Posts Tagged ‘los angeles’
My absolute favorite place to take out of town guests in Los Angeles day or night is Griffith Observatory. Nothing can beat the location, with sweeping vistas of the Hollywood sign and endless panoramas of the entire city, all laid out in front of you. It doesn’t get more iconic than this.
Looking for a little Halloween inspiration? Then you’ve got to check out this light show themed to “The Nightmare Before Christmas”.
In search of delicious baked goods and sandwiches with a Cuban twist? Then you’ve gotta head to Porto’s Bakery and Cafe in Burbank. This busy shop is always hopping, a result of its famous pastries, savory lunch specialities, and reasonable prices (most main dishes are in the $4-7 category).
Spring in Malibu, image by Gayle Wheatley.
I’m completely spoiled from the years I spent living abroad in Florence, Italy. When it comes to dining in Italian restaurants in the U.S., it’s a real challenge to find places with true authenticity. It’s not that most Italian restaurants don’t serve tasty cuisine, they definitely do, but it’s the disheartening disappointment I feel when a dish comes and it’s been thoroughly Americanized that deters me. How I wish I could just sit back and enjoy a meal without comparing things to the way they taste back in Italy! And talk about sounding snobby if I were to vocalize my feelings. So more often than not, I simply avoid eating in Italian restaurants, even though it’s one of my absolute favorite cuisines. A sad state indeed.
Enter Olio Pizzeria. I was thrilled to stumble across this tiny gem, hidden away in a quiet little plaza off Victoria Street in Santa Barbara. Just an hour drive from Los Angeles, you’ll find great Italian cuisine well worth the jaunt out of town. At Olio Pizzeria, which translates to (olive) oil pizzeria, you’ll encounter deliciously authentic thin crust pies prepared with abundant portions of olive oil and cooked in traditional wood-burning ovens just like they do back in Italy.
Hollywood sparkled last night with glamour and glitz as celebrities came out for the 83rd annual Academy Awards. Our absolute favorite “Style Vixen” of the night was Gwyneth Paltrow, dressed in a sleek and shimmery Calvin Klein gown that evoked a hint of sci-fi glam and Cleopatra styling.
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Roller derby is sweeping the country by storm and derby counterculture is in turn ballooning, creating an entire empire centered upon strong, sexy women. Armed with clever names and flashy outfits, these tough all-girl squads are kicking some serious butt.
Culture Vixen’s Gayle Wheatley tracked down Sandra Frame, storyboard and animation artist by day, who moonlights as the mighty Tara Armov of the LA Derby Dolls by night. In an exclusive in-depth interview, Tara shares insight into her two passions: skating and art.
Gayle Wheatley (GW): Which came first, art or roller derby, and how did you get your start in each? Which of these two passions is closer to your heart?
Tara Armov (TA): The art definitely came first! I’ve drawn for the majority of my life. Derby came along about seven years ago.
It’s hard to say which is closer to my heart as both have had a profound effect on me in different ways but sometimes over the same issues. Being insecure yet able to express myself through either art or derby are reoccurring thoughts and feelings in my life.
GW: What inspires you as an artist? How has roller derby played a part in your art?
TA: I think both art and derby let me express emotions and feelings that I can’t do any other way. I find inspiration in vibrant colors and dynamic compositions in art, usually figurative in one form or another. Derby just boosts what I already get inspired by to begin with.
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Looking for ideas to celebrate Halloween? New this year to Disneyland park’s Halloween Time celebration in Southern California is Mickey’s Halloween Party, a special event going on every Tuesday and Friday evening in October leading up to Halloween. Here are the highlights:
Costumed Fun
This is your chance to break out the halloween costumes! You’re sure to see plenty of amazing Halloween outfits as you wander between rides. There’s even a costume parade at the end of the night filled with innovative ensembles, favorite characters, and a sampling of hand-picked costumed partygoers. (Your very own Culture Vixen editors were randomly selected!)
Trick-or-Treating for All Ages
Best yet, each guest receives a trick-or-treat bag upon entry to fill up at various trick-or-treat stations spread out around the park throughout the night. Guests are treated to unlimited candy, and the normal rules don’t apply here—there are no age restrictions and everyone is perfectly welcome to trick or treat, no matter your age! Where else but Disneyland would this be possible?
Spooky Fireworks
Disneyland’s fireworks extravaganzas are known for their sophisticated pyrotechnics, and Mickey’s Halloween Party is no exception. The special Halloween Screams fireworks spectacular features Disney villains with flashy individually spinning pinwheel fireworks and sky crawling blasts of sparkles.
Extra Breathing Room
Perhaps the best part of this event is the crowds—or lack of them. There’s nothing like the exhilarating experience of hopping on and off rides with little or no wait time! (Dependent of course on the night you attend.)
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You can find these cool cactus-head plant holders online at FloralArt LA, a Venice, California flower boutique located on trendy Abbot Kinney Blvd.
[ via FloralArt LA ]
Seven Definitive Tearooms Making Steam in Los Angeles
If you are as particular about your tea as I am, you already know that L.A. is a mecca for tea lovers. From rose petal elixirs served in tearooms on Melrose Avenue, to sleek tea-based cocktails you’ll discover out on the town, L.A. is stronghold for both unique and classic tea spots. The following are a sampling of the city’s steamiest hot spots:
1. Jin Patisserie
Jin Patisserie takes afternoon tea to the beach—Venice Beach, that is. Nestled behind an orange door on eclectic Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Jin Patisserie’s tranquil garden welcomes tea goers with soothing sounds of fountains and urban forests of bamboo. The owner, Kristy Choo, hails from Singapore and is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. Her teahouse is a fresh blend of Asian aesthetics and fusion pastry concoctions.
