Small Town Life In Big L.A.

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!

In Search of Ramen

Oh the joys of living in Los Angeles and being able to mix business with pleasure. Earlier this month we headed downtown to meet with a vendor. Here we are crossing the L.A. River via the famous 4th STREET BRIDGE. Known for it's Gothic revival architecture, this bridge is home to many movie and TV shoots. 

This is a typical February day in downtown LA with views all around. Several of these former industrial buildings are being converted to condos. It's like an epidemic here with tons of people moving to the city.

Since we were in the neighborhood we decided to check out one of Little Tokyo's most popular ramen places, in the top 10 per L.A. Weekly. It's what I would refer to as a "hole in the wall" = old and grungy. Not my cup of tea...

There was a wait to get in. Most were hipsters and millennials, cell phones in hand. Upon being seated we were given this complimentary salad. Meh? 

And this my friends is what everyone comes for. THE RAMEN.... with ultra rich murky broth, thick noodles, pork belly, and a marinated whole egg. I have to admit it was good. Loved the noodles & broth, couldn't quite get into the belly & egg thing.

The tempura was just "OK".

After checking GOOGLE MAPS (don't leave home without it!) we were told to take a different route home. It was nice to drive by ECHO PARK, an historical neighborhood close to downtown with steep, steep hills.

Down in the "flat lands" you'll find this peaceful lake with ducks, palm trees, water fountains, and a nice walking path. It brought back fond memories of our dear friend Rose who owned a spectacular former movie stars home on top of the hill. We would meet there for church and bible study and had some amazing 12 course Italian dinners there with our whole church family. One of her ceilings was painted with a mural by Thomas Kinkade before he became famous.

I hope you have enjoyed this little adventure as much as I have sharing it. Thanks for reading and God Bless!

Montrose Merchants Dinner at Casa Cordoba

Last night the MSPA (Montrose Shopping Park Association) treated the business owners to a delicious dinner at the one and only CASA CORDOBA. We are blessed to have this very successful and authentic cuisine of Spain just steps from our store Revelation TOPS.

Always faithful and the first to arrive were Steve & Dale posing with owner Jeannie.

We were serenaded throughout the evening by live Spanish guitar.

Love the festive look of blue flowerpots = happy!

We started with delicious appetizers as they do in Spain...

and proceeded onto a variety of Casa's famous paellas.

It was so nice to mingle and be able to sit and talk with our fellow merchants and friends.

Happy times on the patio!

We all enjoyed Andre's enthusiasm as he shared a few words.

We love Montrose!...it's shops...cafes...small town atmosphere...and most of all people. What a blessing it is to be able to do what you love in "Mayberry".

 

Christmas Dinner In Beverly Hills

It's a hectic time of year when you are retailers but we have learned over the years to make time for what is important. Last night I got to spend a wonderful evening with my two favorite people in the world. We headed to Beverly Hills and on the way I asked the Lord to lead us somewhere special. He did!

We started off on world famous Rodeo Drive and it was C-O-L-D! Our Revelation TOPS scarves, leg warmers, and gloves served us well! Behind us is the Beverly Wilshire Hotel where Dale stayed when Princess Marcella Borghese flew him out shortly after we were married. It's also where the Julia Roberts/Richard Gere movie "Pretty Woman" was filmed.

The lobby was exquisite, just as we would expect.

It was a Sunday evening and the stores were closed. A perfect time to window shop. It was like we had the town all to ourselves. I loved the Saks windows with gowns, makeup, and elegant, frosty party displays.

 

Rodeo Drive was decked out in red and white lights and many of the stores looked like they were gift wrapped.

Now here was our special surprise, the answer to my prayer. In a very unique way the Lord led us to Crustacean. Totally unplanned and what a treat, especially for a foodie like me. I love new food adventures! The path to the dining room is an aquarium!!! We kept thinking we were going to fall in but loved it!

We walked in to this famous Beverly Hills restaurant that was fully booked, with no reservation, the Sunday before Christmas, and guess what? They happened to have one table left and it was prime.

This is their signature dish and now I know why. Succulent Maine Lobster with Vietnamese Garlic Noodles. YUM!!!!!

Here are some of the "regulars". See anyone you know?

What a lovely and memorable time we had! Truly a special Christmas memory.

Thank You LENNY'S SMOKEHOUSE!

My husband has been a church pastor for thirty years. Never in that time have I seen a restaurant take it upon themselves to treat the whole church to a delicious meal "just because". This Sunday Linsey Ruland, chef & manager of LENNY'S SMOKEHOUSE, along with her nice husband Nate, showed up, platters in hand to bless us and say "howdy neighbor". They even stayed and served the food themselves!

I think everyone stayed for fellowship on the patio. We so enjoyed ourselves and the delicious food.

Imagine your choice of WHISKEY RIBS or RASPBERRY CHIPOLTE RIBS perfectly charred and seasoned.

House made biscuits right out of the oven...

and Arugula Watermelon Salad! YUM! YUM! YUM!

Thank you Linsey, Nate, & LENNY'S!!! We will be seeing you at the restaurant soon. As a matter of fact we plan to have a Lenny's night where we all meet there for dinner.

Birthday Brunch at Saddle Peak Lodge

What do you do when your birthday falls between Christmas & New Years in the midst of an unusually hectic season? For us it was to take a drive through Malibu Canyon to one of our favorite restaurants, SADDLE PEAK LODGE.

Just being seated in this high ceiling-ed log cabin of a room, strewn with lights, and under a canopy of mounted deer, brings the relaxation that comes with the feeling that you are "away". Also adding to the ambiance is the gracious and expert service by well trained waiters such as David...knowledgeable, with a heartfelt passion for food and presentation, helpful and attentive yet discreet, with the manners to know not to interrupt a conversation. SO appreciated these days!

Adding to the relaxing elegance is the table decor with fresh flowers and hurricane candles.

Being a pastry nut I was overjoyed at the "goodies basket", so much so that we had eaten half of them before I remembered to snap a pic! Everything in the basket is freshly made that morning on the premises. Ours included a warm, iced cinnamon roll, amazing cheddar apple scone, pear tart, and fresh muffin. Just divine!

My grilled salmon was perfectly prepared and served on a bed of butternut squash puree along with a mini pitcher of lemon buerre blanc sauce, in the French manner.

Dale enjoyed his favorite, eggs hollandaise.

Now about the bacon. This item right here, the apple-wood smoked bacon, a $5 side order, was worth the price of admission. Honestly this was the best bacon either one of us has ever had. IN OUR LIVES. I almost considered making it my Facebook profile pic.

One of the many things we love about this restaurant are the rooms upstairs. Over the years we have dined in all of them. This is the view from the 2nd level. Just look out those windows!

We have also enjoyed this little romantic table on the 3rd level.

After your meal a walk around the grounds beckons.

Fresh air, along with canyon views, abound.

Take the path over the creek...

which will lead you to a view of the saddle peak mountains.

Back inside, at the bottom of the stairs, you will find a bushel of perfect apples in case you would like to grab one for the road.

Ahhh, Saddle Peak Lodge what a wonderful destination you are! Happy 30th Anniversary to you!

 

Lunch At Neiman's

It was a beautiful day to visit the Neiman's close to home.

The view from our table was pleasant indeed.

This empty table was soon occupied by Neiman's execs having a lunch meeting. Everyone was dressed in suits.

An "amuse bouche" of chicken broth and a mini biscuit.

These homemade popovers are worth the price of admission. I had to have two.

A delicious vegetable bisque.

The lobster rolls were O.K.

This beautifully presented lobster salad looked better than it tasted.

But we got to park right in front of the store. LOL!

Join Me On A Whirlwind Buying Trip For The Stores

January is a very intense month for us. No sooner the Christmas season is over, which is full of church, retail,  wrapping, and parties, we hop on a plane and head for the major Gift & Ready To Wear Shows. Here is a scene we see everyday on our way to the Atlanta shows. We always happen to be there during Martin Luther King's birthday celebration. It's hard to see, but the sign on the left is a portrait of him.

First stop upon arriving is dinner at LaTivola. It's a cozy Italian restaurant in Virginia Highlands. This is their Warmed Olives appetizer.

Dessert at LaTivola is not to be missed. The special of the night was this delicious Apple Tart with Rosemary Cream. We also ordered a side of house made Vanilla Semi-Freddo.

Here's the view from one of the several highrise buildings that comprises the Atlanta Gift Mart. This was a snowless trip. It was cold but not bone chilling.

A fun showroom stop. It is rare to find sofas to lounge on. Generally you are on your feet...ALL DAY!!!

Every year has a different twist. This year several vendors had craftsmen outside in the halls demonstrating how things are made.

 

The Mart stays open until 8pm on the weekend. We shop, enjoy a nice dinner, and then drop. Atlanta has so many unique restaurants and they believe in dessert. One of my favorite stops, "Wisteria", lets you choose 3 of their homemade desserts for $10. We chose the Coconut Meringue Pie, Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream (Yes, it had a kick!), and Bread Pudding. I wish restaurants here in L.A. would pick up on this.

Being a "foodie" I look forward to the Gourmet Food section of the show where you get to sample everything.

Atlanta is a city that I enjoy. Here, popular "South City Kitchen" (You better have a reservation) is in a remodeled Southern home surrounded by spectacular high rises. Fascinating!

I think the Mussels here were among the best we have ever had. Considering we are from the Chesapeake Bay that is saying something.

As soon as we land in L.A. it's off to our local shows. This was taken as I was enjoying a break in the lobby of the California Market Center, my "home away from home" for the last 3 decades.

With all the lofts being built downtown their are new restaurants cropping up. We enjoyed people watching from our window table at PatternBar.com. You can see the California Mart from the window.

Here is a nice night shot of the L.A. Mart, home to many gift and decor showrooms. We have been shopping into the night on both coasts and had a very successful trip. You will find the fruit of our shopping in Mountain Rose Gifts and Revelation Tops.

A Timely Sail

We recently had the pleasure of sailing with our dear friends. We met them at the Marina on a foggy day.

 

 

What a blessing it was to relax. In just a matter of days I would be very busy leading a Women's Retreat.

Goldfish are always fun to munch on during these outings.

Time to set set the sails!

 

 

Nothing but ocean as far as the eye could see.

The "way out in the ocean" greeting team.

It was hot in the valley but not here.

I zoomed in on the Santa Monica Pier.

The day ended with dinner at the Marina Del Rey Cheesecake Factory.

Corn Fritters!

A peaceful end to a relaxing day.

Thank you dear friends!!!

Valentine's Day Fun

Can you tell I love Valentine's Day? It's such a cheery way to celebrate the month of February. This year my sister and I went to tea at The T Room in Montrose.

What a perfect pot of tea! The T Room has an entire wall of gourmet tea blends. Ours was "Mauritius", a delicious black tea from Africa. It was perfectly brewed and we drank the whole pot.

What joy you feel as this arrives at your table! Our favorite sandwich is the chicken with lingonberry jam.

The rich all butter cookies are made here at The T Room.

Since it was Valentine's Day we were treated to homemade Red Velvet Cake.

Meet Esma, the owner of The T Room. She is such a gracious woman with a rich tea history. She learned the art of tea from her mother who had a tea room in Russia. You can't get more authentic than that!

Later in the evening my wonderful husband made a special Valentine dinner. It started with this Pate, so creatively presented. He then proceeded with Lobster Tail and Curried Rice. It was perfect!

This year I made Cashew Brittle.

We enjoyed eating by candlelight, the end of a relaxing and enjoyable day.