Budget Diva

Featherless January 16, 2011 7:30 pm at Wordspace 3191 Casitas Ave. #156 Los Angeles Ca 90039 Featherless is a fun, intimate monthly gathering of readers and writers at Wordspace in Silverlake. It features a monthly roster of writers from all writing disciplines and ranges from well-known writers to up-and-coming talent. The space offers a cozy, relaxing atmosphere, free appetizers and a cash bar with wine, beer , and soft drinks. Featherless #7 will take place on January 16th, at 7:30 pm, at Wordspace.  We have three very exciting readers this time, from the bestselling author Thaisa Frank, experimental poet/critic/critical poet Mathew Timmons, and the mysterious spoken word artist m.g. martin.  Come see.three very different voices collide, collude, and inspire....and then stay for handmade nibbles. The readers: Thaisa Frank is the author of two acclaimed short story anthologies SLEEPING IN VELVET and A BRIEF HISTORY OF CAMOUFLAGE.  She also co-authored the nonfiction work FINDING YOUR WRITER'S VOICE, which is taught in MFA programs. Her new novel HEIDEGGER’S GLASSES centers around a secret Compound of Scribes, tasked by Third Reich officials to answer letters sent to the dead in ...

By Angela Rocco DeCarlo,copyright, 2011 The Richard Nixon Library and Museum is an intimate facility highly suited to families and children, especially grandparents with young children. It does not overwhelm in size and so is an enticing destination at any time of the year. Every Christmas season we take our grandchildren to enjoy the model train exhibits. Last year there were two rooms of spectacular model train layouts – a densely constructed Lego cityscape with many bridges, buildings and encampments. In the second room was the marvelously imagined tiered landscape with various-sized model trains choo-chooing across a fantasy America dotted with charming towns filled with miniature people. This year’s visit found a smaller, though still interesting, Lego exhibit, which continues until January 28, 2011, with the second room devoted to “Treasures from the Vault:” A collection of valuable gifts given to the Nixon family, but owned by the U.S. government, by many foreign heads of state. The Lego train exhibit is housed in the museum’s lobby all set about with various themed Christmas trees hugging the perimeter of the space. There’s the Presidents’ tree; the First Ladies’ tree; the Asian tree; the USA tree and others. The Lego train curators created a little game with ...

The exhibition Carlos Luna: Los Decorados is comprised of a stunning installation of new oil paintings, works on paper, sculpture, and dozens of ceramic plates by the acclaimed Latin-American artist. Additionally, throughout the gallery, Luna will create custom wall paintings as background designs that will unify the installation into a passionate display of imaginative ornamentation. Born in Cuba in 1969, Carlos Luna has always been an artist; he recalls making a painting of his mother at the age of seven. His prodigious talent was recognized and nurtured from an early age, as he distinguished himself at four successive art schools. By the age of 15 his work was being exhibited in group shows in National Museums throughout Cuba, and internationally a year later. Possessing a strong spirit, and an unquenchable desire for personal growth as an artist, Carlos left Cuba in 1991. He migrated to Mexico and subsequently settled in Puebla, where his career entered a new phase of exploration and growth. Exile can also provide a fresh perspective on one’s roots and the opportunity to expand one’s artistic vision and influence to a wider global scale. After receiving a U.S. EB-1-1 visa for extraordinary ability in 2001, Carlos migrated to ...

Carmen Perez, noted Hollywood’s Latina It-Girl will be performing at the opening of her Art Exhibition this Sunday in Pasadena.  You may know her from her memorable appearance on Nip/Tuck or from the Pop Music Charts, but Carmen Perez is not your ordinary LA celeb.  She now tackles the art world with established artists such as Abel Alejandre, Damian Chavez, Marsha Judd, Jose Lozano, Rosalind McGary, Carlos Molina, Andres Montoya, Julie Nagesh, Oscar Sanabria & Jose Luis Sedano this Sunday December 12th at Fremont Gallery from 2pm-5pm.  The show will feature Carmen’s “WonderDreams” collection followed by a unique performance by Carmen herself, accompanied by talented musicians Byron Gore (guitar) and Rolly Devore (acoustic & bass).  The must see performance and art show will take place at 812 Fremont Avenue, Suite 100 in South Pasadena and there is no charge to attend. For more info or individual bio please see below or visit carmenperezart.com [gallery] WHAT: CARMEN PEREZ's ART & LIVE PERFORMANCE EXHIBITING ARTISTS: Carmen Perez, Abel Alejandre, Damian Chavez, Marsha Judd, Jose Lozano, Rosalind McGary, Carlos Molina, Andres Montoya, Julie Nagesh, Oscar Sanabria & Jose Luis Sedano PERFORMANCE BY: Carmen Perez with Byron Gore (guitar) and Rolly Devore (acoustic & bass) WHEN: Sunday, December 12th, ...

When it comes to world festivals, this diva is honored to have been one of the thousands attending the second annual Taste of Playa 2010.� As incredible as the food was, it was only upstaged by its organizers, putting together the event with competence, grace and passion for all things culinary. Sunday, November 21, 2010, 43 of the Riviera Maya's most talented chefs, restaurateurs, beverage purveyors and specialty food merchants gathered in the Parque Fundadores, just steps from the beaches of Playa del Carmen, to present their signature dishes and culinary creations to over 7000 local residents and visitors to the popular Mexican Caribbean city. The event far exceeded our expectations this year!' reported event Chairperson Nicola Inwood. The small businesses who made up the participants in both the restaurant and marketplace areas truly reflected the international influences that make up the modern Riviera Maya. The local restaurants, bars and food retailers represented this year offered truly world class dishes for food lovers from across the globe who came to enjoy the Caribbean sun and experience the best of traditional Mexican and international cuisine. The Travel Channel's Mark DeCarlo was the celebrity host of this culinary festival and worked through the crowd talking ...