Check out the 100th episode, 100 Is Not Enough!
Anthony Bourdain is celebrating 100 Episodes of No Reservations on Monday, September 6. On The Travel Channel
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Anthony Bourdain is the Mick Jagger of Food....
Check out the 100th episode, 100 Is Not Enough!
Anthony Bourdain is celebrating 100 Episodes of No Reservations on Monday, September 6. On The Travel Channel
Cowboy Star Restaurant and Butcher Shop...
One of my hair clients recommended this restaurant to me, she thought I would like the decor and the great food... considering they used the same chandelier repeatedly throughout the space, that I have hanging over my own dining table that I searched long and hard for. I do really like what the have done, how simplistic everything looks with wood and contemporary touches. What is really cool is they also have a butcher shop next door!
Cowboy Star San Diego’s full-service butcher shop provides a wide variety of the best quality products available to San Diegans looking for a truly fresh and unique approach to buying meat. The walk-in retail space‚ adjoining the restaurant‚ will be the source for the signature meat served in the restaurant. Our cuts, brought in from farms and ranches that adhere to the highest integrity farming practices, include 100% grass and corn fed‚ U.S.D.A. prime‚ 35-day dry-aged beef along with several free range poultry and game options give San Diegans an unparalleled selection of quality and taste. Working with a palette of the finest ingredients available, Executive Chef Victor Jimenez creates menu masterpieces which embody the spirit of the American West and utilize the season's freshest offerings. His passion and creativity insure a wealth of unique and down-right delicious options sure to satisfy all tastes.
Dinner Menu HERE... 
Downtown Bowling Alley...
San Diego now has a bowling alley downtown, which is pretty cool! Our downtown used to be pretty seedy with crackheads and bums all over the place, but since Petco Park was built there is all kinds of stuff popping up that is undiscovered fun! I love to check out new places that I have never been, and this place is one of them. I think I am gonna go meet with some friends and try my hand at bowling, don't think I have done it in about 5 years or so and I'm sure there will be a bunch of gutter balls, and probably a couple that fly in the air and land like a bag of concrete (those are my specialty). Maybe I can ask for the kiddy gutter gates when it's my turn, they have those now for people who like to keep their dignity while bowling...
Excited for Lips Gospel Sunday Brunch....
I was invited by some friends to go to brunch tomorrow, and considering the fact that I usually wear as much makeup as a drag queen, I'm sure I will fit right in with this group! Looks like alot of fun, can't wait!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
Tilt Shift Photography....
Recently my cousin had some photos to share of a cruise he went on that blew my mind! He took them with a Tilt Shift lens that he had received as a gift. The photos were so spectacular, and gave the viewer a sense of a miniaturized world, some would say that the beginning of Mr. Rodgers television show (with the trains, buildings and little trees) looked quite the same as this method of photography. And with a different perspective on the world entirely, with a focus on a specific point of the landscape, you too can create such amazing photos with this special lens. Here is a slide show of some Tilt Shift photos that I found interesting.....
Terrariums....
Terrariums are really cool, and seem to have started popping up again in all the decor magazines. It seems like you could just make one yourself if you could get some ideas as to which plants you like. Here are some examples in a slide show I thought were interesting....
Baby Headbands.....
With two of my girlfriends now having new babies, and one that just had one tuesday, I get to live vicariously and actually buy girl stuff. After a really nice afternoon spent with them yesterday I went looking on Etsy for some girly accessories and found these adorable headbands for only $12.50....And YES obviously my baby (if I had one) would be dressed head to toe like a 'Vegas Showgirl'! That's probably why they only let me have limited supervised only visits with their children....
Sweet and Chic Bowtique
Sweet and Chic Bowtique
Sunday, July 25, 2010
I need a vacation from my vacation....
Super happy to be back in San Diego! Vegas was fun alot of walking, walking, walking making sure the kids didn't see too much while passing by the go-go girls in the hotels, nothing more really than dancing and throwing beads at anyone that made eye contact with them, but maybe too much for super conservative parents . Had a great time at the pool at another resort that our friends were staying at called the 'Grandview Resort Las Vegas' it was right off the strip. It was a bit more family oriented which was nice because our pool at The Luxor looked a bit like you might catch an STD while swimming, with 100's of 20 somethings 'hookin up' while drinking a 'yard o beer' in the pool. Glad we didn't even attempt to go to it considering the last day we came back from the other resort and walking by the pool some DJ was there blasting trance music that would have made me want to hurt someone, especially someone holding a ' yard o beer' while making out in front of me. We did go out on an 'adult' adventure one evening to check out some of the restaurants in Mandalay Bay attempting an 'appetizer and cocktail hop' where we would stay for one drink and one appetizer per venue. It was a fun way to check out the decor, food, ambiance, along with the 'super old' Bon Jovi-esque lounge band that we may have had to sit all the way through had we not had a plan. After that we went dancing at another lounge, complete with light up dance floor of course. Then we moved on to another venue yet another lounge where we got a real treat, the DJ took my request and ran with it playing 6 songs in a row, including videos along with full length remixes OMG! Of course there is no question as to what my request was, HELL-O "MADONNA"!!! It was a great end to a really nice night out with the husbands. Las Vegas is really fun, but it definitely makes me appreciate the smoke free life I have in San Diego, along with the perfect weather, who could ask for anything more?!! Looking forward to a relaxing afternoon at a friends house today who is having a nice Mexican fiesta, can't wait!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Dita Von Teese gets Cointreauversial!
Maybe I can order one of these in Vegas, they would know how to make there, they love Dita just as much as I do...
"The Cointreau Teese"
The event also served as the debut of the Cointreau Teese, a new cocktail created in Dita's honor using violet syrup. Here's the recipe:
1 ½ oz. Cointreau
¾ oz. apple juice
½ oz. Monin violet syrup
½ oz. fresh lemon juice
Shake and strain into a martini glass with a ginger-frosted rim; garnish with a violet. Bottoms up!
Favorite Inexpensive Cosmetics....
Last night I did a complete makeover on a military mom with three kids who really needed it. She looked and felt amazing afterwards and wanted to get a list of everything I used on her. And after making the list of products I thought I would also share on my blog for my other clients who enjoy recommendations of all the goodies that I typically use on my self first as a guniea pig. Through trial and error I eventually come to a conclusion that I love a few of them and hate others. In this economy who can afford expensive department store stuff right? We are all trying to save a buck or two! So I thought I would post some of my go to inexpensive favorites here to share. First off, I have battled acne and pigmentation my whole life, so I prefer a good sunscreen in the summer that will absorb oil so I don't get that 'greasy' look. 'Dewey' is ok, but I don't like 'greasy'. So during the summer months I use this product it's $16...
Clean Skin Oil Free Moisturizer
Next is a good pre makeup primer I prefer Smashbox. This is probably the most expensive step on this list, if you ask them they have a half size tube for $16 which can last a long time.
And then a good concealer, I like this one because it has three shades of concealer to custom blend, and a powder which I use as an eyeshadow base and eyelash primer before mascara, it's only $10.
Then a good dual powder, which I like to apply with a kabuki brush. I prefer Palladio, which in my opinion gives the coverage of Mac Studio fix, but is half the price under $10. And with out all of the heavy clay that can cause breakouts for people who have sensitive skin.
And here is an eco-friendly brush set I really liked because it includes the kabuki brush which alone can be $30 this one is $9.99.
And a great inexpensive blush bronzer duo also by Palladio in Velvet Plum, gret price too it's under $7.50.
Next is Palladio Lip Stain in Rose it gives a nice stain that you can apply a gloss over and lasts really well, it's under $6
I Love anything mini and these are especially great because you can buy one for every purse you own, and if you are in a night club and don't want to carry your purse you can put these tiny lip glosses in your bra! They are under $1. They smell like vanilla cupcakes too!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
LONG LIVE McQUEEN!!!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Going shopping for Vegas attire....
Looking forward to lunch this afternoon with my family, then an later out to Bing Crosby's, and shopping with some girlfriends for a cute outfit for my vacation in Vegas. Thought this dress was adorable.....it's only $15.80 at Forever 21. I know could make it 'Vegas-y' with the right shoes and accessories...
This one by Matthew Williamson is a little out of my price range at $1150, but I like it!
And this one by John Lewis is pretty fancy too, although still out of my price range but I love the blue...maybe I can find something like one of these for WAY less, I'm sure I can......
Friday, July 16, 2010
SHOES OMG SHOES!!!!!
OOOOOOOOHHHH AHHHHHH!!! Christian Louboutines, if I was rich I would buy these right now!
Black letter cut-out booties with red lace and stitching. Lace-up. Black zipper closure on heel. Partly visible platform. Covered red heel. Leather upper, in-sole, and signature red sole.
Brandon Boyd has new Solo album called The Wild Trapeze...
STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT!!!! ONE OF MY FAVORITE PEOPLE BESIDES MADONNA MADE A NEW SOLO ALBUM!!!!! He played all the instruments alone himself for this album. It's called The Wild Trapeze, and is available on itunes. Here is a live interview on KROQ.....and a preview song below called Courage and Control, he is amazing, there really are not enough words to describe his talents...
Zumba....
A friend and I have started doing Zumba, which is a combination of Latin dances, aerobics, combined with Hip Hop and ballroom steps. Some times it feels a bit like Aye Papi night at Riches nightclub to me, but it's really a great workout. You laugh alot mostly at yourself, and with the right instructor it can be alot of fun! This is pretty much what it looks like (not my class just an example) and only one song, there is many different types of music played for the whole 1 hour class, but apparently Zumba is a registered trademark so each class is required to play 70% Latin music, I wonder how they measure it exactly? I will be missing my class to day since I relaxed my hair and can't wash it for 24 hours :(
Thursday, July 15, 2010
'Old' is the New BLack...
Kristen Mcmenamy has always been one of my favorite models. And now I like her more than ever for making it 'OK' to be someone who has completely gone solid gray prematurely, although she is 43 I think she looks amazing! Plus she grew that shit out and sashayed it down the runway PROUDLY!
NEW YORK — Among the more avant-garde looks shown on the runways of New York, London, Paris and Milan was one that seems ho-hum in real life: gray hair. More mature models – some even in their, gasp, 40s – were stars at the previews of fall styles. And in the fashion world, that's a radical turn from the use of models not old enough to drive a car, let alone wield a credit card. "I wanted something different," said Francisco Costa, creative director for the Calvin Klein Collection. "I wanted a cast that really represented a customer I design for, and that's not really a 16-year-old." Costa hired gray-haired Kristen McMenamy, who also appeared at Viktor & Rolf, as well as '90s sensations – and now mothers – Stella Tennant and Kirsty Hume. Marc Jacobs, widely considered the most influential American designer, cast 47-year-old Elle Macpherson in his Louis Vuitton show, along with Bar Refaeli and Alessandra Ambrosio. Trendsetting Miuccia Prada used Ambrosio, Isabeli Fontana, Doutzen Kroes and Miranda Kerr – all best known as voluptuous Victoria's Secret models and all in their mid-20s, a relatively advanced age for runway models.
It's a smart move by the fashion industry to make itself more relatable to consumers. Costa acknowledges that the tough retail climate has helped force design houses to speak more directly to their customers.
"The woman who puts my clothes on needs a certain level of sophistication," says Costa. "We wanted to acknowledge women who have always worn our clothes, women with their own identities, have full lives, have kids." It also may help counter perennial complaints about skinny models. It's said that age brings wisdom; it also usually brings curves. The more mature look was on-trend with the chic, retro styles shown for fall, so helping models' health may be icing on the maybe-not-entirely-fat-free cake.Read more on The Huffington Post...
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Gerda Wegener...
I discovered some of Gerdas paintings and illustrations while searching for vintage prints and fell in love with some of her pieces, not knowing her history I wanted to learn more about her. Some of her artwork is alot like Erte in a sense things are drawn similarly to those other artists that were popular at the same time, and the influences of Art Nouevau are very clear in almost all of her work. Althought her art depicts she had very sexually curious side , and alot of her work is pretty racy. Her biography explains a bit more about her life, art, and marriage. I never imagined the interesting history of her and her husband and how fascinating it would be....
From Copenhagen to Paris, Gerda Wegener's paintings of beautiful women caused a sensation, not least because of her mysterious model - who was in fact Gerda's husband, Einar.
The story of Einar and Gerda Wegener begins with what must first have been a playful fetishism and ends in the world's first sex change operation.
Their unusual story began in 1902 when 17-year-old Gerda left her native Jutland and moved to Copenhagen. The daughter of a minister, Gerda came to Copenhagen to become an artist. Two years after arriving, she met Einar Wegener at the Academy of Art, and they were soon married; Gerda was 19 and Einar 22.
They were both artists, and though it was often said that Einar was the better of the two, it was Gerda who made more of a name for herself. In 1904 she showed paintings in Charlottenborg Art Gallery and also won an illustration prize from Politiken newspaper.
This notoriety propelled her into the world of fashion magazines, where she became one of the leading illustrators of the Art Deco movement. Over time Gerda became famous for her paintings of beautiful women with haunting almond-shaped eyes dressed in chic fashions.
However, around 1913 it was discovered that Gerda's women were in fact men, or at least one man - Einar himself. No one had suspected before then that the petite femmes fatales of Gerda's work could have been modeled on anyone other than a woman, but Einar had acted as Gerda's chief model for years.
In provincial-minded Copenhagen the scandal was enough to drive the couple to Paris - a city whose avant-garde tastes catered more to their lifestyle.
After the couple arrived in Paris, those who got to know them were soon introduced to the mysterious Lili Elbe - Einar's alter ego. Though somewhat shy at first, over the 19 years Gerda and Einar were married, Lili appeared more and more. Coquettish and playful in the same way that Gerda's painted women were, Lili slowly usurped Einar in body and mind. By the mid-1920s she was making nightly appearances in clubs all over Paris, as well as in Gerda's pictures.
For her part, Gerda seemed to have no problem with Lili. Gerda lived openly as a lesbian, so alternative sexual orientations were something she understood well. The married couple - now effectively a trio - lived together quite comfortably. According to Nikolaj Pors, an expert on the couple, "They were both the parents of Lili. They both wanted her around. Some nights when things were a little boring, Gerda would say, 'Let Lili come over tonight', and Einar would hop into women's clothes."
However, some have a less idealistic view of the couple's relationship, especially of Gerda's influence over her husband. In fact Gerda has even been called a 'murderer' for encouraging Einar to have a sex change operation in 1929.
Einar was the first person ever to have this operation. After it was over, Lili was a reality; however, another reality was the end of the couple's marriage. The unprecedented change of sex threw a monkey wrench into the Danish marriage registry. Because Gerda and Lili were now both women, they could not be married under Danish law.
After 19 years the Wegener's marriage was annulled, and the couple went their separate ways. Gerda married an Italian diplomat and moved to Morocco, and Lili began pursuing an affair with her doctor.
Lili also had two more operations and by 1931 she felt complete, but for one detail: she felt that it was necessary that she have ovaries to be a real woman. Traveling to Stockholm, she underwent her fourth operation; however, the procedure proved to be deadly, and she died only a few days afterwards.
When the news reached her, Gerda was devastated. Almost overnight she divorced her husband and returned to Copenhagen, where she locked herself into a small rented flat.
Having few friends in town and being unable to produce work to satisfy the new artistic trends, Gerda slipped into obscurity. She took to drinking and died alone. At the time of her death there was only a small notice in the paper, and her estate was auctioned off to the highest bidder.
The story of the Wegeners has been made into a documentary film by Nordic Films, and formed the basis of a recent novel, The Danish Girl, by American writer David Ebershoff.
I Dream of Cake...
I used to be really into sweets when I was a child, even earning the nickname "sugar woman" which was sang just like the wonder woman song every time I would eat any candy, cookie, cake or sugary item by my loving parents who thought I was spastically entertaining after a couple of bites of "the good stuff"! Nowadays I don't really eat the stuff, except on special occasions like weddings, or the occassional party. I can't even remember the last time I bought a bag of sugar at the store. Probably because if I have to bake anything it's usually for my son's class, and I will grab some of those break apart cookies and throw them in the oven. Anyway I remember how great the cake was at my wedding, and going to taste the cake I remembered how hard it was to decide. I came across this cake place on a shoe blog (see below it will all make sense) in San Francisco and thought how beautiful and unique all of their cakes are. It would be really fun to have one of these for a party huh??? They are ALL cakes! They are by this great bakery called
I Dream Of Cake....
I Dream Of Cake....
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Miike Snow - 2010 MTV Movie Awards: Miike Snow 'Silvia'
Miike Snow - 2010 MTV Movie Awards: Miike Snow 'Silvia': "Miike Snow performs 'Silvia' live at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards after party."
Joshua Petker....
I have been a fan of Joshua Petker since I discovered his artwork a couple years ago after looking for some prints for my salon. Some of his artwork can be on the dark side, which is interesting because alot of it is done with bright colors so it creates a juxtaposition between good and evil for the viewer. If I had a bigger house, along with a bigger wallet, I would have his huge painting all over my house...
Maurizio Bongiovanni oil on canvas...
Maurizio Bongiovanni's paintings caught my eye. His oil on canvas paintings are a different approach to nature, and somehow made me feel as if an eclipse was happening when I looked at them. They give you a sense of time travel at warp speed, along with an abstract look at just a regular old bird on a branch, very fascinating...
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