Pamper Me Green

By Angela Rocco DeCarlo Warning: This is not an unbiased review. I love Las Brisas Restaurant for its incomparable location. The place is quaint, just comfortable enough to satisfy, with flashy rose gardens in seasonal bloom,  but make no mistake, it is the ocean which holds pride of place. It sits on a promontory overlooking the sun-dappled Pacific Ocean, with curving Laguna Beach to the south replicating vistas of  Italy’s Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast, our families’ ancestral home. For us former Chicagoans, the place, especially in January, represents a fantasy of beauty and breezes (hence the name – The Breezes) to which we’ve brought our most beloved family and friends. Our Chicago-born fathers, Mike DeCarlo and Pete Rocco, taking their first plane ride in their 80s, relished the experience of eating in sunshine on a winter day. My sister, Christine, and others have shared our delight in merely being in this sublimely spectacular spot. Native Californians cannot fathom the depth of pleasure experienced by we cold-clime folk, who find ourselves squinting into the winter sun as we munch delicious Las Brisas nachos on the terrace. We can almost feel we’re again visiting fabled Positano, Italy, seated on the terrace of the ...

Featuring a night of singers, songwriters and music by Jon McLaughlin, honeyhoney, The Daylights, and Sixpence None The Richer Koffeehouse is proud to present its 4th Annual “Evening of Independence” benefitting MusiCares® on August 7, 2010 at the Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood. The evening will feature the most talented emerging artists and special guests with featured performances by Verve/Universal recording artist, actress KATHARINE MCPHEE, Island Def Jam recording artist JON MCLAUGHLIN, national recording artists HONEYHONEY, Los Angeles Indie-rockers THE DAYLIGHTS, GRAMMY-nominated SIXPENCE NONE THE RICHER, who will be reuniting at The Ford after a six- year hiatus as well as a special performance by award-winning cellist, TINA GUO accompanied by Marcelo. The event will be hosted by award-winning correspondent and host, ANGELA SUN of Yahoo! Sports' Minute, Tennis Channel and NBC First Look. Koffeehouse’s 4th Annual “Evening of Independence” is in official partnership with Los Angeles County Arts Commission and is sponsored by ABC7, KPFK 90.7fm, Univision, LA Weekly, LA18, and Fusicology. One hundred percent of the evening’s net proceeds benefit MusiCares, whose mission is to provide a safety net of critical assistance for musicians in times of need (www.grammy.org/musicares.com). “When we started these intimate showcases in my backyard nearly seven ...

Saturday & Sunday, May 22 & 23 This is no ordinary art event! The Venice Art Walk & Auctions is a fundraiser for Venice Family Clinic, the largest free clinic in the country, and each ticket you purchase helps provide a medical visit for an uninsured person in need. (Purchases of art and tickets to Art & Architecture Tours go even further!) So bring a friend. Or two. Or ten. After all, taking care of the uninsured is good for karma. Click any of the links below for more information or to purchase tickets. Art & Architecture Tour: Rustic Canyon: The Sequel Saturday, May 22 Picking up where last year’s historic walking tour left off, Leo Marmol, FAIA, takes visitors deeper into this architecturally bountiful neighborhood, stopping to tour a fresh collection of homes representing the old and the new. $175 per person, benefits Venice Family Clinic, includes lunch and reception Art & Architecture Tour: Architects' Homes in Venice and Santa Monica Saturday, May 22 Explore homes that architects and designers built for themselves in this self-guided walking tour along the border of Venice and Santa Monica. $100 per person, benefits ...

Los Angeles is full of precious events.  A social diva's job is to get invited to the right ones.  Our criteria varies, but always includes an element of fun, uniqueness and desirability. This week's event: EdenLA, vino, furniture, and apparently.. a clown. EdenLA and Los Angeles Magazine have announced an exclusive event Thursday, May 13 at 6:30pm with a night of tapas, wine and furniture!  They are certain you'll find them to be an amazing resource to clients of discerning tastes.  Designers, architects and real estate professionals, amongst the area's leading voices and VIPs will mingle surrounded by comfy furnishings and luxurious fabrics. Those lucky enough to get invited can be seen and heard at: edenla 11600 San Vicente Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90049 Phone: 310-820-8109 Email: edenla@edenla.com See you there!  I'll be the one by the clown.

In the wake of an urgent national debate on healthcare, Americans ended the first decade of the 21st century less certain about their wellness futures than ever before. In these unsure times, Americans are increasingly turning to alternative therapies to strengthen the body and guard against illness. The health benefits of the spa have never been more relevant, and Spa Week is proud to ring in the new decade by continuing to deliver the benefits of the spa at an affordable price to millions of deserving consumers. The 12th edition of the Spa Week Event is slated for April 12th - 18th, 2010. In total, the nationwide Spa Week Spring Event will include 30 markets and a list of participating spas will be posted on www.spaweek.com by mid-March. The Spring Spa Week Event will bring $50 spa treatments to consumers at over 800 spas across North America. As always, the goal is to introduce a new generation of consumers to the benefits of a healthy lifestyle by opening up the spa industry to the masses. Spa Week has spent the last 6 years turning "wellness" from a mere buzzword into a healthy reality. Thanks to the efforts of Spa Week and their ...