I can honestly say that this has been the best holiday season ever – I have enjoyed so many wonderful sights, tastes and sounds this year that I feel like I have lived a visual feast and I am SO thankful. It seemed that Christmas started the week before Thanksgiving and didn’t stop until the great crescendo of cooking my family recipes for Christmas dinner for the first time since we moved into our home two years ago. In between there were many festive and heartfelt moments, including:
* “Let it Sparkle”, as Beverly Hills lit up the city with dazzling activities and offers throughout November and December.
* A fun and fabulous “Crafts and Cocktails” event at the luxe D.L. Rhein boutique, hosted by Bag Lady Promotions, where some of my favorite bloggers got together to make stylish jewelry and shop
* A very intriguing evening of Intimate Illusion with Ivan Amodei – a very sexy date night out with other blogger couples – it was so fun to meet the husbands of my dynamo friends, then dinner at the new Taberna Mexicana
* Travel to my hometown in Mississippi, specifically to host a wedding day brunch for the daughter of dear friends and to attend her wedding, but also to eat drink and be merry – Mississippians are VERY festive at Christmas time!
* The day after returning to Los Angeles, my bff Barrie and I attended a spectacular event at the new A’Maree’s boutique hosted by Shane Baum of Leisure Society to launch his new luxury eyewear designs. We were able to watch the Newport Boat Parade while we cocktailed and ogled all the fabulous design from the boutique!
* A fun Family Day at the Beverly Canon Garden hosted by OVO of Cirque du Soleil,. I am really excited to take the Critter to see the show, which gives insight to the life of insects, opening under the big tent at the Santa Monica pier on January 20th!
* Cooking the best Christmas dinner I’ve ever cooked, complete with all my best china and silver, none of which I managed to photograph – so much for documenting everything!
I hope y’all have enjoyed the season as much as I have, and I wish you the best in 2012! xoxoxo
We were quite the culture vultures recently as guests experiencing the Toyota Symphonies for Youth production of “Mendelssohn’s Mystical Landscapes” at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The event promised to be a great outing for the family and did not disappoint! I was unsure if my almost five year old Critter would be able to appreciate something as lofty as a Mendelssohn symphony, but I was willing to try it, as there was also the promise of fun activity workshops and crafts preceding the actual performance. I took the gamble and headed downtown with the Critter and my Perfect Husband. I was especially interested to expose my child to all the instruments available for “petting” in the Instrument Petting Zoo, as I wanted to get an idea if my boy had any interest in any particular one. I think we know now – violin, not too interested; drums, REALLY interested. We loved watching him enthusiastically play said drums, then headed back into the Music Hall to create a castle and a crown, and possibly view some ballet dancing as well.
The main event, of course, was the thoughtfully designed program which portrays Fanny Mendelssohn longingly reading and writing letters to her brother Felix as he travels the world, composing and conducting music. We were delighted with the clever presentation which gave an excellent primer on the sounds different instruments make, combining ballet, theatre, and the symphony along with a little geography as well, tracking Felix as he ascends to musical greatness. Female Dudamel Conducting Fellow Mihaela Cesa-Goje led the orchestra, so there was also a recurring theme that now girls can achieve musical greatness, while poor Fanny, also a gifted composer, had to stay home and wish she could do all the things her brother was allowed to do.
I have to insert that a visit to Disney Hall is an experience in and of itself for a designer like me – I could have sat and stared and absorbed the space for hours without any other stimuli. Once it was time to view the performance, the real magic began. I really can’t express how perfect the acoustics of the space are – the Perfect Husband pointed out how the sound of man playing bagpipes as he walked through the hall and out the door were the same level of volume until he was completely out of the hall. The music just envelops you, and even a four year old became completely enraptured.
By now you’ve probably seen my recommendations for the holiday season over at MomsLA, but I can’t go through the entire season without giving you a taste of how truly fabulous my neighborhood is this time of year. Behold some of the most fabulous offerings down Rodeo Drive, which just unveiled Swarovski Crystal sculptures down the boulevard that display holiday messages from your tweets that use the hashtag #LetitSparkle, in addition to Santa coming to town and horse drawn carriage rides!
I recently spent a wonderful morning with my former client and friend Lou Moore of the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. We enjoyed catching up over breakfast at the Montage with a view of the garden, chatting about the premiere offering of what will be known as the Beverly Hills Cultural Center. Lou has worked tirelessly to see that the vision is realized of having a world class performing arts center in Beverly Hills, and the Zoltan Pali revitalization of the historic Post Office in tandem with the new facility will open its doors in 2013.
Moore says that she always had it in mind that patrons of a performing arts complex in a fashion oriented city like Beverly Hills would love a “Theatre in Fashion” theme. While vacationing in Brescia, Italy in the spring, her dream materialized when she saw an exhibit of Italian couture designers’ theatrical costumes. Relationships were made, and it was agreed that the perfect sister city for il Teatro alla Moda to debut in the United States would be Beverly Hills.
Lou gave me a private tour of the installation, which will certainly set the bar of excellence until the new Italian Renaissance revival facility opens in 2013. Held over until December 18th, the exhibition is the first to explore Italy’s famous haute couture designers and their impact on the stages of opera, dance and theatre. Over 80 costumes, sketches and drawings from Giorgio Armani, Roberto Capucci, Enrico Coveri, Fendi, Alberta Ferretti, Romeo Gigli, Antonio Marras, Missoni, Emanuel Ungaro, Valentino and Gianni Versace are all there to behold in all their amazing detail and finery. One can recognize the designer’s signature styles immediately, and relish in the indulgence that a costume allows.
The exhibit is diplayed at 253 North Beverly Drive on the ground floor of the new MGM Place, which has been converted into a temporary gallery. After seeing the costumes, you will certainly want a copy of the exquisite hard bound collection of new photos that the folks at the Annenberg have published – I think it will be on the most wanted Christmas/Hanukah gift list for all lovers of Teatro or Moda and is only available at the exhibit!
Hours are Wednesday-Friday noon- 7 p.m.
Saturday/Sunday 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased at the door
$10 per person Thursday – Sunday
children under 12 and students with valid ID are free
Wednesdays are FREE for all
I’m always amazed at how things in life connect. I went to the movies by myself for the first time in my life when I was a junior in college to see a movie called Labyrinth, a Muppet kids’ movie, as David Bowie , with whom I was obsessed, was the star. Even though many in my crew thought Bowie was hot, he wasn’t hot enough to get them to see the show with me. I enjoyed going alone so much, I preferred to see movies solo thereafter. I also can vaguely recall crowds losing their minds over a tickle-able Elmo doll as I watched the old Rosie O’Donnell show, and that’s the first time I remember being cognizant that Elmo existed. I just started my interior design career in New Orleans, and as adorable and clever as I found him I was on to other things that really didn’t involve kid stuff and little red monsters.
Flash to 2011, which finds me at the PBS Press Tour where I meet Kevin Clash and Constance Marks. They are there to promote Constance’s new documentary Being Elmo, which is all about Kevin, who is the creator of Elmo – that fuzzy little guy that didn’t interest me too much back in the nineties. By now I’m a mom and and designer/artist/writer. I am inspired by both of them – Connie for the labor of love that pushed her along a seven year journey to create Being Elmo, and Kevin for the amazing talent he has fostered over his entire life, simply because he loves making people happy. Kevin made the video for me you see above so that I could play it for the Critter any time we liked – something that we will always cherish. After seeing clips of the movie, I told Connie and Kevin that I wanted everyone to know how wonderful I thought the film was going to be. I was so thrilled when I she wrote to me that she and her CoDirector Philip Shane would be in Los Angeles over Labor Day weekend. I delightedly accepted her invitation to screen the film, and in turn asked her to brunch at Scarpetta and to please bring along Philip so I could get to know the people behind the movie about the man behind the monster.
I took a couple of friends who are in the business of making movies to the screening and we all loved it. There was a Q and A after, and the question that was burning for me was “How was it that Kevin’s parents were so secure that they took his vocation seriously from the very beginning?” I think about my childhood in the 70s and I can’t imagine that most people would have encouraged their child to make and work puppets. In fact, I was certain when I saw in the film that Kevin cut up his mother’s coat (without her permission, I might add) to make a puppet that some terrible punishment would befall him. That is a very interesting aspect of the film, which takes us down Kevin’s road from making puppets and performing for children in his mother’s home day care to present day as an Emmy award-winning Senior Puppet Coordinator and Muppet Captain at Sesame Street as well as Sesame Workshop’s Senior Creative Consultant – I was so prepared for a story that would have sadness and strife, but what I found was – love and happiness.
I connect with Being Elmo on so many levels. As a creative person and a parent, I marvel at Clash’s fantastic parents – how they somehow knew that he was very special and even though they had no entertainment savvy, seemed to know just how to encourage him from the very beginning. There were people all along the way who knew that Clash was special, and these terrific stories are told through archival footage of his first job at the local affiliate, to his work on Captain Kangaroo, to tales from such solid entertainment legends as narrator Whoopi Goldberg, Frank Oz, Rosie O’Donnell, Cheryl Henson, Joan Ganz Cooney and others you will definitely recognize. As a native Mississippian, I was already proud of Jim Henson for his amazing contribution to the world with Sesame Street, but I love him even more for seeing the same special something in Kevin and mentoring his early career. Sesame Street clearly had an impact on Kevin upon its debut, and Henson saw that he had a home with the Muppets. Kevin has paid forward every kindness and bit of encouragement, as one ca plainly see, by mentoring an aspiring young puppeteer in addition to his taking Elmo to children who are ill who just want to love on the monster.
Remember that movie I went to by myself? As it turns out, Labyrinth was Clash’s first piece as master puppeteer, and after watching it with my four year old again twenty five years later – it still holds up beautifully. The Critter was still and quiet and wondrous for the entire movie – a power not something just any movie can claim. I also love Connie Marks for her fortitude to complete this jewel of a film, and for recognizing that spreading happiness and love is very important for all of us. And I love Philip Shane for his fantastic arrangement of her images and direction that leaves one feeling, well, really…GOOD!
Being Elmo is a testament to creativity, constant honing of one’s craft, parenting and mentoring. I recommend it so much that I really MUST point out that the Los Angeles theatrical release is on November 4th and nationwide after that. Click here to purchase tickets for the film for the Los Angeles release. I strongly encourage everyone to see it and be inspired. Elmo loves you!
It was a howling good time with the Hub Network as Moms and little goblins partied into the night. “Haunted Hub” attendees were treated to special screenings of My Little Pony, R. L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour, and a sneak preview of Clue! Carondelet House was decked out in it’s cobwebbed finest as kids created trick or treat bags, went on a scavenger hunt and played other games, had custom balloon creatures made and feasted on a buffet of kid’s favorite foods and a super spooky candy bar, all curated by the fabulous XOJ9. The Critter also LOVED getting his photo made with Strawberry Shortcake, and hearing voice of Twilight Sparkle Tara Strong make the sweet little greeting you see in the video above just for him! Thanks SO much to the people at the HUB for including us in this fabulous fete.
Critter and I were so fortunate to kick off Halloween early this year with the lovely folks from Disney Family at the Disney Animation Studios. We wouldn’t miss costuming and trick or treating through a studio tour, and to check out all the cool games from Disney like Club Penguin and the new Disney Universe. We had a wonderful time seeing other Mommybloggers and their critters’ costumes and to relax over dinner while the kidlets played games like mad, decorated fairy cookies, and made cutie bats at the cutest craft stations ever. A huge thank you for including us in the festivities -Yarrr from Captain Hook and his mom!
*while looking for some links to the Animation Studio, I found this site that has really great photos of the studio – click here to see more
We always have such a great time when the folks from Disney Family and The Jim Henson Company get our blogging families together to introduce us to creative fun for our children. I adore being able to take the Critter to the iconic studios where imaginations are free to roam. We recently spent a delightful afternoon having a mock campout with Courtney Watkins, the creator of Possibility Shop, a wonderful collaboration of Henson and Watkins that can be found on Disney’s Family.com. Courtney is really my kind of people – she is all about finding ways to say “YES” to your children’s big ideas, and her solutions are so clever! Our adventure that day was the big idea of Courtney’s daughter Mary Charles, obviously a great imaginary mind herself, who wanted to go camping with a campfire, tent and shadow puppets.
You knew I couldn’t go much longer without reporting about the our fab Fashions Night Out on Rodeo, right? I got to enjoy a sexy cocktail party with my running buddy Barrie hosted by the fab folks at Luxe along with some of my favorite blogging ladies. Then the evening morphed into a fun night out with family and mommy pals – it was a schizo evening of party hopping / dance contest watching / and shopping / hanging on the Drive with everyone and people watching. It worked out very well, because the more times I shopped, the more ferris wheel tickets I earned, so the Critter and my Perfect Husband got to ride and eat Lobsta Truck. Win Win situation.
I LOVE this annual event! It’s not just about the food, although there is no question that the best of the best are here, giving their followers all their love with a sensual feast. This is also one of those special times that we walk around the neighborhood and relish in its fabulousness. Did I mention that the lovely sponsors also created a special promo discount code that donates to the BHEF? This year I attended Desserts after Dark and Picnic in the Hills, which were both as one would expect, sweets and a picnic on steroids!
