I just realized I haven't posted a picture of my cornrows yet! I had half my head done (30 minutes of torture) and yona chickened out of getting her hair braided... so she got a belly piercing instead! So here's a picture of Yona and me at the Feast of Lele... 5 delicious courses of food accompanied by hula dancing.

:(

I feel sick... I woke up with a headache, stuffy nose, sore throat, stomach ache, and I threw up some green & grey goo. Maybe this is my body's response to overeating last night at Lawry's. All that digestion killed my immune system and now I'm stuck with the flu.

Back to reality...

I can't believe I'm back in LA. The week went by too fast! Well here is a quick summary of what went on:

Friday Aug 20~ Monday Aug 23
Left LA for Honolulu to stay at the Sheraton Waikiki for 3 nights. I was pretty darn happy... ok I was extremely happy... Louis Vuitton was right across the street! And the block over to the left housed Gucci, Chanel, Dior and Tod's. Within walking distance?? It was too much for me. ~.~ All I did in Waikiki was shop, every hour, every day. I also discovered a new must-have piece of clothing: Mimi & Coco tank tops.

The pointelle tank comes in either solid colors or with contrast lace. They are a light breathable cotton and very stretchy for comfort. Anyways they come in a ton of yummy colors and it's hard to refrain from wearing these tanks everyday! They are easy to dress up or down too, making them very versatile.

Anyways I also stopped by the Ala Moana mall where there was a Neiman Marcus and all of the other Rodeo Drive staples. Nuts. At nights I just walked around the streets and I ran into a Brazilian girl who handmakes all of her own jewelry with real semi-precious stones. She was so talented! I got some very good deals on the most gorgeous necklaces.

Ooh and I can't forget to mention the awesome pedicure I got at Nailabo. They specialize in Hawaiian floral print on the nails... here are some grossie pics of my feet ~.~

Mon Aug 23 ~ Thurs Aug 26
I arrived in Maui... I stayed at the Ritz Carlton in Kapalua Bay. The resort was gorgeous; everything from the 3-tier swimming pool to the quiet private beach was breathtaking.

Anyhow there wasn't much to do (shop) in Maui so I spent most of the time working on my tan and relaxing on the beach. The shops in the villages were alright (although it was weird- amidst the homey shopes in the Whaler's Village stood a Louis Vuitton and Tiffany's... talk about standing out) but I did find a lot of cute things in one of the gift shops in the Ritz. They had everything from Trina Turk's casual basics to Diptyque candles. I also found the best way to bring relaxation back with me to LA... mebath Bath Ice Cream.

They are scoops of "ice cream" filled with all natural essential oils, salts, minerals, scents and flowers. They fizz when you pop them in the water and create a wonderfully scented bath. They also work wonders on your skin, making it feel smooth and reinvigorated. My favorite scents were Hawaiian Lei and Peaches and Cream.

Well, the main reason for my visit to Maui was to attend my cousin's wedding. It was on the lawn of a beach house, steps away from the sand. Here I am wearing the Diane vonFurstenburg dress I mentioned in a post below:

All of the settings were so beautiful. The dinner table was right next to the water, which was amazing in the moonlight. Well... that's it for now, I will try to post more pics later. Right now I have to enjoy the time I have with the house to myself. (Just dropped off the pups at the groomers)

P.S. Remember those dog tags I ordered from Wagging Tail? Well, I got a call from them telling me that they were featured in a magazine and they got flooded with orders so they weren't ready until today. They said that "Reese Witherspoon bought some and then it was featured in a magazine the month after and we've been soooo busy." You know what pisses me off??? I ordered them the same day, WHILE Reese was in the store... so why were MINE pushed back? Sheesh. I guess that's what I get for being an unimportant person in LA...

But anyways I did pick them up today as well as a pink crock bling bling collar for Lulu.. I'll DEFINITELY post pictures later ;)
*edited to add:

Bling!

Back from Maui!

Phew ... it's been a while! Well I flew back from Maui last night, going to spend this weekend recooping from vacation mode ~.~ Will upload pictures soon!

Palm Springs Trip

This time around, my trip to Palm Springs was full of firsts:


First swim ever in a hotel pool. (Don't know why we haven't done it before!)

First tee. Hee, hee.

First time ordering room service poolside. Yum!

First hotel room with a separate living room. ~.~ Okay, okay, it wasn't really a hotel room. We stayed at the Westin Villas!

First time driving down a dirt road! A REAL dirt road!

First house in Palm Springs.

First time seeing horseys up close. :P

First horsey ride! We went through a 4-mile trail in the canyons.

Soo's Bridal Shower

Today I went to Soomin's Bridal Shower at Shutters on the Beach (One Pico) We decided to have the "party" during brunch there, and afterwards we went to the Burke Williams Spa in Santa Monica to relax and unwind. I only had a couple of days to prepare decorations, games and prizes for the shower but all in all I think it turned out well! Unfortunately evite gave bad directions so most of the party was late, but we were still able to enjoy the food and champagne and play all the games without being late for our massages at Burke Williams ~.~



Soo with the "ribbon bouquet" ... made up of all the ribbons from the gifts tied into a paper plate. This bouquet is for her to use at the dress rehearsal!

Opening presents at bridal showers is always fun :)

Chinese women are scary.

*edit:
6' 5" butch Chinese females on the indoor volleyball team are scary.

480-pound woman dies after six years on couch.

She lived in filth, so large she couldn't move from her sofa, even to use the bathroom.

Early Wednesday, still fused to the couch, Gayle Laverne Grinds died following a six-hour effort by rescue workers who struggled to lift the 480-pound woman and get her to a Martin County hospital.

Unable to separate the skin of the 39-year-old woman from her sofa, 12 Martin County Fire-Rescue workers slid both onto a trailer and hauled her behind a pickup to Martin Memorial Hospital South. She died a short time later.

Sheriff's investigators questioned how Grinds lived in such conditions without more help from family or authorities.

"We're not treating her death as suspicious at this point, but we do have an investigation started because the circumstances surrounding her death are so unusual," Martin Sheriff's Sgt. Jenell Atlas said.

The Treasure Coast medical examiner performed an autopsy of the 4-foot-10 woman and listed her cause of death as "morbid obesity," officials said. Results of toxicology tests will take several weeks.

"I tried to take care of her the best I could," said 54-year-old Herman Thomas, who lived with Grinds in the duplex apartment in Golden Gate, south of Stuart. "I tried to get her to get up, but it wouldn't do no good."

He said the woman that he called his wife hadn't been off the couch for six years. No record of their marriage could be found.

"I wish I could have pulled her off the couch, but she wouldn't let me," he said, covering his face and sobbing.

Inside the home, the floor and walls were matted with feces, and trash was strewn across the floors, some which were bare concrete. Furniture was toppled, and pictures were knocked off walls.

Atlas said sheriff's detectives will look for potential "negligence issues" related to her care and death.

"We want to know what happened to her, how she ended up this way, and is she supposed to have been receiving any care," she said.

Rescue workers were called to the home at 8:44 p.m. Tuesday by Grinds' brother and his girlfriend, who reported the woman had trouble breathing and "emphysema problems." The crew initially tried to remove her from the couch, but the pain was too excruciating.

Workers wore protective clothing and installed large air handling hoses to ventilate the horrendous odor emitting from the home while trying to figure out how to get the woman and her couch to the hospital.

The street in front of the row of duplex apartments turned into a makeshift construction site as rescue crews used hammers and chain saws to build a large wooden stretcher with handles cut around the perimeter so firefighters could lift the woman and the couch, Martin County Fire-Rescue District Chief Jim Loffredo said.

After several failed attempts, including building one plywood plank that was too small to hold her, workers removed sliding glass patio doors at the back of the home, leaving a 6-foot opening large enough to get her out.

They slid the couch with her on it onto the larger wooden plank supported by 2-by-4 boards, which were slid onto a utility trailer.

"We couldn't get her in the ambulance," Loffredo said.

The trailer was hooked to the back of a pickup, leaving the scene sometime after 2 a.m., witnesses said. Grinds died at 3:12 a.m., still attached to the couch, officials said.

Neighbors who watched the lengthy rescue effort said they had never seen Grinds out of the home.

Jerry Thomas, who lives across the street for six years, said he has seen young girls at the home on occasion but never knew Grinds was inside.

"All we knew was the old man lived there," Thomas said. "I had no idea a woman ever lived in that house. Apparently she'd been on that couch a long time."

Unidentified relatives expressed anger at the scene.

"Family members are upset.... It's a difficult position," Martin County Fire-Rescue specialist Chris Wisniewski said.

Clifford Grinds, who is believed to be Gayle Grinds' brother, refused comment and slammed a door when contacted by a reporter at his Hobe Sound home Wednesday afternoon.

Court records show Gayle Grinds cared for a young niece and nephew after the death of her sister in 1992. Those children are now 19 and 15, but their whereabouts were unclear Wednesday.

"We are used to going to people's houses when things are at their worst... and that's fine, we're trained for it," Atlas said. "But there is no warning for something like this."

Atlas said a community policing deputy who worked the neighborhood a few years ago knew of Grinds but never had any dealings with her, and no deputy had ever been called inside the home.

In June 2003, 911 dispatchers received a call from the home for medical assistance, but Martin County Fire Chief Tom Billington said he could not reveal the nature of that call, citing federal medical privacy laws and the ongoing investigation.

The Department of Children and Families can intervene to help adults who are unable to care for themselves, but DCF officials said Wednesday they did not know about Grinds.

Christine Demetriades, agency spokeswoman for the Treasure Coast, said DCF has no record of calls to the abuse hot line or reports before she died.

Click here for source.

The Last Supper

Wow. I just re-read my previous post... I had a LOT to eat for dinner last night!

This is it. No more. Time to get serious about Hawaii. I have a tiny little dress to fit in for my auntie's wedding. I gotta get bikini ready. No more late night binge-eating. From now on, it's either the gym or Pilates every day.

Well, maybe not today. Today shouldn't count because I didn't even have that much to eat today. Just a ham+cheese bagel (AKA "the usual" at the bagelworks cafe downstairs) and a vitamin water. Surely I deserve a dinner. Maybe I'll just eat a light dinner, like fish. Or fish and chips! Oooh, and a side of popcorn shrimp...

Birthday Feast

Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate my birthday- and no thanks to those of you who tried to get me drunk.

This year I celebrated at Yi Cuisine. On the relaxed corner of Fairfax & Third, this newly renovated restaurant screamed Feng Shui. There was a large zen-like waterfall at the entrance, and many more lined the walls of the dining room. An airy entrance-way led to the atrium enclosed between the main dining room and the bar/lounge. Famed chef Rodelio Aglibot (formerly of Koi on La Cienega) created his own retreat for complex Asian (all types of asian- there were even 2 "Indonesian" dishes on the menu!) cuisine accented with French technique.

The food was delicious. Usually when going to an Asian Fusion restaurant I don't anticipate leaving with a full stomach, but being the first time I visited Yi, we made sure to order more than enough so we can get a taste of all the goodies on the menu. So here goes my first food review ~.~

We started with the tuna tartare which was served on top of a cube of deep-fried rice. The fresh fish had a delicate taste and was counterbalanced well with the sweetness of the rice. A matching dish, the kobe beef on rice krispie was another taste-buds-pleasing treat with melt-in-your-mouth kobe beef. Unfortunately, the wok-fried kobe beef entree was a bit disappointing, as the quality of the beef seemed to be inferior to the previous appetizer. Going on with the appetizers, we also tried the rock shrimp, as it was our waiter's favorite, and it was so delish I ordered an extra plate to share with the rest of the table. (Hey- it was my birthday, of course I got to try everything first!) The taste is very reminiscent of Chinese fried shrimp with mayonaise but this one didn't taste as fatty as chinese ones do. The rock shrimp was also fried to perfection before adding the sauce so there was just a hint of crispiness. This was my favorite dish.

The chef's special for the night, we also had an extra large helping of foie gras... which unfortunately was a big disappointment. It was breaded with Japanese breadcrumbs and deep fried and served on top of a bed of sweet rice and an ultra-sweet red sauce. The foie gras was completely over-cooked, which made it taste more like chicken liver, and the sauces overpowered the flavor completely, leaving a sticky sweet taste in your mouth and the question "How old is this foie gras?"

Another disappointment was the garlic noodles which aimed to be "better than Crustacean's." For one thing, it's not nearly as oily, which is a bad thing! ;) Also, it tasted more like spaghetti than noodles and was too dry, with all the flavor at the bottom of the bowl. Jabin said it best when he said "it tastes like supermie (instant noodles), except my supermie is better because of the MSG!" On a brighter note, the garlic fried rice wasn't half bad.

I also tried the crab-cake crusted ahi tuna, which cost a whopping $22 but was worth only about $4. He should have stuck to making crab cakes. Again, the flavor of the sauces (in this case, wasabi~ which they should have warned us on the menu) overpowered the taste of the seafood. I didn't taste any crab, although I couldn't complain about the ahi. Overall, this dish was okay, but not worth the money.

The rib-eye, (at $48 a dish) was sliced into thin slices and served with a brown sauce. I don't know what was in the sauce, but it tasted like a bad combination of hoisin and vinegar. The quality of the meat was also a disappointment, we'll stick to Mastro's for steak.

But the winning dish of the evening was the Black Cod. Marinated to perfection, and served with perfect texture, if I ever return I will definitely order the black cod. Also one of the side dishes caught my attention, a simple bowl of mashed potatoes.

And on a last note- if you are planning a small party where everybody is expecting to be fed a lot of food and drink and be merry, this is not the place to go. The portions are small and the menu can be difficult to order from for large groups (as the appetizers and entrees are all mixed up by styles of cooking, so everyone is confused as to what to order). However, if you're on a date and looking for a trendy night on the town, this place is perfect. Just don't expect too much from the lounge, since it is as dead as the bathroom decor. And it's a good idea to ask the waiter for his recommendations and stick to those, don't be brave and try the other things on the menu! Oh, and skip dessert.

Last..

Last Cigarette: Never.

Last Alcoholic Drink: Glass of wine at home during a weekend BBQ

Last Car Ride: On the way home from dinner at Sushi Mac

Last Kiss: Just got one from Lulu when she woke up.

Last Good Cry: Probably during my last PMS...

Last Library Book: Wow. Cerritos Library, can't think that far back... probably a Sweet Valley High book =P

Last book bought: Shopaholic & Sister / Sophie Kinsella

Last Book Read: It's on my list <--

Last Movie Seen in Theatres: The Village

Last Cuss Word Uttered: Probably crap or poop. I don't get any more vulgar than that. muhahaha.

Last Beverage Drank: Vitamin Water : Essential

Last Food Consumed: Too many orders of $2.50 sushi at Sushi Mac. Oh wait. I ate hazelnut cookies afterward. Oh wait. I had some Sour Punch straws after :P

Last Crush: Orlando Bloom

Last Phone Call: One of my sisters, I forget which one.

Last TV Show Watched: Days of our Lives (Every night before bed)

Last Time Showered: This morning

Last Shoes Worn: flip flops

Last CD Played: my hip-hop compilation CD from Endra.. (Lean baaaack....)

Last Item Bought: A peach top, a short sleeved sweater, olive gaucho pants, and a pink leather bag @ the GAP.

Last Download: The update to Ad-Aware

Last Annoyance: Moley and Lulu just rampaged through the living room and knocked down all the vases! Grrrr!~

Last Disappointment: When I found out my sisters haven't bought my birthday presents yet. Double grrr!!

Last Soda Drank: Swedish strawberry soda at Ikea

Last Thing Written: A mean, nasty letter to the Homeowners Association manager

Last Key Used: Car key

Last Words Spoken: Moley, NO! Why did you do that?! BAD! No!

Last Sleep: Last night.

Last Ice Cream Eaten: Haagen Daz Orange Sorbet

Last Chair Sat In: kitchen where my laptop is

Last Webpage Visited: friendster.

Bully Sticks

Once, at a Brentwood pet shop while I was buying Lulu's first collar, a Bully Stick display at the counter prompted me to purchase one for each of the pups for the car ride home. Little did I know, that quick impulse buy turned into one of the greatest discoveries I've ever made. These things keep the dogs busy for a long time. They are made with 100% beef and are recommended treats for them... but they can get pretty pricey in the pet stores.

So tonight I decided to look them up on eBay. ..

No one told me they were Bull Penises! They are 100% naturally preserved, low-fat, non-additive penises that are freeze dried. Then that got me thinking... they come in 3", 6", 12", and even 36".... hmmmmm....

They even come in a braided variety... what kind of pansy-ass bulls... ???

And I read that the "premium" bully sticks come from virgin bulls. How would they KNOW!?

More Kodak Moments

Awwww.... you're KIDDING me! :)

The whole twins/same position thing??? Caught them at it again.........

Whenever Lulu does something wrong and I yell at her, she runs straight to big bro for moral support... or maybe protection.

Still sleeps like a puppy... with legs wide open!

Lulu is entering her awkward stage of growth... where her legs are larger than the rest of her body :)

Her new favorite spot in the house is the cool bathroom floor...

.... just like her brother.

Meat of Choice

Too much beef.

My food intake for the past few days went something like this:
Thursday: 22 oz. juicy Ribeye Steak from Mastro's for dinner.
Friday: Hamburger for lunch, Lawry's California Cut of Prime Rib for dinner.
Saturday: Roast beef sandwich for lunch, Korean BBQ Tenderloin + Kalbi.

I feel sick. Dr. Atkins would be proud of me though.

August birthdays

Happy Birthday to my dad! After a long day of studying, I took a well deserved break to take my family out to celebrate my dad's birthday. We went to Mastro's! Since we took my mum to eat crab, it was only fair to take my dad out to eat steak! Yona came, chicked out, and ordered fish again. (I'm telling you Yona!!! If you wanna try meat... this is the place to do it!) I love the crab cakes there... I've probably mentioned already that they have the best crab cakes in the world. They are large and meaty- not full of breadcrumbs like the ones at Cheesecake Factory. Chunks of plump, fresh crab meat on a bed of tender greens... wow I'm getting hungry again! And the oysters were so fresh and sweet with a perfect texture. I've never even had better oysters at a seafood place! Anyways it's been a while since I've eaten at Mastro's (what, 2 weeks? hehe) so it was a good treat. Maybe I'll eat there again for my birthday ;)

Two of a Kind

I just looked up and noticed they were both sleeping in the same position. Had to take a picture ^.^ (Look at their feet!)



Seriously though.... exact SAME position. Caught again:



Look at their feet and their facial expressions!

A Good Reason Not to Flirt

(taken from Stanky's blog)

A couple were invited to a swanky family masked fancy dress Halloween party. The wife got a terrible headache and told her husband to go to the party alone. He, being a devoted husband, protested, but she argued and said she was going to take some aspirin and go to bed and there was no need for his good time to be spoiled by not going. So he took his costume and away he went.

The wife, after sleeping soundly for about an hour, woke without pain and as it was still early, decided go to the party. As her husband didn't know what her costume was, she thought she would have some fun by watching her husband to see how he acted when she was not with him. So she joined the party and soon spotted her husband in his costume, cavorting around on the dance floor, dancing with every nice "chick" he could and copping a little feel here and a little kiss there. His wife went up to him and being a rather seductive babe herself, he left his new partner high and dry and devoted his time to her.

She let him go as far as he wished, naturally, since he was her husband. After more drinks he finally he whispered a little proposition in her ear and she agreed, so off they went to one of the cars and had passionate intercourse in the back seat. Just before unmasking at midnight, she slipped away and went home and put the costume away and got into bed, wondering what kind of explanation he would make up for his outrageous behavior. She was sitting up reading when he came in, so she asked what kind of time he had.

"Oh, the same old thing. You know I never have a good time when you're not there." Then she asked,"Did you dance much?"

He replied, "I'll tell you, I never even danced one dance. When I got there, I met Pete, Bill Brown and some other guys, so we went into the spare room and played poker all evening."

You must have looked really silly wearing that costume playing poker all night!" she said with unashamed sarcasm.

To which the husband replied, "Actually, I gave my costume to your Dad, apparently he had the time of his life."

Who says my dogs are spoiled?!

First time I've seen someone actually use this bag ^.^ oh puuuuuppy. Blah. Lulu's cuter.

*edit: I did not meet JS... I found this picture online, hehe.

Three Cheers for Kiehl's !

Here are some goodies I picked up at the Kiehl's in Santa Monica (Montana Ave.) today: *edits are added after testing :P

Cutest little gift set ever! No! I didn't buy it for Lulu! It's for my cousin Emi's new baby. Of course, as they are gifts and for babies, I was unable to try them for a product review ^.^
But the set comes with:
Gentle foaming hair & body wash, Nurturing baby cream for face & body, Diaper rash ointment, Baby lip balm, & Kiehl's baby T-shirt.

*edit: Okay didn't actually test it, but I did smell them and they smell so cute!

Superbly Efficient Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant Cream
I got this one just for the name ^.^ I wasn't overconfident about the normal drugstore ones I use, and since this one is superbly efficient, I had to try it. It boasts 24-hour coverage as well as skin softening, soothing, and conditioning ingredients such as orange, lemon, and linseed extracts.

*edit: It hasn't been 24 hours yet, but I'd say I'm impressed! It isn't as sticky as Secret and I certainly don't have to use as much. It also makes the underarm skin look smoother and healthier!

Grapefruit Liquid Body Cleanser
At first I didn't like Kiehl's shower gels because they were so runny, but I love the refreshing fruity scents. It also leaves your skin feeling very clean and soft yet without the tightness that other soaps usually leave behind.

*edit: I like this scent much better than mango, it's stronger and cripser.

Grapefruit Deluxe Hand & Body Lotion
Not as heavy as the Creme de Corps, but does its job well. I love the refreshingly sweet scent and the smooth texture it leaves behind. Some if its ingredients include Aloe Vera and Oatmeal.

Superemely Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover
I love that this make-up remover feels more like a treatment rather than the usual harsh ones put out by other beauty labels. It is very gentle and not greasy at all, but it does the job!

Close Shaverettes "Simply Mahvelous Legs" After-Shave Lotion
My legs have become so dry this season, I was willing to try anything. This soothing cream doubles as a moisturizer and is supposed to get rid of dryness.

*edit: Don't convert just yet... not as moisturizing as a lotion and doesn't smell very good. However, I noticed that I didn't have any razor burn or irritation afterwards... so the question is.. did I ever have razor burn or irritation before? I don't think I did... Anyhow, I still had to put lotion on afterwards.


Rare Earth Facial Cleansing Masque
I was looking for a good treatment to use for Richard's sensitive/oily complexion. This is supposed to be a good cleansing mask that goes deep into the pores and leaves the skin soft, clean and smooth.

*edit: Wow! The masque went on smoothly, wasn't messy, and it dried up pretty fast. The results were pretty good- the tone of the skin improved and pores were clean & shrunken. It definitely delivered on its promises - and even better: it works on ALL skin types including sensitive.


Foaming Non-Detergent Washable Cleanser
I got this facial cleanser for sensitive skin for Richard. Again, not for me, but I hear it's unscented and guys love it because it foams up just like soap. BTW- what is it with guys and non-foaming cleansers? It bugs the hell out of Richard whenever I get a facial cleanser that doesn't foam up. It's still cleanser! Anyhoo this one is great for sensitive/oily skin.

*edit: Passed the redness test! Definitely gentle enough for even the most sensitive of skin.

Multi-Purpose Facial Formula For Men
Don't you wish they had one of these creams for women? It's an all-in-one cream that is supposed to smooth, moisturize, protect, exfoliate and mattefy male skin. Now I don't want to say I am easily swayed by marketing but... this cream seemed pretty amazing!

*edit: Again, I was very impressed. The cream was light and not oily at all. Had no scent and was gentle enough even for Richard's skin. Left just the right amout of moisture on the skin with shine control.

South Coast Plaza reunion

After 3 or more long years, I have finally been reunited with South Coast Plaza again ^.^ For this fancy occasion, SCP has prepared for me a few surprises:

Ron Herman - Although always yummy tops and other casuals, walking in here felt a little too summery for me. Time to gear up for fall. Pass on the colorful tees, bring on the cute scarves and jackets!
Kiehl's - I love how Kiehl's is popping up everywhere! With a store in Santa Monica, South Coast, Kiehls.com and of course the slew of department stores that carry kiehls, you really don't have a reason not to own any ^.^ Among my favorites: cucumber herbal toner, creme de corps body lotion, baby lip balm and the creme d'elegance repairateur facial moisturizer.
Bath and Body Works beauty - Since when did BBW carry products from henri bendel, molton brown, murad, and nars? The foyer entrance to this BBW was stocked with goodies from some of my favorite beauty companies.
Lawry's Carvery - I didn't get a chance to eat here... but I wonder if they have their famous spinning bowl salad and creamed corn to go?
Louis Vuitton - Again I don't remember if there was an LV store the last time I've been there... but if there was it must have been remodeled or something because this was definitely the first time I'd been in this store. I showed Vina the multicolore mini sac that I wanted to get her but she didn't like :(
Jimmy Choo - There, in the front display, was a small silver framed sign that said: "SALE". I dared myself to go in. But after my recent shoe splurge... I just couldn't.

Funny Ha Ha

I just got back from the Comedy & Magic Club in Hermosa Beach, it was my first stand-up comedy show! Tonight's program was Jim Edwards, Jim Brogan and Jay Leno. I had a great time- I laughed until my face hurt. Literally, my cheeks were sore from laughing too much ^.^

The Comedy & Magic club is a cute little club off of Sepulveda in Hermosa Beach. It's very casual and they serve pretty good appetizers. The show started at 7pm so we left early at around 5pm to try to get good seats... I don't know if people go there for lunch and stay in their seats to be close to the stage or what, cos by the time we got there at 5:30pm all the good seats were taken. But we were still only 5 tables back from the stage and in the middle so we had a good view of the comics.

Jay Leno, of course, headlined the show and he was on a good 1 1/2 hours... went by really fast though. I watch the Tonight Show pretty often, so I was happy that his stand-up comedy was different. He still touched on some of the same subjects like Americans being fat, George Bush, drunk pilots and what not but on the whole he was much funnier because he had the freedom to tell stories, reflect, etc. He was also very personable in his delivery, which I think made the audience connect with him more. Anyways he was so funny my face was hurting and now I can't even remember any of the jokes he told.

Jim Brogan was hilarious! I think he is a friend of Jay Leno- he used to write for the Tonight show. His whole act consisted of interacting with the crowd, he was very witty and clean with his comedy. I would definitely go see him again! (And maybe sit closer to the stage....)

As soon as Jay was done we got up to leave. Actually the ushers kept the doors shut- so we sneaked out a different door because we did not want to get caught up in the foot traffic, and turns out it was because Jay was outside on the sidewalk getting into his car (Corvette if anyone is curious). He was mobbed by a couple of fans though, so I didn't get a chance to stop and say hi. A bunch of girls were asking for pictures and there were other people who just stood behind his car and kept taking pics of him.

Anyways, if you want to catch him- he is there on Sunday nights. Just check out the website for information on how to get tickets!