The Oscar Gold Gleams at Sprinkles

All photos and video by Barbara Navarro.

After a full year of watching (or not watching) great movies and living through the hurly-burly of the writers' strike, we've finally made it to the day before the Oscars. With all this, I was especially delighted to hear about Sprinkles Cupcakes' Red Carpet flavor and hurried over to the Bevely Hills hotspot for my sweetest, non-celebrity way to celebrate the Oscars. I'll be looking forward to seeing James McAvoy and Keiry Knightley, the stars of "Atonement;" Jason Reitman, Diablo Cody and Ellen Page, the director, fierce screenwriter and star of "Juno;" and Marion Cotillard, the great actress from "La Vie En Rose."

For a full list of the categories and nominees, please visit the offical Oscars website.

Also, you can vote for your favorite movie in my first ever poll (find it on the right). The question is: Who will take the Oscar statue for Best Picture? *Update: Polling is over. Read about the results.*

(To get your own batch of cupcakes, and perhaps somewhere way more local, read my previous post on Frosted Cupcakery by clicking here.)

Who are you mostly looking forward to seeing at tomorrow's 80th Annual Academy Awards ceremony?

I Am What I Read

Whenever I return to Book Soup on Sunset, the rejuvenation process for me pushes fast forward. I love this place, inside and out (literally!). There's an outside area that houses a wealth of magazines that I constantly return to. They're stocked with anything from local tastemakers to rare international rags. Inside is just as pleasing, with tall, black bookshelves filled with all the newest, glossiest books. And, as funny as this may sound, I really dig their bathroom. The floor squeaks in there and it sounds just right; the lighting, bright and perfect; and the walls are decorated with blue, bubbly graffiti. I love the filth. Just love it.

To further celebrate my admiration of those ubiquitous magazine stands I love so much, I've chronicled a picture collection of all of my favorite magazines (and other reads). These are the publications that I love, and I strongly recommend you pick them up and read them, too!

1 - Anthem Magazine

I've been obsessed with Anthem Magazine for about a year or two (their aesthetic is so clean and modern), and more recently I've been even more obsessed with their editor-in-chief, Dustin Beatty (who is so cute and actually a CSULB grad). I definitely recommend checking out their newly re-launched website, where the mag's featuring Comme des Garçons and the Liars as an online exclusive. (Dustin blogs quite frequently on there, too!)

2 - My high-fashion amassment of girly mags.

Hot to hottest: Michelle Williams on the cover of Interview; Mandy "Candy" Moore on TeenVogue; Natalie Portman, Allure; La Lohan on Elle; and some fabulous Katie Holmes-looking supermodel on Harper's Bazaar.

3 - The everyday stuff.
a. b. c.

a. Oooh... I only buy the LA Times when I know an Image section is included. I'm into their Calendar, Arts & Music and Travel sections, too. But something about Image clicks with me on an entirely different level. b. Metromix is a new raggy weekly that I found in LA just yesterday. I was very pleased with the abbreviated bits of articles in there, mostly because they were short enough for me to read while in traffic. c. Celine, Kerouac and Plath. Currently, bedside. There's always a space for Bukowski and Fante, Levertov, Neruda and Octavio Paz, too.

My infatuation with book stores and books themselves is true. Click here to visit my story on Long Beach's Acres of Books, which appeared in the Daily Forty-Niner on Monday, Jan. 28, 2008.

All photos and video by Barbara Navarro.

So, what do you read?

Retired Material

Considered Connoisseur: From Feb. 4 to Feb. 21
Many of us say we’re passionate about music, fashion, film and art. But how many of us can truly call ourselves compassionate admirers? At least one CSULB student cares… It’s Melissa Tanney, the newly named arts commissioner for the Associated Student, Inc. Tanney says that her main objective is to raise the attendance of the various art events on campus this semester. This school has one of the most diverse student bodies in the US and that, says Tanney, should make things interesting. Tanney currently lives in Riverside, is an English major with a concentration in creative writing, recalls Thomas Woodruff’s show at the University Art Museum her favorite of the fall season, and she belly dances.
Photo by Barbara Navarro.

'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' was just, well, horrible! (Part 1 of 2)

Attending the last performance of the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” at the Queen Mary two weeks ago was such a dreadful process! The initial appeal was irresistible as Kristen, the diversions editor, and I debated back and forth for days why this would be the show to attend out of the rest and whether it would be her or I to report on this last-show hurrah.

The reasons to attend suddenly became more obvious, and I (unfortunately) ended up going.

For one, I thought, this would be the last show put on at the Queen Mary, since, according to press releases, the Queen Mary’s management suddenly and “without cause” terminated all rights for the performance troupe, Midnight Insanity, to continue its residence at the Royal Theater. The logic there was simple.

And, secondly, my interest to seeing this show peeked when I read that the troupe would be heading next to the Warner Grand across the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro, my hometown.

But since attending the show, I can’t help but question Kristen’s, or anybody’s entertainment tastes when they tell me they’re into this “Rocky Horror” cult phenomenon. Kristen, I should point out, added extra sentiment to the bizarre performance by telling me a romantic story about her parents’ fantastical moments of dancing and singing with kooky cast members, all while her parents fell in love and eventually married. She, too, has a sweet spot for these shows.

The evening at the Queen Mary for this 1,127th performance show started off, well, rocky. As my friends noted, it all started going downhill the moment I asked for the coat-check closet.

Things like that just didn’t exist in places like this. And in fact, my friends and I were obviously overdressed for a night that had temperatures dipping into the 40s. We wore dark slacks and long-sleeved shirts while every other girl (the great majority the unattractive size of Beth Ditto) wore fishnet stockings and bustiers four sizes too small.

Story to be continued...

As bad as it looks! The video and photo above shows Riff Raff directing "Rocky" virgins in their inaugural dance.

Dr. Frank-N-Furter plays with his own special "boy toy" Rocky in these pictures. In the picture on the left, you can see Janet ("Slut!") stranded awkwardly to the side.


Only certain people were clued in as to what happened during the Time Warp.

All photos and video by Barbara Navarro.

My Songs for Valentine's

All photos taken from the Internet.

I rehearse in the shower and train in front of the mirror. But if I had a honey bunny for Valentine's I would keep those lyrics nearer.

Here are just a few of the songs that always inspire romance for me...

1 - Bjork, "Venus as a Boy"
2 - French Kicks, "Oh Fine" or "Close to Modern"
3 - Interpol, "The Specialist" or "Song Seven"
4 - Prince, "Pink Cashmere"
5 - Sigur Rós, "Glósóli"
6 - Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions, "On the Low"
7 - Bebel Gilberto, "Samba da Benção"

Valentine's is almost everyday for us romantic types. ;)