Happy Monday ... now DRINK UP!

YAY, it's Monday again! And exactly why am I cheering? Hint: it's MARGARITA MONDAY all over the land! As you can see from my icy enthusiasm above, this luscious libation is a GEISHA-TASTIC way to kick off your week. How can this geisha-nista go gaga over anything that not's the real Gaga? 

You seriously have to ask? Think about diving into a vat of frothy cool fun in flavors that'll kick a Skittles rainbow's ass in one sip flat. Enlightened yet? Since I'm in sunny Southern California, here's some of my fave hot spots to find a brain freeze while letting loose. (Now to make it absolutely perfect, you'd be dancing to GEISHA-MANIA! while drinking, but who am I to judge?) xoxo

1. Fridas 

10853 Lindbrook Dr
Los Angeles, CA 90024

Phone number(310) 209-0666
You can't beat their $4 margaritas -- at that price order a dozen!

2. Joselitos
7308 Foothill Blvd  
Tujunga, CA 91042
(818) 951-2275
OMG -- they serve the margaritas in HALF A WATERMELON!!! (Last time I got the biggest. 
Talk about motherload!)

3. Casa Sanchez

4500 S Centinela Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90066

Phone number(310) 397-9999
Cadillac Margaritas that'll totally take you for a spin!

4. La Cabana
738 Rose Ave
Venice, CA 90291
(310) 392-6161
The consensus? FAN-FREAKIN'-TASTIC MARGARITAS! I kid you not. 

xoxoxo

WHO WOULDA THUNK IT?

While sipping cocktails and swapping secrets Tuesday night, a "friend" showed me an iPhone app called Shazam. Its purpose is to provide info about new music that you don't already know -- especially the name! Once started, the app picks up sound waves, locates the song, names the artist, finds lyrics, etc. Imagine that.

Of course, I wondered if this would work with MY little ditty (he DEFINITELY had his doubts), so I dared him to crank up Shazam while I fired up my iTunes. We assumed a pseudo-Voldemort stance, pointed our iPhones at each other like wacky wands (he was Harry to my Hermione), took a deep breath, closed our eyes, and left the rest to fate. (Well, we really didn't close our damn eyes. I just added that for effect.)

Sure enough, what in the world pops up? Mmmmm-hmmmm. That's right kiddie-sans --GEISHA-MANIA! GEISHA-MANIA! (Obviously SOMEBODY's doin' it.)

WOO-HOO!!!!! In all my Lady Geisha-ness, I blushed, pretended to be coy (so utterly foreign to MOI) and, needless to say, was beyond thrilled. He was QUITE impressed. (As well he should be.)

Moral of the story? No moral -- obviously I have NO morals. I mean, have you SEEN the video??? But, I must confess, it's nice seeing all my behind-the-scenes work paying off -- IN SPADES! And there you have it.

Lotsa love, 
xoxoxo

Memoirs of a Geisha-in-the-Making ... Oy Vey.

Quickies are better than nothing, eh? ;P

Earlier this week, I was in the middle of writing a post about writing the song and got sidetracked by several things, one of them severe lack of sleep. The saved file sits prominently atop a pile of digital “must-do’s" that I really must get to. Really. In the meantime, mull this over.

My singing, dancing musical snack, AKA, GEISHA-MANIA!™, is now nearing its third day (not quite 72 hours) on YouTube with over 2,100 views — which isn’t too shabby for an unknown. (Although it’s like a watched pot that refuses to boil, which is quite maddening.) I’m thrilled to share the journey — from drawing my first Lady Geisha caricature to bringing this cartoon character to life — and all it entails.

I was warned by many friends/family/crew members NOT to read the comments, but as human nature has it, I can’t help myself. Some are wonderful (LOVE YOU BACK!) and, as you can well imagine, some are not. Do haters hate because they’re incapable of realizing their own dreams? So it seems, because even insipid, shallow people can make shit happen. But God Bless America, we’re all entitled to our opinion.

My only response is something I’ve always believed, but was lucky enough to read in black and white this past Friday at LACMA’s Stanley Kubrick exhibit. (Fabulously inspiring show!) It was an excerpt from an interview with James Harris, his early producing partner.

When asked about Kubrick’s perfectionism and intensity, he replied, “Stanley believed that you shouldn’t be inhibited by what people are going to think of you, whether they’re going to like you or not. For him, every single detail was extremely important and he was ready to give himself up totally to achieve his goal - which was the movie - for you have to live with your work for the rest of your life."

Amen … and I hope you’ll stick around for the rest of the ride. Bumpy or otherwise. xoxo

THE PUPPIES ARE HERE, THE PUPPIES ARE HERE!

Why do I have a hair-covered dog bone on my head, you ask? Good question but think about it. How else would one accessorize walking six kimono-clad Chihuahuas before getting all glammed up? Exactly. (Other than the rhinestone-encrusted dog bone necklace hidden under my robe, of course.)

As it turns out, the scenes changed quite a bit from our original treatment. Which is fine, because my poor puppy co-stars were scared sh*tless … and I don’t blame’em. Unfortunately, you don’t really get to see them close-up in their teeny tiny puppy kimonos. (Elaborately designed by my sister-from-another-mister, Nancy Jeong — love you!) 

I tried holding two on my lap during the salon scene, which didn’t work out so well — neither could stop shivering and were just so fragile I wanted to cry for them. :(  Kobe’s the smaller one in the top pic and Marley’s in the bottom shot. (I think … although it could be Shiloh on the bottom but I keep getting them mixed up. Oy.)

Let it be known that these babies were GEISHA-MANIA!’s true stars — EVERYONE instinctively wanted to love, hug, and hold them. They even had their own puppy play pen at the studio — can you imagine that? Just beyond cute.

So you can meet all six, I’m hoping to do a shoot with them in the near future — costumes and all. (If we’re able to schedule a “playdate.”) Much love and thanks to my dear friend and “puppy mom,” Savannah Scott and her nieces, Winter and Raven, who helped wrangle these bundles of sweetness all day. You brought lots of happiness to our set!

Also, a great big thanks to Sara and Mike, owners of the gorgeous Nail & Hair Bar Salon in Burbank, CA, for enduring our insanity and letting us shoot there! (LOVE THIS PLACE … be sure to check it out at: http://www.nailhairbar.com)

xoxoxo