Weekend Fun Under the California Sun

The holidays are here and, lets face it, the added stress of chaotic parking and shoulder-bumping gift shopping isn't helping. Why not turn your inner Grinch into a happy Who with these cheery and festive events to look forward to this weekend.

FRIDAY, DEC. 9th - SUNDAY, DEC. 11th, 2011

• I'ts an Elvis-kind of Christmas tonight at the Fred Kavli Theatre with Blue Suede Christmas: The Ultimate Elvis Holiday Bash. Tickets are $35/45/55 and available online and at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza box office in person.

• Enjoy "new twists" of holiday classics at HolidayPop! presented by the Glendale Pops Orchestra, this evening at 8:00pm at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. See their website for more info and ticket pricing.

• Celebrate 14 years of tradition with LA's largest outdoor skating and holiday events now through January at Downtown on Ice! For only $6 admission and $2 skate rentals, you and yours can have a blast skating at Pershing Square. There are also many free events including music concert series and plenty of arts & crafts for the kids to enjoy. And make sure your wishlist is ready because Santa will be in town tomorrow from 11:00am to 7:00pm for the Winter Holiday Festival!

• Looking for kitchenware but it's just not sassy enough for you? Well look no further! Meet drag queen and one of the top Tupperware sellers of the US Kay Sedia for a night of plastic partying (no pun intended)! Tomorrow night at LA Gay & Lesbian Center's Renberg Theater will be not only a whole array of Tupperware products great as gifts for friends & family, but also a show by the divaliscious Kay Sedia! Visit Kay Sedia's Holiday Tupperware Fiesta for more information.

•  I hope you bought your tickets for this next event because it is SOLD OUT! Paul Scheer's Third Annual Sexy Christmas Spectacular will be performed live at the Largo at the Coronet Saturday night at 8:00pm. Performers include musicians and comedians alike, as well as a magic show and yo-yo tricks in a made-for-TV "PAX-esque" style. 

• Russell Brand will be doing the Love X-Change with Sarah Silverman at the Wiltern Sunday night. Admission is free with volunteer sign-up. Go to Brand's Facebook page for more information about volunteering.

• Another awesome SOLD OUT event is KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas Night 2 at the Gibson Amphitheater Sunday at 4:00pm. With musical guests The Black Keys, Cage the Elephant, Mumford & Sons, and the stellar Jane's Addiction will be performing (see the full lineup here). And if you can't make it to the show, there will be a live webcast starting with Night One of the concert on Dec. 10 at 5:00pm PST on KROQ.com. So grab a few brews, invite some friends over and have an acoustic Christmas party of your own!

• And to round up the list with a more family-friendly event is An Irish Holiday Festival with storytelling, performances and plenty of skillfully crafted treats and goods, perfect for holiday shopping.

Have a happy weekend!

Henna, Lace & Fairytale Weddings

Weddings are a time of joyous union, families merging and two loves becoming one. Keeping in the theme of Indian influences and luxury (thank you, Chanel), here is a photo compilation of marital bliss from around the world, including bridal henna, destination weddings and designs every little girl dreams of...

Location: Pelican Hill Newport Coast, CA

Nisis Enchanted Florist, Los Alamitos, CA

Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, CA

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Jag Mandir Palace, Udaipur, India

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

St. James Cathedral, Manila, Philippines

Top Cakes, Manila, Philippines

Scenta Creations & Event Styling, Manila, Philippines

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Wedding gown: Kenneth Pool

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Florist: Bardin Palomo New York, NYC

source: Wedding Style Magazine

Chanel Fashion Show Paris-Bombay 2011/12 Métier d'Art

Last night aired Chanel's Paris-Bombay 2011/12 Métier d'Art, showcasing Karl Lagerfeld's vision in a setting of regal stature.

Ravishing: the ambiance was royal, what felt like 'Mary Antoinette meets the Maharaja'. Beautiful ebony smudged eyes of models glared at you as they passed by, with Indian-inspired jewels adorning their faces, walking along lavishly fruitful tables befitting a queen. Before each guest was a full plate setting, and a tablescape as if a royal feast is to be served (and in essence it was). Everything from the crystal chandeliers to the dessert fork was present, classic French down to the last detail. Even the bowls of fruit were screaming "Renaissance"!

It is the excessive lavishness of the French siècle des Lumières merged with the haute luxe revival of the Mughals Dynasty. The entire show was a sensual and exotic marriage of colors, including bold pinks and pearls, dread-locked hair and the classic Chanel tweed ensembles (and much more).

Here are some clips from the fashion show, available for viewing on Chanel.com.

Fashion Spotlight: Daphne Guinness

Before there ever was a Lady Gaga and the like, there was Ms. Daphne Guinness.

 
My idol, Daphne Guinness, is the epitome of idealistic individuality. She has the wonderful fortune of being named heiress to the Guinness family fortune. In her past, her marriage to Stavros Niarchos, son of the Greek shipping billionaire, ended with a £20 million settlement. Not to mention she owns the grandest collection of haute couture we have yet to see (in 2010 she purchased the entire wardrobe collection of the late Isabella Blow in order "to preserve it").

Why have I chosen her for my first fashion spotlight, you ask? Well, it's obvious, isn't it? She is decadent, dignified and fearless - a powerful woman, no doubt. An icon, nay, muse! for fashionistas and designers alike, she gives you a feeling of strength, of the ability to go beyond your wildest dreams, not thinking outside the box or inside, but getting rid of the box all together. I see her and I say to myself I want to be bold like her, I want to be fearless.

Guinness recently put part of her collection on exhibit at the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. The exhibit begins with an introduction featuring a selection of Guinness' extravagant shoes, followed by the main gallery which has been divided into six sections representing aspects of her style - "Dandyism", "Armor", "Chic",  "Evening Chic", "Exoticism", and "Sparkle".

The show is currently running through January 7, 2012.

Click here for more information about the exhibit and the Museum at FIT.