Merry Christmas Los Angeles!

A Little Focker before her ruin

Here I am with a Little Focker. The movie comes out on the 22nd and could very well bolster Miss Daisy Tahan into a full-blown child star. I got to her while she was still sweet and before she jumps onto the seemingly obligatory child star/self-pitying post-childhood star/drug addiction/rehab/sex tape tabloid headline phase. I wish her the best of luck.

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.