The Palazzo

I admire everything that Julian Schnabel's amazing creativity produces! Paintings, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Gramercy Park Hotel and The Pink Palazzo...Stupendous! Alright, you may think I have lost my mind for liking a pink palazzo plopped on top of an old factory and most of New York does too but it's truly a work of art. As much respect as I have for all the famous architects building now, I'm quite frankly tired of the same look out there. They lack a soul but Julian Schnabel's new building in the West Village has soul and style to spare.

Before I came back from NYC, I had to go see his masterpiece.

The building houses five residences including his own which is the perfect backdrop for not only Schnabel's own art but his amazing collection of art by Luigi Ontani, Francis Picabia, Cy Twombly, and Man Ray. You can see it all the way from Bleecker, West 4 and of course from Hoboken, NJ.

Last I heard, prices on the two, a duplex and a triplex, each nearly 4,000 square feet, have been reduced to $24 million from $32 million, and to $23 million from $27 million. Those prices may be negotiable. Still, at over $6,000 per square foot, if reached they would set a record for the area, beating out the sale of a Meier penthouse three years ago for $4,565 per square foot.

I remember, November 07, I was in front of the Chupi, named Palazzo Chupi after Mr. Schnabel’s pet name for his wife, the actress Olatz López Garmendia (abbr. Chupa Chups lollipops), and I was admiring and loving it, it is a piece of art, and a lady was walking by and laughed, and I turn and ask what is so funny, it seems like she was laughing at me, and she said in a very heavy polish accent, that she has been living in the Village for over 15 years and she has never seen anything so ugly in her life, that it would destroy the heart of the Village. I was impressed by her comment, she kept on going and going, never stoped, until I did. I told her, I have been a Julian Shnabel admirer for a while now, he has done whatever the hell he likes to, painting, film making, interior design and now an architect. Schnabel's signature works contain an underlying edge of brutality, while remained suffused with compositional energy.

If I had extra $24 million laying around and I had the opportunity to buy a piece of the Palazzo I would...would you?

A different kind of addiction: Lip Gloss

Hello there... Im addicted to Lip Gloss.

No, this is not a joke. My addiction began before I could remember. One day I had the candy flavored coating across my lips that the world knows as Bonne Bell Lip Smackers. It was like candy all day. What kid could resist that?

I swear I had all 26 flavors, with at least two on me at all times. I was so young and naïve. So unaware of the danger I would be getting myself into. Those initial tubes turned me to the dark side. As I grew, I realized that those early scents were actually kind of over the top strong and made my lips feel waxy and greasy. Remember when MAC came out with their first sticky, gooey, awful tasting gloss? Well, then came the other name brands after the new discovery of the end of the 90's.

I, like most of the women out there, am addicted to lip gloss, as I grew older, there was a point in my life when I was using only Lancome's Juicy Tubes, specially Spring Fling, Berry Bold and Touched by Light, I just love the taste. Then it was Dior's Addict ultra Gloss and Kiss, oooh Fizzy Lemonade and Iced Latte are my fave, but they are a little bit too pricey, $19.50 each and they don't last that long but they sure look good.

One time I left home without any lip glosses in my purse, Yikes! well, I ran into a Sephora and I didn't want to spend $18.00, since I already had 3 or 4 in my house, so I bought Sephora's Brand Shimmer Gloss for only $10! They have the most amazing colors and texture. I have bought almost every color, Gold & Glow, Pretty Berry, Rosy Glow, Rusted Rose and Forever Pink.

I'm so addicted now that even after I wash my face, put my night moisturizer on, I NEED something on my lips, so I go for Kiehl's Lip Balm, C.O. Bigelow Lip Shine, Sephora's Brand Lip Gloss, to even Chapstick, nobody could resist Cherry Chapstick.

I see nothing wrong with protecting your lips. I still can't be caught without some balm, gloss, or stick to slather on my face. It's my pet obsession and I'm okay with having to apply and reapply six times a day.

At least I'm not doing those hard drugs yet. Better stay away from the Blistex.

Downtown LA is ALIVE

Last Thursday was the grand opening of Downtown's LA LIVE. It is amazing, try and check it out before it gets anymore crowded.There are going to be a bunch of events for the rest of the month LA Live has 12 restaurants, the 54-story high-rise with hotel rooms and Ritz-Carlton condominiums that cost up to $10 million, and his vision for how the project will improve not just Downtown, but the entire city.

Now Open: Club NOKIA, Conga Room, Lucky Strike Lanes, The Grammy Museum, Starbucks, ESPN Zone and New Zealand Natural Ice Cream.

Soon to be Open: Flemming's Steakhouse (love their Tuscan Veal Chop) , Lawry's Carvery (Lawrys is always Lawrys...GOOD), Yard House, Rock n' Fish, Wolfgang Puck Bar and Grill, Rosa Mexicano (yuk! It is the most expensive Guacamole and disgusting Pomegranate Margaritas ever), Trader Vic's (great Martini's) and Katsuya (amazing Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna) and more.

Check it out, go with your family, friends, on a date and Ill bet you will enjoy this side of LA you never thought you'll see.

LA LIVE
800 West Olympic Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90015
www.lalive.com

Say Cheese

Some of the greatest cheeses in the world are made only in the summertime in the gorgeous high elevations of the French and Swiss Alps. Gruyère, Beaufort, Appenzeller, Comté all come to mind. In a process known as transhumance, cows are allowed to graze on mountainous pasture at higher and higher elevations as the snows melt in the warm weather. The cheese itself is made right there on the slopes in little stone huts. The lush array of herbs, grasses and wildflowers in the alpine meadows make for some of the greatest tasting cheeses in the world.

I've been a cheese lover ever since I can remember. One of the first great store to open in San Diego was Venissimo Cheese hidden in the hills of Hillcrest. Then I found and fell in love with Murray's Cheese in Bleeker St. in the Village of NYC. I recently moved to Long Beach, CA and guess what, Venissimo Cheese just opened at Belmont Shore, I am so excited.

I just went and ordered my cheese wheel for the holidays as well as a cheese gift collection. And of course I had to get a pieces of Brie de Meaux and my fave Ancient Gouda.

Get Cheesed!

754 West Washington St. (Mission Hills)

871 G Street (Downtown East Village)

San Diego, CA

195 Claremont Ave
Long Beach, CA 90803

(562) 433-4986

www.venissimo.com

Get Carried Away...without paying thousands

Handbags 101.

My goal is to support the independent handbag designer whether it be a handmade designer who is based in China or Mexico or a budding luxury brand out of London or Los Angeles. I do not discriminate from talent, hard work and creativity. I do however, have developed quite the following for the Celebrity Bag Watch section. After an interesting trend meeting, we all had this obvious realization that brand name handbags need to cost at least $1000. Is it for status? Is it because our favorite celebrities have this disposable income to buy bag after bag? Is it because it is in style and they must be seen wearing the latest "it" bag? I decided to get to the bottom of this.

These times are criticall, people are cutting off hours or worst even, firing or not hiring people right now. So what do we do when we love fashion and we want to carry the best purse out there without spending? Check your Mom's closet, yours, or even (i know) buy a non-designer brand purse at any local departments stores or even Forever 21. Look, I use to work in one of the best retail department stores out there, I was thought how to distinguish from authentic to non-authentic (as we call them, FAKES) we were not allowed to say that word in public.

Well, time has past by and we do not have extra $1200 to purchase a purse and don't forget the $540 for the wallet. Please girls (and some boys), we donot have to showoff to anyone but ourselves. If you have the budget go ahead, we all deserve a treat every now and then.

I have found, unfortunely some few non-authentic vendors out in NYC Canal's Street as well as Downtown LA's Fashion District. Be wise, donot buy a non-authentic Louis Vuitton, Gucci or Goyard, they are the worst out there. I found a few good ones like Miu Miu, Jimmy Choo, Marc Jacobs and even Chanel. A big leather purse without any tacky logos to be found, at a price range of $225-300 and let me tell you, they look exactly the same. Last year I purchase a Miu Miu black basketwoven leather tote priced at $1276, I went to Canal Street with "the guy" and compared, OMG, I went back returned the damn bag and purchase it again for $225. So ladies and gent's go ahead, don't be ashamed and search for that special purse that is waiting to catch your eye without spending that extra amount of ridiculous money!