Isn’t it supposed to be a day of rest? I’d like to rest – in my jammies on the couch watching Desperate Housewives as I finish making my way through the sections of the Sunday papers. But, no. I blog as I procrastinate primping for a quick appearance at a Paper Magazine dinner honoring Danny Masterson and Bijou Phillips at Shin, the Korean barbecue restaurant Danny co-owns with a mix of celebs including his brother Chris Masterson and Gerard Butler, then I have to dash down the street to make it in time for the after party for Hamilton and Hollywood Life’s Behind the Camera Awards. Ryan Phillipe, Harrison Ford, Anne Hathaway and Lucy Lui are among the who’s who of expected guests. Ok, I’m going…Will report back tomorrow, when I have to wake up at 5:15am to close the party pages of another issue of OK! But, I vent, not complain, there are worse problems than too much to do and too little time ;) xo

Need I say more? The seven years I lived and worked in NYC I next to never ‘did lunch.’ Doing lunches simply hardly existed in the NYC work culture. Lunch was a to-go container at your desk. In LA, people do lunch, a lot. I still eat at my desk more often than not, but sometimes I’m enticed to try the doing lunch thing – when the person asking me to lunch said if I agree she’ll send a Mercedes-Benz BlueTEC to pick me up – and then added I get a complimentary pair of shoes as well, I could hardly resist. Forget hardly, I couldn’t resist.

Lunch turned into a lovely day mingling with pretty, environmentally-conscious people at a beautiful home where we sipped refreshing cucumber-garnished green Veev cocktails prior to a poolside lunch with a gorgeous mountain view on a perfectly temperate day. The lunch was a eco-chic affair to celebrate the launch of PURE by Rickard Shah, a collection of environmentally-friendly shoes for both men and women designed as a collaborative venture by husband and wife team Elizabeth Rickard (who was once senior designer for Giorgio Armani and design Director of Emanuel Ungaro) and Binith Shah. Like their shoes, the charismatic duo have been called “the perfect pair.”

Sitting between Amy Smart and very cute co-host Darren Moore (who’s story I never fully got except that he’s well-traveled, does something eco-architecture and can go several hours without looking a cell phone), I had a very enjoyable afternoon indeed – and then I dashed off to the Mondrian for to interview Christina Aguilera. Check back tomorrow to see what she had to say ;) xo

Last night I went to the Lakers game and thanks to my friend Dimitrios Papadogonas, the Director of Marketing for Virgin America (whose logo dresses every courtside seat in alternating white and red) we didn’t just go to the game – we watched from the owners box and hung out in the Chairman’s Lounge during halftime and after the game.

So far, I’ve seen Jack Nicholson, David Beckham and David Arquette at every game I’ve ever been to. Well, I’ve only been to two so far, but…

Jack, that’s Nicholson, has been a season ticket holder since 1970 with courtside season tickets for the past 25 years – and I was told that courtside tickets start at $2300. That’s per seat, per game!!! AND, she said courtside at the Lakers is one place being a celebrity does NOT get you a discount. After nearly 40 years, she told me that even Jack, who the team considers family more than a fan (because he nearly Never misses a game) still pays for his seat. Although, she did add that corporations own many of the season tickets and people like Beckham, who sits in the Nike seats, probably don’t pay.

In the Chairman’s Lounge during halftime it was so crowded that after I walked in my friend was told it was at capacity (the fire marshall was standing at the door) and he’d have to wait until someone exited to enter. The next person to leave the room was a make-up-less Kate Hudson who said she was just running to the ladies room. She was told if it was still full she’d have to wait to get back in upon her return. Kate grimaced and headed off. I’m not sure she made it back.

Meanwhile, Jack Nicholson made his way from his seat to the lounge with so much focus that I don’t think he has any peripheral vision, Beckham hung out near the back of the room with Marc Anthony and Jonah Hill and the girl he was with must have stayed in their seats because I didn’t see them – or Jack Black, until they came on the jumbotron.

I love being a Lakers fan. I haven’t really had a team since a kid who used to look up to Hakeem Olajuwon (literally) at Rockets games in Houston. I’m glad my too long displaced sports enthusiasm has found a home again – and what a good home and family it is!

I'm One Degree Removed From the Next President of the United States of America!!!

 

Yes, we’re all apparently six degrees separated from Kevin Bacon and now I am one degree away from President Elect Barak Obama – thanks to my friend Hill Harper.
You probably best know Mr. Hill Harper best as Dr. Sheldon Hawkes, his CSI:NYC character for the last four years. I met Hill a few years ago when I visited LA for the first time since college to attend a swanky soiree to support his Adopt-a-School Initiative and at the time, new book “Letters to a Young Brother.” I made the trip with a couple of friends of Hill’s who stayed in his guest bedroom and he kindly got me an air mattress to sleep on in the study. It was actually pretty comfy.  We’ve been friends ever since.

Most people know Hill as an actor, or more locally, bachelor about town who always has a big smile on his face. But ,did you also know he obtained a law degree - while Barak Obama’s roommate at Harvard Law School and they’ve been BFF ever since! Hill was even a surrogate for Barak during the election! Maybe one day he’ll be president too, or at least a member of the cabinet?

In Chicago, of course, Hill celebrated the win at a victory party at The Underground where guests like Forest Whitaker and Star Jones joined him in dancing up a storm to the beats of DJ Cassidy.