Flower Market and Crochet Bombs!

My friend Amy and I took a trip to the Flower District downtown today. Man, now I know where to look for flowers whenever the mood strikes! It's a great place for orchid shopping if you're looking for one. I definitely think I'll hit up this area a few days before the wedding to grab whatever flowers I want. I'm still not sure yet if I want a bouquet or any kind of boutonnieres, but I know LP likes them enough to want them on the tables. I don't find them necessary, especially since we'll be surrounded by plenty of green, but... meh. It was almost overwhelming. So many choices!

photo by my friend Amy!

After our trip downtown, I showed her the crochet graffiti at Griffith Park!

I love this stuff!  Amy had shown me photos of parking meters with little yarn cozies before and I knew she'd flip over this crochet graffiti!

Some people call it yarn bombing.

I call it awesome.


My favorite part was the little bear statue! Someone got him all dressed up for Valentine's Day and he clearly decided that being nekkid was no fun! I hope he gets some new digs for St. Patrick's Day.

 

Will you be my Valentine, little bear?

Estelle Harris thinks I'm adorable!

No, seriously, last night I waited on Estelle Harris and she said that I was "just adorable." My response?

The exact scene that popped into my head.

"Ma'am. I think YOU'RE adorable."

She asked if I knew who she was, and I said the minute I heard her voice I was transported to watching Toy Story 2 & 3. We talked about it being nominated and how I thought it was the best movie I'd seen all year. She noticed my ring and asked if I was married and said that my fiance was a lucky guy.

It made my freaking night. To top this all off, an extremely well-known commercial casting director gave me his office number so that he could help give me references to commercial agents. And tipped me twenty bucks on a sixty dollar bill.

Wow. I feel pretty lucky. Now I have the next two days off to get some serious work done.

January has been a pretty busy month for me... obviously, given my lack of updates. I've been..

1. Working a lot. Of course. But I feel 10x better about January 2011 than January 2010 where I thought I was going to be fired every other day. It seems like business is up and my managers like me. Can't ask for more than that as a server. Busy. Flexible schedule. Awesome.
2. Helping out with an "Acting for the Camera" class that's now over... My mentor is amazing and I learn a ton from him every time we work together. Plus, that's extra cash in my pocket and the life partner's (he helps film the final scenes and edits them for the students)
3. Planning a wedding. The success story on this front is that we now have a date set in stone and we think we've decided on a location. We haven't booked it yet, but I'll give you a hint... It's home to our favorite pachyderm.
4. Editing my dad's novel. He's retired and has a lot of time on his hands. I don't, but I'm helping him anyway.

It's been a good month.

I also turned 25 this month and am now old enough to audition for alcohol commercials! Woohoo! We went snowboarding and ate at Susan Feniger's STREET... Which was slightly disappointing, to be honest. I liked it well enough, but wasn't thrilled enough to go back for the price. Maybe if cost didn't bother me, it would be a different story. The snowboarding, however, was excellent. Conditions were pretty awesome for such warm weather and every time I get better and better. We spent the majority of the day on the intermediate slopes and I was pretty pleased with myself!

I decided to get over my vanity. This is a terrible photo, but it's the only one!

The day after my birthday, I had an interview with a print agent, and while nothing has come of it, I do know feel more confident all future interviews of that sort. The agent was incredibly nice and now I feel like I know what to expect a little bit better.

Overall, January was great, here's to fabulous February!

French Happy Hours and Decorating

Last night, I spoiled myself. I went to The Grove and finished my Christmas shopping. Since I had a package at the UPS warehouse that I couldn't pick up until 8:30 PM, I killed time at Monsieur Marcel (a little Frenchophile shop and bistro). It's the neatest/cutest little place in the middle of the Farmers Market and I was lucky enough to discover their Happy Hour with 1/2 off wines and cheap-o appetizers. I had some mozzarella/ricotta croquettes and a bowl of lentil soup. The soup sort of broke my rule of not eating things at restaurants that I can easily make at home, but it was really, really good.

My favorite part, though, were the free olives given with the bread. Yum. I'm sure I had about 20x the normal amount of saturated fat one should eat in a day.

At home, I finished putting up the lights and ornaments. LP says I like to decorate like a Who from Whoville and when he gets back from San Francisco, he'll probably re-do it. But I'm OK with it just the way it is!

Do I mind the mixing of white lights on our garland with the colored lights on the window? ABSOLUTELY NOT! We also have a poinsettia and a mini fake tree with photos of LP's family on the ornaments. It's very cute and so sweet. Oh, and that's Bruce the Penguin. He hangs out year round in the living room. He just puts his hood up for the holidays.  

Our tree is a real one! I'm loving the smell. We might get a fake one some day, but the only decent ones were way too huge for our place. Since the tree is only about 3.5 feet tall, I put it on top of a big cardboard box. More room for presents! :-)

Sorry, Obama, you'll have to hang out behind the tree this Christmas. And if you're wondering who that is hanging out at the base of the tree, that's Puck. He's LP's love child, created for our indie production that's currently in post. We found Puck a tiny little wicker chair at IKEA this summer so he can hang out in the living room with us.

I'm really enjoying making the apartment a bit more homey this season.  Even if it's in our own tacky little way. Someday, I'll figure out how to use my mom's old camera better so I can use something other than my cell phone!

Tonight, I baby-sat my niece so that my brother and SIL could enjoy a night out. Watching an 8 month old is pretty easy when they go to bed so early. Read a few stories, give her a change, and nighty-night! She was SO CUTE! Also cute? Her "brother" Spike who was all curled up in his bed!

Holiday Treats and Hodgepodge Meals!

 I had an absolutely lovely day with my friend Amy yesterday! We went to Sprinkles for the sole purpose of getting some Peppermint Chocolate cupcakes! Amy truly understands and supports my cupcake obsession! Neither of us ever has to feel guilty when we get cupcakes together! After some coffee and cupcakes, we went to The Grove to enjoy some window shopping and pretty lights! Even though I work at The Grove, my restaurant is on the outskirts, so I don't get to enjoy the pretty displays.

While we were hanging out in the Farmer's Market, this really crazy looking lady approached us and asked if we were actors. After a moment's awkward silence, I asked why she wanted to know. She then went on rambling about some kind of acting studio and how great it was. She gave us cards and when I tried to brush her off with a "sounds good, I'll look it up" she asked me if I wanted to go in for a reading right then and there. It was so bizarre. After looking the place up, it definitely looks like one of those places that offers some classes, but is mostly a money making machine designed to get you to pay for their headshots and helps you make a "reel." Obviously, this lady got something for getting others to sign up.

My lunch before meeting Amy was another one of those hodgepodge meals... Leftover brown rice with kidney beans (seasoned with a leftover taco packet!), spinach, tomatoes, and creme fraiche with lots of pepper and fresh lime juice! This was actually pretty tasty! Although similar, it was way better than the last thrown together meal. We're running so low on groceries that I just got a Subway sandwich tonight. I'm also tired of dishes. It was a long lunch shift. The holiday season is definitely upon us! I worked from 10 AM and didn't leave work until 7:30 PM!!! But the money is good, so I can't complain.

Mint Toothpaste and Cashews

That's what LP always accuses me of using to concoct hodgepodge meals. I'm one of those people who can't stand to buy groceries unless the cupboards and fridge are nearly bare. I hate letting food sit at the back of a shelf or go bad in the refrigerator. Unless I have a hankering to make a specific recipe, I try to use what I've got sitting around. Comes from having frugal parents, I suppose. And it does help me to stretch my grocery budget.

Yesterday was definitely one of those Mint Toothpaste and Cashew Hodgepodge kind of meals. What you're looking at here is leftover wild rice with black beans, tomato, sauteed red onion, spinach and radicchio, with a dollop of creme fraiche on top and cracked black pepper. It was pretty good except for the radicchio. Cooking it just made it bitter. It's obviously better left raw. You can't see the beans or the rice so it actually looks more appetizing in the photo, I think.

I just finished off some of the last of the cereal and soymilk this morning. Still oatmeal left to eat.... but the rest of my meals are going to be odd like this!

On another note, it looks like we're finally getting to autumn-like weather in Los Angeles! I love the street where I park for work. Real deciduous trees! I go out of my way to crunch through the leaves!

Elephants in my Life

Recently, Billy the Elephant at the L.A. Zoo got to move in to a completed section of his new exhibit. The beautiful elephant enclosure is due to open on December 16th and Billy will be joined by two female elephants (rescued from a private owner) on loan from San Diego.

Check out this video and tell me if that isn't the happiest elephant you've ever seen!

I have a very special place in my heart for elephants. Besides being beautiful, fascinating creatures, they always remind me of my Grandma G who has been collecting elephant objects for years. I once tried to count them all (excluding jewelry and clothing items) when I was a little girl. The number, I believe, was over 75 items.

My collection pales in comparison. Only four items! The bag was given to me by my friend Brittany. She bought it for me while she was in Thailand on her honeymoon as a thank you for being a bridesmaid in her wedding. 

The big gorgeous elephant statement necklace was a gift from LP. He was filming a designer, Leslie Homan, for her Kitsch 'n' Kouture line. He happened to mention me and after talking a bit, she let him pick something out! Small perks. :-) It's now one of my favorite pieces of jewelry.

The other two items, the pin and the bracelet (many tiny elephants in a row) belonged to my grandma. She gave them to me several years ago. She's still alive and kicking (fiercely, I might add) and I'm sure these aren't the last elephant items I'll receive from her!

LP and I have a very special connection to Billy the Elephant, in particular. We're members of the L.A. Zoo and go there as often as we can. When we were both unemployed and exceedingly broke, we were there about once a week. For over a year, the zoo has been working on a state-of-the-art enclosure for Billy and the friends that will join him. But there's been controversy. There were a lot of attempts to halt construction by animal activists and celebrities. There was even a City Council meeting on the matter, and the zoo invited members to come and speak. I wasn't able to make it, but LP went, spoke, and got to meet Betty White who said that he was a "very nice, well-spoken young man." (HE'S MINE, BETTY! BACK OFF!)  ;-)

But the L.A. Zoo won and Billy's new home will be unveiled to the public on December 16th. Eventually, as many as 11 elephants could live there and it will be the largest elephant habitat in North America! We're very excited for Billy, and we're pretty sure he's happy, too!

I'm such a LUSH

It is unfair that night owls like me lose an hour of our precious evening during daylight savings time. I depend on that extra hour of daylight to make me feel like I'm still being productive during the DAY, instead of waiting to do anything until sunset. Meanwhile, the sun is rising before 7 AM, filling our bedroom with light and making me panic that LP has overslept. Moving on. Just saying. Stupid Daylight Savings Time... grumble grumble...

On a lighter note, I just wanted to say how much I adore LUSH. No, I'm not talking about ladies who drink too much. I'm talking about the most amazing body/cosmetics shop in existence. Everything is handmade and fresh, with natural ingredients. A majority of their products are vegan and they NEVER test on animals. They also try to use environmentally friendly ingredients and reduce excess packaging. Plus they smell awesome and work great.

I discovered them waaaaaay back in high school when my family went on vacation to Toronto and bought mail order products from them whenever I felt like spoiling myself. So imagine my delight when I moved out to California and discovered that they were setting up shop all over the place! Less than 10 years ago, they didn't even have stores in America, but now they're all over southern California. Since a lot of the products they make are solid, they're really good for taking on vacation if you don't want to check luggage. I used my recent trip home as an excuse to buy some Lush goodies.

Now, these have been used, so they don't look as pretty as when I first purchased them... But you can tell what a fanatic I am because I have the reusable tins. This past trip I got the seasonal facial cleanser/scrub called Buche de Noel. It has cranberry bits, almond, and brandy. It smells AMAZING and is really good on my very dry, sensitive skin. I also picked up a solid shampoo called Trichomania. You just rub the bar into your hair and it gets super sudsy. This one smells AMAZING, but then, I'm a sucker for anything coconut. I wish it was just a little more conditioning, because I still need a conditioner after it to de-tangle. But it can't work miracles!

Clockwise from top left: Porridge, Buche de Noel, Trichomania

Finally, I got one of my favorite soaps, Porridge. It smells like breakfast: vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange juice, oats... Yum. It lathers really well, exfoliates, and is sort of toning. Makes my skin look really good. The only downfall of porridge is that the little exfoliating bits get EVERYWHERE and it doesn't last as long as I'd like (but that's almost everything that's a Lush solid). I also wish it were a bit more moisturizing. This bar is perfect for me in the summer, but my skin gets SO dry in winter, I probably will try something else when this runs out.

I promise that LUSH did not send me these products... I just love them that much. Adore.

Cooking and Voting and LACMA-- oh my! EPIC POST

Okay. So I'm a slacker. It's Saturday and I'm going to write about Monday through Wednesday. It's been a busy week. So sue me. But it's been a great week and I feel like I've had the perfect blend of productive and fun. I've also been submitting for roles on LA Casting and Actors Access every day. I even booked an audition, but the director changed her dates and I couldn't go at the new time. C'est la vie... but it's nice to be considered, at least.

Monday was spent cleaning the apartment and researching for the Tuesday election. I posted to my other blog, as I wrote about last time, and got tons of hits. It was really a shock. But I felt good about making a conscientious effort towards my voting and made myself a tasty veggie medley to nibble on while I researched. Look at the color! Roasted potatoes, carrots, and red onion with just a little EVOO, fresh thyme and basil, salt, pepper, and fresh sauteed spinach. It was soooo tasty and satisfying! I also made a homemade vegetable stock (LP helped, thanks!) to use for a soup recipe the next day. I hadn't been able to cook as much lately, so I felt great about this. I did all this and worked the dinner shift!

Tuesday was just fantastic. I slept in a little, made myself a healthy berry-banana smoothie and an egg on a bed of spinach, then walked to our polling place with my current and former roommate. Yay for voting! I felt really informed and prepared with my little sample ballot filled out and ready to go.

After voting, I took our five full bins of recycling to the center--a herculean task, I assure you! Turns out we actually had $17 worth of stuff! WOW! There was about 72 lbs of glass alone. And I hauled that around by myself! It makes me glad that we don't throw all of that away. (Random side note: when driving back I was listening to Market Place on NPR and even that reporter commented that on Project Runway, MONDO was robbed. Completely unrelated to the topic at hand, and I totally agree. It just had to be said.)

After that, my friend Amy and I got fancy coffee and shared a crepe at Solar de Cahuenga in Hollywood. Nutella and Strawberries....mmm. Amy swears that she saw Josh Radnor of "How I Met Your Mother" out on the patio where we were sitting. I was completely oblivious, but she was probably right.

We waited until 5 PM, which is the magic hour for me in LA, because after that the LACMA is free to local residents. That leaves 3 whole hours for leisurely browsing before they close. The museum has a great collection for being as small as it is and I've been there quite a bit. And I always have to take a peek at my favorite painting of all. I geeked out the first time I realized it was there!

But we especially wanted to see their newest building and the latest exhibit on the History of Fashion. The clothes were GUH-OR-geous. Amy and I had an interesting conversation about feminism and fashion. She regrets not getting to dress so outstandingly today, but I feel like you can dress however you want... hoop skirts and corset? SURE! But if I felt restricted in my clothing options, you can sure as hell bet that I would rebel against whatever it was I was expected to wear. Even as recently as my mother's generation, girls could get sent home from school for wearing pants. PANTS, ladies! I can't imagine not getting to wear jeans, and I love that I have the option of wearing a skirt if I feel like it, men's clothes if I feel like it. Punk one day and feminine the next. Isn't it FANTASTIC that we have choices? I feel privileged.

I love the outside "sculpture" at the LACMA... its iconic light posts. One of my favorite LA image.

After a couple hours at the museum, I took Amy home and then went home to cook! I used my homemade stock in a Butternut Squash, Green Apple, and Leek soup! I took the recipe from the November/December issue of Vegetarian Times. My brother got me a subscription for Christmas and I definitely want to renew. They have a lot of great ideas and are a major source of inspiration for me. I wanted to test-drive the soup before Thanksgiving. It's one of my favorite holidays and I asked off for it this year so I can really make a feast! My oldest brother hosts, but I always bring something vegetarian. The soup was definitely a winner!

Tuesday was a great day, and I was so eager to make Wednesday great, too. LP got me up early when he forgot his keys, but I thanked him for it because that gave me the time to make Vegan Buckwheat Pancakes for breakfast! From a technical and taste standpoint, these were the best pancakes I've ever made. I even had leftovers that I ate the next morning for breakfast, spread with a little peanut butter (to go!). I spent the rest of Wednesday running errands before going to work at night.

And the rest of this week? Well, I doubt I'll have much time to update, but right now I'm in IOWA for my cousin's wedding! I'm so excited to see family that I haven't seen in two years or more, but I'm not so excited about the chilly weather. Going from 98 to 27 degrees is freaking brutal. But more on that to come!

I Love You, Mac Store

Wow. I had a panic moment yesterday when I woke up and my computer just STRAIGHT UP DIDN'T WORK!

Panic. For real.

Luckily, it was only the video card, which had a known defect and was replaced for FREE! So, thank you, Pasadena Apple Store, for fixing my baby at no cost. I also replaced the battery, which was very, very worth it, and LP upgraded my RAM for me.

Now I'm running on a lean, mean Apple machine! More updates to come, lots of news!

Z and the Zoo!

Baby Z and I had a FANTASTIC day today! Yesterday, she was up at 5:30 AM, but today she let me sleep in until 6:15-- WOW! Now, let's take a moment to recognize that if left to my own devices, I will regularly sleep until noon or later. So, for me to get up that early and stay up without any naps is truly remarkable. I was really afraid that I wouldn't wake up to hear Z cry or be so tired that I couldn't respond to her, but I think I've reacted as well as any mom would.



We had a nice, slow morning, eating breakfast and listening to NPR. After Z's mid-morning nap, we got all bundled up and headed off to the L.A. Zoo!!! LP and I have a yearly membership, so Z and I went for free.


 I was so impressed with her. I put her in the Ergo and she was so comfy and well behaved. I think she really liked it and it was the best way for her to people watch and enjoy the animals.

I also couldn't help myself... I brought Sophie the Giraffe, Zoe's zebra toy, a plush elephant toy to hang from the stroller, and a giraffe print blanket. C'mon, if you go to the zoo, you gotta bring all the wild animal themed gear! 

Holy giraffe, could that be cuter/funnier?

About halfway through the visit, she had some milk and then fell asleep in her stroller and stayed asleep until we got home.

After that, my friend Amy came to visit and we took a walk to Portos for coffee and took a stroll around the block. Then, Zoe had dinner, took a bath, got snuggled up in her PJs and went right off to sleep after a couple bedtime stories.

What a perfect day. Even Spike got some play time! 

 

Auntie Nelle finished off her evening with a big bowl of curried lentils with fresh tomatoes from the garden and creamy goat cheese! Especially nice was getting to enjoy it while watching "Project Runway" on a nice big TV. Go Mondo!!!

Rainy Day Comfort

My dear friend Amy and I went to Intelligentsia  for some yummy lattes in Silverlake today and then walked down to Lark for some FREE cupcakes. If you go in on Wednesday, it's buy one get one free, but if you don't opt for the second cupcake, you get a little card for a free cupcake or 10% discount the next time you come in! How amazing is that? I swear, they don't pay me.

Amy's latte was so pretty that we both took pictures of it. How gorgeous is that?

Tonight is so cool and rainy, I think I might stab an attempt at a vegetarian clam chowder-ish soup. It might be a colossal failure, as I've never seen a recipe like that before. Although I hate to leave my apartment for groceries when I'm so comfy and the roads are all hydroplane-y.

P.S. I've written before about how much I adore Tim Gunn but now that love has grown tenfold. He just posted a video as a message to young LGBTQ teens about how life does get better, urges them seek help, and he shares personal details about his own struggles as a young man. It's very touching and just shows what a wonderful human being he is.

Belle & Sebastian in concert!!!

Yup, Reason #3,456 (or whatever I said) for Loving L.A.

CONCERTS!

Talk about freaking serendipitous. Saturday night I drove a coworker home, so I took a different route home than I normally would. I was driving on Sunset, and as I was passing the Palladium, I saw that BELLE & SEBASTIAN was playing the following night! 

I really wanted to go, but it was late and as soon as I got home I crashed. I had to get up early the next morning for work and didn't have time to see if tickets were still for sale.

As I was sitting around at the start of the shift, polishing glassware, I was lamenting the story to my coworkers. Well, wouldn't you know, one of the guys I work with just happened to be in possession of a pair of BELLE & SEBASTIAN tickets!!!!! A buddy of his wanted to get rid of them, and this coworker offered to try and sell them. Lucky me, I got them at a reduced rate. I asked my brother to come with me since he's the one who got me into them in the first place.

I wish I had some photos of my own to share, but I really hate people who stick their cell phones up in the middle of a show. It's so distracting and the flash is obnoxious. The Palladium is an amazing venue though. Used to be a ballroom back in the day...totally gorgeous. The concert was great. They played a lot of newer stuff I didn't really recognize, and they really pepped up a lot of their songs to have more energy for the show. Coolest part was the full band: four violins, two pianos, two keyboards, drummer, flute, cello, french horn, trumpet, harmonica, recorder.... people played multiple instruments. Talented group for sure.

Mostly, I was just super excited that I got to go on a whim and that it all worked out so perfectly. Plus, I got to hang out with my big brother. Awesome.

Family in L.A.

Moving out to Los Angeles or any other large city can be seriously daunting for some people. My oldest brother moved out to L.A. and didn't know a single person. Not ONE. My Life Partner moved out here and didn't know anyone (well, except that I had a brother he had never met). I moved to the O.C. about six months later. I didn't know anyone in Fullerton (where I went to college) and my roommate was a stranger I had found on some random website. I was pretty lonely, but at least my boyfriend was living in L.A. and I had FAMILY. It was so reassuring to know that I could call one of my brothers and they could be there in a couple hours.

I am so lucky and grateful that I have family in Los Angeles. Not just my Life Partner, but also both of my older brothers. The one recently moved a couple hours south for work, but he's still relatively close. My other brother and his wife live in Burbank, less than 20 minutes away (depending on traffic). They've helped me out of several jams and even let me live with them for a few months, RENT FREE! I owe them both so much.

That's why I am their devoted free babysitter for life! I mean, my baby niece is so cute and squishable and I'm so happy to be an aunt that I would babysit for them anyway... but I also know that those two have done more for me than I can ever give back. So I'm more than happy to give them a night out.

I mean, look at that baby in her rad pajamas! Who wouldn't want to sing her lullabies and read bedtime stories?! Please ignore, by the way, what a hideous photo that is of me (OMG look at that CLAW HAND attacking the baby!!). But Baby Z looks very cute.

LP, me and Z!

Baby Z is also part of the reason I started blogging. Since most of the family lives about 2,000 miles away, my brother started a blog so that everyone could watch her grow. Our grandparents especially love it. If you like looking at cute baby pictures, check it out. When my brother started that blog, I thought, "No way is my baby niece going to have a blog and not me!"

In October, my brother, sister-in-law, and Baby Z are all going to Iowa for a family visit. Again, my grandparents are beyond excited to meet their great-granddaughter for the first time. Lucky for me, I get to house/dog sit while they are gone! A house, a yard, a dog, washer and dryer, and CABLE.... a TV???!!!! Sign me up. Even though it means a longer commute to work, I can handle it for a week. Then, when the family gets back from Iowa, bro and the wife are taking a mini-vacation to celebrate their anniversary. That means three whole days with Baby Z!!! We're going to the zoo and it will be awesome.

While I was baby-sitting last night, I changed the words to American Lullaby to make it a customized bedtime song for Z... I only picked that song because I once learned it for a voice class and it was the only one I could think of...

Hush-a-bye you sweet little Zoe and don’t you cry any more.
Mommy has gone to the editor's office a keepin’ the wolf from the door.
Auntie will raise the window shade high,
So you can see the cars whizzing by.
Home in a hurry each mommy must fly
To a baby like you.

Hush-a-bye you sweet little Zoe and close those pretty blue eyes.
Daddy has got fantasy football league to get his wee baby the prize.
Auntie will turn the Sleep Sheep on
So you can hear a sleepy-time song,
Sung by a lady whose poor heart must long
For a baby like you.

Lucky that Zoe replaces "baby" so well. I also decided that in 2010, it should be Mommy who goes to work, not Daddy....although either would be equally true in their case.

Tim Gunn, please love me!

I adore Tim Gunn.

LOVE. 

Tim Gunn has been promoting his new book around Los Angeles and I KEEP MISSING HIM! I check his Facebook page too late and miss out on his random appearances. A few days ago he was in Santa Monica at the Borders. Missed it. And a few days before that, he was filming at CBS for Craig Ferguson. And guess where I was????? Working NEXT DOOR! I was a mere football field's distance from Tim Gunn and I did not see him.

Tim Gunn, don't you like Italian food? We can be very vegetarian friendly! I know you're into PETA and all that and SO AM I!!!! However, had I actually waited on Tim Gunn, I probably would have fallen to pieces.

...Like the time Eric Idle came in and I kept getting his songs stuck in my head and was whistling in the kitchen and then became paranoid that I would whistle by his table. It's a good thing I wasn't his server because I probably would have said something idiotic.

Post Cold Recovery Part 2

More vegetarian noms today! Hooray! This past week I really, really spoiled myself. I don't think anyone needs even ONE cupcake a week, but sometimes I can cram 3 or more into fewer than seven days. Let's call it a special talent.

Not too far from my place, in Franklin Village, near the UCB theatre, there is an amazing little place called Locali. It's a tiny health food convenience store and deli. I LOVE it.

You can get tons of gluten-free, vegan, free range, organic goodness there. They carry special dietary items or green household products. It's one of the only places where I can find vegan marshmallows at a decent price, and that's what I was craving when I went there. But of course, I couldn't resist. I had to get a Veggie Reuben. Being the German Midwestern girl that I am, I adore sauerkraut and I really do get cravings for delicious messy Reubens. Locali's is THE BEST.

I'm proud of my little camera phone!

Even my LP loved this. He doesn't eat pork or beef, but he thought this was better than most turkey reuben options. Locali didn't end up having any marshmallows in stock, so I'll have to check back sometime soon (perfect excuse!)... but I was able to get this vegan, gluten-free S'MORE cupcake!

It wasn't the best gluten-free cupcake I've ever had. Lark (see previous post) does a flour-less chocolate cupcake that's incredible. It tasted more like a muffin, and I didn't really get much of a S'MORE flavor, but the marshmallow-y topping was scrumptious.

And that's why I LOVE L.A. because I have such a variety of amazing places to try and so many option available to me. I'm a lucky vegetarian.

Post-Cold Recovery

I am a big baby about being sick. HUGE. I stomp around the apartment all day in my pajamas and over-sized bathrobe, demand that my life partner buy me giant cartons of no pulp, low acid orange juice, and I SULK. Big baby. Luckily, I don't get sick very often and this last cold lasted a very, very short time. Even still, I decided to milk it, and spent the past week being lazy (and not writing, obviously) and treating myself to over-priced vegetarian goodies! Hooray!



While I was just getting over my cold, I took a trip to Sunset Junction for a pick me up. The photo on the right is the view from where I parked. I live really close to this area, and if I'd been feeling better, I probably would have biked.

First, I decided to visit Flore Vegan Cafe. Flore Vegan is a super small cafe. If you like people watching and can stand some traffic exhaust, I recommend sitting outside. But the inside is cozy and funky. Like if your Goodwill loving grandmother decided to decorate a vegan restaurant. I've been here with vegan friends before and everything is usually pretty tasty and not too expensive.

I got a big fat Veggie Club with potato salad and a Fresh Ginger Ale. The tempeh "bacon" they used was especially good, but the drink was my favorite part. It had a strong ginger flavor with a lot of kick and it even eased my crushing sinus pressure headache! The ginger ale made me feel SO much better that I decided to reward myself with some cupcakes.   Yes. That IS how my mind works.

I went to Lark Cake Shop, which is my FAVORITE place for cupcakes in Los Angeles. Yes, even more than Sprinkles, which is good, but overrated. I got a vegan Chocolate Orange cupcake. Even though I'm not vegan, this is still one of my favorites. I also tried the Coffee Cake cupcake for the first time. It was tasty, but was pretty much just like coffee cake in cupcake form. I don't know why I was expecting anything different. I wish my photo did it justice. But just look at the gorgeous chocolate frosting! It looks like a rose!

Tune in tomorrow for more tasty treats! I really spoiled myself this past week!