Month: April 2012

Day At The Races: Santa Anita Park

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And the horses are on the track! I spent a day at the races for closing day at Santa Anita Park last week. A big group of us dressed in our vintage for a good ol’ fashion afternoon.

I’d never been before and had no idea that Santa Anita Park Race Track was just a little bit outside of Pasadena. I must admit that I’m a bit of a fan of horse races but not an experienced attendee. I tend to get swept up in the excitement of the Kentucky Derby every year and long for an afternoon when I can wear a big hat, drink mint juleps and admire some absolutely magnificent animals. I usually end up watching the entire Triple Crown on TV and picking my favorites by the time it’s all over.

So I was excited to see a horse race in person. We met at the statue of Seabiscuit, which in itself had me a bit awestruck. (It’s an amazing story if you don’t know it. See the movie, much of it was filmed at Santa Anita where Seabiscuit raced many times.) We then made our way up to the stands. Since we were all dressed up in styles from the 1930-60s — the men in their suits and hats and the ladies in their dresses and gloves — we made quite a scene as people stopped and stared.

I had a few dollars burning a hole in my wallet so I turned to one of the fellas to assist this virgin racer on how to place a bet. Of course I had no idea how to beat the odds, so  I went by names I liked.

With the sound of the bugle, we were ready for our first race. I watched as the numbers I picked flew past with the thunder of speedy hooves in the dirt. Not a winner but I tried again. Ok, well I lost two races and I stopped there. We spent the rest of the day exploring the grounds, posing for pictures and we even snuck into the Winner’s Circle for a spell, just long enough for one lady from our group of retro dollies to be pulled into the coach ‘n’ horses for a private spin around the track!

See photos from the day by clicking on the image below:

It was a great time and a perfect lead-up to the Kentucky Derby on May 5th. If you want to celebrate like they do at Churchill Downs, the historic downtown Los Angeles Athletic Club is having a viewing party. Don’t miss the “Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports!”

Run for the Roses,
K.



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Month: April 2012

Eco-Cocktails: I’ll Drink to That!

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k7_150Are you a greenie who likes a good drink every once in a while? I know I am, and before I met bartender Michelle Green Queen, I had no idea there was such thing as an “eco cocktail.” But with more businesses producing green versions of their products, it makes sense that spirits would start to go organic.

Having been a bartender most of her career and a believer in striving for sustainability, making eco-cocktails was just an extension of Michelle’s already green lifestyle, “The more green I got and the more changes I made in my life, I just naturally started doing that in my business. It was just an awareness. When I was bartending at a private party or restaurant I just saw how much waste – cocktail napkins, one-time use plastic straws – it was all around. When I moved to California, I was looking for a bartending job and I just thought I should do my own thing and this is how I want to do it. It wasn’t because green is a trend, that’s just who I am.”

She started her own green bartending service, GQecoBartending, and began to create  eco signature concoctions using all organic ingredients (alcohol, juices, mixers and garnishes) and  instincts she already had for making a great drink by just looking at the items she has in front of her and coming up with something new.  “Bartending is an art. There’s that whole mixologist movement and I guess I can call myself that because I can create on the spot,” she says. “I’ve always been able to do that. It’s gotten me in trouble in some places I’ve worked, like the chain restaurants, they want you to measure everything out exactly. But I can pour an ounce with my eyes closed! If someone asks me for a recipe, I can tell them what ingredients I used but I can’t tell them exactly how I made it, I just make it.”

I was at one of Michelle’s tasting parties when she invented what has become one of her most popular cocktails – the “Mine is Better” Margarita – a kicky, refreshing drink, chock full of organic goodness with cilantro, jalapeño, cucumbers and other ingredients that when combined, are like nothing you’ve ever tasted! Watch her make it here:

[youtube http://youtu.be/h0y6Ume1GeQ]

Michelle is no stranger to being behind the bar, having started in the food and beverage industry since she was a teen in Detroit. “My first job at age 16 was as a waitress and once it’s in your blood, it’s there. In Michigan you had to be 18 to serve alcohol. So when I turned 18 I wanted to be behind the bar, I didn’t want to be on the floor anymore.  But the owner wouldn’t let me because I didn’t have the experience. So I bought some bartending books and learned how to mix drinks. Eventually I got the Sunday night shift nobody wanted and I’ve been mixing drinks ever since. There is a high burn-out rate to being a bartender but it’s the one job I always go back to, I really like being behind the bar.”

So where did being green come from? “I just don’t believe in waste,” she says.  “I grew up without having much, so waste drives me crazy! I’ve worked a few different green jobs and with each one I learned a little bit more, so it was just an evolution. Now when I bartend I can do it zero-waste.”

Michelle has even turned her knowledge of green and cocktail mixing into an internet radio show – The Green Queen Happy Hour every Tuesday night from 8-9 p.m. PT on Green Earth Radio.  “I have guests on who represent all different aspects of green living and we just share ideas and talk about current green topics,” she explains. “And it’s happy hour so anything can happen!”

So is Michelle one of  those greenies who finger-points at those not as green as she is? Not exactly. “I live a pretty green life but there are all kinds of people who are at all levels of green. Some people do a little bit, some people are really hardcore about it. I don’t like beating myself or anybody else up over it, we all learn from each other.”

Michelle’s eco-bartending services are available for private parties and events. She can go from just offering a couple of green drinks to a full zero-waste eco bar experience.

Check out Michelle’s drink recipes and shopping spots for organic ingredients on her website and be sure to tune into the Green Queen Happy Hour every Tuesday!

– Kastle Waserman, StilettoCity.com



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Month: April 2012

American Idiot: Green Day & Others Rock the Theatre

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Punk rock met the theatre when Green Day’s rock musical “American Idiot” came to Los Angeles. The Tony-award winning Broadway hit takes audiences on a journey through the music of the album, dealing with the hopes and dreams of three rebel friends who set out to conquer the world only to be saddled with life’s very uncool realities. I loved the show, especially the authentic punk rock attire (not costume punk!)  And what a riot to see their anti-conformist anthems shake up the theatre crowd and continue a growing line of great rock musicals.

If you haven’t seen it, you better hurry and get tickets as it’s only in LA through April 22nd. Also, be sure to check out some other great rock ‘n’ roll musicals, many now out on DVD with some killer soundtracks. Click here to read up on ’em in my latest report for Yahoo! Music.

Anarchy in LA,
K.

Photo of Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong by Andre Engels from WikiMedia Commons



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Month: April 2012

Swingin’ at the Cicada Club

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“What say, you, we go out on the down and swing, baby? Yea!”

It was a swingin’ night indeed at the Cicada Club a few weeks ago! The Sunday night supperclub, located in the breathtakingly beautiful Oviatt Building, is usually reserved for ‘20s to ‘40s-style big bands. But promoter Maxwell DeMille decided to shake things up with a “Swingin’ ’60s Big Band Dance Party,” putting a groovy twist on his usual elegant evenings by  featuring soundtrack music from some classic films such as “James Bond,” “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” “The Pink Panther”, and of course “Austin Powers.” Dean Mora and his Orchestra with Kayre Morrison and Damon Kirsche had people twirling on the dancefloor, while a special appearance by The Hollywood Hotshots really livened things up with some energetic shimmying and gymnastics.  “Faux Austin” was on hand to do a little dance number with The Smitten Kittens as his backup “FemBots”. I was blown away by a rockin’ performance by Ian Whitcomb who had the 1965 smash hit “You Turn Me On.” And the Satin Dollz Pin-up Dance Troop delighted everyone by showing up dressed as Pan Am stewardesses. Yep, that’s a look that never fails to please!

I got my groove on and had a ball. Check out all the action by clicking on the image below for pix and video:

Shagadelic baby!
K.



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Month: April 2012

Hair Stylin’

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It was time for a haircut. I’ve had my hair long pretty much since high school and I’d had enough. I’m a big fan of pinned-up retro do’s and with my long hair, I just didn’t know what to do with it all. Plus, long hair is heavy and high maintenance. I realized it had grown all the way down to the middle of my back – it just had to go.

But what to do with it? I searched for images of bob-cuts to shoulder-length and one look kept jumping out at me – Sophia Loren in the ’60s. Click here for my inspiration photo. Really can’t go wrong with that look! While I’m no Sophia, the style was what I wanted – full, thick hair that could work from bedhead to super styled.

So off to my hairdresser I went. Elizabeth at Bella Bella Hair B’tique in Pasadena did a fantastic job, and also comforted me when I just about had a panic attack after the big snip of my giant ponytail. I decided to keep my hair so I could make it into extensions – hey, I can always clip it back in when I want it!

For tips on how to make your own hair extensions, check out this YouTube video.

I originally wanted to donate my hair to help make wigs for cancer patients, but I learned they wouldn’t accept hair that had been colored, and boy has my hair been a few colors! If you have virgin hair that’s long enough that you can spare 8-12 inches, check out Locks of Love or Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths hair donation programs. It’s a fantastic way to put your hair to good use!

I’m loving my new bouncy cut and I’m getting the hang of styling it. Stay tuned for lots of photos of fun new hairdo’s!

Hair today, gone tomorrow,
K.



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