Surround Yourself With the Positive

"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great." Mark Twain

I can feeeeeeeeeeeeeel the planetary changes. Feeling very in tune with the universe and humanity.

It was 4 years ago

This very week. Maybe tonight. A year past knowing 2003.

In a city full of lights. A place I'd always detested until then.

After fun and laughter with friends. Late into night, early in the morning.

It was all told to me.

Under a bright spotlight, amidst painted ladies, fake smiles, and lost souls.

I naively dismissed it all. But of course was intrigued.

There was a crazy and horrible and beautiful story that followed.



I smile in that melancholy way, looking back at the naive honesty laid out to me. A smile in a knowing way. The way I was told repeatedly I would someday. When this story would be just another one I'd tell about times and people past.

A different world then. A different person now. Perhaps more of a woman. Certainly more evolved.

Love. Life. Timing.

Some regrets? Yes. For bad timing. For the others in the mix who were certainly hurt. And for a dear friendship now lost. But just for me, what can I really say? I still feel we should all go with our hearts into this world, no matter the things or people or instances that trespassed against before. Its all a beautiful journey. Je ne regrette rien, non.

My friend or Figaro?

Me and my spicy date decided to try something new in Los Feliz.

Mes Ami on Vermont. Now you all know how I've loved Figaro for years. But we were in the mood for something new, and I heard the original owners of Figaro are the ones who opened Mes Ami recently?

How many French restaurants does one need within 1 small block? I noticed on Saturday that Figaro was crowded for late lunch, as was Mes Ami. Tonight Figaro was crowded for dinner, while Mes Ami had much more breathing room.

They were out of the Cotes du Rhone I wanted, but the wine suggested by our waiter was very enjoyable. The food was quite good, though rather slow in coming out. My date enjoyed the foie gras from the scallop entree we shared. The scallops were absolutely gorgeous. And the polenta was great. The desserts (we shared crepes with nutella & pear as well as a chocolate souffle) were really amazing.

Mes Ami seems more family style and they have a great menu enfant with all sorts of choices for the kiddies. For the grown-ups, not as many choices for non-meat eaters as Figaro. Overall, the decor was nice, but not our style. And though I had a slightly grumpy waiter the last time I dined at Figaro (honestly--the first time that EVER happened in all the times I've dined there) I missed the proper antique silverware, zinc bar, mirrors, and the overall Figaro experience. If my parents were in town, I think Mes Ami would be wonderful. Or maybe just to have wine and quiet conversation, its good. But Mes Ami--its just not as sexy as Figaro.

I do it well

You HAVE to watch the video!

I love being a geisha. When I was in Japan with the girls, we shared not only our happy American spirit with the Japanese male models and rugby players, but I also felt compelled to teach key English phrases. Here, you can learn from my Japanese friend. She's as good an actress as I.
Have you prepared your memo pad?


A real crowd pleaser! Come on, Toshi. Come on!

What I Dream "Fashion" Should Be

Dear, darling, crazy, inspiring John Galliano for Dior couture.

Impeccable detail carried throughout. Inspiration in every sense, from the volumnous dresses, the hats, the touches of tortoiseshell and kind of looks like an actual turtle shell, the hair, the amazing makeup, and those shoes that I must have. Check the detail shots on Style.com for more.

The "real" fashion experts will give their official reviews. This humble girl is just in utter admiration of this modern genius.

Today is Caleb's Birthday

My little aquarian star.
Back there in Virgina. He's double digits now. The big 1-0. How did that happen? Its gone by so fast. He's so amazing. So loving. So smart. And also so adult sarcastic at times, like our father.
A new bike, new Wii games, laser tag, and the cool Quiksilver tide watch from "the best sister in the world" as he says. There is nothing so real and so deep as love from a child.

He discovered tide watches at the surf shop when we were on vacation in August. He's always loved digital and mechanical things, and of course loves the ocean like me.
That love of saltwater is deeply shared in our blood. He thinks its the coolest that he can check out the low and high tides in so many different places--somehow knowing the time of tides nearest to my home make me seem not so far away to him. He loves that is also shows the current phase of the moon :)
I just think he's the coolest. I miss him.....

PLUTO HASN'T BEEN IN THIS SPOT SINCE 1762

On the spot horoscope. I was feeling on Friday how odd it was that there was actually no drama. At all. A smooth-running yet busy day in which I felt efficient and balanced. And kind of that way the day before as well.... Jeremy said there was a big change going on with Pluto, so I looked into it. http://www.astrologyandbeyond.com/ Kind of amazing.

FOR EVERYONE WEEK OF: January 21-27
This week Pluto, the planet of rebirth, power, money and revolution will, for the first time since 1762 move in with the pragmatic, fair and ambitious sign of Capricorn. Astrological legend goes that 236 years ago, this powerful Astrological transit created the perfect Cosmic landscape for the American Revolution, based on the concept of freedom and equality for all!

Libra: Sept 23 - Oct 22 Weekly Horoscope by Cheryl lee Terry

If you feel that life has become a grind, why not take advantage of this week's social vibrations? Around Tuesday's romantic Leo Full Moon, pamper yourself, treat yourself to a small luxury and plan a self-indulgent evening -- or a quiet date for two.

CosmicNews: Pluto, planet of rebirth and transformation, will begin a fifteen-plus year transit of ambitious and grounded Capricorn. This new transit will start a renovation project on your lifestyle and attitude, designed to help you gain your independence and distance yourself from people, circumstances or attitudes that no longer fit into your evolving definition of happiness. With thoughtful consideration and time, relationships that you don't want to leave behind (like family or old friends) can be transformed into new and even more vital and loving bonds.

This is a wonderful Pluto transit, and Helen Keller sums it up with these powerful words: "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength un-defeatable."

Mini KARL! Only 1,000. Johnny: 1 in a Million.

A little mini-Karl. OMG! The lovelies at Colette are bringing this amazing little piece to us. He'd be really cute next to my Star Wars Pez collection.

And in other France-related news...... No, I'm not going to talk about the political impact Carla Bruni may be having on the newly elected French president. Please. This blog is not about such substance as that. My dear future baby-daddy whenever he rids himself of Vanessa Paradis (Johnny Depp), just made downtown LA that much cooler by purchasing the penthouse of the Eastern building as I learned last night from Ev@risto. Seriously? A compliment to his portfolio of real estate ranging from his mainstay in Paris to property in the Carribean and now our humble downtown. As I stared at the beautiful architecture of the building on our way to the Broadway bar, I thought of the way it reminds me of Egyptian revival jewelry that I love. And I can just picture his hot little brain and face wandering around downtown LA for a stroll and a cup of coffee.... oh, what a site.....a beautiful man in that beautiful building.......

And hey, I think we'd look amazing together.....undead & covered in blood or tan & naked in the tropics ;)

They're a Capricorn

Capricorns I like:

So I learned a lot of these from LA woman.But I did choose the ones I truly like. Hello, I am a southern girl. Elvis, MLK JR, Dolly, Poe, Stipe, these are all my people.....



My MOM!
Jesus
David Bowie
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Joan of Arc
Edgar Allan Poe
Dolly Parton
Patti Smith
Kate Moss
Michael Stipe (I wanted to have his baby years ago....but thats another story. And then what would David say anyway?)
Elvis

AND of COURSE MOST IMPORTANT VERY VIP CAPRICORNS
MY MOM (again ;)
Ms. Julie DeAnda
Ms. Blerina Hoxha
and Mr. Mikey's Ivan Castro!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DARLINGS!!!!! This song's just for you! So happy to be celebrating in style all month longgggggggggggggggggggggggggg

And if you know them, tell them you love them and wish them a happy birthday month!!!!

xoxo,
Jessica

if it happens, it might certainly kill me.....

do you know what those things are in the photo? they scare me......

we should know in a few days?

if so, it will start happening within a couple of weeks. and if so, lord, give me strength! i just don't want it at all.

a good excuse for new hats to hide from the lights.

cryptic? only if you don't know. but if you know, you know. and if you don't, you might in a couple of months.

or you might not if it doesn't happen.

The fast is over. The drought is no more.

When will it rain in the Gobi desert?Do I feel a bearded man in my future..... And happy late birthday to my true love David. He's sure hot for a 61 year old!

Ch-ch-changes
Pretty soon now youre gonna get a little older
Time may change me
But I cant trace time
I said that time may change me
But I cant trace time

Good gosh, he would get it

Gorgeous even without a shower. Talented. Eccentric. Humble. Vanessa Paradis is one lucky lady.

Wow, seriously. he's amazzzzzzzzzzzzzzing. (I am 16. Or in breeding mode. Or both. Ha ;)

Meowwwwwwwwwww

The Empress

I saw this on CC's bulletin/blog. Kinda interesting. I always did think the story of Persephone was intriguing.

My tarot card?:

You are The Empress

Beauty, happiness, pleasure, success, luxury, dissipation.

The Empress is associated with Venus, the feminine planet, so it represents, beauty, charm, pleasure, luxury, and delight. You may be good at home decorating, art or anything to do with making things beautiful.

The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of romance, of art or business. While the Magician is the primal spark, the idea made real, and the High Priestess is the one who gives the idea a form, the Empress is the womb where it gestates and grows till it is ready to be born. This is why her symbol is Venus, goddess of beautiful things as well as love. Even so, the Empress is more Demeter, goddess of abundance, then sensual Venus. She is the giver of Earthly gifts, yet at the same time, she can, in anger withhold, as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped. In fury and grief, she kept the Earth barren till her child was returned to her.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

new year's morning

i fell asleep new year's eve with my new year's resolutions in my head after sharing a lovely dinner with the family, good conversations, and many glasses of rose champagne. i awoke at 5am new year's day, repeating my resolutions in my head before the sun arose. before even my dear early-rising brother had woken up. i lay there in my warm virginia bed with my sweet little doggie. quiet. contemplating. at 7am caleb quietly opened the door. i smiled and let him know i was awake. he crawled into bed and smelled "ox" the "ugly doll" i gave him sevearl years ago. i have to sleep with it when i'm there he says, so it will pick up my scent for him after i leave. he cuddled up with callie and me. shivering at first, and then warm and content. i couldn't ask for a better way to start the new year. our little warm and snuggly time on new year's day.

its amazing as a child grows, what remains the same, what changes or evolves. his reading skills are quite good. we read together when i was in virginia, and i was fascinated by the progress he's made in even 3 months. we are continuing to read now, though i'm on another coast. he calls once per day and reads to me 1-3 chapters out of a book. i help him learn new words when needed. he just spells it out. i explain how to say it, what it means, etc. but its even more interesting the big words he actually does know at the tender age of 9, almost 10. i am buying his next book so that i can read along with him. its really sweet and special. despite the long distance, this makes him seem not so far away...... the little guy is certainly the love of my life.

Vogue Italia Loves Jeremy

Love the layout with the illustration of his record skirt in the center. Dance steps jacket, jukebox dress, and record beret. Yeah! Jeremy Scott.

Laxy, rainy days?

I'm back. Did you miss me so much? Ha.

Returning from the right coast to the left, I am still a bit out of sorts. I fall asleep late as I do on west coast time, but am waking up on east coast time, when its still dark out. Its actually kind of interesting to me, because I am not so much of a morning person. I am enjoying the sunrise. And the solitude before people are up to start their day. Too bad I am not sleeping very much.

So I am easing into the days this way. Maybe falling asleep watching a movie, and waking up to watch the rest, or just watch an entirely new one.

My film picks for this rainy Los Angeles weekend are:


Paris, je t'aime.
A suggestion from Roxy, this is a great one to rent. Captures various arrondissements (districts) of Paris and different sorts of "love" through 18 individual shorts by directors from the Coen brothers to Gerard Depardieu (his short is quite smart and funny) and Gus Van Sant. A slew of actors you may recognize include Natalie Portman and Steve Buscemi. Some shorts are in French some in English. All really lovely and unique and just capturing so much of that gorgeous city and some of the intricate workings of human behavior.

One of my favorites was the last, "14th Arrondissement," with a rather unattractive female American mail carrier who fulfills her dream and goes to Paris on her own. Something she says at the end struck me. Because I've had these love affairs with places and cities myself. I used to cry every time I left Hawaii. My heart ached like it does when leaving a lover. So bizarre. And when I was in Paris, I went around a lot alone and had these magical moments. My father didn't think I'd return to the US. He actually seemed surprised. Being alone in Kyoto was very fulfilling in a different way for me. Quiet and spiritual and I wanted to just become a geisha. Seriously.

Anyway, back to the film. The character says, "Sitting there alone in a foreign country, away from my job and all the people I knew, something happened. A feeling came over me. As if I recalled something that I had never known and for which I had been waiting. But I didn't know what it was. Maybe it was something I had forgotten. Or something I had missed my whole life. I can only tell you that at the same time I felt joy and sadness. But not a great sadness. Because I felt alive. Yes. Alive! That was the moment I fell in love with Paris. And the moment that Paris had fallen in love with me."

I've just never seen this sort of feeling described in a film....and while its nice to share moments with others, in a way its even more special to have these love affairs all to yourself......



The Main Event.
Barbara Streisand and Ryan O'Neal. 1979. The power struggle as times were changing. She's the owner with the cash and he's a boxer working for her. Crazy arguing. Great chemistry. Its really funny and engaging and you're just sucked in the whole time, and then its over. Poof.

Paper Moon.
Just a coincidence, another Ryan O'Neal film with his daughter Tatum O'Neal, the cutest little 9 year old tomboy (she won an Oscar in 1973 for this role). Black & white set in depression-era mid-west US. They play a pair of scam artists. Just a great film, great cinematography, great costumes.

Next up, I stumbled upon Crazy Love, which I have been wanting to see for sometime. When I am in the video place, I get lost in my mind the same way I do at record stores. I see so much but I can't remember what I want to get..... Anyway, I'm looking forward to this one about the sort of psycho relationship of Burt & Lina Pugach. Hopefully I have time to watch it this weekend between mimosas for brunch and going out on zee town.