12.30.2007
TRAMBLINGS...
(Starry Night Cake by NANCYKAY)
Sooooooo...I've been out looking for a wedding dress and all I have to say on the subject is, "Can a girl get a sleeve?" I mean damn, the designers are pretty stingy when it comes to handing out sleeves. I don't want much, a little cap, a shrug, just some sort of material on the extremities. At least give me a choice. All I'm saying.
The Crown Prince and I returned to L.A. on the 27th, by car of course, so that Kobe could travel with us. Something he appreciated since he loves my mother's house. It's quiet and calm there, my sister gives him treats and they live a couple houses down from a great hiking trail, hills and a million other places to run and pretend he's the King of the Serengeti. Plus, my sister takes him on two walks a day. She spoils him and he adores her.
Anyway, we returned on the 27th and one of my best girlfriends arrived the same day. We ate our way through the city after I got a last minute reservation at MOZZA. They seated us at 3:00 o'clock and we finally tore ourselves away from the table at 5:15. It was ridiculous and unladylike but worth every bite and every dime. The next stop (not in the same day, don't be crass) we went to CYNTHIA'S. (Yep, everything in that review was true. Cynthia herself was a nightmare). Again, we ate like savages, regretted nothing, then moved on to THE GRIDDLE the next day. I planned to cook for her while she was here but I didn't bust out one pot beyond a quick breakfast on Saturday. We were chicks on a mission. Shopping.
She's the master thrift store shopper and I needed a winter coat (it's been cold). I'd been eyeing the wool coats all through Xmas and they finally went down to 70% off so I hauled ass and grabbed one. It'll come in handy while I'm in the Bay Area for the next month. My mom lives in the Sacramento Delta region and after all these years in southern California the winter air in northern Cali feels like ice to me. But, after all that stalking and planning on my part, my girlfriend went to OUT OF THE CLOSET and found a winter white Kenneth Cole coat for $15.
Once we got the coat out of the way it was back to wedding books, wedding websites and all that other nonsense. The cottage industry that surrounds the exchanging of vows has the scent of snake oil to me. Just a racket. And I am not a fan of the full court press you get in salons. I'm grown, I've lived with this body a long time so don't "pull dresses for me"...let me look. All I want, really, is for C.P. to say, "You look pretty, baby." The rest of it (invitations, RSVPs, favors, gift bags, place settings, consultants, wine glasses and matches with our names) I can do without all of that so I am. I enjoy a wedding more than most but I don't think I'm in the frame of mind to deal with the minutia. Maybe if I was twenty three but, now, after all this mileage...not so much.
But, and this is a big but, I want "the dress". You know, that dress that will give me chills when I see it. Don't know where it is, don't know where I'll find it but I'm going to hunt it down. You also must know after all this time that a chica has expensive tastes and no budget whatsoever to support that but I'm crafty enough to get around it. My top choices all have that distinctive ring tone of "Chelle Is Tripping" but I have a plan. CAROLINA HERRERA (all time favorite), OSCAR DE LA RENTA, (see what I mean about the sleeve thing?) MONIQUE LHUILLIER, MARCHESA, PRONOVIAS, JUNKO YOSHIOKA, and Ali Rahimi at MON ATELIER all have dresses that I love. You might be surprised that MS. VERA isn't on that list but I got no love for Wang. I read a feature on the designer in which she revealed just how much she detests the brides that have made her rich. Can't love that. At all.
That's my list and just in case you're horrified, and maybe a little embarassed by my delusion, know this...my mom is a master tailor. My favorite gown might be $9,000 in the showroom (that's the price of the one at the top of my list) but the dress I wear will be the price of the fabric that I purchase for myself. There are a couple places here in L.A. that specialize in knock-offs. Women bring in photos of the dresses they like and they make it for you. That's my back up plan so no worries about me losing my mind and spending a fortune I don't have. I met a woman on a plane once who confessed that she was still paying for her wedding and she'd been divorced for three years. Now how horrifying is that? If that doesn't put things into perspective I don't know what does.
The ceremony itself will be small and intimate (no more than 10 people) with no reception, just a great dinner in a nice restaurant with a really pretty cake. Honeymoon, wedding, dinner all in one location. We'll take a longer, bigger trip later and there's a slim chance of a party (not a reception) down the road but C.P. cringes at the idea so we'll see. The bridal shower/brunch will be my only chance to "do that damn thing" and I plan to do just that. I'm not into male strippers, clubbing, getting drunk until I can't see, cocaine or whores which makes brunch just my speed. I'm thinking fifty girls laughing, screaming, taking pictures, eating, telling stories and looking fabulous. I might do one in Los Angeles and one in the Bay Area. I know, I know, but a chick has to get her "girl" on one way or another. And since planning this shindig means honoring the wishes of a very lovely man who wants to be left out of everything but the "me and you and the marriage itself" then I'll do the hoopla stuff with my girls. So, there you go. That's my plan and, of course, it's always subject to change but at this moment it feels good to me.
Until next time...
(Starry Night Cake by NANCYKAY)
Sooooooo...I've been out looking for a wedding dress and all I have to say on the subject is, "Can a girl get a sleeve?" I mean damn, the designers are pretty stingy when it comes to handing out sleeves. I don't want much, a little cap, a shrug, just some sort of material on the extremities. At least give me a choice. All I'm saying.
The Crown Prince and I returned to L.A. on the 27th, by car of course, so that Kobe could travel with us. Something he appreciated since he loves my mother's house. It's quiet and calm there, my sister gives him treats and they live a couple houses down from a great hiking trail, hills and a million other places to run and pretend he's the King of the Serengeti. Plus, my sister takes him on two walks a day. She spoils him and he adores her.
Anyway, we returned on the 27th and one of my best girlfriends arrived the same day. We ate our way through the city after I got a last minute reservation at MOZZA. They seated us at 3:00 o'clock and we finally tore ourselves away from the table at 5:15. It was ridiculous and unladylike but worth every bite and every dime. The next stop (not in the same day, don't be crass) we went to CYNTHIA'S. (Yep, everything in that review was true. Cynthia herself was a nightmare). Again, we ate like savages, regretted nothing, then moved on to THE GRIDDLE the next day. I planned to cook for her while she was here but I didn't bust out one pot beyond a quick breakfast on Saturday. We were chicks on a mission. Shopping.
She's the master thrift store shopper and I needed a winter coat (it's been cold). I'd been eyeing the wool coats all through Xmas and they finally went down to 70% off so I hauled ass and grabbed one. It'll come in handy while I'm in the Bay Area for the next month. My mom lives in the Sacramento Delta region and after all these years in southern California the winter air in northern Cali feels like ice to me. But, after all that stalking and planning on my part, my girlfriend went to OUT OF THE CLOSET and found a winter white Kenneth Cole coat for $15.
Once we got the coat out of the way it was back to wedding books, wedding websites and all that other nonsense. The cottage industry that surrounds the exchanging of vows has the scent of snake oil to me. Just a racket. And I am not a fan of the full court press you get in salons. I'm grown, I've lived with this body a long time so don't "pull dresses for me"...let me look. All I want, really, is for C.P. to say, "You look pretty, baby." The rest of it (invitations, RSVPs, favors, gift bags, place settings, consultants, wine glasses and matches with our names) I can do without all of that so I am. I enjoy a wedding more than most but I don't think I'm in the frame of mind to deal with the minutia. Maybe if I was twenty three but, now, after all this mileage...not so much.
But, and this is a big but, I want "the dress". You know, that dress that will give me chills when I see it. Don't know where it is, don't know where I'll find it but I'm going to hunt it down. You also must know after all this time that a chica has expensive tastes and no budget whatsoever to support that but I'm crafty enough to get around it. My top choices all have that distinctive ring tone of "Chelle Is Tripping" but I have a plan. CAROLINA HERRERA (all time favorite), OSCAR DE LA RENTA, (see what I mean about the sleeve thing?) MONIQUE LHUILLIER, MARCHESA, PRONOVIAS, JUNKO YOSHIOKA, and Ali Rahimi at MON ATELIER all have dresses that I love. You might be surprised that MS. VERA isn't on that list but I got no love for Wang. I read a feature on the designer in which she revealed just how much she detests the brides that have made her rich. Can't love that. At all.
That's my list and just in case you're horrified, and maybe a little embarassed by my delusion, know this...my mom is a master tailor. My favorite gown might be $9,000 in the showroom (that's the price of the one at the top of my list) but the dress I wear will be the price of the fabric that I purchase for myself. There are a couple places here in L.A. that specialize in knock-offs. Women bring in photos of the dresses they like and they make it for you. That's my back up plan so no worries about me losing my mind and spending a fortune I don't have. I met a woman on a plane once who confessed that she was still paying for her wedding and she'd been divorced for three years. Now how horrifying is that? If that doesn't put things into perspective I don't know what does.
The ceremony itself will be small and intimate (no more than 10 people) with no reception, just a great dinner in a nice restaurant with a really pretty cake. Honeymoon, wedding, dinner all in one location. We'll take a longer, bigger trip later and there's a slim chance of a party (not a reception) down the road but C.P. cringes at the idea so we'll see. The bridal shower/brunch will be my only chance to "do that damn thing" and I plan to do just that. I'm not into male strippers, clubbing, getting drunk until I can't see, cocaine or whores which makes brunch just my speed. I'm thinking fifty girls laughing, screaming, taking pictures, eating, telling stories and looking fabulous. I might do one in Los Angeles and one in the Bay Area. I know, I know, but a chick has to get her "girl" on one way or another. And since planning this shindig means honoring the wishes of a very lovely man who wants to be left out of everything but the "me and you and the marriage itself" then I'll do the hoopla stuff with my girls. So, there you go. That's my plan and, of course, it's always subject to change but at this moment it feels good to me.
Until next time...
Labels: Food, Girlfriends, Wedding
2.12.2007
TRAMBLINGS. . .
So I started my birthday weekend with news that I was now at a NEW AGENCY. Richard called at the crack of dawn to ask if I wanted to join him in his new "endeavor" (how overused is that joke?) and, of course, I said yes. Richard is my lifeline. I would have been devastated if he moved on and left me behind. My loyalty, is to this particular agent, and not the agency itself. This move by Richard means that I am now repped at three different places. It would be nice to be under one umbrella but, like I said, I value my relationships with my individual reps. Anyway, congrats to Richie Rich. More later. I'm interested to see which agents follow him to the new shop.
Thanks, also, for all your kind bday wishes. I enjoyed myself. Low key. A good friend was in town from the Bay Area on Friday so we went to see THE QUEEN. I'm a huge fan of Helen Mirren so that was a nice treat. Is BALMORAL really that large? I never knew. Nice way to start the weekend. On Saturday, the Crown Prince and I bumped into two of our closest friends at the FARMER'S MARKET on Fairfax. We were craving Mexican food from our favorite place, LOTERIA GRILL and apparently they were too. They'd just finished eating but sat down to join us anyway. I'm a sucker for CHILAQUILES with either fried eggs or scrambled which is exactly what I ordered. Beyond delicious.
Afterwards, the four of us and Queen Little Baby, the four month old dumpling, went in search of gourmet donuts. I know, I know, but I burnt myself out on cupcakes and I didn't really want a cake this time. We headed over to FRITTELLI'S in Beverly Hills. Delicious. Worth every penny. You could actually taste the raspberries and lemon in the icing. Besides that, loved the packaging. The donuts come in a fancy Tiffany-blue box with chocolate script. Cute. Well done. Tasty.
On Sunday, we completed the "Magical Food Birthday Tour" with a dress-up brunch at JAR, SUZANNE TRACT'S fancy-schmancy restuarant. I've wanted to eat at JAR for years so we invited our same friends, and Queen Little Baby, to join us again. (Yes, we all realize that the cornerstone of our friendship is food). Here's the SUNDAY BRUNCH MENU. It was so good that at one point I thought the waitress was going to ask the four of us to stop moaning because we were grossing out the other diners. Seriously, people, if you're ever in Los Angeles make sure you eat at least one meal at JAR.
Sunday night I jumped back into the kitchen and made CREAMY ROSEMARY POLENTA and Italian Sausage with Tomato Basil Sauce for dinner. I used the BAREFOOT CONTESSA polenta recipe but I couldn't find it online. Now that I've completely indulged (without regret) I am going to use the next couple weeks to scale it back a little. Glad that I didn't have cake in the house after all that. Quick question: should this blog be about books, writing and FOOD? Just wondering.
Lastly, for those of you with HBO, please take a look at BASTARDS AT THE PARTY, the documentary by CLE SLOAN whom the Crown Prince has taken to calling "Nichelle's gangbanging-ass boyfriend." Funniest line this weekend, "Kobe will not accept a gangbanger as his new daddy."
Until next time. . .
So I started my birthday weekend with news that I was now at a NEW AGENCY. Richard called at the crack of dawn to ask if I wanted to join him in his new "endeavor" (how overused is that joke?) and, of course, I said yes. Richard is my lifeline. I would have been devastated if he moved on and left me behind. My loyalty, is to this particular agent, and not the agency itself. This move by Richard means that I am now repped at three different places. It would be nice to be under one umbrella but, like I said, I value my relationships with my individual reps. Anyway, congrats to Richie Rich. More later. I'm interested to see which agents follow him to the new shop.
Thanks, also, for all your kind bday wishes. I enjoyed myself. Low key. A good friend was in town from the Bay Area on Friday so we went to see THE QUEEN. I'm a huge fan of Helen Mirren so that was a nice treat. Is BALMORAL really that large? I never knew. Nice way to start the weekend. On Saturday, the Crown Prince and I bumped into two of our closest friends at the FARMER'S MARKET on Fairfax. We were craving Mexican food from our favorite place, LOTERIA GRILL and apparently they were too. They'd just finished eating but sat down to join us anyway. I'm a sucker for CHILAQUILES with either fried eggs or scrambled which is exactly what I ordered. Beyond delicious.
Afterwards, the four of us and Queen Little Baby, the four month old dumpling, went in search of gourmet donuts. I know, I know, but I burnt myself out on cupcakes and I didn't really want a cake this time. We headed over to FRITTELLI'S in Beverly Hills. Delicious. Worth every penny. You could actually taste the raspberries and lemon in the icing. Besides that, loved the packaging. The donuts come in a fancy Tiffany-blue box with chocolate script. Cute. Well done. Tasty.
On Sunday, we completed the "Magical Food Birthday Tour" with a dress-up brunch at JAR, SUZANNE TRACT'S fancy-schmancy restuarant. I've wanted to eat at JAR for years so we invited our same friends, and Queen Little Baby, to join us again. (Yes, we all realize that the cornerstone of our friendship is food). Here's the SUNDAY BRUNCH MENU. It was so good that at one point I thought the waitress was going to ask the four of us to stop moaning because we were grossing out the other diners. Seriously, people, if you're ever in Los Angeles make sure you eat at least one meal at JAR.
Sunday night I jumped back into the kitchen and made CREAMY ROSEMARY POLENTA and Italian Sausage with Tomato Basil Sauce for dinner. I used the BAREFOOT CONTESSA polenta recipe but I couldn't find it online. Now that I've completely indulged (without regret) I am going to use the next couple weeks to scale it back a little. Glad that I didn't have cake in the house after all that. Quick question: should this blog be about books, writing and FOOD? Just wondering.
Lastly, for those of you with HBO, please take a look at BASTARDS AT THE PARTY, the documentary by CLE SLOAN whom the Crown Prince has taken to calling "Nichelle's gangbanging-ass boyfriend." Funniest line this weekend, "Kobe will not accept a gangbanger as his new daddy."
Until next time. . .
