good luck deluxe

These videos are entirely too fun for words!

So there I was, on YouTube the other day looking for old school videos, and then I came across Artemisbell’s video of herself dancing to my favorite Chaka Khan song. LOL.

I’m totally loving how much JOY she’s having dancing! That is the look of sheer joy on her face as she’s gettin’ into her jams - which we can all relate to.

I mean, what lady hasn’t danced around her living room? I love when people can find tremendous pleasure and elation in the simple things of life, like good music.

Hey, enjoy dancing with Artemisbell!

And if you’ve enjoyed these videos, she has over 300 more videos on YouTube. I’m not even exaggerating. LOL.

Check them out!

Speaking of champagne…well, sparkling wine, to be more exact for my French champagne purists…

I’ve had the very recent joy of imbibing a friendly, fruity-patooty sparkling wine called Sofia Blanc de Blancs that is produced by (you guessed it!) Sofia Coppola.

At first I was extremely hesitant to try this adult beverage, because it also comes in (gasp!) cans. Don’t believe me?

L’evidence…

So yeah, I instantly considered the concept to be very Paris Hilton-ish, perhaps even bordering on Britney-ish (I’m just sayin’…), so my knee-jerk reaction was to immediately decline the can’s invite.

But when I happened upon the pretty bottle version in pink translucent wrapping, I was drawn to it like a ho hopping into spandex. There was very little resistance at that point.

I downed my chilled Sofia Blanc de Blancs with a light dinner, and savored a glass of it afterwards.

WineGlobe.com describes this sparkling wine as follows:

Sofia Blanc de Blancs is a sophisticated sparkling wine, lower in alcohol, and perfect for every celebration. A unique blend of Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscat, it offers delicate aromatics, subtle flavors and light effervescence all packaged with striking, feminine flair. Enjoy Sofia Blanc de Blancs as an aperitif with tapenade-topped crostini or with a meal of spicy Asian food, bouillabaisse (seafood stew) or grilled tuna.

The 2005 Sofia Blanc de Blancs releases a seductive perfume of ripe apricot, tangerine and pear. Summer melon and zesty lemon highlight the bright palate that finishes with subtle honeysuckle. Vibrant and crisp.

This is a new casual staple for me. Very few inexpensive sparkling wines “do” it for me, but this one does.

I never thought I’d use this phrase, but I heart it.

And that says a lot, because I loathe spandex.

I just had my last hurrah at Porto’s last night. Their cakes and pastries are over-the-top delicious and addictive, but I realized last night that I seriously have to slow down when it comes to that bakery. Slow my roll, if you will - with no pun intended.

No more Porto’s for six (6) more months for me…seriously!

It started innocently enough; the same as it happened with me and See’s Candies.
I sampled one sweet Porto’s delicacy. The next day, I was back for two more.

The next thing you know, we’re getting all of our office party cakes from Porto’s and
I’m stopping by there to pick up desserts for EVERY dinner party and social function
I attend. And then I just found out that Porto’s offers catered dessert trays with an assortment of all of their cakes and tarts in mini sizes? Oh, hell naw.

I’ve been reaching for reasons to entertain so I can stop by Porto’s, and it’s been making me a bit…well…plump and portly all of a sudden.

I don’t know if it’s their mango mousse, those little mini tiramisus with the sourish mascarpone and crunchy bits of crystallized sugar, the white chocolate raspberry cheesecake or their opera cake; but Porto’s has finally made its impression on my waistline - and I am NOT having that.

…at least until after I finish the last slice of piña colada cake in my fridge.

I’m telling you, these ethnic and gourmet bakeries in L.A. will be the death of someone someday. I didn’t even have a sweet tooth until I moved here!

Now I’m dreaming of Sprinkles cupcakes, See’s Candies, Sweet Lady Jane’s triple-berry cake, baklava from the plethora of Armenian bakeries in the Valley, and the spice fruit buns, rum cakes and plantain tarts from the local Jamaican sweet houses.

The last thing I need to discover in L.A. is an excellent soul food bakery. So if one exists, DON’T TELL ME ABOUT IT. I’m having enough trouble getting over my Porto’s addiction; and I’m barely kicking it, having my nerve to write this post with half a slice of opera cake digesting in my gut.

It’s not just Porto’s; it’s L.A. bakeries in general that I’m doing away with for a while.
I have to.

I am NOT heading into swimsuit season with the paparazzi snapping close-ups of my bum and selling my pics to the highest bidder; only to discover my big arse on the front cover of OK! magazine and I’m made the laughing stock of on TMZ. Then I have to go on national television telling everyone to kiss my fat arse because I love my body, and I’m fine just the portly way I am. Hell no.

So no more dessert posts for a while. It’s a necessary evil, but my true fans will understand.

You HAVE to hear the following voice clip of a guy in Texas who witnesses a car accident and gives play-by-play details of four little old ladies retaliating.

My mother and I can’t stop laughing at this guy’s laugh. SO FUNNY!

For those who may have heard this already, it is begging for another listen.

Oh, and the man pictured above is from a random pic and is in no way affiliated with the tape. Since there’s no video footage, I thought the pic would make a nifty visual.

Here ya go: do click here.

What a riot!

I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted, and some of you have been like,
where’s that chick with her latest finds???

Mama’s back!

So here’s what’s up… Someone turned me on to Daskalidès chocolatier, and I am
A STONE COLD BELIEVER!

My favorites are as follows:

Diamants are a girl’s best friend. Get an eyeful of these gems: Diamant Noir,
a maraschino-flavored ganache:

And here we have the Diamant Special, for the girl who thinks plain ol’ Diamants
are beneath her. This puppy consists of milk praline with gingerbread flakes:

Not Crocodile Dundee, it’s Daskalidès’ Crocantino confection: Dark praline
with puffed rice. It’s the breakfast of champions!

Coeur Pamplemousse, ’cause you know you’ve got to pample your mousse.
Just kidding. I took French for a few weeks in junior high, so calm down.
In lay(wo)man’s terms, you’re looking at chocolate with a sweet ‘n tangy
grapefruit cream filling:

Jardin Amandes. I can’t think of anything funny to say for this one. There’s really nothing funny about almond and hazelnut praline covered with almond flakes. This is serious business right here:

Merveilleux. Yes, anything in the image of a cupcake is most certainly deserving of such a lofty moniker. Gianduja on a hazelnut paste is calling me for a date right now:

Daskalidès also serves up sugar-free varieties - but eh, why bother?

I mean, if you’re gonna plunk down the shiny shekels for some cacao, you might as well make it mean something. But that’s just me. (shrugs)

OK, this video clip is entirely too precious to keep to myself.

If I didn’t see it with my own eyes, there is no way I would believe it.

Now this is something worth posting!

Exciting news, readers! The 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show is quickly approaching!

They’ve just finalized the details about confirmed world and North American debuts. Because of the new dates (November 16-25th), it is now the first major show in North America. Manufacturers are taking advantage of this earlier timing by making more World and North American debuts than in previous years. This year, at least 14 World debuts and nearly 30 North American debuts will occur during press days (November 14th and 15th).

While most debuts remain closely guarded until press days, a few manufacturers have announced their intentions, including these Exotic cars!

Luxury cars debuting on U.S. soil include:

+ The $1.4 million Lamborghini Reventon, hailed as the most powerful and expensive Lamborghini ever built
+ Ferrari’s new lightweight 430 Scuderia
+ Bentley’s new and more powerful Continental GT Speed
+ Porsche’s most powerful 911, the new GT2.

Other worldwide debuts are anticipated to include new hybrid editions and other advanced environmental technologies.

Among the vehicles making their first appearance on U.S. soil include:

+ The completely new Jaguar XF luxury performance sedan
+ The entirely new BMW 1 Series coupe

Keep a look out for the announcement of this year’s Green Car of the Year®.

The winner of the 2008 Green Car of the Year (GCOY) award will be named during a press conference the morning of November 15th. The importance of this award is validated not only by the increase in consumer demand but by the rapid growth of low emission and environmentally-friendly new vehicles on the market.

Check out the LA Auto Show site for details.

I readily admit this is not earth-shattering commentary, but I must rave about the
ORS Replenishing Pak, made with olive oil, aloe vera and silk amino acids. ORS stands for “Organic Root Stimulator.” Strange name; effective as all get out.

One of my girlfriends told me, “ORS Replenishing Pak is the truth.” I agree. Yes, it is. Best deep conditioner on earth.

Chicas, if you don’t already know about this amazing protein deep conditioner, you really should.

You should have seen my hair all last week after conditioning with the Replenishing Pak. I confess that I flipped my long hair over my shoulders in public more times than I should say. I should retain a modicum of sanity; or at least, the appearance of it.

Remember those Herbal Essences commercials with the chick in the shower having a hairgasm? That was me.

Any good beauty supply store carries these Paks.

Beginning of rant:

I just hope now that the word is out about ORS they don’t go and change their formula, trying to cut corners in their formulation to save themselves a buck in production.
If they do, I’m retracting my praise and boycotting them - maybe even publicly.

Nothing peeves me more than finally finding an excellent beauty product, only to have it slip out of my grasp like holding water in my hands.

Manufacturers - if your product is good - LEAVE IT ALONE. Raise the price if you must, but don’t tamper with a working formula. I’m warning you - change the formula of this Replenishing Pak, and I’m coming after you with my slipper.

End of rant.

These Paks are just fantastic. Ladies, your tresses will be incredibly satiny, silky and glossy and you’ll get compliments for days. Your hair stays moist, moist, moist after deep conditioning with a Pak. All the softness your hands can handle! Everyone will want to touch your hair. I had to literally politely ask people to not touch my hair.

So I found my holy grail weekly deep conditioner in this lifetime. Yay me!

You know how they say clothes make the man? Well, hair makes the woman…especially this one.

So guess what I did over the weekend.

I said guess what I did.

I attended the private screening of The Game Plan, starring Dwayne Johnson, and I interviewed him at the film’s press junket.

But let’s remember that Dwayne doesn’t go by his old wrestling moniker, The Rock, anymore - so please get it right.

Darling readers, sorry I haven’t blogged in a week, but hey. You would be MIA if you
were in my shoes, too, so cut a blogger some slack!

You can check out my interview of Dwayne Johnson here.

And before you ask, he didn’t do the eyebrow thingy. Not even once.

I have had my eye on The Tiffany Mark timepiece lately. It’s absolutely gorgeous,
isn’t it?

Just the facts, ma’am (and sir):

The Tiffany Mark® large chronograph

Self-winding, mechanical movement
18k gold on a farmed alligator strap
3 hands: hours, minutes and counter for elapsed seconds
2 sub-dials: small sweep seconds and counter for elapsed minutes
49 glorious jewels

Love it!