Baby Needs A New Pair of Shoes

February is at last coming to an end which means we depart on our trip in just a few days. We have been keeping busy while reserving our fun money for Europe.

When Rob and I met back when we were kids and he proposed to me in the back of a taxi we were just getting by. It was a spectacular moment. Rather than go into debt for a shiny ring, we paid for our own wedding and agreed that on our ten year wedding anniversary we would shop for a ring. We thought by then we should have our act together and be leading a more financially secure life. I'm happy to say that we were right, despite my taking the past six months off of work. Ten years is coming up fast (October 15, 2008) so we have started perusing for just the right ring. This month I was introduced to a cognac diamond. I'd never heard of such a thing. It is subtle and beautiful. This one is way too big for me as all I usually wear is my wedding band and $10 earrings from So Good jewelry. Still, we got some ideas from a visit to a locally owned jeweler.













Miss Sarah came to town for one day only last Thursday and shared her good news that she made it through an exhausting and extensive Google interview process and had accepted their offer. They only go after the finest and they are lucky to have snagged her. I gave her her new nickname McGoogle. She came over and we toasted her new success before her flight took her back to San Francisco. I'm so proud of her for changing her life, as she wanted; new city, new job. Dang, but I miss her.










Ninette had Rob + I over for dinner and our flagship game of A-hole last Sunday. She is quite a cook. She made tapenade and even hummus from scratch and filled us up with pesto pasta. It was all so good. I made an erroneous decision to bring bread pudding over for dessert that ended up being a form of punishment when Ninette took the President's position in our card game. Poor Rob, he got the bulk of it.













Rob tricked me into going to Costco for 'supplies' that same weekend. He told me there was some mythical thrift store in Goleta that held treasures beyond belief. I hate Costco. Everyone in there gets this wild look in their eyes like there isn't enough stuff to go around. Buy! Buy! Buy! It's scary! After getting in and out of there as quickly as possible we never did find the thrift store. He made me dinner to make up for it.










Continuing our method of laying low, we watched Our Brand Is Crisis last night which I recommend. It is a real life look at how the Wag the Dog scenario plays out in a violent post-election Bolivia. Oh, and there was a banana split involved.














Ha ha







I realize this post doesn't include movie stars, award shows, trips or other major events but sometimes life isn't like that. I've had so much fun hanging out with my best friend being the dorks that we are.
Over the past few weeks I've been considering a couple of offers from local companies. I am thankful for having peers to bounce these scenarios off of. James is an expert advisor in all things professional. He looks at things with a holistic view, not only advising on negotiations but also in how your decisions affect the rest of your life. Oh, and he's for hire too! Visit Kernow Partners for your own consultation.

Check back after March 10th for the recap of our trip!

T-Minus 10 Days to European Adventure

Several times throughout the day I remember that I'm going to London and Paris in less than two weeks. This stunning re-realization then throws me into my mental checklist of things to do before we leave. I won't bore you with that.

The blog has been down for a few days due to the new domain I bought. That's right folks, bookmark www.MelhousePlace.com. Thank you Toni at GoDaddy.com for your help!

Our efforts to lay low and keep our vacation savings tucked away, Rob and I have become movie critics in our living room. Hitting pause time and time again to guffaw at poor character development or chuckle at some very bad writing, we have seen oodles of movies over the past few weeks.
I've been cooking like crazy thanks to my birthday present from Mort - a 10 piece stainless steel cookware set. He says he's never known any women other than Kim and I who get so excited over kitchen stuff. I think he gave my mom an appliance for her birthday one year when they were married and caught hell for it. Putting the ingredients my sister sent me for my birthday together: Wisconsin cheese curds (seriously, she shipped me cheese) & poutine gravy shipped from Canada, I cooked up some fries and made poutine for Rob and I and survived it without a coronary. This is a famous Quebecois meal. It was such a treat. Note to self - clean your oven.














Last weekend Ninette threw a bon voyage kegger for her Parisian friend who has been working in the States for the past six months. It was Americana themed with pizza, a keg and margaritas. She invited us and my only mission was to whine until Ninette got on the apparatus that is installed in her living room. What? No really, check it out!



































She's this tiny powerhouse with style and grace.
Ninette on silks part 1.
Ninette on silks grand finale.

After holding out for longer than I should have I took a chance on a new stylist at Camille Day Spa and lucked out. Need some new sass? See Carrie for a new look.

The before...









The after...

Bad Karaoke Makes Good Birthday

First off I want to tell you how amazing my husband is. We used to live in downtown Seattle and for a while we were how shall I say - poor. One of the best days I had with Rob in that city was what we now refer to as The Six Dollar Day. We spent an entire Northwest day walking around the emerald city and had the best time on six singles. Coffee, hours of pinball (replay after replay - we've got mad skills at the silver ball), hot dogs and beer.

This year for my birthday, Rob made sure I was having fun all weekend and he did it on a budget that I have been the biggest nag about. Our European adventure is only a few weeks away. I’d rather deny myself goodies here and now than have to deny myself goodies when I’m in London and Paris. Wait – Paris? Yes, at long last I will see Paris. Rob booked a day trip so we could have our romantic kiss on a street corner, waiting to cross, to get out of the cold, to have flaky croissants, coffee and cigarette in a steamy little café. Merveilleux.
But back to the bravery and embarrassment of my birthday!












Saturday started with my favorite flowers, a hot breakfast, fresh berries, mimosas and coffee. I stayed in pajamas for the better part of the day, playing video games and listening to jazz. We share the belief that on your birthday weekend the world is yours and you can have anything you want. I finished off the mimosas, opened my presents and refused to shower until 2pm.
My dear friend Adi drove up from Westlake, hit traffic in Ventura and arrived as giddy as I was by 3pm. She presented me with a handmade game plan for the afternoon. I love being kidnapped. We walked to So Good Jewelry and had a near religious experience from the combination of ABBA playing in the store and the ceiling to floor selection of every jewelry style you can imagine. Seriously, you emerge from that store dazed, holding a little bag with new stuff that were surprisingly affordable and the words shiny and cute are all you can muster up.












Onward to a snack of bruschetta with creamy goat cheese and crispy tuna & crab roll at Rocks. Cuir Royales upstairs before heading down State Street in the drizzle for a pedicure. We tried to talk the salon owner into opening some champagne but he said only parties of 10 or more get champagne. Unable to convince him that 8 other girls were on their way (he laughed) we had our feet prettied up and ran home in the rain.



















Thanks Adi – you know how to treat a girl right!

Walking in the door, Rob had the fireplace lit up, the living room adjusted for maximum seating and a spread of food presented perfectly. He worked all afternoon cleaning and cooking and our place looked swank. Did I mention how lucky I am?
Friends came over and Rob launched the online Karaoke experience, starting us off with I Got You Babe. He was Sonny, Ninette was Cher. Turned out that one microphone was louder than the other so Rob compensated by screaming into the one he was holding turning the ballad into a kind of punk rock love story. It was fantastic.
Rob and I followed up with Al Green’s Here I Am, which if you know the song, is not a duet. I ended up with the loud microphone and it quickly became clear that I only knew the chorus. Rob saved me by screaming the bulk of the song into the lame mic until it came time for me to coo the chorus. He had the mics hooked up to a big speaker that made your voice boom to the back of the room and people - it was ugly.



















I always hum around the house or sing along to the stereo when cooking and I thought I had a nice voice. I do not. Despite this rude awakening Adi and I sang our song. I don’t know why it is our song but it is. We broke out the duet On My Own by me being Michael Macdonald and Adi playing the part of Patti LaBelle. We thought sharing the good mic was smart but we ended up hiding behind a lamp both clutching it, trying to hit the high notes. The rest of the party had migrated into the kitchen as far away from Karaoke as they could get. Oh well.
Suzanne and Darian saved us all with their tribute to Madonna and sang Borderline. Those girls can belt it out.





































Kyle and Tori put their spin on Uptown Girl and Thriller.
Tori somehow chose the 10 minute version of Sweet Dreams Are Made of These. Bless her heart she stuck with it and eventually bowed to a roomful of applause. David did his impression of Johnny Cash and it wasn’t half bad. Mike, who couldn’t get over the fact there was no AC/DC in the catalog screamed out a few tunes but I have no idea what he was singing. I was laughing so hard! At one point Pete had the whole room singing along to Hey Jude.






























By the end of the night my cheeks were sore and my throat was hoarse. It was so great.
Adi and I stayed up late after everyone had left. All the food gone and a last glass of wine, we sat on the living room floor and sang our hearts out. I believe we would have stayed up until sunrise if we the boys weren’t already in bed trying to get some sleep.


The Morning After The Night Before

Pete made his famous breakfast sandwiches and we looked through photos from the night before.
Champagne + photography = no no.
With a full day of birthday wishes still ahead of me we made our way north to a local lookout point nestled into sandstone know as Lizard’s Mouth. Finding the trailhead was very amusing with instructions like ‘look for the funny bolder’ leading us to our destination.
It was an incredible view overlooking the ocean, Santa Barbara and Goleta.



















Next stop was Cold Spring Tavern for tri-tip sandwiches and my favorite chili of all time.



















Dinner and a quiet night with my husband topped off a memorable birthday weekend.
So long 31, hello 32.

After the After Party - Forest Whitaker

All the stars have packed up and made their way south to the pre-Academy Award luncheons, dinners and other events. Ticket stubs and platinum passes put away as mementos, the film festival was a welcome perk in the winter season of Santa Barbara.















Forest Whitaker's Riviera Award ceremony was a treat. He is a thoughtful man answering questions posed by Maxim's film critic Pete Hammond candidly. His entire career thus far was examined, movie by movie. I just added Bird to my Netflix queue. He didn't even blink when Pete poked at him a little for directing Waiting to Exhale. Hey Pete, it took in $66 million at the box office!
Forest is a big man. The program from the event captured him at 6'2 and 200lbs. He was easy to spot on the red carpet but not as easy to capture in a picture. He does that thing where he looks down as he listens to a question being asked by the press. Still, Rob managed to snap a half way decent picture before we were asked to please move along into the Arlington Theater.















After a two hour interview, Sandra Bullock appeared on stage in a gorgeous white dress to hand the award to Forest. He directed her in Hope Floats (1998). She told a story of one unprepared day while filming when she had to breath into a microphone positioned in a toilet and how Forest helped her get through it. So um, that's where the story ends on the event. We are so rude. We dodged out quickly before Forest finished his acceptance speech to get to the after party.



















The film festival organizers were smart in choosing one of the huge retail spaces on State Street for the soiree. We were able to secure passes for Pete and Adi who were in town for the weekend. Open Wide, a furniture showroom by day, made a perfect venue for dramatic red lighting, private seating areas, a VIP room hidden behind wall to wall red drapery, roomy rectangular bar and count 'em six go-go dancers, white boots and all. The place filled up quickly and everyone was dressed to the nines. Adi, my stylist gave me a tailored look of tall suede boots, matching skirt and belted velvet jacket with scarf and dangly earrings topping off the ensemble. Thanks Adi. You could never tell I was eating a burrito on the couch in sweats watching Ugly Betty a half hour before leaving the house.



Take a moment to attend the party by clicking here.





Deep fried artichoke heart lumps, pork hum bao bites, brie and raspberry poppers and a very good Syrah. Rob and Pete took a lap around the massive space and found a spread of sushi and a tequila bar.
After goofing around a little for a TV crew (no idea where they were from - hi mom!) we caught site of John Palminteri (KEYT in Santa Barbara) who is always appearing in local magazines and newspapers attending charity events or just parties in general. He was hesitant to pose for a photo with Adi saying "Um, ok, sure...I can only imagine where this photo might end up". They checked each others teeth for food, it was cute.
Mr. Palminteri, put your worried mind at ease.





















All I can imagine as a caption for this photo is 'This Guy, get outta here!'










The four of us had a lot of fun. But then again, we always do. After losing each other in the party we all eventually made our way home, exhausted and happy...

The next day was Super Bowl Sunday. Put out the snacks and sat back to watch the Colts defeat the Bears. Adi's photo says it all, we were tuckered out.













What's up this week you ask? A few inquiries as to my future in the work force, a few good meals, dinner with David and Christi and to round out the week my birthday weekend. The fun never stops in Santa Barbara!

*A special thank you to Adi and Rob for helping me research this post.

And She's Dancing Like She's Never Danced Before

A great week.
The sun is back out and it feels like we are living in California again.
I saw a couple movies that were offered up by the film festival:

Do It For Johnny directed by Haylar Garcia is a documentary about making a documentary. It follows a group of friends whose goal is to personally deliver a custom made guitar with a script fitted into the back, made by the man the script was based on to Mr. Johnny Depp . The folks who made the movie were in the audience at the premier. It was the first time they had shown the documentary to the public and the looks on their faces paralleled that of kids on Christmas morning. They spent over two years working towards their goal and though in the end it didn't quite come together there are a few small triumphs that make the film worth watching.
There is one particular sequence in the film where the director Haylar has a phone conversation with director Robert Rodriguez's assistant (who shall remain nameless) that was infuriating to watch. Haylar was trying to get to Johnny through Robert and this assistant goes off on him about daring to try to get attention for the script this way, independent film making isn't a bunch of friends filming each other etc. etc. She was a real... anyways. I recommend it for light hearted fun and watching the persistence of others almost prevail.

Still Kicking directed by Greg Young was the other film I saw. Oh just read the description of the film. I'm still shy about my love of craftiness. Let's just say I was inspired and went home afterwards to work on a scarf I'm knitting for my aunt.

Last night marked the triumphant return of Third Thursday, reborn as First Thursday. David and Christi, owners of The Frameworks/Caruso-Woods Gallery have been the gracious hosts of this event for over a year. They took well deserved time off through the holidays so last night was a long awaited treat. Once a month they open up their gallery, book great musical talent (live performers and DJs) and attract a gorgeous crowd of interesting people. To accompany their event Rob and I open up the VIP room, gather our friends and have a great time - every time.



















This month we set up a projector to display video that accompanied Thomas Golubic's amazing taste in music. He launched this concept of remaking movie soundtracks back in 2003 at Sundance Film Festival.
Click here for his more eloquent description of this process and it's value to film making and entertainment in general. It was so interesting to talk to him about how he's getting this new genre out to the public. I think we even planted a seed that will inspire him to redo the soundtrack of Ladyhawke, one of the best movies ever made that has one of the worst soundtracks you'll ever hear. Can you say Casio?

Suzanne and Ninette inspired a courtyard full of dancing. I haven't danced like that in a long time. In high heels. On cobblestone. If there was a club in Santa Barbara that had music like Thomas was playing I would be there every weekend. It was all so original and he was having as much fun as the rest of us!











































This weekend - More from the film festival including Forest Whitaker's award ceremony.