mom after she's been eating a hummus and pesto sandwich!
Shakeaway was a bust. Blocking the cat door each night was impractical. Stronger measures were needed. Enter the Hav-a-Hart trap. This is essentially a cage that snaps shut once the animal takes the bait. No bodily harm is done to the animal. He just finds himself in a cage. The idea being, you don't hurt the animal, you relocate him and everyone is happy.
Imagine my surprise, one fine June morning, when, in the Hav-a-Hart is not the 'possum I anticipated, but a snarling, stinking, raccoon!! With the help of 2 firemen whose station shares an alley with the office, I got the rabid beast into Ben's car, drove him up to Temescal Canyon, and released him into the miles of trees, open spaces, creeks and surely a welcoming committee of wildlife.
Rocky Raccoon in the back of Ben's car
Two months of raccoon-free living later, this past thursday, i walked into the office to find:
-muddy water bowl
-cat food everywhere
-sloppy tracks on the floor
NO! The raccoon returns!! I really don't think it could be the same varmint, but I did not waste any time. Rented the trap, set the trap that night, and asked the neighbor to please call when he woke up to give me the raccoon report. at 6:30am on friday morning, my phone rang. "Kara? The raccoon is in the trap!" Ben was a real peach and agreed to drive with me to the office to retrieve and relocate the raccoon. By 8am Rocky 2 was the newest resident of Temescal Canyon. Whew.
Ben bravely escorts Rocky 2 from the property
Rocky's release into Temescal
About a week later, a neighbor at the office mentioned seeing a possum coming around at night. AH! so that's what's going on! The possum was coming in through the cat door in the middle of the night and wreaking havoc.
After much research about the proper and humane way to dissuade a possum from partying in your office all night, i ordered something online called Shakeaway. This magic brew was supposedly concocted of fox urine, and the predator's scent was enough to keep the possum away from the area. When the Shakeaway arrived, the label showed the active ingredient as garlic extract! No joke! this stuff smelled like my mom after she's been eating a hummus and pesto sandwich!
Shakeaway was a bust. Blocking the cat door each night was impractical. Stronger measures were needed. Enter the Hav-a-Hart trap. This is essentially a cage that snaps shut once the animal takes the bait. No bodily harm is done to the animal. He just finds himself in a cage. The idea being, you don't hurt the animal, you relocate him and everyone is happy.
Imagine my surprise, one fine June morning, when, in the Hav-a-Hart is not the 'possum I anticipated, but a snarling, stinking, raccoon!! With the help of 2 firemen whose station shares an alley with the office, I got the rabid beast into Ben's car, drove him up to Temescal Canyon, and released him into the miles of trees, open spaces, creeks and surely a welcoming committee of wildlife.
Rocky Raccoon in the back of Ben's car
Two months of raccoon-free living later, this past thursday, i walked into the office to find:
-muddy water bowl
-cat food everywhere
-sloppy tracks on the floor
NO! The raccoon returns!! I really don't think it could be the same varmint, but I did not waste any time. Rented the trap, set the trap that night, and asked the neighbor to please call when he woke up to give me the raccoon report. at 6:30am on friday morning, my phone rang. "Kara? The raccoon is in the trap!" Ben was a real peach and agreed to drive with me to the office to retrieve and relocate the raccoon. By 8am Rocky 2 was the newest resident of Temescal Canyon. Whew.
Ben bravely escorts Rocky 2 from the property
Rocky's release into Temescal
Friday, July 31, 2009
old news but still good news
it feels like years, but about three weeks ago i entered a poetry contest on one of my favorite food sites www.eaterla.com, to win two VIP tickets to an extraordinary food event known as 'extravaganza of the senses'. the idea behind the contest was to write a rhyming poem about the raging food-truck phenomenon in la. i am no stranger to the food-truck phenomenon, or as my old friend Al calls it "mobile eats".
so after several minutes of deep thought, i composed a rhyming poem of questionable rhythm (seriously, the rhyme scheme is ALL over the place) about my experience of being rejected by the Cool Haus ice cream sandwich truck after months of anticipation.
you would have thought i won a million bucks by the way i shreiked and cheered when, one friday afternoon, i received an email from the site's editor telling me that i was one of two winners of the contest! click here to read my winning entry. (it's poem #2, about Cool Haus).
ps. just learned how 'INSERT LINK' works!!! so THAT'S how Jen Garrett does it! (look! i did it again!!)
so after several minutes of deep thought, i composed a rhyming poem of questionable rhythm (seriously, the rhyme scheme is ALL over the place) about my experience of being rejected by the Cool Haus ice cream sandwich truck after months of anticipation.
you would have thought i won a million bucks by the way i shreiked and cheered when, one friday afternoon, i received an email from the site's editor telling me that i was one of two winners of the contest! click here to read my winning entry. (it's poem #2, about Cool Haus).
ps. just learned how 'INSERT LINK' works!!! so THAT'S how Jen Garrett does it! (look! i did it again!!)
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
who does your hair?
for the second time today i was stopped by a middle-aged woman with bad hair asking who does mine. the first time was in laguna beach - she was a jogging midwestern-mom type with a frosted sandy duncan style (see Figure 1). today was at the carwash, she was a spiky-haired butchy businesswoman with an annie lennox gone wrong orange dye job. (see Figure 2)
i've been liking my hair lately, so what does that make me? (see Figure 3)
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
i've been liking my hair lately, so what does that make me? (see Figure 3)
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
tiny little food
last week viva and terrence (our pet name for her bun in the oven) were in town for work and i had the wonderful good fortune to enjoy a meal with them at our new favorite non-koreatown korean restaurant TOFU YA. the TOFUYA is similar to the CUYA, but tastier. they have beer but probably no liquor license because the beer is not on the menu. viva introduced me to heaven on earth - cold noodle (they put ice in it!) and we ate galbi and soft tofu stew and other morsels. all of this was fantastic and so good to see viva and terrence as they both grow and change until terrence joins us on the outside in november.
however, it was the food we got AFTER we ate that was the real highlight of the night. behold...tiny fake food! there are 6 different meals available, but it's exciting because they all come in identical boxes. collect them all! you never know what you're going to get! viva got SEAFOOD DINNER whereas i got BREAKFAST TO GO. these little fake meals totally rule - they even come with fake ice and wine and garnish (hers) and a rad toaster and wrapped pop-tart like items called smart tops. but tiny.
terrence on board
OB, it's the way you should be...
the most important meal of the day
truly indulgent, lobster dinner with oysters and wine
however, it was the food we got AFTER we ate that was the real highlight of the night. behold...tiny fake food! there are 6 different meals available, but it's exciting because they all come in identical boxes. collect them all! you never know what you're going to get! viva got SEAFOOD DINNER whereas i got BREAKFAST TO GO. these little fake meals totally rule - they even come with fake ice and wine and garnish (hers) and a rad toaster and wrapped pop-tart like items called smart tops. but tiny.
terrence on board
OB, it's the way you should be...
the most important meal of the day
truly indulgent, lobster dinner with oysters and wine
Sunday, June 14, 2009
West Hollywood's favorite day?
Today Ben and I walked down to West Hollywood park for the final day of the 2009 LGBT Pride festival. It is debatable whether Pride or Halloween is the pinnacle of WeHo living - for me it's obviously Halloween, which i find even gayer than pride. at least there's a lot more nudity.
Here are some highlights from our trip into the rainbow glitter wonderland...
optical illusion at the 2b hair products photo booth
this frenchie needed a break so he just laid down on the sidewalk
beads to promote gayness!
another photo booth this one by progressive insurance
temporary tattoo application
yogurt stop's yo-go dancer
Here are some highlights from our trip into the rainbow glitter wonderland...
optical illusion at the 2b hair products photo booth
this frenchie needed a break so he just laid down on the sidewalk
beads to promote gayness!
another photo booth this one by progressive insurance
temporary tattoo application
yogurt stop's yo-go dancer
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
super video
this is a video of a 15 month old baby who might like adam lambert as much as i do. worth watching through to the end.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
A Weekend in The Bend
About a year ago, Emmy Selden moved to South Bend, Indiana to work at a rad women's liberal arts college called St. Mary's. and although we usually meet in arizona for her birthday in february, this year we could not make the trip so instead, i made my way to one of my favorite parts of the country...the midwest.
when i say i love the midwest, what i really mean is that i love iowa. i really really love iowa. thanks to emmy and the selden family, i have had the great fortune to visit iowa four times, including two visits to the iowa state fair. i'd also been to fort wayne, indiana and even passed through south bend once during a cross country drive, so i was pretty sure i knew what i was in for when i arrived in south bend.
however, the weekend was filled with unexpected quirks and firsts that belong to south bend alone
Quirks:
1. they have an original ms. pacman machine in the airport. you don't believe me? check it out:
2. they do not sell beer and wine on sundays. i think in a restaurant you might be able to order booze, but if you want to buy some you are s.o.l. don't believe me? check it out:
and if that oddly capitalized sign doesn't stop you, try getting past these barricades!
3. in lieu of beer and wine, on sundays you can quench your thirst with something called 'faygo'. if they sold 'faygo' in west hollywood it would fly off the shelves. don't believe me? check it out:
4. the ultimate end-all quirk was not in south bend, but outside of goshen, indiana. the local walmart has horse-and-buggy parking. this is due to the large amish population in the area. if you don't drive a car, how are you allowed to shop at walmart? seems contradictory but there it is. don't believe me? check it out:
you can see the parking barn in the far right of this photo
this photo is so you can see that it really is walmart
And now for the firsts. Over the course of the weekend I did these things for the first time:
1. Drove a Boat
2. Learned to play a drinking game called 'Flipcup' and proceeded to score the win for my team!
3. Visit the Olympia Candy Kitchen, founded by Ally Paflas' grandfather and still run by the Paflas Family
4. Checked out at one of 32 checkouts in a Target Superstore.
5. Watched 'Groomer Has It' and then used my newfound knowledge of topknots to give Bruiser this fabulous hairdo.
Thanks to Emmy and Bruiser for hosting me for three fun-filled nights!! Here's a pic of us at the D.Q.
Just do the cones... make sundaes, make Blizzards, 'n... put stuff on 'em, 'n... see a lot of people come in, a lot of people come to the D.Q... burgers... ice cream... anything, you know? Cokes... just drive in and get a Coke, if you're thirsty.
when i say i love the midwest, what i really mean is that i love iowa. i really really love iowa. thanks to emmy and the selden family, i have had the great fortune to visit iowa four times, including two visits to the iowa state fair. i'd also been to fort wayne, indiana and even passed through south bend once during a cross country drive, so i was pretty sure i knew what i was in for when i arrived in south bend.
however, the weekend was filled with unexpected quirks and firsts that belong to south bend alone
Quirks:
1. they have an original ms. pacman machine in the airport. you don't believe me? check it out:
2. they do not sell beer and wine on sundays. i think in a restaurant you might be able to order booze, but if you want to buy some you are s.o.l. don't believe me? check it out:
and if that oddly capitalized sign doesn't stop you, try getting past these barricades!
3. in lieu of beer and wine, on sundays you can quench your thirst with something called 'faygo'. if they sold 'faygo' in west hollywood it would fly off the shelves. don't believe me? check it out:
4. the ultimate end-all quirk was not in south bend, but outside of goshen, indiana. the local walmart has horse-and-buggy parking. this is due to the large amish population in the area. if you don't drive a car, how are you allowed to shop at walmart? seems contradictory but there it is. don't believe me? check it out:
you can see the parking barn in the far right of this photo
this photo is so you can see that it really is walmart
And now for the firsts. Over the course of the weekend I did these things for the first time:
1. Drove a Boat
2. Learned to play a drinking game called 'Flipcup' and proceeded to score the win for my team!
3. Visit the Olympia Candy Kitchen, founded by Ally Paflas' grandfather and still run by the Paflas Family
4. Checked out at one of 32 checkouts in a Target Superstore.
5. Watched 'Groomer Has It' and then used my newfound knowledge of topknots to give Bruiser this fabulous hairdo.
Thanks to Emmy and Bruiser for hosting me for three fun-filled nights!! Here's a pic of us at the D.Q.
Just do the cones... make sundaes, make Blizzards, 'n... put stuff on 'em, 'n... see a lot of people come in, a lot of people come to the D.Q... burgers... ice cream... anything, you know? Cokes... just drive in and get a Coke, if you're thirsty.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Lebowski Fest 2009 - A Natural, Zesty Enterprise
Last week Ben and I attended night one of Lebowski Fest Los Angeles 2009. The fest featured lots of people dressed as The Dude, plenty of Walter Sobchaks, a screening of the movie and of course, the white russians were flowing. It was so much fun to be around people who love the underappreciated cult classic like I do. We did not attend night two, which was the bowling party and costume contest. However, our costumes did make onto a couple of LA websites.
http://la.mycapture.com/mycapture/enlarge.asp?image=23509254&event=748853&CategoryID=34141
click and scroll down for a very good photo of ben as The Big Lebowski and me as Brandt
(could not get hyper link to work! - it's worth a cut and paste in your browser)
http://www.la2day.com/nightlife/la2day_at_lebowski_fest_09
and now for a few photos of Dudes
Duder
El Duderino (if you're not into the whole brevity thing)
This Dude brought his Lady Friend (do not call her his Special Lady)
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Further Adventures in Hair Removal
anyone who reads this knows that hair removal is one of my top discussion topics, hobbies and research subjects. get a group of friends together, add a few drinks, and hair removal talk is inevitable. to that ongoing conversation, i add my experience from yesterday.
as you can see in photos, i cut my hair very short about five months ago. while i do love having a look somewhere between pink, sally bowles and rod blagojevich, i am plagued by hairline growth in my neck/nape region. ben has gone at it with our clippers, and i've taken a razor to it while in the shower. but it leads to stubbly regrowth and a yucky five o'clock shadow.
when i last got my hair cut, crystal rose said "you should get that shit waxed!". surely she must be joking. i didn't think it possible. but yesterday while getting my eyebrows and mustache did, i asked ina, my waxing lady, what she thought.
"oh sure, honey. i have done for girls before. we try it. if you like it we keep doing." she said in her soothing russian accent.
so we did it. and it hurt but not TOO bad. and the results undeniably beat the pants off either
1. as-is hairy neck or
2. shaved stubble neck.
comic attempt at trying to photograph my non-hairy neck.
maybe if i hold the computer upside down...
this is the best it's going to be for showing purposes. i have on a headband so my herr looks janky anyhow.
as you can see in photos, i cut my hair very short about five months ago. while i do love having a look somewhere between pink, sally bowles and rod blagojevich, i am plagued by hairline growth in my neck/nape region. ben has gone at it with our clippers, and i've taken a razor to it while in the shower. but it leads to stubbly regrowth and a yucky five o'clock shadow.
when i last got my hair cut, crystal rose said "you should get that shit waxed!". surely she must be joking. i didn't think it possible. but yesterday while getting my eyebrows and mustache did, i asked ina, my waxing lady, what she thought.
"oh sure, honey. i have done for girls before. we try it. if you like it we keep doing." she said in her soothing russian accent.
so we did it. and it hurt but not TOO bad. and the results undeniably beat the pants off either
1. as-is hairy neck or
2. shaved stubble neck.
comic attempt at trying to photograph my non-hairy neck.
maybe if i hold the computer upside down...
this is the best it's going to be for showing purposes. i have on a headband so my herr looks janky anyhow.
San Fran Friends Tour April 29-May 3
thanks to all my san francisco hosts for a fabulous weekend!
Sarah, Nate and Vanessa at the VIP reception for Roger's event at the Contemporary Jewish Museum.
Roger's exhibit 'Jews on Vinyl' at the Contemporary Museum
Roger's exhibit: detail
Justin in the Longwillow's radical yellow 1973 Corolla. It might be a '71. Not sure but I do know it RULES.
Gio is CNE and Lynn's 5 year old son. Heavenly.
CNE ponders all the goodness that is Tsunami - Asian Tapas, Sushi and Divine Cocktails.
Rebecca and Justin Longwillow. Rebecca's smokin' hot hairdo .
Lynn makes a culinary dream come true by bringing me to Tommy's Joint for Brisket! Long ago I saw it on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on the Food Network.
Sarah has her hands full at Nate's 40th Birthday party - Georgia 27 months, Hank 11 months.
Jeremy and Sara recently moved to Palo Alto after 15 years in Cambridge, Mass. Their son, Eytan, will be 2 in June. He calls me 'Carrot'. To die for.
Sarah, Nate and Vanessa at the VIP reception for Roger's event at the Contemporary Jewish Museum.
Roger's exhibit 'Jews on Vinyl' at the Contemporary Museum
Roger's exhibit: detail
Justin in the Longwillow's radical yellow 1973 Corolla. It might be a '71. Not sure but I do know it RULES.
Gio is CNE and Lynn's 5 year old son. Heavenly.
CNE ponders all the goodness that is Tsunami - Asian Tapas, Sushi and Divine Cocktails.
Rebecca and Justin Longwillow. Rebecca's smokin' hot hairdo .
Lynn makes a culinary dream come true by bringing me to Tommy's Joint for Brisket! Long ago I saw it on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on the Food Network.
Sarah has her hands full at Nate's 40th Birthday party - Georgia 27 months, Hank 11 months.
Jeremy and Sara recently moved to Palo Alto after 15 years in Cambridge, Mass. Their son, Eytan, will be 2 in June. He calls me 'Carrot'. To die for.
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