Highlights

Posted in Film, Life by C.

I’ve been in a strange mood all week that I just haven’t been able to shake. I get this way when I know it’s time to make a change in some area of my life or I need to shift some my energies around. I’m definitely that person who likes to chill out, but I would say I also need a steady stream of stimulation as much as possible because I get bored so easily! So perhaps I’m having a terrible case of simple boredom this week!?! Unfortunately, I don’t think that this is what’s ultimately causing my bizarre mood. It seems to be a mixture of things.

What I do think is attributing to my mood is, ironically, a blog post that I have been working on for almost a week now that I’ve been having the hardest time writing. Part of my site focuses heavily on the art of cinema because it’s my greatest passion; absorbing another world, another narrative, creatively. I saw Fruitvale Station last week and was so upset by what I saw, that it took me a few days to wrap my head around what I experienced as a viewer to be able to formulate my thoughts before I even began writing my film review.

I’ve struggled all week to articulate what I saw and how I felt and I think it’s because I’m placing too much pressure on myself to get it just right given the controversial series of events about what happened. I’m very conscious of what I put out into the universe on my site. I want what I say to be clear, well-written, but even more importantly, something that I feel proud enough to share knowing that I’ve presented a thoughtful position that I back 100%. I want to honor my opinion, yet remain respectful. Writing film reviews is not usually this challenging for me, though they are by far the posts that take days to write. I think part of my anxiety is also the social and racial climate going on this country right now in light of the Trayvon Martin case and realizing that Fruitvale happened not that long ago; and while a different case altogether, an argument for how our justice system is failing people can be made.

I’m nearly done with my review of Fruitvale Station and look forward to sharing it with you next week. In the meantime, I encourage you to see it. It’s a memorable film that reminds us that you never know when your last day will be or why.

Despite my strange mood, this week had some amazing highlights and as I reflect on them, I can feel my spirits shifting. A trip to the Natural History Museum to check out the new Becoming LA exhibit (post to come!) and attending the LA premiere of the new Woody Allen film, Blue Jasmine among them. I’d bet big money on a best actress Oscar nod for Cate Blanchett. She nailed that performance! It opens in New York and LA today. Go see it and then go see Fruitvale Station.

Have a great weekend! xx

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{A visit to the Gem Vault while at the Natural History Museum. Diamonds are a girl’s best friend!}

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{A stop at Ben & Jerry’s on National Ice Cream Day.}

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{Attending the LA premiere of Blue Jasmine! Two thumbs up :)}

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9Jul2013

Highlights: The 4th

Posted in Film, Fun, Life by C.

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{Greetings after a relaxing and happy 4th of July weekend!}

It’s been a few days since I’ve last caught up with you after my mini-summer holiday vacation, so I thought I would share the highlights of my 4-day-weekend before returning to our regularly scheduled (blog) programming.

The plan for this year’s 4th of July festivities came together at nearly the last minute. I knew I wanted to be at the beach, to indulge in a celebratory cocktail, sit up close to fireworks, and aim to get as much rest as possible. So I thought it would be the perfect weekend to kick-off beach season in Malibu, our first trip this year. This time of year finds me longing to be near the water with a book, some magazines, lights snacks, and good company as much as possible. After a lazy beach day, we’d head to Paradise Cove for a late lunch before heading home to freshen up for a night of fireworks. Ah, don’t you just love when you know that you have the perfect day planned?

Until, it’s not…so perfect.

Long story short, Paradise Cove didn’t work out (despite our reservation) so we made our way down P.C.H. looking for an alternative and landed at Duke’s. I want to keep things positive here, so I’ll just put it this way and move on – AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS. I can’t think of a more terrible restaurant experience I’ve had in my entire life. Ever. The service was absolutely horrible, to put it mildly. What should have tipped us off was that this restaurant, located in gorgeous Malibu + right off the water + on a holiday = no wait time? The only redeeming quality was that my cocktail was divine.

Despite this hiccup, the rest of the weekend was magical – full of lounging, reading, hanging out with Ryan, funnel cakes, fireworks, and sunshine. Not a bad start to summer.

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{Celebrating America’s Birthday on the gorgeous beaches of Malibu, California.}

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{That redeeming cocktail by the beach I mentioned.}

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{Mexican Food at my favorite place.}

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{Seeing The Way, Way Back on a gorgeous Sunday Morning. A great film, by the way!}

26Jun2013

|| What I’m Lovin’ Right Now ||

Posted in Fashion, Food, Television by C.

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For the past week or so, I’ve spent nearly every night that I’ve been home addicted to what I think might be one of the greatest comedies on TV since Sex and the City! Of course, I’m just now realizing this… and it’s been off the air for 6 months… after 7 successful seasons.

What was a simple night at home perusing Netflix looking for something to keep me entertained, but wouldn’t require a 2 hour feature film length commitment, lead me to 30 Rock (which Netflix kindly noted under my recommendations so I thought I would take their advice).

Interestingly, a similar pattern for this new addiction is exactly how I got into SATC. The series had been off the air for 10 months and after hearing about it incessantly, I spent one Christmas vacation in college watching the entire series in 2 weeks. Ah, memories. For my 26th birthday, I bought the complete series on DVD as a gift to myself and it was worth every single penny. To this day, I can watch an episode if I’ve had a bad day and find it as refreshing and funny as ever. I still have a secret dream of moving to New York City; developing a Manolo Blahnik fetish; meeting my version of Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda at our favorite place for brunch every weekend; while living in my fabulous rent-controlled apartment; with a great writing job.

I often find when watching “sitcoms” in recent years – that I’m either disappointed or I don’t invest in them the way that I would a good juicy one-hour drama. Then again, over the last 2 years or so I’ve stopped following any type of television programming religiously. If I met myself today, my 17-year-old self would be very disappointed – that’s how much I used to abide by a strict television schedule. People knew not to bother me on Wednesday nights from 8:00pm on. That night was for me, Kelly, Brandon, Brenda, Dylan, Donna and the rest of the 90210 gang ONLY (even though I was a baby at the time and my mom probably should have been monitoring my TV choices more closely.)

So while I’m only 30 episodes out of 138 from catching up on all the 30 Rock awesomeness, I can’t think of anything that I’m lovin’ more right now. Then again…

here’s what i’m lovin’ right now

|| “Pup in a Cup” gives me a big smile every time I look at it. Adorbz!||

||10 Summer Snacks Under 200 Calories // Watermelon salad pictured.||

||Light denim chambray + denim cut offs = perfect for summer.||

||Sweetapolita’s Rich & Ruffled Chocolate Celebration Cake //full recipe here.||

||Black french tip manicures.||

|| Lifed.com’s Bucket List: 225 Things to do Before you Die // Warning: some of these are “out there” but I’m all for #13!||

||Gaby Dalkin’s Absolutely Avocados Cookbook features 80 recipes using avocados //

This Cajun Shrimp Guacamole looks delish.||

*click photos for image sources.

21Jun2013

Highlights

Posted in Film, Life by C.

This final week of Spring was going along nicely…until yesterday. I overheard a conversation that I took very personally. It was disappointing and I felt insulted, so much so, that it ultimately infuriated me. You know, that type of anger that makes you just want to vent to the nearest person because just getting it out would somehow make you feel better? Since I didn’t have that nearby, I started to type this post in the heat of that emotional state and then decided to stop and come back to it later. Suffice to say that this post would’ve sounded very different if I’d written it 5 hours earlier. There really is something to just feeling what your feeling, taking a few deep breaths, and knowing that this too shall pass. What other people do is more of a reflection on them. And your reaction to them is more of a reflection on you.

Interestingly, I had come across Oprah’s recent commencement speech for the graduating class of 2013 from Harvard and watched the entire thing just after said “infuriating” incident. There is still something so relatable and calming about her that instantly got me to take a step back and put things into perspective. When hearing about her failures and speaking to those who have ever also felt inferior – it made me realize that no matter who you are, there are times that people and life disappoint you. Despite her public struggles with launching her network, she just kept going and is now on the way to victory.

Admittedly, I am still upset as I write this (but as I proof it several more hours later, I’m fine and think that perhaps I might have overreacted since I can’t say I was sure I had all of the details of what I was overhearing – go figure :)). Either way, I realize that this one incident shouldn’t nor will it define my week. I had lots of highlights that I want to think about as I close out Spring with much appreciation so that’s what I’m going to do. Even better? By the end of that day something I’ve waited for my entire career is seemingly taking huge steps to come into fruition. Go figure.

Here are this week’s highlights – happy summer!

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{Enjoying great films and lively Q&A’s at The LA Film Festival.}

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{Sugary goodies and checking out my now favorite documentary of the year so far, 20 Feet From Stardom.}

{Oprah’s 2013 Harvard Commencement Speech. A must watch.}

31May2013

Highlights

Posted in Breakfast, Explore, Film, Fun, Holidays, Life by C.

I’m slowly starting to feel like my old self again. The long holiday weekend was just what I needed to recharge and evaluate what’s been “off.” If you recall, last week I was in the throws of low energy levels, struggling with perpetual exhaustion. I’ve been making some tweaks to my lifestyle lately to help improve things.

First, I decided to return to a consistent vitamin regimen. This is something I was a stickler about for years, but mainly due to cost (I’m a huge fan of New Chapter organic vitamins), I stalled on this because I couldn’t decide if I should stick with what I like or try something new. Since I couldn’t make a focused decision either way, I did nothing (smart huh?). Secondly, I’ve been monitoring my diet more aggressively. I think I’ve gotten a wee bit too lenient with my eating habits and I can feel it (Hot Tamales while at the movies is my weapon of choice). Lastly, I’ve been making a conscious effort to work on getting enough sleep. This is an area that I’ve struggled with over the last year or so. I have no trouble falling asleep, but sleeping soundly throughout the night can be difficult for me sometimes. Luckily, this week has been much better when it came to that.

What also greatly contributed to my rising energy levels was likely that this week was simply fun and I smiled a lot.

I saw Fast 6 opening night at the Arclight in Hollywood with the best audience ever. Everyone was in great spirits, cheering at all the insane action sequences for 2 straight hours. Vin Diesel and the rest of the cast made a surprise appearance at the end of the film just to stop by and say hello. Needless to say, it was a blast!

My boyfriend and I headed over to a small local carnival over the holiday weekend and I found myself on a ferris wheel for the first time in a while. I felt 15 again. I don’t know if you remember the “Thriller” ride (photo reference below) but I went on this ride solo, and immediately realized that I wasn’t 15 anymore. I don’t recall being so dizzy for so long when I rode it as a kid. Ah, aging. 🙂

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Aside from Fast 6, I found myself taking in quite a few films this week, all diverse, entertaining, and engaging in their own way. I saw the highly stylized documentary, We Steal Secrets, profiling the rise and fall of Julian Assange and the Wikileaks website scandal; my favorite film of the year (so far) Before Midnight; and Baz Luhrman’s The Great Gatsby which turned out to be more enjoyable than I was expecting (and makes me want to read the book again!).

This weekend, since it was so much fun “being 15” again at the carnival on a Saturday night last week, we’re heading out for a night of miniature golf, and the plan on my end is to keep working on more tweaks to improve my energy.

Have a great weekend!

Highlights from this week:

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{Surprise flowers from Ryan.}

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{Vanilla French Toast from Blu Jam. Yum.}

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{Business lunch at Tavern – very chic.}

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{Sitting high on the ferris wheel.}

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{A much-need and particularly great yoga class.}

24May2013

Highlights

Posted in Documentary, Film, Fitness, Life by C.

This week has been pretty high and low for me. Things have been going very well at work. I had an amazing performance review a few days ago and feel like I’ve gotten to a place professionally where I’ve worked my booty off enough to prove I’m ready to take it up a notch and my boss is in complete support of that. Yay!

However, physically I’ve been extremely lethargic. I just haven’t had any energy lately. Simply put, I’ve been dragging. Headaches keep coming and going, my allergies are insane thanks to all the pollen in the air, and I wake up tired most mornings. No bueno. So I’ve been spending the last few days trying to figure out what’s off balance with myself and my life lately that’s causing this prolonged fatigue.

Well, I try to get to bed at a decent time and usually get my 8 hours. Admittedly though, I’m the lightest sleeper ever. Every noise wakes me up and there are times I’ll wake up 3 times in the middle the night – but this hasn’t been too much of an issue lately. I make a good effort to eat well, though there’s always room for improvement. And off the bat, I’ll admit where I have been the absolute worst is in my exercise habits lately. Outside of my yoga classes, I know I should be doing more cardio. I try not to stress myself out too much, but this is a weaker area for me and my perfectionist disposition. I drink plenty of water, but something that I stopped doing that seems to make a difference is taking vitamins. This has been my train of thinking on the issue.

So I did what any normal person would do and Google’d it. 🙂

I read WebMD’s Top 10 Ways to Boost Your Energy and instantly found areas where I have been having no-no behavior (like skipping meals). 😦

So the long holiday weekend will be spent resetting some my behaviors to work on my energy levels; seeing the most anticipated summer blockbuster on my list, Fast 6 (no laughing!), and getting some errands done. I hope you all have a relaxing and fun-filled Memorial Day weekend! xx

Here are some of my week’s highlights:

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{ Mindy Kaling’s book has been making life a bit funnier.}

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{Seeing Sarah Polley’s New Documentary, Stories We Tell.}

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{New changes coming on my blog. Doing a little research first.}

21May2013

Television: Out of the Box

Posted in Explore, Fashion, Fun, Museums, Television by C.

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Where: The Paley Center for Media

Location: 465 North Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills

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If you’re in the area looking for something fun and inexpensive to do on an otherwise uneventful L.A. weekend between now and 2015, take a trip to The Paley Center for Media (after a stop at Sprinkles for a cupcake fix, of course!). They are currently hosting an exhibition highlighting 60 years of Warner Bros. Television. Television: Out of the Box, takes guests outside the confines of your TV screen and into the actual series. Costumes, props, scripts, set re-constructions, photos, and (sorry to say) a pretty mediocre audio tour welcome you as you walk into the mid-sized gallery space.

Enjoy the legendary history of how now famed Warner Bros. Television Studios came to be through a visual journey of its beloved sitcoms, prime-time dramas, and even the first stints of reality based programming. Spend some time analyzing just how small Jennifer Aniston’s waist really is as you look closely at one of her trendy Rachel Green ensembles, smile at the huge collection of staff badges for everyone from George Clooney to Angela Bassett as they solved the medical conundrum of the week at County General Hospital on ER, hang out at Monk’s Diner (minus Jerry and the gang), then sing-a-long karaoke style to some of the most well-known opening credit sequences from your favorite shows.

“In West Philadelphia, born and raised…” (Don’t even get me started. This song will be in my head all day!)

In short, it’s an entertaining way to spend an afternoon. The staff was extremely friendly and passionate about all things TV. What most impressed me is how vast the catalog of WB television programming actually is when you take it in collectively. Some of the shows that made my childhood and teen years were thanks to the production arm of Warner Bros. Television. Without them, Family Matters, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Sisters, Gilmore Girls, Living Single, ER (though I gave up a few years on this one before it actually went off the air), Tiny Toon Adventures and Animaniacs among others were staples in my life for many years.

A note about the audio tour: while I know how much work goes into creating any form of media, especially these types of tours, this one is pretty bland, but it is free if you want to check it out to prove me wrong anyway. The equipment that the center uses desperately needs an update, and overall I found the level of the content to be pretty surface and un-engaging.

Otherwise, what a treat! If you make to it to the exhibition between now and 2015, please drop me a line! I’d love to know your thoughts.

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{Rachel Green Costume / Friends 1994-2004.}

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{Cast signed final shooting script / ER 1994-2009.}

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{Lynda Carter Costume / Wonder Woman 1976-1979.}

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{A nod to all things WB Animation. I loved Animaniacs!}

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{And your host (me!) hanging out on the famous Central Perk sofa from Friends.}

17May2013

Highlights

Posted in Accessories, Breakfast, Film, Food by C.

It’s my first week back into the “real world” after a short break. It’s been pretty chaotic getting back into the swing of things, but as the week comes to a close I’m beginning to find my stride again. When I think about the highlights of my life lately, I think about how much one can accomplish if you just put one foot in front of the other and get it done. By nature, this is equal parts easy and difficult for me to do. I very much have the personality that I like to meet any challenge and won’t back down until it’s to my satisfaction, but there are those times I let procrastination settle in – particularly when it’s something I don’t feel like dealing with anyway. For example?

…My air-conditioning. Since I moved into my own place (away from the constant breeze of west side living), my A/C has been deciding to work properly only when it feels like it. The problem is that I’ve been letting it behave that way for a year. I finally got to a place after a 100 degree preview last weekend of what’s to come and decided that it was time to address it with my landlord once and for all. Of course, when they came to test it to see what the trouble was, it worked swimmingly (don’t you hate when that happens?). Despite this, I told myself I was not going to accept it any longer, even if it meant having to press the issue. I was now in a space to deal with it and when I’m in that space, nothing can stop me (blu-hu-ha-ha-ha!). I marched downstairs and told my landlord with a polite, but firm tone that I wanted it replaced. They changed it the next day. Mission accomplished.

On a different note, you might have noticed a little make-over to All that Glitters this week. Thanks to my friend Tonya over at Budget and the Beach, I’ve been thinking a lot about our recent lunch where the talk was all about blogging. More to come as I develop a new creative and visual approach to my site. I’m so excited to share my ideas with you!

A few other smiles that made my week (that interestingly involved breakfast food on two occasions)?

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{The BEST pancakes I think I’ve ever had from Du-Par’s on 3rd street.}

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{Cranberry Orange Muffin and an Intelligentsia iced latte from Graffiti made my Sunday morning as we made our way to see Iron Man 3. It was an enthusiastic 2 thumbs up…for the muffin, the latte, and the flick!}

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{Enjoying a thoughtful handmade birthday present.}

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{May’s Birchbox is here!}

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{A super cool belated birthday card from a friend.}

Have a great weekend! Star Trek Into Darkness – TONIGHT! xx

1May2013

|| What I’m Lovin’ Right Now ||

Posted in Accessories, Books, Fashion, Film, Food, Fun, Treats by C.

Happy May! Sweeter (and cheaper) fruit, BBQs, birthdays, and blockbuster flicks are here! Of course, I’ll maintain my film school cred and squeeze in a good indie here and there, but this time of year brings big budget movies and I’m not ashamed to say that I totally buy into them (well, sometimes). While I’m very much looking forward to Richard Linklater’s return to Jesse and Celine’s romantic journey in Before Midnight; I’m beyond stoked for Iron Man 3 this weekend, Star Trek: Into Darkness a few weeks later, and my personal CANNOT-wait-to-find-my-booty-in-a-theater-seat-cradling-the-largest-tub-of-popcorn-ever: Fast & Furious 6 (yes, you read that right!). Memorial day weekend is going to rule!

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. The perks of spring conditions and impending summer life bring me to what should be an important reminder to all of us: sunscreen. I thought I would kick-off May’s love fest with a little video I came across discussing 5 myths about sunscreen and SPF protection. Apparently, that expiration date I keep ignoring on my can of Aveeno sunscreen sitting in my cabinet right now is legit. So while I’ll be tossing that out, now having yet another excuse to hit Target (and walk out with 6 other random things I really didn’t need)…

here’s what i’m lovin’ right now

|| 5 Surprising Myths About Sunscreen and SPF. ||

Highlights

Posted in Cocktails, Dinner, Explore, Film, Fun, Home Decor, Music, Treats by C.

1-IMG_20130421_195717_856 {An early birthday present.}

It has definitely been a more lively week than usual on my end. I’m trying to wrap up some loose ends at work before I take a much needed vacay the first week in May. The good news is that while it’s been busy, I always sort of revel in the challenge in the end. Somehow getting the things you need to get done are all the sweeter when you realize that if you just do it and push through, you can do anything. You just have to take the first step, then the next.

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Outside the office, I had a happy week. I met a friend at one of my favorite places to splurge every blue moon, Rock Sugar in Century City for dinner to kick-off my weekend last Friday night. While it was a fantastic Pan Asian feast, I think in the future I’ll skip dinner and head there for their delicious Lychee Blossom cocktail and their AMAZING warm coconut donuts served with a passion fruit dipping sauce. Yes, it is as good as it sounds and looks. Go!

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When thinking about small pleasures this week, a trip to the Hollywood Farmer’s Market on a sunny Sunday morning, then sitting on the Manhattan Beach Pier with my boyfriend gazing out at the ocean with an ice cream cone on that same afternoon come to mind and make me smile. And every time I head home, I smile even bigger when I see my new artwork hanging on my wall (pictured above). A few months back, I was with my boyfriend admiring it (because, hey – it’s “me” in a ball-gown and chic haircut starting out my window at the Hollywood Sign :)) and as an early birthday present he surprised me with it. What a guy, huh?

I’m not sure where this weekend will take me, but I know that I’ll be at the ArcLight opening night for the highly anticipated new film, Mud. Since this gorgeous weather is expected to continue over the next few days, the plan is to find some time to be outdoors (rocking my new maxi dress). And the soundtrack of my life lately that will certainly continue into the weekend has been the soundtrack from Celeste & Jesse Forever. I can’t. stop. listening to it.

Have an amazing final April weekend, guys! Things only get better from here! xx