Abusive!

Pasadena, CA

Sketchy Santas!

It's hard to get into the Christmas spirit with all these palm trees and spray-on tans. Angelenos, here's something that will throw you into the eye of the snake pit of the lion's den of that ever-elusive Christmas spirit - Sketchy Santas! Check out a few of my faves!

Happy Black Friday, Los Angeles!

It's Christmastime in the city, and while I love the music and the lights...

pine trees and palms trees side by side? Still not okay.

Thank You Los Angeles!

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I'd like to thank Los Angeles for the following...

1) Morning Becomes Eclectic for making me less suicidal in the morning

2) Bougainvillea

3) Free Movie Screenings

4) Hundreds of cheap sunglasses at Venice Beach

5) The Moth story slams

6) The junk food platter at SimonLA

7) For bringing us Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

8) Pinkberry

9) The restoration of Old Town Pasadena

10) The Grilled Cheese Truck

"Reg. Bev. Wil."

CLICK FOR EVENT PHOTOS

Anyone who doesn't get the "Reg. Bev. Wil." reference is not a true Pretty Woman fan. For those in the know, it's short for The Regent Beverly Wilshire, the grand hotel that Julia Roberts' character is swept off to when commencing an illicit love affair with Richard Gere.

I'd always wanted to stroll the interior, but the film's snobbish portrayal made me afraid to step foot inside. Sure, the hotel lobby has restaurants and gift shops that are open to the public, but I feared that someone would sniff out my Rudy's Barbershop haircut or Payless shoes (the occasional guilty pleasure!) and ask, "And where do you think you're going?" Once, while taking my mother sightseeing on Rodeo Drive, I was tempted to take her to the hotel, but restrained. She was wearing cheap, plastic athletic shoes with Velcro straps and I just...I just couldn't do it.

Fast forward a few years and I actually get invited (!) to the hotel. A grand soiree honoring BCBG designer Max Azria and his so-beautiful-it-hurts wife, Lubov. Luba for short. They were being honored for their generous contributions to the Los Angeles Team Mentoring program. Univision is a generous sponsor for this cause as well, and we were invited to share a table with a couple of darling executives, Dayna Wittman and Kathleen Wheeler-Strong.

It was a wonderful evening. Elegant decor, important cause, sumptuous food and an open bar never hurts. We walked away with a little crush on Max Azria's wife Luba. She was a less-severe version of Angelina Jolie. She had her full lips, but with softer features; blonde hair, golden tan and was the definition of elegance. She spoke to us about coming to America from the Ukraine, and how in the Soviet nations, one had to dance or perform in the Olympics to get a Visa out of the country. She talked about her fall into fashion and how her husband Max was the inspiration for her work. After all, she is no trophy wife, though Lord knows she has the credentials. She met Max while working for him, and now helps run the company. Married for 20 years and with children, they are the real deal.

Driving home, I felt pride at not feeling like an impostor at The Regent Beverly Wilshire. No one stared down their nose at me. I triumphed over a fear I'd harbored since watching Pretty Woman in junior high. I was invited, I was one of them. I'll say it once and say it proud: I am not a hooker.

Digital Style L.A. & The Look Mixer at Trousdale!

You know a gift bag is going to be good when you pick it up and it's as heavy as a dumbbell. It was how I knew that the Digital Style L.A party hosted by The Look was going to be fab. The Look was created by Alan Mruvka, co-founder of E! Entertainment Television, and this new network is all things beauty and fashion.

As we sipped Veev Acai Spirit cocktails, we mingled and passed around business cards with the dexterity of Vegas card dealers. Everyone looked fabulous; mini-dresses with metallic paint splashes, a vintage-inspired bateau-necked dress in winter white and splashy handbags the size of Texas.

Blame it on high expectations, but because The Look has such a high-end look, I was surprised to see servers in pleather mini dresses and garter belts. Don't get me wrong, the girls were beautiful and looked like they hadn't eaten in four years, but it was so Frederick's of Hollywood circa 1987. Perhaps that's the Trousdale uniform, but it would've classed up the event to see the girls in sexy Alice and Olivia or Marc Jacobs ensembles - something thematic. Oh but the snacks they passed around - me oh my. Mini sliders that tasted fresh off the grill, cheesy pizza and egg rolls. Pure comfort food. Those sliders saved us all from the DUIs that only an open bar can make us paranoid about.

It was a great time, and was even better when I got home and ripped into that generous gift bag. I sampled some products immediately after my shower, determined to erase any evidence of the excesses of the night before. Thanks DSLA and The Look!

Seriously?

Thank God it's election time. Buh bue Governator.