obama loft party in downtown los angeles

Will I see you there? I'm bringing dessert. Please RSVP to Dan directly.

yuppy yardsale tomorrow!

Although we were able to sell tons of our stuff at the last Yuppy Yardsale, we still have boxes and boxes of stuff. So we're doing it again. Tomorrow.

What are we selling? Tons of books, CDs, my VHS movie collection, big-ass speakers, computer equipment and accessories, shoes, clothes, tchotchkes and whatnot. Trust me, I have good stuff, just too much of it.

Here's the info:

Yuppy Yardsale II: Electric Boogaloo
August 23 & 24
10am to 3pm (no earlybird or stragglers)
Finevale Drive & Dos Rios Road (on the Island)
Downey, CA 90240

waking from a food coma

UPDATED 08.22.08: I need to clarify a few things - The Nickel's pastry chef is Sharlena, and she worked for Thomas Keller at Per Se and Bouchon as a Pastry Chef de Partie, of which there are many. She was not the Pastry Chef, she answered to the Pastry Chef. She also worked at 11 Madison as a Pastry Chef de Partie.

This past Wednesday, Jim and I had the pleasure of a sneak preview of The Nickel and their breakfast offerings during their invitation-only dry run (FULL DISCLOSURE: Jim and I have a financial stake in the success of The Nickel, we're investors. That's my bias, well, that and I'm a lazy foodie who doesn't like to leave downtown unless someone else drives). If you haven't yet, check out Rich's pics/post on Angelenic.

I already have my favorite table picked out, but unfortunately, Julie of Metropolis Books and Stella (my favorite Icelandic witch/designer) were already sitting there enjoying their breakfast. No matter, we were seated in a nearby booth where I could ooh and ahh over all the decorative details. The co-owners - Kristen Trattner, Ricki Kline and Monica May have done a wonderful job. The place looks great - it's warm, inviting, and OMG the food!

Let's start with the beverages. Juices are fresh-squeezed and they had this zippy carrot-ginger-I forgot the third ingredient juice, which I recommend trying. Jim ordered two eggs scrambled with bacon, I ordered the Cameron's Puppy Pile (chicken apple sausages tucked into buttermilk pancakes with a fried egg on top), extra egg and with a side of potatoes. I was hungry.

While waiting for our order, Kristin brought out some fresh mini-donuts for us to try. Nice touch. Did I mention that their pastry chef used to be Thomas Keller's pastry chef? Kristen brought her over to our table and introduced us, but I forget her name, probably because I had eaten two donuts and was already on a sugar high. In any case, she bakes genius. I can already feel my waistline expanding in anticipation of her "Cher Cake" and what I'm told is an amazing Tres Leches Cake. That reminds me, I need to renew my gym membership.

I'm not going to write a blow-by-blow (or a fork-by-fork) account of the meal, but damn those pancakes were beautiful. Big, light, fluffy cakes of tasty goodness. The service was attentive, the music was very good and at a volume conducive to conversation, the booths were comfy, and I love the decor. This is just what the neighborhood needs, but mostly it's what I need. Guess where I'm having lunch next week?

The Nickel Diner
524 S Main Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Opens Wednesday, August 27, 2008

wanna buy a Mer-Lion?

UPDATED 8.21.08: Sold the fridge, kitchen cabinet, kitchen table/chairs, small sofa, microsuede sofa/chair set, wardrobe and Mer-Lion! Yay!

Unbelievably enough, the washer/dryer, gas stove, and metal shelving unit are still available. If they don't sell by Friday, we're hauling them to the Yuppy Yardsale this Saturday (oops, the site isn't updated with the new info yet).

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was redecorating. We finally put some stuff up for sale on Craigslist, even the Mer-Lion that stood guard in our elevator lobby, greeting everyone as they exited the elevator. Most of the stuff we're selling was acquired two years ago when we first moved into our loft. It took my husband Jim almost that long to tell me that he didn't really care for the Mer-Lion that much. So the Mer-Lion must go, just like everything else on this list:

O'Keefe & Merritt Gas Stove - $150
White IKEA Pax/Komplement wardrobe - $125 SOLD
Green microsuede couch and king chair - $250 SOLD
Small sofa/love seat - $25 SOLD
Round kitchen table and three chairs - $50 SOLD
Ikea Udden kitchen cabinet - White - $75 SOLD
Metal/glass shelving unit - $50
GE 18.2 Cu. Ft. Top-Freeze Refrigerator - $120 SOLD
Admiral (Maytag) Washer and Electric (220v) Dryer - $150

And finally the Wire and fabric Mer-Lion statue - $100 SOLD

You can contact Jim directly if you're interested in buying any of our stuff. Please don't make Jim haul whatever we don't sell off Craigslist to the Yuppy Yardsale, I don't think his back can take it.

making strange: rooftop sci-fi

This looks like a fun thing to do in downtown Los Angeles - a three-week series of rooftop screenings of sci-fi flicks at the Bonaventure Hotel. The FREE screenings are held on the Plaza Pool Deck, 4th floor, and begin at dusk.

Making Strange: Rooftop Sci-Fi at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel
404 South Figueroa, Los Angeles, CA 90071
Screenings will be held on the Plaza Pool Deck, 4th floor.
Blankets and pillows are encouraged, as seating will be limited.
Street parking, or City National Garage (on Flower Street), $10 with validation. Hotel valet, $25.

Thursday, August 14
Powers of Ten
(Charles and Ray Eames, 1977, 9 min.)
Solyaris
(Andrei Tarkovsky, 1972, 163 min.)

Thursday, August 21
Ascension of the Demonoids
(George Kuchar, 1985, 46 min.)
Sins of the Fleshapoids
(Mike Kuchar, 1965, 43 min.)

Thursday, August 28
Double Lunar Dogs
(Joan Jonas, 1984, 24 min.)
Space is the Place
(John Coney, 1974, 82 min.)

Screenings are FREE and begin at dusk.

I wonder if they'll allow dogs on the plaza? If my husband Jim and I can find the time to check this out we'll probably want to take Wonton along.

laura always said i'd be good at this

My husband Jim has told me repeatedly that I have a tendency to take on too much. This time, I think he may be right. We have our art and architectural supply store, Raw Materials, opening in just weeks. We just finished taking down the drop ceiling and are ready to paint, shelving is being delivered as I type this, and we still have inventory to order, electricians and the phone company to deal with, and all sorts of details to be attended to. Additionally, we found a space to house Winstead Adams Projects and are negotiating a long-term lease. I know that doesn't sound too overwhelming, however, we still have our demanding day jobs and our business partner James has been in the Amazon for the past month and unable to help.

With all that on my plate, I take on another big project - clean out my closets, participate in an awesome group yard sale, put the sofa/chair up for sale and decide to redecorate. We're also selling our coffee/end tables, round dining room table/chairs, refrigerator, and a full-size washer/dryer set (putting that up on craigslist is on Jim's list of things to do).

Oh yeah, another tiny detail I left out - in addition to writing feature films, I'm now producing them. Since Bigshot Producer optioned my screenplay over two years ago, I've learned a few things and I guess he noticed. So now Bigshot Producer and I are working together on a slate of films. Although I'm very rusty at raising funds (not having done it since the Internet boom days), I managed to luck into a Mysterious Investor with deep, very liquid pockets. Unfortunately, Bigshot Producer and Mysterious Investor both require a lot of massaging and consequently I find myself on the phone with them and stressing out a lot.

I have to admit, it's very difficult to switch from producer mode to writing mode and my writing time is suffering. But opportunity was knocking and now I'm finding that I'm very not bad at this producing thing. Still, something has to give. But what?

everything must go

I've been cleaning up the loft like crazy this past week, going through boxes, cleaning out closets, rethinking all the stuff we use and the stuff we ignore and let pile up in the corners. We're selling two sofas, a chair, coffee table, end table, several desktop and laptop computers and accessories, a bag of CDs, three boxes of VHS tapes (lots of porn!), two huge boxes of handbags, a small pile of shoes, and enough clothes to fill many many closets. I know I'm leaving a lot out, but you get the idea.

My brother borrowed a truck and we're moving all this stuff over to my friend Happy's house to sell at her yard sale tomorrow. But it's not just any yard sale, it's been branded the "Yuppie Yardsale", complete with a vodka sponsor, Tru Vodka (if the name sounds familiar, they're also known as Modern Spirits and you'll find their flavored vodkas at Trader Joe's).

So if you're not busy and you need more stuff, swing by, sip some tasty vodka, enjoy the company and buy my stuff. Because I need to buy more.


what: Yuppy Yardsale
when : Sunday, August 3
time : 10am - 3pm (no early birds; no stragglers)
where: 81st & kentwood in westchester, 90045

payment methods accepted:
cash, paypal*, visa*, mastercard*, amex*, e-check* (* may include processing fee; id required.)