Ladies Luncheon - Vintage Photo Friday

Which hat shall I wear to Ladies Luncheon tomorrow?

Yes, that's right, all I do is have fun lunch dates with my girlfriends, eat dinner out, go to parties and generally have loads of fun.  Hahahahahaha!  In between all that, I work 5 days a week, cook dinner (sometimes), try to keep our house on the tidy side and grapple with Los Angeles traffic on a daily basis.  All in all, I have a very good life.  I'm not complaining. So many people (blog-readers) have come up to me and said, "Gee, all you do is have fun!" Well, I don't broadcast the mundane chores and/or bad stuff in my life.  I'm basically a cheerful person and I like to spread that joy and cheer.  You will not see a photo of me scrubbing the floor on this blog!

Dessert in the Kitchen.  1965

That said, tomorrow I'm looking forward to brunch with my Crochet Ladies.  We're (still) celebrating Natalie's birthday and Carol's too.  We're going to Terrine on Beverly Boulevard near Sweetzer in WeHo.  The brunch menu looks varied and delightful. 

After brunch we'll be heading back to our house for birthday presents, tea and dessert. See?  I do have to do a bit of housework and preparation!

1962.  Valley Times Photo Collection.  This is Mrs. John Boden of Burbank and her frozen salad of fruit cocktail and marshmallows molded into #2-1/2 cans, chilled and sliced.  YUM!

Our dessert tomorrow will not be as labor-intense or impressive as Mrs. Boden's frozen fruit cocktail and marshmallow salad, above!

#tbt

Throw Back Thursday.  The year was 1991.  Larry and I were dating, on our way to being engaged and married.  This photo was taken at a dark and smoky club, probably the Palomino Club in North Hollywood, the King King when it was on La Brea Ave. @6th St., L.A. or the site of our first date,  Fellini's  on Melrose, Hollywood. Our friend and fantastic musician, Bill Lynch, took this photo with my camera.

Leopard was all the rage in the early 90's. Glamour, being the key word.  I found this hat in a thrift shop in Hollywood.  Larry is rebelling and trying to look as goofy as possible.

I still have the hat, those gorgeous gold earrings AND goofy Larry.

Valentine's Day is Approaching

Last Year's WeHo SnB Valentine Swap

Oooo....I just LOVE anything with hearts...heart shaped jewelry, heart candy, heart pillows and especially heart yarny stuff!

Of course, I do love celebrating with my sweetheart, Mr. Larry.  We usually create special Valentine's Day cards for each other and have a quiet dinner somewhere...not fancy.  But, I REALLY like celebrating with my West Hollywood Stitch 'n Bitch Group!  Our Cruise Director, Natalie, organizes the swap.  When we sign up with Natalie, we have to tell her if we'd like a hat, scarf or cowl.  Then, we have to let her know if we have any yarny / fiber allergies.  THEN, we can elect to tell her our favorite color family.  The default colors are red and pink in honor of Valentine's Day.  I know who I'm creating a gift for, but I do not know who is creating one for me.  Ooooo, so much mystery!  Of course, we are encouraged to add small bonus gifts along with our yarny goodness for our swap partner.  In years past, I've received a multitude of extras!  Also, many of us bring Valentine treats to share.  This year we'll be celebrating our Sixth Annual Valentine WeHo SnB Swap!

I've been running through my Ravelry favorites to see if I can find some heart-related patterns.  Here are a few excellent ones:

Sweet Heart Cushion (click for Ravelry pattern link)

#33 Heart Blanket by Noro

I'm in LOVE with this sweet little Granny Heart!

Do you have any special Valentine's Day plans this year?  It just so happens that Valentine's Day weekend is ALSO Mardi Gras weekend at the Original Farmers Market.  I'm guessing that I'll be having red beans and rice for my Valentine's dinner!  Bon Ton Roulet, ma cher!

Never Forget

Today, January 27th, is the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland.  I have friends who work at USC's Shoah Foundation.  They are in Poland this week to tour the camps and attend commemoration ceremonies with Survivors.  Some of the photos that my friend, Jeffrey has posted on Facebook are very moving.

Last night we watched a documentary on HBO called "Night Will Fall."  Here's a synopsis from HBO's website:

When British, Soviet and American forces liberated Nazi concentration camps in 1945, army and newsreel cameramen recorded the terrible discoveries they made. Later, Sidney Bernstein of the British government’s Ministry of Information and his team, including supervising director Alfred Hitchcock, drew on this footage, shot at Bergen-Belsen, Dachau and Auschwitz, to create a harrowing film titled “German Concentration Camps Factual Survey.”
NIGHT WILL FALL reveals the previously untold story of this deeply moving documentary when it debuts exclusively on HBO. Narrated by Helena Bonham Carter, directed by André Singer (executive producer of “The Act of Killing”) and produced by Sally Angel and Brett Ratner (the “Rush Hour” series, “X Men: The Last Stand,” “Hercules”), the film juxtaposes horrific raw footage and scenes from the 1945 documentary with insights from the survivors, the soldiers who liberated them and the filmmakers who recorded these appalling images. Marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day, NIGHT WILL FALL will have an encore presentation Tuesday, Jan. 27 on HBO2, when networks around the globe will also present it.

Watch for repeat broadcasts of this documentary on HBO.  It's very powerful and moving. 

Every year at our family Passover Seder we recite these words:

Seder Ritual of Remembrance:

This is for the six million Jews who perished at the hands of the Nazis and for the heroes of the ghetto uprisings.

On this Seder night we remember with reverence the six million of our own people, and those of all nationalities and faiths, who only yesterday were mercilessly crushed by a tyrant more wicked than the Pharaoh who enslaved our fathers in Egypt.

And they slew the blameless and the pure; men, women, children and babies did they destroy absolutely in chambers of fire and in factories of death.

On this night of Passover we recall with pride the undaunted defenders of freedom in the ghettos of Europe—our brave brothers and sisters who defined the tyrant, even as did our ancestors in the days of Judah the Maccabee.

On this night we also recall and give tribute to those members of our family who have passed on. We celebrate their lives by honoring them and giving strength to their memory, despite the darkest of circumstances.  We honor their courage by re-telling the Passover story, our Spring Festival of freedom and re-birth. 

I vow to never forget

Super Fun!

We had a SUPER FUN KnitGrrlz Xmas party last night!  I'm exhausted today.  More pix and stories tomorrow!

Mary Jo, Darcy, Ellen, Joe, Natalie, Brit.  Photo by Larry

Vintage Photo Friday - Post-Holidays

The photos below are not REALLY vintage, but they do prove that I've been celebrating the holidays with my KnitGrrlz for almost ten years!

2005 @Natalie's and Joe's Holiday Party

We always try to meet up during the holiday season, but KnitGrrlz get busy.  Some are traveling, some are swamped with family obligations, some haven't had a chance to prepare!!  Sooooo, we usually meet up in January for our gift exchange/celebration.  Mid-January also coincides with Natalie's birthday, so this will be an extra jovial evening.

2007, Hollywood Hills

It all started with Natalie and Joe in December, 2005.  They hosted a lovely holiday party at their home.  Natalie gave us all little gifties.  It was so festive.  Even though some of our group have moved way, we've continued the tradition, meeting at various places.

2010 @ Mary Jo's House, Pasadena

 

2011.  Post-Taix, Echo Park

This year, we're having dinner at our house on Sunday.  I'm preparing a yummy dinner of divine appetizers, brisket of beef, kasha with varnishkes, candied carrots, vegie medly and a special dessert.  Luckily, I have the whole weekend free to prepare for this feast!

2012.  Hollywood

2014.  Our house, Wilshire Vista, LA

I love my girlfriends and so look forward to our special event this Sunday!  OK, husbands may attend too!

Yarny Lace

The El Segundo Slipt Stitchers has a new Knit-A-Long and Crochet-A-Long (KAL, CAL).  I'm on the committee to select the patterns for this exercise.  I usually help with the crochet selection, since I crochet more often than I knit.  The "a-long" part means that many of our members will knit and/or crochet the same pattern during a two-month period.  We will compare notes along the way and then show off our new items at our March meeting.

For this winter's CAL, we chose the South Bay Shawlette.  This is a lovely pattern that I have crocheted numerous times in various yarn weights.  The pattern consists of a two-row repeat, making it easy to remember.  Even though the pattern is uncomplicated, it looks fancy.  People always oooooo and ahhhh when they see the results.

South Bay Shawlette

The KAL selection is "Afternoon Tea."  This is a sweet, lacy shawl with a repetitive pattern.  Both the CAL and KAL selections are very popular on Ravelry.

Afternoon Tea Shawl

At last Saturday's meeting, when my co-committee chairs and I announced this KAL / CAL, we all held up samples of the shawls and answered questions.  I declared in front of 85 knitters and crocheters that I would try my hand at knitting "Afternoon Tea."  There was a gasp among the crowd!  I'm primarily known for crochet with this group and I'd never shared ANY of my knit projects with the El Segundo Guild, only my crocheted items.   Sheesh!  I've been knitting since I was 7 years old!

Within the past couple of years, I've knit the "Summer Flies" shawl a couple of times, so I absolutely CAN knit a lacy shawl.  Harumph!

"Summer Flies"

I've found that crocheting is, on the whole, so much more satisfying than knitting.  Crocheting takes less time than knitting.  It's also easier to correct your mistakes in crochet.  That said, I rushed home after the meeting last Saturday and checked my yarn stash.  Yes!  Mary Jo brought me the most lovely yarn from New Zealand last year called "Naturally."  It's a merino and silk blend, DK weight in a pretty shade of gray with some subtle flecks of pink and darker gray.  I grabbed my size 6 needles and started the "Afternoon Tea" shawl.  I've made some progress in the last week!  I must admit, knitting lace is fun, but I do have to concentrate!

Signs Around Town

I like to SNAP!  I like to snap signs and buildings around town.  Here are a few from my beloved City of Los Angeles.

charming barbed wire

ghost sign

the business is gone, but the sign is still there!

Cassell's @ the Normandie

On Sunday evening we met up with Audrey and Jeff for a post-b-day dinner for Mr. Larry.  The revitalized Cassell's Hamburgers was having a soft opening at their new K-Town location in the Hotel Normandie.  Jeff promised cocktails AND burgers!

Many old signs and kitchen equipment were moved from the original Cassell's

I'd visited the old Cassell's (about a block east) on Sixth Street, probably 30 years ago.  I do remember my Dad taking me to Cassell's for burgers when I was a kid.  It was a small, greasy spoon, back in the day.  The new location at the Hotel Normandie is spacious, art-directed and there's a bar.  Cassell's also serves breakfast for the hotel clientele.

We ordered burgers, a tuna melt and grilled ham and cheese.  Cassell's makes their own potato chips.  They are divine, salty and crunchy.   

The boys ordered cocktails.  Larry's was on the weak side, but Jeff liked his.  We could see many "experts" behind the bar, discussing mixologist plans.  This was the first day that the bar was open, so I'm sure they'll be refining the libation list.  

Our dinner was delicious.  Parking is rather difficult in this busy neighborhood, but if we're in the area, we'd definitely return.

After dinner we wandered into the lobby of the Hotel Normandie. 

 

Audrey, Larry opening his b-day gift!

Wow!  They really preserved the interior.  It's lovely.  We were lucky enough to get a mini-tour of one of the half-suites on the second floor.  

I could write a Norman Chandler-esqe short story staying at the Normandie.  It's all very noir.

Honoring the Words of Martin Luther King, Jr.

This has become a tradition on "L.A. Is My Beat."  For the past four years I have been featuring Suzanne's MLK sweater on my blog in honor of the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. I will repeat  again this year because I'm so in love with this idea and in awe of Suzanne's mad skills. 

Suzanne's Sweater, honoring the words of Martin Luther King, Jr.

The sweater pattern is from "Mason-Dixon Knitting Outside the Lines."  The name of this sweater is "Margaret," designed for the book by Mary Neal Meador.  The instructions state that the sweater may be embellished after knitting with chain stitched quotations of the knitter’s choice.  The sweater in the book has poetry added to the front and back. 

When I saw Suzanne's ("owlknits") sweater, I was touched by the words she chose.  This is from Suzanne's project page on Ravelry: 

I knit this sweater for a local art exhibition that was organized to honor the ideas of Martin Luther King, Jr.  I used quotes from his “I have a dream…” speech to embroider on the front and back of the sweater: Front: Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. Back: The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the day of justice emerges.

I am still blown away by Suzanne's sweater and her choice of quotations.  One day I will make such a sweater for myself.  Bravo!  Excellent work, Suzanne, honoring an eloquent man and his ideas! 

Coffee Place Semantics - VPF

West coast versus east coast semantics.  In California we call restaurants that are mid-century modern in architecture, have big windows so that cars passing by can see inside, serve a multitude of home-style foods from an established kitchen COFFEE SHOPS.  It says so right on their signs.

It's a COFFEE SHOP!  Ship's, Westwood and Wilshire.  Demolished

A place that sells coffee exclusively, along with other beverages and maybe some foodstuffs that do NOT require preparation in a full-fledged kitchen are called COFFEE HOUSES.  You may even see some BoHo art, read poetry or sing folk songs in a coffee house.  Our modern-day chain coffee houses are Starbucks, Coffee Bean, independent places such as UnUrban and Talking Stick, etc.

On the east coast, they call places like our Coffee Shops, with extensive food menus,  DINERS.  East coasters call coffee places that sell beverages exclusively and non-kitchen necessary foodstuffs, COFFEE SHOPS. 

 It's all so confusing.

Recently, our local coffee shop, Norm's on La Cienega has been threatened by demolition.  There are steps to rule this iconic building a Historical National Monument.  Phew!  So many of our mid-20th century buildings have been torn down.  Here is an excellent article that explains the controversy.

Photo by Jack Laxer

Norm's La Cienega, Interior

Norm's La Cienega, iconic signage

Norm's in Santa Monica, a late 1960's building was recently torn down for massive commercial development along Lincoln Boulevard.

Norm's Santa Monica.  Demolished

Luckily, we still have a few "Googie" / space-age coffee shops in the vicinity, still running, and still serving delicious home-style food at reasonable prices!

Pann's Coffee Shop, Ladera Heights, Los Angeles

Pann's Interior

Chip's Coffee Shop, Hawthorne

Have a wonderful weekend.  Go out to a COFFEE SHOP for a burger this weekend and check out the cool architecture!

Bob's Broiler, Downey