Birthday Weekend Recap: Part 3 (Final)

Ok. I haven't been so good with the blogging this week which has resulted in me being so over talking about my birthday. And I'm sure you are too. I want to move onto stuff we've done since then, and more importantly, post pictures taken with my new camera. (eee!!!)

So, here is a bullet point recap and a few final pictures (from the old camera).

• Two cakes. One had my face on it. (Thank you to Jenny and Chi for both -- and for driving way out to Torrance for one of them. I love that cake.)
• Dim sum with parents.
  
• Flaming margaritas.
• Crab Enchilada and Chile Relleno.
  
• Lots of amazingly thoughtful presents which I'll blog later about.
• Fab time with friends and family.
• Sergio came through BIG time this year. (The pressure is on for his big day this year. gulp!)
  

What I wore:

I played up the flapper vibe with the long necklace. I also lost an earring that night. yeesh.

(Yes, we keep our furniture slip covered against our little furmonsters.)

Thank you to everyone who came out to my birthday. You guys really know how to make a gal feel special.

Love ya.

-e

Birthday Weekend Recap: Part 2

He said dinner wasn't the surprise, so, I was to pick anything I felt like eating that night. "Even noodles," he said. What? Did my ears deceive me? I l-o-v-e noodles -- especially soup noodles. aaaaahhhhh. Ramen, Udon, Pho, Wonton.... I love them all. Sergio doesn't. So, that's exactly what I chose. He chuckled. I could've chosen anything and I wanted noodles. Hey, it was my birthday after all and I wanted noodles. In soup.

Nabeyaki Udon, Tokyo style. Yum He got a bit of cold Soba and a tuna sashimi bowl.



Post dinner, we stumbled upon a free movie screening in the courtyard.



Then, it was time. He led me along a circuitous route to the Gold Class cinema! Have you been? The most luxurious and fantastic movie viewing experience, ever. We checked in and descended two sets of escalators to the lounge. It was dim, stylish and comfortable. A full bar bathed in red light flanked one side. One dedicated server per party. The menu is interesting and the wine list surprisingly deep -- I mean, it's a movie theater!! I ordered a Vanilla Manhattan (Makers Mark bourbon, Navan vanilla liqueur, sweet vermouth. Shaken.) He ordered a Sangiovese (Ciacci Piccolomini 07, Tuscany). Both were so tasty. AND I ordered House Made Beignets served with one chocolate and one strawberry sauce. mmm...mmm..

When it was time to be seated for the movie, we brought our drinks and food in! And the chairs. Oh my. Giant, plush and they recline electronically at the push of a button. Ushers came around asking softly if we wanted a pillow or a blanket. My goodness. And, if you find yourself needing another drink or more food during the movie, just push another button to summon one of the waitstaff!

I'm sorry the pictures are so dark. I know I'm a nerd and all but didn't want to seem like a complete dork with a bright flash.




P.S. We watched Inception. WOW. He couldn't have chosen a better movie. If you haven't seen it yet, go see it so we can talk about it. Go!

Birthday Weekend Recap: Part 1

My birthday weekend was a-ma-zing! Due in no small part to my lover man to whom I also happened to be married. Like I told someone at dinner last night, my guy is usually quite stoic. But this weekend, he totally had his "it's elsie's birthday weekend" game face on.

Part 1
The Renegade Craft Fair was so fun! There were so many things I wanted to shell out the cash for but resisted. I wanted it all!!! Sometimes, I feel like everyone (else) in the world is so uber-talented. It was great to be milling around in the happy, creative crowd. I'm hoping some of that magic rubbed off on me...

Threadess Tees had a cute set up and Magnolia Photo Booth Co. was giving out free sessions. One of Sergio's faves was this artist who created sculptures out of old music equipment. The pieces moved and made noises!



I almost purchased a couple of prints from The Poster List. Sergio chatted up with the company owner/graphic designer whose work I was crushing on. I couldn't decide which one I wanted in the time it took for their conversation to finish so I didn't. These were the three I wanted.


Outfit:
I like this photo because I look kind of tall(ish), despite wearing flip-flops. And, I felt really smart and smug for thinking to wear my big straw hat. I wear sunblock daily -- even when I'm just going to be parked in the office all day. Regardless though, I tan like a vintage Zartan doll. I tan through clothes and possibly through brick walls. Silly, I know.

But I was slightly traumatized one summer as a kid. I was maybe 10 or 11. We were going to the public pool nearly every day. My one-piece bathing suit was very cute and I think maybe the first I got to choose all by myself. It was purple and white polka dots all over, with vertical stripes just on the sides of the torso. I learned slimming wardrobe tricks early, huh? Anyway, I wore it ALL SUMMER. Like I said, we went to that pool nearly every single day. We stayed in the water ALL day. Can you imagine the horror I noticed just a few weeks in? Think about it. Sunlight goes through white fabric a lot easier than the dark purple pigment. Vertical striped waist and polka dots all over. Yep. You better believe I slathered sunblock on the rest of the summer. And, it was when crop tops were all the rage. I vaguely remember someone thinking I had a pigmentation disorder. Sigh. Still, I kind of miss that swimsuit.

*****************************************************************************
Shh....I took today off work! Tee hee! And I don't have a thing planned! :) I'm hoping a nice walk and some good food will happen because I love both of those things. And, like I said in my last post, it's the year of love!

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I am thankful for:

My family.
My friends.
Mio caro.
My life.

I am a lucky lady to have all that I do. As I turn a year older, I find myself reflecting on all that I am and have become, and who I will be. I am so happy and grateful for everyone in my life.

I think, as I stumble forward into time, I would like to...be more creative. Be more active. Do stuff I like love.

I declare it the year of love!

LA Cornfield

Kicked off Birthday Weekend 2010 with a potent Chi-Chi at Damon's last night. I ordered a steak. I rarely do that but it really hit the spot. But now, I'm kind of turned off the meat for a while...

This morning, we are off to check out the Renegade Craft Fair.

Craftiness from all over the country, live music, workshops, food trucks! Oh my. And it's free! Yay!

Sewing, gocco-printing, kite making, yarn-spinning--and a rogue marching band.

I am SO there.

Part of my eagerness to attend is the chance to check out the location: LA State Historic Park. Growing up, we drove by the site almost weekly, to or from Chinatown. It was always a parking lot of industrial ugliness. And then all the containers, buses, trucks and tracks disappeared. It stayed that way for a while. About once a year, rare rainwater naturally cultivated the latent seeds in the deserted field into lush, lush, jewel-like green, fallowing to dust as the summer heat drew near.



I remember how exciting it was to learn that the state acquired the parcel with open space intent. And then an artist, Lauren Bon, became a farmer and planted a cornfield. (A great interview with her is here.)



"A living sculpture in the form of a field of corn." It was fantasy become reality. It was beautiful. I remember my mom asking if we were allowed to go down and pick the corn to eat. I said, "No, It's art. You can't eat the art." The pictures and project documented here.

There are such big plans for the park. Some include shutting it down for years to build a high-speed rail through it, honestly, I'm torn about.

Anyway. Enough of this mental meandering. I'm off to the cornfields!!

Jovanotti

Just got back from an evening spent on the Santa Monica Pier surrounded by deliriously happy, dancing, singing Italians. They (and we) were all gathered for Jovanotti! Sergio was excited when he found out this guy was in town -- apparently Jovanotti is a superstar in the home country. And, judging by the crazy, funk-delicious set he put on earlier tonight, for good reason. We sat through the first two acts but were up and dancing the moment he came on stage.

My shriveled geriatric camera did its very, very best tonight...but was overcome by the dark and distance. So, I've posted his performance from the 2005 Live 8 Rome concert via YouTube instead. He's a little scruffy and the sound isn't the greatest, but damn that energy and beat is infectious.






He looks more like this now.



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The pics on the right are from the Baciami Ancora video, a song he made for a Gabriele Muccino film of the same name. I've never heard of this movie but the video makes me want to see it now. Even if only for the gorgeous Italy scenery.




Psssstt! Here is a short video I got earlier tonight with my camera. (Sorry camera. I didn't mean to call you geriatric.)

John Hill Jr. & Eric Garcetti sightings - both in one night!

Hey, so I haven't been keeping up with my blogging. I blame it on the heat. It makes doing anything seem really, well, challenging.

Anyway, this post is like 2 in 1 so it sorta makes up for it.

We met artist John Hill Jr. on Friday evening. It was opening night of his exhibit, DRAWN, at THIS: los angeles on Fig. You need to go here and see his work. Go. Today.



The long multi-panel piece behind me and John was my and Sergio's favorite. A tad out of our price range but totally worth it. I wonder if the gallery would consider layaway? Is that lame? Layaway art? God. We want that piece. I think we're gonna steal it.

Click to open this image bigger to appreciate the detail.



Increíble. Period.

We bought one of the small cash and carry pieces instead. Paid a little extra for the framing. Hopefully we'll get to pick up next week and I'll share a photo.



We got there in time to get one of the gift bags! Yes please and thank you!




Later that night:

Follierio's - Pizza Romano. They have a fancy new sign but the pie is still kick-ass.


Alcove Cafe & Bakery


So, on the way to Alcove, I tweeted that I spied City Council President Eric Garcetti right behind us in his EV-1. I was mistaken. He drives a RAV4 EV. Oh yeah...that's right, GM murdered all the EV-1's. (How could I forget that sobering documentary?) Not only was I mega excited to see him, I was ecstatic to see him IN his famous (at least to me) EV. (I am such a nerd.) And then, we saw his car parked outside of FroyoLife on Hillhurst, right across the street from Alcove. I peered through the windows as we walked by, hoping to see him digging into a cup of yogurt or picking out toppings. Alas, I couldn't ID him for sure.

Hey, remember when his mouthwatering Echo Park home was featured in Dwell Mag? mmm.... excuse me while I take a moment to drool.


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Confession: Seeing those solar panels sped my heartbeat a little. (Yes, end of post and I'm still a nerd.)

Andy Grammer rox!

Private concert at Amy and Omar's. Andy Grammer. Food. Friends. Drink. What better way to spend a Monday evening?




Andy is super talented and we can't wait to see him perform at the El Rey at the end of the month!

July 4, 2010

July 4 fun!

Well, after the accidental firework attack on my car windshield during the broadcast of the Laker championship game, we decided to stay home for July 4. Just in case.

Lucky for us, friends showed their love by arriving at our house bearing food/drink.

Menu?

Kogi-style BBQ. Sounds awesome right? It was pretty awesome. Y-U-M. What a great idea! I totally recommend it.

Nels/Albert showed with the marinated meat and all the Korean fixings, and got to prepping right away. While they grilled, Becca whipped up a delicious bowl of homemade guacamole on the spot. I kept everyone suitably sloshed with countless margaritas made from scratch. (We ran out of tequila!) Amy served up a pound cake with vanilla ice cream and fresh berries dessert to cap off the night.

It really was a lot of fun. I'm so glad they decided to not let us spend July 4 alone.




P.S. We got a semi-private firework display from our backyard! Surprisingly large scale explosions. And yes, totally illegal. I was too tipsy to bother with getting pictures of them, but I did get video not of the fireworks but with audio of the popping noises. Almost the same, right? No, not really. I know.



P.P.S. We are loving our patio. Can you tell? Come and visit! You bring edibles and I'll make the 'ritas. Deal?

Last Saturday.

Ikea frozen yogurt for breakfast.
Corn on grill for lunch.Dinner on the patio with B&J.


P.S. I had to sit lay in the trunk to get home that morning!