1OO!

One hundredth post, and it was done in conjunction with my favorite city. And my favorite glass of wine. And my favorite new drink. And in my favorite underwear.

I'm so sorry I've been gone. I have missed you 5%Celery. I have.

I do bring gifts with me though.

First a prediction: The "new" hot (as in faddish) thing will be yellow bell pepper sauce/soup. I'm just saying...my ESP is telling me. Quote me on that. Write it in your calendar. I've said it. I stand by it. Wait and see...

Second: I've found the best Bloody Mary ever--and it has about 5% Celery content. It is at a great little (and by little I mean to say there are FOUR, count them FOUR in Manhattan) place called Sarabeth's in the Upper West Side (and in three other locations around the city). Anyway, it is absolutely the place to go for three things:

1) Bloody Mary's with 5% Celery
2) Preserves with NO celery!
3) Pumpkin muffins...I'm not gonna make a joke about these. They are really good.

This is a teaser. I have intention to "talk" your ears off about my journeys as of late.

Thanks for listening, and remember you heard it here first; yellow bell pepper sauce--the wave of the future.

.:tt:.

Pinkberry: The Scoop

I know, that was a hideous pun of a heading, but you'll have to deal since it leads you to THE REAL TRUTH ABT: PINKBERRY YOGHURT <--(much more fun spelling than the American way). I hereby allow you access to nutrition info and secret tips! Ooh-wee!

[Intro: Everyone in L.A. knows that Pinkberry's spreading like herpes around these parts, and though I'm usually not a huge fro-yo fan--if you want ice cream, for god's sake eat ice cream--a reputable source told me it was "my kind of thing." So the other day I was heading back from the accountant's office for the store where I work, which entails a harrowing drive all the way down Highland from Burbank, and when I finally hit Melrose I spied a Pinkberry. I was starving from my strenuous drive, so I pulled a quick U (my signature move) and got in the queue. How impressive is it that I know how to spell "queue," by the way? I totally got it right the first time. Damn. OK SO SO SO I got my yoghurt; 'twas a plain flavor with blueberries; I adored it; 'twas v. sour and delectable and fantastic; yes, a small size is more than enough; yes, fruit is fresh and marvy, etc.]

REAL DEAL info (OOH-WEE):

-->Nutrition Facts--> While there is much myth and legend surrounding Pinkberry's health benefits and calorie count*, the plain facts are:

-The yoghurt has 25 calories per ounce.

-A small serving is 5 oz; a medium is 8 oz. For those who failed fifth-grade math, a small has 125 calories and a medium has 200 cal. Obviously, add on whatever berries/cereal/junk you put on top.

*Take, for example, the theme song that plays on the PB website: "..I don't feel like I'm cheatin'/ when I'm eatin' it...it's like a dream/Take that, ice cream...." Whatevs, you ARE cheating when you're eating it...cheating on your true love, ice cream.

--> Speaking Of Toppings!--> According to denizens of P-Ber (like Restaurant Girl, who details her fave combinations), in addition to the normal toppings, you can get MOCHI on your yoghurt! She even goes all hedonist and orders extra mochi without even using yoghurt as an excuse for them! What lines we can cross here! What boxes outside of which we may live!

--> L.A. Locales--> Koreatown, Larchmont, Bev Hills somewheres, Los Feliz, Melrose, Studio City, WeHo, West Olympic, & Westwood. Otherwise, you kin git yer fix at 3 shops in New Yawk Sittee. Speaking of sittees, remember that Harvey Danger song, "Flagpole Sitta?" Anyone know what in tarnation a sitta is? Gangsta talk for "sitter?" Why would you need a sitter for a flagpole? They're so well-behaved.

HAHAHA FROGHURT! I want to be in a froghurt frenzy.

> r r <

Fashion Week/end

First of all, mad props to my co-conspirator for her lovely Bloom menu last night ("lesser half?" Only in height, my dear.). The food was creative yet still very Vietnamese, and the sharp grapefruit sorbet was seriously inspired. And as for the design element, since that's my realm here, we actually noticed how well-designed the restaurant was--pleasing minimalist environment and neat proportions (high tables with tall chairs, high ceilings, potted trees, big spacy wall designs). It was exactly what Beau and I agreed we'd have expected from looking at the invitation; i.e. Bloom is doing a bang-up job of branding itself. Look at what those marketing classes have done to me--I'm all talkin' like a G.D. ad exec.

In other news, I know I've been brief and sporadic with my updates-that-are-really-just-celeb-sightings, but I've been insanely busy with my new full-time job as head of sales and promotions and junk for this boutique's online store. It's far more hectic than I'd imagined and my to-do list gets longer each day. It's been consistently interesting, though, and there's tons of dirt I'd love to spill here (Nicole Richie drama! etc!) but am too paranoid to actually transcribe. But oh gosh--SO MUCH INTRA-OFFICE DRAMA.
Seriously SO MUCH! None of it really involves me, though it's hard not to get sucked into it. Suffice it to say that when my New York boss came for a weeklong visit last week, her intense vigilance ("she's looking so hard over my houlder she's practically riding piggyback) brought things practically to a breaking point. Now she's back in Le Apple Grande, but hardly away; today I spent ungodly amounts of time going through her hundreds of photos from Paris Fashion Week, rotating them all 90 degrees, and burning them onto CDs to be FedExed--Priority Overnight--to her apartment. It was almost sad, going through these scads of not-yet-available-to-the-public garments from Stella McCartney (like the dress below), Pierre Hardy, Chloe, and god knows who else, but not being able to register the gorgeous things flicking past my eyes because I had no time to stop and take a look.


Let's just say, though, that we've hardly seen the end of babydoll/empire/loose dresses, and that "sacklike" is definitely the word du jour for fall. There are also some wicked glossy pumps with platforms in front, notably from Stella, that will catch everyone's eye come summer (when, naturally, the fall collections arrive in stores). Does anyone really still shop ahead for a season? I know that I basically buy as I go, with an item or two each month as I can't hold off any longer; I'd never, though, attempt to buy it all at the start. What if styles changed and I'd guessed wrong? What if everyone in the universe had what I'd gotten, and I ended up feeling like the equivalent of a girl wearing a micromini and Uggs who walked through the USC campus? I can't imagine anyone in this era buying a season at a time. Except, perhaps, ladies like the ridiculously refined woman I've been helping with her store orders. She sent her request for an exchange on heavy, embossed monogrammed cardstock. After my usual countless e-mails back and forth, I could barely believe that someone had actually picked up a pen to write to me (surely, in this case, a gold-nib custom-made fountain pen). Naturally, she's from Alabama and has a totally stereotypical Southern-belle name. Those girls from down South--wish I dealt with more of those instead of legions of harried New York chicks.
Speaking of Southerners, I've been carrying on quite the correspondence with LeAnn Rimes. She thanks me every time I send her a note! Aww. How very very. Better than Mischa Barton, ungrateful wretch...she wandered into the store yesterday, completely blitzed-looking (the salesgirls barely recognized her), stumbled around for a while, and then left without trying anything. So perfect: most people, when stoned, eat some Tootsie Rolls or watch TV and laugh at things or maybe go hug trees. Mischa Barton, when stoned, goes shopping in West Hollywood. Love it. Oh, and to be dutiful, I should report that Heidi Klum is really beautiful in person. I always thought it was a little weird on Project Runway when they'd dress her up in vaguely S&M clothes, and I only agree with myself more after seeing her close up and admiring how...wholesome she is. Like a healthy, radiant German princess. Which is, I guess, basically what she is. I'll leave you kids with that now; I have a launch party for Kobe Bryant's new Nike sneaker to attend.
> r r <

Woah

For those of you that came out to see 5% Celery's lesser half at BLOOM cafe--that was amazing! I mean really, do you know that I alone brought in 60 peeps (we did 95 covers!)! In that little tiny cafe. For Vietnamese food! Impressive.

Thank you so much--I mean really...

Bloom Cafe is a great place to be--everyone is so helpful and you can practice your french! They really were all great professionals and sweet people and fun--I think all restaurants should work that way. Check it out.

And another place that Im not sure I have mentioned is Lou wine bar in Hollywood--my friend DJ Olsen is the chef--and it is really great.

Okay, that's enough for one day--i've gotta go to work!

.:tt:.