Hidden Home

The blocks between Cahuenga and Highland, and Melrose and Santa Monica, are where much of moviemaking magic happens - if you consider the magic to be invisible necessities such as digitizing, editing and accounting. It’s not glamorous work, and neither is the area - blocks of boxy buildings, zero retail and shrubs, and unpopulated streets. All that exists are the overworked production types taking cigarette breaks or finding a moment in the sun. Hidden in the corner of all this is a secret home away from home.

Grub is a charming incongruity in the concrete heart of this postproduction country. The homey spot on Seward Street is sunny and just jumbled enough to make you feel as though you're taking a seat in your sister's kitchen - if your sister lived in a southern farmhouse! The walls are pale purple and yellow, there are simple stained-wood tables and chairs, a small lush garden, and most important dog friendly!

Upon settling in you receive a bowl of fruit loops – makes you feel welcome like a little kid in a candy store. Not just the loops, but the act of selecting an entrée - innovative, inspired, and a better read than most children's books, I encourage you to come hungry. After ordering orange juice and coffee (which is amazing, from San Francisco), I settle into the menu. The first thing listed is this incredible crepe pancake filled with children’s cereal. AMAZING! A perfect sweet start to breakfast.

I ordered their signature scramble. It arrived piled high with my choice of toast, and I say the best breakfast potatoes I have had in a long time - all kinds of crispy. Delicious, friendly, and if you are lucky you might run into a Hollywood star or two... I saw Andrew Garfield (from Social Network). Come hungry, leave happy – and with left-overs! 


911 Seward Street, Hollywood, CA 90038

Fall In Love

I stumbled upon this poem in search of a more romantic and girly side of myself. I know - sounds silly -  but I have lived in jeans and t-shirts and it's time for a style change! Anyways... I fell in love. His life of love and sorrow captivated me and I wanted to share it with you.

During his lifetime, Neruda seemed to experience the spectrum of emotional highs and lows very vividly - which is clearly reflected in his work. In times of inspiration he was capable of unparalleled romanticism. His passionate love affairs (married 3 times) provided him with a living muse. Despite his illness (died of cancer in 1973), Neruda was extremely happy during his final years. His best works - in my opinion - Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair and 100 Love Sonnets.


I fall in love all over again when I read his work - and if I am feeling down I can see the tragic twist of his mind - which is what makes him AMAZING! I hope you enjoy him as much as I do.

Skinny Facts

Rise and Shine! With it being Summer in January here in Los Angeles, a warm bowl of oatmeal is seeming less and less pleasing. Sooo… I thought I would mix it up! Enter a bowl full of granola! I have heard of all the benefits of granola - hearty, whole-grain, full of fiber - so why not?

Being a City Girl I know that combining “skinny” and “healthy” are not always one-in-the-same. But I have learned not to skip breakfast. So perhaps knowing the nutritional value of each will help you and yours truly decide which one to turn to more often, especially for the duration of the seemingly crazy warm Winter season.

Ready to see the comparison?

	One Packet Original Quaker Instant Oatmeal	One Cup Lowfat Granola With 6-ounces Nonfat Yogurt	One Cup Lowfat Granola With One Cup Skim Milk
Calories	100	290	301
Total Fat (g)	2	3	3.4
Carbs (g)	19	61	58
Fiber (g)	3	3	3
Sugar (g)	0	29	18
Protein (g)	4	9	12.8

WOW! You certainly expect to see a difference but are you surprised to see how unforgiving it is? While the fiber and fat content remain relatively the same between the three options, the calories, carbs, sugar, and protein stats are all incredibly different. In almost all of those categories, the OATMEAL is the “skinnier”. Protein is the only section where the granola is the front-runner – and we get this in lunch and dinner most likely). The oatmeal offers a third of the calories, zero sugar (the joys of adding splenda), and equal amounts of fiber.

What are your morning choices? I’m sticking with oatmeal!

You Do This Anyways...

We all know Facebook does not equal real life! (I know, I thought so too). However getting lost in someones profile who you have not seen since high school seems to happen more often then not. The "she gained weight" or "they got married!" comments are always spilling out of our mouths. And more than once a day I get asked about something I posted on Facebook. It is not a surprise that a comedy club is cashing in on this phenomenon. 

On Wednesday's the Upright Citizens Brigade makes Facebook stocking hilarious. A comedy-improv fusion where 2 random Facebook profiles are picked from willing audience participators. They get analyzed, digested, and then laughed at - nicely. Better pimp out your profile before you show up – make sure to erase all those comments about your ex – and those quote posts. It’s going to be a good night!


Only $5 | 5919 Franklin Ave., Los Angeles, CA, 90028 

Stuff Your Face

Los Angeles is full of celebrities, and it’s hard to not run into someone when eating out in this city. Producers. Actors. Musicians. Reality stars. This week I can get in with the best of them at a discount! It’s that time of year again when adventurous, food-loving Angelenos can dine out in style while saving some dough. That’s right…it’s DineLA restaurant week! Enjoy selections of three-course menus from over 200 participating restaurants in LA - at a discounted rate!

It is the perfect time to try out that “newest” spot, experiment with something that tickles a different taste bud, or just go out with your friends. The participating restaurants are offering lunches for $16, $22 or $28.  Dinners are offered at $26, $34 or $44.  Prices exclude alcohol, tax and gratuity.

For all my foodies with fancier palates to my budget-savvy ladies check out this event! A full list of restaurants is available just click on DineLA above! Come with an empty stomach and eat your heart out!

Let's Go Treasure Hunting

Los Angeles is already a hot destination for so much of so much - like celebrities, like eating, like swinging by the beach or sunning yourself in January. People here don't just shop to purchase an item of need. They shop to find the best deal - and usually on something they don't need. And vintage is one of the defining pillars of the neighborhood. We are, simply, vintage obsessed.

I spent my Sunday at the Melrose Trading Post in West Hollywood. The massive happening is a bit of a hippy celebration held in the meandering parking lot of Fairfax High School. The $2 entrance fee brings browsers by the hundreds. All the proceeds go to the high school, contributing to books, equipment, extra-curricular classes - so everyone benefits. Shop for yourself and help out the neighborhood. :-) 

Music from junk bands provide the back beat for hundreds of vendors selling old records, grandma's dried up fur coats, and the contents of Aunt Nancy's closet, as well as handmade jewelry (I purchased some!), re-worked leather dresses (amazing), antique collectibles and early 60's art. 

It is a handle-able flea market - not so huge that it takes a whole day to walk not even a half of it - two hours will get you through all the aisles and give you a chance to chat with the live wires selling the what-nots.

Two friends, Rachel and Megan, sell at a booth full of vintage finds and jewelry. Jackets, shoes, dresses, coats, blouses... you name it they have it. Most items are hand-picked by them and re-worked to be originals. Their signs are just as artistic as they are themselves, and you see they spend the days living, breathing, feeling vintage. The stop there is worth it because they have dug out all the great finds already - huge plus! And the incense they have burning smells AMAZING! It is a must stop for vintage. (If you can't make it to them on Sunday, they sell out of their home anytime!)

A great day. Five pieces of jewelry, a dress, and a vintage Frank Sinatra record. Bring cash - choices are many on these sunny Sunday afternoons … and it’s clearly a buyer’s market. 

A Cafe with a Garden

Brunch is the quintessential part of the weekend. I don't know anyone who doesn't love a weekend mimosa with her friends. No reason to wake up early - most don't start until 10 - and its the weekend!

Instead of heading over the hill into Hollywood for brunch, I made my friend come to me to try a new Café that always seems to have a crowd. Sweet Butter Café. It’s a kitchen, market, and café in one – with a décor that is so country French you can’t help but want to go there.

It has a little garden, all outdoor seating, all the little cute items that crowd your kitchen counters, very cozy.

Huge chalkboard with the menu inside. A breakfast sandwich, waffles, and oatmeal are a few choices for breakfast, and lunch looked even better. All the ingredients are organic and fresh… and that’s easy to see from the color.

Eggs, sausage, toast and coffee… For as simple as that it was delicious! Eggs were moist, and the sausage… so fresh! I think it was a bit over priced, but it’s a weekend brunch.

It’s a mini farmers market and café in one. Worth checking out.

Anyway You Slice It

I don’t greet you with flowers, but with food! So much better right? Hello World!

Rise and Shine. Starting my weekend off right with a splendid simple thing… breakfast! A year ago, maybe even six months ago, I was not one for breakfast. Sleep. Sleep. More Sleep. These days my morning coffee and breakfast are essential to a good day (add in a hike or run with my pug and you got me smiling for hours). I never thought of breakfast as essential, just more calories... I know better now. Find a breakfast bar that you can grab and take on the go, or a simple pack of oatmeal to heat up once you get to work. I'm a instant oatmeal girl (only 100 calories), but for those days I want to spice it up and have more time I make a mess in the kitchen.

This morning I gambled with French Toast… I’m not any kind of a cook, but I love food. Good food. And I’m sure like any other city girl, learning to cook is on your list of things to do - right after being rich, skinny, and owning a fabulous wardrobe. But a savory sweet breakfast is worth every bite - sorry Kate Moss but I have discovered that sometimes things do taste as good as being skinny feels - So I bring you... 

Cinnamon Sugar French Toast.

8 slices of thick bread (the softer the better)

3 egss

1 cup milk (vanilla soy anyone?)

4 tbs brown sugar

2/3 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

I’ll keep it simple:

Heat pan on stove to medium heat.

Combine eggs, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a flat bowl. Whisk until everything is well blended.

Dip the bread slice by slice into the mixture, flip so each side is coated, let access drip

Place slice in pan and cook, flip once or twice, until bread is golden brown.

Serve it up with some powdered sugar... yes please!

Enjoy! 

Welcome To My Life

About Me:

Constantly on the brink of discovering something new about myself, and can’t go a day without my morning cup of coffee. A reader. A pug owner. A writer. A Wino. Shopaholic. Foodie. Fan. Friend. Granola Eater. Runner. Yoga Bender. Southern Cali girl born and bred.

A Little History:

I grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles. A town where what you wore, drove, and did were all that mattered. I learned quickly that there was more than this to life. I busted out as soon as I could and moved to San Francisco. Here I learned a lot, lusted a little, and got creative.

Two years later I headed back to So Cal. I lived with friends, worked a ton, fell in love, and moved toward the city. I threw myself into fashion. Buying books and books from the history of fashion to the essentials of style. Through this venture I found a job at 944 Magazine. And there it was - the editorial world; my passion, my talent, my life. 

Which takes you to today. A life full of splendid little things…