Small Town Life In Big L.A.

Fun At The LA Gift Show

Shopping for our store Mountain Rose Gifts is one of our favorite things! Here's why...

 

Danny Elfman Performs The Nightmare Before Christmas At The Hollywood Bowl!

My big birthday year continues as my husband treated me to 3rd row BOX SEATS! at the sold out Danny Elfman performance at the one and only HOLLYWOOD BOWL! It is quite the tradition to bring a gourmet picnic dinner when you attend the bowl. Here is the menu I planned!

WOW! I can't believe how close we are to the stage!!!

Our candlelight main course Pesto Pasta with Shrimp and Pine nuts.

This is the view behind us. The bowl is FULL tonight for this historic occasion.

And so it begins...

This is the opening music. LOVE!!! I had to pinch myself!

These are the actual performers who sing "This Is Halloween"

 

And here they are singing it.

 

 

The crowd went wild when Composer Danny Elfman hit the stage. He composed this music and is the voice of Jack! What an AMAZING voice he has!

 

Just listen to him!!!

The orchestra played the entire score as we watched the movie on giant screens. Just AWESOME!!!

Danny and the crew singing their hearts out! Perfection!

Actress Catherine O'Hara ( Beetlejuice) and Paul Reubens (Pee Wee Herman) are part of the original cast.

This is the original Oogie Boogie man!

Catherine O'Hara singing the part of Sally.

I wish I would have taken more pics of the amazing costumes. We are in Hollywood after all.

Bravo Danny Elfman and the entire orchestra and cast! A once in a lifetime experience we will never forget.

 

 

 

What I Love About the L.A. County Fair

 

It's been a tradition for us. When September rolls around it's time to go to the L.A. County Fair. My husband Dale and I just L-O-V-E the fair!!! Here are just a few reasons why...

The beauty, sounds, and coolness of the Flower Pavilion.

Live animals like Stanley the giraffe.

Cooking demos! I bought my vegetable slicer at the fair and enjoy being reminded of the benefits of using it.

Palm trees and colorful umbrellas.

Riding the sky tram...

You can see the whole fair from way up high!

Tablescapes

Blue ribbons for baking.

Acting like a chicken.

Live bands.

The most amazing, crazy fair food.

The fountain that changes color.

The headliner concerts.

So thankful we got to see the O'Jays!!!

 

And the Isley Brothers!!!

There's so much more! Maybe we should go back...

Mother's Day Brunch at the Odyssey

This was the view as we drove down our street to head to church this beautiful Mother's Day. On the left is Nyoka Cliff, the scene of many old westerns. From this vantage you can see the mountains across the San Fernando Valley. Beyond those mountains lies the Pacific Ocean. We had a blessed time of fellowship. The message from Revelation 2, "you have left your first love", was followed by a time of holy silence. The Lord just impressed us all to... stop... and... listen... to Him. There was an amazing hush and peace over us all. Still. Feeling His presence. Awesome. 

Following church we were invited by our nephew to join them for a grand brunch at the Odyssey.

Upon entering we were greeted by a harpist. Beautiful, elegant music.

We had prayed the Lord would give us a good table and waiter and our prayers were answered. The Odyssey is on top of a mountain, the amazing view was right in front of us.

There was so much to choose from at this buffet style brunch! There was a seafood room, main course and salad room, carving stations, and a whole dessert room. Oh boy!!!

The carving station was my first stop and this leg of lamb was calling my name. They even had mint jelly to go with. I also had prime rib! The roast turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy were my fave. Yes, I loved the carving station!

After pacing ourselves it was time for dessert. FLAMING DONUTS!!! Gotta try that!

Six donuts being flamed for us right before our eyes!

And then there were the cakes! Cubicles of them!

My eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach but I just had to taste these. French macaroons, key lime tart, cream puff, red velvet cake, and more! The orange juice was fresh squeezed and the cappuccino was topped with fresh cream. Sugar coma.

Dale had only one dessert. Bananas Foster flamed to order and caramelized.

What a perfect brunch!!! Afterward we walked to the back of the restaurant to check out the views.

We found the house herb garden!

Alas it's time to head home and take a nap. Thank you D & F for a wonderful treat!

Montrose 2020 Vision Bus Tour

Yesterday we were invited by the City of Glendale to meet early in the morning and board a specially chartered tour bus. The plan being to meet with neighboring city officials, tour their shopping districts, and learn what they are doing that we could apply to Montrose.

The tour was led by Jennifer McLain, Principal Economic Development Officer (right) along with Jackie Bartlow, Economic Development Coordinator (left). We were joined by Montrose Shopping Park officials, key Montrose business owners (I'll introduce you to them in these pics), and the Executive Director of the Montrose Chamber.

The tour was well organized and we kept to our full agenda. Serving on the City of Glendale Branding Committee, it always makes me smile when I see the happy swirl logo used on City correspondence.

First stop upon arriving in Claremont: COFFEE!!! Meet Jeannie (left), owner of popular Spanish inspired restaurant CASA CORDOBA...Maureen (middle), owner of the oldest children's bookstore in the nation ONCE UPON A TIME...and Ken, owner of long time music store GRAYSON'S TUNE TOWN.

And thus the walking began. I have always wanted to go to Claremont but somehow, until today, never made it.

What a beautiful and quaint shopping and dining district in the heart of Cali. It's known, among many other things, for it's prominent colleges. Six of them I believe. We all loved this mural and would like to see some of this done in Montrose.

Now onto our first official meeting of the day.

We met with Brian Desatnik (right), Director of Community Development for the City of Claremont and had a very productive and interesting discussion. To my right is hubby Dale who serves as Business Administrator and Events Coordinator for the MSPA (Montrose Shopping Park Assn). Next to him, Steve Pierce our Communication Admin., Harvest Marketplace Manager, and Filming Liaison.

More walking, led by Brian, ensued. What beautiful weather we had!

The walking abruptly stopped the minute we saw PIES!!!

My friend Gigi (right) and I had the same idea! Gigi owns IT TAKES A VILLAGE KIDS and serves as V.P. of the MSPA Board. Note: I LIKE PIE we need you in Montrose!

We all admired the lush plantings throughout the Claremont shopping district.

Thank you Brian for sharing your valuable time with us. I enjoyed your manner and we all learned so much!

This shot was taken from the bus window on the way to Covina and epitomizes the Southern California Inland Empire. Palm trees, bougainvillea, blue skies, mountains, and the American flag.

Being a "foodie" I LOVE trying new places! Lunch was at gastropub BREAD AND YEAST in the heart of the Covina shopping district.

Among other things we enjoyed these Portobello Fries with bacon and shaved Parmesan. YUM!

We dined with Covina Asst. City Manager Angel Carrillo. Once again most informative.

In our after lunch tour we came across this sign. LOL!

Uh oh! As if the pies in Claremont weren't enough! Just had to buy pastries at PAN DULCE! Do you see that empty spot where the jelly rolls are? I've got it in the bag!

Now we are in Monrovia. Call out to KNOT TOO SHABBY: Come to Montrose!!! What a cute store! They sell chalk paint and teach you how to use it!

Glad we are walking off our lunch!

At least until we ran into this giant poster of Thor!

Hahahahahahahahaha! We do have fun!

Beautiful fountain vignette in Monrovia,

We like this colorful photo op too. Wondering if we might want one of Meatball the bear in Montroseland?

We ended the day at 38 DEGREES ALEHOUSE where Monrovia business owner and volunteer extraordinaire Pam Fitzpatrick graciously shared her work on behalf of the Monrovia shopping district. This woman deserves a medal!

Alas the "party bus" awaits to whisk us back to never never land. THANK YOU City of Glendale for a wonderful day on behalf of #montrose2020vision We learned much and enjoyed ourselves doing it. GREAT job Jennifer & Jackie!

Boysenberry Festival at Knott's Berry Farm

 It only happens once a year. The BOYSENBERRY FESTIVAL at Knott's Berry Farm, a popular theme park about an hour and a half south of us. Abundant bougainvillea and blue skies are part of the welcoming path this day.

Boysenberries and Knotts go way back to 1932 when Walter Knott began propagating the new plant, a curious cross between the red raspberry, blackberry and loganberry.

 The festival was decorated with berries and purple was the color of the day!

 Of course I had to comply wearing every boysenberry thing I had!

 Today was all about the berries and this "foodie" gal was in heaven. How about these Boysenberry meatballs! A skewer for each of us!

 This perfect Boysenberry ice cream cone was so refreshing!

 Be still my heart! Boysenberry candles that look like pies and cupcakes!!!

 Check out these tempting displays!

 Knott's has an old Western cowboy theme, one of the highlights being the show in the Calico Saloon.

 This is founder Cordelia Knott's original fireplace.

 The Calico Mine ride is about our speed these days.

 Fried chicken is a MUST when you visit Knott's. They serve theirs with homemade biscuits and boysenberry jam. We washed it all down with boysenberry punch.

 Oh how pretty! I wanted one but practiced self control...

At least until I saw this! We shared it and had boysenberry coffee.

 

 What a beautiful So Cal sunset. Even the sky got in on the boysenberry act.

We capped off the evening with a visit to Camp Snoopy. The end of a fun filled boysenberry day.

Sunday Brunch at the Beverly Hilton

After church we took the "back roads" to Beverly Hills to enjoy a special brunch Dale reserved.

The pines give way to palms, a sign we are almost there.

Our destination: the famous Beverly Hilton Hotel, home of the Golden Globes and many other star studded events.

Fresh roses greet you in the lobby.

Our table next to the famous Aqua Star pool, the largest in Beverly Hills and setting for numerous movies, TV shows, and films.

The brunch includes everything on the buffet plus the entree of your choice!

I loved looking at all the food and practiced some form of self control. Smoked Scottish Salmon with capers, red onion, and lemon, wafer thin Manchego cheese with candied pecans and honey, applewood smoked bacon, Chinese chicken salad, and fresh pastries were all delicious, especially with french press coffee and rich cream.

 

My entree has arrived! A perfectly prepared hanger steak which I got to go. One can only eat so much and I had to save room for dessert.

These pops looked great! I took a pic but never tried them.

Instead I opted for the house made chocolates.

And of course I had to try some French macaroons! They seem to be turning up everywhere out here.

After such a satisfying meal on such a perfect day it's time to look up.

We took the canyon roads home with the windows down. It is always incredibly beautiful after it rains and the smell of eucalyptus, pine, and orange blossoms fragrance the air.

Safely home after a pleasant drive and ready for a Sunday nap.

Inside Harry Potter Los Angeles

 Yesterday we were in for a big surprise. Being the day after the Oscars and a Monday all was on the quieter side at Universal Studios Hollywood. They are busy getting ready for the grand opening of Harry Potter on April 7. SURPRISE!!! They were testing things out and we were able to see and experience the whole thing first class!!!

Ahh! Snow and Hogwarts only thirty minutes from home!

Many of the great shops were open too.

Honeyduke's Sweets Shop was a fun experience with novel treats like Pumpkin Juice.

We received a grand welcome to the star attraction, Hogwarts, featuring Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.

I don't believe we will ever see a sight like this again. These winding walkways are made for long lines and big crowds. We were able to walk all the way in. Amazing!!!

And there they are! Harry, Ronald, and Hermione! The ride was awesome!

Then it was onto the roller coaster at Hagrid's Hut.

We were thoroughly entertained by this frog chorus as they sang, danced, and then posed with us. What a treat!

Being the "foodie" that I am it was nice to meet Executive Chef Anthony at the brand new Three Broomsticks Tavern.

The comfort food menu is very appealing and reasonably priced.

We chose the Lemon Roasted Herb Chicken with corn on the cob and roasted potatoes. Yummy!

Checkout the view from our table!

What an exciting day! One of my favorite things about Universal is the music. The beautiful instrumental musical score from the Harry Potter movies is perfectly played throughout the attraction making you feel as if you are really there. This is going to be a huge draw. How thankful we are that we got to see it all up close and personal before the throngs arrive. WOW! WOW! WOW!

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!