Glass of Win

Kitten Rescue is a non-profit organization based here in Los Angeles. They are good people who volunteer their time & energy to find forever homes for countless cats (and some dogs, too!). Their love, devotion and strict no-kill policy has lead to many happy placements – over 10,000 kitties have found new homes since Kitten Rescue first began in 1997!

Unfortunately, it isn’t as if Kitten Rescue has a money tree growing in their yard. Making sure these kitties have the best care can be quite costly, which is why it is very important to give when and what you can.

For their 3rd Annual FUR-BALL AT THE SKIRBALL I decided to create a mixed-media piece for Kitten Rescue silent auction.

The Patchwork Cat (sans touch ups)

Kitten Rescue’s 3rd Annual Fur Ball at the Skirball

Saturday September 11th, 6-10pm

Skirball Cultural Center
Ahmanson Hall
2701 North Sepulveda Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90049

Hosted by Jenna Fischer

If you are in the Southern California area and can give big, get a ticket for the Annual Skirball. If you’re out of town and can help out, give directly through their website (or sponsor a cat, like my buddy Dexter!). If you’re local and can’t donate directly, please consider becoming a volunteer and/or foster. The kitties will surely love you!

OMG guess what, everybody?

It’s the September issue of The Place L.A. – Los Angeles County Visitor Guide where yours truly has a monthly feature talking about eating in the city of lost angels!

This month is special because it kicks off a new series I am delighted to host: Dining during the Golden Age of Hollywood! That’s right ~ for a few precious months I get to chow down at the still remaining eateries where celebrities from yesteryear used to frequent.

If you don’t have access to the physical magazine FEAR NOT for there is an equally adequate digital edition and you will find yours truly on page eight!

THE PLACE – LOS ANGELES digital edition

I’d hardly call Stan’s Donuts a restaurant, but you get the idea. This is the legendary Stan’s Donuts located in Westwood Village near the UCLA campus. Surrounded by other notable landmarks like Jerry’s Deli and Fox Village Theater.

I’m not even a doughnut person, honestly, but after my mom and I caught the California Gold with Huell Howser special on Stan’s we were convinced that this was THE doughnut mecca and we must make a pilgrimage. Luckily I am in this area a few times a year because my cardiology team – aka Team Rachael! – is located at UCLA medical center.

Custard filled Chocolate-iced Doughnut.

Cheese & Cherry filled Doughnut.

The Huell: Peanut Butter filled Chocolate-iced Doughnut topped with chocolate chips.

Boyfriend had the top two doughnuts and loved them, though his clear favorite was the cherry cheese. He did not see the chocolate cheese doughnut and was kind of bummed about it, but at least he knows what he’ll be ordering next time.

Both mom and I ordered the Huell and let me just say HOLY HOWSER that was a mighty tasty doughnut, and though milk alone makes me gag I can totally understand the allure of having a tall glass of something with these.

If you’re going to be in the Los Angeles area, I highly recommend making it a point to stop in one morning. Who knows, you might even get to meet Stan himself! If you have a friend in the neighborhood – kid at UCLA, for instance – surprise them with an order of Stan’s donuts as they pull that all-nighter for the big final.

Stan’s Donuts
10948 Weyburn Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 208-8660
website

Peanut buttery chocolatey goodness!

QUESTION: Where/what are the best doughnuts you’ve ever had?

After dropping off Boyfriend for a day of class & basketball in Hollywood, my mum and I decided to stick around and go to the Hollywood Farmers Market. I once met Tim Curry here and though I don’t get “star struck” THAT WAS AWESOME because it was Tim freakin’ Curry, the Sweet Transvestite Himself. However, don’t come to celeb-spot because the Farmers Market’s REAL claim to fame is the delicious food, locally grown, organic produce & meat and fabulous L.A. street fashion!
Click “more” for – well, more!
Continue reading

Last Friday there was a big event at Hollywood and Highland (also known as the Kodak Theater, a ginormous mall usually swamped with tourists) commemorating the upcoming Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland film. My friend Loren and I wanted to hit it up because we’re both big fans of Kerli (mentioned here) one of the music artists featured on the Almost Alice album.

There were a lot of people dressed up – some cosplaying directly from the new movie…

…some taking on a more traditional Alice costume….



…and others with their own unique interpretations of the classic children’s story

Loren lucked out and won a Twitter contest hosted by Kerli and got into the “preferred pit” area – which was situated squarely in front of the stage and did not have any over-sized planters blocking the view. The crowd was INSANE – mostly comprised of very eager teenagers who learned about the event via Hot Topic & Myspace.

The Crowd: part one

The Crowd: part two

Kerli, rocking out

We only stuck around for Kerli as the other musical acts weren’t our cup of tea. I knew that Burton, Helena Bonham-Carter and Mia Wasikowaska (Alice) was going to appear, but it was also announced at the event that Johnny Depp was going to show up. HOLY SHIT! Had we been better prepared, Loren and I may have stuck around to see them…but we would have had to listen to a plethora of music not to our liking and screaming 13 year-old’s. Not to mention, our tummies were rumbling so we headed over to 6255 West Sunset Boulevard to dine at The Waffle (review here).

Related Links
Alice in Wonderland Official Myspace
Alice Fan Event – the examiner

you are never too old to have a slumber party with your BFFs

I am going on eighteen months strong of being unemployed. Granted, this was a momentous decision on my part because I decided to leave the field of work I had pigeon-holed myself in for over a decade. A lot of it was very rewarding, but for my health and sanity I had to step away permanently. Unemployment and trying to Make It On My Own has had its ups and downs – the upside being the freedom for creative projects, the downside being the serious hit to my finances.

I budget and take extra caution when spending on anything unnecessary, but I also know that I can’t hole myself away and deny myself a little fun every now and again, especially when I’m going out with the girl-friends. I just have to be wiser about it and be fully conscientious that I cannot spend as willy-nilly as I had previously been able. Here are eleven ways to make unemployment FUNemployment and have a rockin’ time with the girl-friends.

Do a little digging on websites like Yelp and find out which bars/restaurants have the best happy hour deals. Which days will a restaurant have more bang for your buck? Which establishments don’t charge for meal sharing? If they serve big portions, make sure to grab the leftovers and stretch the meal. Check your favorite bar/restaurants websites to see if they’re on Twitter, Myspace or Facebook since they may have deals strictly for their followers/friends/fans.

Have a girls night in! Movie night with popcorn and other snacks, or chip in together for pizza. Better yet, make it a slumber party and play games like truth or dare, or give each other make overs, new hair styles and manicures.

Pack a picnic for an outing to the park.

Google or call all of the local museums and find out which day is the most inexpensive. Many museums have deals in their late afternoon hours or one day a week or month that is free or discounted entry such as every Thursday from 5pm-8pm is free at Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. Discover smaller art galleries in your city, like Gallery Nucleus in my neighborhood.

au revoir simone enjoys a day at the museum of art

Find your local discount theater for cheaper movie outings.

Change up the retail therapy bonding sessions by swapping the mall and other big, all-too-tempting retail outlets for thrift stores, flea markets, swap meets, and used bookstores.

Start a book club with your friends! (not-so-secret secret: borrowing books from the library is free!)

Have a game night with boardgames and/or cards. You’ll be amazed how much fun a good game of Apples to Apples is.

Toast to friendship; it’s stronger and lasts longer than unemployment

Forget that expensive bar tab; have the girls raid their own booze stash and head on over to Mixology to play bartender. If anyone has a little too much, they can stay safe by crashing on your couch. You won’t draw on her forehead…much.

If you do have a little cash flow and have been itching for a girls getaway, think about traveling off season, buy group discount tickets and sign up for fabulous programs like Couch Surfing or think about farm/home stays. Blogs like Yes and Yes are very well-versed with travel advice.

Throw an Unemployment party with all of your other unemployed pals. Have a clothes/household items/recipe swap, a cooking/baking party and make it a potluck! Making it a sewing adventure by taking scraps of nearly bit-the-dust clothes and patching them onto clothes that still have a bit of life in them. People will think you paid a fortune for that designer ‘patch’ look.

Remember that quality friendship is about enjoying the time, not the money, you spend with one another. Take comfort in the knowledge and security that you have each other in these trying moments of our lives.

Further Reading
100 Free Things to do in Los Angeles
100 Free (or nearly) things to do in D.C.
100 Free things to do in New York City
Free things to do in London
Free Europe.com

images source source source. Thanks, spicy, for help with the title!

I’ve said it before and I will say it a thousand times over: When in Los Angeles, never, ever turn your nose up to “strip mall” cuisine. You never know what gem you may be missing out on by snubbing an eatery based on its location. Real estate here ain’t cheap, and these small, family owned restaurants cannot always afford the prime spot on the boulevard. They have to make due where the rent is affordable and hope that the integrity and quality of their food spreads across the South Land here and keeps them afloat. Such a place is Polka, a Polish cuisine joint based in Eagle Rock, going on 16 years strong. It is only one of two Polish restaurants in Los Angeles.

My sister casually mentioned wanting to go there as a belated birthday dinner, and once we were able to coordinate all of our schedules (there is seven of us) we were set. A word of warning: make reservations as soon as you know how many in your party and when you want to go! We were fortunate to have been squeezed in tonight, when I only called it in this afternoon! That’s practically unheard of, as Polka is a well-beloved staple with a healthy number of regulars.

Inside is cozy and adorable. The only hyphenated word to describe the decor would be Euro-kitsch. Tchotchke, bricka-back galore, with signs, glassware, clocks, all kinds of trinkets placed all over, in a hutch separating the kitchen and dining rooms, walls, even the tables have a plethora of candelabra, vases and other such knick-knacks. However, it’s not regurgitated pop-culture ornamentation, as one would experience at T.G.I. Fridays and the like, but homey and thoroughly European.

Deer Crossing sign


A collection of lamps on a hutch behind our table

The menu is divided in three price ranges – dinner prices: $15.99, $17.99, $19.99 – and with each meal comes four courses: soup, salad, entree, dessert. The soup was tomato with chunks of bow-tie pasta (both regular and spinach) and the salad was a refreshing mix with delicious dressing from Sesame Delight, crafted by Polka owner, Katherine Dabrowski.

Tomato soup with chunks of bow-tie pasta

Light salad with Sesame Delight dressing

There is a sizable selection of teas – especially herbal – and the staple Polka tea “freshly brewed blend of fine teas with a few drops of Rum.”

Dandelion root tea in a very tall teacup!

Zywiec pale lager

I was careful to make notes of what my family ordered and it is as follows:
My mother ordered: #15 BIGOS: Polish Hunter Stew, consisting of mix of stewed sauerkraut, mushrooms, Polish sausage and chunks of pork.
My brother and sister-in-law ordered: #11 KRÓLEWSKI: A combination plate of pieorgi, stuffed cabbage with seasoned pork & chicken, and beef stew (gulasz)
My sister ordered: #8 GULASZ: Beef stew with mashed potatoes
My brother-in-law ordered: #1 KIELBASA: Spicy broiled Polish sausage
My niece ordered: #10 JAROSZ: The vegetarian platter consisting of hot veggies, soybeans, meatless pierogies, potato dumplings, and stewed mushrooms.
I ordered: #4 WATRÓBKA: Chicken livers boiled with onions & garlic. I also ordered a side of garlic potato dumplings.

All seven of us were fantastically delighted with our meals. Anything that did not get eaten was immediately packed up for tomorrow’s lunch. All of our entrees came with a variety of vegetables as well, mostly carrot, corn, a dollop of mashed potatoes and green beans. Everything was cooked to perfection.

Delicious chicken livers with veggies

Gulasz aka beef stew with mashed potatoes & veggies

Last, but certainly not least, we were served our dessert: homemade vanilla pudding with sour cherries and a dollop of cream generously sprinkled with nutmeg. It was served in a dainty little dish, just the perfect size to not feel overwhelmed. (Between you and I, though, I could have totally gobbled up a trough of that stuff.)

May I have some more?

Polka is time and money well worth spent, and I am looking forward to returning there again. You can learn more about Polka from these links:
Polka – main restaurant
Polka on California Gold with Huell Howser

Note: Please pardon the reddish tinge to my pictures; the lighting in the restaurant was mostly candlelight and assorted colored lights.

Hello Kitty celebrates her 35th birthday this year, and for the last few weeks Royal/T – a cafe, store and gallery – has been playing host to a wealth of Hello Kitty themed events. Friday, November the 13th was the Bats & Cats Masquerade, produced by the two women of Bubble Punch, welcoming all of those dark at heart to come out in their spooky finery and enjoy the Hello Kitty themed festivities.

I went with @Kitten Teeth (of Kitten Teeth vintage) and even though we arrived early we still ended up waiting an exceptionally long time to be let in. I wouldn’t really have minded except it was a very chilly night and I do not hold up well in cold weather. Regardless, once in the fun was ON and it was truly a spectacle to partake in, a feast for the eyes and Hello Kitty enthusiasts as art, products and cuteness were everywhere. Picture taking was a challenge as the crowd was gigantic, but we managed to snap quite a few images anyway Continue reading

I never fail to draw a blank when people ask me what there is to do in Los Angeles. It’s not that I am at a loss for activities because there are none, it is that I am overwhelmed by all of the possibilities. Though I’m rarely surprised about much of anything that goes on Los Angeles, I am constantly delighted when I discover new (as in, new to me) events to attend like last night’s: Madex’s Guerrilla Drive-In a free monthly movie event held in a downtown Los Angeles parking lot.
I first heard about this event from Bored L.A. and once my friend Loren expressed an interest we decided to head off!

In true Prairie girl geek fashion, I had to gussy myself up just a tad because the movie in question is Return to Oz, featuring one of my favorite prairie girls of all time, Dorothy (played by the adorable and talented Fairuza Balk.) I don’t have any head-to-toe shots, but you get the idea from this picture I’m sure:

Dress: Festival from ModCloth | Tights from Forever 21 | ankle boots by Naturalizer

We first stopped by a local Asian noodle house – but the food left me feeling gross and nauseous all evening so I am not going to post my pictures, except for Loren’s salted plum club soda beverage:

She loved it.

After questionable foodage, we drove into downtown proper and found the location of the drive-in. The movie is projected on a wall in a downtown Los Angeles parking lot. We arrived a little bit early and grabbed a great space. Until it’s show time, this is the projected image that welcomes movie-goers:

There is a food cart provided by The Frankenstand which features plant-based gourmet franks. Honestly, I wish I had I done a little more research about the food at the drive-in as I would have skipped over the nasty noodle place and eaten veggie franks. Next time!

Food!

Many people camped out in front, bringing pillows, blankets, and chairs with them. It was a little too chilly for my thin, anemic blood, so Loren and I stayed in the cozy comforts of her car. We promise to come out and socialize when the weather gets a little warmer.

Front row seats!

Promptly at 8:00pm, the radio station we were instructed to tune into sprang to life and the projections began. There was a fantastic old fashioned pre-show which included cartoons of the politically incorrect nature, vintage B-movie trailers like the infamous Sly Stallone porn Italian Stallion and my personal favorite, the heavy metal snack bar food group giving us our theater viewing warnings:

The pretzel and the ice cream rock out


As the gumdrop lead singer warns us not to crinkle our wrappers too loudly!

At last, it was time for our feature presentation of Return to Oz, one of my personal favorites. I managed to keep my inner child geek locked away and not recite lines, thankfully.

One of Disney’s finest, if I do say so myself.

The whole evening was very exciting, and as I lack the recollection of previous drive-in movie attendances made before the age of six, I consider last night to be a real treat that I would love to repeat in the future. Plus, how can you beat the price of FREE? Notes for next time: eat dinner there and bring a bag of freshly air-popped popcorn on my own!
Until next time, a big thank you to everyone who puts on the Guerrilla drive-in!