Strange Random

Hey-ho Lil' Guys,

So this weekend was a mish-mash of loveliness. Friday night Noey Jones, Rob Lowe (not the real Rob Lowe, but my friend Rob, who is probably better than the real Rob Lowe. However, if the real Rob Lowe wanted to hang, I wouldn't be opposed) and I checked out the King Tuff show at the Echo. While this dude's interstitial words were nothing special (the third time he said "This one's dedicated to the mother-fuckers," I wanted to strange him), I have to admit he is just an INCREDIBLE musician and his songs are retro-garage rock at its best. He didn't play my favorite jam, "Swamp of Love," because it's more ballad-y, he brought the house down with his other hits and I found him surprisingly attractive with his long, scraggly hair, Philly's cap, and sheer mesh jersey top (Noelia asked how much I had had to drink at that point but WHATEVER I have weird taste).  Here he is:

Yeah, I was having camera issues. Anyway, Saturday Anna and I met some buds at the cemetery screening of The Big Lebowski. I can't really show you any pictures I took, because they are all unflattering shots of my friends sleeping during the movie (not that they don't love it; the cemetery is just such a good place to nap!...forever). Oh, Jay did have this incredible idea to buy pool rafts and use them as beds on the lawn. He had way too much fun blowing them up...

It's the little things, Strangers. Also the guy that Lebowski was based on, Jeff Dowd showed up and was fun at first and then kind of went on a weird tangent but hey, that's the Dude, so whatever, bless him.  Sunday after my res walk I bought this, simply because, well:

Ew! What does that taste like?! It will potentially live in my fridge forever but maybe it will acquire some value? I dunno. Finally, Noey turned me onto this song, "Coming Down" by the Dum Dum Girls and I love it and want you to as well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZdbNMDH8hc

Adios!

Strange Outpost

Lil' Strangers, on Monday night I did the most Echo Park-ish thing ever (Echo Park is right next to Silverlake and even more hipstery, Mom). I went with Miss Noey to this place called the Echo Outpost (http://echocountryoutpost.com/) which is basically this huge warehouse that belongs to this adorable couple and they have concerts there and like this country store that sells old-timey things. Behold:

There is also a terrifying tooth brush holder in the bathroom:

I accidentally touched it! Aaaahhh!! Anyway, we went to see this band, Whiskey Shivers (http://whiskeyshivers.com/), perform. They we're GREAT. It's kind of, as Noelia said, all about the live show with them because they are these beautiful, shoeless young things that just play the fastest, sweatiest folk-country ever. I could write my own country ballad about the lead singer's arms:

Precious, right? When I met them (Noey introduced me because she filmed them at South by Southwest...yeah, she will always be better than you) I am pretty sure I just giggled and definitely sure I spilled beer onto the guitarist's bare foot. Oh well, I am never gonna be that cool. Anyway, I urge all of you to have a listen to this band and if you live in the area, DEFINITELY check out a show at the Outpost; you won't be sorry.

Strange Visitor

...Jokes! She's not strange, she's one of my college besties Elisha and she came to visit me from NYC this weekend! Lil' Strangers, we did it up.

Well, first of all, Friday Kalen hosted a concert featuring some of the bands that appeared on his and Noelia's web series, Knock n' Rock (www.knockandrock.com) at my friends Kira and Max's home/performance space, Yeaheavy (www.yeaheavy.com). IT WAS SO PRECIOUS. The bands were GREAT (3 1/2 sounds like a funky Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Coyol has this beautiful folksy sound and features two of the most attractive/vocally talented humans I've ever beheld and I missed the third band, but I've seen them on the show and they're AWESOME). The atmosphere was wonderful and I had a BLAST.

Anyway, I scooped Elisha at the airport Saturday and we headed to meet Brett and Kyle for brunch at Brick and Mortar in Santa Monica (http://brickandmortarla.com/). Okay so like, the food was FINE (to be fair, I got a salad), but the atmosphere is nice and they have $15 bottomless mimosas and a bloody Mary bar and I was just so happy to see my bud. Afterwards, Kyle, Beesh (Elisha's nickname), and I drove to Carbon Beach in Malibu for some of the most glorious weather I've seen in a long time. We all passed out for a solid half-hour until I had to pee so badly that I woke myself up. Then it was time for my friends Melanie and Brian's joint birthday party at Brian's ranch in Topanga Canyon.

Melanie is this tiny firecracker with a giant, warm smile and is one of like 5 living humans who can pull off high-waisted jeans. Brian is Melanie's gentle, mountain-man boyfriend who lives in this Utopian Topanga paradise in this little, fabulously decorated cottage on stilts that features an absurd view. There are vegetable and herb gardens, adorable dogs everywhere, cute babies, and horses. This is the picture I took:

Okay, so maybe I should've focused on like, people, and the canyon, but Giraffe here was just really compelling. He is this ginormous, loopy horse that will have an entire conversation with you and then pose for photos. Love him.

After Topanga, Elisha and I cleaned up at my place and then went to this house party in Los Feliz with some friends. You guys, it was like Can't Hardly Wait. I'm serious; this party was epic. I guess ten dudes live in this mansion with a huge, multi-level backyard. There was a DJ (some great 90's rap, but also a lot of confusing, random stuff causing me to dance in ten minute bursts). This pic does not do justice to how large this fiesta felt:

Yeah, no. No justice. Anyway, afterwards my friend Jeff (thanks Jeff!!) drove us to El Flaming Taco, my favorite Silverlake taco truck and the truck owners judged me because I asked for "a burrito without the burrito" (sure, that sounds a little confusing).  It was a fantastic night.

On Sunday Elisha woke up super-early, still being on East coast time and so I sent her to Intelligentsia to get coffee and feel overwhelmed by hipsters in fedoras. Then we decided to walk to Little Dom's in Los Feliz for brunch and discovered that the Los Feliz street fair was happening:

Freaky! We just kept right on walking. At brunch I had steak and eggs and we took down some lovely brunchtime drinks. Afterwards it was time for Barnsdall Park (http://www.barnsdall.org/) where I've NEVER BEEN. You guys, this part is right at Vermont and Hollywood. Like, it's stupid I haven't been there. It's an "art park," so they do wine tastings and stuff and there's a museum there, but this Sunday it was just a bunch of friends, my ipod, and some drinks:

So pretty, no? Also, I know it looks like all of my friends are posing, but really they're just that good looking and Elisha just likes stretching, Jon likes reclining, Rob likes contemplating, and Grey likes sitting like a dad in a tank. Anyway we hung out for hours until I was beginning to become a little red and we called it a day. I was just sad the weekend was over.

Strange Steps

Whilst walking with my pal Robbie (okay, no one has called him Robbie since the sixth grade, but I am bringing it back), we stumbled upon these fun steps (like, literally, it was so hot and I kind of tripped up them):

I mean, groovy, right? I love the water pouring out over the steps. I do not love the evil eye with angel wings watching me. It's too religious. Shudder. Anyway, these steps are located kind of behind the Vista theater, guiding you up from Silverlake into Los Feliz. Nice.

Then Robbie and I went to Hi Fidelity records and I picked out an Irene Cara record that I would play if someone would gift me a record player (hint hint, EVERYONE) and he bought some cool albums, including one by the Bongo Band or something based on the cover: a picture of hands slappin' some bongos. That Robbie, what a kooky kid.

Strange and Beautiful Frank Ocean

Okay, I love Frank Ocean. First, I stumbled upon his sexy mix-tape that included the steamy dreamy "Swim Good" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmN9rZW0HGo). Then, he became one of the first hip-hop artists ever to come out of the closet and he did it in the most lovely, poetic way (http://www.buzzlov3.com/frank-ocean-posts-coming-out-letter-via-tumblr/), and his peers supported him. THEN, he released a BOMB new album, channel ORANGE, which I have been smooth-jamming to all day. Also, he is adorable. Get into it kids.

Twin Shadow is Light

Strangers, I like the new Twin Shadow album, Confess. That's what it's called, I am not confessing that I like it; I am blatantly telling you it is solid. It's dreamy and 80's and lovely. Try "Golden Light" and "Run My Heart" and I DARE you not to jam. Okay love you bye!

Strange Deco / Strange Dating

So Lil' Strangers, occasionally I will dabble in Internet dating. Sometimes I just feel lonely, sometimes I feel like all the dudes I know are FREAKS so I need to seek out someone freakier to calm me down (sounds illogical but actually makes sense), sometimes I do it because I'm dating someone and don't want to throw all of my eggs into one man-basket, and sometimes I do it just to change things up. On Saturday, I dabbled.

It's weird...you actually end up knowing way more about a person before the first date when you meet them on the interwebs than when you fall down on each other's private parts at a bar, BUT what you can't know about beforehand is that kind of indescribable chemistry you just randomly feel for certain humans out there. Like, I super-dig all sorts of weird looking gentlemen (see below posts regarding Nick Offerman and Louis C.K., both dream men of mine), but sometimes there's something EXTRA there and sometimes there just isn't. I guess the trick is volume...go on a lot of dates with a lot of different men until you meet one where you think OH, HELLO butterflies! That said, I've been on maybe 3 Internet dates EVER so...I gotta work on that. My date Saturday was very sweet and had beautiful eyes and there is nothing at all wrong with him besides his cargo shorts, which are easily dealt with. But we did NOT have a sexy spark between us. Just didn't feel the flutter. No matter, he planned a really cool date.

The LA Conservancy does these very cool walking tours downtown (http://lac.laconservancy.org/site/PageServer?pagename=walking_tours) and we decided to do the one focused on Art Deco architecture and design. The tours start kind of early (10AM on a Saturday is EARLY for me) and are about 3 hours long, but they're really interesting, the guides are knowledgeable, and you get a decent walk in. We saw cool buildings like this:

Green! I wasn't reallllyyyy paying attention to the historical information, but I was definitely appreciating what I was looking at. Check out this hallway of dreams in the old Edison building:

I could've stayed there all day; it was like Oz. The lighting was just so groovy! But we had to move on to the Oviatt penthouse, which ended up being awesome, so it's fine. It belonged to this dude Oviatt (duh) who had one the fanciest men's clothing stores back in the heyday of old Hollywood. Even the ceiling outside is cool:

Neato, right?! Then, upstairs, there was this sensual raised bed that I will someday own:

It will be mine, oh yes, it will be mine. Anyway, good tour, bad date, let's call it a wash? Have a good week, buddies.

Very Happy Friday

Lil' Strangers, it's Friday, and though I am STILL hungover from the 4th of July (seriously, my friends Jay and Rob, your house is like a black hole that I fall into happily), I thought I'd give you a little erotica to spice up your morning:

http://www.justjared.com/2012/07/06/parks-recreations-nick-offerman-shirtless-for-gq/

He is seriously my dream man. DREAM. MAN. Damn you, Mullally.

I Love Louie

This is my problem:

http://www.vulture.com/2012/06/louis-ck-pain-chart.html

I find all of these faces insanely attractive.

Strange Babies

Hey-ho Lil' Strangers, how are you? Okay, I will tell you how I am: sad the weekend's over! I did many things; let's talk about them. Well, Friday I was pretty mellow. Saturday I went to Manhattan Beach to meet up with my college roomies Lucy and Anne. Manhattan Beach is like, FAR from me, and so I never go there, but I have to say, this does not suck:

Nice, right? Also, there were so many commas in that sentence. The girls were WONDERFUL, like always, and we had a delightful time hanging on the beach and sharing a beer after:

I know, the cuteness is almost too much, but actually is just enough. Anyway, then I did a quick change and went to see Lower Dens (http://lowerdens.com/) with Anna at the Troubadour. THAT'S RIGHT ANNA. Concerts are NOT her thing, but she totally got into it and jammed out. Pride. Anyway, the band is really good and hypnotic and kind of dark:

I wanted to get a shot of the main chick because she looks like Wynona Ryder had an androgynous baby with Harry Potter and she was wearing like, khakis and a buttoned-up polo shirt and her voice is so deep it is really unnerving but WHATEVER. You'll just have to go see them live. This is the man in the band and he was solid but way less weird and therefore less exciting to me.

Sunday, I went to my friend Natalia's son's 7th birthday party. Yeah that's right, I went to a CHILD'S birthday party and it was awesome. They had a bounce house and an inflatable water slide, HELLO. Also my friends Martin and Lauren's baby looks like this:

Yeah, you know how I smile at every baby? Well with this one I was hysterical and someone asked me if I was choking because I was bright red from giggling at her sweetness. Anyway, all the kids were delightful. Until they cried and/or pooped, and then I didn't know how to handle myself. Okay, later dudes!