Golddiggers in Palm Springs

Congratulations to my dear teacher, Joe, and the Golddiggers on a fabulous show in Palm Springs. It just keeps getting better and better!

LaQuinta Resort and Club

When living in the midwest we would hear the raves of the LaQuinta Resort and Club. Now, I know why.

Jury Show

The fashion students at Otis virtually scrambled over each other to take the stage for this photograph, a lasting memory of a most remarkable day in their lives. For me, and other members of The Group, it was a day we will always remember, as well. To be in the company of such excellence and talent was stunning. When the President of Otis opened the runway show he said a professional in the fashion business had watched a previous Jury Show in wonder and admiration and then asked, "when will the student show begin"?

Happy Easter

What - duck breast again? It is our new favorite holiday meal. Add the turnips, yams, potatoes, asparagus, and deviled eggs --- after all, it is Easter.

Wood Ranch

Our winnings from a lottery ticket purchased as a Christmas gift from our daughters bought us a lovely lunch at the original Wood Ranch. Pulled pork, roasted corn and their cole slaw was so American and so delicious.

Creating Fashion

Having help raise scholarship funds for the past ten years garnered me the privilege of visiting the fashion student's studios. They were finalizing their designs for the 2010 Jury Show. Seeing the show and the jury's final selection will be an exciting reward.

The mentors have included the unbelievable support of some of the greats of the fashion world. They have given exercises and continued help to the students. Being there to make and view the final selections will be: Magill for Anthropologie, Marquis for Cosabella, Cherpas for Hurley, Lilly Pulitzer, Piccone and Rodriguez for O'Neill, Todd Oldman, Trina Turk, Maccari for Armani Exchange, Isabel and Ruben Toledo with Patagonia, Koi Suwannagate, Robert Rodriguez and, finally, Shoji Tadashi.

Spring Has Sprung

Spring comes early in Malibu. I confess to have purchased these spectacular daffodils, though I do have freesia blooming.

It All Depends on You

Missy posed for me in her "smiley face" socks, after we danced to Sinatra's "It All Depends on You."

New Sculpture at The Getty

Just when you thought that The Getty could not become more beautiful, the Stark Sculpture collection is added. Pictured above is Elizabeth Frink's, "Horse."

Another English sculptor, Henry Moore, created the "Draped Reclining Mother and Baby."

In contrast to the voluptuous Moore sculpture is "bronzenightshirt," by America's Peter Shelton.

Yes, that is my head on Rene Magritte's "Delusions of Grandeur." And, 'NO SCULPTURES WERE HARMED' IN THE MAKING OF THIS PHOTOGRAPH. My cousin, Dottie, and I were just having a bit of illusional fun.

Great Reads

Do yourself a favor and share this saga with writer, Jeannette Walls. You will be so glad that her Grandmother remembered her experiences so well. She is carrying on where Willa Cather left off.

Ernest Hemingway knew Beryl Markham in Africa fairly well. He had no idea she wrote anything, other than in her flyer's log book. After reading her autobiography he wrote to a mutual friend, "she has written so well, and marvelously well, that I was completely ashamed of myself as a writer."

Rembrandt in Los Angeles

If I had been in the Netherlands in the 1600's I still couldn't have seen all the remarkable drawings by Rembrandt and his students exhibited at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles recently. My ravings on and on about the awesome drawings would be redundant...but, never has so much beauty been expressed with brown ink on off-white paper - ever.

Year of the Tiger

Revisiting Chinatown in Los Angeles always evokes childhood memories. For me, it is forever a mix of theater and mystery, as I performed on stage many years at a church celebration and, then, was told "not to call attention to myself," when we took our out-of-town guests there.

Yesterday, was wonderful sharing the 111th Annual Golden Dragon Parade with my art-loving neighbor, Elissa. We were "ooing" and "aaing" throughout the day in our quest for the perfect tea, when finding Japanese paper wallets, as we bought hand-made bags from Katmandu, when exploring an import shop that has been there for more than 150 years, as we admired contemporary hand-wrought table ware, and when seeing the magnificent parade dragons.

And, did I mention the fabulous food? The Empress Pavilion's dim sum was so much fun, choosing from the carts that didn't stop coming. Then, after the parade, waiting on the street for however long it took with other devoted diners at Daikokuya, in Little Tokyo.

Did I mention that our day was so full that we didn't even make our planned visit to the Geffen and the Museum of Contemporary Art? According to our local art reviewer the exhibitions are the best in Los Angeles this year. That will be another glorious day...

The Last Station

The world's most read author, Leo Tolstoy, made a new will leaving his work and property to the Russian people...and...boy...it sure made his wife mad! Actor, Helen Mirren played that wife, secretary, muse and mother of his thirteen children to the hilt. The paparazzi of the time didn't run out of subject matter with her around.

Eating Around Town

It took only a few spoons full of the undistinguished soup at Red Seven to know that the decor was the best part of this restaurant. My friends and I did have a grand time finding the art at Art Los Angeles Contemporary at the Pacific Design Center.

The Renoir exhibit was enhanced, however, by the scrumptious food at the Marie Callendar's restaurant on Wilshire. Ordering family style, we were almost stabbing each other with our forks.