This is EPIC

Hello Kitty's 35, and I'm going to her birthday party!
Read more about this epic event HERE.

My excitement has no bounds!

P.S. No, I do not own a Hello Kitty toaster, but YES, I will be begging for one in our (me and le cub's) wedding registry.

Poetic Justice

There is none. At least not in the "script" that I've been concocting for my second-year film. Since the issues at hand are a tad heavy (think: lonely senior citizens, death of a spouse, suicide...), I thought I'd lighten the film up with rhythmic narration. Big mistake!

I'm so not a poet...
and dammit, I know it.

Pictured: Soviet Bear available HERE.

Like a Virgin

Stop-motion set building is hard-work, but boy, is it fun. Tah-dah! My very first prop. A miniature tree. He stands about 13 inches tall... Will post more photos of him once I cover the tree trunk and branches in paint and clothe him with leaves.

Would love to know if floral tape is receptive to acrylic paint... I'm going to find out soon :)

Rainy Days and Mondays

"... always get me down..."

But a bulldog on a skateboard in Santa Monica? *smile*

P.S. It's not raining here in Burbank, but it sure is dreary.
P.P.S. Lyrics from Rainy Days and Mondays by The Carpenters

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

"... he's going to ask for a glass of milk. When you give him the milk, he'll probably ask you for a straw..."

It's incredibly uncharacteristic of me to be a pushover, but lately I've been giving in to other people's requests and demands contrary to my gut warnings. I walk about with a lump in my throat and a heavy heart, and am disappointed that I have allowed the actions of others to dictate how I feel. Must rid myself of the bad "chi"... UGH.

Quote source: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe

Sketchy

Sketches from last week's life-drawing session... he was a tad flabby. And ooh, he did have family jewels. I just chose not to include them in the sketch. Yes, I'm mean.

CANNOT WAIT.

Eagerly anticipating Wes Anderson's latest project, the stop-motion feature, Fantastic Mr. Fox. Watch the trailer HERE. There's just something about stop-motion animation that's so incredibly magical (more so than 2D and 3D animation, if you ask me)... and it certainly doesn't hurt when a director is able to attract a cast as star-studded as the one this feature's got. George Clooney, Bill Murray, Meryl Streep, Owen Wilson, Willem Dafoe, Anjelica Huston, Mario Batali?!? And ooh, read that Anderson directed the entire flick REMOTELY via email... What the.........

Still excited. Coming stateside on November 13th. My birthday!!!

Beauty and the Beast

I heart Disney, and I heart Kristin Wiig. And while I'm at it, I might as well shed some love for Gerard Butler. Wasn't a fan but became a convert when I saw how incredibly sincere and charming he was while getting interviewed by Bonnie Hunt (I attended a live-taping with my classmates a week ago). The episode featuring his interview aired this past Friday...

Finders Keepers

It's been a long-time dream of mine to own a used Mies van der Rohe Barcelona Chair. This one in caramel (available at www.1stdibs.com) is perfection and would work beautifully with our living room rug. Now if only it came at the perfect price...

Also fun... duck feet lamps. Surrealist, no?! Available here. Too expensive for my home, but I had to post it.

And ooh... a vintage rug for my studio. Was available at Etsy until a cub and cougar snatched it up...

One-of-a-Kind

Man Shops Globe. Have you guys seen this?!? Keith Johnson, the "Buyer-at-Large" at Anthropologie just might possess the coolest job in the world...

Pictured: Shot of the Champs-Elysee from www.sundancechannel.com

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Tis that time of the year, my friends... FALL! It's the most wonderful time of the year, for I'm finally able to bust out my treasure trove of snuggly sweaters, opaque tights (I detest my freakishly pale and imperfectly-formed legs) and ooh, I can finally walk around sipping on hot hazelnut soy lattes without having to break out in sweat. (I live in LA, y'all... I actually crave "crispy" weather...)

In celebration of the new season, I indulged in a lick of Kate Spade (see the Bisous Lips Noelle blouse above), How cute is her latest collection?!? Paired with a skinny belt (black or red patent), this silk top is bananas.

Peepshow

Presented storyboards for my second-year film today. The star of the film will be a lil' suicidal granny named Ethel. Can't wait to build the stop-motion version of her!

Mine.

Imma let you finish, but my cougar cub is the best sig-o (significant other) in the whole-wide-world! (Or at very least, Burbank.)

Yup, yup, yup, he's back in town, spreading joy. After picking him up from LAX earlier today, we grubbed at one of our fav cheap-eat joints, The Beach Hut at Manhattan Beach. And once our bellies were happy and full, we stopped by Single Stone in downtown LA to picked up the ring!

Better photos to come. In the meantime, enjoy these. One of "the ring" and one of "Pon de Lion," the mascot for a popular Japanese donut chain. The spheres that make up his mane are supposed to be donut holes. My vintage engagement ring looks like this donut lion. I love that.

Yard Sale

Lehman Brother's art for under $2,000. You don't have to be a master of the universe to snag works by Hockney, Lichtenstein, and Rauschenberg. Bankers looking for an elegant office decoration - and one with a conversation-starting provenance - should check out the catalogue HERE.

Pick Your Nose

*Tee-Hee* Too adorable not to post. Available at Cox & Cox.

Beam Me Up

Lamp for the guest room is on its way. Doesn't he (yes, it's a boy!) look warm?

Calling Back-Up

Gabe Bondoc's management (yes, even YouTube stars have representation) got back to me and le cub, and we were told that it's too early to say whether or not Gabe would be free to perform for our guests on the big day. Not wanting to be left hanging, I did some research online, and no worries, y'all! Le cub and I have found another soulful crooner in Tini Grey. Click HERE to listen. Of the samples provided, I dig "On and On" :)

Pictured: Doodles of some old ladies. My second-year stop-motion film is going to feature a couple of them.

G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S

Whereas some folks start their mornings with a cup of jo, others (ME!) start their mornings with wedding gown fittings at Monique Lhuillier. *Jillian shriek* Okay, okay, my mornings don't always start like so. I, like you, am a Muggle, so my mornings start with *drumroll please* morning breath. (TMI!) But hey, today was a special day. I awoke to a sea of to-die-for, ivory perfecetion. After stripping down to a thong for Megan, my really helpful bridal consultant, I tried on a bevy of amazing dresses in silk organza, satin, chantilly lace... With much effort, I was able to narrow their wide selection down to two very different gowns. Looking forward to stopping by Monique's atelier a second-time in a week or two to make my final decision. Only this time, I'll be armed with my fashionable sidekicks, Pam and/or Kathy.

Not going to divulge much more - le cub sometimes reads le cougar's blog - but I just can't stop gushing about my lovely experience. Work on your storyboards, Debra. Do it. Meh! I think I'm going to continue obsessing over silk mousseline chiffon for five minutes more... It feels too good.

Pictured: Monique's frothy, ethereal, non-bridal collection from 2007. *swoon*

Mama-maya!

Evening classes for Maya are OOC. Out-of-control. *sigh*

Charmed

A vintage embroidered painting that needs no praise as it speaks for itself. It possesses the charm of a toddler's drawing with the exquisite handiwork of a ridonkulously talented artist. Or ooh... does this not remind you of the works of Andre Derain? Hands-down my favorite find from Elisabeth's Fine Little Shop.

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

Le cub is leaving for Memphis in six hours. That makes me sad. But he's returning on Thursday. And that makes me glad!

Light as a Cloud

Gilles Mendel's message for Spring at J.Mendel was "Specialness, preciousness, and value—with a little something to make you dream." I'm dreaming alright.......... dreaming about the above-pictured dress! I'd pair the fluffy gown with these to-die-for Henry Dunay coral and diamond vintage earrings (previously available at www.1stdibs.com). Yuuuuum.

Also pictured, a crazy-cute polka-dotted number by Vanessa Seward of Azzaro. Perfect for a honeymoon, no?!

Feelin' Like an Animal!

Le cub and I made a reservation to dine at Animal next Saturday - a restaurant run by two cool dudes, Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo. The restaurant opened in Los Angeles in June 2008 to widespread acclaim, and the duo even won Food & Wine Best New Chefs of 2009. As if this weren't enough already, the restaurant also received a James Beard nomination for Best New Restaurant. Mmm... James Beard. All this blah-blah-blah aside, the real reason behind our desire to dine at Animal is that Shook and Dotolo also cater weddings... Should Animal turn out to be an amazeballs culinary experience, we just may be able to check off yet another box on our wedding planning list :)

More about Animal here.

Pictured above: Animals (stuffed) from the Natural History Museum.

Oui, Oui, Oui!

Appointment at Monique Lhuillier's lil' Melrose shop on Tuesday before class. Since le cub and I are having a rather untraditional wedding as is (no church, a married maid-of-honor, no cake), I think I'm going traditional with "the dress." All this said, I'm still tempted to "go nuts" as Alber Elbaz did when designing Lanvin's 2010 Resort bridal looks. Such fun!

Miss Behaved

Le cub and I stopped by Single Stone in downtown Los Angeles earlier today, and together we picked out a vintage engagement ring! The ring is nothing like what I'd planned on or imagined picking (neither a round cut nor an asscher cut), but the moment we slipped it on, we knew. We'd found the one. I can't wait to start flaunting my douchey-bling next week. *annoying Jillian-from-the-Bachelorette-shriek* Photo to be posted.

P.S. Ari and Patty of Single Stone were so lovely to deal with that I opened up a Yelp account to give them the five-star review that they deserve.

Mad, Mad, Mad

Le cub and I are mad for Mad Men. As are the characters of Sesame Street!

Miles

The length of Giovanna's amazing legs. *stubby legs of mine, why do you fail me?*

The name of me and le cub's future baby, if he should be a boy. Repeat "Miles" mulitple times, and you'll start saying "Smiles." *tee-hee*

Happy Hump Day.

Photo by The Sartorialist)

America's Best Dance Class

Last night, before screening Shane Acker's "9" (with the talented Shane Acker himself present), I attended America's Best Dance Class as taught by Milo Levell (who just so happens to be friends with "America's Best Dance Crew" judge, Shane Sparks), at UCLA. Gramps, The Body and I purchased a UCLA Fitness Pass, which translates into endless hours of cardio-fun. (We're going to Kranking tonight. Mind you, I have no idea what the work-out entails...)

Keeping in mind that I'm terribly uncoordinated and possess no rhythm, try to imagine me running through "hip-hoppy" warm-up moves. OMG... seeing myself in the ginormous dance mirrors had me giggling to no end. The class is SICK. And by "sick", I mean, fantastic.

Come join me. Tuesdays from 5 til 6 at the Wooden Center...

Go-Go Gadget

My new (actually old, as it's used) SLR: Nikon D70.
It came highly-recommended by photo-fiends and stop-motion animators alike.
While there clearly are fancier cameras on the market that offer more bells-and-whistles, frankly speaking, I wouldn't know what to do with more features...

So yeah... camera? Check! Storyboards for the stop-motion film to be photographed by this new camera? Er... I'm working on it!

Magic

My classmate, Kevin, introduced me to PES. As Christopher Walkens would put it, "Wowee, Wow, Wow!"

We Are Lego

A fantastic line from this past Sunday's Curb Your Enthusiasm... so good.

Adoring THIS outfit and the lil' weirdo wearing it.

Saw a posting on a bulletin board outside the locker rooms for the Bonnie Hunt Show tix, called the number posted, and woo-hoo! Gramps, The Body and I got tix to sit pretty in the studio audience come October 8th. According to Bonnie's peeps, the audience gets served hot dogs and root beer beforehand. YAY! And ooh, the guests that day are Gerard Butler and Christian Bale (my loves him in "Little Woman"). Bit awesome? Bit sausagey? Wahaha. Me thinks YEAH... and the best part is, it's free.

MIKA. In concert on October 23rd. Trembling with excitement.

Class is back in session in full force. Got my MAYA ass kicked last night. *sniffle*

Pictured: I don't know these guys, but I love them anyway. The pink shoes blow my mind. This photo was plucked from some wedding site.

Oldies are Goodies

Brainstorming for my second-year stop-motion film. My grams would make for a great subject... just sayin'...

This Love is Serious

Dearest Consuelo, How much do I love thee? Let me count the ways... Oh how you never cease to amaze me! Floored by your genius use of color and texture, this Marni-print devotee agrees to disagree (haha, I love it when people say that) with fashion's greatest editors who insist that you should have incorporated more prints in your collection. You and your collection are perfection - just the way y'all are. Come Spring of 2010, I will certainly be lurking in the racks of the Bev Hills Neiman's to get a close-up peek at the work of art that is Marni. Love always, *sign in blood* Le Petit

Pictured above (courtesy of style.com), Marni Spring RTW 2010.

Dear Doctor

Q: Why'd the clown go to the hospital?

A: Because he was feeling funny!

*canned laughter* Sorry. I couldn't resist.

A commission I whipped up two years ago.

Dough Girl

"Like a moth to the flame, burnt by the fire... my love is blind, can't you see my desire?"

I heart carbs, and nothing's going to separate me from them. Oh wait. Nothing but that stoooopid white dress I'm going to have to fit into and be photographed in like no other come August of 2010... That said, I'm devising a game plan. With the help of my friends, "Gramps" and "The Body", I intend to get into shape. Last week, our lil' trio stopped by the Wooden Center at UCLA and picked up fitness passes that will provide us with access to group exercise classes of all sorts. Our first class? America's Best Dance Class. This is the course description:

Love to dance? Want to get a great cardio workout?
You won’t stop smiling in this mostly continuous,
moderately choreographed dance aerobics class. It’s
just dancing for fun and a great workout!

Rrrright. I'm uber-uncoordination, so this should be a trip :)

Bare Necessities

Etsy provides me with endless entertainment.
THESE two hard-boiled egg warmers are freakin' awesome.
SO necessary.

Not Worthy

*drum-roll please* I present y'all with "Dead All Along" by Giles Timms> Like me, Giles is an MFA candidate at UCLA's department of Theater, Film and Television. Diggin' the video's Gorey-esque vibe.

Preview

After class last night, my animated compadres, Jeff aka "Gramps" and Alexis aka "The Body", dropped in a Westwood Village costume shop to browse. Inspired by our other classmates who have decided to team up and dress up as the three fairies from Sleeping Beauty (click HERE to see), we decided to go for a group costume as well.

After much thought, we've decided to go as the much-beloved JONAS BROTHERS - hunk hair, skinny ties, promise rings and all.

Pictured: Gramps as the hunky, thick-browed Joe Jonas, Me as Miley-dumper, Nick Jonas, and The Body as the-least-attractive-but-is-getting-hitched-so-there, Kevin Jonas. This is going to be a very fun - or at very least, funny - Halloween.

Dog-Gone Great

Between Bruce Vaughn and Glenn Vilppu, I think the money I pay to UCLA (tuition) is justified.

Pictured. Quick sketches of Vilppu's well-behaved dog, Layla. Haven't attended a life drawing session in ages, so there's much room for improvement!