The Red Carpet (or black carpet) for the Hunger Games premiere in Los Angeles last night from about 50 floors UP!
This looks really amazing. I went to the website and signed up. It’s $45 per month and although it’s designed for men, I think some of the items are very unisex (or I can save a particularly “manly” item for my Dad and Brother for Christmas). And anyways, they send me an email before they ship and if I don’t like it, I can just pass on it and not be charged for that month. :) Sounds like a win-win to me!
Bespoke Post - A Secret Package Once a Month
You know, it’s been ages since you got a present. It happens in those early months of the year—people just aren’t getting you presents. Best to take matters into your own hands…
Introducing Bespoke Post, a monthly subscription service doling out boxes of random treasures, taking sign-ups for April packages now.
You’ve seen this before. Just not quite as—what’s the word—good.
The principle: you get a package every month. And in that package could be anything—home bar tools from the guys who outfit Milk & Honey in New York and the Varnish in LA. Or maybe a custom-commissioned waxed-canvas bag with passes to a private airport club for your weekend travel. And, oh yes, a grill kit.
It’s the result of some guys sitting around thinking thoughts like, “What would make my day right now,” brainstorming some answers, putting them all in a box and sending that box to you.
All you’re going to do is subscribe. Toward the middle of the month, you’ll get a package. Then: enjoy its contents. At the beginning of the month, you’ll find out what that month’s package will be. And in case you’ve already got, oh, who knows, an artisan doghouse kit, you’ve got the chance to opt out here when necessary.
It’s probably not going to be an artisan doghouse kit.
THIS is GORGEOUS!!!
Sinuous Guitars
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” would be a good summation of the history of guitar design. Whatever axe you choose to play today, won’t be so dissimilar from the ones the Stones, Zeppelin (unless Jimmy Page brought up a double neck) and older legends carried out on stage with them. While you might not be playing sold-out venues and having your pick of fine young ladies to accompany you to the private billiards room you requested in your rider, you can play a guitar that is a bit fresher than the norm. Sinuous Guitars will appeal to the player who keeps aesthetics in mind. While looking like pieces of art, each Sinuous guitar hugs and flows with your body, allowing for a less rigid playing experience. Just don’t smash it on stage after your set. $1750+
The Disney Cruise!!!
Our 5-year old twins went on a cruise. I’ve never been on a cruise so my kids actually did something before me. Yikes, what’s next?
Tere and I spent our last night of true, kid-freedom very seriously. First, I went on a quick 30-mile bike ride and then rushed home to shower and change before our friends Vickie and Diana arrived to take us on an “adventure”. We had no idea where we were going, what we would be doing, or more importantly, what we would be eating. After 30 minutes in the car and lots of guessing, we arrived at a non-descript warehouse district in Gardena.
I saw it immediately and sort of blurted out – “we’re going Go Kart racing”! And we in fact, did race Go Karts! It was an indoor course with electric Go Karts and loads of fun. We had to strap on helmets and wear these ski-mask looking things over our heads. I was the fastest out of the four of us but we were the slowest out of our entire group. Some 12-year old came in first as if we were standing still. We checked out an amazing Italian restaurant and then settled in for the trip home. Later that night we went to a late night 21+ showing of an R-rated movie with a very happy crowd of hipsters laughing at things that weren’t exactly funny…because they were all drunk! It was fun to be out and about a little bit. READ MORE
I loved the first number of Improv Everywhere videos but then eventually the surprise of it all wore off. Well now they’re BACK and this one’s pretty funny. Check it out!!
Spinning Beach Ball of Death
For our latest mission, a presenter at the TED conference has his talk interrupted by the Mac spinning wait cursor, commonly known as the “Spinning Beach Ball of Death.” As he stands awkwardly and waits, things get weird. Enjoy the video first and then go behind the scenes with our report below.
These look pretty cool …and only $12!
Quirky Wired Headphones
Listening to music when you’re not near your surround sound system should be easy. Your phone holds thousands of songs locally, has access to millions through your subscription service and can even beam music digitally to far off lands. It should be easy to get it from the device into your ears, but it’s not. You can use Bluetooth and skip the cord, but there goes your battery life. You can get wired headphones and try to save some battery life, but then you’ll inevitably spend precious minutes a day untangling those headphones from your bag, keys, pockets and everything within their reach. Not anymore. Quirky’s Wired Headphones are designed with thicker sections in the wire so they easily fold into place. No more jumbled mess, just a neatly folded pair of headphones that also happen to have a three button controller for all that music. All for $12. $12+
The Muppets made a Hunger Games parody!! Hahahaha!!!
I love me some t-shirts….
Sol Angeles
Maybe it’s the mild winter we’ve had here on the east side, but we’re all ready for some sun, sand and the fun that comes along with it. Deeply rooted in the effortless California lifestyle, Sol Angeles is a made-in-the-USA clothing company that prides themselves on creating threads to withstand “rigorous cocktails, sleepovers and racquet sports.” Come to think of it, their signature wave emblem does make us pretty thirsty. $48+
Soooo fun!!
Lazerwood Beats by Dre Skins
You’ve got two options when rocking your Beats by Dre headphones: Look like every other person who happens to have the exact same pair or do what Lil Wayne did, and encrust them with a million dollars worth of diamonds. Frankly, we don’t care for either option. While we do love our Beats, we don’t like to conform to the masses too much, and while we would trick out a pair with some bling, we just used a coupon for a buy one, get one deal at Subway. So what are the options? Well, Lazerwood, the company who makes the custom iPhone cases, has released their Beats skins (or “mods” as they call them). For 35 bucks, your headphones will stand out thanks to the real wood adhesives. Choose either Cherry or Walnut and your Beats will look like they reek of rich mahogany. $35
Coffee has become SUCH a big deal these days. Here’s an awesome little place in downtown LA. :)
Coffee Dictates: Submitting to the Caffeinated Pleasures of Handsome
The center of Los Angeles coffee culture is a fluid as the drink itself.
These days, the caffeine-scenti flock to an odd corner of Downtown’s Arts District, where the new Handsome Coffee Roasters sits across the street from an Italian fabric importer and around the corner from an indoor gun range.
But with your back to the plate-glass windows, you would think this was Abbot Kinney or Sunset Junction rather than a light industrial zone, what with the impeccable staff and clientele: This isn’t where you caffeinate while foggy-eyed and still in sweatpants.
Too bad, because the Fisticuffs Espresso that is the base of the roaster’s “espresso with milk” drinks–offered in 3, 5 or 10 ounces–delivers a fix with the tart, fruity-sweet kick of an expert light roast. And there are pastries from Proof Bakery to be had, including the Atwater fixture’s salt-scattered chocolate chip cookies ($4), which we believe are the true breakfast of champions.
If you tend to add sugar to your coffee, be sure to get a pastry, because Handsome does not offer sugar–or any kind of milk that doesn’t come from a cow.
Yes, they’re coffee Nazis here. But nice, Handsome ones.
Handsome Coffee Roasters, 582 Mateo Ave., Downtown; 323-606-3593 orhandsomecoffee.com
This bicycle shop is LITERALLY in my backyard. A MUST GO this weekend!!!
Redmons Bicycle Shop: Hold on to Your Handlebars
With spring approaching, it’s time to hop on a bike that actually moves (no offense, spin class). Pedal over to Redmons, the sister shop to L.A. Brakeless. Founded by partners Anna Martin, Dave Cargill, and Joshua White, the old-school Mar Vista bicycle boutique (antique road signs, vintage tile flooring) harks back to a time when there was only one speed: cruise.
Creatures of comfort find superior ergonomic design in elegant Dutch models like the Montego Daily Urban and the Gazelle Tour Populair. And a wide selection by everybody’s favorite Cali manufacturer, Linus, satisfies speed demons and easy riders alike.
Fill your basket with nifty accessories, like Brooks England leather grips, stylish saddlebags by Velo Orange and Basil, and Yakkay helmets fashioned as herringbone fedoras.
Don’t want to ride solo? Sign up for a frequently scheduled group excursion.
And set the friendship wheels in motion.
Redmons, 12218 Venice Boulevard, between Centinela Avenue and Grand View Boulevard, Mar Vista (310-313-6600 or redmonsla.com).
I want this!
A Private Tour up the Mozambique Channel
More = better.
Sure, it’s tempting to settle for a single, pristine, private desert island. But we’d like to offer you the following pearl of wisdom.
You can do better. You deserve bigger. You… may want to find a sailboat.
Welcome to Castaway in Mozambique, a privately guided sailing tour of 32 uninhabited Indian Ocean islands, taking reservations now.
Think of this as pirate living on the Mozambique Channel. To be clear, the fun kind, not the Somali and/or Napster kind (relax, there’ll still be rum).
Instead, you, a native crew and any traveling companions/parrots you can tempt along will float on a wooden dhow-style schooner down 40 miles of turquoise coastline. Occasionally docking at exotic reefs, tiny fishing villages and a sacred lake that, according to local legend, might be the Fountain of Youth. Surprising it hasn’t gotten more press, actually.
And when you’re not sailing from one white-sand beach to another, or camping out in the wild, you’ll be treated to some shore leave in a string of well-appointed lodges. One has a rooftop bar. Another, a bedroom suite built between mangrove and baobab trees.
Coincidentally, not a bad place to bury a treasure.
My son was just involved in a “spy group” at his pre-school so this is for him! :)
The Big Book of Spy Stuff
If you’re reading this, which obviously you are, chances are you are not an 8-year-old boy. If you are an 8-year-old boy, kudos for being such a little trendsetter and, remember, don’t scroll through daddy’s website history. For everyone else, yes, The Big Book of Spy Stuff is targeted at a younger demographic, but the truth is, it’s damn enjoyable. Basically, it’s a guide to espionage that sneaks a little bit of history into your cranium in the process. You’ll pick up some tricks, get a lesson in the ethics of spying and do a better job finding out if anyone has been checking your site history. $16
These are GORGEOUS!!!!
Memento Wooden Pocket Watches
Pocket watches are something you don’t see all that often anymore. Unless you happen to be an R&B singer you’re probably not wearing a vest and that’s what they were most commonly worn with. Being part of a period HBO or Showtime drama isn’t a requisite for a pocket watch that looks like these Memento Wooden Pocket Watches. The long chain with the button clip/snap got ditched in favor of a cellphone style lanyard and a convenient belt loop clip. Clip the sandalwood or maplewood model onto your pants and slide it into that tiny fifth pocket on your jeans you used to use for change before the advent of the credit card. Is it necessary? No, but neither is a normal watch that attaches to your wrist and this one probably looks better than that anyway. Besides, how many other people do you know that have pocket watches? $125
Oh wow…I want to check this out!!!
Life After Umami
Tsukemen was usually on our plate when we dined on Sawtelle Boulevard in West Los Angeles last year.
In 2012, though, burgers have usurped dipping ramen at the culinary fetish zone of Little Osaka. That’s thanks to Plan Check, the newly opened restaurant helmed by former Umami corporate chef Ernesto Uchimura.
The restaurant’s name references the neighboring Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety building, but the Suntory whiskeys behind the bar, the panko breadcrumbs baked into the buns, and the oysters with yuzu kosho cocktail sauce speak of Sawtelle’s restaurants more than its bureaucracies.
The Plan Check Burger (pictured; $10) isn’t the flashiest of Uchimura’s patty-and-bun creations, but the ketchup component is inspired: The condiment appears as a thin strip of “leather” laid over the bottom bun. It’s the culinary prophylactic the world of sous-vide burgers has been waiting for, offering spongy bread a shield from the dripping juice of a medium-rare patty.
Uchimura has a brawny ode to Jewish deli food on the menu, too. His pastrami sandwich ($12) is smeared with kimchi mustard and has a fried egg draped over the top slice of bread. The meat itself is treated much like bacon, the fat batons seared to a charred crisp before being loaded onto the sandwich.
Plan Check, 1800 Sawtelle Blvd., West L.A.; 310-288-6500 orplancheckbar.com
I love that Daily Candy has BOTH Friends With Kids AND Hunger Games on their must watch list!!!
Friends with Kids
Maya Rudolph burping babies, Kristen Wiig slapping Jon’s Hamm. Another walk down the Bridesmaids aisle, perhaps? Newbie directorJennifer Westfeldt’s funny baby/mama drama is a grand debut that sticks with what works — but a sequel it is not. Just-friends Jason and Julie (Adam Scott and Westfeldt) skip the complicated “I do” and cruise straight to the Baby on Board bumper sticker. Caution: rocky road ahead.
It’s like: The Next Best Thing after Friends with Benefits.
Take: Parents who reach for the bottle.
Premieres: March 9
The Hunger Games
Don’t act like you’re above it. Now that winter’s gone, we need a new bone to pick — who better than Kat and her beau and arrow in Seabiscuitdirector Gary Ross’s fight-to-the-death thriller? You know the ingredients: a dystopian government and impending doom garnished with an impossible romance. We could go into more detail, but there’s no need to beat a dead (battle) horse.
It’s like: 1984 for the Survivor age. And it’s already slaying Twilight: Eclipse advance-ticket sales.
Take: Your appetite.
Premieres: March 23
Ok, if you live in LA you know about Sprinkles. Now they’re opening an ice cream shop next door? Woah…yummy, yummy, yummy!
Sprinkles Announces 24-Hour Cupcake Access & Ice Cream Shop
If you’re craving a cupcake in the middle of the night, unless you planned ahead and have some on your counter, your only choice might be those nasty ones at your local all-night grocery store. That is, until Sprinkles, one of the L.A.-based bakeries deemed responsible for kicking off the international cupcake craze, launches their 24-hour cupcake access.
Oh, and because that wasn’t enough, Sprinkles is also planning to open an ice cream shop in Beverly Hills, adjacent to their cupcake shop.
Details are scant, but the photographic evidence is on Facebook, where 24-Hour-Sprinkles and Sprinkles Ice Cream already exist.
The 24-Hour-Sprinkles seems to be some sort of vending machine modeled after an old-school ATM. And it’s pink! (Squeeeee!)
We can only imagine at least one of their ice cream flavors will be inspired by cupcakes. But will any of their flavors be inspired by Los Angeles?
No word yet on when either expanded Sprinkle option will be available.
UPDATE 4:45 PM: We got some info from Sprinkles about the ice cream and the 24-Hour access!
Here’s what Sprinkles tells us about their ice cream:
Our ice cream will be hand-crafted American ice cream using only the finest ingredients, staying in line with the Sprinkles philosophy. Scooped into crisp waffle cones, pressed between fluffy cupcake tops or piled high into sundaes topped with housemade sauces and toppings, Sprinkles Ice Cream shop is a back to basics creamery with a Sprinkles twist! Sprinkles Ice Cream will also serve up freshly baked cookies and brownies!
And, yep, that’s pretty much a cupcake ATM, or, as they call it, the “world’s first cupcake automat.” More details:
This automatic cupcake machine dispenses freshly baked cupcakes, cupcake mixes, apparel and even cupcakes for Fido! In the heart of Beverly Hills nestled between Sprinkles Cupcakes and the brand new Sprinkles Ice Cream, 24 Hour Sprinkles will be continuously restocked day and night with a variety of freshly baked cupcake flavors.
This looks like a place I could widdle away an entire afternoon….you?
Oysters in Ventura
We love our local oysters.
The Lunas, Blondes and other oysters raised by Carlsbad Aquafarm are bivalve delights, but slurping them at their freshest, on the street at the Santa Monica Farmers Market, isn’t the most idyllic experience.
Now there is a more pastoral setting for oyster eating in Southern California: a rounded eating trip to Ventura’s beachside shellfish outfit, The Jolly Oyster. (Click here to see the full itinerary–with photos!)
Located just inland of the dunes on the San Buenaventura State Beach, the cobalt truck is stocked with a variety of oysters and clams shipped up from The Jolly Oyster’s Baja California shellfish farms.
The truck doesn’t prepare the mollusks, so pack your oyster knife before you head up the 101. We brought along a cast-iron pan, some herb butter and a bag of wood chips, too, so that we could smoke some oysters on one of the grills that ring the truck.
Everything else you might need, from wine to fish to lemons, can be picked up along the way (click here to see our itinerary).
A delicious beach day awaits you.
The Jolly Oyster, 911 San Pedro St., Ventura; 805-798-4944 orthejollyoyster.com
How fun is this? Indoor snowboarding and skiing in Beverly Hills!!
Snow Skiing in Beverly Hills
The cool thing about life in LA is, go west and you’re surfing. Go north and you’re hiking. Go east and you’re scaling a mountain.
Go to Beverly Hills and you’re snow skiing.
Introducing SkyTechSport Ski & Fit, your new high-tech personal training center for skiing and snowboarding, now open on Robertson Boulevard.
Think of this as a hardcore afternoon on the slopes—without the getting-out-of-town traffic, 17 layers of puffy clothing or… snow. Call or email to book a training session in advance, and when you show up, you’ll strap into a snowboard or a pair of skis. Feels sort of like normal skiing so far.
Except, of course, you’re inside. You’re like three blocks from the Ivy. And your skis are on rails, which are on this giant machine that moves around underfoot to simulate carving your way down a mountain… without actually going anywhere. And yes, there’s a giant screen in front of you to help complete the illusion. All while your trainer offers you tips on form and balance. In short, think of it like Ski Ski Revolution.
Followed by après-ski cocktails on Wilshire.
I love places to hang on the weekends….and these are some damn good tea and nosh locales here in Los Angeles!!
The 5 Best Spots for Afternoon Tea
Suffering from Downton Abbey withdrawal? Drown your sorrows in the Dowager Duchess’s sip of choice at one of these top-drawer spots.
Pinkies up.
Hotel Bel-Air
Channel your favorite Crawley sister (ahem, Lady Mary) at the newly renovated hotel. Wolfgang Puck’s menu satisfies with swoonworthy fare like black truffle grilled cheese, blue crab rolls, and flaky Viennese pastries. Nestle up by the fireplace or commandeer a private booth on the Mediterranean-style terrace overlooking a leafy garden. 701 Stone Canyon Road, Los Angeles (310-909-1644).
Tres by José Andrés
The molecular gastronomy maestro turns teatime ($32 per person) on its head with exotic bites: caviar steamed buns, savory beet macarons with goat cheese filling, and chocolate pop rocks. The Philippe Starck-designed restaurant is equally avant-garde (AK-47 standing lamps, glass stag heads). Brews come straight up (English Breakfast) or with a twist (Nobo Whole Fruit, Hojicha). SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills, 465 South La Cienega Boulevard, between Colgate Avenue and Clifton Way, Los Angeles (310-246-5551).
Rose Garden Tea Room
Refuel with a dainty spread of scones, finger sandwiches, and sweets (brownies, lemon bars) after a ramble around The Huntington’s lush botanical gardens. The relaxed, kid-friendly tearoom fills up quickly, so reserve your spot at least two weeks in advance. The Tea and Tour, a private 90-minute garden journey followed by a full tea service, is worth the $60-per-person splurge. 1151 Oxford Road, off Stratford Road, San Marino (626-683-8131).
Jin Patisserie
Tea aficionados have their cake (Guanaja chocolate with cherry custard, pistachio and almond dacquoise with fresh raspberries) and eat it, too, at Abbot Kinney’s pastry boutique-slash-outdoor tea garden. Steeped in purified water, the blends hail from storied French company Theodor and include such popular flavors as African Breakfast, Rouge Revolution, and Je Ne Sais Quoi (which has a certain something). 1202 Abbot Kinney Boulevard, at Aragon Court, Venice (310-399-8801).
The Peninsula Beverly Hills
The white-glove service at 90210’s sophisticated (but never stuffy) hotel would give Mr. Carson a run for his money. Get your Earl Grey on while enjoying a right proper meal of finger sandwiches (egg salad, smoked salmon), scones dolloped with Devonshire cream, and champagne and caviar.9882 South Santa Monica Boulevard, at Lasky Drive, Beverly Hills (310-975-2736).
That’s the oolong and short of it.