A Little Holiday Magic

Santa's sleigh flying over the Christmas tree
at the Grove.

Earlier this week I tried to find a place around LA that had some good Christmas lights. This proved to be a  harder task than I had imagined. I'm guessing because most of the large, elaborate houses in LA having matching large elaborate fences that Christmas lights aren't the most visible from the street. There are a few neighborhoods that are called out, but none are that close to our place. Apparently there's a Christmas light display at Griffith Park each year that has been cancelled the last two years because of major construction. So, that's was a no go too.

I had to think differently about what I would allow myself to count as "Christmas lights and decorations." I found two shopping areas--both outdoors--that have elaborate displays that include time periods where it snows. They had me at "snow."

Casa di Santa at The Grove

So I chose The Grove, a very popular outdoor mall next to the Farmer's Market, where Mario Lopez films "Extra" each day. It also has a Anthropologie and good parking, so it was the winner. It was fun to hear all the different languages (it's a destination shopping area). Apparently "Santa" is "Santa" in many languages because as we neared his house, I heard many languages spewing words I didn't understand and "Santa" plugged in the middle. I did, however, understand "Casa di Santa."

Chef and I headed to the Farmer's Market after wondering around the Grove and had our favorite LA pizza--a white pizza from Deano's-- and a pitcher of beer. While Chef walked away, I spied a very tall blonde guy that was wearing a baseball hat and cool casual clothes. He looked dead up like Alexander Skarsgard from True Blood fame. I swear it was him, but I'm not going to count it as an official sighting. The guy was hauling ass through the Farmer's Market, so I couldn't confirm. But it was nice eye candy either way.

In front of the fountain and lights

Anyway, after dinner, we walked through the elaborately decorated Grove. It was pretty and enough of a twinkling light affair for me to cross that one off on my Holiday Spirit Quest. I also made chocolate covered pretzels yesterday and am making Christmas cookies today. Only a few more things to get done and I have to say that I do feel more in the holiday spirit this year than in recent memory. Ice skating this week! Chef said he was going to join me. I'll post pictures of my bruises. :)

Have you done anything to get into the spirit lately?

Worse than a Hangover

Yesterday Chef and I got out and about. Actually both yesterday and Friday we did. I took Friday off to get around Los Angeles and have some fun. The more I get out in the city, the more I love it. Mostly because there are so many different people and I get to see bizarre things that don't normally happen in Nashville or Indiana. For example, while getting my hair done, I was joined by two transgenders and two strippers, one of which requested the "Jersey Shore" which was exactly as it sounded. I had a blast just sitting back and listening to the conversation for future use in my writing. MATERIAL!

On Friday we also went to the Farmer's Market. It's one of my favorite places in LA and I just always forget to go there. Friday afternoon early evening and it was pretty dead. We had pizza and beer and bought a wicked cupcake/ whoopie hybird I've never seen before which didn't taste as good as it looked.

Saturday was our regular errand day, a long drive around town including some sightseeing on Mulholland Drive, and football. In between was some food that was way too fat-laden for my system. That's what feels worse today than any hangover I've had: my stomach ache. I was up at 3, 5, 7 and then just gave in. If I were to do it over again, I'd do it all. Except the food.