Birthday Date with the Arts

My architecture-loving husband took me out for my birthday this week, and brought me to the most fantastic little indie theatre I've ever been in! The Art Theatre was originally opened in 1924, renovated in art deco in 1934 after the '33 Long Beach earthquake, remodeled again in the late '40's, and finally restored in 2008 using original blueprints with new interior, new sound/vision upgrades and restored exterior including a replica of the 1934 marquee and art deco trademark symmetrical storefronts - now a adjacent wine bar, and coffee shop.

My husband picked me up on his way back from work with some of the best fish tacos on earth, and set out to down-town Long Beach. Voted the #1 Best Indie Theatre in Los Angeles, the Art Theatre usually features Indie documentaries and Sundace busts, but was screening Water for Elephants this month - and he knew I was waiting to see that with him. We had such a fun and adventurous night out - I just love checking out new places with different cultural vibes (plus, the film was phenomenal - I'm now in a totally circus-themed frame of mind!). That teeny-tiny stretch of 4th street was a restored throwback to the iconic Hollywood hot-spot beach town of the '30's, and it was really fun walking into such an epic historical era on a common Tuesday night.

Thanks for the Birthday rendezvous, love!! Was totally up my outing-alley! :)

Weekend Round-up!

Loving the long-awaited heat blast out here! We spent all morning yesterday at Mother's Beach, and I relished in finally having a child big enough to play on her own. I lay in the sunshine on a beach towel up on the dry sand while Freida frolicked at the sea shore, attempted a sand castle construction, dug giant holes, and ran to and from the waters edge filling and lugging back buckets of salty sea water for 2 whole hours. Bliss!

Here are some things I've been meaning to share:

- Remember the tree bookshelf? It's finally here!

- This "TweetSeat" made me smile.

- This even-more-exciting TV news makes me want to dance!

- My latest article over at the Algemeiner.

- Those Appaman suits + vans sneakers!

- I'm thinking about this breakfast for Sunday night dinner... mmm!

Wishing you all a fabulous sunshine-soaked weekend!

Cupcake Anatomy

Post-Passover shout-out in appreciation of that which is leavened! :)

Once upon a time a photographer and an illustrator got together and produced this image for a friend's birthday (They even documented the whole process in this rad video!) Once out on the web, this cute and colorful photograph got heaps of unexpected attention - suddenly, it was a world wide hit! After numerous inquiries about how to get the print, the talented folk behind it decided to put it into production. You can now snag your own sweet little "Anatomy of a Cupcake" print here.

Also, check out the rest of Allen Hemberger's incredible imagery!

My Model-Seder Model!

We held an itty-bitty mock-seder at Freida's play table this week - just to prep her a bit and get her more interested, excited, and familiar with all the quirky Passover details. I'm a big believer in keeping the kids up and awake to witness and experience all the wholesome goodness invested in all that holiday tradition... but it's not always very practical - even with an extra nap. She's very excited that she gets to sing the Mah Nishtanah first (she's the youngest talking cousin), so I figure she'll be disappointed if she doesn't make it at least that far. Thought I'd up my chances of keeping her in the late-night game by peaking her interest in all preliminary steps. I also figured I'd print some pictures and make a little "Haggadah" to help her follow along. She totally surprised me by acting everything out! She even put on a full-fledged crying stint when I gave her the marror! She was definitely enthusiastic, to say the least. :)

Babysitter in a Box - Restaurant

Walk into any kosher restaurant the week before Pesach and find them brimming with tables of families trying to keep it simple by eating out in an attempt to avoid the last-minute kitchen transformation. While it may save our pre-holiday sanity, taking kids out to dine is not always the easiest of family pursuits - especially when the chosen joint is bustling with heaps of rowdy other children. Keeping the kids happy, settled, fed, and in their seats is likely quite the challenge. Here's a few things to up the fun factor on a public family outing when the menu reads BYOE.

1. Jaq Jaq Bird Chalkboard Placemat

Table tic-tac-toe gets an upgrade from pen and napkin.

2. Hint Mints

After dinner mints that slip into everything - from the slimmest of evening clutches to the most overstuffed of diaper bags.

3. Chopstick Kids

The little rubber rugrats fit over all sorts of chopsticks to tame stubby digits and keep them going for more Lo Mein.

4. Pocket Origami Prints

Reach into your jean pocket and unfold a wreath of Asian artistry - just waiting for shades of  teenybopper color!

5. mOmma Rocking Sippy Cup

When BYOB crosses BYOE.

6. Hello Hanna Get-Set Placemat Sets

With stickers to customize and icons to recognize, these placemats just might teach them a thing or two about dining etiquette... for robots!

7. Strawz

Let them get a little beverage-crazy with these DIY crazy straws.

8. Think-ets

A tiny little trinket tin filled with directions for unlimited game-playing on the go.

9. Food Face Plates

Give peas and spaghetti some serious personality - food never got this much face-time!