Eastern Revelry

So Tuesday night I went to the opening party at Barbarella Bar in Silver Lake. The vibe was sort of industrial glam... a giant crystal chandelier hanging next to exposed ventilation ducts. Good food, interesting scene.

Later, a short drive to Cole's to experience the wonder of The Varnish... shh! This new speakeasy from Cedd Moses's 213 Group boasts a cocktail list prepared by some of the country's best mixologists.

"This place certainly reeks of hospitality and good cheer, or maybe it's this cheese."

(Quote in honor of Jean Harlow's birthday today)

Tonight I'll be checking out some new places in Silver Lake and downtown, so my reviews will be forthcoming!

Also, I'm a bum and missed LACMA's "Vanity Fair" exhibit, so to make up for it I'm planning to check out "Art of Two Germanys" soon!

[This post was kind of lame, but I liked the quote and the picture so I went with it anyway. Tscha! -I.M.]

Bee Yourself, You False Indigo

So, lately I've been hearing a lot about the tremendous benefits of incorporating BEE POLLEN into one's diet. This microscopically small substance, picked up and delivered from flower to plant by our friends the bees, is apparently good for boosting energy levels, muscle growth, smoothing skin, etc. etc.

I'm all for that, and it sounds like a great idea. Just dump a teaspoon into my morning smoothie.

But, what about the bees? They are under a lot of strain, and in many areas, are beeing wiped out. (Sorry, couldn't resist. This is no laughing matter.) We couldn't live in a world without bees.

So what can you and I do to help out the little guys?

I found a great website that lists some pretty doable options. The easiest way to help bees is to buy organic! 

And while you're in the mood to save the world, why not make it a bit more beautiful - plant a native flower in your window box! :)

Here's a great list of recommended plant species native to the Santa Monica mountains. The above photo is of False Indigo, a gorgeous flowering bush native to Malibu that I hadn't even HEARD of before checking out this list. 

p.s. Don't have bee pollen if you know you are allergic to pollen. 

Rainy Day Blonde, Hollywood-Style; Or, Pick Yourself Up, Malibu-style (no, dunce, not "Promises")

Don't let all this rain get you down. (The Man, the economy and the fact that Greed is only a fake perfume are doing a good enough job of that.)

So, ditch your blues, and dye your hair blonde. Apparently a simple change in the color of your tresses can immediately (and cheaply) boost your fun-factor. (It's science. Check out Sassy Bella, if you don't believe me.)

Once you've successfully performed a DIY home job on your bob, get out and catch some flicks. Check out all the great film festivals coming up this month in Los Angeles and support new talent in the process!

Young Directors Night

Friday, March 6

6-7:30 Cocktail hour at A+D Museum (love them!)

7:30-10:30 Program & Q/A at LACMA's Bing Theater

10:30-12 Reception & Award Presenation at A+D

New Filmmakers > LA

Thursday, March 19

Stanley Kramer Theater

1438 N. Gower St. | Hollywood | 90028

5:45 Documentary Program

7:30 Short Program

8:45 Feature Presentation

Reception following screening

Still got the blues?
Okay, drama queen. Here's what you need to do:
Get yourself over to apowerfulnoise.org and purchase tickets for you and all your girlfriends to see "A Powerful Noise." This documentary film will be screened in over 450 theaters across the country and is happening in conjunction with International Women's Day. Following the documentary, a live panel of awesome women will discuss the problems (and solutions) facing women and girls in struggling countries. Not only will you get to hear Natalie Portman, Madeleine Albright and Christy Turlington talk about important issues (and see what they're wearing), but hopefully focusing on broader topics beyond yourself will help put a few rainy days in perspective for you.

In fact, I think this is such a great idea, everyone should go!
Step Up Women's Network is hosting a screening with Sarah Michelle Gellar at the Century City 15. For more information and to see listings in a city near you, click here.

For all you LA people, here are the deets:
A Powerful Noise
Thursday, March 5 | 8PM | Century City 15 | $18/ticket
It is strongly recommended to purchase your tickets online in advance.

:::Souring Economy Tip of the Day:::

Sign up for Netflix through B of A's "Add It Up" program, and get $28 back! That's almost 2 months of free DVDs, right to your door!

There, I've given you 4 rad ideas on how to get through this rough time. You love me, I know.

New Order

So, contrary to what you learned in arithmetic... 97.1 > 102.7

FM, that is.

I am, of course, talking about the state of the terrestrial radio waves in Los Angeles.

In the wake of Indie 103.1's tragic demise and somewhat comforting online reincarnation, there's been a great deal of flux in the programming of the remaining stations.

Star 98.7 now plays bands signed by labels out of Silver Lake. It has also incorporated an hour-long session of new music from 9-10PM on Sunday nights. It may be that I have just never noticed this before, but from what I can tell from the last 3 minutes of this hour ("Broken Connection" from Eulogies), they've indied it up a bit. And I like it!

89.9 KCRW (of "Morning Becomes Eclectic" fame; or, Everyone's Favorite Event Sponsor) seems to still be going strong. Today I was totally amused and absolutely LOVING Peter Gabriel's cover of Vampire Weekend's "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa." "This feels so unnatural....to sing your own name."

-->Newsflash: OMG ..... Peter Gabriel with HOT CHIP?! That explains it! :)

To continue the state of the air waves, big news on the pop front - new Amp 97.1 (you may recall these are the same call numbers as Howard Stern's show back before Sirius) is blatanly challenging Ryan Seacrest and uber-pop station KIIS FM. Good old 102.7 has long pummeled listeners with relentless poppage and is pretty much the radio version of TMZ. But now new kid on the block Amp ups the ante by promising some unfathomable number of songs in a row without commercials. Not only that, but its advertising has a soundbite of a caller dis-ing Seacrest. Wow. Ballsy.

Join me in The Living Room

Today I had the Traditional Tea at the Beverly Hills Peninsula with my mom, sister, grandma and aunt. We sat in the yellow damask sofas in front of the fireplace. 

I believe I've been to the hotel before, but what a beautiful, cheery space the "Living Room" is! The service was great - we had at least 4 people helping us, and our waiter was very accommodating! (He had the chef make peanut butter & jelly sandwiches and turkey sanwiches for my little sister... though funnily enough, she got PBJ, and PBT!) The tea service was delightful - hand-painted tea cups and plates with whimsical floral designs... in various colors: pink, yellow, lavender, blue. 

We passed on the champagne and the caviar, but did decide to keep the strawberries and freshly whipped cream! What a difference between real cream and Reddi-Whip! None of the fumes of the spray can. Delicious and scrumptious scones, sandwiches and spreads... my favorite is always the clotted cream! Our sandwiches were a grilled veggie, chicken salad with almonds, smoked salmon and egg salad. Nice selections of sweets, as well: shortbread cookie, cream puff, madeleine, tiramisu.

Great ambience, wonderful service, and even a harpist!

Nice treat for a Sunday afternoon. :)