Julie & Julia

OK it's 10:30PM and I just got home from seeing a preview of Julie & Julia and it was great, I mean really great! Meryl Streep was, of course, fabulous as Julia Child. Amy Adams redeemed herself to me after, what was for me a miss, as Amelia Earhart in Night at The Museum 2. The story was great and that it was about a blogger didn't hurt any either.
This is a movie written and directed by Nora Ephron who I loved in the 90's, but have not connected with in the 2000's (Bewitched and Hanging Up) hope to see more like this from her in the 10's.
I think everyone should get to the theatre as soon as this opens August 7. I'd write more but I have to go break into my mother's house now, steal her copy of Mastering The Art of French Cooking and start trying to cook some things. My Fourth of July party might have just gotten a whole lot more elaborate...

Here's the trailer to watch. Enjoy!

Sugarfish Sushi

Here's a rave restaurant review from my mom. I will tell you she knows her sushi so if she says it's good, it is. See my blog for LA Moms Blog regarding her Japaneseness.


Sugarfish Sushi in Marina Del Rey
I went to a great new (to me) sushi bar in the Ralph's Shopping Center at 4722 1/4 Admiralty Way. It is called Sugarfish. The fish was exceptional-all melt in your mouth with fabulous flavor. The nigiri is served on warm fluffy rice which can be a little challenging to get to your mouth intact, but it is soooo worth it! In addition to the sushi quality being outstanding, it is also a great value. We had the "Trust Me" order for $27 which included Edamame, Ahi Sashimi, 2 each of Albacore, Salmon, Yellowtail, and Halibut Nigiri and 2 roles-Toro Tuna and (real) Crab. Cheap can be found fairly easily but great and relatively inexpensive is like a needle in a haystack. Try it!

Skip Engblom and Gilbert's

I saw Skip Engblom at Gilbert's El Indio yesterday. He's a true Santa Monica/Venice celebrity. It was very exciting. Actually Gilbert's is a celebrity too. I highly recommend it. But always remember one margarita good two margaritas you're wasted. All in all it was a perfect Santa Monica native day!!

Louie and Keely by my Mom

I'm giving in to too much to do and bringing in some help, in the form of my mother. Oh yes I will make my mother do my home work. Since my Mom has already seen Louie and Keely I asked her to write a little blog for us about it. Because there is no way my family is going to let me out another night to see yet another show.

So here's my mom, Rea, on her evening in Westwood for dinner at The Gardens on Glendon and the show. By the way you can blame her for my theatre addiction in the first place. Also I asked my mother if she had ever seen Louie and Keely live, She said no but she saw them on the variety shows of the day quite a bit.


The Gardens on Glendon and "Louie & Keely Live at the Sahara" at the Geffen. If you go to the Gardens, be sure to have the Guacamole. They make it at the table and it is fabulous. From dinner we went on to the show. It is being performed in a small theatre at the Geffen that approximates the feel of their Lounge Act. Jake Broder (Louis) and Vanessa Clair Smith (Keely) are a real powerhouse. In addition to starring roles they co-wrote the book, produced the show and he is also the co-musical director. It is a very high-energy production with lots of memorable songs that the couple did. They both have great voices and he truly captures all of Louis' antics. Ms. Smith's voice and part were well done but she didn't quite get the dead-pan expression so often on Keely's face. Still it is well worth seeing but hurry I think it will soon be gone. It's been extended several times, already.

It's Elise again. Looks like the show runs through Aug. 2 so we may all have time to get to it. Check my previous post on the show for tickets.

Thanks Mom

The Answer Man

Just saw this tonight at a preview. I really liked it and thought I'd pass it along. The Answer Man Stars Lauren Graham and Jeff Daniels. It opens July 24th. It's a cute love story, but more than a romantic comedy. Don't let the god stuff scare you off. Hope you enjoy it.

Girls Night Out with the Geffen

Here's a great offer from the Geffen Playhouse for their show Farragut North, starring Chris Noth (Mr. Big on Sex in the City) and Chris Pine (Star Trek). It's a one night only post show party on July 2nd at the Luxe Sunset Hotel that is included in the ticket price.$30 ticket per person for July 2nd, no ticket limit. 7:30 pm curtain. Need to stop by the Girls Night Out check in table set in the lobby to pick up after-party wristbands.
Use offer code: FNBGG30. code must be mentioned at time of purchase. All handling fees waived. Valid only by phone at our box office (310) 208-5454, 7 days a week 12 noon - 6:00 pm.
Just as an aside and not to look like a Chris Noth stalker, he will also be starring in a new show this fall on CBS called The Good Wife, co-starring Juliana Marguiles. I don't know much about it yet but will hopefully be receiving a screener of it soon and will be able to pass on more then.
Hope to see some of you at this girls night out, I have both fingers crossed Noth will show up, just because I respect his acting, not because I'm stalking him. Is it bad that I mentioned stalking him twice, now three times in one post??

Happy Fathers Day

Here are Viejo and the little monkey up to their usual antics. For all the Kvetching(I need schiksa spell check) I do about my husband I will say he is a stellar father/playmate to our daughter. Being the last of my fathers four children, I never got the kind of one on one that monkey gets (jealous, maybe) I love to see the two of them wrestling on the floor and just generally being together. Thanks for being such a great dad Babe.
Happy Fathers Day

Discount tickets for Ringling Brothers

Come experience the all-new
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey ZING ZANG ZOOM
playing the Greater Los Angeles area with your family!
A SPECIAL OFFER FOR YOU!
Purchase a 4-pack of tickets for only $44 by logging onto
www.ticketmaster.com and entering the coupon code: MOM.**


*Use promo code MOM when purchasing tickets at Arena Box Offices, Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Enter code in the “MC Promotion Box” on Ticketmaster. Minimum purchase of 4 tickets required;
additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each. Not valid on VIP, Front Row and Circus Celebrity
seats or combinable with other offers. Service charge, facility fee and handling fees may apply.

A Funeral

I am just writing to see if it will make me feel any better. I just got home from a funeral. You see a women Vanessa died last week. She wasn’t a close friend of mine, though she was of my sisters. I had been out with her a few times before she became ill a few years ago with Scleroderma, in the past several years I’ve seen her when she came in for massages. She was very sweet, and determined to beat her disease. I liked her. When I heard that she died last week I was sad and cried.
Today at the funeral, I couldn’t believe the stories people told, actually it was the introductions that were unbelievable. This is so and so whose known Vanessa since preschool, this is Vanessa’s high English teacher, this is Vanessa’s camp councilor, and the list went on and on. It’s like everyone that ever met this girl loved her. My sister says she was just one of those people you keep in touch with.
All of the speakers had nice stories to tell but I really liked what one of her childhood friends said, about how Vanessa loved life, she was full of energy and was never fearful. She finished with how she would be driving faster. Now I’m not saying we should all start driving recklessly. But let’s all go dancing, laugh too loud, have adventures. Vanessa did and made the most of her 35 years. I wish I had done more with her, she sounds like a heck of a girl.
I don’t really feel better but I do have a plan. Thank you Vanessa

The Proposal or How Sandra Bullock Turned Me into a Lesbian

I took myself, all alone, to the movies today. I love going to matinees of romantic comedies by myself, and I rarely get to do it anymore. So today was quite a treat. I went and saw The Proposal with Sandra Bullock and it was adorable, triple loved it. But can I tell you that they show Sandra's naked body for sometime, and I think I'm in love. She is spectacular!!! I've always been a fan of Ms. Bullocks but this is something new. I mean Wow and great Jesus!
Oh yeah there's some guy who is good too and Betty White is perfect as the batty grandma. So I really recommend this movie, and want to have at least one lesbian interlude with Sandra Bullock.
That's all I got. Careful with this as a date movie boys, she may turn us all.

Culver City Bar Hopping

Had a great time last night hitting a couple of the Culver City bars last night (Though I'm paying the price today). We started at Fords Filling Station, with a little sangria and some baked Octopus. Both were delicious. Then we crossed the street to Gyenari, a Korean BBQ place. We were just out for drinks so we only had onion rings, which we loved, but I've heard lots of reports that this place is fabulous. I had a great mango mojito and my fellow bar fly had some kind of Lychee drink, she liked too. All in all we had a great time, so even though the next day is not as much fun it was worth it...

Hawthorne

Jada Pinkett's new series, Hawthorne, premieres tonight on TNT. Co starring major cutie Michael Vartan. Pinkett plays the chief nurse in a Virginia hospital. I can't say I loved it. It has some gender issues that bug me. Like all the doctors are men except for the one that's a total bitch and makes a mistake that almost kills a patient. I'll give it a few more chances. But they better work on their gender equality.
PS I'm guessing they pissed off every nurse in america with the hand job scene...

Ringling Brothers

I had the best time this morning at The Ringling Brother's media day at The Magic Castle. Firstly it was great to hear about the Ringling Brothers show Zing Zang Zoom coming to Staples Centes July 8th- 12th. It sounds like it's going to be an amazing show. They're dissapearing an elephant, teaching children to levitate their parents and turning a man into a tiger. I'm sure the kids would more than pay the price of admission to float their parents. I look forward to seeing it.
The second fun thing was getting into The Magic Castle. What an amazing place. That I'll save for a future post.

Update: Please see comments for Ringling Bros. Statement re animal treatment.

Hot Dog on a Stick

If you're on the Westside of Los Angeles this evening, here's a fun thing to do. Unless of course you are hot dogged out by the Hot Dog Death March Saturday.

True Blood

True Blood comes back tomorrow night, Sunday June 14th on HBO. I look forward to seeing all the creatures they introduce this season. So far we have our vampires, of course, and one werewolf, and whatever that lady is. I can't remember any of the characters names but I'm dying (no pun intended) to see what happens. Triple love this show!!

Louis & Keely

Here's another great discount on theatre tickets. This time for Louis & Keely at the Geffen Playhouse in Westwood, CA
I haven't seen the show but it's about Louis Prima and Keely Smith's Vegas show so how bad could it be. Lots of great numbers I'm sure. Anyway, they are offering 15% off tickets Tuesday - Friday with the promo code LK15 you can buy them here. The show runs thru June 28, so get moving.

My Blogging Adolescence

I think I have entered my blogging adolescence. After not quite a year in the blogosphere I can feel the change. How, you might ask? Well, I didn’t get my period or any other punctuation, for that matter. It actually started at the book store the other day. There I was innocently browsing the aisles when I saw it, “Creating Web Pages for Dummies” oh yes it called to me like a marijuana cigarette at a freshmen dance. I know all the cool kids are building their own blogs.
I want to rebel! That’s right, Blogger can’t tell me what to do anymore. I’m going to learn HTML (did you know that stands for hyper text markup language, me neither) I’m going to make my own rules. No more asking blogger why and getting met with “Because I said so”. Blogger has said one too many times “When you build your own blog you can do as you like, but as long as you live in this blog you go by my rules “ well I’m calling their bluff.
My new blog won’t be as nice as the blog Blogger gives me. It will probably be furnished with folding lounge chairs, milk crates, and cinder blocks and have an empty fridge, except for the beer, of course. But it will be mine and I can do whatever I want there. Sure it’ll be hard taking care of myself but I’ll figure it out on my own terms.
I wonder if this will turn out like my last adolescence, where I realized somewhere in my late 20’s how good I had it to start with. But then couldn’t convince my mother to let me back in the house. Do you think Blogger will hold a grudge?? Or say I’m too old to come home?? Maybe blogger has a garage I could convert???

It's all in Black and White

Here's another great one on TCM tonight. The Palm Beach Story, starring Joel McCrea, Claudette Colbert, with Preston Sturges directing and Rudy Vallee thrown in for good measure. I mean how could it miss. I love the deaf old man and the crazy hunting guys. The whole thing is ridiculous. But you'll love it too.
If you have netflix they have it.

Skokie, Ill. house for sale

One of my fellow bloggers is trying to sell her house in Skokie, Ill. Check it out or send this link on to your friends in Ill.
Thanks,
Elise

Dirty Dancing Tickets

I got an email advertising 50% Dirty Dancing tickets at The Pantages. They wanted me to make clear that I was just posting this as a fan (they suggested devoted fan, but really I'm not that devoted, so I stopped at fan) and am in no way affiliated with The Pantages, BroadwayLA, Nederlander, Dirty Dancing or anyone else, don't tell my husband. I just thought if any of you were thinking of going you might want to take advantage of this deal.

So here it is

Hope some of you can use it. It is a really fun show. If you go, and want to make a night of it, have dinner at Cafe Wa s before or go for drinks after. Here's my post on it. It's just around the corner from The Pantages. I love it there, but I am also just a fan, and again not devoted or affilliated.

TNT Tonight

TNT sent me the first episode of the new season of The Closer,which airs tonight, so I got to see it last week, and loved it. Course, I always watch The Closer and love it, so nothing new there. Just thought I'd give you all the heads up that it starts tonight.
TNT also sent the first episode of this seasons Raising The Bar. I'm not much of a courtroom drama kind a gal, but this was good, particularly if you like that sort of thing.
Anyway, hope you enjoy all the summer shows. I love that the cable networks give us summer shows, so we have something good to watch when we get tired of frolicking in the summer heat.
You can see more about the shows here

Dirty Dancing at The Pantages

I had no idea there were trekie type fans of Dirty Dancing, but they were in force at the Dirty Dancing show at The Pantages here in Los Angles last night. When the Overture started the house went crazy. I don't think I've ever been at a show were the crowd started screaming, and this was before a single actor took the stage.
I did like the show. They added a whole piece about the civil rights movement, that I don't remember in the film. The cast was really impressive. Though the Johnny character seemed to be struggling with the accent, especially when he said the word hand. I think he is English. Still he was amazing in the dance sequences and shirtless often enough that you really didn't care how he said hand.
It might have been a wee bit long, but I was the only one who seem to notice. All in all a great show. If you go prepare yourself for the final scene when Johnny says the famous line "Nobody puts baby in the corner" The house loses their collective minds. Their on their feet and singing along.

Jezebel with Bette Davis

Man I just caught the end of Jezebel with Bette Davis. She is great in it. I highly recommend it. Next up is The Letter another film with Bette and William Wyler directing. I've actually never seen it, and I won't tonight because I'm heading out to dinner and the theatre.Their saying The Letter is possibly her best film... Maybe I'll tivo it.
Anyway enjoy this trailer for Jezebel courtesy of TCM.

Possibly Last Cleanse Update

Well I completed my 3rd week on the cleanse and I gotta say I'm kind of over it. In fact, to be completely honest, I cheated a few times this week and had sugar and once I had a small slice of baguette, There was a whole jar of delicious pate in front of me and I had to. I do feel a lot better and my skin is looking pretty good, but I really want a cocktail and coffee. So I think I will end here. I am thinking I'll probably get a colonic now that I'm quasi cleaned out, and that will be my grand finale. I guess I'll continue to limit gluten, dairy, and sugar, but the alcohol and coffee is going to make a big come back. Don't be alarmed if you find me passed out on my lawn with a margarita glass or shaking uncontrollable in line at the local coffee shop.
I did want to do a few days fast, but the Doc said with my anemia it probably wasn't a great idea. She seemed to think I'd get pretty woozy, and I didn't tell her that I'm always kind of half out of it anyway. So that was that for the fast.
Goodbye cleanse
Hello Bloody Mary

Ooh and I'm going to Cafe Wa s tonight before I go to the Pantages to see Dirty Dancing. I'll report on all that soon.

LA Moms Blog Post

I have a new post up at LA Moms Blog
All about the drama that little girls LOVE.
Check it out

RIP David Carradine

RIP David Carradine

It's All In Black and White

TM & (C) TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES. A TIME WARNER COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.


I was so excited to be contacted by Turner Classic Movies (TCM) yesterday, and asked if I would like to write about some of their upcoming programming. You know I love my old movies , so I was all over it. They have a great series coming up in June hosted by John Lithgow to introduce the younger viewer to the classics. There's even one I haven't seen, Mr. Hulot's holiday.
Stay tuned I may get some fun giveaway stuff from TCM in the future. Hope you and any children in your life enjoy the shows.

TCM’s THE ESSENTIALS JR. – Hosted by John Lithgow – Begins Sunday, June 7 at 8 p.m.

Tony®, Emmy® and Golden Globe®-winning actor John Lithgow is coming to Turner Classic Movies (TCM) to host this summer’s edition of TCM’s ESSENTIALS JR. Lithgow, who has also earned acclaim as a children’s author, will present 13 classic films ideal for parents to introduce to their kids, beginning Sunday, June 7, with the musical classic Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942). The following is a complete schedule:

June 7 Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

June 14 To Have and Have Not (1944)

June 21 Father of the Bride (1950)

June 28 The Philadelphia Story (1940)

July 5 Mr. Hulot’s Holiday (1953)

July 12 The African Queen (1951)

July 19 An American in Paris (1951)

July 26 High Noon (1952)

Aug. 2 Heaven Can Wait (1978)

Aug. 9 Notorious (1946)

Aug. 16 It Happened at the World’s Fair (1963)

Aug. 23 Gaslight (1944)

Aug. 30 You Can’t Take It With You (1938)

Night at the Museum 2

Just a shout out to SoCal Mom. She had a contest a few weeks back for a Night at The Museum 2 give away. And I won. Yeah for me. I received a movie poster, a glow in the dark flashlight, stickers, McDonald gift certificate, and 4 Imax tickets for the show. I loved the movie and recommend it.
I do have one bone to pick with the film, and that is the Amelia Earhart character. Now I don't want to come off as some kind of reverse sexist, or maybe I do, but come on did they need to make umpteen jokes about her having no sense of direction. She is a great example of a pioneering women and I resent the belittling of her. She did get lost once, but that is hardly her defining characteristic.
Anyway, do go see it, both you and your children will enjoy it. And you can explain to your daughters and sons, who Amelia Earhart really was.