Bring On The New Year

I truly cannot believe the year is over. It seems like just yesterday I was putting on my sparkly gold dress and heading out to ring in 2010 with Anna and GB (and starting the year off right with my head in a toilet, but we don’t have to focus on that!).

I feel like the year has flown by so fast, but at the same time, I’ve done so many things in the past few months. I guess that’s one of the best parts about having a blog – it’s like a diary where I can look back and see what I was thinking or doing (or, let’s face it, eating or buying) on any certain day in my life.

A year ago at this time, I was in a completely different place. I felt uninspired, bored and disillusioned, I was still getting over a heartbreak, I missed my friends across the country something fierce, and I had just quit my job and had no idea what to do next. Life wasn’t miserable, but I felt stuck.

And now here I am, looking back, and I have to say, things worked out pretty well. I have a great new job. My heart has healed and I’m ready for love again. I had the opportunity to go new places and have new experiences and meet new friends, some of whom I already cannot imagine my life without.

And best of all, I started writing again. And wonder of all wonders, people actually wanted to read what I had to say! It never ceases to thrill or amuse me when someone tells me they love reading my blog, and I hope you’ll stick around. (After all, there are so many more pink things and trips to Israel and new restaurants to talk about!) Without a doubt, writing is the thing that makes me happiest, and the fact that I’ve spent this whole year doing just that is surely one of the reasons why I have a smile on my face today.

I will always remember 2010 as being the year that I finally felt happy and settled in my post-college, grownup-girl-in-LA life. My life may not be perfect – it’s filled with far too many department store tantrums and cupcake binges and road rage for that – but it’s mine and I love it :)

Happy, happy new year! I can’t wait to see what adventures 2011 will bring!

Perfect For The Snow Pink!

I was searching my little heart out via the interwebs for hours yesterday, trying to find something new and cute and fun and sassy to feature for Pink Wednesday.

I clicked through all my usual shopping websites, pestered Brynn on gchat to send me suggestions as well, and went through all my old bookmarks and folders to look at the pink things I had clicked and saved for future inspiration. But nothing was striking me as being particularly great, and for the last Pink Wednesday of 2010, I wanted something really fun!

And then lo and behold, I came across this:

That is a snazzy hot pink ski ensemble by CK Bradley, and it is absolutely perfect for today’s post, seeing as TOMORROW, I am heading off to Denver for a snow -filled New Years Eve weekend extravaganza!!!

I am literally counting down the hours. Don’t ask me where the idea for this trip came from or who dreamed it up – all I know is tomorrow I will be reuniting with Julie, Gerrick, Joy, Justin, Jacob, Greene Bean, and Stacy and I CANNOT WAIT!

I’ve got my warmest clothes packed (well, as warm as my wardrobe gets – it’s supposed to be a high of 8 degrees on Friday and as a general reminder, I consider 65 to be freezing) and I am ready for three straight days of snowball fights and skiing and cuddling and hot chocolate and fireplaces and BEST FRIENDS.

I can’t think of a better way to ring in 2011!!!!

Ray of Sunshine Silverman

True story: I was almost named Ray of Sunshine. Like, that was going to be my actual birth name.

Yup, my parents (who are NOT hippies but were definitely off their rockers when this was discussed) seriously considered naming me Raya Sunshine Silverman. CAN YOU EVEN IMAGINE THE AWESOMENESS THAT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED IF MY NAME WAS RAYA SUNSHINE SILVERMAN? I am mad that they were talked out of it!

Anywho, even though that is not really my name, I still like to consider myself a ray of sunshine. I have a particular yellow cardigan that I love wearing when it’s dark and gloomy outside, and yesterday fit the bill – I felt bright and sunshiney all day long! So of course, I started thinking about how much I love the color yellow…

this is my yellow cardigan! i love it.

and julie made me pose for this pic in the galleria in houston

cuz she thought it looked like i was really hanging out with the apple people.

I bought this mustard silk skirt from Gap a few months ago – when I paid for it, I remember thinking, “I hope I end up wearing this more than once.” Well, I’m happy to report that not only have I worn it more than once, but it’s surprisingly very versatile and easy to style! I’ve worn it to holiday parties and dinner dates, fancied it up with high heels and down with riding boots… it comes in black too, but I think the yellow is fantastic. And of course, now it’s on sale – lucky you!

If I had jillions of dollars I would buy this Lanvin blouse and wear it every single day. I love everything about it – the oversized shape, the droopy flower, the modest v-neck… everything but the PRICE!

If there’s anything I love more than a ballet flat, it’s a patent leather ballet flat - these Bloch flats are so cute! And I can personally attest to the fact that the Tory Burch Eddie flats are ridiculously comfortable – I own two pairs!

We all know that I’m obsessed with toggle coats. I NEED ONE. Except I’m cut off from buying any more coats… I’ve been basically buying one a week and it may be freezing outside right now, but I live in Los Angeles! Anywho, this one is so cute and also comes in tons of colors… what a great way to add some color to your outfit when it’s cold outside!

Speaking of it being cold outside… I can’t think of anything cuter than a pair of electric yellow rainboots. I personally own a pair of pink ones, but the yellow achieves the same affect :) happy and bright and perfect for splashing in puddles!

I never met a stripe I didn’t like, and I love love love the idea of some sunny stripes! These tops look casual, comfortable, sophisticated, and elegant all at once… you could wear them over a pair of skinny jeans or tucked into a black pencil skirt and look fabulous!

Kate Spade, Old Navy, Gap

I own these earrings in turquoise and hot pink, and whenever I’m wearing an all-black ensemble (rare, but it does happen), I like to put on a pair to add a pop of color. Yellow would look so pretty, and I bet you wouldn’t ever take them off when summer rolled around!

So there you have it. A ton of adorable yellow clothes, and an embarrassing confession to boot. Plus in keeping with the spirit of yellow, Stacy Brach Geldzy sent me this photo that I now need to post:

Two bananas snuggling. Bet you didn’t think this post was going to end this way :)

Christmas in Las Vegas

I’m not even Christian and I already miss Christmas songs, Christmas trees, Christmas sales and Christmas food...

I experienced my first Las Vegas Christmas this weekend - a little nugget I call Martha Jewart had a hankering for some slot machine action, so we packed up our sparkle sweaters and headed to our favorite place in the world (it was my SEVENTH time there this year. Don’t judge).

Nothing THAT crazy to report in - we did all our favorite things (like shop at the Forum Shops and Fashion Show), ate at our favorite places (like Spago, Carnevino, and the best ever, Craftsteak), and gambled our hearts out (my mom won $1,000! I obviously came home penniless).

In typical Vegas fashion, the entire town was decorated in balls-to-the-walls Christmas decorations - it was like the North Pole exploded. On the way to dinner our first night, we came across a massive Christmas tree in the lobby of MGM, and of course we had to take a photo:

That triggered my mother’s deep yearning and love for all things Christmas (seriously, can you even IMAGINE what our house would look like if we celebrated? You’ve seen the way the woman goes all out for events...), and from that point on, we could not pass a Christmas tree without her insisting on taking a photo next to it...

What a precious little wannabe-elf!

Hope you all had wonderful long weekends full of presents and family time OR double features and Chinese food :) I can’t believe New Years Eve is in just a few days! Where did this year go?!

We Have A Winner!

Ladies and gentlemen (but mostly ladies)... we have a winner!

Late Tuesday night after getting home from a very busy day, I sat down and inputted all comments into www.random.org, and let the computer pick the lucky winner!

The number that was chosen was #26...

And #26 is... Deborah!

Congrats, Deb! I’m sending you an email ASAP to get your address, and the lovely folks over at CJ Recht Jewelry will send you your necklace ASAP!

I’m sad for everyone who didn’t win, but I LOVED hosting this giveaway! If you liked participating, please leave me a comment and let me know what sort of things you would be interested in seeing a giveaway for in the future (ie, gift cards, more jewelry, stationery, etc), so I can get started planning the next one!

And again, special thanks to CJ Recht Jewelry for partnering me on this giveaway! Treat yourself to something nice in honor of the new year approaching and go buy that thing you loved so much :)

Tomorrow I’m heading to Vegas for the weekend! Haven’t decided if I’m bringing my computer or not, but if I don’t post in the next few days, enjoy your long weekends and Merry Christmas if that’s your thing!

Kate Spade, I Love You.

The last thing in the world I need is another purse. And yet, once again, here I am, sitting in front of my computer drooling over a ridiculous Kate Spade bag.

It’s not my fault. Blame my boss! She got me a gift card to Kate Spade for Hanukkah, a very thoughtful and generous gesture that is going to get me in big trouble. Because I try and stay away from that website at all times, lest I fall in love and go insane over a particular bag... we all remember how that goes.

Because of the gift card, I’m back on the Kate Spade prowl. I clicked on the website a few days ago and started browsing, and look at this gorgeous gem that caught my eye:

That is the Deluxe Plush Skipper bag, and I am in love with it. Look how fun and cheeky that huge flower is -- and how gorgeous is that fuchsia velvet!? That is the sort of bag that people stop you on the street to gush over... and lord knows I love being stopped on the street and gushed over!

It comes in black, too, which is nice, but certainly not as special. The pink color is so unexpected and vibrant, and in my opinion, very versatile. You could dress it up for the holidays or New Years with a black dress and sparkly heels, and go more casual and wear it with a pair of boyfriend jeans and a plain white T-shirt - it would add such a nice pop of color!

Before I go, a little tease for tomorrow... the winner of the CJ Recht diamond necklace has been chosen! I'll reveal who it is tomorrow morning, so make sure to check back then!

The Queen Is Injured

The Queen is injured :(

I don’t even know what I did. I worked out with my trainer on Wednesday and felt fine afterwards - a little sore in both arms, but nothing out of control. By Friday night, my right arm felt totally fine, but my left shoulder was hurting like none other - I have shooting pains, stiffness, throbbing, the works. By the time I woke up Saturday morning, I was in terrible pain and it hasn’t let up - I’ve been icing and Advil-ing and heat pad-ing for almost three days, and it’s not better AT ALL. I’ve got a doctor’s appointment on Wednesday but until then, I don’t know what else to do :(

In the meantime, I guess I’ll tell ya’ll about my most famous injury... at least I can laugh at myself, right?

I was in 8th grade, and it happened during history class. I sat on the far left of the room - Mrs. Kalb had already separated me from my friends due to “excessive chatting.” Sounds about right. From time to time I would wave to my pals across the room and of course, Mrs. Kalb would catch me and shake her head, even though she was trying not to laugh. I definitely was noisy, but she still liked me.

Let me set the stage here. We sat in these types of chairs - the ones with the little desks attached. I had my right leg crossed over my left leg, and was busily working in my notebook when I turned around to the girl who sat behind me - Jackie - to ask if I could borrow her ruler. And that is when it happened:

My right knee POPPED. Everyone heard it. Everyone looked up. My face turned bright purple, but shockingly, I didn’t cry. Mrs. Kalb ran over. “What happened? What happened?” I could barely talk, but I guess the look in my eyes made it clear - she immediately sent Jackie to call the nurse and gave everyone in the room a new assignment to shut them up.

I have no idea how I even made it through the next few minutes without fainting on the floor, but I do recall my good friend S. could not stop laughing at me. Mrs. Kalb was not in the mood for any of that nonsense - she kicked S. out IMMEDIATELY! (That remains the only time S. got kicked out of any class her entire educational career. I was proud for my involvement.)

Eventually, the nurse arrived. Nurse Kalb (oh, did I mention my history teacher was MARRIED to our male nurse?) took one look at my knee, now a delightful shade of violet, hauled me out of the chair, and fucking CARRIED me like a small newborn child to the principal’s office. MORTIFYING BEYOND BELIEF.

Mother was called, she dropped everything (sushi, a bowling ball, a sale item at Macy's) to come get me, and off to the doctor we went. Where I was diagnosed with a dislocated kneecap and a severely bruised femur and promptly placed in a knee-immobilizer brace. FOR THREE MONTHS. I only wish I had a photo of 8th grade me, with my sweet bangs and braces and fondness for tie-dyed shirts, wearing my enormous blue leg brace, to add to what I’m sure is a lovely mental picture in your mind. (Shockingly, this did not hinder my various make-out sessions behind the lockers IN THE LEAST. I was a fucking guy magnet with that brace on.)

Anywho, that, my friends, is how yours truly got injured - while SITTING IN A CHAIR. I am nothing if not truly talented. Just wait til I tell you about my other injuries... all occurring in truly special-ed ways, I assure you.

Telling this story was sort of fun, because for a few minutes, I forgot about the pain in my shoulder. But now I’m no longer distracted, so I’m off to reheat my heating pad, take some more pain pills, and whine on the phone to my parents :(

Send your best healing thoughts my way, and in the meantime, don’t forget to enter my giveaway! Only a few hours left!

We Met Kathy!

The bad news is LA is underwater. The good news is, I met Kathy Griffin on Friday night!

So as I mentioned last week, I bought tickets for me and GB to go see Kathy Griffin at the Gibson for GB’s birthday. The show was on Friday night, and a couple weeks ago people started mentioning they were going, too: my friends Reeny and Baker, some adorable gays I know, and coincidentally, my boss and her husband, too!

The show was hysterical. I LOVE Kathy Griffin - she is absolutely hysterical. I literally laughed the entire time she performed - which was two and a half hours! She’s a hard worker, that one. And funny as fuck - she made fun of all the people I love to hate, including Miley, Sarah Palin, Gwyneth Paltrow, Oprah... I was dying laughing. Amazing.

And then, the show ended, and a friend of mine invited me and GB backstage! We put on our yellow VIP wristbands and headed on back, where we promptly ran into Coach Bieste from Glee and DIED. I always say that Greene has celebrity radar - if there is a famous person anywhere in the vicinity, she knows IMMEDIATELY. Within 2.4 seconds of spotting Coach Bieste she was already making eyes at me and poking me in the side to pay attention. I am making it my personal mission to see all the cast members of Glee in person so it was nice to add one to the list!

And then, someone told us to follow them and we were ushered into a side room with a bar in it, where lots of fancy people and a million gorgeous gay men were milling about. And who was in the center, smiling and chatting people up and looking phenomenal with her gorgeous red hair but MISS KATHY GRIFFIN HERSELF! GB and I squeezed hands and waited patiently... and then lo and behold, she was right in front of us!

She was SO nice, and SO gorgeous! She is absolutely tiny in person and was honestly so sweet - we introduced ourselves and told her how much we enjoyed the show and she was just so lovely. We took our picture and left - how could we top that? - and as we stood outside chatting with friends, I announced that I now knew for sure that I needed to become famous, so people would pack into a room and stare at me while I stood in the center smiling and waving and signing autographs. Five seconds later Kathy walked out right next to us, waved, and hopped into her blue Maserati with yet another adorable gay and drove off, again reiterating my desire to be famous. IT WILL HAPPEN.

So it was a great night - hysterical show and then meeting the woman herself! I’ll never forget it. Special thanks to the friends who set it up for us! :)

Okay. Must go swim to work. It has literally not stopped pouring in Los Angeles since Friday morning and the rain is out of control! (PS. If you’re in the market for a new coat, mine is SO warm and has been keeping me dry - I really recommend it!)

And don’t forget to enter my giveaway! Tell all your friends! Someone’s gonna win a diamond necklace, that lucky duck!

Putting A Smile on My Face Today

It's Friday... YAY! This week has been long and I can't wait for a few days off. Here's a list of a few things putting a smile on my face today:

It's RAINING! Oh my gosh, I love the rain. Every night I look at the weather report for the next day and run into my roommate's room to report the forecast (I have dubbed myself the apartment's weather girl). I was so excited to see that rain is predicted for the whole weekend - I plan on wearing sweats and Uggs, lounging on the couch, and venturing out only for snacks and movies... and when I do, you better believe I'll be wearing my new coat to keep me warm!


I'm going to see Kathy Griffin tonight! Greene Bean and I are huge fans of KG and laughed our asses off after seeing her show last year, so for GB's birthday I surprised her with KG tickets! And I don't want to jinx it, but we MAY also be having a little surprise at the end of the show, too... I'll report back and let you know what happens! Can't wait for tonight!



Stupid Net-A-Porter sent me an email with some of their new stuff, and I have fallen in love with this Diane von Furstenberg dress. I love it - look how pretty the combo of bright flowers and black and white stripes is - they go so well together! I want to wear it in winter with black tights and wedge booties and a blazer, and then all by itself this summer with a little pair of black strappy sandals. IT IS GORGEOUS AND I NEED IT.

And finally, my GIVEAWAY! Have you entered yet? I've partnered up with CJ Recht Jewelry to give away a gorgeous diamond necklace. What are you waiting for?! Go enter now, and tell your friends!

That's all for today :) Hope you have a fantastic weekend!

SO Exciting: A Jewelry Giveaway!

It may come to a shock to all of you, but I’m not ALWAYS the girliest girl on the block. It’s not always hearts and sparkles and flowers and glitter with me all the time - sometimes, I like the dark side!

For example, I looooove studs (see these old Steve Madden flats, which I loved so much I bought TWO back-up pairs). I also love black leather (I am currently obsessed with my Anthropologie leather jacket and wear it constantly), and never miss an opportunity to layer on some extra coats of thick black eyeliner when I’m feeling sort of Sandy-at-the-end-of-Grease-ish.

But perhaps the most surprising of all is my deep love for SKULLS. For as long as I can remember (okay, maybe since high school), I can’t get enough of things with skulls. I have these earrings, and wear them when I’m feeling particularly punk-rock. When I’m forced to wear sneakers, I particularly enjoy my pink-and-white skull print Vans. And I never miss an opportunity to wear my Chan Luu skull wrap bracelet.

Last month when I was in New York, I had a jewelry designer custom make me a gorgeous gold skull ring. I had her make it a little big so I could wear it on my middle finger... so when I’m feeling extra sassy, I can wave it around in the air :)

The ring arrived in the mail this week and I LOVE IT! It’s exactly what I wanted – a great rose gold color, super detailed, and not too heavy. It adds the perfect amount of edge to my usually-sweet ensembles, and I’ve gotten SO many compliments from friends, coworkers, and even perfect strangers.

I emailed the designer, Mindy Recht of CJ Recht Jewelry, to tell her how much I loved my new purchase, and she was so sweet… sweet enough, in fact, that we’ve decided to team up for an AMAZING GIVEAWAY!

That’s right – we’re giving away a piece of her jewelry! One lucky commenter will WIN her Dozen Diamond Bronze Pendant! This gorgeous necklace is bronze on a sterling silver chain (the one on the left, above) and retails for $132 at Bloomingdales… and one of you is going to win it!

Now I know you're sitting there freaking out, going "HOW CAN I ENTER!?"

Well, here's how!

- Visit CJ Recht Jewelry’s website – take a look around and pick out your absolute favorite bracelet, necklace, ring, or pair of earrings.

- Leave me a comment with the name of your favorite piece, your name, and your email where I can reach you if you win!

- Please note: You MUST be an official follower of this blog here and on the Queen of LA Facebook page to be eligible to win! So even if you read this blog every day, you have to become an official follower! (Send me an email if you don’t know how to become one and I’ll help you out!)

I will draw a winner Tuesday, December 21st at night, so make sure you enter to win before then! Winners will be chosen at random so no matter how many cupcakes or balloons you buy me, you can’t throw the contest :)

I am so excited about hosting this giveaway for my readers, so please enter and tell everyone you know to do the same! Special thanks to Mindy for partnering with me – her stuff is so gorgeous, you guys. You can also become a fan of CJ Recht Jewelry on Facebook and follow them on Twitter to get updates on new pieces as she makes them. I can't wait to buy my next piece!

This girly girl/sometime wannabe punk-rocker is in a great mood :) and whoever wins this necklace is a lucky duck indeed!

Black Swan Ballerina Pink

Have yall seen Black Swan? I saw it over the weekend. It’s five days later and I’m STILL scared.

I always do this thing where I ask GB what movie we’re seeing right as we get to the theater, even though I always know (I just like to bug her sometimes - I also ask her how long the movie is, so she’s taken to Googling the movie length before we go so she can be prepared to answer me), but this time, when I asked, I did not get the answer I expected - she said Black Swan instead of Burlesque! (The mix-up was my fault. Two “B” movies are out at the same time and I’m kind of dumb sometimes.)

So we saw Black Swan. And to be perfectly honest, I was not mentally prepared. I hate scary movies and spent large chunks of the film with my hands over my face covering my eyes. I may have also squealed out loud once or twice. Greene did too. Anna says she wasn’t scared but she’s lying, I was sitting right next to her and felt her jump like a scaredy-cat.

So I was a little scared baby most of the time. But I did like looking at the beautiful costumes. I think ballerinas are so pretty - I love their tutus and their feathers and their leotards and of course, their pretty ballet slippers.

I, of course, am nowhere close to a ballerina. I cannot wear leotards or tutus to the office (my boss would probably get a kick out of it but my mom would yell at me for sure), but I CAN wear ballet slippers... and these look close to the real thing, don’t they?

I love the ankle ties and the gorgeous soft blush color, which is so light that it's almost like a neutral - so you can wear these with almost anything! They're so delicate and dainty... two adjectives that do NOT describe me. But a girl can dream!

Speaking of Black Swan... Natalie Portman will certainly get an Oscar nomination for this film, and will most likely win. There’s an early prediction for ya :)

OH THE PAIN

I am unable to write a sufficient post for today because I had my first training session with my new trainer yesterday and I am now incapable of lifting my arms to type.

I had a feeling this was going to happen: she is an Ironwoman competitor and she went to ASU. I am totally fucked.

Feel free to send healing thoughts and an extra-supportive sports bra my way... In the meantime, I will post photos of things I like, and you will enjoy them because that’s all you’re getting today :)

That is a photo of delicious food from Pizzeria Mozza, and I am posting it because I am going there today! Our department is having our holiday lunch there and I.CANNOT.FREAKING.WAIT. Yes I realize that eating delicious pizza and squash blossoms and butterscotch budino is going to make my next session with my trainer a real pain in my ass, but the food is so tasty I do not really care :)

Remember when I blogged about this scarf I was dying over? That ridiculous $500 scarf that I was never going to get because I do not spend $500 on things like scarves? Well, Net-A-Porter had its once-a-year sale and THE SCARF WENT ON SALE. I literally died in my chair and BBMed my mom and was like “MOM MOM MOM MOM OMG OMG OMG” and she called me immediately because she thought someone had died. And I was like “No one is dead, but the scarf is on sale and I need it.” Then she hung up on me. And then I bought it. It came today and I almost cried in the middle of the office it was so beautiful and sparkly and shiny. Stay tuned for 9029028420 photos of me wearing it ABSOLUTELY EVERYWHERE.

HAHAHAHAHA. I stumbled upon this photo and almost died laughing. THAT is what I looked like in 2005. And I have several questions: Do you think I was abusing the tanning beds a little? Also, why am I wearing turquoise eyeliner? Why is my collar popped? What the fuck is going on in this picture? Parents, how did you let me leave the house? How did I have any friends? Okay, I’m done. But seriously, HAHAHAHA.

I am pretty sure if I was Christmas (not a typo, that is what I call non-Jews), I would have this stocking to hang by my fireplace (that’s where you put them, right?) It is pink and sparkly and furry, so it gets an A+ in my book, and here are the things I would want it to be filled with: Orbitz cinnamon gum, Pilot pens, a Starbucks gift card, Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom perfume, and Christian Louboutin leopard print pony hair wedges.

That's all for today. Pray for my quads.