Stitch 'n Witch

Woooo Hooo!  Tonight is our annual West Hollywood Stitch 'n Witch!  We meet at our usual spot, the upstairs dining area of the Original Farmers Market, 3rd and Fairfax.  We enjoy Halloween treats and yummies!  We have costume prizes too!!  There are three categories for costumes:

1.  Best Overall Costume

2.  Best Use of Yarn in a Costume

3.  Theme Prize.  This year's theme is "Saturday Night Live" character.  "SNL" has been on the air since 1975.  There have been many memorable recurring characters on this break-through show.  I expect to see a few Roseanne-Rosannadannas, maybe a Gilly or two and hopefully a Sally O' Malley.....not to mention the Conehead family!  Who knows, we may even see a more current character like Blerta from Albania.  My personal SNL fave recurring character is Ed Grimley and his undying adoration for Pat Sajak!

If you incorporate YARN into any of the above categories, you'll receive extra points!  This is, after all, a knitting and/or crochet group!

Even if you aren't entering the costume contest, please join us in celebrating this fun holiday!!  See you at 7pm.  Meet me at 3rd and Fairfax!

L.A. - What Could Have Been

Sunday was the last day for the exhibit, "Never Built" at the Architecture and Design Museum on the Miracle Mile.   I'm so glad that we made the effort to see this show.  It was extremely interesting and rather sad.  Although I love Los Angeles, its buildings and its history, what could have been built here would have made for an even MORE amazing cityscape!

There were models of proposed buildings, maps, blueprints, plans and architectural renderings.  There was also a very cool short digital movie that "flew" you through various proposed projects.

Proposed in 1965.  The Causeway.  Santa Monica off-shore freeway, man-made island and a new marina in the SM Bay

Proposed in 1925.  Frank Lloyd Wright's vision of the L.A. Civic Center

Proposed in 1963.  The Goodell Monorail System.  Running almost the same route as today's EXPO line @ 90 mph

All of the exhibits were placed on black linoleum painted like an L.A. city map...probably from the late 1920s or '30s.  It was super fun trying to find our neighborhood and all of my other 'hoods that I've lived in on the linoleum map.  Too bad, my Roxbury Park neighborhood was under a platform and could not be seen. 

Our Wilshire Vista Neighborhood

One of my neighborhoods as a youth

I think I'd like the linoleum in my kitchen painted EXACTLY like this map!

L.A. Eyeworks Sale

Stephanie, Diane and Larry

It was a foggy, cool Sunday morning when we arrived at the L.A. Eyeworks eyeglass frame sale.  There was a short line to get in.  We always meet interesting people in line.  Diane, Stephanie, Larry and I spied Jenna, her roommate and Todd through the window.

Jenna, behind the glass, sportin' some cool specs

Once inside, we tried on numerous frames while elbowing our way around the crowded tables.  I found at least 4 or 5 frames that I loved, but narrowed it down to just one fantastic pair. 

My 4-Eyed Friends

We were probably inside for almost an hour.  By the time we emerged, the sun was shining and the waiting customers pulled out the L.A. Eyeworks complimentary parasols for their wait.

We were in need of sustenance after all that shopping....next door!

Kinda' pearly beige on the outside, caramel and brown on the inside...yummy!

Friday Dinner

New Orleans and it's food holds a sentimental place in our hearts.  Larry and I met at Jazz Fest, 1990 in New Orleans.   We were married in '92 on Fat Tuesday.  A few months later we had a backyard N'awlins-style dance and dinner for our wedding reception with Cajun food and the Zydeco Party Band for dancin'.

I'd read about this place that was said to have the best shrimp po' boy sandwich this side of New Orleans.  Since Uncle Darrow's moved out of our neighborhood years ago, we decided to take a trip to Overhill and Slauson and check out Orleans & York Deli. 

This is a busy corner in the Windsor Hills section of L.A.  One corner houses Simply Wholesome (the former 'Wich Stand), another corner has Puerto Nuevo Restaurant and the corner with Orleans & York has a newish Wings 'n Greens stand, a couple of other small mini-mall places and the fancier La Louisianne Restaurant.  

On Friday night at 6:30, Orleans & York was hoppin'.  There's a long counter where you can eat inside and a large table outside.  Many people were getting dinner to go.  We perused the menu and decided to split a shrimp po' boy and each try a cup of chicken gumbo.  The soft drink selection is excellent...many unusual sodas available.  They also carry an array of Zapp's chips, Cajun potato salad and macaroni salad.  There's a New Orleans side and a New York side to the menu.  The sub-sandwiches looked delicious.  While we were waiting for our order, we spoke to a few satisfied patrons and two L.A. Fireman.  All raved about the food.

Our shimp po' boy was fresh and delicious.  The cornbread fried shrimps were plump and tasty.  My only gripe is that the bread wasn't the usual soft roll used in New Orleans.  The bread was delicious, but it was suited more for the sub-sandwiches (NY) than for a po' boy.  Forget about the chicken gumbo.  Nothing matches the smokey file' taste of Uncle Darrow's gumbo.  Orleans & York's chicken gumbo was institutional tasting...reminiscent of Campbell's canned gumbo.  Bleah.  Uncle Darrow.....come back to the 'hood!  Please!

I would definitely go back to Orleans & York if I'm in the area.  I also want to try those wings and greens across the parking lot! 

Simply Wholesome's distinctive 'wich spire!

L.A. Eyeworks Sale This Weekend

We've been going to the L.A. Eyeworks eyeglass frame sale for at least 8 years, maybe longer.  Check out a few of my old posts here.   There are lots of photos of me with brown

hair!  Well, since my hair is silver now, I need different color frames!  Last year I purchased my perfect frames.  They are silver and sparkly.  I love them.  However, I do need a change of frames once in awhile. 
This sale is really fun.  You meet all kinds of people.  The one problem for me is that once I take my prescription glasses off, it's difficult to see how I look in any of the frames that I try on.  It's always good to go with someone who can click a digi-pic of you in the new frames.  Then, put your prescription glasses back on and look at the photo.  Brilliant.
Don't worry about getting to the sale early.  The staff keeps pulling out boxes and boxes of frames all weekend long.  I'll be at the sale this Sunday around 11 am.  
This is Vintage Photo Friday.  Here are a few of my four-eyed friends! 

Stitch 'n Witch Prep

Our Clever WeHo SnB Members

It's only one week before Halloween and our West Hollywood Stitch 'n Bitch costume party at the Original Farmers Market.  Woo Hoo!  We call this our Annual Stitch 'n  Witch Spooktacular.  Most years, we have an overall theme, like Spirit Animal, Super Hero, All Things British.  This year's theme is "Saturday Night Live" Character.  Of course, there are two other categories:  Best Use of Yarn in your costume and Best Overall Costume.  "SNL" characters!?!  Wow!  There are 38 year's worth of characters to choose from!

More Clever Stitch 'n Witch Costumes

My favorite all-time get-up was when I concocted my Red Heart Queen of Crochet costume.  I still wear this costume on occasion.

Have you started to work on your costume for this Halloween?

License to Snap

He was in Beverly Hills!

I was snappin' up a storm this past weekend.....vanity plates are everywhere! Commuter traffic has been very slow the past few weeks.  Argh!  This gives me plenty of time to snap license plates on the road.

This could belong to many of my friends!

Opera Fan?

Dermatologist on his way to the beach!

Makes me think of that Billy Joel song

The clever plate below was snapped by one of my photo-journalists in the field, Julie.  LOVE this one.  I often feel this way myself, sitting in traffic!

To continue with the automobile theme. Larry and I spotted this cool tile at a store-front on Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills....an old Cadillac dealership that is long gone.

 

Saturday Night Date

On Saturday Larry and I drove over to the George Billis Gallery on South La Cienega Boulevard for the opening of Danny Heller's "City Modernism" show.  Danny's paintings are realistic, yet painterly.  He usually goes for mid-20th-Century subject matter.  This series of pieces depicts office interiors, office buildings and a few downtown L.A. sites.  Of course, it was magnificent.  To view more of Danny's paintings, get over to the Gallery or click here. 

Artist Danny Heller and Photographer Larry Underhill. "Downtown At Dusk" by Danny Heller

"Dorothy Chandler Pavillion" by Danny Heller

"Spiral Staircase" by Danny Heller.  I do believe this is the lobby of the DWP Buildling, DTLA

We always run into people we know at Danny's show....many associated with the  Modern Committee of the L.A. Conservancy.  We saw artist, Mary-Austin Klein who has a show up now at the Payne Gallery in Sun Valley.  Both Danny and Mary-Austin have a love for the California desert.  Maybe one of these days they'll have a joint art show!

We also viewed the intriguing work of D'Lisa Creager.  Her copper wire sculptures and hangings are fascinating.  Naturally, I quizzed her about the methods she uses to "weave" the copper wire.  Essentially, she uses a large wooden dowel and her fingers to do the work.  These are looped, which is really knitting!  Imagine how sore D'Lisa's fingers must be after a few rows!  Oy!  D'Lisa also has an Etsy site.  Cool.

Larry with Copper Wire Sculpture by D'Lisa Creager

Artist D'Lisa Creager

After all that art gallery activity, we were in the mood for a quiet martini in a red leather booth.  We headed over to Taylor's Steakhouse on 8th Street for dinner.  

It looks like Taylor's has updated the restaurant a bit.  There are new signs in the parking lot (improvement); a new front on the building (wooden Korean-looking posts instead of Rocky Mountain stone and Mondrian-Like installation); a few Victorian-era-like stained glass dividers inside the restaurant.  All in all, Taylor's looks the same, just spiffed and updated...nothing too drastic, thank you.
We split the Molly Salad which is a hunk of iceberg lettuce topped with diced tomoatos, sweet onions and creamy bleu cheese dressing.  Larry had a steak and I had the London Broil, both with baked potatoes.  Dinner was divine and we had leftovers for the next day.

Molly Salad

London Broil

I love Los Angeles.