SHAKESPEARE, ART, CARS and SHOES.......

What more could one ask for!

Amy, Nikka & I headed off to the Huntington for a Heritage Society event and were greeted by awesome Cris Lutz.

These young people were so, so cute and we had great fun watching their performance.

Amy has never seen a tree, plant or flower she didn’t want to connect with.  Come on along now Amy…….

Next stop the nearby Langham Hotel and it’s Nikka’s turn to not pass up something PINK!

When I get over my shyness we’ll talk…….

Awwwwww………………Fun having drinks and snacks in the lounge.

Class next day……A Loquat special! The 60 foot tree I planted with a seed from Italy is producing lucious fruit now and it’s quite inspiring.

 Amazing Kathy…..

You too Kathryn!

 I Signed Kathy and Kathryn up to do demonstrations at the eARTh Festival in Pasadena and they headed there after class to meet up with sweet Lulu.

 The report back was that they had a terrific time and Lulu really rhapsodized later about it.  I’m so beyond description proud of all three.

 Kathy brought me this new book/Brush painting kit  of Danny Chen’s which will be available at COSCO and I predict a great success.  Thank you Danny!

 Class at the Huntington was great fun and I was delighted to see Iris had been painting during the month.

 I think she’s just plain tired of seeing me eating a Protein Bar at lunch so she gets these gynormous sandwiches to share.  This one was big enough to cut in half again and share with Nikka who was able to be with me.

 So cute.  I love them all!!! (Where’s Iris?)

 Nikka and I had a couple of hours to idle away before an event at Rusnak’s so we went to the Norton Simon Museum and had snacks looking at the Lily Pond and wild geese.

 On to Rusnak’s.  I asked this young lady where she was from hoping to hear something like ‘China’.  As it turned out I deeply insulted her which I noticed by her reply.  ‘America’.  Whoops,  sorry!!!

 We stayed for refreshments and to see the live Jaguar but the best part was this car parked out back.

 Nikka wore heels and could not walk another step so I ambled down to the Maserati event which was much nicer by far.  This sushi from Sushi Roku in Pasadena was wonderful!

 I even got us two caps!

 Back to semi real life. Anyone for Ferragamo?  We’re putting these on e-Bay under ‘Collectables of Desire’.

Just call me Emelda.  I think I just bought shoes…didn’t wear them!

 A rose by any other name…….may yours be sweet!

PARTY TIME BEGINNING WITH KALEY'S SWEET SIXTEEN....

….celebrated in the Living Room at the Peninsula Hotel.

 

Awwwwww……Kathy you are so dear to include me in this very special celebration….THANK YOU!  Hi Clara!

I always love showing off the exquisite china our Lissi Kaplan hand paints for the Peninsula.  

The ‘Tower of Power’…..

O.K. Kaley, make a wish!

Although I was completely stuffed like a goose I headed off to Amy’s where she was having a bash and wondered if there was enough food!

The Tres Leche Cake from Porto’s is eyes roll back yummylicious!

Cheese!!!

Thank you Amy for including me in such a wonderful evening! You are the ‘Hostess With the Mostest’!

Well, next day I was hungry so off to Bloomies to meet Lizzie Girl for lunch.  I think we meet as much for the Strawberry Smoothies as anything….

Afterwards I had about the strangest encounter ever and wound up talking to my new friend in the cosmetics department for over an hour!

Landscape class was wonderful!  I’m so glad I decided to start the classes again as there is serious interest in Eastern Landscape painting.

Monica is usually in the class at the Huntington but she wanted to give Landscape a try.  This was her first painting of the day.

When she finished, because she’s my ‘Cy Twombly', I told her to do the same scene but this time paint it as you FEEL it!  This has gotten so many likes on Instagram & Facebook.  I wish you could see it in person.

 The Heritage Society was having an event at the Huntington Botanical Gardens so I asked Amy if she’d like to go with me. It was a fantastic Jazz concert by  trumpeter extraordinaire Ron McCurdy and his jazz ensemble, ‘ASK YOUR MAMA, 12 MOODS for JAZZ’  by LANGSTON HUGHES.  There were readings later by the four high school winners of the city wide poetry contest.  Very inspiring.

 Laurie Pie had said she’d be at the Tea Room celebrating her daughters birthday so Amy and I sauntered over there.  No Laurie and later I found out the reservation was in her daughters name.  Oh well, we had a chance to see the magnificent Rose Garden in full bloom.

 Come on Amy……we cannot look at each and every flower!!!  I’m hungry and want to go to Marston’s!

 On the way home Amy started to back up a city block.  Wha….Turns out she had spotted a dog walker with three Greyhounds.  Charles and I had been interviewed to adopt a rescue Greyhound before we rescued our first Akita but were rejected.  Apparently our little yard was not suitable as we had no way to fence it in.  These are the most lovable of all dogs who are so very grateful for being rescued from their life of living in a cage and racing that all they want to do is lay about and be petted!

 I think Amy should hang this painting of hers in the dining room.  Shall we take a vote?

I’m closing this blog on a note of domesticity.  Perhaps it’s all the spring cleaning that started it…...

 Anyone for Ferragamo’s?