A SATURDAY NIGHT IN HOLLYWOOD

Okay, so I think tonight my very well have been one of the most completely random evenings I've had in L.A. so far. First Gary and I met up with David Rich (Janet's husband) and Lisa at the Arclight to see "Once". It was so amazing, unlike anything I've ever seen before. I don't really want to say anything specific about it but please go see it!

As we were leaving the theatre, Lisa asked if everyone was going home or did we want to go to Bobcat Goldthwait's birthday party? That seemed like the most random thing we could possibly do so we all got in our cars and drove to this funky little gallery called FAKE. www.fakedotcom.com. (please excuse these photos, they were shot with my phone)


It was full of all sorts of crazy art. This was my favorite piece, it's called Crazy Person Magazine.

In case you can't read them, some of the headlines are:
"What the voice in your head isn't telling you"
"New! Tin foil hats just in time for spring"
"Paranoid? Look behind you."
"Double Issue, over 100 pages of gibberish"
"Price: 1 handful of dirt"

So anyway, we walked in and there were only about 25 people there and everyone was watching this bizarre little jam band playing weird songs that sounded like they were making them up as they went along. Then Gary noticed that the singer was Tom Kenny, the voice of Sponge Bob Squarepants. Okay, so I got to watch Sponge Bob serenade Bobcat Goldthwait for his birthday...talk about random.

After the "show", we stuck around for a while to eat some donut muffin things from Big Sugar and to tell Bobcat happy birthday. Such a nice nice guy. What a fun night!

BIRTHDAY/ ENGAGEMENT PICTURES @ PINZ

I know that a lot of you have been waiting to see some pictures from the big night! So here they are courtesy of Jessie. I was too much of a dope that night to remember to bring my camera.

The first picture of the ring

Kay gave a beautiful toast

Gary showing off his excellent work and me grinning like an idiot (which I did all night)

Jessie & me

Kara & me

Hillary & Dave came out to celebrate, they are getting married this weekend!

Big brother Michael & me

Gary, Cheri & Burke

Kay, me & Jessie after a little too much champagne :)

Vanilla on vanilla from Big Sugar...I love Vanilla!

The always gorgeous Jackie Brubaker

A BBQ WITH THE BLOODS AND THE CRIPS

Last weekend I sent my mother a text message that mentioned that I had just come from a bbq with the Bloods and the Crips. She didn't really have anything to say about that except that it was the oddest text message she had ever received. It's true though, last Saturday I spent the afternoon in east L.A. with former members of L.A.'s most notorious gangs. The point of the whole thing was to shoot footage for a potential reality show in the works about this guy Lorenzo who back in the 80's was partially responsible for bringing crack into the ghettos of L.A. He spent time in prison and upon returning to his neighborhood, experienced first-hand the devastation that he had helped to create. So, now he has dedicated his life to helping to mentor children out of gang life and arranged this historical "round table" meeting of former members of the Bloods and the Crips in order to discuss how they can address this issue one kid at a time. It was really an incredible experience and we were welcomed with open arms into a neighborhood and a community that I knew absolutely nothing about. I look forward to the next encounter. I was happy to have my camera with me...

BABY BOY GOES TO THE SPA

I just have to take a minute to give a plug to the best dog groomers in the whole world! Yesterday I took Oliver for a much needed trip to the groomer. We decided to try out Tailwashers http://www.twaggers.com since it's just down the street.

The staff there couldn't possibly have been more wonderful or loving to Oliver. In additional to a great-looking summer cut, he also got an oatmeal skin treatment, a blueberry facial and an adorable brown and turquoise bow tied to his harness. They said that those colors just seemed like him. (funny because those are colors of my living room and bedroom in my house in Fairfax where Oliver lived for 2.5 years) Although he usually emerges a little freaked out from trips to the groomer, they were so gentle and sweet with him that he is totally himself this time, just less fuzzy and dirty. :)

So cheers to everyone at Tailwashers, we will be back very soon!

THE BIG NEWS

Okay okay for those of you in the know, I just wanted to be sure that I called everyone who would be mad at me if they first heard about this on my blog. But I guess I can't delay this post any longer so here it is...I got engaged on Friday! Yes, that's right, I am now going to be on the other side of the whole wedding thing. Now here's the story of the proposal.

Gary was sick all last week. I thought he was just under the weather. In fact, he was nervous and anxious and upset about all of the lies and deception over trips to the jewelry store and making all sorts of schemes behind my back. He had this big plan to take me down to Laguna Beach to this beautiful old Inn where we stayed a couple of years ago. One night we spent hanging out in the hotel bar for hours and were entertained by a very ecclectic and charming bartender named Jerry. He was one of those characters that you can't ever forget. Especially after he gave us some of those toy paratroopers and told us to throw them off the roof and to make a wish. If the wind was right, they were supposed to be carried to the ocean and your wish would come true. We threw ours off the roof and they just plummetted to the parking lot below. But you get the point. So anyway, Gary tracked down Jerry and made reservations at the same hotel for my birthday. He even had his art department working on some sort of puzzle that Jerry was supposed to have me work on which would lead up to the big moment. The plan was all in motion and then I stepped in with "I want to have a bowling party for my birthday." Of course I thought we were just celebrating my 29th birthday, I didn't know about the rest of it. So poor Gary had to cancel all of the plans he had made.

Instead, here's what happened. The bowling party was arranged as planned at PINZ in Studio City to begin at 8pm. Gary and I left our house around 5 to go grab an early dinner. I had suggested Niko Niko, our usual sushi restaurant. But then I figured that Gary had a plan for my bday and I should just shut up and go along with it. So I did. I didn't know where we were going but once we hit the Magic Castle I had a pretty good idea...we were going to Yamashiro, a Japanese restaurant up in the hills with the most amazing views of all of L.A. This was also the site of our first kiss...aww. I still had no clue what was about to happen though. Gary said that we were early for our reservation so we should take a walk through the garden and check out the view. So we did. And then the conversation got serious. A lot of the specifics are a blur but it ended with Gary down on one knee and asking me to marry him. I had to sit down on his knee and then proceeded to cry and rub snot all over his shirt. Sometime during all of this, he pulled out the most beautiful ring I have ever seen and slipped it right onto my finger. This just led to more blubbering and more snot. Obviously I said yes and we went inside and ate dinner and stared at the ring. And here it is...




More to come soon...

MOTHER'S DAY CARD

He's at it again. My father really had fun making photo collage cards this weekend. Here is the one he did for my mom for mother's day. So cute!!! Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms out there. :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME... :)

Well today is my 29th bday and I actually do feel a little older, not in a bad way though. I think it's just one of those days where you have to stop and think "wow, where did my 20's go?" I guess I should have seen it coming because I do remember turning another year older every year of my twenties...some years are more blurry than others. Anyway, my dad just sent me the most adorable home-made birthday card of old pictures. Definitely some awkward phases in there... :) Have a good laugh at my expense today.

LAX FENDER BENDER

Yesterday I hopped in my car around mid-day, it was 90-something degrees out, partly because we were experiencing a heat wave...partly because of the heat from the fire that was still burning a short ways away. Anyway, I headed over to the west side to meet Tina Brogi for some lunch. When I got out of my car I realized that it was freezing over there and totally foggy.

Tina and I talked about the nature of the wedding business here in L.A. and talked about how we should teach a seminar about how to start over and rebuild your business in a totally new place. She moved from St. Louis, I came from D.C., but here we are in L.A. and having to start from scrach all over again.

After lunch we picked up her son Anthony from school and then jetted over to LAX to pick up her husband Scott. Just as we were about to pull over to the curve, we were sideswiped by a bus. That meant talking to the police and giving them a statement and blah blah blah. An hour later we were on our way again.

Here are a few pictures for your entertainment...
the damage

Anthony was very happy playing video games in the car

Tina in front of the culprit bus

The police officers were so incredibly friendly and wonderful


And back at the house, this is Tina and Scott's darling baby girl. She has the fuzziest hair you've ever seen, it sticks straight up. So cute!

I CHASE FIRES

While I know that if my parents were here in L.A., they probably would have told me to run away from today's fire as fast as possible. That's why I'm so happy to have friends here who instead will say, "if you can just get closer to those big flames, you could really get an amazing shot!" While maybe not the smartest thing ever, I'd have to side with the friends over family on this one.

That's why when Conroy called to tell me that our neighborhood was on fire, I immediately jumped in my car and drove 4 blocks over to his place for a better view on the roof of his building. And this is what we saw...

MOTHER'S DAY SPECIAL

Ever since I got these fabulous letter-pressed gift certificates in (see most recent post), they have been enormously popular. So, I figure I will offer a little special in honor of Mother's Day (which is this Sunday, by the way) in case any of you out there need a last minute gift. The gift certificates are good for a portrait session in either D.C. or L.A. and one 8"x10" matted fine-art print. This is a $500 value which I'm offering for $275. I'll even overnight it to you or send it directly to the special lady in your life on your behalf. If interested, please just send me an email to justine@studiodiana.com to let me know and I'll take care of your shopping for you. :)

OLIVER'S FIRST TRIP TO THE BEACH

Since I've been a little under the weather this week I thought it might be a good time to catch up on some old images I have yet to edit. About a month ago, Gary and I took Oliver to Malibu to this wonderful dog beach. He had soooo much fun, I mean I knew he would like it but he didn't know what to do with himself. He met some nice boys along the way who took pictures of him and gave him kisses. He was NOT as big a fan of the seagulls as he took every opportunity to chase them around. So much fun! Here are a few images.

Gary and Oliver take a stroll

Wonder what they're looking at?

Ollie makes some new friends


And has a run in with a seagull

The view on the drive home.