Hancock Park Homes: John Barrymore

One family that has been rooted in show business for generations is the Barrymore clan. Fittingly, John Barrymore, Drew's grandfather, would have a piece of Hancock Park history. An original movie star, it only makes sense that he'd own a house found in the original upscale neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Today, Hancock Park is nestled within the hustle and bustle of a largely expaneded city but still maintains the same charm that drew buyers nearly a century ago. To learn more about Hancock Park, check out my Ashley Olsen, Sean Hayes, and Shonda Rhimes posts.

The John Barrymore Home

Features - built in 1918, 6,300 sq. ft., hand-carved mahogany paneling, and stained-glass windows.

Barrymore divorced soon after purchasing the home and never moved in.

Which of the four Hancock Park homes that I featured this week did you like the best? Personally, I'm torn between this one and Sean's...and Shondra's!



Photos courtesy of: Luxist

Ardent Reverie Giveaway Winner

Thank you to all who entered to win an awesome beanie from Ardent Reverie! The winner randomly selected was...Jenna from a little blue. Congrats :)

Be sure to check out a little blue if you haven't yet - it's an awesome blog and I love how Jenna sign off each post with an inspirational quote. Too cute!

If you didn't win this giveaway, don't be discouraged. There are two more in March! Be sure to stop by next Tuesday for another giveaway from another Etsy shop, Snobish Design.

Hancock Park Homes: Shondra Rhimes

Continuing with this week's theme, "Grey's Anatomy" producer Shonda Rhimes is the next Hancock Park feature. She's just one of the countless celebrities who have called the neighborhood home in the past century since it was established. For more information on this Los Angeles jewel, check out my first Hancock Park post. This time around, let's take a peek at Shonda's place.

Features - five-bedroom Mediterranean built in 1926, 4,920 square feet, and carved stone moldings.

Shonda still calls Hancock Park home.

We're going to finish the week up with John Barrymore (Drew's grandpa) tomorrow!

Photos courtesy of: Luxist

Hancock Park Homes: Sean Hayes

If you caught my last post, you know that I am going to feature celebrity homes from my favorite neighborhood, Hancock Park, all week. Just to recap the last post, this section of Los Angeles is located between Melrose and Wilshire - totally out of place in the city. The first "it" neighborhood, this charming area of LA has always been home to the rich and famous.

Today is all about the Hancock Park home of Sean Hayes, aka Jack McFarland from "Will & Grace". Hancock Park is a LA neighborhood that you wouldn't expect to come across. Entering the area, it's as if you take a step back into time. Manicured lawns, big houses, 1920s charm. If you want a longer explanation, check out the past two posts. Let's take a look at Sean's home.

Features - Tudor style, four bedrooms, marble and wood master bathroom, and wood-paneled office.

Sean purchased the home in 2001 and put in on the market in 2008.

Up tomorrow, Shondra Rhimes of "Grey's Anatomy".

Photos courtesy of: Luxist

Hancock Park

Situated between Melrose Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard lies the exclusive neighborhood of Hancock Park. Ever heard of it? Although not as popular as the Beverly Hills, Hollywood Hills, or the Bel-Air districts, I, personally, would prefer to live in this area much more. Most of the homes were built around the 1920s and possess a charm that cannot be replicated today.

The first time I stumbled through Hancock Park it was like I took a step back in time. Located right in the middle of congested LA (you can see the Hollywood sign in the first pic) lies this oasis where the streets are lined with picturesque palm trees, vintage street lights, and grandiose homes with large, lush yards. It's the exact opposite of what you'd expect in a big city.

Back in the day this was the place to live. Far before the rich and famous resided in Beverly Hills, Hancock Park was home to countless celebrities. In fact, it still is today. As to avoid a super long post, over the next week I am going to give a look into celebrity Hancock Park homes.

Let's check out Ashley Olsen's Hancock Park house.

Features - Spanish style, three-bedroom, built in 1926, and tiled pool and spa.

Ashley purchased the home in 2007 and put it on the market in 2010.

My next post will feature Sean Hayes of "Will and Grace" so be sure to check back in tomorrow!

Photos courtesy of: Getty Images via ShelterPop and Luxist

Monique Lhuillier: Spring 2011

Beautiful. Elegant. Whimsical. Monique Lhuillier Spring 2011.

Enter my latest giveaway here!

Photos courtesy of: MBFashionWeek.com

Ardent Reverie Giveaway

Etsy is an ever-growing site dedicated to bringing handcrafted and vintage treasures to consumers. I've purchased several different times and am always pleased with both the quality and uniqueness of the items.

That's why I am super excited to announce my latest giveaway, courtesy of Etsy shop, Ardent Reverie!

The shop, owned by Meghan and Melanie, first caught my eye last week when I saw their Northern Lights Headband (pictured below).

Melanie was kind enough to give me an interview about the shop:

When did you create your shop and what motivated to?

My sister, Meghan, and I opened our Ardent Reverie shop on October 2009. We've always been the crafty type every since we were young but on a whim we wanted to share our work and see how we would do among the handcrafting community.

Where do you get inspiration for the items you make?

We get inspiration from anything and everything. Sometimes we'll hear a song and it'll trigger something in us, or we'll be on a trip and fall in love with the vibe of that place and create something to bring out its aesthetics. Just recently my sister saw a dress on a celebrity and loved the colors and used that to create a hair piece.

Why should every woman accessorize?

I feel that accessories are vital to a woman's wardrobe. It's that finisher that pulls an outfit together, I often throw on whatever clothing I can find, and while the outfit may be drab, when I add the right accessories it actually looks like I took time to think and plan my outfit.

Melanie and Meghan at the RAWards

Anything else you'd like to add that you'd like readers to know?

My sister and I recently won best accessories artist of the year at the RAWards (indie artist award show). Part of our winnings was a one month consignment at Fred Segal in Santa Monica, so customers should keep an eye out for that.

Here's your chance to own an Ardent Reverie piece. One lucky reader will win a Cable Knit Beanie in their color of choice. It's the perfect winter accessory!

Mandatory entry: become a Google Friend Connect follower of Join the Gossip AND visit Ardent Reverie and select the beanie color you'd choose if you won.


Extra entires for (one comment for each please):
-Fan Ardent Reverie on Facebook
-Fan Join the Gossip on Facebook
-Visit Ardent Reverie's Web site or Etsy Site and pick your fav item
-Follow Ardent Reverie on Twitter
-Follow Join the Gossip on Twitter
-Tweet about this giveaway - you can use the following tweet if you don't feel like making one up:

#Giveaway on @jointhegossip! Enter to win an @ArdentReverie1 beanie here: http://tinyurl.com/6her57c

That's a total of seven entries! Do one, do three, do 'em all if you'd like. One winner will be selected on Friday, February 25. Sorry, only open to U.S. residents. Good luck :)




Photos courtesy of: Ardent Reverie

Three Little Owls

I recently came across the cutest necklace by Felt Your Heart Beat Jewelry! "Three Little Owls" came up on my Facebook feed (if you haven't yet, like me on FB please ;) and I had to investigate. When I headed over to the Etsy shop, here's what I saw:

Measurements

Pendant

5.5 cm wide
4.5 cm tall

Black Chain

.3 cm wide
76 cm long

This is adorable, right?! The perfect statement piece for only $18! There are so many more wonderful items on the site. You should definitely head over and take a peek at all of the goodies.




Photos courtesy of: Felt Your Heart Beat Jewelry

Hello, Lovah!

Valentine's Day by LeeannM

Despite the fact that I am single - on the holiday dedicated to lovers - I still adore all of the pink and red hues, hearts, and chocolates that come along with Valentine's Day!

Thank God for The Bachelor, 90210, Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, Hawaii 5-O, and The Bad Girls Club plus a bottle of pinot noir and my pup, Coco, to keep my mind off the fact that I will be manless on V Day. And yes, every Monday I watch all of those shows. In fact, I had to cut House, Chase, and Harry's Law because my DVR won't record 27 million shows in one night. I may or may not be addicted to Monday night TV.

Anyhoo, if I were to get all dolled up to spend the night with a loved one, this would be my outfit of choice. Simple, yet elegant. I think it's romance that doesn't shout "Look at me! Look at me!"

And how amazing are the Jimmy Choo Cosmic black leather sequined pumps pictured above? As soon as I get an extra $646 they will be mine ;) Now that's what I call a Valentine!

What I {love}

All week I've been wanting to participate in the "All You Need is Love" blog challenge and I'm finally linking up! I first noticed that it was taking place during one of my visits to the wonderful blog, The Perfect Compilation Tape, and I knew I wanted in. These ladies who are hosting the challenge have posed love related questions all week and have invited people to answer them on their blog, then link up.

So here I go...

What I {love} about my friends is...

That they go see my fav bands with me, not becuase they love the group, but because they know I do.

They explore with me.

That they crack me up.

That they've been there for years.

That they are always there to celebrate with me.

That they move away but let me come visit.

That they are all unique but we fit perfectly together.

If you want to participate, head on over to A Careless Man's Careful Daughter and play along!

Justified

Deputy U.S. Marshall, Raylan Givens, is finger-lickin' good, just like Kentucky Fried Chicken!

Who else is with me? I know there are other Justified fans out there!

Last night the second season of the FX drama premiered and my little crush on the main character, Raylan, played by Timothy Olyphant, multiplied by like a million. I never knew I was attracted to cowboys. Seriously hot. How did I not notice this God of a man like 10 years ago when he played the villain in Scream 2?

Cheryl of Oh to Be a Muse pointed out that he looks like the better version of Josh Duhamel. I'm torn on that statement because I have loved me some Josh since he played Leo on All My Children. I think they can pass as brothers though, equally hot and desirable.

Back to the point...the show is based around a Lexington, Kentucky man of the law who you don't want to cross. A respectable Marshall, Givens doesn't go out looking for a fight, he's the one who ends it. Although he talks with a slow, southern twang, you know he means business. And the cowboy hat and boots pretty much confirm he's the last of his kind.

If you aren't already on the Justified bandwagon, I suggest you hop on. You'll find it on FX Wednesday nights at 10 pm.

One last thing before I go - did I mention that Mr. Olyphant is a looker? Hehe OK you get the point, I am obsessed with him and may need to restrain myself from stalking him since rumor has it he dines at a local eatery here in LA. Plus he does have a family and that'd just be wrong.

Photo courtesy of: FX

Global Soul

LA has about a bazillion food trucks. Literally, there are trucks for just about everything you can think of from grilled cheese sandwiches to red velvet pancakes. And with truck names like The Greasy Wiener and The Shrimp Pimp, how can they not be popular?

My favorite Hollywood bakery, Frosted Cupcakery, hosts Food Tuck Thursdays which is held weekly. They invite a food truck to set up shop in their parking lot, allowing customers to try new food trucks and get amazing cupcakes. Um, hello perfect lunch!

Last week I got to check out Global Soul and I was quite pleased. There is certainly a mixture of cultures present in the food (hence the name), making for a unique and satisfying dining experience. Global Soul originated in SF and made their way down the coast to LA to opened armed Angelinos who are literally eating them up.

For my dining experience, I ordered the veggie quesadilla and the shrimp toasties. Both were good but the toasties were awesome! So different from anything I've ever tasted. Basically the dish is made of huge shrimp, a soft, biscuit-like bread, red pepper flakes, and Asian curry (don't quote me on that last one, that's what my co-worker said and I've never had Asian curry). The combo was so delicious!

Shrimp Toastie

Veggie Quesadilla

My co-worker ordered a (pork?) sandwich

If you live in the LA area and Global Soul is coming to your hood, I recommend you check them out. In addition to the tasty food, the ladies who own the truck are super nice! You can check out their schedule on Twitter and Facebook.

I Love the Beach

Today (Monday, Feb. 7 - I'm posting waaay late in the day) is my dad's 50th birthday! I couldn't ask for a better papa! Although he's half a century old, he still kicks ass. He's more athletic than most guys my age. Runs faster, is stronger...he is just an all-around superhero ;)

Here's a pic of my dad and me in Tulum, Riviera Maya. It's the most gorgeous beach I have ever visited. It's actually the subject of a guest post written by me over at Beach Junkies, a great new blog that is running a feature "I ♥ the beach", and they were nice enough to invite me to participate.

Please be sure to read my I ♥ the beach feature! While you're there, check out the past features. There are some really cool destinations listed.

Take Me Home Tonight

Tonight I had the pleasure and privilege of attending an advanced screening of the soon-to-be-released movie, "Take Me Home Tonight". Starring Topher Grace and Anna Faris, the movie is set in 1988 Los Angeles and is a real throwback to the 80s film genre, complete with pining love, a crazy sidekick, and totally rad tunes! No, literally I want the soundtrack...although the film's namesake song "Take Me Home Tonight" by Eddie Money was noticeably missing. Bummer!

I was lucky enough to attend the screening which was held at the MGM Studios in Los Angeles thanks to an invite by the wonderful Yolanda of Single Mama in LA. It was pretty amazing to be in there. The theater where we watched the film had over-sized leather seats and was reminiscent of a 1920s theater. We were pretty sure that's where important people go to screen films. For just under two hours, we felt pretty important, too.

Before the movie started Toper Grace, who also worked as a producer, introduced the film to the eager audience. He definitely has the same wit and charm that many of his onscreen characters do. Quick and clever. He's also sort of cute in a way.

The movie was entertaining and I'd give it 3 out of 5 stars. Not only did it make me laugh, it also made me think about my life. Matt Franklin, the main character played by Grace, spends the film trying to decide what to do with his life after college graduation. We've all been there. I am pretty sure I am there now.

I really think the best movies are those that you ponder after they are over, and this one did that for me. It made me realize that it's important to go for what you want and make things happen.

As opposed to giving away the whole movie, I'll let you all watch it for yourselves. "Take Me Home Tonight" will be in US theaters March 4, 2011. Check it out!

Cue Eddie Money...

Photo courtesy of: Fusion Mag and IMBD

Life in the Golden State

Lauren Conrad epitomizes the California girl. Having grew up in Orange County and now conquering LA and beyond, she's certainly a style icon. She has gorgeous hair. To this day, one of my most searched posts is one that I did about the famous "Lauren Conrad braid". She did it, I did it, you probably did it. It was adorable!

Once a bleached blonde, LC now has more of a natural sun kissed glow. It's almost a reversed blonde. The lightest hair starts at the her ends and gradually gets darker, closer to the scalp. As a result, she has permanent, classy roots as opposed to pesky, trashy roots. I don't mean to offend anyone - I've done those roots...more times than I want to admit to you or myself.

Recently I switched hair dressers and little did I know that'd mean a whole new look for me. I went in to have my dark roots touched up to match the rest of my white hair...yeah, not blonde, white. The amazing Michele, owner of Rock Paper Salon in Echo Park, spent an hour just discussing my hair with me. After explaining that the bleach was damaging my hair so badly that strands could snap off at the root at any moment, I was all in for whatever repair route she had in mind. Me bald? Not a good look.

I had always been into LC and Jennifer Aniston's hair and we agreed that it'd work well with my complexion so we decided to go for it. Now this process is not easy. I've spent over 10 years bleaching at the root. Whenever there is any growth it looks horrible; however, I had to bite the bullet and we stayed away from plastering dye on the scalp. Instead, Michelle worked her ass off incorporating six, yes S-I-X, shades of blonde and carmel into my hair with minimal scalp contact. Although I didn't get my roots touched up like normal, that didn't matter. My hair still looked a million times better. It also helped that she spent about an hour cutting my hair to emphasize each of the new shades. She explained the process so simply: it's like playing pool. Although you may be tempted to take the first shot, you've got to set yourself up for the rest of the game. You don't want to be forced to shoot the 8 ball too soon. Translation: it would be easy to put a ton of color on the roots to make it look perfect, but that wouldn't get my color to where we want it. It needs to gradually fade.

This week I went back in for round two and it looks even better this time around. If this is the transition of bleached to golden hair, I can't even imagine how amazing my 'do will be when she's done. With her talents, I am confident that Michelle will have my hair looking like that of LC. (Side note: true story, The Hills theme song just came on Pandora LOL!)

I'm way excited that I've found Michelle! If you live in the LA area I highly suggest you make an appointment with her. She genuinely cares about hair and her clients. Her goal is to make them look and feel good and she does a fantastic job doing both!

For more information about Michelle and Rock Paper Salon, visit their site or call (213)-250-0900.

Photos courtesy of: Just Jared, HoneyMag.com, backseatcuddler.com, and examplehairstyles