Found Art

Lil' ones, I was missing my mama this morning, and I walked out of my building and saw this:

Luckily, my mother called ME and I would never text her because she wouldn't be able to figure out how to reply (JUST KIDDING, MOM! I know you know how now). Anyway, don't text your parents. That's weird. Just call them. And if you don't, Silverlake will be there to remind you.

Tuesday Shoo-Bee-Doo!

I don't know, Lil' Strangers, I am just feeling silly today. Want to listen to music together? You do? Okay, thanks love you.

1) "Wildest Moments" by Jessie Ware (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnOBjARwNi0) K, so, I stole this one off of Pitchfork. SUE ME! I don't really agree with their "best new music" that often (seriously, GET OVER Frank Ocean you guys), but I like that occasionally, they just appreciate a pretty, melodic pop song. That is basically what this song is: a summertime make-out. A delightful dalliance. You will most likely not remember this song in two weeks, but it was real fun when you were into it. See what I did there?

2) "Best Night" by The War on Drugs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpuxG9OZXpE) When I first heard this band, I was all like "whatever, weaker member of Kurt Vile's Violators," but then I saw this band open for Sharon Van Etten and was REALLY impressed. These guys are legit musicians, who sound much harder and Springsteen-esque live. Which I like.

3) "Daphne Descends" by The Smashing Pumpkins (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTLrpnfDlzM) I can only find a live version of this song online, annoying. I like this song selfishly and those of you who know me will know why. I used to be HEAVY into the Pumpkins though. Like they ate up my middle school experience. I remember there was this guy who was in the eighth grade when I was in the seventh, Chuck something, and there was a contest to write a new school birthday song, because apparently we were above "Happy Birthday to you," and he changed like ONE lyric to the Pumpkins classic "Today," and the teachers like, shat themselves and he totally won. I had a crush on him. Bye!

Strange Stomach

So I was pretty sick this weekend, Lil' Strangers. I won't go into it, because it is freaking gross, but I had a stomach bug. However, there was no way I was going to miss the Japandroids concert at the Echoplex. I am so glad Noelia Estrada subtly convinced me to go, because this band is AWESOME.

Mmmhmm, yeah, that is them. So Noey got right into the mosh-pit and typically, I'd do the same (but still be more scared than her because I have a very low pain threshold AKA I am a wimp), but my stomach kept me sticking to the outskirts of the very center crowd. Which was fine by me. The only reason I wanted to be closer to the stage was because the lead singer Brian King is one of the most beautiful men I've ever seen in real life. He is tall with tan skin and ice-blue eyes and curly-swirly hair (I CAN'T with the curly-swirly haired men) and real tight pants but more than any of this he just rocks so hard, throwing his entire body into every song, getting up on the amps in his sexy, tights bands and just THRASHING.

That's pretty much as close as I could get and by me I mean Noey because every time I tried to take a photo, some mosher would come along and whack the iPhone right out of my hand (it still works - plug!). Also, this is the pit I was contending with:

Luckily, my friend Anne was there with her male friends who I sort of hid behind so if they got pushed, I received a gentler blow. Anyway the band was so fantastic. Emo punk you listened to when you were in high school combined with Bruce Springsteen Americana (okay, they are Canadian) to create something new and nostalgic all at once. I also have to give a huge shout out to the drummer David Prowse who said NOTHING the entire show but just bashed away at those drums with such a sharp ferocity that he damn-well made himself heard. SUCH. A. GOOD. SHOW. Then I had to go home and be sick some more.

Saturday I went to my friend Julie's birthday with Anna, Jacqueline and Lindsey. The party was at Shore Bar in deep PCH Santa Monica. Let's just say for a sober person it was...INTENSE. The space is very adorable but SMALL and they're full to capacity by 10:30. The DJ plays AWESOME music (old Aaliyah (RIP) and Carly Rae Jepson), but I literally could not move, so I spent most of my time hiding in the back smoking room drinking ginger ale with some of my friends. That room is a little scary because it sort of a dark shed full of mirrors. Linds and Jac obviously brightened things up with their beauty but STILL:

Then I needed to return to the homeland. Oh, I also saw Your Sister's Sister with my pal Ali Saturday, and let me tell you, this movie was WONDERFUL. What a DELIGHT. Mark Duplass is my dream man both physically and talent-wise, Emily Blunt is radiant and funny, and Rosemarie Dewitt just kind of subtly walks into the movie and steals the whole show. Writer/director Lynn Shelton is kind of my idol. Anyway, if it's playing by you, GO SEE IT IT IS WORTH YOUR MONIES.

PS I finally tried Naturewell Juice (http://www.yelp.com/biz/naturewell-los-angeles-2)! So this place is on Sunset, like a six-minute walk from my apartment, but I never go because, well, it is JUICE, and I am intimidated by all the cool, tatted vegans sitting outside. I honestly had no idea what I'd order when I got there. So I went with Anne, my cool, tatted, vegan friend and asked for something that would soothe my furious belly. They gave me some ginger/greens thing and added some apple and it was GOOD. Anne got a "face-melter" shot, which is like cayenne pepper, ginger, and oil of oregano and looked like a tumbler full of peppery bile. It also looked like Anne almost died drinking it, but immediately following, her sore throat faded and roses returned to her cheeks so I guess it worked. She also got an anti-virus juice that was red and yummy looking. AND AND AND Sally Draper from Mad Men (cute little skirt, ribbon in her hair, adorable) came in with friends AS DID RYAN GOSLING and Eva Mendes (she was curvy and pretty, he stayed in the car AND THERE ARE NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE HIM). So I guess I am going back there. Soon.

F YEAH, FYF

Um, this is my dream concert:

http://fyffest.com/

LUCKILY, tickets go on sale Friday and it's in downtown LA, just a stone's throw from me, so I will be THERE. See you in the mosh pit.

Wednesday Warbling

Guys, I am in a cheesy mood today. All I want to do is listen to romance-based jams and have sexy dreams about Michael Fassbender and Alexander Skarsgard making love to me in ruffly pirate tops. While playing these songs:

1) "Singing in my Sleep" by Semisonic (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhS3YP04Fjk) Yeah, you read that right. Semisonic, bitches. So, let's be honest, not the greatest band despite their MASSIVE hit "Closing Time" that was made popular again by that rom-com with Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis that I have secretly paid $9.99 for on-demand several times. But this song weirdly gets me. It's about a mix-tape! I remember making a mix-tape for Nick Grew in the 10th grade and it was all Dispatch and like, "Lover Lay Down" by Dave Matthews Band. He was NOT into it. This is horrifically embarrassing and I considered changing his name but, come on, there are 22 of you reading this. And I pictured him moving to Pluto, so it's fine.

2) "I'm Gonna Wait" by The Temper Trap (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ5jCEz3Dw0&feature=related) So The Temper Trap kind of gets trashed a lot (by me) because their hit "Sweet Disposition" played in 500 Days of Summer, and gets thrown in with all the false, cheese-ball tweeness that is and surrounds that film. But I ACTUALLY kind of like that song, and honestly, this band is sort of pretty good. They have a very cool 80's sound, sort of like that band Rome, and the lead singer has a beautiful, unique voice (and a cool face). You should all see them live because they're LEGIT. Also, they're successful; I don't know why I feel the need to champion this band.

3) "Never Going Back Again" by Fleetwood Mac (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02ZKmCQl3vw) Okay, so this one isn't really related to the others, except I LOVE Fleetwood Mac (if you've ever read this blog before, you know this) and this one is kind of different for them. I love the plinky-plunky guitar (yes, that is a valid descriptive term) and the sad, wistful lyrics.

4) "Song For Leigh" by The Walkmen (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxnGZPy99Vk) God, this album is good. It really is, don't take my word for it, just go listen to it. I didn't even used to dig The Walkmen really. Anyway, the lyrics on this one are KILLER. "And I sing myself sick about you"? CUTE, WALKMEN! When he sings this line, you can actually hear the dude strain his voice repeating the lyrics...but in a pretty way. Sigh. He was probably wearing a pirate top when he recorded this.

Strange Memories

Hey Lil' Strangers!

Missed you...I was in old NYC last week for my little brother's high school graduation (yes, he is MUCH younger than me...my parents struggled to conceive for a while until they went to a late-night showing of Last of the Mohicans and OH GOD HOW DO I KNOW ALL OF THIS?!) and then my friend Crem's (her real name is Emily, but she's been Crem ever since anyone can remember) wedding in New Haven.

The graduation was adorable. My bro, Teddy, was precious with his GF Amelia, our grandparents, and his dude friends, all of whom I have loved since they were little babies. Look at these guys now!

I know, it's a beautiful photo, I Instagrammed it. I also know this looks very Gossip Girl, but hey, that's growing up in the city. 

Also, the city of my soul didn't look too shabby from the roof of Teddy's friend's house:

Am I right or am I right? Anyway, the rest of my time in the city was FAB; drinks with Leslie and Kate at Gottino's (http://www.ilmiogottino.com/), dinner with many lady friends at the new Forcella on the Bowery (http://forcellaeatery.com/) where we feasted on fried pizza (YEAH) and many bottles of rose wine. Then we went to this bar Highlands (http://highlands-nyc.com/) to meet friends including my LA friend Emily's boyfriend, Andrew, who I decided to have a photo-shoot with...oh wait, I don't show you guys photos of myself, never mind.

Then Friday, after my second ever amazing lunch at ABC Kitchen with Elisha and Sasha (http://www.abckitchennyc.com/...melt-in-your-mouth crab toast, carrot and avocado salad, tender raw diver scallops, pretzel dusted calamari with a weird, zesty, mustard aioli, grilled halibut and the smoothest coconut panna cotta EVER), I headed up to New Haven to meet up with my college roomie Rock to have dinner before lovely Crem's nuptials. I won't mention the restaurant we went to because it was NOT stellar, but they did have a cool roof deck and I LOVE New Haven (memories, blossoming little city, best years of my life spent there). Then we headed over to the rehearsal dinner for a champagne toast with our girls.

Our hotel IS worth mentioning. New since college, The Study (http://www.studyhotels.com/) is beautiful, clean, and a stone's throw from the Yale campus. Their restaurant, Heirloom, where I had brunch with Rock and her grad school buddy, was also very good. Anyway, we took a stroll and our other roomie, Lucy got to town and soon we were on our way to one of the most special, intimate and sweet weddings I've ever witnessed. The ceremony and reception were in Edgerton Park (http://edgertonpark.org/), which I had never been to or heard of all four years of college. It is GORGEOUS and woodsy and huge:

RIGHT?! We were all given little bottles of champagne to sip during the ceremony (SCORE) and as the music swelled, Crem and Jeremy's families proceeded down the path. There were no groomsmen or bridesmaids and Jeremy's father gave the invocation, quoting various poets and speaking eloquently about the couple. Then Crem and Jeremy toasted their mothers and everyone started sobbing. I was obviously the biggest mess. THEN Jeremy got out his guitar and with his friend on the cello, played Crem a song he had written for her when they spent a year running a farm with no indoor plumbing in Maine. Obviously I DIED. Then this cool lady-judge officiated as Crem and Jeremy spoke the vows they had written themselves to each other. DEAD AGAIN. Luckily, that was the end of the ceremony. 

We all proceeded to a tent for the reception. Crem's dad talked. I cried. Jeremy's handsome doctor brother talked. I cried. Jeremy gave a speech about one of the first nights he kissed Crem. They were at a bar in San Fran and they discovered they both wanted to be geographers and an Afro-Cuban jam came on and they danced. Then the DJ at the wedding played that song and Jeremy took Crem's hand and then this happened:

I cried. Then Crem's dad danced with her to Lady Gaga and everyone joined in and I'd had enough of crying so I decided to get DOWN. The night ended at Gypsy, the Yale grad school bar, with so much karaoke I had no voice the next day (I don't know that I needed to sing TWELVE songs, but whatever). Sunday I tearfully (notice a theme?) said goodbye to my buds and made my way back to NYC, where I had a DELICIOUS dinner with my mama at Devi (http://www.devinyc.com/home.html). Spinach paneer is my favorite Indian dish and Devi's version is DELECTABLE and creamy and awesome. We also had the BEST cocktails: my mom's was basically vodka and fresh lime and cilantro and mine was bourbon and fresh ginger and ginger ale. Then we watched the Mad Men finale (Draper's BACK!) and I headed back to Silverlake on a plane as the sun rose. Love you Teddy, love you fam, love you friends, love you Crem and Jeremy, LOVE NYC.

No, you're cheesy.

Strange Puppet

Guys, my weekend was this sock puppet I found at my friend Audrey's yesterday. She had a lovely BBQ hosted by my friend Grey for his brother Matt. That is way less complicated than it reads. I actually went to three day parties yesterday. I am TAN. Okay, I am BURNT. Anyway, here is the damn puppet:

The earring put me over the edge.