The Girl You Heard It From

maybe this time?

noreply@blogger.com (TheGirlYouHeardItFrom) — Wed, 11 May 2011 15:24:00 +0000

Gonna try again. Wordpress (who hosts the blog of my client - My Little Flower Shop) is supposed to look at Blogger to find blogs that link to Wordpress blogs, but has yet to find the links I post here. Take 6. No, not the terrible band. Actual take 6.

Hey! How about that terrific blog for that cool flower shop in Palm Springs?

K well, two links may be overdoing it, but whatever. we'll see what happens.

Girl, Out!

noreply@blogger.com (TheGirlYouHeardItFrom) — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:38:00 +0000

I'd be so happy if I could figure out why the links I'm creating here to the "real blog" aren't showing up in it's search in the dashboard wingding that searches other blogs for mentions. How am I supposed to know when Oprah talks about how brilliant my writing is on her blog if my blog doesn't find it? Oh - and get this. Some person called the owner of the business I'm writing for and offered to help him with his google search results. When he said no, she did the hard sell thing, and he said no again. So she went and posted something nasty about his attitude on Yelp under reviews for his business! Yelp can really be a double edged sword. I've heard of businesses getting good reviews "filtered" while crazy-people reviews stayed up - from people like this woman who never even vsited or used the business. The digital age makes things hard sometimes. Over and out.

blogging is hard!

noreply@blogger.com (TheGirlYouHeardItFrom) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 20:46:00 +0000

Remember when there was a Barbie doll out that said "math is hard" and everybody was up in arms? I feel a little dingy these days when I'm trying to learn about SEO and linking and etc. There's actually a Barbie out (or at least there was - I don't know if she caught on) that was a computer programmer. She probably didn't say "HTML is hard!" My favorite story from that original controversy was this guerilla group of toy protestors who switched the chips in talking Barbies and GI Joes. So Joe was the one who chirped about his algebra issues, and "let's go shopping!" while Barbie said "Eat lead, Cobra!" Back to the grindstone of wedding and floral reportage, in the test environment. Girl, out!

The Internet Bride - Confused Yet?

noreply@blogger.com (TheGirlYouHeardItFrom) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 16:47:00 +0000

Fun blogs about wedding planning can be so ubiquitous - you hardly know where to look. The trick is to find someone whose voice you like, and read them for a while. If you feel you're getting good information, maybe follow them on Twitter. If not, by all means, move on. There's no one person who has all the answers, and you're probably best off picking a few websites to check out and a few bloggers whose posts you'll enjoy through the planning process. There will be blogs on big sites, like the Knot or WeddingChannel.com, but there will also be small individual vendors with blogs, and that's who I'm posting about today, a new blog that's come to my attention that's fun and quirky and of interest to SoCal brides in general, and also to Palm Springs/Palm Desert brides in particular. My Little Flower Shop is a floral and event design business in Palm Springs, and they've recently started building an online presence. In the process a great humorous blog has emerged that offers observations about wedding planning from the planner''s perspective that is a little unvarnished. It's not quite your breathless perfect wedding type prose which, to be honest kind of drives me crazy. It hasn't been going long, so I don't know about consistency, but it's worth checking out. Here's a recent post about a royal wedding - and not the one you're thinking of. Enjoy!

noreply@blogger.com (TheGirlYouHeardItFrom) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 21:59:00 +0000

http://mylittleflowershop.wordpress.com

OK, so I'm testing...testing

noreply@blogger.com (TheGirlYouHeardItFrom) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 21:40:00 +0000

I'm back, but I set this so I have control over who can read it (mwah hah haha hahah) see, that's my lame-o attempt at a maniacal laugh. anway, it'll be good for me to have a place to post links, to test stuff, and generally futz around as I learn the art of this Social Networking jazz before I ask anybody to pay me real cash money to do it. Plus I can be as weird as I want to be 'cause, well, I'm my nly reader! So: the task at hand is to link to Greg & Al's floral design business blog and see if it works - I'm getting the swing of this SEO business, and apparently that ups your pageviews or whatever. I don't know if anybody actually has to see the link, or click on it for it to mean anything, or if it can just be out there as a 'bit' of information to be optmizable. Here goes!

will report back as needed. Stay tuned. Do you believe we're gonna have to explain that to kids? They're not gonna have to tune anything.

You be illin’ !

noreply@blogger.com (TheGirlYouHeardItFrom) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 22:58:00 +0000

You got a flu shot. You take your Flintstones. You mainline Emergen-C, and wash your hands compulsively when Phyllis in accounting starts sniffling, and yet, you, paragon of health and wellness, are 'illin. So, to make it through, here are some survival strategies for those dark days (or in L.A., bright sunny days - which makes it worse) when you just feel like hell.

Seek out people to bring you stuff. The less you have to leave the house, the better (for you, and the rest of us paragons of health and wellness out there). Friends who are self employed are often both compassionate AND conveniently have a meeting in the general direction of your apartment. Other brave souls who are fond of you will ask if you need anything. It is in our upbringing to say "Oh gosh no, I'm fine" but this is the time to graciously accept help, and even ask for it! No gorgeous redheaded attorney soup-bringers, or brave Jedi knights bearing Sudafed to ride to your rescue? Never fear. Put on your best Southern accent and surrender yourself to the kindness of strangers.

A mission of matzo ball soup mercy: Both Canter's and Greenblatt's deliver, and frankly, anyone who shows up at your door with hot soup is your friend, even if you've paid them to come. The soup, by the way, does not need to be matzo ball. Good chosen-people-certified won-ton soup is readily available for delivery at Chinese restaurants all over town. Order some General Tso's chicken or another spicy dish while you're at it- helps clear the sinuses.

A nose in need: Whether you need Puffs, sudafed, or just some Campbell's chicken noodle, there are many options for having your grocery needs taken care of without leaving the comfort of that nest you've built on your sofa. In WeHo and SaMo, there's Yummy.com, the rest of you unfashionable people will have to make do with Vons. Stock up - if you're going to pay a delivery fee, buy some staples to go along with your bare bones order. Heavy stuff you don't want to schlep yourself is a good way to fill out those empty bags.

Finally feeling right but appalled by your pallor? The professionals at Spa Ici (Francais for "here") will come to your house and give you a massage, a spray tan, and teach you how to apply blush properly. And voila...you're back at your desk. When, natch, Walter, in Finance, starts to cough. Will somebody please send him home before the whole building catches it? No more colds this year for

The Girl You Heard It From

Canter's Deli

www.cantersdeli.com

Greenblatt's Deli

http://losangeles.metromix.com/restaurants/jewish/greenblatts-deli-and-fine-hollywood/37816/content

Chinese restaurants:

Twin Dragon (Pico & La Cienega) http://picotwindragon.com

Mao's Kitchen (Venice Beach and WeHo locations) http://maoskitchen.com

China Chef (Beverly & Crescent Heights) http://losangeles.menupages.com/restaurantdetails?restaurantid=27088

Grocery delivery:
Yummy.com

www.yummy.com

Vons

www.vons.com

ICI travelling Day Spa

www.spaici.com

Craigslist Treasure of the day:

Somewhere between the break-out and the smokey fajitas, he fell in looooooooooove.

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/mis/1018689737.html

Universal Rules

noreply@blogger.com (TheGirlYouHeardItFrom) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 18:29:00 +0000

When I think of the abhorrent simulacra of the Los Angeles experience known as Universal CityWalk, I am reminded of the advice given to young English brides in the early nineteenth century regarding their wedding nights: “Close your eyes and think of England.” If you, as an Angeleno, or a sophisticated traveler should happen to have visitors or travelling companions who are dying to go on the Universal Studios tour, by all means go. The tour is kitschy fun. Being splashed by a geriatric mechanical shark is a seminal Los Angeles moment. If theme parks make your skin crawl, and you cannot fall back on The Girl You Heard It from’s favorite “give them the map and the car keys” method of entertaining, close your eyes, and think of the other genuine, unique and wonderful parts that combine to form the City of Angels. Put those thoughts to work immediately by refusing to eat at CityWalk.

Here are tasty substitutions for one the chain restaurants that make me want to slit my wrists with the butter knife when I am forced there, the odious Buca Di Beppo. There two great options within spitting distance (Don’t actually spit, you may not get seated). First is the flashy iteration of Los Angeles’ oldest Italian restaurant, Miceli’s which features red and white checked tablecloths, plenty of chianti and, wait for it, singing waiters. The food, admittedly, is not spectacular, but it is a fun experience created by Angelenos rather than a focus group in Houston. (Want the historic 1940s Los Angeles Italian experience without schlepping to the valley? Head to Miceli’s older location in Hollywood. Want to tell the girl you heard it from she uses too many parentheses? Feel free! Love to hear some comments from someone besides my Dad. Love you Dad)!

Carmen and Sylvia Miceli, approximately 1955

A mellower local Italian option would be Zach’s Italian Café, an unassuming little house on Ventura Boulevard (with rock star parking built in – their own lot right in front) that happens to hold a fabulous Italian restaurant. The menu is wide ranging, so you can take the no-carb types too, but they will likely be done in by the garlic rolls which arrive hot on the table and are heavenly. Pasta galore, of course, of every shape/sauce option, and if it’s not on the menu they are very nice about combining things to make you happy. Note: the Country Lasagne was highly recommended by an authoritative good eater who very reluctantly didn’t eat all of the “small” size in order to not make himself ill.

In conclusion: Citywalk food bad. Tarzan eat other restaurant. All ye who listen: go forth and break free of your chains! The one liberating herself at the corner table at Zach’s with the basket of garlic rolls will be

The Girl You Heard It From

http://www.micelisrestaurant.com/

http://www.zachscafe.com/Main/Default.aspx

Inaugurate good times, come on!

noreply@blogger.com (TheGirlYouHeardItFrom) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 06:10:00 +0000

Barack's big day is around the corner! The West Coast is breaking out the bubbly, and we are ready to get this Democratic shindig started. Never you mind that we are far from the whirlwind of DC concerts and balls, we have got it going on. Never let it be said that California does not know how to party. Seriously. There are some people who think 2Pac might not be dead, and the event planner posses are ruthless.

Angelenos: this means we have to keep up our credibility as party people next Tuesday, even if that means crackers and cheese in a can for you, your strange neighbor the "import/export" guy, and his iguana. That still counts. See December's "Tiny Bubbles" post for recs on purchasing vino. Those of you not in our fair city: find a party near you! How you ask? See below!

For a variety of activities ranging from house parties to empowerment meetings to fancy shmancy actual balls, check out the official Barack Obama website, mybarackobama.com (link below). You can search by date and zip code for ways to get your political partay on. Whatever you do, have fun, embrace the future, and for debt's sake, stay out of the bushes!

If you end up at this first one, look for someone who's brought her good times, and her laughter too, she may very well be

The Girl You Heard It From

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/communityservice/gptklt

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/search_simple

Craigslist treasure of the day:

http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/lax/870206647.html

cocktails! poisonous insects! What a salesman!

How to meet and mingle, and other ways to support public radio

noreply@blogger.com (TheGirlYouHeardItFrom) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 18:29:00 +0000

NPR catches a lot of flak. Some of it from me, note my filleting of the hipper than thou KCRW attitude a few posts back. KCRW aside, NPR programming is high quality, and can be used by clever individuals to accumulate social capital in the right settings. For example:

Imagine a swanky gastrobar somewhere in the Cahuenga Corridor. You know the sort, no signage, curated gimlet menu designed by a storied bartender from Manhattan, parmesean crusted sage leaves in mismatched vintage ashtrays on each table...anyway, when I hear about this place and go, wait for a table, get impatient and leave, I'll be sure you hear about it. But I digress. Let's say you're in the imaginary no name bar. Amongst the flotsam and jetsam ( see: http://www.hotchickswithdouchebags.com/) you spy an individual in groovy eyewear whose aura exudes "educated" and who's definitely trying to not look at you. Interest has been signaled, the dance has begun.

Fast forward through the rest of the glancing, hair tossing drink sipping, look stealing, not-so-subtle geographical adjustments and "oh hi-ing" what have you got to say to this intelligent guy or gal? So you casually toss off a reference to a wacky story you heard about on This American Life, NPR's hipster auditory literary magazine. There are 3 possible reactions. 1) they are a fan, and you're golden. 2) they know of the show, since it has a high profile, and now know you are intelligent and into public radio, which automatically raises your stock...unless 3) they are a neocon who ends up lecturing you for the next 45 minutes about Radio Moscow and the evils of the liberal media elite. However the cookie crumbles, you've either got digits, a cool new gay friend, or intel that proves you didn't want anything to do with that person to begin with

Here's the thing. So few of us are actually able to sit down in front of our radios at an appointed hour anymore- and they don't play TAL during the morning drive. The answer? Podcast! Brilliant. And free! The hitch: it costs WBEZ a lot of money to bring us those podcasts, so the friendly folk at TAL have asked in their last few broadcasts for small donations to cover the $150,000 in bandwith costs. You probably already gave to your local station, but $5.00 or $10.00 to WBEZ in Chicago will most likely not kill you.

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/

And for elite's sake, if you've never heard the show, download a free MP3 and check it out! It may just change your social life forever. Here's hoping it does for

The Girl You Heard It From

CRAIGSLIST TREASURE OF THE DAY

I have GOT to know what the middle section means. Any assistance appreciated.
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/mis/987144101.html

Stop and Smell the Roses

noreply@blogger.com (TheGirlYouHeardItFrom) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 18:53:00 +0000

Everybody loves a parade. OK, well, not everybody. But as SoCal events go, the Rose Parade is pretty special. I mean, what an innovative use of flax seed! You've seen the colorful floats and heard that weatherman describe the action on channel 5 for the last 150 years, why not go see them up close and personal this weekend? No need to go in the crush of the crazed football fans, wait til the day after and hit the post-game viewing of the floats. The petal-covered beauties are parked at the end of the parade route for all to admire. You can see every last carnation, lily and, yes, flax seed that makes up the fantastical, imaginative product of the Glendale Elks Club's collective imagination. This year's theme, "Hats Off to Entertainment" ought to produce some real powerhouse floats. All the relevant info can be found at:

http://www.tournamentofroses.com/events/showcase.asp

Because a rose by any other name is...a family of pandas in top hats doing the hula down Colorado Boulevard! And I've got two things to say to the SC fans watching the game. 1) Go Penn State 2)It's BASKETBALL season now, baby.

Guess who went to UCLA?

-The Girl You Heard It From

Tiny Bubbles...where's the wine?

noreply@blogger.com (TheGirlYouHeardItFrom) — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 04:43:00 +0000

Any event from a bar-b-que to a debutante ball can benefit from the addition of champagne. On your average Thursday night, some of the cheaper stuff well chilled plus cassis...bada bing you've got a Kir Royale. Sunday brunch? Why settle for ho-hum? Use a juice mix: OJ, guava, papaya, pinapple...stick a strawberry on the rim and all of a sudden you've got an island mimosa and everyone thinks you're brilliant.

New Year's Eve, however, past the age of 23, calls for half decent champagne. Even if it's just you, your sweetie and the cat, some good bubbly will make the mood celebratory despite the fact that you're ordering in moo goo gai pan and going to bed at 10:30. But where to find guidance on the bubbly? Depends where you live.

Hollywood:
Greenblatt's Deli on Sunset has a secret: a FANTASTIC wine shop with an incredibly well versed staff, and a wide range of choices in all price points. Feel like dropping an obscene amount of money? Haven't seen much cash lately? Either way their team will point you in the right direction. Plus you can grab some heavenly rugelach on your way out.
http://losangeles.citysearch.com/profile/78304/west_hollywood_ca/greenblatt_s_delicatessen.html

West Hollywood:
John & Pete's runs a service that delivers liquor to L.A.'s fanciest private catered events. Lucky for the rest of us, they also run a well stocked store at La Cienega and Melrose. Advice needed? Advice warmly given. Note: if you buy a particular elixir for a special brownie recipe, you can earn the staff's undying devotion by bringing them some of the finished product.
http://www.johnandpetes.com/

West L.A.
The Wine House is a treasure trove of fine wine and the excellent in-house restaurant "Upstairs 2" which is (you guessed it Einstein) upstairs. Bill Knight, the owner, is a character and a steadfast supporter of community causes such as the Los Angeles Free Clinic, sponsoring their wine tasting event every summer. Which is why Wally's, although a fine purveyor of wine, does not get my vote here. Community support people! It means something!
http://www.wineaccess.com/store/winehouse/

Hipster Eastside
Silverlake Wine gets high marks from hipster Eastside types who like to kick it up a notch from the Trader Joe's on Hyperion. Not that I am anti-trader joe in any way - Joe is like my BFFL. But you know, when you are wearing your pork-pie hat on your way to your graphic novel tableaux gathering or your haiku open mike night and you need to BYOB, sometimes you're feeling fancier than just a visit to your old friend Joe.
http://www.silverlakewine.com/

Non Hipster Everywhere/ Lazy Folks
In a pinch, you can find good wine and/or advice at TJs, BevMo and from the odd passerby at Ralph's who is wearing expensive shoes.
http://www.traderjoes.com/
http://www.bevmo.com/
http://www.ralphs.com

So drink and be merry this new years' eve...and tip well. That's the gospel according to

The Girl You Heard It From

I'm sorry sir, the shrimp isn't signing autographs.

noreply@blogger.com (TheGirlYouHeardItFrom) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 05:31:00 +0000

OK- Everyone wants to know where they can party like a rock star, among the famous and beautiful. At Yang Chow, a fabulous mecca of Chinese cuisine? You'll be partying more like people with symphony tickets, or on a weekday, those wild and crazy staffers from the City Attorney's office.

Here's the secret: the celebrity in the restaurant is on every single table and it is both famous and beautiful as well as one of the best things you've ever tasted: Slippery Shrimp. Everything else is good too, but you've got to try those shrimp. They must have crack in them. As I am "the girl you heard it from," I am frequently asked what is my favorite place in L.A. First I mention an art-deco landmark that gives me shivers just to stand in it (a post for another day) and then I always add that it is narrowly edged out by the back room at Yang Chow at a big round table with 6-8 friends and some Slippery Shrimp. Yeah they're that good. So good that you'd better get your own order if you're having dinner with

The Girl You Heard It From

Yang Chow
819 Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 625-0811

For my adoring public outside the city: here's the recipe from the LA Times courtesy of another blog.

http://computerblue.blogspot.com/2005/07/gold-on-plate-or-slippery-shrimp.html

Good luck with that.

AND the craigslist treasure of the day

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/pol/94 9261500.html.

Vetting the vet

noreply@blogger.com (TheGirlYouHeardItFrom) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 01:07:00 +0000

There are so many pet services available in town, you can hardly throw a squeaky toy these days without hitting a doggy yoga class or a new twee boutique full of Pomeranian-sized Ed Hardy tank tops. But when serious medical issues hit, there's no better place to be than the California Animal Hospital. With a staff of some of the country's best veterinary specialists, and a training/residency program as professionally rigorous as any offered at UCLA, you can trust your baby will be well cared for. They'll present you all your options, and talk you through whatever choice needs to be made. The staff is sensible and sensitive to the worries of two legged parents, all the while taking care to keep the four legged creatures comfortable.

Appointments are available Saturdays and Sundays (I know, amazing, right?) but be prepared to be patient as they are also an active emergency room. Also in the "be prepared" column? Bring a sweatshirt. They keep the exam rooms cold, but the docs have warm hearts, and they will take excellent care of your four legged friend. Single? Put on some lip gloss and strike up a convo with the dude in the flip-flops. And don't laugh when they bring back his Pomeranian in an Ed Hardy tank top. The woman buying prescription kibble and rolling her eyes behind you? None other than...

The Girl You Heard It From

http://www.californiaanimal.org/general_services.php

KCRWrong, KPCCool

noreply@blogger.com (TheGirlYouHeardItFrom) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 02:40:00 +0000

OK, so in reality I support NPR in all forms. Even, "Speaking of Faith," bless its little bury-it somewhere-on-the-Sunday-afternoon-schedule heart. So I can't say that KCRW, the self congratulatory hipster NPR outpost beaming from deep in the heart of The Republic of Santa Monica, is all bad. They do some good things over there. Left Right and Center, for example. And I still think they let Harry Shearer be Harry Shearer on Sunday mornings, which does require a certain amount of fortitude. However, when it comes to solid NPR access in Southern California, I have to say that I am a KPCC girl.

Found on your dial at 89.3, coming out of Pasadena Community College (Home of a crack debate team in addition to a stellar flea market one Sunday a month), KPCC carries all the shows you could ask for. Car Talk. Prairie Home Companion, The Splendid Table. You think Ruth Seymore would let Lynn Rosetto Kasper anywhere near her sainted microphone? Never mind that she's twice as interesting as Evan Kleiman, who incidentally is so boring that she's funny. She was the inspiration for the NPR cooking show sketch on Saturday Night Live. I have never eaten at Angeli Caffe, her restaurant on Melrose....but I digress. KPCC rocks. KCRW is always busy playing weird "next big thing" music when all I really want is some good solid 'merican liberal elite media programming. So forget them, tune to 89.3. And donate! They are way less irritating than KCRW when they do their pledge drives, and ought to get credit for that. And they won't waste your money doing weird short films to show before art house film trailers. Seriously, we all ought to do our part to support the stations that keep us company, and KPCC certainly does that for

The Girl You Heard It From

http://www.kpcc.org/

CLTOD:
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/mis/912750147.html

ah, the timeless romance of Pringles by "da pool"

Why rush?

noreply@blogger.com (TheGirlYouHeardItFrom) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 03:17:00 +0000

Many of us spend precious time commuting through Beverly Hills on our way home from work on the dreaded stretch of Santa Monica between Wilshire and Doheney with the terribly timed lights. What's with those lights? It's as if the police comissioner allowed his four year old to play with the switches as a birthday present. But back to you and your shlep. Why not escape the conveyor belt for a little oasis of refreshment and style? The Crescent Hotel is but a stone's throw away from the drudgery of your commute, just south of Little Santa Monica on Crescent. With a cozy fireplace on their elegant but relaxed patio, and a swanky feeling indoor lounge it certainly beats your car's interior as a way to waste an hour.

http://www.crescentbh.com/

The service isn't the greatest, but hey. Get some wine and sit. What do you need, Grey Poupon? Lemon wedges? Call your friend Cindy who's stuck on Wilshire, lean back among the palms and enjoy the serenity of rush hour. Better yet call that guy or gal who you know works near there and really mean it when you say "well I was in the neighborhood and I thought..." Every now and again the tried and true actually works for

The Girl You Heard It From

CLTOD
for my new peeps: Craigs List Treasure Of The Day

a stinky conscience
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/mis/908821450.html

Boo!

noreply@blogger.com (TheGirlYouHeardItFrom) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:20:00 +0000

OK people, it's Halloween. The ONLY place to be tonight is West Hollywood, for the annual parade, which lately they've been calling "Carnaval" becaues even WeHo aspires to Rio's reputation for wild costumes and other assorted crazy goings on. The flashpoint of "Carnaval" is the main drag, Santa Monica Boulevard between Doheney and La Cienega. If you are able, go on foot. Although the city lifts all permit parking restrictions for 24 hours, parking is still brutal, and the last thing you need is a throw-down in the Pacific Design Center lot with Sarah Palin and Hellboy. That said, the PDC is your best bet, but expect to pay through the nose. If you go, for ghosts' sake put on some mouse ears or a fake head-wound or something. There's no fun in going out to gawk at other peoples creativity without getting into the spirit yourself. They sell wings at Rite-Aid, go pick up a pair. Or borrow some ethnically diverse children and be Angelina. Make the effort.

East of La Cienega, check out O-Bar for their cool decorations and smoking hot bartenders. Even if they don't play on your team (which you never know by the way - smart boys tend bar in Boystown b/c the tips are very good if you are genetically blessed) they are certainly fun to watch. O-Bar is also known as one of the first restaurants to bring S'mores indoors and put them on the dessert menu, for which they definitely deserve some props. Plus the design is pure WeHo chic, even without the spiderwebs, so worth tucking in your pocket for a non-Halloween look-see if you're more of a hide-with-the-lights-out-ignore-the-doorbell type.

So far the most creative costume seen out on the Thursday night party rounds: a guy with the rear half of a fake, craft store chicken attached in a bloody mess to his shirt. His persona? Someone who voted against Prop 2, feeling the wrath of California poultry.

So to all the glam ghosts and cool ghouls of Lotusland? Have fun. Keep an eye out at your shindigs for a sassy Princess from a certain 1977 galaxy. She just might turn out to be

The Girl You Heard It From

Big Night Out...of Towner.

noreply@blogger.com (TheGirlYouHeardItFrom) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 02:51:00 +0000

We've all been there - they want the Hollywood experience. The Big Night Out In Hollywood so that THEY can be the guy who told somebody about their once in a lifetime out in the entertainment capital of the universe. We forget that we live somewhere famous! Let alone the people, the place is legend all on it's own. So buck up, and put Ethan or Morgan or whatever your nephew's name is and that that girl he's vacationing with in a cab. Below are some suggestions for the mid twenties out of towner set. Keep an eye on the girl, if she wears too little and drinks too much, have a sit down with Ethan/Morgan/whathisname. He deserves better.

Trendy restauranty places to visit near Hollywood & Highland, which I think is a tourist trap, but is useful as a parking garage:
Geisha House
Bella
lots of new spots opening all the time!

In WeHo, Ashton Kutcher’s original restaurant, Dolce, has excellent food and a cool bar scene. Good for those who want to "star gaze."

http://losangeles.citysearch.com/profile/78246/los_angeles_ca/dolce_enoteca_e_ristorante.html

Also, there’s a very easy to visit bar scene on Sunset Blvd. between Crescent Heights and La Cienega. Your lovely young people could have dinner at any of the restaurants (the Sunset Tower, The Mondrian etc.) which most likely would get them into the bar/club at the hotel. Those bars are frequently cool, and if not to their liking, they can walk next door to another one with a loose door policy like the Standard, which has a pool bar right out of a Sex and the City episode (literally).

Another option, Bar Sinister is one of the hottest/coolest/ most unique club experiences in LA, (only Sat. nights). It's a goth/vampire/fetish night at the side space of one of L.A.'s most storied bars, (Boardners - a story for another day) usually frequented by a lot of stars, and cool folks who are not goth. Wear black, and you're golden. Like at any other club in LA.

http://www.myspace.com/barsinister

And remember the one rule with out of towners that everyone forgets: nobody says you have to go with them.

That’s the wise advice of…

The Girl You Heard It From

The Cult of Jonathan Gold

noreply@blogger.com (TheGirlYouHeardItFrom) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 03:44:00 +0000

It's the eternal question...where should we eat? You can only go to the Cheesecake Factory so many times before wanting to slit your wrists with a chocolate shaving. Los Angeles is teeming with unique restaurants, but it can be a brain bender trying to work out where's good and where one might get food poisoning. In a city with such a variety of cultures and options, you need a guide. And it would be hard to find someone better to blindly follow from taqueria to noodle joint to barbeque palace than Jonathan Gold, resident food critic at the L.A. Weekly. S. Irene over at the Times has her uses, but Jonathan's like your cool friend who knows everything about ethnic food and just happens to have a Pulitzer. Available weekly in the L.A. Weekly, and also online, his reviews are informative, pithy, and amusing reading even if you have no intention of ever visiting the restaurants. Do yourself and your friends a favor and pick up a copy of his collected reviews called "Counter Intelligence."

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Jonathan+Gold

And for Gold's sake, don't ever be caught dead at PF Chang's again. Someone might see you and report back to

The Girl You Heard It From

PS - CLTOD - this is truly a treasure. A special find. Enjoy.

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/mis/885905260.html

Drying out, anyone?

noreply@blogger.com (TheGirlYouHeardItFrom) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 05:06:00 +0000

While rehab is no doubt a very juicy topic deserving recommendations for hot spots around town, that's not the kind of drying out I'm referring to. Our friendly Santa Ana winds seem to be stripping us all of our natural oils...so be careful that you're not just slathering your sunscreen (you are wearing sunscreen, right? Surely you heard from some girl who maybe happened to be a dermatologist in her spare time about how important that is) over dry skin that needs a little TLC.

Some great moisturizing options are available at your local drugstore. I mean come on, who wants to buy overpriced beauty products right now? And I gotta tell you, they are getting good at the fancy packaging and quality ingredients. They even carry full lines from the fine French company La Roche Posay at CVS of all places. This is stuff you used to have to buy at fancy doctors' offices. The kind with fountains and tufted sofas and all the latest fashion magazines without the lip gloss samples ripped out. You know, classy joints. Anyway, now you can get the good stuff at the CVS at La Cienega and Santa Monica. It's the one that used to be an Esprit store back in the day. They even have a beauty consultant who is not on commission to help you pick stuff out. If you don't want to spring for the French stuff, go for the basics. Cetaphil, Eucerin, and Nivea all have no frills moisturizers that work great on the non-face pieces of your gorgeous selves. So lather up, and don't forget the sunscreen. A note for the gentlemen: do not fear the high end beauty products. Ask for help from a friend. Or just get yourself some Cetaphil and move on with your day.

La Roche Posay

http://www.laroche-posay.us/_us/_en/consumer/home/index.aspx

CVS
8491 West Santa Monica Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 360-7303

and last but not least...

CLTOD- (Craigslist treasure of the day for those who weren't paying attention). This is a special topical event for one night only. *full disclosure - this is not kid-appropriate*

http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/lax/836109998.html

No matter what the advertiser does or does not require? I think we all know the asshole is a part of the package. Everybody vote on 11/4. On my honor, that's the sole election reference that will be included by

The Girl You Heard It From

Shhhhhhh...can you hear the undiscovered writers?

noreply@blogger.com (TheGirlYouHeardItFrom) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 03:29:00 +0000

Well no. You can't hear them, but if you know where to look you can read stuff (for free! We love free!) that will make you laugh so hard you'll forget to be miffed about the almost nine minutes of your life you lost to All Things Considered's story on William Jennings Bryan. It's someplace you might not think of: Craigslist. "Craigslist?," you say, thinking that it's just a place to sell your TV and maybe cruise for apartment listings. "Craigslist" I say, knowingly.

Here's why: a great many of our nation's most talented aspiring (and those with jobs but now perspiring) comedy writers live here. They have televisions to sell, and boyfriends to find and volunteer opportunities to post just like in any other community. They just do it better ( If you write for "The Office," your personal ad is likely to be funnier than one someone in Akron writes while at the office).

The goldmine is a section called "Missed Connections." Those familiar with an antediluvian communication form known as the "newspaper" might remember a similar lonelyhearts section of the classifieds made famous by someone who was "Desperately Seeking Susan." This is sort of like that, but people can use more words and it's electronic and stuff. And in Craig's LA incarnation? It's hysterical. Sometimes I read it like the daily paper, as it's very good for one's worldview to laugh every day. With that in mind, I'd like to introduce a feature I will call "Craigslist Treasure Of The Day," or CLTOD. I will find a gem and share it with you, my public. Because let's face it. You're lazy.

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/mis/878466890.html

Oh- and if you're feeling masochistic and/or like you've got 9 minutes to kiss goodbye (love you NPR! Usually!)

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95691800

Now don't go falling all over yourselves thanking me. Just go tell some friends about...

The Girl You Heard It From

you don't need a girl to hear the sirens

noreply@blogger.com (TheGirlYouHeardItFrom) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 04:59:00 +0000

OK, so Southern California is kind of on fire. We've all seen the perfectly blow-dried, carefully modulated hysteria of our newscasters as they announce the hot spots and recite the litany of the ones they have not yet "contained." Because success with fires here is "containment," as opposed to the notion popular in other regions known as "putting out" a fire. Then again, these are places that do not have hot, dry seasonal winds, let alone ones that have special little nicknames.

The question becomes, what wisdom will I share on this smoky evening? Well, let's think back to our good friend Smokey the Bear. He always had wise things to say about fires. Since my advice applies more to the cosmopolitan apartment dwelling set rather than the woodsmen, call me Smoqui the exclusive Hollywood Hills Leasing Agent (who occasionally has a FABULOUS unit in Silverlake, although those are getting harder and harder to find).

5 fire tips from from Smoqui...

1) put some shoes by your door or your bed. Something with rubber bottoms. Oh come on. Skechers makes all kinds of cute things and you can totally rock the sporty-disaster look. Your neighbor the stylist will smirk if you're out there in your tatty maribou mules. So 2001 Sex and The Slutty! Think, what would The Closer wear? You know she'd have a giant purse with some essentials. Good to have one of those on hand too. Guys? Just put your shoes by the door.

2) If you have small pets, make sure you know where the carrier is and ensure that it is not buried under your weekend bag, the foot-spa, and that cute picnic basket with the plates and forks that you swore you'd use this summer. And more importantly, make sure you are skilled enough at putting your animals in said carriers. If you haven't done it in a while, practice.

3) Candles are crucial to ambiance at life's most important moments. No light is more flattering, and as everyone worth their salt in L.A. knows, lighting is EVERYTHING. Candlelight, though romantic, can be dangerous. It may be tempting, but just say no to the bedside table. Too close to the bedding, and, well, the bedding. Put it on the dresser. Or a shelf. And either way? See #4.

4) Buy a fire extinguisher. Go to Home Depot and just do it. Bonus: the people watching at the Sunset and the 101 Home Depot on Saturday nights is wild, and they are open til midnight. Kind of like Real World plus Bob Vila 20 years younger and out of the closet. Sunday mornings there are more gay family oriented programming. I love Hollywood!

5) And last...(shout out to yoma!) think about renters insurance. I heard from this girl that she made a spreadsheet of all of her clothes- different tabs for shoes, accessories, jewelry etc. She added up the approximate value and it knocked her socks off. Have you ever thought about what it would cost to replace your whole wardrobe? Collectively, it's likely your most valuable asset. A lot of insurance companies do a combined deal if you have them do both car and renters together - ends up not that much more than the car alone. Just think about it.

So those are the tips from Smoqui who, for this evening, is

The Girl You Heard It From

"I heard from this girl that..."

noreply@blogger.com (TheGirlYouHeardItFrom) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 18:17:00 +0000

How many times have you heard (or maybe started) a conversation that began with " so I heard from this girl that..." It could be news of a great new restaurant, or an odd item for sale on Craigslist, or even a random comment overheard in the frozen foods section of Trader Joe's. The source, however, is always that mysterious girl. Well, guess what? If you're reading this blog, and you live in Los Angeles, the odds are good that it was me.

I've done the math on this. Ok, not really. I hate math, but I thought hard and here's my theory: I know a lot of people. The people I know each know a lot of people. If they tell even just the cool, interesting people they know, and those folks pass it along and so on? Eventually someone ends up in the break room at your office telling the story of my brother's ex-girlfriend's crazy South African roommate the sommelier who called himself (no kidding) "The Fire Horse." And he's doing an impression with a bad accent and everything.

So why give people direct access to my musings? Well, my mother has been after me since the dawn of time to start a blog, and I believe there is currently an impression circulating at Westside water coolers (bad Irish accent this time) of a gangly, charming, telephone-dialing impaired film composer saying I am a "funny girl." Say it with the Irish accent, or better yet, have a friend who's good at accents say it. Much funnier. He was the most recent in the Greek chorus of friends, family and random people I meet who tell me I should be writing. Look Ma, I'm writing! And would somebody tell Antigone to get these guys in masks off my balcony?

So check in with me, and I'll give you the best stuff. The cream of the everyday, loving life in L.A. experience. Your job is to read and laugh, and I'll keep my ears open when I'm out and about in order to remain,

The Girl You Heard It From