Small Town Life In Big L.A.

From Where I Sit...GIFT SHOW Adventures

It's that wonderful time of year again! Shopping & Gift Shows! Thankful to fly out of Burbank airport this time. So close to home!

Here is the view as you approach Las Vegas from the West Coast.

Love the chandeliers at the Paris Hotel. They are huge and sparkly and even more amazing when you are standing under one.

We scored a fabulous patio table for two at Mon Ami Gabi. This French steakhouse is one of our faves! Imagine having Profiteroles for dessert as you watch...

the famous Bellagio fountains! Heavenly!

Back at the room we could enjoy them from afar.

Days were spent shopping at the world class Las Vegas Market. Three high-rise buildings full of state of the art showrooms!

Of course we found LOTS of stuff for our store MOUNTAIN ROSE GIFTS I also watch for trends. The GRAY trend continues across all channels in home decor and apparel.

After a long day shopping we stopped by the courtyard to roast some marshmallows. It was in the low 40's so the fire pits and heat-lamps were most welcome.

Going to Las Vegas is a working vacation for us. Many go to gamble. Not us. We enjoy the restaurants. I think we were given the best table in the house at Jasmine. Located in the Bellagio, it's elegant and has a close up view of the fountains.

Just beautiful!

A fitting end to a delicious Chinese meal.

Walking back to our hotel we realized something was going on. Where were the throngs of people and all the buses and cars??? Turns out Matt Damon was there and they were shooting the new Bourne Identity movie!

We have never seen the strip totally shut down! Amazing!

Shopping the show means you are standing and walking all day. It helps to take a break to get your feet up.

Most of the time we grab a bite in the showrooms on the run but this day we stopped for lunch at a trendy restaurant on the premises.

This is how you feel at the end of a shop 'til you drop day.

Las Vegas has a HUGE new airport that receives people from all over the world.

Bye Vegas! What a great time! What a great show! Thank you Lord for answering our prayers and letting us be able to do this.

 

 

Veteran's Day Luncheon & Boutique at the Sportsmen's Lodge

We enjoyed being invited back to showcase our wares at the Encino Republican Women's meeting today. We arrived early rolling through the lush landscape.

We wore new tops from one of our favorite L.A. designers.

Our mini boutique featured Christmas tops and gifts from our stores REVELATION TOPS and MOUNTAIN ROSE GIFTS in Montrose.

RWF President Janet Price got some shopping in before the meeting began.

Beautifully modeled by Tina, our selection of RWB scarves were a big hit!

Mary snagged one of our Christmas hats. So cute!

We so enjoy having lunch with these lovely ladies. The tables were so festive!

My favorite...Salmon in a buerre blanc sauce. YUM!!!

Chocolate black out cake for dessert!

Love these sisters!

This is the view from our meeting room. Peaceful & Wonderful.

What a great patriotic program centered around honoring our veterans.

More shopping after lunch.

What a fitting tribute on Veteran's Day.

Clark Gable where are you??? The Sportsmen's Lodge is so rich with Hollywood history both past and present. So many famous movie stars have hung out here. Today film companies frequently shoot shows and movies. What a wonderful day!

Tricks & Treats at Universal Studios

It was a perfect day to visit one of our favorite places UNIVERSAL STUDIOS. This shot was taken on top of the mountain just before you take the long escalator down to the studio tour tram. The views are spectacular! In the foreground you can see the lot where countless movies are filmed. Just behind it is Warner Brothers.

It looks like the new Harry Potter attraction is well on it's way. Can't wait!!!

 

Since Halloween is approaching there were lots of photo ops throughout the park.

 

 

A must have treat in the Simpson area. This giant vanilla cone was swirled with chocolate and perfect for sharing.

 

 

So happy to have this world class attraction only 30 minutes from home. I especially love all of the movie soundtracks that are played throughout. What a treat!

Garden Of The Gods Sunset Walk

Only steps from our front door the GARDEN OF THE GODS, rich in Hollywood film history, beckons.

Many of the classic western movies were filmed right here featuring the likes of John Wayne, Roy Rogers, and many more.

Here is the view as you head up the path.

To the left is the famous NYOKA CLIFF found in many movies.

Surprise! We ran into one of our neighbors who walked up to watch the sunset. Imagine sitting up there with bats and owls flying around as the lights of L.A. twinkle below! There's a great shot of STONEY POINT right behind him.

LOOK OUT!!!!!!

Neighbor Tim is a pro hiker and knows all the secret spots. Here he's showing Dale a hidden rock with Manson gang carvings!!! I never knew this was up here!!!

Getting to this rock is not for the faint of heart.

Here's a view of "ye olde homestead" from up yonder. LOVE the wild, wild west!

CBS Show BATTLE CREEK Films in Montrose

It's always fun when a major film shoot comes to town. This time I got to see the action up close as our store Revelation TOPS was buried in film equipment.

Right next door at AVIGNONE'S they were preparing to shoot the new CBS TV show BATTLE CREEK. Created by House's David Shore with Vince Gilligan, the show is about two cynical detectives, Josh Duhamel and Dean Winters, who team up to clean up their town. Let's see what's behind the closed curtain.

Here is what you'll see in episode two, "Syrupticious".

Avignone's has been the setting for quite a few famous actors and films... Adam Sandler, Courtney Cox, Donald Sutherland, and Hugh Laurie, just to name a few.

Here is how Montrose Bakery & Cafe, just a few doors up, was transformed.

I was treated to lunch with the crew and cast since it was was set up in front of our store. It was good too!

This is one of the things that makes shopping in the Montrose Shopping Park fun. You just never know who you are going to run into.