On Saturday, Beverly Hills hosts a "public art party" to celebrate the work of Yayoi Kusama. I’ve experienced a Kusama installation before at the Mattress Factory in Pittsburgh. It was cool and wacky. This event’s free and the Paley Center for Media will be free as well that day as part of the festivities.
http://www.publicartparty.com/
Combine this day with a visit to the Renegade Craft Fair (also free) and you’ll have a great, creative Saturday.
This sounds great!
http://www.renegadecraft.com/los-angeles?site=la
And it’s free!
Learn how to make a linoelum block print and other arts/crafts for free! There will be bands too. And it all takes place on the penthouse level of California Market Center with 360-degree views of downtown L.A.
**** UPDATE***
We went to this. It was very cool to see all the great craft-y stuff people made. Creativity was everywhere. It was nice to see that there were people who weren’t technologically obsessed and still making things by hand. Practically everyone was a hipster there in a craft-y sense and no grandma dollies or doilies were around. Most of the vendors were quite shy and that was cute to see, though that probably doesn’t help their businesses. One of the coolest things I saw was The Weekend Store which made vintage recycled jewelry from old typewriter keys. Pics to come.
These bloggers have nice posts about the event:
http://apatchworkworld.blogspot.com/2009/07/renegade-swap-o-ramarama-recap.html
http://milkandeggsco.com/index.php?_a=viewBlog&blogId=34
The Los Angeles Urban Rangers are at it again, offering its free safaris of the secret (but public) Malibu Beaches. If you hit my beaches tab, you’ll see how much fun I had going on this a few years ago. They showed me that the beach could be all mine, mine, mine. Here are the details from its mailing list:
The Los Angeles Urban Rangers announce:
MALIBU PUBLIC BEACHES SAFARIS–SUMMER 2009
Tired of Zuma and Surfrider? Want to find and use the other beaches in Malibu–The twenty miles that are lined with private development? These safaris show you how to find, park, walk, picnic, and sunbathe on a Malibu beach legally and safely. Each safari visits two different beaches. Skills-enhancing activities include sign watching, trailblazing the public-private boundary, a no-kill hunt for accessways, and a public easement potluck.
We are offering three safaris in east Malibu:
SUN Aug 2, 11:00am-2:30pm
SUN Aug 16, 9:00am-12:30pm
SAT Aug 22, 3:00pm-6:30pm
Safaris are free. Spaces are limited. To sign up, e-mail info@laurbanrangers.org w/name, # of people, and preferred date.
A downloadable "Malibu Public Beaches" guide is available at http://www.laurbanrangers.org/.
Hope to see you at the beach!
Los Angeles Urban Rangers
www.laurbanrangers.org
Happy 4th of July!
For listing of free things to do for the 4th, go here:
http://www.freefunguides.com/?page_id=4
Sierra Madre’s 4th activities sound pretty happening!
Tonight kicks off the Levitt Pavilion’s free outdoor concert series in Pasadena. http://www.levittpavilionpasadena.org/summer-calendar-2009.html
And this Friday begins Free Shakespeare in Barnsdall Park. http://www.independentshakespeare.com/box-office/box-office.html
You can picnic at both of these places. When I first started this blog, I was majorly enamored by both these events and wrote about them here and here. The Levitt Pasadena is the Hollywood Bowl without the Bowl. Both series are a great way to have fun on a dime.
Mark your calendar - August 21 is Bollywood Night at the Levitt!!!
We saw Up today at the AMC Barrington 30 in South Barrington, Il. While there, I noticed two flyers for special screenings:
Summer Movie Camp - $1.00 movies, Wednesdays at 10 am for kids. July 1st will be Madagascar Escape 2. The money goes to charity. My sister tells me these movie days are a madhouse because summer camps come to them. Still, it’s a great deal. AMCEntertainment.com/smc I just went to its site and see this deal is nationwide too.
Sensory-Friendly showing of Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs on Saturday, July 11th at 10 am. "With Sensory-Friendly Films, the movie auditoriums will have their lights brought up and and the sound turned down." This screening is for autistic children and is co-sponsored by the Autism Society of America.
Ever since I was little, the story of Pompeii intrigued and haunted me
From LACMA’s email newsletter:
Special Offer: Free Admission to Pompeii and the Roman Villa
LACMA is pleased to offer one day of totally free access—June 9—to its blockbuster exhibition Pompeii and the Roman Villa and the entire museum!
KCRW exclaims that you simply can’t afford to miss Pompeii and the Roman Villa’s sculptures, frescoes, and glass vessels that have never been see outside of Italy, and the L.A. Times hails the show as “absorbing, well-considered, and beautifully installed.” Now is your chance to experience it all for free!
_____________________________
*TWO WAYS TO RESERVE YOUR TICKETS
To reserve your free tickets to Pompeii and the Roman Villa, you may visit lacma.org or stop by a LACMA Welcome Center. Tickets are not avaliable by phone. Tickets are limited to four per reservation.
This sounds intriguing, got it off a listserv. Also, could be a fun cheap date/recession fun outing -
" The Coffee Cup Collective is a project sited at the Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock and Swork for the Intersections 2009 exhibition. The production phase of the project introduces participants to ceramic reproduction methods with the aim of manufacturing coffee cups. Completed cups will be inserted to Swork’s dish inventory and be activated by Swork’s staff to serve beverages to customers.
Participate in the production activities of the Coffee Cup Collective
- Make a 2 Part Plaster Mold
- Slipcast Coffee Cups
- Glaze Bisque Ware
(all materials, tools, and equipment supplied)
Where:
Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock
2225 Colorado Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90041
When: (drop in any time during the sessions)
May 26, 10:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
June 2, 10:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
June 6, 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
June 9, 10:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
June 11, 10:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
June 16, 10:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
June 18, 10:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
For more information:
Edith Abeyta - (323) 906-1978 or edith@edithabeyta.net "
We visited Lechuza Beach over the Memorial Day weekend, arriving right when the tide was pretty high - after sunset but still light out - so we couldn’t walk onto the beach. Still, it was very cool. Look how close the water comes to the stairs. It was as if these stairs led straight to the ocean.
I loved the rhino-looking rocks. This one reminded me of a lonely beast looking out to sea:
Previously when I visited Lechuza, I got a nice stretch of the beach. Not this time:
We found free parking in the neighborhood right next to an Aston Martin and beach-front mansions. The gate was locked on our way out but a neighbor freed us.
For directions on how to visit Lechuza, a free beach with free parking, visit here. To read about my other Malibu beach exploits and how to get on David Geffen’s beach, click on my Malibu Beaches for All post. The Los Angeles Urban Rangers taught me how to operate these beaches; sometimes, they run free safaris to the Malibu beaches. Now that summer’s rolling around, the beach is calling you.
* Caution - Lechuza Beach and the secret beaches of Malibu do not have lifeguards, bathrooms, and civilization around them. Visit at your own risk. Certainly don’t go into the water at high tide and don’t go alone. *
Along with the Police Historical Museum. I went on this day last year - great fun! We took mugshots at the police museum and ate free hot dogs there. :0)
From Pasadena Now:
|
Free Admission Event:
“Museums of the Arroyo Day” Six museums in Los Angeles and Pasadena located along the Arroyo Seco in Pasadena will open free to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 17. Participating museums are
Heritage Square Museum, The Gamble House, Los Angeles Police Historical Museum,
the Lummis Home and Garden, the Pasadena Museum of History and
the Autry National Center’s Southwest Museum of the American Indian.
Various Locations Six Museums along the Arroyo | (213) 740-8687 |
From J, I learned this:
Monday, April 27 - Free grilled chicken at KFC. Grilled, not fried. KFC’s branching out.
Tuesday, April 28 - Free chicken at El Pollo Loco till 8 pm.
Wednesday, April 29 - .31 cent scoop night at Baskin Robbins from 5 - 10 pm (firefighter fundraiser)
Yeha! Recession dining continues…
Santa Monica Library is letting borrowers check out real live people!
What a great idea! I kinda am interested in talking to the ex-gang member.
$50 spa treatments during Spa Week, April 13 - 19.
To find a spa near you, go to www.spaweek.com.
I suggest making an appointment with a spa that has facilities - sauna, steam, whirlpool, gym, pool - so that you can make a true, getaway day out of this. The Pacific Waters Spa in Huntington Beach and Spa Xanadu in Arcadia are two such spas. I’ve been to both and had a relaxing time. Ask the spa if they’ll order food for you. Though it’s a recession, you can still get your spa on.
Hop Li in Arcadia is currently running a $1.38 dim sum promotion (Monday through Friday) celebrating its 4th anniversary. Hop Li is one of my favorite dim sum places because there’s usually no line. I hate waiting in line for dim sum. Sure, you might think the no line is a bad sign but it’s not. Hop Li is in Arcadia, far enough away from the Monterery Park, San Gabriel, and Alhambra dim sum scene that it doesn’t attract big numbers. Plus the restaurant is large and nice looking.
Twohey’s in Alhambra has a month-long $.66 special celebrating their 66 years in business.
April 9 - 15 = .66 floats
April 18 - 22 = .66 mini-sundaes
April 23 - 30 = .66 Stink-O-Sliders (I believe these are little burgers.)
Eat for pennies! Hooray for anniversaries!
Find out on April 4th and 5th, 12 pm - 4 pm, at the Petco in San Gabriel.
Petco
7262 N. Rosemead Blvd.
(626) 576 - BUNI
Just don’t let your Easter bunnies wind up here.
Can a cheap meal be had at Whole Foods? As I get to know its second floor eating area better, I think I can say….Yes. The breakfasts, tacos, and Middle Eastern food all seemed reasonably priced. Then I saw this on WF’s (Arroyo Parkway location) calendar:
Saturday March 21st and Sunday 22nd
Whole Lotta BBQ!
12pm-3pm $5 per plate
Join us at the Demo Station both days to get your loaded down plate of BBQ, chips/cookies, salad, and drink for only $5! And all the proceeds go to the Whole Planet Foundation. Help end poverty and end your hunger all at the same time!
____
Get your plate "loaded" with BBQ for only $5? This I have to see and maybe I will see it twice.
Yesterday, I had WF’s Korean spicy chicken bowl and I was pleased with it; the spinach and brown rice with it were great. It’s not that cheap though at a little over $8, but it was good and the health factor makes me like it more than other Korean fare. It’s what I would call Healthy Korean Cuisine.
Whole Foods affordable in a recession? It just may be possible. Plus they have free Wifi.
Whole Foods
465 South Arroyo Parkway
Pasadena, CA 91105 USA
Phone 626.204.2266
is Friday, March 13, 2009.
Here are the deets.
The new Samurai exhibit at the Pacific Asia Museum is free on this night too.
The Pacific Asia Museum is hosting a free family day this Saturday, March 14, 2009, from 12 - 4 pm. The exhibit is "The Samurai Re-Imagined: From Ukiyo to Anime" and features samurai, manga comics, armor, and robots. The day includes free admission to the galleries plus crafts, performances, demonstrations, and more fun.
Also part of the exhibit are a series of related events; one about game design.
Saturday, March 21, 2-5pm
Discussion, Games People Play
Join game designer Alexei Othenin-Girard as he discusses the history and development of game design. The event is followed by a workshop on the fundamentals of game design.
Pacific Asia Museum
46 N. Los Robles Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 449-2742
Just take the Gold Line to Memorial Park.
Go here and enter in some text. Hit submit and out comes your wordle, word art. Click on Wordle.net’s gallery to see some samples. Words that are repeated will appear larger. If this makes no sense to you, please just go to the site and play around. It is super cool! If you’re a teacher, this could be a fun classroom activity. If you fetishize words and fonts, you’ll be in heaven here. This site is great too for those who are challenged in the graphic design area but want to make cool looking signs.
See a wordle of this blog entry at unhipla’s wordle gallery. This one’s my favorite unhipla wordle so far.
I’ve been meaning to blog about Burrito Kingdom in Alhambra, CA, the place where I go for my carnitas taco fix. I’ve been to this place many, many times, and I am in love with their carnitas taco, which is juicy and spicy (with salsa) and always tasty. I have not tried many other things on this menu mainly because I have been so pleased with the carnitas taco. Why stray from a good thing? This is the best carnitas taco I’ve had in L.A.! At $1.50 each, the price is recession right with each taco having much more meat than most taco truck fare. The freshly chopped onion is great too.
Burrito Kingdom
526 N. Atlantic Blvd., Alhambra, CA 91801
626-284-4809
Tops in Alhambra also has good tacos but just not as flavorful as Burrito Kingdom’s.
826LA, a non-profit writing and tutoring center, is having its First Annual Winter Ball on Saturday, February 14, 2009, from 9 pm to 2 am, at the Alexandria Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Though the day is Valentine’s, the invite stresses this is not a VD-themed event. Singles are welcome. The $30 admission (in advance; $40 at door) goes to fund 826LA’s educational programs. This is a formal event; floor-length gowns, tuxes, gems, and coiffed do’s are all encouraged, but be creative about it. "Please don’t worry, this is a fun modern Ball. No old timey’ music and you do not have to ballroom dance."
Take your date to see "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi," Shahrukh Khan’s latest Bollywood romantic comedy offering. It’s playing at the Naz 8 in Artesia. The movie is about an older man who has an arranged marriage with a younger woman (who has a tragic back story), and how he tries to woo her by entering a dance contest. The movie has Bollywood heart and soul all the way and gets pretty philosophical about what true love really is. It steered clear of paneer (cheese) somehow and just told a satisfying story with comical yet touching acting by Shahrukh Khan and his forlorn co-star Anushka Sharma. The soundtrack is outstanding as well, very poetic and dance beat-y at the same time. Though I don’t understand the lyrics, I know the songs are about love and finding your true partner. The Hindi word kuch = love something (Thanks Soni). My favorite song is Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai.
I was first introduced to Bollywood fare via Abhishek Bachchan whom I adored, but now I have finally discovered the greatness of SRK. He delivers time and time again, and picks better projects than Abhi does. SRK’s work seems more mature and deep than Abhi’s, yet at the same time very charming and highly entertaining. I drool for SRK.
After you see the movie, I suggest dining in Artesia. Any restaurant would probably offer you a spicy and seductive meal. Happy Valentine’s Day! Here are my former posts on my lovely trips to Little India, Artesia, here, here, here, here, and here. Anyone have any restaurant suggestions for Little India? If you go, you’ll most likely have an uncrowded and pleasant Valentine’s Day!
*** UPDATE *** SRK is in another movie playing at the Naz 8 too. It’s called Billu Barber. I have not seen it yet.
Just got this from my Nucleus email newsletter:
Nucleus Sketch Book Society Sessions
Every Wednesday | 6:00PM - 9:00PM
The Sketch Book Society is an informal club for professional and aspiring artists to gather, share, draw, and inspire one another. Hang out and meet local artists in a relaxed atmosphere while gaining some pencil mileage. Complimentary refreshments are served.
On February 18, 2009 we will hold a special session with a live model. Tickets for this session are $15.00 per person. For more information, click here.
Also, Nucleus is renting out space for serious artists in their loft workspace above their gallery.
(626) 458-7482 | 210 East Main St Alhambra, CA 91801 | Mon-Thur: 12pm-9pm, Fri-Sun: 11am-10pm
What a great title! LACMA is hosting a free lecture on looking at art. Here’s its blurb:
"Milton Esterow, editor and publisher of ARTnews, talks about the international art scene, the art market, art journalism, art criticism, and changes in taste and fashion, followed by questions from the audience. Born in New York City, Esterow was a reporter for the New York Times and specialized in cultural affairs. He has lectured extensively both in the United States and abroad and is the author of The Art Stealers. Since he bought ARTnews from Newsweek Magazine in 1972, Esterow has guided its growth into the most widely circulated art magazine in the world. Under his direction, ARTnews has won most of the major journalism awards presented to magazines; ARTnews editors and reporters have been honored thirty-two times for excellence in reporting, criticism, and design."
Free, no reservations needed.
February 5 | 7:30 pm | Bing Theater,
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
5905 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90036
tel 323 857-6000
tel 323-857-0098 (TDD)
www.lacma.org
Check here for more free talks and screenings at LACMA. Get an art history education for free! Some of my favorite moments in college were sitting in an art history lecture, with huge slides of art before us, and hearing the professor discuss them.
The Riverside Dickens Festival is this weekend, February 6-8, 2009. Have tea with Queen Victoria, enjoy a Victorian Era fashion show, performances, and much more.
M took me to this hilarious place. Long Beach City College is overrun with rabbits, big, fat, brazen ones who will run up to strangers and beg for food.
This one hopped up so fast that he almost knocked into my camera.
At first, I was just so delighted by their cute-ness:
The rabbit above was right in front of me and sat still enough for macro shots.
But then I started to see the rabbits as larger rats, campus squirrels and cats, and other campus blight.
Apparently the rabbits have been around since the college’s founding when it was on fields of beans, alfalfa, and carrots. They’re indigenous rabbits! Some rabbits there are pets who were dumped after Easter. These rabbits then get jumped or "thumped" when they’re in the wrong territory.
"We rule this skool!"
The rabbits made the news two years ago when there was a strange slaughter of them. The story is too sad to repeat.
One article I read said there were around 200 rabbits on campus. I saw at least 30 lazing about. The rabbits seem to be quite content as the campus puts out food for them. I was amazed by how tame and unafraid of people they were, and how many holes they have dug around campus. 
"What recession? We got it good here."
This truly was one of the strangest L.A. sites I have seen. Thanks M!
Long Beach City College
4901 E Carson St
Long Beach, CA 90808
(562) 938-4353
For the raw footage and more cute rabbits INCLUDING VIDEO, visit UnHipLA’s Picasa page here. The videos show just how close the rabbits get to people. This blogger has great pictures of the baby bunnies on the campus.
*** UPDATE *** 1/27/09 This bunny post, thanks to LAObserved.com, has multiplied onto other blogs and news sites. NBC Los Angeles’ Kevin Sullivan’s blog post provides more information on the bunny blight and what the campus has been trying to do about it. Thank you everyone for the views!
*** UPDATE *** 1/29/09. The bunny post hops on. LBPost.com gives the history of Long Beach City College and its rabbits. CurbedLA linked to the LAObserved story. Then on YouTube, I found this hilarious clip from a 70s film called "Night of the Lepus," in which mutant rabbits the size of trucks galavant through towns, wreak havoc, and kill humans. Hilarious.
Eat at upscale restaurants at "budget" prix-fixe prices during dineLA’s Restaurant Week. From its website www.dinela.com/restaurantweek/:
"Dining experiences during the event will be available in three price categories: Deluxe Dining is $16 for lunch and $26 for dinner; Premier Dining is $22 for lunch and $34 for dinner, and Fine Dining is $28 for lunch and $44 for dinner (beverages, tax and gratuity are not included; participating meal periods vary by restaurant)."
Dates: January 25 – 30 and February 1 – 6, 2009.
Click on the link for restaurants and their menus. For example, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse has 3-course dining from $34 - $44.
LA’s Chinatown is having its first Art Night on Saturday, January 24, 2009, from 7 - 10 pm. This will be a quarterly shindig featuring contemporary art, clothing, furniture, music, performance and design.
Sounds like fun and it’s free!
I’ve never been to the Doo Dah Parade, so don’t know what it’s like. Here’s their press release:
Doo Dah Parade on Heels of Rose Parade!
WHAT: The 32nd “OCASSIONAL” PASADENA DOO DAH PARADE celebrates the post-holiday season in its typically loud, irreverent style on SUNDAY, JANUARY 18th, stepping off at 11:30am. The boisterous, twisted sister to Pasadena’s prim and proper Rose Parade is expected to draw an estimated 45,000 fun-lovers from all over Southern California and parts unknown. Since 1978, Doo Dah has received national attention and has been named “Best Parade in America” by Readers’ Digest, and is included in the book 50 Places To See Before You Die.
WHERE: The OLD PASADENA historic retail and entertainment district. Convenient parking is located in structures adjacent to the parade route. Metro Gold Line stops nearest to the Parade are Del Mar and Memorial Park stations. Lawn chairs are encouraged!
WHO: Over 1,500 revelers will be led by 2009 Grand Marshal Charles Phoenix, loved by fans for his live, hilarious Retro Slide Show performances, fun-filled School Bus Field Trip Tours, crazy kitchen experiments and colorful coffee table books. Charles will be perched atop a bright red fire marshal’s station wagon towing a classic trailer followed by a troupe of colorfully coutured roller skaters.
January 25th is the Whale Fiesta at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. Look at the nifty whale sand sculptures on the beach. Also admission to the aquarium is free that day. I predict lots of youngsters will be at the event as this looks extremely family friendly. Their website write-up is funny:
"Join us for tons of fun as we celebrate the migration of the Pacific Gray Whale past our shores and the start of the Whalewatch season at the annual Whale Fiesta on Sunday, January 25, 2009 from 10 am to 4:30 pm. Co-sponsored by CMA and the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Cetacean Society, it’s a family day filled with activities and exhibits for all. We’ll have our famous Duct Tape Whale Sculpture Contest, games, arts and crafts, puppet shows for children of all ages, talks by whale experts, food and gift vendors, marine awareness organizations and music! This year we are building a life-sized rare Cuvier’s beaked whale out of sand on our beach. Grab your shovels and come lend a hand! Admission is free and a 25-cent park and ride shuttle is available at 22nd and Miner Streets (at the end of Harbor Blvd.). For more information, please call Larry Fukuhara at (310) 548-7562 x223."
The American Cetacean Society and duct tape whale sculptures? Who can resist that? 
The Fresh & Easy website says that the Alhambra location of this budget grocery chain will open January 14th. I’m curious about this British-owned market, which seems to be a cross of Trader Joes and Aldi markets. Supposedly Fresh & Easy has fresh foods at low prices and a happening ready-made aisle. We shall see! I did stop very quickly at a Fresh & Easy in Escondido around 10 pm when the prices on sandwiches and salads were being reduced to a dollar. I will reserve judgment on the sandwiches until I try more of Fresh & Easy’s goods. A website criticizing Fresh & Easy says it is owned by the "Wal-mart of Britain." In these tough times, I don’t think those words are a deterrent.
Fresh & Easy
MAIN ST & RAYMOND AVE
2121 W Main Street, Suite 300
Alhambra, CA 91801
*** UPDATE *** For my review of my first Fresh & Easy visit, click here.
Get free blog up and running in minutes with Blogsome | Theme designs available here
