My Day on the Set of “The Goldbergs”

Westside Pavilion from The Goldbergs-7010

I debated titling this post “How The Goldbergs altered my Thanksgiving.”  The Grim Cheaper and I were introduced to the ABC series, which is like an ‘80s-set The Wonder Years, last fall and quickly became hooked.  We plowed through all of the episodes in just a few weeks and found each to be poignant, nostalgic and moving.  One in particular affected us more than others, though.  While watching Season 2’s “A Goldberg Thanksgiving,” in which matriarch Beverly (Wendi McLendon-Covey) attempts to impart her holiday meal traditions onto teen daughter Erica (Hayley Orrantia), the GC turned to me and said, “OH MY GOD!  Your mother never did that with you, did she?  That’s why I am responsible for Thanksgiving dinner every year!”  He was right.  For whatever reason (most likely because we often traveled during my childhood Thanksgivings), my mother never taught me how to cook a turkey with all of the fixings.  The GC’s mom did, though.  Much like Beverly, she woke the GC and his brother up early each Thanksgiving morning and had them help with the preparations, teaching them her family traditions in the process.  Well, that was it for the GC – he drew a line in the sand and announced that he was abstaining from cooking 2016’s meal, leaving the job to me and my mom.  The two of us obliged, very successfully blanching, braising and broiling away (that’s the beginnings of my mom’s homemade cranberry sauce above), and later replicated the feast with me in the driver’s seat on Christmas.  So that is how The Goldbergs altered my Thanksgiving.  Needless to say, it is a special memory for me.  So when I happened to stumble upon the show being filmed at Westside Pavilion two weeks later, it was all I could do not to faint from excitement.

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As I mentioned in this post, the GC and I headed into L.A. to do some Christmas shopping/Christmas stalking at Westside Pavilion after I discovered that Christmas with the Kranks had been lensed on the premises.  When we pulled into the parking garage, I spotted one of those yellow signs I love so much, with the word “Gold” written across it.  In what can only be described as a blonde moment, I wondered aloud what could be filming.  I just about fell over a few minutes later as I stepped off the escalators onto the mall’s second floor and spotted Hayley Orrantia herself sitting in a chair while on a break from shooting none other than The Goldbergs!  I was not sure how friendly she and the rest of the cast and crew would be, but nothing was going to stop me from asking for a pic.  As it turns out, she and everyone else involved in the production could not have been nicer.  Hayley immediately stood up and introduced herself when I approached.  She seemed genuinely thrilled we were fans and was so friendly and chatty that I even got to tell her my Thanksgiving story.  And the day just got better from there.  I wanted to wait until after the episode aired to blog about the experience, though.  Thankfully, it finally did last week.

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In the episode, titled “The Spencer’s Gift,” Erica and her brother Barry (Troy Gentile) get jobs at a Spencer Gifts store at the supposed Willow Grove Park Mall in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, where the series is set.  One of Westside Pavilion’s vacant storefronts masked as Spencer’s in the shoot.

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Both the interior and exterior of the space were heavily dressed for the show.  Because Hayley was shooting a scene inside of the faux Spencer’s while we were there, I was a bit nervous about snapping any pictures of it.  Looking back, I really wish I had, though, because as the GC and I soon came to find out, the crew could not have been cooler about set photos.  Ah, well.  Live and learn, right?

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After watching a bit of the filming, the GC and I ventured to other parts of the Pavilion to begin our Christmas shopping.  As we were walking around, we happened to pass by an arcade and I turned to him, shocked, and said, “Wow!  I can’t remember the last time I saw an arcade in a mall!  Not since, like, the ‘80s!”  Yeah, I know.  Facepalm!

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It took us at least a few minutes to realize that the arcade was actually a storefront dressed for The Goldbergs shoot!  D’oh!

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As you can see, though, it looked pretty darn realistic.

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In “The Spencer’s Gift,” Erica and Barry’s younger brother, Adam F. Goldberg (Sean Giambrone), learns from their example and also gets a job, at the mall’s Challenges Arcade.

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Both the interior and exterior of the arcade space were utilized in the episode.

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As the GC and I made our way through Westside Pavilion, we began discovering more and more storefronts dressed as fake shops.

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We had literally wandered right into an ‘80s-inspired set – and the experience was magical!

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The faux stores were so realistic that half the time we were unsure which were real and which were fake.  Trying to differentiate the actual shops from the set shops became a game for the two of us and it could not have been more fun!

Westside Pavilion from The Goldbergs-7493

At one point we ran into a friendly crew member who clued us in as to which stores were authentic, which were real but dressed for the shoot, and which were altogether fictional.  The shop below, for example, which we were convinced was an imposter, was actually real.

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Though it was given some tubular set dressing for the filming.

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The crew member also told us to feel free to take photos of the fake stores and even started pointing out the prop mall signage and faux directories posted around the center.

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The entire experience was like heaven for me – hands-down my favorite shopping venture of all time – and very reminiscent of the fabulous day my dad and I spent on the set of CSI: Miami back in 2009.

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The cherry on top of our day was when we ran into Troy Gentile as we were leaving the mall.  Troy is easily one of the nicest celebrities I have ever met and wound up chatting with us for so long that a crew member had to finally come retrieve him as they were waiting on him to film a scene.  (Be sure to zoom in on Troy’s nametag in the photo below.  I completely missed it in person, but as my friend Michael pointed out, it reads “B. Tasty.”  Love it!)

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Westside Pavilion’s food court and actual Hot Dog on a Stick stand also appeared in “The Spencer’s Gift,” though we did not witness the scene that was shot there being filmed.

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For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

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Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

Stalk It: Westside Pavilion, from “The Spencer’s Gift” episode of The Goldbergs, is located at 10800 West Pico Boulevard in Rancho Park.  Filming took place in the third level food court and on the second level in various vacant storefronts.  Spencer’s was set up in an empty unit located in between Lady Foot Locker and Fanzz.  Tans Forever from Christmas with the Kranks was set up nearby in the space that now houses Kid’s Club.

Halloween 2014

RISE of the Jack O'Lanters 2014 (3 of 71)

I do realize that it is November 4th and that the Halloween season has, by now, sadly ended, but you are going to have to bear with me for a couple of more days because I still have two more Haunted Hollywood posts to write.  This Halloween was one for the record books!  Per usual, the Grim Cheaper and I headed out to L.A. to celebrate, this year dressed as Kelly Kapowski and Zack Morris from Saved by the Bell.

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The night beforehand, my buddy Mikey, of the Mike the Fanboy website, texted me to let me know that Dan Aykroyd was going to be doing a signing for his Crystal Head Vodka line at the Costco in Burbank on Halloween.  Now what could be cooler than getting a photograph with an actual Ghostbuster on All Hallows’ Eve?  So as soon as we arrived in L.A., I rushed right on over to Costco.  Several other members of the Fanboy crew were there, as well, including Chris, Suddenly Susan, and Pinky, from the Thinking Pink blog.  In honor of the occasion, one of the actual Blues Brothers cars was parked out in front of the store.  How cool is that?

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I am very happy to report that Dan could NOT have been nicer.  He took time with all of the fans who showed up, was willing to personalize autographs, signed memorabilia from his movies and, best of all, posed for photos.

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Dan Aykroyd Crystal Skull Vodka Signing (3 of 4)

He was even nice enough to take a second picture with me because my camera did a funky flash thing with his hat on the first one.

Dan Aykroyd Crystal Skull Vodka Signing (1 of 4)

Dan Aykroyd Crystal Skull Vodka Signing (4 of 4)

I have been obsessed with Dan’s vodka line ever since first laying eyes on the bottles, which are shaped like skulls, several years ago.  I was always tempted to buy one to be used as a Halloween decoration, but because they are pretty pricey, I resisted.  At the signing, though, Costco was selling gift sets with small Crystal Head Vodka bottles and two matching skull shot glasses for $40!  Um, count me in!  I am absolutely in LOVE with the set.  Pretty much the best Halloween decoration I’ve ever bought!  Huge THANK YOU to Mikey for telling me about the event!  You can read his write-up of the signing here.

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After the signing, the GC and I headed to Descanso Gardens to experience its RISE of the Jack O’Lanterns extravaganza.  I had read about the event, which hit California for the first time this year, in Westways magazine and immediately started drooling!  What better way to spend my favorite holiday than by walking through a quarter-mile display consisting of over FIVE THOUSAND intricately carved jack o’lanterns?

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The event did NOT disappoint!  RISE of the Jack O’Lanterns takes place in the Descanso Rose Garden, which is transformed into a magical Halloween wonderland.  (Sadly, due to the darkness and my lack of a tripod, I had a hard time taking clear pictures of the pumpkins, as you can see below.)

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The exhibition features over 5,000 themed jack o’lanterns hand-carved by professional artists and sculptors.  We got to see one of them at work and it was absolutely mind-boggling how fast he carved.

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RISE of the Jack O'Lanters 2014 (10 of 71)

Now I should mention here that while the RISE of the Jack O’Lanterns website implies that the vast majority of the pumpkins are real, truth be told, that is not the case.  Very few are actual gourds.  Most of the carvings are done on craft foam pumpkins.  But that did not deter from the experience at all – for us, at least.

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I was absolutely in awe of the entire pageant and had to keep picking my jaw up off the floor while looking at the various sections, which included exhibits on Dinosaurs;

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RISE of the Jack O'Lanters 2014 (53 of 71)

Dia de los Muertos;

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The Wizard of Oz;

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horror movies;

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animation;

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The Big Bang Theory;

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and the stars who passed away this year.

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My favorite area was the Hollywood Walk of Fame, though (duh!) . . .

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. . . which featured pumpkins carved in the likenesses of various celebrities, situated atop smaller pumpkins carved with Walk of Fame stars depicting their names.

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The Hollywood exhibit also had a special Kardashian section – or “Karvedashian” section, as the guides were calling it.

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Interestingly, while the display did include a Kayne West jack o’lantern, Bruce Jenner was mysteriously missing.

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I was especially enamored with the tree pictured below.  What I wouldn’t give to have a tree like that in my yard that I could decorate with hundreds of lit jack o’lanterns each Halloween!

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We had a fabulous time at RISE of the Jack O’Lanterns and I honestly cannot more highly recommend a visit there come next October.

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For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Los Angeles magazine online.

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Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

Stalk It: RISE of the Jack O’Lanterns is held during the month of October at Descanso Gardens, which is located at 1418 Descanso Drive in La Cañada Flintridge.  You can find out more information about the event here.

Sur from “Vanderpump Rules”

Dinner at Sur (27 of 52)

Last November, the Grim Cheaper and I became obsessed with the Bravo reality series Vanderpump Rules.  Like obsessed.  We binge-watched the entire first season in about two days.  For those who have not seen the show, it centers around West Hollywood eatery Sur (which is co-owned by The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Lisa Vanderpump) and its drama-fueled staff.  And yes, as strange as it may seem, said staff does actually work onsite at the restaurant.  If you stalk the place, you will see them.  Naturally, the first words out of my mouth upon realizing this fact was, “We have to go to dinner there!”

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Wrongly assuming that Sur would be exorbitantly expensive (as it turns out, the place is completely affordable), I told the GC that the only thing I wanted for my birthday in June was dinner there.  When he found out that my good friends Lavonna, Kim, Katie and Kaylee would be in town on my big day, he included them in on his plans and promptly made reservations (eight months in advance!) as a surprise for me.  Yep, he’s a keeper!

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To say that we had a blast would be an understatement.  The evening honestly could not have turned out more perfect or more fun, as evidenced by the picture below.

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Prior to doing research for this post, I was under the impression that Sur was a relatively new restaurant.  Come to find out, the place has actually been around since 1998!  It was originally founded in January of that year by Argentinian chef Guillermo Zapata.

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It was not until 2005 that Guillermo brought in Lisa and her husband, Ken Todd, as partners.  The eatery was then expanded and revamped with Lisa’s special touch shortly thereafter.  The result is nothing short of spectacular!

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Everywhere one looks, there is something new and fabulous to discover – from unique chandeliers to vintage mirrors to repurposed doors and windows used as wall hangings.  It is worth a trip to Sur just to check out the interior design alone!

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When the property next door to Sur became available in 2011, Lisa jumped at the chance to purchase it.  She transformed the 2,500-square-foot space into what is now Sur Lounge.  It was there that we started off our evening.  We arrived on the scene about twenty minutes prior to our reservation time and were informed that we could either be seated immediately or grab a drink in the lounge first.

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Upon deciding to grab a cocktail, the host, Adam, informed us that we were welcome to take our time and to just let him know when we were ready to be seated.  How incredibly nice is that?  (That’s Adam pictured below.  While not a Vanderpump Rules cast member, he is a Wilhelmina model, so we had to get a picture with him!)  Amazingly, everyone at Sur was beyond nice!  The place had zero hoity-toity attitude and all of the staff we encountered went above and beyond to make our evening special.  And believe me, the way we were carrying on and running around the place (we were absolutely ridiculous as you will come to see in later pictures), they would have had every right to be annoyed.  Instead they bent over backwards to make our evening special!  We were treated as if we were VIPs and we loved absolutely every minute of it!

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Sur Lounge is like a dream world!

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The courtyard area is especially stunning and does not look like part of a restaurant at all, but like the backyard of your hippest, classiest friend.

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The interior of Sur Lounge is just as beautiful, with private seating spaces and vintage décor tucked into every nook and cranny.

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Of the design, Lisa said in a 2011 The Hollywood Reporter interview, “I took a bit from here, a bit from there.  There are some industrial elements mixed with little velvet mushroom stools that I had made.  Huge, extra-long leather Chesterfields.  Lots of plants.  Things I’ve bought during my travels and brought in.  I was looking for an eclectic feeling.  Is it Vietnamese?  Balinese?  French?  I wanted you to not be able to put your finger on it.”

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Dinner at Sur (11 of 52)

After enjoying Happy Hour cocktails (the prices were amazingly low!), we headed to our table and shortly thereafter saw Guillermo.  Because he regularly appears on Vanderpump Rules, we had to get a picture with him.  After we did, the woman sitting at the table next to us also asked him for a photo.  As it turns out, she, too, was dining at Sur because of her love for Vanderpump Rules.  She said to us at one point, “I am so glad that I am sitting next to you guys, otherwise I wouldn’t know what I was doing!”  To which I responded, “Oh honey!  You don’t know how lucky you are!  We are the ultimate stalkers!”  Winking smile

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Prior to ordering, I sent Lavonna – and her thick Southern accent – to speak with a man standing near Sur’s entrance.  (I assumed he was a manager and never did actually find out his job title.)   Lavonna explained to him that she, Kim, Kaylee and Katie had come from out of town to celebrate my birthday and that we were all huge Vanderpump Rules fans.  Well, from that point forward, the man, whom we found out was named Ali, pretty much became our personal guide.  He helped us get photographs with the cast, took us around the restaurant and gave us info on the filming that was going to be taking place there later that night.  He was absolutely amazing and our evening would not have been nearly as fun without him!  (That’s Ali pictured below.)

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One place that we were all desperate to see was the back alley where the Vanderpump Rules cast is often shown taking smoking breaks – and creating massive drama.  When we told Ali, he marched us right through the rear employee-only areas (which we had seen on the show!) to take us there and, let me tell you, we were pretty much dying the whole time!

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Dinner at Sur (35 of 52)

That’s me and Kim re-living some Rules drama.

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Dinner at Sur (32 of 52)

While we were outside, Lavonna happened to spot a film crew sitting in a van nearby, so she rushed right up to ask them some questions.  That’s one of the camera guys below.  He was quite amused at how excited we were and when we mentioned some of the intel that Ali had told us about the filming that was taking place there that night, he said, “You guys know more about our schedule than I do!”  Yep, that’s how we roll!

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A little bit later, while we were ordering our meal (we still had not yet ordered any food at that time!), Ali informed us that Jax had just arrived on the scene, so we all rushed over to get photos with him.  Jax was very nice at that point in the evening, but when we encountered him again a few hours later he was rather douchey, which came as a surprise to no one.  Winking smile

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We also met Scheana Marie;

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a new cast member named Rachel;

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Dinner at Sur (46 of 52)

Tom Sandoval;

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Dinner at Sur (48 of 52)

and Katie Maloney, all of whom were very nice.  I did not get to meet my favorite cast member Stassi Schroeder, because she, sadly, left the show at the end of last season and currently resides in New York.

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I should mention here that the poor GC spent most of the evening sitting at our table by himself, while we ran around taking pictures.  The crap that my poor husband has to put up with!  Thankfully though, the meal was exceptional!  And completely affordable!  I opted for the Crispy Chicken Breast (which Stassi had stated in an episode was her favorite menu item) and it was OUT OF THIS WORLD.

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I cannot more highly recommend stalking Sur!  We had such an incredible night there and it turned out to be the best birthday present I could have asked for!  A big, HUGE THANK YOU to the GC, Lavonna, Kim, Katie and Kaylee for making it all happen!

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For more stalking fun, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Los Angeles magazine online.  And you can check out my other blog, The Well-Heeled Diabetic, here.

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Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

Stalk It: Sur, from Vanderpump Rules, is located at 606 North Robertson Boulevard in West Hollywood.  You can visit the eatery’s official website here.  Lisa’s newest restaurant, Pump Lounge, is located just around the corner at 8948 Santa Monica Boulevard.

The End – Kime Buzzelli’s Vintage Shop

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As I mentioned in my April post about the Hideaway Saloon (which you can read here), I have been a longtime follower of 90210’s former costume designer Kime Buzzelli on both Twitter and Instagram.  Kime is BEYOND sweet and is always happy to answer questions from fans, whether it be about what a character wore in an episode or where a scene was shot.  She was even nice enough to share a photograph of a typo that she had taken with fellow stalker Owen for his blog, When Write Is Wrong.  Anyway, I knew from following her that she had recently opened a vintage shop named The End in Yucca Valley.  One Saturday morning back in May, the Grim Cheaper and I headed out to Starbucks for coffee and afterwards he suggested we take a drive up to Pioneertown – an Old West movie set near Joshua Tree that I had long wanted to stalk.  I should mention here that I had no makeup on at the time.  I had barely even run a comb through my hair before leaving the house that morning as I thought we were simply grabbing coffee and then going back home.  But trooper that I am, I agreed to head over to Pioneertown, makeup-less, to do some stalking.

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I am severely directionally-challenged (which is ironic considering this hobby that I have chosen for myself) and at the time had no idea that Joshua Tree was near Yucca Valley.  So when I saw a sign stating “Welcome to Yucca Valley” during our drive, I just about lost it!  I immediately pulled out my iPhone to search for The End’s address and informed the GC that I would not be leaving the area without visiting Kime’s shop.  Needless to say, we made a little detour and, let me tell you, I just about passed out when I opened the door to the place and there was Kime herself sitting behind the counter!  Never in my wildest dreams did I think she would actually be in the store!  (I am IN LOVE with the garland hanging above The End’s entrance, by the way.  I am fairly certain it is a Confetti System garland, similar to the one that Cupcakes and Cashmere’s Emily Schuman has strung in her office.)

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The End Joshua Tree (3 of 5)

Kime was extremely gracious and we wound up hanging out in her shop for a good hour chatting about 90210.  The GC even really enjoyed talking with her and he could care less about that stuff.  Winking smile  And even though I was sans makeup, I, of course, had to ask her for a photo while I was there.

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While speaking with Kime, my eyes couldn’t help but dart around looking at all of the fabulous items in her adorable shop.  One piece that I kept catching sight of was the feathered skirt pictured below, the edge of which was sticking out of a rack of clothes.  Anything with glitter or feathers and this stalker is a goner!  The GC said that as soon as we walked in, he had spotted the white and blue plumes poking out of the rack and knew right away that the skirt would be accompanying us home.  Winking smile  So when I pulled it out at one point and Kime informed me that it had actually been purchased for Erin Silver (Jessica Stroup) to wear during her burlesque period on 90210, I just about died!  The skirt never actually made it into an episode, but that was pretty much all I needed to hear!  Thank God it fit, otherwise I would have been devastated!

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Then, a couple of weeks ago, I found out that Kime was bringing The End to the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs as a Labor Day pop-up shop, so I of course dragged the Grim Cheaper right on over there to do some more shopping.

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I was shocked – and delighted – upon walking in when Kime recognized me right away!  Like I said, she’s an absolute doll!  And she was even nice enough to take a second picture with me.

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While milling around the shop, I happened to come across the beaded piece of heaven pictured below and fell immediately in love.  Then when Kime informed me that it had been worn by Naomi Clark (AnnaLynne McCord) at her 18th birthday party on 90210, I just about had a heart attack!  It was at that point that the GC resigned himself to the fact that there was absolutely no way I was leaving the store without that dress.  Sadly, when I tried it on, though, it did not fit AT ALL.  There’s nothing like trying on AnnaLynne McCord’s clothes to make a person feel bad about themselves.  Winking smile  When I came out of the dressing room and informed the GC that the dress was too small, he said, “Are you just one stomach flu away from your goal weight, honey?”  LOL  Thankfully though, I thought to check the interior seam and, sure enough, there was extra material, so my mom was able to take it out for me (she’s an amazing seamstress!) and the dress now fits like a glove.  And while I was thinking about donning it for the Emmys this Sunday night (SO EXCITED, by the way), Marci, the owner of my very favorite store, Lula Mae, loaned me an uh-ma-zing frock that I am going to wear instead.  I’ll save Naomi’s dress for next year’s show.

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The dress was featured in the Season 3 episode of 90210 titled “Age of Inheritance.”  In the episode, Naomi throws herself an extravagant birthday party after learning the news that she finally has access to her hefty trust fund.  I, of course, re-watched “Age of Inheritance” immediately upon returning home from the Ace Hotel that night and really had to pinch myself.  I canNOT believe I own Naomi’s dress!

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For more stalking fun, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramAnd you can check out my other blog, The Well-Heeled Diabetic, here.

The End Joshua Tree (4 of 5)

Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

Stalk It: The End, 90210 costume designer Kime Buzzelli’s vintage clothing store, is located at 55872 29 Palms Highway in Yucca Valley.  You can visit The End’s Facebook page here.  There are a ton of great antique shops nearby, so I definitely recommend walking around the area a bit if you visit.

Meeting Ivo Adam

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While vacationing in Switzerland last month, I was not expecting to encounter any stars.  But the stalking gods were definitely smiling down upon me because encounter a star, I did – a Swiss celebrity chef named Ivo Adam.

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Upon arriving in Ascona, a gorgeous lakeside town in Switzerland’s Ticino region, my best friend Robin’s girlfriend, Steffi, suggested we grab an afternoon cocktail (or aperitivo) at her favorite area bar, Sea Lounge – a watering hole that sits rights on the harbor of Lake Maggiore.

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A portion of Sea Lounge is situated inside of a little cave, which is where our group sat.

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Ristorante Easy Ascona (8 of 44)

As you can see below, the views, even from inside of the cave, are absolutely spectacular!

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Ristorante Easy Ascona (7 of 44)

The entire restaurant is pretty darn amazing, actually.  That’s the hallway leading to the bathrooms – yes, the bathrooms – pictured below.

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Ristorante Easy Ascona (15 of 44)

The bathroom faucets, which are controlled by a metal touch screen, were a sight to behold in and of themselves!  As you can see below, when a patron turns the temperature to cold, a blue light comes on.

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And when the water is turned to hot, a red light comes on.  So incredibly cool!

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While enjoying our bubbly, Steffi, Robin and Robin’s mom, Doina, told the Grim Cheaper and me about Seaside Lounge’s owner, celebrity chef Ivo Adam, who is quite well-known in Switzerland thanks to his new television series, The Swiss Cookbook with Ivo Adam, and a series of commercials he starred in for the Coop grocery store chain.  At one point, Steffi mentioned that she had seen Ivo the last time she was at the Lounge.  Well, once I heard that Ivo might actually be on the premises, that was it!  I was bound and determined to get a picture with him and pretty much nothing was going to stop me!  Next thing I know, Doina announced that she saw Ivo approaching.  So I ran up to him, explained that I was a tourist from America and that I would love to take a photo with him.  Ivo agreed, thanked me for visiting, and happily posed with me and Steffi.  As you can imagine, I could NOT have been more excited!  Woot woot!

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The Biel-born Ivo got his start in the culinary arts while still in elementary school, when he began baking cakes for his classmates’ birthdays.  He was later formally trained as a chef, a pastry chef and a chocolatier.  In 2000, Ivo became the youngest person ever appointed to the Swiss Culinary National Team.  He opened his first restaurant, Apropos, in 2004, at the age of 27.  Three years later, he partnered with Birgit and Stefan Breuer to open Seven in Ascona – the name of which is derived from the fact that the Breuer family boasts seven members.  The fine-dining establishment has since gone on to earn a Michelin star.  Sea Lounge was founded shortly thereafter and in 2008, Ivo and the Breuers opened two additional Ascona eateries – a casual bistro named Seven Easy (pictured below) and a sushi bar named Seven Asia.  Robin likes to joke that Ivo owns every restaurant in town.  😉

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Ristorante Easy Ascona (31 of 44)

Ivo is also the author of several award-winning cookbooks.  Oh, and he’s a hit rapper.  Yes, a rapper.  As Adam stated in a 2008 Swiss News interview, “Back in 2004, I gave a presentation on diet and healthy eating for my diploma and wanted to get my message across to young people.  Rap and hip-hop seemed a great way to do that.  I put together a CD with some rapped recipes.”  His CD consisted of 16 recipes – or “rapcipes”, as the newspaper called them.  Amazingly enough, the single “Birchermuesli” (about a popular Swiss breakfast dish consisting of oats and fruit) went double-platinum!  Everything the young chef touches seems to turn to gold.  It is no wonder that he has been dubbed the Jamie Oliver of Switzerland.

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 Ristorante Easy Ascona (34 of 44)

On the recommendation of Steffi, our group wound up eating at Seven Easy that night and, let me tell you, it was spectacular!  Pricey, but spectacular.  Robin made the best menu choice by ordering the UH-MA-ZING truffle pizza.  Though not at all diabetic friendly, I was kicking myself for not having ordered it because it was honestly one of the best things I have ever tasted.

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Ristorante Easy Ascona (39 of 44)

Like Sea Lounge, the design of Easy is altogether unique, with tree trunk cocktail tables, chalkboard menus and a wall made of sawed-off log cross-sections.  Love it!

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Ristorante Easy Ascona (38 of 44)

I would be remiss if I did not share some photographs of Ascona in this post, as it is an absolutely GORGEOUS part of Switzerland.

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Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for even more stalking fun!  And you can check out my other blog, The Well-Heeled Diabetic, here.

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Until next time, Happy Stalking!  🙂

Stalk It: Seven Easy is located at Piazza Giuseppe Motta 61 in Ascona, Switzerland.  Sea Lounge is located at just up the street at via Moscia 2.  You can visit Ivo Adam’s official website here.

My Weekend with Michael Buble!

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This past weekend was an absolute whirlwind – so much so that I am still trying to process the whole thing. It all started a couple of weeks back when I received a phone call from a good friend who informed me that the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, of which he is a member, was going to be hosting “An Evening with Michael Buble” – a special question and answer session and mini-concert with the cutie crooner – on April 28th. He had reserved two tickets for the event and, because he says he can’t hear the name Michael Buble without thinking of me, invited me to be his plus-one. As you can imagine, I was absolutely ESCTATIC over the news! Especially since I had been experiencing a particularly tough week with my dad. Flash forward to last Wednesday evening. I received another phone call from my friend informing me that he had heard (this friend knows absolutely EVERYONE in the business) that Michael would be arriving at LAX that Saturday at 1 a.m. and that if I wanted a photograph with him, going there would be my best bet. So even though I am SO not a night owl (I am typically in my PJs, glass of champagne in hand, by 6 p.m. every night), for MB I rallied! As did the Grim Cheaper – and I am so glad that we did because it turned out to be a magical experience. (And yes, I do realize that I can no longer call myself “not a stalker” now that I have gone to the airport to meet a celebrity! Winking smile)

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When the GC and I arrived at LAX, I was shocked to see that there were about twenty paparazzi and autograph dealers (aka “graphers”) already waiting for Michael. Those who read my site regularly know that I am not AT ALL a fan of the graphers – they are extremely aggressive and typically try to get between 20-30 items signed each, thereby taking up all of a celebrity’s time. (Not to mention, they are obnoxious! A TSA agent walked by at one point and asked who we were waiting for and one of the dealers responded, “Michael Buble – he’s a nobody.” Yeah, that guy’s lucky he didn’t get a fist to the face! Winking smile) I am not an aggressive person by nature and do not do well in situations involving graphers and paparazzi, so I was fearful that the evening was not going to go well. Come to find out, I never should have worried. Not only is Michael Buble THE NICEST celebrity that I have ever met (Shannen Doherty runs a close second), but the GC was my absolute HERO that night and totally had my back! When MB walked out of the gate area, the graphers and paparazzi, of course, surrounded him and kept shoving photos and Sharpies into his face and hands. I called out to Michael from the sidelines and asked if he would pose for a picture, to which he said, “Sure! Just let me finish signing.” Well, anyone who has ever experienced the graphers knows that there is not ever a “finish” to their autograph seeking. These people carry hundreds upon hundreds of photographs with them at all times. (I’m not joking – some of them even cart around portable filing cabinets filled with celebrity pictures!) Well, MB pretty much signed his life away and it did not appear that the graphers were ever going to stop, so the GC yelled out, “Michael – this girl is a HUGE fan! She flew to Vancouver just to see the grocery store from your video!” (You can read my blog post on the Killarney Market from MB’s “Haven’t Met You Yet” video here.) Michael could not believe that and seemed really excited about it. Just then, his handler stopped him, saying, “OK we are done here. Come on, Michael, we’re leaving.” To which MB said, “Hold on, I need to take a picture with this sweet girl over here.” As you can imagine, I almost died right there on the spot!

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My friend took the picture below in which I was telling Michael that he was my number one favorite celebrity. Smile

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I was just slightly ecstatic.

Michael Buble (1 of 3)

The photo below perfectly encapsulates how Michael interacts with his fans. He was SO incredibly friendly, cordial and engaging to everyone who was there – almost unbelievably so. Miss Pinky Lovejoy, of the Thinking Pink blog, likes to describe fan-friendly celebrities as “braid-your-hair nice”, in that they are so accommodating, they’d braid your hair if you asked them to. Well, braid-your-hair nice doesn’t even being to describe Buble. He is more like “take-the-shirt-off-his-back-and-give-it-to-you nice.” The poor guy had been on a flight for over five hours and it was 1 o’clock in the morning (4 a.m. his time) when he arrived at the airport, yet he still stood there for what seemed like forever signing autographs and posing for pictures!

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My dad, who (if possible) loves MB even more than I do, had asked if I would try to get a CD and a photograph signed for him. Right after Michael took the picture with me, he signed the CD – both the actual CD and the CD cover, which was so incredibly cool. (I framed it as soon as I got home and the result is below. My dad LOVES it.)

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After Michael signed my dad’s CD, he headed outside to wait for his car. In all of the excitement, I had completely forgotten about the photograph that my dad wanted signed. It was a picture that I had taken on December 13th, 2010 at Michael’s Crazy Love concert at the Staples Center (which I blogged about here). The GC and I had surprised my dad with tickets to the concert for his birthday that year and then for Christmas, which was a few weeks later, I framed one of the photos from the night and gave it to him. It’s been hanging in his office ever since. (Ironically enough, that same Christmas my dad gifted me with a framed photograph of MB that he had also taken at the concert! Smile) Well, as soon as Michael stepped outside of the airport, the graphers and paparazzi went crazy all over again and surrounded him. At that point, Michael’s handler got wise to the fact that these people were not fans and told him not to sign anything else. Michael then said, “OK guys, I’m not signing anymore, but I’ll take all the photos you want.” Well, that started a whole other sh*tstorm, with even the paps jumping in trying to get pictures with the singer and everyone saying, “My picture didn’t come out, can I get another?” In the midst of the chaos, I went up to MB’s handler and asked if he could please sign one more photograph for my dad. The handler emphatically told me, “NO!” He was annoyed – and I don’t blame him in the slightest. The whole thing was absolutely ridiculous! You can kind of see the mayhem below – and me in the back trying to avoid the graphers.

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Michael’s car arrived a few minutes later, but he still stayed outside taking photographs with people. When I told the GC how disappointed I was that I couldn’t get my dad’s picture signed (especially because that concert is such a special memory for the two of us), he grabbed it and went right up to Michael and said, “Look, we are actual fans. Her dad loves you and is very sick and would love to have this picture signed.” To which Michael replied, “Oh man, of course!” As I said, the GC was my hero that night! I NEVER would have gotten my dad’s photo signed – and personalized!!! – without him. I told the GC that while I had fallen in love with MB a little bit more than I already was that night, I had fallen in love with my husband A LOT more. Smile On the drive home, while in total disbelief, I said, “Do you realize that I now have photographs with my top four favorite celebs (Michael Buble, Matt Lanter, Kristin Cavallari, and Shannen Doherty)? The GC’s reply? “Great! Can we retire from this now?” LOL Not surprisingly, I did not sleep at all that night and could not believe that I still had Sunday’s “An Evening with Michael Buble” to look forward to!

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Flash forward to Sunday. My friend and I showed up about three hours early to “An Evening with Michael Buble” and wound up with fabulous sixth-row seats!

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The Q&A portion of the event, which was hosted by Extra’s Terri Seymour, featured Michael Buble, NBC President of Late Night, Specials and Alternative Programming Paul Telegdy, producer Brad Lachman, Michael Buble’s manager Bruce Allen, and producer Bill Bracken.

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An Evening with Michael Buble (3 of 13)

The panel discussed the taping of Michael’s 2012 NBC Christmas special, Michael Buble: Home for the Holidays. The group shared some great behind-the-scenes stories and a video was shown explaining how the segment in which MB sang with Bing Crosby was made, which was fascinating to watch. And while the entire evening was taped, I am unsure of when or where it will air. If I had to guess, I would say that NBC is planning to sell DVDs of Michael Buble: Home for the Holidays come December and that the Q&A will be included as a special feature, but that is just a hunch.

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After the Q&A session, Michael performed three songs from his new album, To Be Loved. He opened with the classic Michael Jackson ballad “Who’s Lovin’ You” and after belting out the long opening “When I” sequence, suddenly cut into “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”. The whole band immediately went silent and MB said, “You should see my musical director’s face right now!” LOL Michael is completely at home on the stage, so incredibly fun to watch and, as usual, absolutely brought down the house. The guy is a perennial performer and I could sit there and watch him sing all night, although I am pretty sure that goes without saying. MB’s set list also included “Young at Heart” and “To Love Somebody” and everyone in the audience was sent home with a To Be Loved CD!

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An Evening with Michael Buble (12 of 13)

After the show, Michael’s people rushed him outside and through the massive crowd leaving the theatre (which I do not think had been their intention) and even though it was complete chaos, Michael did stop to sign autographs and pose for pictures – including one with me! – as he was being dragged towards his car. The guy is SO flipping nice! <3 <3 <3 The entire weekend was an amazing experience and I am so thankful that I got to be a part of it all. This is one high that I don’t think I’ll ever come down from!

An Evening with Michael Buble (13 of 13)

You can find me on Facebook here and on Twitter at @IAMNOTASTALKER. And be sure to check out my other blog, The Well-Heeled Diabetic.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: There is no stalking location for this post.

Halloween 2012 at Dick Van Dyke’s House

Christina Aguilera–But I Am a Good Girl Number

  As I have mentioned countless times before, this stalker is just a wee bit obsessed with the movie Burlesque.  Upon first seeing the flick in 2010, I fell head-over-heels in love with the “But I Am a Good Girl” number (which you can watch by clicking above) and Ali’s (Christina Aguilera’s) feathered costume, and promptly announced to the Grim Cheaper that we would be dressing up as Ali and Jack (Cam Gigandet) the following Halloween.  His response, “I am SO NOT wearing eyeliner!”  LOL  Because we were invited to a prom-themed Halloween party last year, though, we ended up instead dressing up as Dylan McKay (Luke Perry) and Brenda Walsh (my girl Shannen Doherty) from the Beverly Hills, 90210 “Spring Dance” episode (which you can see photographs of here).  But believe you me, as soon as November 1st rolled around, I immediately began hunting for the perfect “But I Am a Good Girl” outfit – which was not as easy as I had hoped.

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I thought for sure that I would be able to find something resembling the “But I Am a Good Girl” costume (pictured below) quite easily online, but, unfortunately, that was not the case.  While plenty of Burlesque-style outfits seemed to be available, none of them looked a thing like Ali’s.  Then, in March, I happened to come across Madame Gigi L’amour’s Esty page which featured a slew of handmade Burlesque ensembles.  And while Gigi did not have one that resembled the “But I Am a Good Girl” corset, I wrote to her and asked if she would be able to custom-make one for me.  Thankfully, I heard back from her just a few hours later and she said that she would be happy to.  She even provided some suggestions to help keep the costs down – i.e. using less Swarovski crystals than were used on the movie costume and swapping out the ostrich feathers for turkey feathers, which are much less expensive.  Oh, and she also threw in some nude-colored fishnet stockings.  At the time, I was not even aware that Ali had worn nude fishnets in the scene, but as it turns out she had!  Thank you, Gigi!

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I received the finished product at the end of May and, let me tell you, when I opened the package I just about had a heart attack!  I was absolutely BLOWN AWAY as the costume FAR exceeded my expectations.  I was devastated that I would have to wait a full five months to wear it!  And believe me, if I thought I could have gotten away with walking around Old Town Pasadena in a Burlesque costume during the summer, I so would have!  Having that thing in my closet, unworn, for five months was like the Tell-Tale Heart in Edgar Allen Poe’s story of the same name – I could almost hear it calling out to me, “Wear me!  Try me!  Come on – just put me on!”  So when Halloween did finally roll around, I was BEYOND excited to finally don the costume.  I was a little nervous, though, being that it looks quite delicate, but I am very happy to report that the outfit was completely wearable and even comfortable!

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Thankfully, the GC’s costume was much easier to find.  To become Jack, he just wore a derby-style hat (which my girl Miss Pinky Lovejoy, of the Thinking Pink blog, tracked down for us), a black shirt and black slacks.  Oh, and eyeliner, which he finally (and begrudgingly) agreed to wear.

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Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.  Winking smile  The “But I Am a Good Girl” outfit turned out to be my favorite Halloween costume of all time!  I did NOT want to take it off and am already trying to figure out where I can wear it next.  Words cannot express how much fun it was to walk around in that thing!

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Halloween day actually turned out to be a completely amazing whirlwind!  In the early afternoon, Miss Pinky (who dressed as, what else, Princess Pink) invited me to attend a Mad Hatter Tea Party at Walt Disney Imagineering, where she works.  Um, Halloween and Disney mixed together?  Count me in!

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The party was held outside and, as you can see below, the decorations were absolutely amazeballs.  There were tea-themed trinkets as far as the eye could see.

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The display below had all sorts of fun surprises, like a tea pot that spit water at passersby, spinning tea cups and a hidden monster who would grab at people’s feet from underneath the tablecloth.

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My favorite, though, was the Venus Flytrap that would come to life intermittently.  You could feed the plant gummy worms, stick your hand in its mouth or scratch its chin and it would respond accordingly.  So incredibly cool!

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There was also a professional photo booth set up where guests could pose for pictures with props while pretending to kill a giant octopus.  Love it!

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And no visit to WDI would be complete without a stop at the onsite Starbucks.  Smile

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At night, the GC and I headed, once again, to Malibu to visit our friends who live next-door to Dick Van Dyke.  As I mentioned in my 2011 Halloween post, DVD puts on a massive annual Halloween extravaganza at his house in the gated Serra Retreat community.  Thankfully, our friends were nice enough to invite us over again this year (even though they JUST had a baby) so that we could check out the festivities.  And while I didn’t think it would be possible, amazingly enough, this year’s spooktacular was even better than the last!  That’s Dick’s front porch pictured below . . .

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which he had decked out with a creepy hologram picture of himself;

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along with a few mannequins that writhed and shook constantly.

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As I said last year, being at Dick Van Dyke’s house on Halloween is like being in the middle of a huge horror movie set.  It is simply incredible to witness (especially for this Halloween-obsessed stalker) and there is so much to look at and so much detail put into the whole thing that it is virtually impossible to see it all.  In the video below, Dick says, “We’ve got the Haunted House in Disney beat!” and he couldn’t be more right!

As you can imagine, I ate it all up with a spoon – from huge mannequins that moved, talked and jumped out at passerby;

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to a witch stirring a bubbling caldron;

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to figurines in various states of undead;

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to the burn victim below, who looked so real it was almost unbelievable –

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check out his shoes, the attention to detail is amazing! –

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to a huge graveyard made complete with with cauldrons, crows and random severed heads;

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to a second huge fenced-off graveyard with writhing bodies and, like last year, an invisible screen on which was projected a video of skeletons doing the Thriller dance, which I (obviously) LOVED.

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The animatronic attack dog from last year was also back.

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And the GC somehow convinced me to try to hold its leash, which was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done in my life!  The dog of course attacked just as I got ahold of it and I pretty much jumped right out of my skin.  SO MUCH FUN!

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There were also random creatures walking around, scaring people and posing for pictures.

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At the perimeter of the extravaganza was a GINORMOUS 12-foot statue that I just had to pose in front of.

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What I did not realize at the time was that the darn thing would not only come to life, but that a guy also jumped out of it!  Thank God that didn’t happen while I was posing for a picture – I probably would have had a heart attack!

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The highlight of the night, though, had to be when James Cameron and his wife, Titanic actress Suzy Amis, came to our friends’ house – in costume! – to trick-or-treat with their kids .  And while I was too scared to ask them for a photo last year, nothing was stopping me this year!  And I am very happy to report that they honestly could NOT have been nicer!  They even told me that they had been admiring my costume earlier in the evening!  Like seriously????  James Cameron and Suzy Amis liked my costume???  OMG dying!  I know I said it last year, but I’m going to say it once again – hands down the Best.  Halloween.  Ever.   Can’t wait for 2013’s!

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You can find me on Facebook here and on Twitter at @IAMNOTASTALKER. And be sure to check out my other blog, The Well-Heeled Diabetic.

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Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

Stalk It:  Unfortunately, because Dick Van Dyke lives inside of Serra Retreat, a gated community that is not accessible to the public, there is no stalking location for this one.  You can check out the Madame Gigi L’amour Etsy page here and her Fackbook fan page here.  And my exact costume can be purchased here.

Earthbar – One of Kristin Cavallari’s Favorite Haunts

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Way back in mid-April, I stumbled upon some recently-published photographs of my girl Kristin Cavallari grabbing a smoothie at the Earthbar health market/juice bar on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood.  After spending a few minutes oogling her ensemble, which was comprised of an amazing tangerine dress and Kate Middleton-esque nude heels, I came to the conclusion that The Hills star was quite easily the cutest, most stylish pregnant woman I had ever laid eyes on.  I, of course, promptly added Earthbar to my To-Stalk list – and then ran right out to buy myself a similar pair of nude heels, much to the Grim Cheaper’s chagrin.  Winking smile  And while the GC and I ended up stalking Earthbar later that same week – and even had a celebrity sighting while there! – for whatever reason it has taken me this long to blog about the place.  So without further ado . . .

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The Earthbar in West Hollywood, which is the company’s flagship store and premiere location, was originally opened in 2007 and was the brainchild of Bernie Bubman, the registered pharmacist who also founded the highly-popular Great Earth vitamin store chain in the 1970s, and his son, Noah.  Earthbar became an immediate success and the father-son team have since opened nine sister locations in and around the L.A. area.  (And I apologize for the horrible exterior photograph below.  The sun was in the worst possible spot for picture-taking when we showed up to stalk the place.  Boo!)

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According to its website, Earthbar’s mission is “to provide people with hand-crafted nutrient-rich drinks along with state-of-the-art supplements for optimum whole body health and wellness.”  And I have to say that the place definitely delivers!  When I ordered an iced green tea, the cashier asked me what kind of iced green tea I wanted as there were several different varieties to choose from, each infused with its own special mixture of vitamins and minerals.  Um, LOVE IT!  The green tea that I ended up ordering was absolutely fabulous, as was the GC’s.  So it is no surprise that Earthbar has long been a draw for health-conscious celebs.  Just a few of the stars who have been spotted at the WeHo location include Russell Brand, Penn Badgley, Mila Kunis, Jaime King, Kelly Osbourne, Justin Long, Selma Blair, and Dexter’s Desmond Harrington.  And while doing research for this post, I came across some photographs taken of KCav there back in November 2009, so apparently she has been an Earthbar patron for quite some time.  (I wish I looked that good in leggings and tennis shoes, by the way!)

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While we were in line waiting to order our drink, I happened to spot actor Ben Savage standing just a few people ahead of us.  And while the GC was absolutely adamant that I was mistaken and that the man I was pointing to was most-definitely not Ben Savage, as it turns out my “spot” was spot-on.  After I finished ordering, I approached Ben to ask for a picture and I am happy to report that he could NOT have been sweeter.  He spent quite a while talking to us and, of course, asked where we were visiting from.  Due to my massive incapability to be anything other than completely star-struck, celebrities invariably think I am from Iowa or Ohio and are always shocked to learn that I live in L.A.  If I had a nickel for every time a star asked where I was from, let me tell you, I would be one very rich stalker!  Winking smile  When Ben inquired as to how I had wound up at the West Hollywood Earthbar when I live in Pasadena, I (embarrassedly) explained about my Kristin Cavallari fandom and was shocked when he told me that he and KCav are good friends!  He then said, “I can tell you exactly what she orders when she comes here so that you can order it, too, if you want.  Oh, wait, that would be a little weird, huh?”  LOL  Such a genuinely nice guy!  It was also incredibly cool to be able to tell him that, to this day, I cannot drive by Topanga Canyon Boulevard without thinking of him and Boy Meets World.   Smile

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You can find me on Facebook here and on Twitter at @IAMNOTASTALKER.  And be sure to check out my my other blog, The Well-Heeled Diabetic.

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Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

Stalk It: Earthbar is located at 8365 Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood.  You can visit the store’s official website here.