The Greener Side of Cali: Cisco Home

"Eco-Friendly", meaning "not harmful to the environment"....that seems to be the way that everyone is going. Or at least it seemed that everyone was doing it, when I submerged myself into researching, studying, and trying to practice everything green that I could. When I finally stepped outside of my bubble for a bit, I realized...oh...maybe everyone isn't as advanced doesn't think like me.

Luckily in California there is a little bit more of an interest in making things sustainable, eco-friendly and just plain good for the environment and our future generations. And one place that is certainly doing their fair share is Cisco Brothers.





ciscobrothers.com



Cisco Brothers was started a little over a decade again, right here in LA. Having a great love and respect of nature, Cisco Pinedo created a line of furniture that was the first to create 100% FSC-certified furniture, none of that pressed particle board that you see so often at, oh let's see..everywhere...and they are only improving.



ciscobrothers.com



A few of the high points that make them stand out among the crowd:

• water based glues



• natural latex, down, feathers, or soy-based foam cushion options

• vegetable dyed leather

• made right here in good ol'  LA

So if you are ever in LA and need some of the best furniture around, stop in at one of their stores and see for yourself!

 

Slowing Down

I think one of the reasons why I love the Parisian lifestyle so much is the fact that every moment that they spend awake or asleep, they always seem to be truly living. Not worrying about what is going to happen next week, tomorrow, or even two hours from now. The time is just now, and that is all that matters. Why can't Americans be a little more... French?


Down at Runyon Canyon in Hollywood, there is a brilliant offer that allows yogis of all levels to come out and stretch their inner stress away and become one with the palm trees and of course, the gophers.


I think these are just the perfect touch to some calming scenery, especially when you have accidentally place your mat over one of their many, and I mean MANY holes, and they they try to burrow their way out through your mat. Nothing like a little nudge in your foot when you're trying to stand in tree pose.

On a more materialistic note. Last Friday, Kendra Wilkenson from the Girls Next Door was down in Long Beach doing a book signing for her new biography, Being Kendra.

After leaving around 2 pm and driving for over two hours trying to only go 30 miles, we arrived and get the VIP treatment! Thanks to Andrea, we were able to use her members card and get a discounted book and bumped up to the front of the line.


The signing started at 7, however (according to Kendra) she had to take a moment in the bathroom to put her eyelashes back on.

All of a sudden I got completely star struck, and had no idea what to say or ask her. Luckily, she was one of the most down to earth persons that I have ever met!

She was so humble and sweet, I could not have asked for a more enjoyable meet and greet!


She talked to me a bit about her makeup and how she was not use to all the fuss over fake eyelashes, she personalize my copy of her book, and then she signed a crew badge that B had from working on the show. Great, now I love her even more!

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

It has been a little bit hard to get into the holiday spirit, when the weather is that of an ideal vacation in a distant summer land. There are still twinkling lights, and garlands strands hanging down every side door, it all just seems to tried.


There is still the holiday spirit that Ch'en can not shake. New love, listening to the recently release She & Him holiday cd. Whenever I hear Zooey's voice, I am always reminded of a mothers voice. That kind of soft, soothing sound that I would picture a fifties housewife singing to her kids to go to sleep.


We need to be friends.

Walking around our new "winter" wonderland we strolled on down to The Grove. There was a little launch of Katy Perry's new perfume, "Meow". I have never been a huge perfume fan, unless it is Stella or Ambre...or of course Miss Dior...but any hoo...Britney, Katy, Paris, they seem to all have that sweet smell of, I had to make a perfume to make more money and have more marketing and because my PR person told me to, kind of smell. Don't get me wrong, I love Ms. Perry, but I could definitely tell that she was exhausted and her ideal afternoon was not to be at The Grove with a mob of people that just wanted a piece of her. Like me.

Can I please have her dress??

She came to the stage on the trolley that goes around. Quite fitting.

All this photo taking made us require some stomach filling treats. Being able to walk from the baby pink encrusted sound stage to an all vegetarian restaurant was just the cherry on top. Speaking of cherries on top, right in the middle of the mall there was Santa's workshop. Decked out in delectable sugar plums and giant ice cream cones with swirling cherries on top! SWIRLING CHERRIES! Of course, a still photo does not capture all its glory, but still.


After a sweet photo op at the happy hut, we got to enjoy that which is The Veggie Grill.
Every thing is hippie friendly?! No thinking required, or special annoying ordering needed!



Por moi?

Bali Bliss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Indonesian styled tempeh, sautéed and grilled, lettuce, tomato, red onion, chipotle ranch. Blackened upon request. Add some avocado or portobello mushroom and a side of red cabbage slaw.



Mr. Brando embraced the The V-Burger, Marinated and grilled veggie-steak burger (really it is just a boca burger..boo.), pickles, lettuce, tomato, red onion, chipotle ranch.



They had a slew of teas and fresh strawberry or regular lemonade. However, there was an alluring glass bottle of ginger ale. I absolutely love ginger ale, and I am not talking that high fructose corn syrup crap that you can buy at Walmart. I am talking the just shredded, mixed with carbonated water and a dash of sucre, ginger ale. Je suis dans l'amour!


Now time for some American Horror Story and a glass of French wine. Joyeuses fêtes !

Picnic at the Louvre

Second part of our Europe trip.

"We decided that we would try to make it to the Eurostar at four in the morning..so that our tickets would be cheaper.. We realized this at about midnight the night before. We woke up at four, got out gear together And then stumbled out of the hostel in search for a taxi since the Underground doesn't run that early in the morning. We finally caught a taxi and had him take us to Kings Cross Station...only he didn't take cards so we had to stop by an ATM to get money out. Got to the station, bought our tickets and the two lattes and realized we had to dump our ten dollar coffees out to go onto the train...grrr..

Went thru the northern Part of France to get to Paris around 9am. St Gare du Nord.

Arriving at the train station in Paris.

Got off the train and headed up the super high steps of Sacre Couers located at the summit of le butte du Montmartre . Greeted by deaf girls and felt up, yeah for Brandon... Went in and around the famous church.

Back down the stairs to Pigoilly station completely no cue what we were doing, or where we were going. Got off around the Louvre and started looking for hotels.

Booked. Booked. Expensive. Greeted by a bird and a rat. Expensive ...all of our gear and walking around Paris, hungry, thirsty and not a clue. Awesome. We stopped in a sandwich shop and got a vegetarian with two cokes and sat in the Louvre gardens and ate. Amazing.

Walked up to the Arc and down the Champs élysées.

Even with the beautiful sites the stress and hunger was starting to wear. We walked over to the St. Germaine area and found Welcome Hotel.

They had a triple for 129€ we took it. Our room was on the top and we could see La Tour Eiffel from the window. Dropped our stuff off, took a shower and headed out to see the sites. We grabbed a crepe avec nutella and headed to the Vendetta boats.930pm we took a cruise along the Seine.



Walked around the Louvre at night and the neighborhood.Felt like walking through a history book. Seeing the prison where Marie Antoinette was held before her guillotine invite, houses of famous artists and writers. Sleeping grounds for works of art that money can't buy. Can this place really exist?

Walked around the il de cite a thousand times more.





Saturday we had to find another hotel..luckily not far was Hotel Michelet Odeon.


View outside our window.

Saturday was a hot one, and we walked over the the Invalides and around and then the Eiffel tower.Heat. No real food. Not much water, wearing all black with gallons of black coffee and cheese bread equals a bad mix..... We would return later.



We wound back around the city to the hotel, stopping by the Champs Elysee. Seeing the Arc de Triumph and the mad house of cars around it.

Next, over to the Louis Vuitton store. I always thought that it would be ideal to buy a Neverfull at the flagship store, but we went to three different ones and they were all closed! Not so lucky. At least the outside kept me entertained for a while. Walking back down St. Germain we went into a little pastry shop and fell in love with macaroons. salted caramel please.


Sunday, we went over to the market to see all the meats and cheese that were displayed like art.



There were so many people picking through the beautifully assorted ordure's.



Now to roam the Louvre, then back to Eiffel's creation and up to the top.Over to the Arc de triumph, Louis vuitton, grand palais.

Monday, morning to Versailles, and around the neighborhood.

On our way to the train station we stopped by another outdoor market that was selling everything from Simpson inspired doughnuts, to organic handmade blouses. We grabbed some pink frosted doughnuts and rode out to the countryside of Marie Antoinette.




So amazing to see her Petit Trianon and the palace itself. There was a movie being filmed while we were there, so there were all kinds of cast and crew members roaming about in period costume. I liked to think that they were there for our entertainment to get us better in the French Revolution mood.


Sat under the tower and ate pickled mustard chips and coke and San pellagrino while the tower did it's night show.





How can one city be so beautiful?? There is definitely no place like this in the world, and I can see why it is such a destination for almost everyone. Even being here before, seeing the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triumph will never get old.

London Calling

Looking through past pages, I found my notes that I had scribbled from our trip to Europe last May and thought it would be a fun little journal entry... so voila!

"London

May 16- We got to the airport around 4pm for our 620pm flight After awhile we are told that the flight is going to be cancelled We decide to give Susan a ring and stay with her..just get out of Indy is all that matters- We end up making our connecting flight! Running thru Logan airport in Boston and knocking down security barriers we board the ginormous plane. Dinner was served at midnight. It consisted of pasta with lots of cheese, salad, water, brownie, and bread. To go with our 25$ snack purchases at the Indy airport before we left. We arrived at 10am London time.




Yeah! Took the Piccadilly line to south Kensington, got a bit turned around and then found our hostel. Astor Hyde Park. Amazing. Gorgeous building--- but we were on the fifth floor with no elevator, dead tired and jet lagged, hungry and now climbing these stairs with all of our luggage. Damn.



Plopped down and then headed back out. Albert's hall and statue just around the corner.

Over to the London eye, Westminster, and big Ben

Hop back on the tube to see the tower of London. Now this is a treat. Grabbed a flat white at EAT, a chain that is everywhere in London. Why is it that their coffee over here is so much better? Oh yeah...cause it's all hand pressed and organic milk... Got our tickets to the show and began our tour of the tower.


Our tour guide was amazing! So funny and well spoken. Very entertaining. We checked out the tower bridge, bloody tower, crown jewels etc.

Back to the hostel area. We met Kelly and Josh from Denver, super nice Christian fellows. Went out with them Wednesday. Ate breakfast at the hostel- coffee and cereal- Headed out to the science museum, Harrods, Buckingham palace for the changing of the guards!



Down to Westminster abbey, back to big Ben, then over to the eye and went up, it is about thirty minutes of a flight around the city in a giant clear egg.

Things are getting costly.

All walking so far. Off to follow the Thames up to the Tate modern, the globe theater,

and grabbing lunch at a falafel place. So delicious! Josh and Kelly bought our lunch, so sweet! Large baguette with falafel, hummus, pepper and good stuff.

Crossed the millennium up to st. Paul's cathedral. There were so many kids, and English seemed to be the rare language. I heard more French, German and polish than anything else.

After st. Paul's we walked around the area for a bit, stopping to pay fifty pence for a potty break and then over towards Trafalgar square.

There was a protest going on with tons of people from Africa dressed in African attire, and here comes the rain. It started to pour. And pour. And pour. We wound down Kensington road back towards Hyde park. About 18 some miles walked in a day. Highly justifies the dinner ahead.

We tried going over to queen arms, a pub we heard about, but we didn't feel cool enough to enter so we kept going.

A block over was a little pub that looked super authentic and then written on the outside was "vegetarian" fish and chips! Since we didn't want to really eat fish..the whole getting sick on vaca doesn't sound too good, we were glad to try it.


We ordered the recommended beer on tap,. It started with an "h" and was long like hammer something...and the fish was beered battered cheese blocks. I Gladly ate. then up to Piccadilly and ate at maozs vegetarian.

Thursday we took off early to catch the bus to stone henge. We missed it and so we got tickets to the next one..four hours from then. We got on the tube to Soho, grabbed an egg and Crest sandwich from pret a manger and a flat white and latte...so good...food makes me more sane. Then over to the humming bird bakery.



Gorgeous little cakes, tried the red velvet.

Absolutely amazing.

Back to the hostel, then back the to Victoria train station. Got on the private tours bus up to Salisbury - about two hours, beautiful countryside. We were so tired though that we were both asleep half the time. Arrived through a little town, with mushroom houses!! Then aaaaaaaaaaaaa



Stonehenge all mystical and such....and now a tourist hotspot. Very much a worth while trip.

Had a coffee with a currant scone with jam and clotted cream.

Got back on the bus and back to London

Tried hauling ass to the jack tour but got lost and missed it by ten minutes .."

Babycakes NYC in LA!

Guess who's back...back again..

BABYCAKES NYC!!!!

When we were in New York, we went to Babycakes, and all vegan cupcakery that is God's gift to anyone vegan, or has allergies to soy, dairy, eggs, and other yuckies.

These are the kind of signs that I like to see. Especially next to doughnuts.

A nice selection of doughnuts, salted caramel, lemon coconut, chocolate dipped, pumpkin, maple, powdered blueberry..and more chocolate...



I had to opt for the red velvet though of course. And no disappointment in my selection. If it is good enough for JLo, it is good enough for me! Yeah, that is right, there was a nice little letter on their bulletin board from the lovely singer about how she loved this shop!



And for the hubs, it was the pumpkin filled pumpkin doughnut. A heart shaped pumpkin doughnut with a pumpkin pie filling...talk about richness! Even with two little pastries, they had to be spaced out through the day and washed down with some Spanish Lattes from Urth Cafe..another AMAZING place...only THE best coffee shop in all of LA according to Yelp.