Around Town - Blonds and Bombs on Rodeo Drive

The usual view on Rodeo Drive

and the unusual view

Here is a photo of the corner of Brighton Way and Rodeo Drive
where the street is blocked to traffic because the police found a suspicious suitcase with wires

So far no loud booms and all is quiet
we're good to go!

OK...so I got the rumor on the bomb scare.
Inside of the mysterious suitcase there was a script that had been delivered to a literary agent to read. 
The agent thought it was not worth reading and tossed it in the garbage in the alley...but missed the giant trash receptacle and the case ended up on the side of the alley.
Bomb Squad Blows Up Movie Script Meant For Agent In Beverly Hills

Around Town - A Midsummer Night's Art Opening

The highlight of last weekend was viewing some amazing paintings by Los Angeles artist, Lois Howard.

I'd seen a few of Lois's paintings before but never grouped together in a show

and they were sensational.

Her work is influenced by the time that she has spent living in Japan and in Europe.  Much of her work includes specific motifs such as fans and mandalas, representing the the circular nature of life

and jelly fish...and I have no idea what they represent

You can see more of her paintings here

Lois Howard Art

The show was held at the Harris & Ruble Art Gallery in Hollywood

Here are the gallery owners, Alan Harris and Marcella Ruble.
Marcella is an artist, sculptor, historian, philanthropist, gourmet cook and crack lawyer
yeah I know...how can all that talent be in one woman.

This was one of my favorite paintings.

and I adored this painting...unfortunately it was out of my budget

I wore my summer cotton cocktail dress by Milly
and yellow gold bangle bracelets from Beladora.com
As you can see, I'm still pretty dark thanks to plenty of Jergins self tanning lotion
I know, we aren't supposed to tan anymore...
but I'm contrarian and I still do

After the show it was off to dinner with friends at Pane e Vino in West Hollywood.
We sat inside but the restaurant has a very lovely terrace which is lovely for a summer night
The service was slow...so slow in fact that I think that they forgot our order
even so, I would go definitely go back
but next time I'm ordering a pizza!

Around Town - Artspace Warehouse

I finally made it to the Artspace Warehouse
the gallery for fine art at a reasonable price
and you know how much I appreciate quality at an affordable price

With galleries in Cologne, Zurich and Los Angeles

the galleries showcase works by emerging European and US artists

There were several pieces that I liked
and I might have purchased a painting... or three
by the Swiss artist Zanre

I told you that I was going to rock the vintage 1970s jewelry from Beladora.com
and I did!

Happy Monday

Around Town - Beautiful Balboa Island

It's snowing like the dickens in mountains of Colorado.
Meanwhile it's bright and sunny in Southern California.
I was fortunate to be able to spend the morning at a beautiful house on Balboa Island in Newport Beach
It was gorgeous.

There is nothing like being on the water on a sunny day to make you feel like summer is finally on the way!

Let the weekend begin!

Around Town - Shakespeare on a Saturday Night

For years Los Angeles battled a bad reputation as a cultural wasteland. 
Certainly no one can say that today with 3 world class museums (Getty, LACMA and MOCA)
a handful of smaller art institutions (Hammer, Weisman, SMMOA, Huntington)
and the Music Center with its multiple stages for the LA Philharmonic, the LA Opera, and multiple dance companies and theater productions.
Yet no one can argue about the problem with traffic in this city, making any drive to downtown or Mid-Wilshire to see an event at Disney Hall or LACMA a unpleasant experience.
So, what could make me happier than to discover a world class cultural venue right down the street from chez BHB, The Broad Stage in Santa Monica.

The architecture of the intimate 500 seat main stage is amazing. Literally, there's not a bad seat in the house.
Inspired by Italian “horseshoe” theaters, yet conceived in an absolutely contemporary vernacular, The Broad Stage is an artist’s dream and an audience’s delight. Unlike any performance space in the country, it is sublimely intimate with 499-seats and strikingly grand at the same time – allowing eye contact with artists from the boxes to the back row –forging a new kind of artist and audience experience in Los Angeles. Theater, dance, film, operas, musicals, symphony and chamber orchestras will be presented on one of the city’s largest proscenium stages.

And the programs are diverse from opera recitals to modern jazz, from Shakespeare to world music, from Baryshnikov to Savion Glover (tap dancing), yes there is something for everyone.

Last night at the Broad I saw a contemporary Wall Street style staging of The Merchant of Venice starring F. Murray Abraham as Shylock. Academy Award winner Abraham was excellent, as was Kate MacCluggage who played Portia.  The rest of the cast was good, but none of them were Kenneth Branagh, if you know what I mean.  Still it was definitely worth seeing.  Here's the review from the LA Times.

Past performances have included the classic with Musica Angelica: A Grand Handel Gala and The Glory of the Hapsburgs: Imperial Music of the Vienna Court and the contemporary Sam Harris with the Section Quartet and Cambodian Rock Dengue Fever.

Like I said, something for everyone.

So if you are looking for something to do in Santa Monica, besides sauntering down the 3rd Street Promenade or shopping at Santa Monica Place, I suggest that you check out the upcoming performances at Broad Stage.

Vintage Value Venture - Make Mine Mid-Century

The heat is on...
well almost with Summer just around the corner
and for summer nights in Beverly Hills you want to be outdoors
preferably sipping cocktails in your poolside cabana
amid the Mid-Century decor at the Mosiac Hotel

and since orange is the color of the season,
you might as well go all out in this vintage orange cocktail dress

1960's  Beaded Orange Cocktail Dress from Couture Allure $125

How amazing is the back of this dress

I remember my mother wearing low backed dresses like this waaay back in the day

Naturally a vintage handbag is in order

Vintage Dyed Cobra Clutch from VintageSkins.com $220

and keep it comfortable, leave the heels at home

and choose summer sandals instead

these from Kate Spade even have Mod-ish ball thingys...very 1960s

Kate Spade Fawna Sandal from Nordstrom.com $285

Vintage Mid-Century jewelry?

well but of course...

the big bold coral ring from 1960's Beverly Hills master jeweler to the Stars, William Ruser

Mid-Century Ruser Coral Ring in 18K from Beladora.com $3850

and some fab carved coral and diamond earrings

Mid-Century Coral and Diamond Earrings in 18K $3850

Don't you wish that Summer was here already?

Around Town - A Small Birthday Bash At La Sandia

My girlfriends and I have a tradition of celebrating each other's birthdays by going out to dinner.  Last night we had a great dinner party for my glamorous friend Lillian at La Sandia restaurant located upstairs at the new and improved Santa Monica Place.
You can't be a native southern Californian and not have an appreciation for fine Mexican food. It's nurture food for me because I've been noshing on it my entire life.  But strangely, here in Mexico Norte, or rather Los Angeles, great Mexican cuisine is actually difficult to find.  Mostly we have chain restaurants and taco stands. Fortunately, with Mexico City raised and Culinary Institute trained uber chef Richard Sandoval, we now have La Sandia.

Margarita's and freshly made guacamole were the first course....naturally. Followed by  shrimp ceviche and quesadillas and then entrees of traditional dishes of chile relleno, carnitas, soft tacos, etc.,
and of course more margaritas.

Dessert was a delicious trio of traditional Mexican sweets stepped up a notch with a sparkler.

La Sandia is now my local go to place for margaritas and quality Mexican food.

Hopefully, the next Richard Sandoval restaurant that I try will be Ketsi at the Four Seasons Hotel in Punta Mita.

I can dream...

Around Town - Keeping Up With Kristopher at the Soho House

It's hard for me to keep down the smug this week after lunching with lifestyle blogger, tech guru and girl about town, Kristopher Dukes, at the uber exclusive private club, the Soho House. 

The Soho House is situated in the renovated former private penthouse of architect Charles Luckman on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood.
According to Luxist.com
The building is a Sunset Strip classic, 9200 Sunset's three-story 50,000 square-foot office building was built in 1964 and the 14-story high rise was built in the early 1970s both by renowned American architect Charles Luckman. Luckman is a fascinating figure, not just an architect but a business man who was named the president of the Pepsodent toothpaste company in 1939 at the tender age of thirty and later became the president of Lever Brothers. After helping to plan the Lever Brothers' New York skyscraper, Lever House, he rediscovered his childhood love of architecture, resigned the presidency of Lever Brothers, moved to Los Angeles and began a second career in architecture. Luckman's firm went on to design the Prudential Tower in Boston, Madison Square Garden in New York City and the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston.
After the Lever House and the Prudential Tower, it isn't surprising that Luckman was behind some of the most famous buildings in Mid-Century Los Angeles
including this famous landmark restaurant at the center of LAX that he designed with Paul Williams

It was the place to dine for the jet set crowd of the early 1960's

This Jetsons style building is still cool

Luckman was also the architect who designed the another Mid-Century landmark 

The Los Angeles Forum

At any rate, Luckman's former 1970's penthouse home, with its 360 view from the snow covered mountains behind downtown LA to the Pacific Ocean, is an amazing place for the Soho House.

After valet parking in the subterranean garage, I took a private elevator to the lobby which was decorated in subdued style except for being dominated by a huge center marble staircase.

Upstairs, there was an interior bar and restaurant and a open air glassed walled garden restaurant complete with mature olive trees and sunken pools with water lilys.

This is the photo of the garden room from the Soho House website.  Beautiful isn't it?

I would have taken a photo of my lunch with my iPhone, but there was a strictly enforced no photography policy.

Given the fact that the members are primarily from the film, media fields and creative industries, the no photo policy allows them to relax without worrying about seeing their photos show up on TMZ the next.

As expected the hip factor was way high,

with surrounding tables filled with agents, actors, fashionistas and gallery girls,

but the service was excellent and the food was delicious. 

Is the exclusive club worth joining?

If you are a celebrity or public person and you want somewhere to hang out where the paparazzi and the hoi polloi won't bother you, certainly.

For a non entertainment type, maybe...assuming you can acquire the required recommendations by two Soho House members and come up with the annual membership dues. 

Great food, breathtaking view, cool crowd...it just might be worth the money.

BHB blogging will be off for the next few days as I will be out of town.

But as usual, I will be reading all of your blogs.

Around Town or Angelina Jolie and Me

As promised, we saw snow on Rodeo Drive last night....well maybe not snow but snow flakes at least floating around in the air.  How this was done I don't know, but I assume that they used the same process as they do for creating snow for the movies.  After all, Hollywood is the next town over.

It was crowed in the street and the restaurants. I wasn't so sure about the stores.  And the mood was definitely jolly in the way that sparkling holiday decorations and a spectacular Christmas tree makes one feel. Unfortunately, I didn't get to really enjoy the street because as I was leaving my office, there was a demonstration by the PETA people right outside of my building.  I was wearing a vintage fur jacket and naturally wanted to avoid the yelling PETA people so I slipped out the back way and walked down the alley.

Our partner offices, Kazanjian Brothers Inc., were having their Christmas party last night so I stopped in for a little glass of champagne.  Next door to KBI, Bob Procop, jeweler to the rich and famous and formally head of Asprey and of Garrard recently opened his new office.  Not only has Bob has been working with Angelina Jolie on developing a new line of jewelry to benefit her charity, he provided jewelry for her new film 'The Tourist", including the magnificent antique Edwardian diamond collar necklace.

And guess who just had to try on the beautiful diamond collar for herself, channelling her inner Angelina.  Yes, it definitely was my kind of jewelry...

hint, hint, hint...to anyone looking to spend more than $1 million on my Xmas gift...

I was loath to take it off and give it back to Bob...but the jewelry that I had been wearing, chocolate and white south sea pearl necklace, bracelet and earrings in rose and white gold, actually went better with my heather brown Michael Kors sweater and pencil skirt. 

To add to my story, yesterday afternoon I had to run an errand and as I was waiting to cross Wilshire Boulevard, the most exquisite brunette driving a Range Rover was stopped at the red light in front of me.  It had to be Angelina Jolie...or her doppelganger.  She was so beautiful.  I've seen her before in Beverly Hills, and she is truly stunning.

For the record, in case you hadn't guessed, I'm on team Angelina because that woman can do everything... and she can save orphan children.  Talk about a multitasker!

I can't wait to see her new movie.

 

Around Town - Deck The Hills with SNOW!

Having recently seen the photos of the snowy streets of Paris,
including this image from the blog God, I Love Paris

I was thinking how nice it would be to have a little real winter weather in Beverly Hills

Well, apparently the weather gods (or the Rodeo Drive Committee) are granting me my wish

WEATHER FORECAST:

100% CHANCE OF SNOW FOR BEVERLY HILLS ON THURSDAY, DEC. 9

Mark your calendar for Thursday, Dec. 9 from 6-9 p.m. as Rodeo Drive and the City of Beverly Hills celebrate the Holiday Season with SNOW 90210 and a 100% chance of snow.

The tony city, that averages a 70 degree high temperature, a 73% chance of sunshine and a chilly low temperature of 52 degrees in early December, is guaranteeing a blizzard over 3 blocks of famed shopping street Rodeo Drive and also on Brighton Way.
The brainchild of the Rodeo Drive Committee, SNOW 90210 is based on the highly successful Fashion’s Night Out

I've been in a bah humbug mood all month, probably because there is so much to do and I can't seem to catch up. But I think that a stroll around the neighborhood tonight might be just the thing to put me in the proper Christmas spirit.

Around Town - Tis The Season For Tea At The Montage

After complete craziness at the office this past week, I was pleased to be able to enjoy yesterday afternoon at a holiday tea at the Montage Hotel. 
Only a block and a half from my office, and one of the prettiest places in Beverly Hills, the panelled library off of the lobby lounge with its cozy fireplace, was the perfect place to catch up with the ladies over a glass of champagne and a beautifully served tea.

Here's how the table was set....unfortunately, I am incapable of taking a good photo with my iphone
so here's an image from the Montage website. Isn't the hand painted china pretty?

I must admit that I do appreciate this whole afternoon tea thing...it is a great way to de-stress.
What I want to know is if the United States was primarily settled by the English, how is it that America lost this great English tradition?
Does anyone know?