POCKET LINT.

LA (CRUMPLED TWENTY): THE MOST HILARIOUS MOMENT IN BACHELOR HISTORY

The Best Link Today:

Just when you thought The Bachelor's marketing machine couldn't top itself, Nintendo is launching a Bachelor video game.  While playing, according to US Weekly, you can fight to win Jason Mesnick's heart (which is a little messed up BTW, since he just got married).

That's all well and good, but I want to play a game where you can tell him to kindly take his skeevy hands off you in the hot tub or ask him what kind of hotdog he likes.  Right, Jillian?  He likes whatever kind makes him seem like less of a Jew it would seem, at least based on the way they avoided the topic during his season.

I wonder if you have to listen to Mesnick drone on and on about his son Ty and how much he loves exploiting him on national television?  Zzzzzz.  What?  Oh, sorry.  I just fell asleep even THINKING about that snooze fest.

Apparently, you can sabotage other people's dates.  I wonder if you can have sex with a crew member and then deny it like the world is really stupid enough to believe your trashy ass on "The Women Tell All"?

Either way, I'm sure all the bachelorette avatars are there for the right reason: To get famous!  Why else would you let Jason Mesnick touch your boobs?

xo - N.

LA (AND BEYOND): THE BEST RESCUE (AND I'M NOT TALKING FACE CREAM)

Okay, not to tug at your heart strings ...

BUT I got an email about this adorable three-month-old lab/pit puppy yesterday and I just had to share. Partially, I'm posting this because I hope someone will see it, contact me and take him home and partially because nothing is better than waking up to a face that cute.  I mean, how cheery are you now that you read PL today?

Not that I'm not always a ray of sunshine, but you know.

ANYWAY, if you're looking for the cutest puppy this side of the Mississippi, just shoot me a message and I'll get you in touch with the right peeps.  Apparently, his temperament is as sweet as his face.

I know this is a bit unorthodox for the blog, but sometimes cute stuff is just cute stuff.  Speaking of cute stuff, have you seen this new Charlotte Ronson/Shoshana collaboration bag?  I think it's kinda good for the beach this summer (at least in the picture).  It's practically sold out on Shop Bop right now, but don't be sad (or if you do feel sad, look at the puppy again).

I have a feeling that it will be reappearing soon.  And I will let you know when that happens.  Just as soon as I secure one for myself.

Yeah, I said it.

xo - N

SHUT UP!  SHUT UP!  How cute is this dog???

 

LA (HOLLYWOOD/BH): THE BEST SNEAK PEEK AT OSCAR SETS & THE BEST NEW CRUDO BAR

At first glance, the above two subjects might seem unrelated.  But look a little closer and, well, they're still pretty unrelated.  But, I promise, there is a common thread somewhere.

For one thing, many Oscar attendees get all dolled up for the event and/or stay at the Four Seasons Beverly Hills (which is where new neighborhood Italian restaurant Culina will be opening this week with a crudo bar).  So, both these stories would be of interest to those people staying at the Four Seasons and attending the Oscars, right?  RIGHT.  And that's obviously a large sector of the population, so.

But more importantly (that's right peeps): It's shameless self promotion time, yet again.  Yes, I am the common thread.  I am the walrus.  I am the president of the united states.  I am starting to make very little sense.  I am getting sleepy ... sleeeepy.

Before I lapse into complete gibberish, I'll get right to sharing yesterday's "Image" section story on this year's Oscar sets.  There were some smaller newsy pieces last week, but this one by moi goes in depth with architect and designer David Rockwell.

As for Culina, you can read my little write-up on Daily Candy LA today.

You could even read it while at the Oscars.  Wouldn't THAT be trippy?

xo - N.

LA/NYC (BI-COASTAL): THE BEST "T" ON TAP

I'm a teetotaller.

Only, it's not 1920's prohibition era.  Instead, it's 2010, an era where you can create an avatar to virtually drink buffalo pee for you on a reality show, so you can win a million dollars, find a husband and claim Paris Hilton as a new BFF.

But enough about progress.

Like I was saying: I'm a teetotaller.

Only, I drink liquor.  A lot.

I guess I'm not a teetotaller.  But, boy, do I like tea.

So, you can imagine my excitement when I happened upon T Salon on Melrose (next to M Café).  The truth is that I spotted the new tea shop awhile ago (they opened in October), but I only had an occasion to stop in as I was walking all the way from Hollywood & Highland to my house the other day.

Long story.

Apparently, the original T Salon is in Chelsea Market in NYC.  And it turns out that the tea shop is not only a cute little café and tea boutique.  They also offer tons of both hot and cold teas--wait for it--on tap.  How cute is that?  I just love that they offer like eight different iced teas, just ready to drink.

Best of all, by sheer luck I happened upon a Red Tea that turned out to be an iced version of the Rooibos with which I'm obsessed from Chado Tea House.  My favorite tea--but iced!

The iced tea wasn't cheap, but the "plastic" cups are actually all eco and plantable and stuff, so you can't feel TOO guilty.

Hey.  At least it wasn't liquor.  See?  I'm the teetotaller.

xo - N.

 

NYC (AND BEYOND): THE BEST PERMA-WALL ART

You know what I'm a fan of?  I mean besides pickles, olives and The Bachelor.  Yup.  I'm not ashamed.

Anyway, I'm also a fan of simplifying.

That's my new jam, since I made a bunch of Chinese New Year resolutions this weekend.  (I kind of missed the American one and the Jewish one is, well, who knows when).  So, while you all ate chocolate on V-Day, I ate some Shanghai Rice Cake from Din Tai Fung and now I'm good to go for this Year of the Tiger (not to be confused with eye of the tiger).

Anyway, I don't own my apartment, but, if I did, part of my new simplification strategy might involve covering my walls with one of Cavern Wallpaper's new Artist Edition papers by David Stark, Tom Slaughter, Miguel Fabrega or Julia Ziegler-Haynes.

See, you hang paper (like the above for instance) and then you really don't need to hang any additional art work, right?

Siiiimplify.

Not just a hat rack, my friends.

xo - N.

LA (AND BEYOND): THE BEST NEWLY LAUNCHED LOCAL STYLE BLOG

To announce that I'm a BIG fan of local Third Street style blog, Blackburn + Sweetzer would be a major understatement (not to mention an insult to the intelligence of any regular PL readers).

Over the oh so long year of writing this . . . thing . . . this behemoth beast (swoon from exhaustion), I've constantly referenced my pal Tasha Nita Adams' blog as a daily "Crumpled Twenty" or even just as a resource.

Well, now her "little sib" blog is all grown up and part of a newly launched larger style website called Mondette.  With fashion world partners in crime Lilliam Rivera and Christina von Messling, the new website also covers the entire Melrose area (Rosewood + Martel).  Well, the parts worth knowing.

As the name Mondette suggests, these ladies translate this sprawling urban (and sometimes weirdly suburban) jungle into a small world, highlighting truly local happenings and finds in these central enclaves.  LA can be a hard city to get to know, but this is like a short cut to finding your favorite neighborhood spots and characters.

It's a cheat sheet, if you will, to making LA your style-centric home.

xo - N.

ONLINE (AND BEYOND): THE BEST CRUMPLED TWENTY

The Best Link Today:

If you're anything like me, you spend significant amounts of time marveling at people's inappropriate Facebook status updates from "Sally is deeply depressed and crying out for help" to "Tom is sleeping on the bathroom floor between puking bouts."

Anyway, I heartily approve of this website's "How To Suck at Facebook" instructions (although maybe he should have added something about the new "post your celebrity doppelganger" trend).  Why does everyone think they look like Kursten Dunst?

Now, I'm off to shamelessly "market" my site.  Become my fan!  Become my fan!  BECOME MY FAN!!!

xo - N.

 

LA (HOLLYWOOD HILLS): THE BEST HOLLYWOOD HOUSEWIFE

For a moment, let's all get our heads unclouded.  That's right: shake off those Sunday hangovers and cold medicine induced dazes and, like, if you sniff glue, stop that for a sec too.  Also, drop out of boarding school or quit your job at the carnival.  (Sorry, but I feel like boarding school kids and "carnies" are the only people who sniff glue).

Anyway, let's focus and chat for a moment about cause and effect.  For instance, if I never left NYC, I never would have gone to college in California.  I never would have learned about good beer or bad bagels.  I never would have had my first job at George Clooney's company (and he wouldn't still be pining for me after all these years, discarding model after cocktail-waitress-cum-model because they don't hold a candle).  If I hadn't DETESTED my 9 to 5 political job, I would never have started freelance writing.  And, if I stayed in NYC, I might never have met my friend R., who ultimately introduced me to L.T., who in turn convinced me to start a blog and who is thus responsible for you wasting precious moments of your life reading this rambling pointless mess right now.

But let's forgive her that and go check out her new blog Hollywood Housewife anyway.  L.T. has had another blog called Peacoat Papers for a while, but she's now relaunched with more specific direction and will wax poetic about her Oklahoma roots, her LA digs, her movie industry husband and, well, our FABULOUS book club (among other things).

Personally, I'm a fan of such Southern tough cookie types.  I'm fascinated because my frame of reference couldn't be more different:  Literally, they can tell you to screw yourself and it sounds sweet, while I can offer a compliment and come off snooty and rude.  Plus, their sass just makes me smile.  Sass = Smile.  And that is what we call, "cause and effect."

At least kind of.

xo - N.

PALM SPRINGS/VA/MT/VT: THE BEST ARTISANAL RESORT PRODUCTS AND THE BEST WAY TO SAY ADIEU TO A YEAR WELL DONE

I know.  I know.  I keep apologizing and then being bad again, but I'm off on yet another jaunt and will not be LINTing Christmas week.  Actually, that's sort of not true.  I'll be LINTing in the sense that I'll be scouting new finds to share (though I still owe some Pittsburgh and NYC stuff), but I won't be posting regularly until January 2, 2010.

Anyway, I thought I'd leave you with a link to my latest little story in Travel & Leisure (see above) about resorts that farm or crush and create their own beauty and food products.  Short and sweet, just like me and my attention span.  And my patience.  And my fuse.  And my family.  And the time it takes me to devour french fries.  And the time it takes me to read a trashy detective novel.  And the time that will pass between now and my next post in 2010.

So, happy holidays of all kinds, folks.  Good tidings to all and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!  (I know I already have my sequined number picked out).  Well, I mean one only has so many sequin dresses from which to choose, right?

Love ya.  Mean it.

xo - N.

LA TO TEXAS (CRUMPLED TWENTY): THE BEST SEARCH FOR LARRY MCMURTRY

The Best Link Today:

It's been ages since I threw up a Crumpled Twenty, but, when I saw this travel project by my friend Lena Katz, I just had to share.  Lena is a travel writer, who also happens to be OBSESSED with Larry McMurtry (kinda like my hubby).  Anyway, she's decided to road trip--with her dog in tow--in search of the famed author and is now somewhere in Texas, blogging as she goes.  She's a great writer and the project is definitely amusing.  Plus, she already referenced eating jars of pickled garlic in her Best Western hotel room, so we LINTERS just have to love her.

No choice.

xo - N.

P.S. I heard that he sometimes hangs out in D.C.  We shall see . . .