Showing posts with label Diva. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Diva. Show all posts

Monday, November 16, 2009

Stoked: I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

Sorry for the delay in posts I broke the screen to my Macbook & have been bummed beyond belief. Today I was feeling pretty craptastic, Flo's in town (so I'm already hormonally emotional & JACKED up!) & I just found out about what happened to that precious, precious baby girl Shaniya Davis & how she was found murdered. The image of her tiny hands holding on to a person she trusted, leading her to her subsequent death is MESSING ME UP beyond words. Why are people so cruel? I wrote an earlier blog about my friend Lee's film "Precious" & how Mo'nique convincingly played the mother from hell but little Shaniya's egg donor takes the crown. I really wish I were in a position where I can help Women & Children everywhere. I really feel like it's my calling, I pray the good Lord will make this dream of mine a reality & no more will innocent lives have to endure such horrible, horrible fates. It's really hard for me to snap out of these moods I emotionally crawl into after hearing such devastating stories, I actually went back to bed. The ugliness that lives inside of people scares me, but then I realized I am one of the lucky ones, I have amazing friends. My friend Lucas Culshaw painted this picture of me. YAY I'm a Culshaw Girl!He like Single Serving's director Mike Kallio work in the Horror industry & the way they view me, care for me, protect me & genuinely want the best for me lifted my spirits today in what I thought I would easily spend the rest of the day numb to life. Lucas even painted this while listening to death metal.. HA! Awesome. I'm a huge fan of pin up girls & there aren't very many Black pin-ups, Vargas, my favorite artist in this genre, only painted four. Don't even get me started again on my excitement that in mere weeks I FINALLY get to see a Black Disney Princess *swooooon* too bad Shaniya won't, there was no one to protect her. OH a piece of me died today, I swear! That poor little girl!

Well I don't really want to go back & forth on the subject of the matter anymore & I'm sure you don't want to read anymore it's such a sad story. The interesting thing about time is how much can happen, how much can change from mere seconds to an eternity & the dichotomy of life. From my perception of horror that crippled me to another who makes a living from horror that lifted my spirits right back up in a matter of minutes, today was most certainly an affirmation for the abundance of blessings I have & an intersting study of what it means to be human. Thank you Lucas. May God bless & keep baby girl Shaniya, I will never forget you. "For Precious girls everywhere" -Lee Daniels

Thursday, November 5, 2009

How We Do: Lucky Girl Surrounded By Love


Here are some pics of my girls & I at David's party. SO bummed I took off my Vampire costume by then & was in full Catering clean up mode but glad to have these moments with my dearest friends on film... I mean digital, you get the gist ... OOOOOOOOOOOH Blogger made some changes I LOVE it!!! I may not jump ship to Wordpress now... NICE!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Brain Food/Ab Work: I Love Being A Girl

Found these two videos that have me tickled pink this morning & I felt like sharing. Have a great week everyone xoxo



Sunday, November 1, 2009

Cooked: Tongue Wrastlin'

How beautiful is this?
On Halloween I went back to my friend David's. He lives in such an amazing home & neighborhood I knew I wanted to be there with him for Halloween to see & scare the bejeezus out of some proper trick or treaters. David like myself LOVES tongue. We decided to swap tongues & have a Tongue-Off. He made a veal tongue with a green sauce I made Beef Tongue in a Veracruz sauce. HA! What's scarier & yummier than tongue?!?!? I think a new Halloween tradition has started, enjoy the pics!

Candy IS dandy


David our Master of Ceremony carried around a shovel & blowhorn & chased the kids in this... terrible!Bribe money for whatever kids we made crap their costume!
Alan waiting for them at the gate!
Bill was in charge of passing the candy. It took 3 hours to turn him into Dr. Manhattan... brilliant!
I LOVED our decorations



I found my costume in the storage unit at my building... so cool! I wasn't even going to dress up this year. It was a size small & I didn't rip it... spank you VERY much Halloween Gods for bestowing this on me... *snort*Yup kid scored some loot.. he pissed himself!
Is there anything scarier than leaf blowers in LA?
Long lines ALL night. The kids emphatically said this was the best house in the whole hood in Hollywood!



Little Red Riding Hood & I rocking the white thigh highs!
Spooky Dinner. Beef Tongue, Red Beans & Rice & Tostones (fried green plantains) Nicole (Little Red) mad the SWEETEST yams I have ever had!!! Great dinner

My favourite (yes I added the U in favorite again... get used to it xo)

Nicole's yamstastic yams! *swoon*

David's green Veal Tongue & my Red Beef Tongue... safe to say it was a tie. Both so different yet so flavorful. His was tangy & savory while mine was decadent & spicy too good for words, honestly
Call me Hot Chocolate, Swiss Miss at your service


Thursday, October 22, 2009

Sound Bite: We've Got The Scoop

"Scoop!" I purr in her ear. Her hips press down into the mat. She exhales in a long drawn out breath, her abdomen is scooped and hollow... squeezing... pulling... drawing in and up.... ahhhhhhhhhhhh yes now in our newest adventure I have the lovely Manouschka fully committing herself in my pilates sessions, I've already got your blood pumping just reading this, huh? Yeah... I am that good.MyNouschka and I will be heading East to spread some holiday cheer/shenanigans. We have 6 weeks to get our butts in gear to become total bombshells, so we are on a strict exercise plan. I am leaving our healthy meal plan up to our glorious goddess of greens, and I will be handling our workouts. We live on opposite sides of town, so when I arrive to work I deliver virtual moral support (read: do this or I WILL find out and I WILL kick your ass) via morning workout regiment emails. I have prescribed an hour of cardio per day, 4 days a week, either in the gym, or around town. I'm tempted to count shoe shopping because nothing gets our hearts racing like a curvy heel, a little toe cleavage, and that peek-a-boo fiery soul! (Sorry boys, our hearts belong to Monsieur Louboutin.), but in the end nothing sculpts like a Pilates session.
In my last post I gave you guys a peek into the lofty world of competitive pole dancing. I have the distinct privilege of teaching these aerial Titanias, and as a fan of the style myself, I can attest that this skill comes at a price. In January of this year I started a pilates instructor certification program, in part to rehab myself, and with the long-term goal of helping others prevent pole shoulder. Akin to frozen shoulder, it is the nemesis of flexibility, and completely debilitating to anyone who needs to extend their arms by their ears for any reason. In essence pilates teaches practitioners to move from their powerhouse (comprised of the abs, lower back, pelvic floor and smile muscles otherwise known as your glutes - smile muscles sound much cuter!), but I've found that people are confused about what the powerhouse really is, and what it means for healthy movement. I once described it thus: having had a martini or two, I looked down at my pinky, which I have a hereditary habit of sticking out when I drink "pilates is knowing how to move your pinky finger with your abs." This got me thinking about all the other movements I would miss that originate from the powerhouse:

1. That little scoop in the belly I do every time I walk by a cutie.2. That little tilt of the head and shy smile I get when I see my crush that says: "Come talk to me."3. The swagger - no explanation necessary!

4. Anything that involves hip movement like salsa dancing, belly dancing or the horizontal tango.
I bet your thinking: Gee, there really are some things I'm gonna miss if I'm not connected to my powerhouse! Well you should try pilates, ladies and gentlemen, and you might learn to feel a thing or two you've never felt before!

Monday, September 28, 2009

Brain Food/Ab Work: Truly Outrageous

Man... I MISS this show, so glad this was on when I was growing up. This had a HUGE influence on me... Girls ROCK!!!


Sunday, September 27, 2009

Sound BITES: A View From the Top by guest contributer Perri Kraus

Here's a wonderful contribution, a sound bite if you will, from one of my FAVORITE writer's Perri Kraus aka "Cupcake". She'll'' cruise by ever so often to contribute a "bite". I am HONORED to have this be her very first contribution to Single Serving Blogs, I look forward to more of her literary delicacies & I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.


A day never used to pass when I wasn’t upside down, sideways, hanging by the seat of my panties, lying on my back, up, down, front split vertical, center split sideways, arched back, bent in half, 360 spinning, and ladies and gentlemen, it was all in 6 inch heels.

Then I hurt myself, and I had to stop pole dancing (you all have dirty minds! What did you think I was talking about?)


I’ve missed being a part of that community so much, that when my favorite Mistress of Meals, Miss Manouschka, gave me the go ahead to contribute to her superb blog, Single Serving, I knew what I had to write about.

When I came to BeSpun I was exercising myself of my most recent relationship. I was in deep, and then he dropped me, so I was going to make every pore cry, until he was gone, and I would never have to think about him again. When I heard about pole dancing classes, I couldn’t resist the poetic justice of getting over this man, and simultaneously learning to attract more. The owner, a 26 year old, out going, big sister type, was more than happy to share her moves and her confidence, and to impart crucial lessons like how to shoot Jack and stay upright in your heels, and why vegetables play a crucial part in this process. (Shout out to balanced meals Noush.)

It didn’t take me long to start coming every day. At first it was simply to distract myself from a broken heart, but it became a challenge. I wanted to master the better, bigger, harder moves. I wanted to make them look effortless. I wanted to put my own style into moving in and out of them. It became my form of expression, that release of frustration that comes from crying or punching a wall, but it was beautiful.

I started teaching about nine months into my own training. I’ve seen girls come to class for any number of reasons, but they all stay for the challenge. This shared challenge has created the most dedicated, badass community I have ever had the pleasure of being a part of. How is this relevant to Single Serving you wonder? Well this is how I met the Sorceress of Sweets, the Virgil of Vegetables: my Manouschka. She came to class with an indomitable attitude, and a smile and a laugh for everyone! She brings the beautiful out of the ordinary. She is the shining paradigm of a pole-dancing student.

So ladies and gentlemen, next time you bend over backwards, somersault, cartwheel, or walk with extra swagger, enjoy it, because you can do it. Don’t sweat the whys or the hows? Love challenges because they let you live more intensely right now.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Brain Food/Ab Work: Mitzi, Mackie & My oh MY!!!

I adore this song from On The Town "And, I can Cook Too" it's the song I have on my website & just really showcases the fabulousness & flexibility that only a Woman could embody. I catered a party last night... 14 hours AND served in my 5 inch Louboutin Pigalles... no less (not work... WERK!), for a young VIBRANT Woman that just completed her residency & this dinner was a way she could say thank you to her friends that supported her on her very bumpy road to the finish line.

More on Dr Strand, her FAB roommate Erika, her dashing father & lively  supportive friends later when I post pics & the story . After 14 straight hours in the kitchen my body is in shock, I decided to stay in bed all day before I hit the bar, yes I am bartending tonight at my old haunt Blue Goose Lounge... SO glad to be back! 

I left the TV on & in my sleep I am awakened by a PBS special on Mitzi Gaynor... HOLY CRAP she is tooo fab for words! AND she is drip-PING in Mackie designs sings "I'm a Woman" with Suzanne Pleshette, has thee most electrical number with 100 Guys... ok, I'm saying WAY too much & still can't find the words just watch this... oh me oh my!

She's just so delightful, I would LOVE to bring back & star in my own Variety Show, wouldn't that be divine? The costumes, the numbers & the entertainment electricity packed into one tiny woman is just to DIE for but  my favorite moment out of them all is when she's being interviewed in present day on PBS for viewer donations & she tells the viewers for a $275 donation she'll come to your home & personally cook for you. 

The guy laughs at her & the look on her face is priceless! After 2 hours of being blown away by her performances & all the stars she had on her show she's like look Buster! "My husband said I am a COOK who just happens to sing & dance!!!" There's a tiny clip on her of her rendition of "And, I Can Cook Too" her outfit is slam-MING a freaking leotard made to look like an apron FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC & I adore the scene in the kitchen sink. OH I just fell out & every time they came back to the studio to ask for donations she wasn't playing about her skills in the kitchen... too FAB! ♥♥♥♥

Without further ado, Ladies & Germs.... the glorious Miss Mitzi Gaynor :


Wednesday, May 27, 2009

How I Roll: Ah Diddle-Dee.. Cabana Life For Me!



For a chick that doesn't know when the next regular check's a comin' in... 16 months deep since I lost my stable gig of 9 years. I tend to live a fabulous life sometimes I've been so focused on Single Serving & new recipes I haven't gone out in a while. I got a gig for 2 weeks hitting all the hottest spots in town to recruit hot promoters & ran into SO many old school faces... even after YEARS things in H-Wood don't change that much.

It was surreal... kind of like I never left except I was 30 lbs heavier & even more bitter about the dating scene & the guys are losing their hair & still dating 23 year olds to feel better about themselves. Speaking about weight, I had not stepped on US soil in a bathing suit since I quit smoking 2 years ago... yikes!

On my random field trips around town I got invited to this hotel pool party on Memorial Day at the W in Westwood, I almost was going to pass it up until I was offered to hang VIP style in a Cabana. I invited my girl Perri, psyched myself up to get in a suit actually numbed myself, posted my apprehension on Facebook, got a ton of supportive people to encourage me, put on the suit, grabbed Perri & a roadie (water bottle filled with Tequila... what? I'm broke not stupid & needed a little more liquid courage!) then we grabbed a double double at In N Out (that's cause I'm broke & gluttonous HELLO 30 friggin' lbs) & it was on like Donkey Kong!

It was PACKED! We had to wait almost 15 minutes to get in & I've known the door guy for 16 years, was "VIP" & invited by 3 separate promoters there... that's how packed it was, no sweat we got in. Now the scariest thing about getting into my suit is that every summer all my friends post their Malibu house party pics & all the trendy cool celebrity filled stuff they can do in a bikini... ARGH! Let me tell you those bitches use photoshop or airbrush themselves... EVERY single chick there had cellulite... it was FABULOUS!!! 

It was so liberating, seeing all of them just comfortable & having a blast, my new dimples fit right in. Perr & I ripped off our outfits & took a strut, her in her gold Tory Burch's me in my Dior's working it around the pool 

2 hours later we had the cabana to ourselves & someone sent us a bottle, we had a flat screen in the cabana & invited people to watch the Lakers game... SO fun! Lindsay & her little sister Ali shared the cabana next to us... it was awesome! 

Perri & I were treated like Princesses & honestly I have never felt better & more comfortable in my skin all year like I did on Memorial Day... SCREW IT what I learned is that you never trust a skinny chef, all cellulite is created equal & does not discriminate & I look dayum good... still! Never again will I shortchange myself nor embrace the changes in my life.

The incomparable Henry Gilbert Stafford III Door Man Extraordinaire!
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Me with Chocolate AND Fudge... WOW!