How I spent my Friday night.
Having your very best friend by your side, then your other very best friend pops by, then your always best friend (son) arrives, and a few other upper eschelon level amigos fill the room, then: ART!
Imagine all this, in a perfectly lay-ed out creative space, all the glorious Asian ephemera, rubber stamps, beads, charms, accents and magic tricks, coming together as though channeled through the best friend/instructor's magic teaching touch.
Poof! We've created what some called impossible; a perfect $10. hand-bound book workshop!


Chinese New Year Paper Bag Book~
Norman P. Dixon, as the handsome leading man
Alice DeRosario, as his biggest fan
Starr Codd, as the ingenue
Jen, Caroline & Adrienne, as the Greek chorus
Ben Finer, as the visiting musical star
Tanja Maduzia & Pauline Van Veet, as the town beauties
Erin Airheardt, as the femme fatale
Holly S. Dye as director Cecil B. DeMille
Suzi Finer as the producer
Mary Smilove as the creative, yet powerful studio owner

The whole production was a resounding success!
We'll have to make this paper bag transforming a regular gig...I bet if we get the cast of characters together and plan some new productions, in just a short time we should all have a library filled with our glorious creations.




THANK YOU HOLLY DYE!!!
I'm so happy to be able to work in a cool store and have my friends teach!







All photos of this finished book example come from the exacting pages of Mr. Norman P. Dixon, who graduated from the Jeannine Stein School of Minutiae Measure. I think he received his pH.D there.

I've been remiss!

Okay, so I've never watched Grey's Anatomy until tonight (something always came up) but now I'm feeling really guilty! Our friend Justin now seems to be a fixture on that show.

We met him while he was working on Cold Case a few years back. I had arranged our annual weekend at The Sportsman's Lodge hotel in Studio City (fifteen minutes away=another world) where I take all the kids overnight and we hang at the pool all day. This particular weekend, Allie made friends with some beautiful little girls (all sisters) who we hung with the entire weekend. Their daddy, Justin, and I took turns buying the poolside snacks (lunch was fab) and some refreshing frosty beverages (Bloody Marys!) Donna and I learned about his move out here from Ohio and the world of international modeling, and how he hoped his series would be picked up (he was cut from the initial cast pretty quickly.) He was so sweet with the kids, taking all of his girls, Allie and Izze to the gift shop and buying them all necklaces: crosses for his girls, Jewish stars for ours. Allie still remembers how kind he was, and speaks of the girls often. She didn't get it why they weren't all there the next couple of years. I can't believe I didn't realize he had a new show! We'll have to drop him a note.

I do have to tell you, if you're ever planning to come out to Los Angeles on vacation, I will highly recommend the Sportsman's Lodge for your stay. It's always perfectly maintained, reasonably priced, has a rep for great food, and is the (shhh...) secret place for visiting stars and musicians to stay who don't want to be swarmed by the paparazzi. Privacy is paramount there. Plus, they have the cleanest pool in the city!

Survivor!
It's been a long few months, but thankfully, Survivor is back in it's fourteenth incarnation. Allie and I rushed home from dropping Ben at his opera rehearsal and grabbing a quick spicy tuna roll at Oishi, just in time to hear the familiar "oh-we-oh-we-ya" theme song begin. We've already picked our favorite new tribesman: Yao Man. My sister and I have watched every episode of every season, declaring each new show "the best survivor ever". We just can't get enough.

Red Carpet Night
Ben just got home from his "Red Carpet Affair" at the Wednesday night temple youth group meeting. Everyone had to dress up (I wasn't home in time to supervise!) He told me they had a special pasta dinner followed by a dance (gasp) featuring musical standards (Sinatra, etc...) It sounded like he had a good time (see Ben smile.) I'm so happy that he is involved; I grew up going to BBYO meetings (B'nai B'rith Youth Organization) and I really wanted my kids to have a good foundation as well.

The Latest

Got these size 10 beauties tonight from Harm; they're the latest by Girl Two Doors Down, Inc. I used to sell their style with the diamond ring between the toes (always chaffed terribly, but sold like hotcakes...) this diamond tiara accented version will leave no blisters in their wake.

Favored by celebs such as Jennifer Anniston, Eva Longoria, Misha Barton, Jessica Alba and Teri Hatcher (who gave them out as cast & crew gifts) they are available at The Bridal Bar, 310.858.0119

Can't wait to get a fresh pedi!

Sunday's Art-Opp
We're bookbinding and arting it up this Sunday, Feb. 11th from noon to five with my friend Kelly T.M. Kilmer. You're welcome to come join us (there is room) for a play day...just call me at the shop (310) 479.2444
She's bringing so many paints, papers, collage ephemera, ribbon and bits, that everyone will have enough to make something really cool. I'd bring along some of my own favorite images to add to the pages, just to make it more personal, if I were you. Also, everyone needs a basic tool kit, but the shop has some to borrow for those lacking.
This particular workshop is called A Woman's Notebook. Pretty cool. Join us...I know you'll be happy with the results!

Walked in a criminal, sat down a hero...

Oooh! Were my children upset with me tonight! Harm invited me to an ultra-plush special event at the Luxe Hotel in Bel Air. This private function featured her best vendors from the Bridal Bar, along with up and coming fashionistas and cocktail samplings from Marani vodka. There were fab hors d'oeuvres passed and a mile long dessert bar. You can read more details about the vendors by clicking this link.

The clothing offered for sale was cutting-edge hip; the same shirts I got for Teresa McFayden and Teresa Collins were being offered there for upwards of $200.! Total validation, baby!

I had to take a picture of Harm's florist Eddie's table. His Tiffany-blue boxed candles oozed the scent of fresh tuberose (pretty, but a tad too strong for Miss Suzi here) and his floral arrangements were really exceptional. His Tic-Tock Couture Florals has done events for Teri Hatcher, Sting & Trudi Styler, Nicolette Sheridan,

Matt LeBlanc, and other notable luminaries. I always appreciate a good display! Another cool design element at this event were the use of GoBos on the walls and floors. See the hearts tantalizing the courtyard floor with their mysterious illuminations? GoBos.
I'd say the very best offering at the event were the home style gourmet cupcakes presented by the new Delilah Bakery in Echo Park. Having been in the wedding/baking industry for twelve

years, I do consider myself a more than fair gauge of bakedy-goodness. I was so impressed with the consistency, the flavors, and design of these babies; if I were a food critic I'd give them five stars!
Even their booth presentation was Sweetpeas and Snapshots worthy. No attention to detail was spared (you know I love props!) Bravo, Delilah!
This is my new personal favorite cupcakery.

So imagine, I left the house with the kids yelling at me to stay home with them, walked back in a couple of hours later facing angry glares (hell hath no fury...) then whipped out the box holding the Delilah booty....from criminal to hero in five seconds flat. Mommy triumphs!

Look what Minnie made for Me!
This clever credit card case was made by Minnie Helvey, who honestly has never made anything that wasn't fabulous!
If you didn't know, she's the one who told me about my HP camera, whispered the secrets of Moo, and showed me the cool knittings of her daughter, Ashley Rose Helvey (who I am working on getting at the shop as a special guest instructor!)
Hey Minnie; I appreciate you so much!

Calm.

So it didn't take much to calm me down after my rant. The kids came home from Ben's rehearsal and he told me that the yearbook polls came out today and he was named "Most Talented" by his peers. I'm so happy!

I think I'll make some art now!

I'm tired.

I'm tired of "people" complaining about having to drive their kid somewhere when "they" could be relaxing (kids come first!)

I'm tired of "people" who spin webs of dreams then pull the rug out from under the dreamers.

I'm tired of "people" who won't let pedestrians cross in front of their speeding cars.

I'm tired of "people" who care about shoppers being a couple of cents short. Give the shopper a break!

It's not all about money and getting places fast (although I do obsess about being on time)...shouldn't it be about keeping promises, being able to trust, and overall kindness?

I should have bought that "TI (RED)" shirt at the Gap when I had the chance.

It's been a really long day.

Sunday Paper Superstar!

Yes, that is the Linda Woods on the front page of today's Lifestyle section of the paper. You go girlfriend! Anyone Can Make Art...but not everyone can inspire that feeling the way you can!

Who's a rockstar?

(you're a rockstar!)

Fame, not fortune.

I was interviewed for a documentary today. Funny how things pop up sometimes. I could have dressed up a bit more today, but I wasn't in the mood. With all the other activities I crammed into my Sunday, getting all prettified wasn't a real priority, so I just played myself. Perhaps one day the "fortune" quotient of my life will come back into play, but for now, whatever.

I got a lot accomplished (big surprise!) today; doing the morning Sunday school drop-off, a Target morning run with Donna, Rand & Ben, uncle Leon's weekly visit, back to Sunday school for pick up, Allie's party drop-off, lunched with Ben at CPK, did Century City with Harm & Ben, picked up Allie and hit The Grove where I met up with the documentary people. By the way; don't see Catch and Release...it was just a horrible waste of time (even though Donna's tennis instructor played a big part in it!) then Toast (see post below.) No Superbowl in my day! Pretty strange since we were with Harmony most of the day who didn't even try to get to a television (her daddy won an actual Superbowl ring when he played for the Dallas Cowboys back in the day...I got to try it on once.) Gary lost his house keys somewhere in his car, so he was locked out after work but walked up to Islands to see the game. I got a call while we were at dinner (feeding the kids, not the adults!) so I went to get him on the way home. Glad to be in...I need to go back to work to recover from my weekends!

'Hope my friend Linda Woods is done tying up any remaining loose ends with her new soon-t0-be-released follow-up book (Journal Revolution!) to her best-ever-selling-craft-book-in-the-entire-history-of-best-selling-craft-books (Visual Chronicles!) I want her to free up some time for a play date at the shop!

Toast for dinner
Toast Bakery and Cafe, that is! This is one hot restaurant that I've always thought of trying; but for the endless line outside, I'd have been there years ago. It turns out, Superbowl Sunday is the perfect time to go to a usually packed hot spot that doesn't have a television!
Notice the perfect height of the SOFA seating (I love a sofa!)

The waitress was very surprised that Allie ordered an artichoke for her dinner (instead of anything off the kids menu.)

The lighting was heavy on the dark side, but I used my night portrait setting on the camera
to get these photos.

Monkey likes her artichokes!

I almost forgot to tell you...

For the first time in actual months, I bought myself a pair of shoes. These are really cool Keds, no laces, distressed edging and a summery-beachy feel; I love them!

Elliot just had to climb into the Sportie LA window
He couldn't help himself. He also couldn't help licking the window, which he later denied but then admitted his salivaic-impulses. He is so enthusiastic; filled with unexplainable energy, but totally cuddly-lovey and sweet. He's a great nephew; we like a lot of the same things (not the glass licking.)
I had picked up lunch for all the kids at Benitos, so Donna insisted on taking care of dinner.


She wanted to try out the new Stone Fire Pizza which had just opened on La Cienega.
Having watched it being built over the months, she was itching to try their offerings. Coincidentally, they were offering a 1/2 off Happy Hour (4pm-7pm) for all pizzas! Donna, however, ordered the Tequila Lime Chicken Fettuccine, which turned out to be so over-the-top hot that it was impossible for her to eat. Now I love a spicy; many have marvelled at the amount of jalapenos that I


put on my Subway lunches, but this was really too too hot. The rest of us ordered up a variety of pizzas. Here's a photo of their outstanding BBQ Chicken Pizza. I had a piece, then let everyone else dig in (Jenny said it was okay...and I was down another 2lbs this weigh-in!) Overall rating: Excellent pizza, good salads, beautiful ambiance (very upscale-lodge) and a great special deal for the neighborhood. We could tell that they will end up being a hot night spot, it's so comfy-cool in there.

Ben's New Shoes

This is what is now "cool"; first the hand chair, now these! I don't know anything anymore. Apparently, SportieLA can't keep these leather Adidas on the shelves, and the counter dude was impressed that Ben had selected them (he told me Ben was his first middle-school er to get 'em; all the other buyers were adults!) The back of the shoes read: "It's not easy being green".

Snow Day!
This morning Donna invited us to her event at West Hollywood Park: a real Snow Day! Many years ago Donna organized a monthly happening at the park through the City of West Hollywood. She called it "Saturdays in the Park"; a community meet where neighborhood families could meet and get involved in local activities. This particular Saturday included masses of man-made snow for the kids; Elliot even took the wheels off of his skateboard to fashion a makeshift toboggan!


We picked up Donna when her event was finished back at her place (off Melrose Place!) and hit the road for some more fun! Harm was on duty at The Bridal Bar (jam packed with incipient brides) so we just did a quick pop-in.

Although I drive the blocks between La Cienega and Fairfax on a pretty regular basis, I had never noticed the store Ma Du Zi nestled between Agent Provocateur and Tarina Tarantino.
It struck me funny that the name was so close to Sweetpeas'


Tanja Maduzia, and if they were Croatian (as is Tanja) or possibly related to her? I had Ben run in and grab a business card, then snapped a quick pic. We'll see what we find out!

I had to add this photo of the "Conversation Heart" cookies we saw (but did not eat) at La Conversation. Just too cool.

Pretty Posies
The newest venture at Sweetpeas and Snapshots? You guessed it: Flowers! I don't know if you knew this, but Mary has a reputation for putting out some pretty amazing floral arrangements. Add to that the experience (and eye) of Miss Pauline (who used to arrange for the prestigious "The Woods Exquisite Flowers" in Brentwood), Tanja's talent for presentation and my landscaping background, and you set the scene for perfect posie possibilities!


The arrangements are now available on weekends, on a first-come-first-served basis, and by custom order. Each is a work of art, presented in a container appropriate to the season or event. Mary selected this first week's offering, inspired by the upcoming Chinese New Year celebration. I am so excited about this new facet of the store's dimension. One can call the shop for more information! (310.479.2444)

I had so much fun today!
When Miss Mary decided it was time for an early morning adventure, she knew I'd be game. She swept in around nine and whisked me off in her big black new Cadillac Escalade, to the mysterious dark alleyways of Chinatown (music cue.)
In that colorful district, there are many tourist traps...and a few hidden shops that cater to the wholesale trade. It was to one of these special "insider" dens that we found the treasures that now grace the shelves of Sweetpeas.

Mary knew exactly what she wanted; wasting no time at all, she filled four huge shopping bags with booty. I got a little distracted with all the excitement. I picked up a few packs of Smoke Bombs for the boys, a new parasol for Donna, and a $20. Turquoise Kimono for myself. Choosing the right merchandise can really be a challenge; this mental labor really can work up an appetite!
The solution for such a hunger? Dim Sum lunch at the Golden Dragon! I don't know if you've ever experienced a hard-core Dim Sum restaurant, but this is really the place to go for the best. This strangely expansive restaurant is always packed beyond imagination, yet I've never had to wait for a table. Countless carts of fresh, hot Chinese morsels are wheeled around the floor by a friendly staff who will patiently explain what is what and don't get offended if you decline their offering.
We dined on Pork Bao, BBQ Pork, Golden Pork Bao (a pattern?), shrimp balls and our favorite: Curry Chicken (looked like it was in a golden biscuit.) An early-afternoon Mai Tai just made everything just that much better.

Afterwards, back at the shop, I snapped a picture of pretty Pauline with one of the Cherry Blossom fans Mary had found.

Not far away...
At a nearby table, who was having dinner at Jack Sprat's Grille but Zooey Deschanel (Elf.) She was looking really happy taking sips of her hot tea with lemon. I didn't want to disturb her, so I took a picture of Allie (with Zooey in the background) and clipped in here at home. With the pictures I was snapping of the food, nobody was bothered.













(this pic is a publicity photo from google)

Naughty Pleasures
Can you believe that this is 1/2 a piece of Jack Sprat's Hershey chocolate cake? I had the waiter box up the other half to go before bringing the bad boys out. Allie was enthralled by the descriptions of the desserts, and we grown-up girls were feeling the need for a little naughty pleasure. Dessert did the trick.
Don't worry; the treats were just tasted, not completely devoured. I made Harmony take the other half home (so it wouldn't be in my house!)


The Key Lime custard pie with graham cracker crust and mile-high meringue was tart to perfection. They made for a lovely end to a problem-free evening.
I think that finding comfort in food can be the best diversion sometimes. It sure helped a really good friend tonight.

Comfort Food

I went with Harmony & Allie to Jack Sprats Grille, by the Westside Pavilion, for dinner. They specialize in healthy comfort food (not an oxymoron, really!)

It's so happafying when you sit down and get that plate of fresh, hot, Philadelphia-style pretzels with the little dishes of assorted mustard to dip them into.






Allie and I opted to share one of the house specialties: Chicken Medallions (stuffed with Basmati rice.) We each had two of the tender white meat pieces, and took the remaining two medallions home to daddy (Harm had the stuffed tomatoes; not on my list.) I had them add an extra side of the Basmati rice (see the dome there, with the savory mushrooms bursting through!)





Their sauteed vegetables were filled with flavor as well...you know daddy got half of this side dish to enjoy with his main dish.











Harm chose the Chicken Club sandwich. The fries are not really fried; they're "air fries"...a healthier alternative that tastes just as good as their naughty grease-laden counterparts.

Angry.

Jarred to report that overnight a bad man burgled the Bridal Bar. It is so disturbing to think that there are still evil people out there who will do things like this; fortunately, nobody was hurt and all they got were a couple of computers. It seems very suspect that just a few days earlier, somebody had tried to break in to Harmony's apartment as well; her two dogs scared them off, leaving just a damaged door jamb.

I'm going to take her out later tonight with Allie (Ben is at his first "Street Scene" rehearsal) and hopefully take her mind off of this horrible occurrence.

CHA: The answer to your questions.

I've been inundated with questions about what we ordered at CHA. Here's the big answer...if you'd like to see what is coming in, just check all the blog links to the right, and take a peek at what everyone there is posting about. I trust their photos will do the products justice.