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That One Time Coachella Almost Killed Me

Dear Everyone Who Went to Coachella Weekend 1, Why didn’t you warn me??? Of course you told me that it was going to be loads of fun, the most exciting experience of my life. What you didn’t tell me was that it would, like, actually kill me. It was a ton of fun and I’m happy I went. But honestly, it was the most exhausting experience of my life. It’s been two days and I still feel like an actual corpse. The weekend started off in a serene, peaceful manner. We went to the ticket tent to grab our shuttle…

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Things In Palm Springs

Dear Gays, Remember that one weekend you all decided to go to Palm Springs at the same time? Yes, I do too. It was last weekend. Apparently there is some sort of antiquated gay party out there (“White Party”?) where everyone dresses in white gogo pants and dances on bleachers whilst being sprayed with toxic foam. Or at least I think that’s what happens. Anyway, I went out to the desert because I wanted a nice break from my crazy life (which has been cuckoo puffs lately, hence the  sparse posting on here). Some of my friends rented a house that…

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Whut Glamour – Carlo Van de Roer

Dear Carlo Van de Roer, Firstly, I love your name. I’m hoping your last name is pronounced RAWR, like a lion roaring. Second, I was browsing 20×200, one of my favorite affordable art sites, when I came across some of your glamorous prints. They basically have everything I need: water, the color aqua, people in bikinis, and dots. There’s really nothing else in the world I care about. Some of your prints are available on 20×200 for as little as $60, which is a total barg if you ask me. Check out Carlo’s 20×200 Store and buy something. I’m going…

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Hey House, I Want You!

Dear Diary, I was browsing Sonoma County real estate the other day, as I often do, when I came across my dream home. It’s crazy, it’s asymmetrical, it’s made of redwood, it’s in the middle of the forest. It’s everything I want. It’s located in Healdsburg, California, which is an adorable town in wine country. And the price is right ($292,000 vs. neighboring properties for 6 million). It’s on 3.2 acres, has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and is on a road that my sister-in-law refers to as “the most beautiful road in Sonoma County.” Oh, and it’s a total piece…

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Color Warriors (of Radness)!

Dear Warriors Of Radness, Sometimes when the cloudy winter weather has me down, I Google images of your clothing and feel better about the world. Everyone knows I love bright colors a little too much. In fact, every time I get dressed, I am accused of being either gay or a woman (one or both of those accusations are true). Not only is Warriors of Radness clothing bright and exciting, it also provides inspiration for some wonderfully playful photographs. Below is a selection of some of my favorite images featuring Warriors of Radness clothing and a collection of uber-glamorous surf…

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I Saw Some Stuff. And So Can You!

Dear San Francisco/New York Snobs, I know you love to discredit LA as a cultureless wasteland of ugly, but I happen to disagree. Sometimes I like to take pictures of the pretty stuff I see every day. Below are a few of those finds. Hollywood. My Apartment, Morning After a Party. Hollywood. The New Library. West Hollywood. Runyon Canyon. Hollywood Hills. Vacant Lot Near My Apartment. Hollywood. (Note the tent in the image below) Hollywood Boulevard. Hollywood. Echo Park. Laurel Canyon Boulevard in a Rainstorm. Hollywood. Laurel Canyon Boulevard at Mullholland. Hollywood Hills. The Sky Above My Apartment Building. Hollywood….

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Sun Day

Dear Diary, I went grocery shopping yesterday and when I got home I was, like, “HARK! Look at how crazy pretty the light is in my apartment!” And then I was like “I should take some pictures of stuff so I can remember how nice and warm everything looks.” It’s been chilly in Los Angeles (I think the temperature dipped below 68 degrees, BRRRR!). Thus, I was happy to get back to my warm, cozy apartment. Here is what my apartment looked like on Sunny Sunday Sun Day: That vintage Interview Magazine is one of my favorite things in the…

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Dollhouse Update / The Backside

Dear Dollhouse, This week saw some progress with your backside. A traditional dollhouse is open only in the front, so I’m closing off the backside of my dollhouse with a huge wall of glass disguised to look like the rotting wall of a barn. Right now all the wood on the roof and side of the house is blond, but it’s going to go aged grey once I stain it the right color. The wall is meant to look like it’s falling, so I made it angled. The angle makes it look a little unstable, but the whole house is…

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Much Ado About Sunglasses

Dear Celebrities, Whenever I find myself wondering what to do, I always look to celebrities for advice. For example, I’ve been looking for new sunglasses lately and I can’t figure out what to buy. So I looked up pictures of fashionable celebrities and now I have a few ideas for sunglasses to purchase. I have a complicated relationship with sunglasses. When I was in high school, I only wore fancy expensive sunglasses. But then I kept breaking/losing them so I decided to ban myself from buying any that cost more than $10. This has had an unexpected side effect that…

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What I’m Going to Eat On Vacation (Sydney, Australia)

By Contributing Food Editor Jared Levan Dear Daily Grind, It is with great pleasure that I inform you of my brief (but not too brief) leave of absence. At the request of my good friend, Whitney, I have consented–with little to no coercion–to a two-week vacation to the glorious land down-under. And while I will declare to customs my trip is a holiday, I can’t help but think of this trip as work-related…to some degree. I will eat, after all, and I will undoubtedly (yet willingly) describe what I eat–how it looks and how it tastes–in unfettered detail. So what…

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Orlando’s Obsession / New Canaan Moderns

Dear My Former Professor Ellis Hanson, One of my favorite classes I took in college was English 276: Desire. That class was awesome, basically just an excuse for you to put on bondage gear and give outrageous lectures about sex. I took this course my senior year so much of my time was spent sitting in the back of the lecture hall talking to my friend Matt about our impending moves to New York City and about how after tiring of city life we’d move to New Canaan, Connecticut to retire and live with our rich husbands and blond children….

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Whut Glamour / Griffith Observatory

Dear Griffith J Griffith, I’d like to thank you for Griffith Park and The Griffith Observatory. Sometimes when I’m having a crazy week I take a drive up to the observatory and walk around just to calm down and stare at the giant city I live in. I have been to the observatory a million times, but I’ve never seen a planetarium show so I decided to visit last week to check one out. The star shows are pretty cheesy, but they’re totally old-school and informative and will leave you freaking out about how tiny we are in comparison to…

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Rugs Not Drugs!

Dear Friends, I think I have a rug problem. It’s like whenever I’m not on rugs all I can think about is getting more rugs. And then when I’m not on rugs I all I think about is rugs. And then my friends show me their rugs and how they’re using them, I just want to go out and steal/sell bikes so I’ll have more money to spend on rugs. I’m a total rug addict. It started out slow, I put a rug in my living room. But that rug was just the gateway rug, and now I can’t stop….

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The New Vegetarian (Who’s Not a Vegetarian)

By Contributing Food Editor Jared Levan Dear Meatless Monday Lovers, Like you, I occasionally dabble in vegetarianism. Not out of respect for the animal–though I respect those who live and eat by that philosophy–but because, sometimes, I just want to. And because I truly feel that vegetarian cuisine doesn’t have to be as boring as everyone thinks it is, my hat goes off to you, Mr. Yotam Ottolenghi (pictured above). While he’s not a practicing vegetarian, he does manage to create delicious recipes that could make you want to quit meat. Originally from Israel, Ottolenghi now graces the UK with…

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What I Do When I’m Left Alone (I’m Scared)

Dear Diary, Do you know what normal people do when they are left alone? They watch movies, make soup, and pet their dogs. I, on the other hand, rearrange my entire apartment on a daily basis. In fact, just yesterday I woke up and realized the that my bedroom needed a little bit of attention. So naturally I spent the next three hours rearranging the top of my dresser (which is ugly, by the way, needs to be lacquered in a hip color but I can’t decided what). Below are the results of my playtime. Here is what the top…

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Homme Sweet Homme – Paul Newman

Dear Paul Newman, Because of the Old Hollywood theme of last night’s Oscars, I have classic movie stars on my brain. I’ve been playing with a theory for a while now and I thought a cloudy Monday would be the ideal time to make it public. My theory is that you are the most attractive and stylish human being that ever lived. Here is the evidence: It doesn’t hurt that you were buddies with one of my favorite writers ever (Gore Vidal) or that you created a great brand of organic foods (Newman’s Own). Your face, your clothes, your career….

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Outdoortimez in the City

Dear Cities, You know, I love living in a bustling city filled with people from all over. But lately, I’ve been feeling cooped up. All I do every day is drive around searching for stuff. Which is fun. But sometimes I just want to get away from everything. Normally, when I feel this way I go visit my parents in the forest where I grew up. But work has prohibited getting away lately so I’ve been craving some time away from the crowds, outside in nature. This week, Emily is hosting some web shows for HGTV so I’ve been helping…

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Dollhouse Update: Done? Not Even Close!

Dear Dollhouse, We’ve had a tumultuous relationship. At first, I loved you hard. I worked so dilligently on you and was so excited to see you. Now, I fall into the fetal position an start crying every time I hear the word “Dollhouse.” I’m not saying that working on the dollhouse isn’t the funnest thing I’ve ever done in my whole entire life, I’m just saying that my life is devoid of the kind of “free time” that would be conducive to contributing the necessary time to my beloved dollhouse. Anyway, I have made a bit of progress with the…

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What is a Food Stylist Anyway?

By Contributing Food Editor Jared Levan Dear Non-Food Stylists, I would like to set the record straight on what exactly we, as food stylists, do for you and your endless love of food. Though you may not realize, food as you know it could not be the same devoid the skills we employ to practically every photo shoot or TV show you’ve ever seen. For example, do you think the limes in this photo just happened to fall into frame and angle themselves perfectly in respect to the light source? Nope. Did this perfect sprig of cilantro trim and place…

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Fun With Fashion: Hippie Weirdo Artist Glamour

Dear Fashion World, I go through phases with fashion. Sometimes, I’m preppy. Sometimes, I’m casual. And sometimes I want to dress like a crazy misunderstood artist. Right now I’m feeling a strong attraction to anything casual or hippie-inspired. I just want to put on some comfortable, soft, flowing clothing with a lot of layers and sit at a coffee shop talking about my feelings to anyone who will listen. The following looks are from Diesel Black Gold. For more Diesel Black Gold looks go here. These three exciting ensembles are from Acne. These looks incorporate one small hippie nod (the…

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Shopping With Emily (Without Emily)

Dear You, Firstly, I’d just like to thank you for being you. Secondly, I’d like to let you know about a super exciting post I just wrote for Emily’s blog. Go check out Shopping With Emily! Love, Orlando

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Whut Glamour – Richard Haines Fashion Illustrations

Dear Artist & Illustrator Richard Haines, I was perusing the style section of the NYT recently when I came across some of your fashion illustrations. They reminded me of how much I love your work and how much joy I get from looking at the drawings you create. Seeing them makes me want to be transported into a cartoon world where everything is as gorgeous and appealing as it is in your work. The line quality, the casual yet refined rendering style, the lovely washes of color. It all makes me so happy. Thanks for making such pretty illustrations. Thanks also…

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Why It’s Okay To Be Sad About Whitney

Dear Diary, I was in the car on Sunday after the Rose Bowl Flea Market and a Whitney medley came on the radio. At which point tears started streaming down my face. I was a little confused as to what I was so upset about. After all, it’s not like I was besties with Whitney Houston or that I was one of her biggest fans. Quite the contrary, I made fun of her crazy antics along with everyone else. But upon further investigation I’ve decided what bothers me so much about her death is the loss of something so beautiful,…

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Chili: The “Gumbo of the Midwest”

By Contributing Food Editor Jared Levan Dear Chili, We’ve historically recognized you as a spicy stew made of beef, red chilies/chili powder, tomatoes and beans, but these days it seems you’ve lost that straight-forward sense of identify. When you look at any number of recipes today, the combinations aren’t limited to just beans and beef. On the contrary, the combinations are practically endless yet they all retain the name chili. Some have meat and no beans. Some have vegetables and no meat or beans…it reminds me of gumbo, actually. A wise man once described gumbo to me as follows: “If…

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