Not-so-Vanilla Diva

By Josie Villa-Singleton a.k.a. Travelista I last attended the mayhem that is Paris Fashion Week two years ago.   I’ve since learned a lot about pulling an outfit together by scouring the photos of fashion magazine editors and tastemakers that I took during that trip.  Seeing how the most fashionable women in the world show up to fashion shows can inform our choices when it comes time to pack our bags for a trip.  Though these photos are from seasons past they still contain valuable information. 1.     Black is always in fashion Attendees of fashion shows and Europeans in general favor black and dark colors. Choosing mostly black clothing makes packing easier and of course black clothing flatters and camouflages our figures. Look for items made in travel friendly materials such as synthetic blends: rayon, polyester, lyocell, etc. Accessories keep the look from being boring. Both these looks are easy to pull off. Tight but stretchy skinny black pants, an interesting black tee. Top it off with a long, loose cardigan and a necklace. 2. Fashion remains Neutral If all black is not your thing ...

“Odd was hilarious!” said Mindy Vargas, as she walked out the door near Sunset & Vine, vowing to be back in 2 weeks.  She was talking about the new music/variety show "Odd Wednesdays" taking up residence at Ivan Kane's Cafe Was every odd numbered Wednesday night. Cafe Was is the latest jewel in Kane's crown - the bold impresario behind the LA and Vegas incarnations of the retro-burlesque "40 Deuce."  His new place, a 'Bohemian Bistro' in Hollywood at Sunset & Vine has been open 15 months and is hitting its stride just as the weather turns warmer and people are venturing out of their homes.  With live entertainment, including burlesque Thursday through Sunday, Kane was open to something different while expanding his entertainment to Wednesdays. And that's what he got. TV host Mark DeCarlo, best known from the dating show Studs and more recently, "Taste of America," a comedic food show on the Travel Channel, was back home in LA and itching to do another live show.  "TV's Mark Walberg and I used to host a variety show at the Atlas Suppler club, adjacent to the Wiltern Theater a few years ago. It was a combination of comedy, improv, variety acts ...

By Angela Rocco DeCarlo Pierre –Auguste Renoir Exhibit Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) February 14 – May 9,2010 Pierre – Auguste Renoir,(1841 – 1919) the French Impressionist painter known for his luminescent female nudes, was a towering figure in the art world along with other Impressionist greats such as Monet and Cezanne. This ticketed LACMA Renoir exhibit; February 14 – May 9, 2010 – illuminates Renoir’s later works as a postimpressionist whose influence on modern painters, such as Picasso, has received lesser discussion. This exhibit, which opened this past fall at the Grand Palais, Paris, is the first to focus on the mature works of Renoir, in his last years. The exhibit moves on to the Philadelphia Museum of Art June 17. The show brings together about 80 of his paintings, drawings and sculptures from collections in Europe, the United States and Japan. In addition, works by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisee, Aristide Maillol and Pierre Bonnard demonstrate Renoir’s often overlooked influence on their art. A startling echo can be seen in Picasso’s female figures after viewing Renoir’s nudes painted in his 20th century career. Many years ago a friend and I took our seven young sons – ages 3 to 12 - to see ...

Mark DeCarlo and Ivan Kane present ODD WEDNESDAYS, a new, live, bi-monthly comedy and music variety show premiering March 17, 2010 @ 8PM at Café Was. ODD WEDNESDAYS features an amazing lineup of talented bands, singer-songwriters, and comedians coming together for the newest comedy & music showcase in Hollywood. The March 17 St. Patrick’s Day premiere will feature the house band Old Blues Eyes with singer-songwriters, and comedians performing in this talent-packed Jam Session / Open Mic. The night’s top acts will win cool prizes and a spot to perform along side all-star comedians and musicians on the LAST ODD WEDNESDAY, March 31st. Performer sign-ups are at 8:00 PM. JAM NIGHT runs from 9-11 PM. There is NO COVER CHARGE. Ivan Kane’s CAFÉ WAS is located at 1521 N. Vine St. Hollywood, CA. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=347583032466 . WHO: Presented by Mark DeCarlo and Ivan Kane’s CAFE WAS WHAT: ODD WEDNESDAYS, the newest comedy & music premiere showcase WHEN: Beginning St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th, 2010, (and continuing EVERY ODD WEDNESDAY of every month (3/31, 4/7, 4/21, 5/5, 5/19 etc.)  Doors @ 8 PM Show @ 9 PM WHERE: Ivan Kane's CAFÉ WAS 1521 N. Vine St. Hollywood, CA (323)466-5400 TICKETS:   No Cover Charge – Free – ...

By Yeni Alvarez Last Valentine’s Day, I had a tour de force culinary experience.  It started with an invitation to a popular restaurant I had heard of, but was afraid to try.  I’m speaking of Dining in the Dark at OPAQUE. Opaque’s mission is to engage all the senses in a pitch-black dining room, while eager guests are taken from one course to the next, softly guided by their respective blind or visually impaired servers. Let me start from the beginning.  We first walked in to the lounge area and were greeted by friendly staff, who reacted as if they knew something we didn’t when we announced it was our first time.  They knew we were in for a treat. We picked our meal in the dimly lit romantic lounge and waited for our server to guide us to our table.  Behind closed curtains we entered.  Hands on my guide’s shoulder we went, slowly making our way between pockets of fading conversations in a sea of darkness. The maze ended up in a comfortable corner near the entrance to the kitchen. At this point, our ears were still getting adjusted to the mumbling, as we picked up on various voices at the same time, being ...