Did you say Chocolate?? oh yes I did!!

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt”. -Charles M. Schulz

Did everyone see that Big Bright Full Moon this weekend? As you know, the hubbie and I were in the woods, and while normally the woods gets dark quickly as the sun goes down, I was amazed how bright the moon illuminated the trees most of the night.

Now— as you know I am a woman who wears many hats?? If you know me,  then you know how I like to do things….  having my hands on a new fun venture is a must, as well as promoting my amazingly creative friends. These days I’ve been throwing down articles for WELO, working on my book of LOVE, promoting my husbands awesome headpieces, and whipping up some yummy lip balms. So, if dare to keep up, then you also know I’ve been tapping into the events circle working to create fashion, art, music parties here and there!

That being said– I wanted to share an idea I’ve been working on since last fall,  and while the “actual’ idea is still in the works, one branch from that idea is now here.

The event called, “The Chocolate Invitational”—  makes it’s debut on June 28th. The first of many….a series of intimate private Chocolate parties ( yes chocolate tastings and more!).  Ashley Walsh co-owner of Intentional Chocolate is bringing fourth some of her delicious chocolate pistols for a series of tastings!  Joplin Maccoll our music stylist and awesome DJ will be enchanting us with her tunes! There is so much more that will be happening— but wanted to share this tid bit.

We are so excited!!  Tickets are limited so be sure to keep checking my blog for the info! The first of many will start June 28th in Venice! Tickets, Website, Press, Sponsors, are all in the works and will officially be announced June 1st, So Stay Tuned!

http://www.intentionalchocolate.com

“Smoke Weed Everyday”

 

Ha… if that title didn’t get you this will. Snoop Dog is rolling with words!! yep….  I’m posting this for a bit of fun… okay– so it’s not your typical happy easter hunting and making eggs post. I was reading the digital news post this am, and spotted that San Francisco Advertising Agency Periera & O’Dell, has helped create a smokable lyrics book called ‘Rolling Words’ with the master of smoke himself, Snoop Dog… How Dope is that!! (good job Periera & O’Dell)… this is such a genius marketing idea that had to post!! haha… on easter.

The book cover that is made out of hemp-like material is perforated and easy for tearing and sharing has also a spine can be used as a match-striking surface. In addition, Classic songs like ‘Gin & Juice,’ ‘Nuthin’ Like a ‘G’ Thang,’ ‘Beautiful’ and ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot,’ among others are printed on rolling paper.

Coachella fans how stoked will you be???  The book will have short-run available to those who are attending the festival, which features Snoop and Dr. Dre as the headliners ( April 13-15 and April 20-22).  In words of Snoop himself… says he created the book “So people can always remember, you can roll with an expert or you can roll with Snoop.” We are rolling with the D-O-double g. Fa rizzle, my dizzle.

you can read more here…

http://ianbrooks.me/post/20529112526/snoop-dogg-smokable-songbook-by-pereira-odell

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/snoop-dogg-will-release-songbook-printed-on-rolling-papers-20120406

Break Science!!

Lately the man and I have been out  weekend after weekend checking out the DJ scene, bouncing to some dub, glitch, electro, breaks…. discovering new music and admiring the evolution of those we love.

Having spent some years in the music business and growing up in los angeles surrounded by a festival of talented artists,  My man is schooling me on the dopest electronic music out there… leave it to him to find some of the sickest beats not to mention well produced albums.  I may have the eye for talent but he certainly has the ear for it.  So, In honor of music that finds us, this week I’ll be posting some beats we are listening to.

Here’s the Scoop!!

We are big fans of Pretty Lights, and seems Derek ( Mr. Pretty lights) is taking his skills to the next level with his radio show, Hot Sh*t... If you haven’t tuned in… You better.  If you follow Pretty Lights on Sound Cloud–you can catch it there.

Not only does Pretty Lights produce some killer tracks,  he’s managed to find some dam good artist to add his record label, Gramatik, Paper Diamond and the latest is Break Science, another evolutionary find to add to his reportiore. All I can say is… F*UCK YEAH… thanks Pretty Lights for some hot ass shit. 

Break Science kick off 2012 with the release of their second EP entitled Monolith Code (Pretty Lights Music). As seasoned producers and touring veterans, Adam Deitch and Borahm Lee have produced and performed with everyone from The Fugees, Wu Tang Clan, and Talib Kweli, to reggae Lee Scratch Perry and Miles Davis collaborator, John Scofield. On Monolith Code, Break Science evokes a wide spectrum of electronic genres filtered through a musician’s lens, all while moving people spiritually AND on the dance floor.

download the Album on the Pretty Lights Label.  but be sure to give the artist a little love and donate some money for the album!!!

http://www.prettylightsmusic.com/therecordlabel/

Here’s a couple tracks that give us some BOUNCE!!

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Radiance Movement

Last weekend I attended Radiance Movement run by Phannie Haver and Madison Moross.  I met Madison this year while at Vardo after a yoga class at Exhale. We had small conversations that stirred into bigger ones, chatting about her organization The Big P project. A collective organization based on shifting the paradigm in creating positive change in the planet. This was all to impressive… she looked so young, a baby, and border-lining a child of mine!! I just couldn’t believe someone that young cared about the planet?

So I asked…  Do you mind me asking how old you are? with her big beautiful gracious smile, she responded an old soul at 23.  It was then that I had hope in the generations after me. Since then I met the wonderful Phannie Haver her dance partner in crime, and together they created another bold community project called Radiance Movement.

A big scoop of the westside community, artist and their friends came together Saturday night for their opening.  I was incredibly inspired by their actions… two very altruistic forward thinking young adults who aren’t partying on a saturday night but doing something good for there community and themselves. bravo!

Here’s more info:  Please check them out on facebook by clicking here.  and you can also click here for their work on the BIG P Project. 

“Radiance Movement is dedicated to providing dancers with exceptional training while sustaining the body without injury, as well as making the joy and benefits of dance and meditative arts accessible to everyone in the community.

Our aim is to keep our movers well, and to cultivate wellness through movement. We believe that no matter what background, eperience, age or condition… we can all dance for life.

Together with our right-hand-man, Nick Ware, and as an extension of our not-for-profit project, The Big P Project, we’ve also created a business model aimed at giving back to the community and environment that supports us. We will dedicate 5% of our profits to a fund that provides class scholarships, minimize our environmental impact (according to the Big P Philosophy) and choose to maximize our partnership with socially-responsible organizations.”

Summer Nights!

Already a week into summer and it’s been plentiful. the gray skies seem to be behind us and beautiful summer air peaking just in time for the yearly Santa Monica Twilight Series which starts this Thursday July 7th, and runs every Thursday until Sept. What most of us local folk do is pack up our picnic goods and blankets, then hop on our bikes and head beachside of the pier for some friendly mingling while listening to music under the stars.  definitely some good times to look forward to!

(Thursdays  7pm- 10: 30pm)   http://www.santamonicapier.org/twilight/

 

my “lightning in a bottle” experiment video

My blog write ups are usually about happenings around town of what I like and want to share. So this post is a bit more personal. I created a little video of my weekend at the Lightning in a Bottle Festival a few weeks back.

Usually, I am all about shooting photographs, but decided for this event I would test out my video camera on my Iphone 4. Without any sort of idea I spontaneously started shooting short clips ranging from 15 sec to 2mins long. There were so many wonderful moments between our camp, the festivities, and the whole ambience the Do lab created, that I could not capture those special moments, because those moments were about being “present”.  The other thing was my battery kept dying, there was so many amazing moments I missed shooting; like Pumpkin’s awesome DJ set, the funny Potty Dismount (you had to be there- a camp thing) Lucent Dossier, etc. So what I ended up with was a bunch of clips, and mostly of me walking behind my husband and our friends.  Day Vision LIB part 1 ( edited on final cut pro) 

Sorting out the clips was a task because there wasn’t a story or direction I was going for in the first place. I just thought of it as a fun piece and good practice to shoot some footage. when all said and done… there I was sorting through clips and needing to organize and create some sort of backstory.  I rendered the files into i-movie but I also wanted to cut to music and so I decided that final cut pro would work better for what I wanted to accomplish. my husband helped with all the technical questions, and i got through most of it, but this certainly wasn’t the project to learn this type of program. I have never used finalcut pro let alone did any sort of editing. Also, my first instinct would be to shoot vertical, the way I would normally hold my phone. I had no idea that shooting vertical and horizontal would make a huge difference editing and look wise, I certainly didn’t even think about that aspect at the time. I was also became concerned about the length, most people lack the attention span, and knowing this was my very first edit and on a professional levels program. I decided to split the sequence because it wound up to be 12 mins long. to me shooting 4 days worth of footage and compiling it to 12 mins, seemed like nothing. but listening to my husband’s advice, realistically could be too long for other people.

 Into the Night LIB part 2 (edited on iMovie)

This is a personal video for me and my camp friends. so hopefully i am not judged too hard on the look? my inner circle of friends are artist and creative people, everyone is so ridiculously talented, and whether we like it or not we all have strong opinions on what something looks like. for me that’s totally ok, I’m used to opinions and welcome it. Regardless of what anyone thinks, this was a super fun experiment and my interpretation of the festival. bare in mind I did not shoot this on a fancy camera nor do I have any prior editing skillz. since it’s shot on my iphone there were a few shaky moments because I was walking and shooting, but it’s as decent as I could make it given the footage that I shot… making something out of nothing is not easy. and toward the end I decided to cut down the footage and split it in two parts, basically day and night. The opening shot is of us driving in (part 1),  and the last shot of us driving out ( part 2), this is because it was originally all one clip.  

Thx for taking the time to read my long explanation…, It’s how my mind works!

Music Credits:

DAY PART 1 – Pretty Lights was one of my favorite sets. His track Finally Moving/ James Brown Remix gave it a good feel.

NIGHT PART 2 - Marty Party’s  Adele w/ Deathstar remix.   I love Adele’s song Rolling in the Deep, so this was a fun mix for the night shots.

This video is dedicated to Big Cheese, Phlapjack, Vince, Jenna and the Spicy Bacon crew!! Great friendships were forged and memories will always be remembered. Special Thanks to my love Chris Sage for the quick tutorial, advice and for your patience. I am so thankful to have a husband who I can talk creatively with.

Love you all!! SAGElove

Full Moon Sound Bath

Lately I’ve been feeling emotional vibrations around me, some friends are going through difficult periods of letting go, but as we deepen our path we begin to see the summer light. Tomorrow, June 15th marks one of two Full Moon Lunar eclipses this year and this one is a rare one, where the center point of Earth’s shadow is on the disk. The last time a lunar eclipse was closer to the center of the earth’s shadow was on July 16, 2000 and the next one won’t be occurring until 2018.

If you are really looking to manifest changes in your life, this Wednesday will be a powerful time to start making it happen. Everyone has their thing when it comes to cleansing and healing the spirit, whether it is sitting quietly with a candle or taking a moonlight walk. Whatever path you choose,  think about what you really want to change in life, and then do it, you will have all the powerful force of the Full Moon backing you up.

If you are looking for a deep and awakening cleanse. Check out Full Moon Sound bath @ Chakra 5 yoga studio Eastside of Hollywood on Melrose.

Lie back in Savasana, and let the healing tones of planetary gongs and crystal singing bowls bathe you in vibration. The sounds are very transforming and will leave you feeling relaxed, yet rejuvenated. It’s a fantastic way to awaken creativity, clear stuck energy, manifest intentions, balance the nervous system, deepen meditation, and more. The full moon is a time to gather and celebrate, it’s a high energy time which will heighten the effects of the sound bath. It’s also a perfect time for getting out and connecting with your community. The first sound bath is Wednesday, June 15th, 7:30-9:00pm (1 hour class, post-class reception with sage tea).  Space is limited! Please call studio if you’d like to take part!

For more info: http://www.chakra5.la/promotion/full-moon-sound-bath/

Socially Recouping

After last weeks magnificent Lightning in a Bottle Festival I needed some down-time to recoup.. I was so WOWED by LIB’s talented artist and kick ass Dj’s, that it left me in a bit of a daze, so much so that I hadn’t written much the entire week. Instead, i’ve been jotting down ideas that inspired me through-out the festival and cutting a short video of my experience ( more on that later in the week). But, I knew I needed to come up for air at some point, and what better way to get back to my norm, than by going for a  walk around my hip venice neighborhood block.  Here’s what I did…

Impromptu Brunch at Gjelina…

By far the busiest restaurant on the block.. it’s packed 24/7, has plenty of magazine write ups and gets noted facebook check-ins on the REG. regardless of it’s popularity one thing is for sure.. Gjelina’s food is delicious!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          also try: Gjelina’s newly opened to-go cafe next door. 

                                                                                                                    white beans with poached eggs & fingerlicking taters… mmm.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Winter clothes on sale & super cute t-’s at Principessa.

there are baskets of $10-$20 goodies. Maybe shopping for winter wear isn’t on your radar, but who knows what gems you might find ? Sometimes being prepared for next winter’s wardrobe can be good thing.

Custom made Jewelry by Ferramenta Utensileria

There something to be said about men who make jewelry. Since discovering my husbands talent at hand-making jewelry, lately every where I go I’ve been running into men who make jewelry. Now I am fascinated by their process, and from what I’ve learned, each piece to them is like a sculpted piece of art. Check out Ferramenta Utensileria on Abbott Kinney Sundays at the tiny open air market next to Topo Ranch or his facebook page.

Finding the Abstract Art of Chad Attie

 K A N A MANGLAPUS gallery is showing the works of Chad Attie’s The Girl with the Golden Eyes. His abstract take on Brigdet Bardot is like candy; colorful, shiny and layered with flavor that entices your taste-buds.  Attie’s work will also be featured in the upcoming book “Gaga Stigmata: Critical Writings and Art About Lady Gaga.” 

Later, I felt dreamy with Midnight in Paris, a film by Woody Allen.

If you are a fan of Woody Allen than you’ll love his latest flick. a delightful romantic comedy with his ever so witty yet inquisitive dialogue in full force.

 

Adventure time @ Lightning in a Bottle festival

Did we survive the weekend or what?! Well, I sincerely hope you enjoyed some cool happenings around town, despite all the rapture end of the world ramblings. While I couldn’t quite make every outing I had intended ( so bummed to have missed the fire spinning housewarming, and the dope style idea of a birthday party at the gun range, as well the opening to a friends art show), I was happily content my weekend turned into an uplifting, heart pumping romp in the sun.  I experienced a truly emotional sunset wedding ceremony, that was inspired by family devotion and delighted by strong, long-lasting friendships. My weekend was not about endings but about beginnings.

Sadly, those same people will continue to waste their time scheming, plotting and making calculations on yet another “date” on when the world will end… and I suppose my life (as usual) will be about LIVING in the now and getting inspired…

So I must continue on that righteous path by heading to another highly anticipated weekend at the Lightning in a Bottle Festival. www.lightninginabottle.org/

Having been raised in Los Angeles going to music festivals is expected at an early age. I’ve been going to them for 22 years, and I will say that these days The DO Lab family has it going on- they put on a fantastic festival.While their DJ line up sets the tone for the festivities, people head to LIB for many other reasons. While some will go to check out the art installations, some will go to learn about sustainability and the environment, and others will go for their yoga and spiritual fix, everybody will enjoying the good vibes in the outdoors. From what I have experienced, no other festival has as much character and soul as LIB. Though it’s not as extreme, profound or enlightening as Burning Man, it conveys a powerful community experience. It’s not as commercialized and over exposed as Coachella, so it has maintained its broad perspective and continues to promote a wide variety of artist and performers, all of which I am down for.  

So in light of my fantastic weekend to come. Here’s a taste of what i’ll be doing…

Engaging in the Lucent Dossier Experience 

Time and time again I am astounded by the Lucent Dossier Experience. It’s one of those mesmerizing shows that I can’t stop talking about. A Lucent show is like no other filled with acrobatic and dance performances in a moulin rouge-esque setting that will completely wrap you up in their world. http://www.lucentdossier.com/

Vibing w/ RANDOM RAB

Last years LIB is when I first heard the sounds of Random Rab while laying on the grass as the sun was setting. Nothing more magical than hearing his feel good music come to life and setting the tone for a fantastic evening.  http://randomrab.net/

Chiling w/ Joplin MacColl

Gotta love grooving to little down tempo by Joplin MacColl. her funky fresh style is sure to make you get your groove on while setting the mood just right for a dusky sundown. 

                                                                                      www.waxdj.com/djs/1429 

Bass Jumping for KRADDY

No doubt I am going to have to put my bass face on for Venice local KRADDY one of the founding members of the Glitch Mob. Kraddy hailed as the anthem of the decidedly maverick “glitch hop” movement with speaker-shuddering bass drops and melodic overtones.

Getting Gyspy with Beats Antique!

If you are seeking something provocative yet spiritual then the unique and masterful sounds of Beats Antique and the sultry performance of Zoe Jakes is where you want to look. Zoe’s belly dancing moves combined with Beats live instrumental mixes of old school jazz, hip hop, string quartets and dubstep all rolled up into one… puts them in a class on their own. definitely hot stuff!

 http://beatsantique.com/

Look forward to being part of the SEA OF PRETTY LIGHTS

While there is a long list of music favorites I can go on about, I am truly EXCITED to see headliners PRETTY LIGHTS!!! Here’s a little taste of what you’ll be experiencing or what you’ll be missing!!!  HELLO PRETTY LIGHTS!!

http://www.prettylightsmusic.com

And while i’ve only posted music…  I’ll also be checking out some other cool stuff!!

                                                                                  

Revolutionary Remix Upcycled Fashion & Costuming by Sara Rodriguez

Meditation With Rigzin by Rigzin Tromge

Micro-farming: Growing Plants in Small Urban Spaces On a Budget by Peter Mestaz

Priya Mohan: Buddhist Yoga, Mediation, and Sound Healing

SuzE Q: Kundalini with Live Drumming

The Yoga of Bass by Claire Thompson and FreQ Nasty

Revolutionary Remix Upcycled Fashion & Costuming by Sara Rodriguez

A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson

Basic Herbology and Nutrition for Common Health Issues by Christi Mendonza

Healing our Vessels through Nutrition and Essential Oils by Veronica Johnson

Playing Now: The New Paradigm Integrated Business That Supports the Life You Love to Live by Alexis Nelly

Waking Up Together: The Intertwining of Buddhism and Ayahuasca by David Coyote

Living Medicine by Lily Ross

Grace of Venus by Dream Rockwell

Doesn’t that sound amazing???. One more day and I am off for a long weekend of adventure!! So if you want to join.. you’ll know where I’ll be or at least what I’m listening to.  Whatever your hearts content is this memorial day weekend- make it a great one!

Mi Amore

As I recount my days in Barcelona I jog my memory of the feeling I had when I was there. the sights, the sounds, the food, the atmosphere. having only been back on california soil for a few days it still resonates with me, and that’s a good sign. being there was all so perfect, and the weather throughout my stay was wonderful too. Could I’ve asked for a better time to come to this city? Well, I hear it’s good weather most of the year, a lot like Southern California.

My friends who have been to Barcelona have raved about this city, and now I can see why. the neighborhoods were clean even in the noticeably run down areas.  the air didn’t reek of trash or that old city smell unlike parts of Italy— even though it is an old city. most days street cleaning was going on and there were tons recycle bins that lined the streets. the spanish truly care about their city–in every way shape and form.

the language sounded rhythmic with guitar vibrations that articulated their spanish surroundings. I got the feeling these Catalonians have a work hard play hard mentality- there is vibe of seriousness in their sway yet a playfulness in their tone, especially when you’ve ordered their house cava. It’s not a get up at the crack of dawn city. most places ( in the not so touristy spots ) are not open until 10 or 11am giving you ample time in the morning for yourself or your family. there is also a siesta around 4- 7pm.. then the city really comes to life around 10pm for dinner.

It’s a city that is grounded with so much artistic expression. Almost every single building had a unique approach to their architectural designs, so I spent most of my days looking up—oohing and ahhing in delight. the furniture designs were well thought out and exquisite. The boutique owners were even sewing their latest creation while greeting you as you walked in. and the authentic spanish tapas eateries were family owned— of course most of those are hard to find and were off the beaten path— far from the tourist crowded spots.

To really enjoy Barcelona is to explore it— there are so many nooks and treasures to find- you won’t find them right away or in those recommended guide books… the truth of the city is held deep within the walls of an enchanting fortress. and to sum it up there are so many secret jewels to behold, and while paris boast the fashion scene and the all too famous monuments, and italy has it’s leisurely charm and decadence to uphold, Spain entitles it’s own with passion, originality and enormous beauty.  Towards the end, I truly fell in love with this city. every piece of structure and pathway they walk down is similar to my own…, independent, lively, organic, musical, handmade and most of all enigmatic.  My ancestry comes from the Spanish colonies and weirdly enough it’s a place other than California I felt at home. And without going into details here on future plans, I will go as far to say that my hubbie and I can definitely lay some roots down. while I was in the city, he spent time in the spanish countryside, and even having completely different experiences in the same week, we both agreed that there is something more for us to do in this country. We spent our last couple days sight seeing– a romantic one year anniversary day in Gaudi’s Park Guell… it’s one of the most enchanting designed parks i’ve been to, every inch is a masterpiece and inspirational. We later dined at a wonderful tapas spot called Reina, a magnificent closer to an amazing impromptu excursion. We’ll be back to explore more of this country soon enough! Thank you Barcelona.

(On a side note:  One more thing you must know- The spanish people are not overtly friendly especially the women— you really have to be attentive with them and try and speak a little of their language before they open up— don’t have attitude just be patient.  most of them do speak English but again you must be diligent on trying to engage in their culture before they engage in yours. After all, you are in their country. So trying is best. And once they sense that— it’s a whole other meaning.)

I started a new flickr account for this blog–So they’ll be lots of photo selects to be had there.

Here’s the start:  my Barcelona http://www.flickr.com/photos/sagepress/

the enclave of a scene

Got my dance on at the

margarita mix studio~

Masquerade ball

in santa monica.

 

smiling faces

grooving to the beats

adorned with masks, jugglers

and ballons….

streams of colors light the stage

 

beautiful faces

everywhere