My Chic Life

Got New Year’s Plans?

At the gym yesterday, I swear, I heard this question about 15 times. New Year’s is a tough one here in LA. House parties run the risk of being shut down by the po and Hollywood is just a mess. But come on, no one wants to be singing Auld Land Syne by their lonesome when the clock strikes 12.

My solution- avoid HWood and WeHo and go to a one-stop-New Year’s-shop this December 31st. Our beloved Dolce Group and Night Vision Entertainment (of Pandora) have come together to present 2010: A Space Odyssey. With an open bar, munchies from Dolce Group restaurants: Ketchup, Bella, and Geisha House, a live performance by Shiny Toy Guns, and a meteor shower at midnight, this is the place to be at the stroke of midnight.

Tickets are going fast. Get yours at http://www.PandoraNightlife.com and party like it’s 2009.

Just kidding…it’s Unique LA, independent design and gift sale. This once a year event takes place THIS WEEKEND downtown at the California Market Center and features adorable creations from local designers. Unique LA is not your local church craft sale. This place is full of one of a kind clothing, jewelry, home decor, accessories, and art at affordable prices that are too good to pass up. I did basically all of my Christmas chopping at this event last year and did not hear a single complaint.

Want another reason to go? Detroit Sprinkles, my most favorite T-shirt company will be in attendance. This alone is reason to check out the sale. Avoid mall crowds and generic gift giving…Come on Chic Readers! Check out Unique LA this weekend and support local designers and artists.

When you think of The Other Boleyn Girl you might think of the movie staring Scarlet Johannson and Natalie Portman, but you really need to think about the novel by Phillipa Gregory. Even though it’s a pretty long read, it is wonderful and keeps you entertained every minute. It’s based on King Henry VIII and his escapades with the Boleyn sisters. Full of scandal, love, drama, and history, you can’t ask for anything more! The story is based on actual historic events so you feel like you’re actually learning something. The movie did not live up to my expectations but the book definitely surpassed them. I highly recommend this book and hope you all take a chance to check it out!

Every year when I see the Pumpkin Spice Latte on the Starbucks drink menu, a little shiver of excitement runs down my spine. Fall has arrived!!!  Temps are down (kind of), leaves are falling (not really), and I have a great urge to go back-to-school shopping (even though I graduated years ago). While we may get screwed out of many Autumn merriments, there is one fall tradition that us Angelenos participate in with pride.

HALLOWEEN is the holiday where men and women of all shapes, sizes, races, and sexual orientation come together with one common goal…to dress UP and party DOWN!!! Now comes the challenge: finding  the perfect costume.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret Chic Readers. After fighting my way though crowds of teeny boppers at SPIRIT stores last year, I had seen one too many Sexy Pirate Wench ensembles. Defeated and depressed I drove home. Then, I found it. COSTUME MECCA!! A giant blow-up Frankenstein lead me to an otherwise inconspicuous warehouse called The Costume Shop.

This place has it all and does things a little differently. You literally walk in, an associate asks you what you’d like to dress up as, and 10 minutes later, you are holding all of the components to your perfect costume in your hot little hands. Large items such as coats, boots, and full walkabout furries are rentable while smaller accessories can be purchased. Once all of the elements of your get-up have been gathered, your handy helper will give you a price on renting the lot for 2 nights and 3 days. A-MAZING.

I would like to conclude this post with 3 Reasons why you should visit The Costume Shop.

1. Renting is green. Be good to Momma Earth.
2. No one else will have the same costume as you. PHEW.
3. Do you really want that hot pink tutu sitting in your closet the other 364 days of the year??? Didn’t think so.

The Costume Shop  746 W. Doran St. Glendale, CA 91203  (818) 244-1161

I recenty visited the Cala Show at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco’s Union Square and it rekindled my love of basics. I met with, as far as I’m concered, one of the best clothing reps in the industry, Toby Milavsky. Toby is currently representing Saint Grace, known for their sexy sophisticated lines and cotton blends. I was able to watch Toby rep the HELL out of Saint Grace, however the clothes spoke for themselves. I watched buyer after buyer walk through the door and take camisoles, tees, and cardigans for test drives. It reminded me of The Swan, as I watched these buyers transform when they looked in the mirror. I was so jealous I almost tried on a little empire number for myself.

So it got me to thinking… I thought it was so unfair. Why should all the women get the fun?… But just before I got my panties in a bunch I discovered Gregory Quinn, The Saint Grace men’s line. It was like sex on the skin and for those men who have never experienced the basic farther than the 3 pack of Hanes or the Gap sales rack, I think its time to re-think the basics. Paired with the right dress shoes and sports coat (which can be optional depending on the occasion), the engineered basic can take the work out of a man’s wardrobe. If you are a man who hates shopping, knowing your basics can help you get in, get out, and get back to your Sunday football game!!! Although I’m a total advocate for Saint Grace and Gregory Quinn, there are definitely cheaper options… Take time to discover your inner and outer basics and stay Basic Chic!!!!

A few Notes for Men/Women to Remember

* Heavy sweater’s should stick with 80% cotton/20% poly blends. This will help you keep the shirts shape during usage.

*If you are a V-neck guy pick the right dip. ONLY skinny men get away with deep V’s. Although you are proud of you big manly muscles… leave the cleavage for the ladies.

*American Apparel is 100% hand made and no 2 shirts fit the same…. TRY IT ON FIRST!!!

Months ago I was changing into my smock at the hair salon getting ready to have my roots restored to their “natural” color, when I looked down and saw a postcard on the tiny table next to me. It was an ad for The Ace Hotel in Palm Springs and I was smitten. It was quirky and weird, a little hippy, a little Americana and a fresh perspective in a land of gilded chandeliers and duvet covered hotel rooms of Los Angeles.

Their website boasted romantic weekends filled with black and white movies projected in your private patio (served with truffle popcorn and dirty martinis). I vowed that I would take my husband, my girlfriends, or even myself (sans-anyone) there for a vacation!

Fast forward to last week, when Swine Flu officially scared us in to canceling our big anniversary party in Mexico. I found myself in need of a locale for a party stat! Palm Springs became the easy answer… warm weather, they have golf, they have pools, it’s a 2 hour drive from LA. So I set up walkthroughs with all the usual suspects: The Parker, The Viceroy, etc etc etc. And then I thought of The Ace… dying to see it with my own eyes I set up a walkthrough with them knowing it wouldn’t work for my anniversary party but confident we’d use it for something eventually.

When Erika and I pulled up to The Ace, I laughed aloud thinking of Dave’s Disney Execs pulling up to the lobby of this place complete with it’s vintage photo booth and coyote (wearing bejeweled necklaces) in the desert diorama. The thing is though… I am EXACTLY the kind of girl that loves a desert diorama, I also love underground rooms called Amigo Bar, I love old ice cream, turned Tamale cart, I love poolside waitors on vintage skate boards and I FREAKING LOVE an event space with an old Airstreem on site to serve vodka based snow cones to party guests!!!

I’m suddenly so excited about our party now I can’t sleep at night, and while I lay awake and dream of a orgasmic fish Taco from the King’s Road restaurant on site, I really encourage you to book your first stay ASAP!!

In the words of Heidi Klum ala Project Runway, one day you’re IN and the next, you’re OUT. This is especially true for the LA nightclub scene. Paris’s party place can turn into the spot Andy Dick’s posse (does Andy Dick have a posse?) frequents faster than you can say, “That’s hot.” 

 

 

So I guess what I’m trying to say is that I might be eating my words in a month or two but whatever, I’m gonna talk about it anyway. Right now, at this very moment, I love My House. It’s not often a new club comes along that has everything- a great dance area, a smoker’s patio, and loungey areas for talkers all rolled into one incredible space. Usually I like to hit up a few places but I could spend all night there! It even has a big bed so I could literally SPEND the night.

And maybe I will.

Have you been? Did you love My House as much as I did?

How do you turn an empty room into a sick event space? While good food, choice booze, and catchy tunes are always a must, gorgeous FURNITURE can take your soirée to a whole other level. Form Decor has pieces that blow my mind. From Stark to Wearstler the designs are inspiring, amazing, and                             beg to be used at your next event.

I got fired up about clear chivari’s, ghost chairs made my week, but the Avalon Lounge- omg, seriously makes my heart skip a beat…sigh. Honestly, just go to the site and check out the goods for yourself. Be prepared to be amazed and find an excuse to have a party- stat!

It is said that within three seconds of meeting someone, you are evaluated. First impressions are forever. They cannot be redone, reshot, or removed. Once that mark has been made, it is permanent…so why not make your first impression the best it can be, right?

 

 

When it comes to parties, invitations are usually the earliest element that guests come in contact with. Invites set the tone for your party, get people fired up, and give a little sneak peak as to what your event has in store. Perk your guests’ interest by doing something a little different that will definitely catch their attention…Send an invitation by Innovation! 

The Innovation Companies specializes in custom print that is unique, creative, and uses the most unexpected materials I’ve ever seen. From steel to wood,   plexi-glass to feathers, you can guarantee that their invites will impress. 

Don’t blow that event’s first impression with a lame tent folded card, nail it with something ingenious. Come on, you only get one shot.