The Janice Dickinson Show

The second season of Oxygen’s popular show picks up where the first season left off: with model-turned-mogul Janice Dickinson still striving for the success of her Hollywood modeling agency. Unlike many "reality" shows, the action at The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency isn’t created from fake contests or contrived situations. It’s a real business with real personal, financial, and professional stakes on the line for Janice. So when the cameras rolled today, we were all waiting for a dose of that fearless, wickedly funny and brutally honest Janice to show up.

An Evening with the Mayor

The Honorable Jimmy Delshad, Mayor of Beverly Hills, gave the state of the city address to a large crowd this evening at Greystone Mansion: “All is well in Beverly Hills”.



Photo taken in the lush gardens above Greystone Mansion

A Contented Guest...

My experience was delightful. The entire staff excellent and helpful. No one stood out from that crowd, or to put it another way, everyone stood out. So no questionnaire is necessary.

Richard Maltby
J.B. Freyberg Productions

Bar Nineteen 12

Happy birthday, Fabi. What great fun to celebrate Fabi’s birthday at the new Bar Nineteen 12 at the Beverly Hills Hotel! We’re still talking about the great looking people and smart setting.


Pictured L to R: Me, Fabi O & Janine Masaki of Etro

South Pacific

Performed a full length version of South Pacific with my nieces while I was vacation, too. Maclaren staged a dock in the living room made from cardboard boxes and fish nets. Pictured here is my blond niece, replete with mustache, in her sailor costume. I also played a sailor, as did my brother who wore a coconut bra for the “honeybun” number. He told me that he’d kill me if I posted it. Sorry you will miss it!

Drive-in Theater

If you remember going to the drive-in as a kid and want to relive a piece of your youth, don’t put it off too much longer*. There are a lot of reasons for their demise in the 1970’s. And as I drove 45 miles to the Jefferson, Wisconsin, I could think of a few. For starters I was about to sit in a four passenger car with my brother and my two squirrelly nieces for four hours!! But I was wrong. It was a beautiful summer night at the Highway 18 Outdoor Theater and the girls were intrigued with the idea of sitting in the car (or on the grass) and seeing two movies for the price of one, enjoying ‘speakers on a pole’ under a sparkling canopy of stars next to a cornfield. Life seemed simple and it felt like heaven.

Some die-hards trust that the drive-ins will make a comeback. I can’t say. But I’m glad that the 18 Outdoor was recently restored and that I got a chance to share the experience with my two favorite girls. When was the last time you got to go to the movies in your pajamas?

*By the 1950’s, there were 3,775 drive-ins nationwide. Today there are less than 900.

Pictured: Chloe, the birthday girl, intently watching “Underdog”

My Night at Burger King

I had every good intention to be in my home town of Milwaukee late on Thursday night and to wake up with my nieces. The dear girls waited up for me only to get the bad news around 11 PM that I would be detained in St. Louis due to thunderstorms in the Midwest. In all the years I’ve traveled, I’ve never spent the night in an airport. I hope that the experience isn’t repeated any time soon. The molded plastic benches at the Burger King the main terminal are really hard and uncomfortable. Armed with a PGA (pretty good attitude), a group of stranded passengers found our way to the King where the lighting was more subdued, located near a public restroom and the seating unobstructed by arm rests. A charming 6 year old boy offered me three sticks of red licorice for dinner which I supplemented with a mozzarella cheese stick from the bottom of my purse. I admit I didn’t sleep an ounce and instead, struggled to read for five hours until little by little, person by person, the terminal came to life and I was standing in line for a flight to Memphis, TN. Then onto MKE where there were two delighted girls awaiting me who didn’t mind that I was in the same underwear for 24 hours.

Strange Brew

A Happy Guest...

Hi Wendy,
Yes sorry we missed each other, but I'm sure I'll be back in LA, and you should definitely call next time you're in New York.
I had a great stay at the Luxe, and you have a great service oriented team.
Kind regards,
Kate
Macquarie Bank

Denise Dorrance

Courtesy of denisedorrance.com

The Bionic Woman

Over the weekend we hosted the charming Michelle Ryan, British-born star of the new Bionic Woman TV show premiering September 26th on NBC. She was in house shooting a fashion layout for STATEMENT magazine, in our gorgeous penthouse, and throughout the lobby, Cafe 360 and our public areas.

While she was here, she did an interview with E! that will air in the fall. She loved the hotel, and was particularly impressed with Chef Rashon's Chicken Salad.

Thought for the Day

"We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend." --Robert Louis Stevenson, Scottish novelist and poet

Paris in LA

Left: (from left) me, Lisa Gyselen, Publisher / Co-founder of Contribute Media, and her writer-friend, Billy Riback.



The Genlux Fall issue has arrived. The Celebrity Vault was the setting of “Paris in LA” where Nip/Tuck’s Kelly Carlson was the hostess. I left too early to collect a gift bag. But I know where I can get my hands on the new publication.

Right: Susie Dobson (PR Diva and President of Australians in Film ), Sean James (hairdresser from Frank Studio) & Rosanna Crawley (Mandarin Oriental PR director, London), and me.

Let's Get Real

There I was with paddle number 363 cruising the silent auction tables and Live Art Auction, admiring the work that The Real Medicine Foundation provides. This non-profit humanitarian organization serves people living in disaster, post-war and poverty stricken areas around the world. What started out as a promise to a small village in a devastated community on the Indian Ocean grew quickly into an international network of “Friends helping Friends” model of sustainable solutions that can be applied globally. We love Lladro for hosting this event!
http://www.realmedicinefoundation.org

Introducing...Comics by Denise Dorrance!

Check out Denise's website. The address is www.denisedorrance.com.

A Very Contented Guest...

Dear Seth (Horowitz, General Manager),

On behalf of the board of Australians in Film, just a quick note to everyone at the Luxe to thank you so much for a superb event last night.

It was the first new member party we have hosted and was such a success we all agreed to make it an annual event. The food was absolutely delicious, cocktails were deadly (but great) and your staff bent over backwards to ensure everything went smoothly.

The atmosphere in Café Rodeo was ideal, and for our group of 40 it was the perfect size space as it created an intimate, conducive environment for people to really meet each other.

As many of our new members and their guests have only recently moved to Los Angeles it was wonderful to introduce our organization to them in such a sophisticated setting.

In particular I want to thank Brett and Conrad for all their help in running such a professional party so beautifully for us, and of course Wendy for her continued and unwavering support. We couldn’t be more pleased and look forward to holding many more events at the Luxe hotel Rodeo Drive.

Very warmest regards,

Susie Dobson
President
Australians in Film

Promises, Promises

Seen in Café Rodeo… Neil Simon. Simon is one of the most reliable hit makers in Broadway history, as well as one of the most performed playwrights in the world. We all hope he promises to dine with us again very soon.

Millie's Cheesecakes

It’s official: You can now eat an entire cheesecake all by yourself! The key is to pick one that’s rich, creamy and no bigger than a marshmallow. Try Millie's mini-cheesecakes on Chef RaShon’s dessert menu. Sometimes you can't eat just one. Try two.

www.milliescheesecakes.com

A Contented Guest

Hi Wendy:

Received the room folios but have not been able to review them.

Once again, I want to thank you and your staff for all their help during the LA Stars event. ‘It is people like you that make my job so much easier.’

Talk to you soon………….judi

Judi Lerner, AYS

Latin Splendor, The Arts in Latin America 1492 - 1820

The LA Times wrote: “There is been nothing quite like it before. A mesmerizing survey focused exclusively on painting, sculpture and decorative arts of the viceroyalties of New Spain and Peru, as well as Portugal’s colony in Brazil, it’s easily the most important exhibition in Los Angeles this year.” Depending on where you’re coming from, it can be difficult to wrap your head around all of the pieces in this exhibit. It sweeps a vast 300 years and covers an enormous swath of the globe. Let’s face it, the artists had a big job, that of helping to convert indigenous peoples to Roman Catholic Christianity. Colonial Baroque art is distinguished by extraordinary surface embellishment including gold and silver. The lavishness is extreme and I, for one, was awed and intimidated by the pumped up splendor. http://www.lacma.org/

Note: Muse ‘til midnight on August 18th. Tickets are $25 Muse and $35 non-Muse. 8:30 PM to Midnight at LACMA features an after-hours viewing of The Arts in Latin America, 1492 – 1820. Live performance by Los Abandoned, art-making activities, complimentary cocktails and appetizers including specialty Mojitos.

Note: Luxe Hotel Rodeo Drive has an over-night package which includes two tickets to the exhibit.

If only I had had a remote like that on Wednesday, I would have changed my shirt!

Soul Train

Seen in the lobby: Don Cornelius, the Don of Soul Train himself, was in the lobby today. I haven’t seen him for a couple of years so it was nice to be able to welcome him and his wife to Café Rodeo after a long absence. Ooohhhh the voice I’d know anywhere.

A Contented Guest

Just a quick thank you. Spoke to Jose Salgado and the whole family was very happy there.

Thanks so much for taking good care of them.

Have a great weekend.

All the best,

Helen (Zeilberger, ProTravel International)

Summer Sipping

LA Confidential held their annual summer celebration at SUR last night. Pitchers of sangria poured freely as ceiling fans cooled groups of advertisers and friends.



Pictured from L to R: Janine, Etro Boutique Manager, me, and Beatrice Campion from Prive Salon

LA Stars

LA Stars on Rodeo Drive showcased a casino-style evening of fashion, music and casino games under the stars on the 200 block of Rodeo Drive. The sophisticated evening of live entertainment, provided by Angie Stone, along with traditional red carpet arrivals was part of the LA Stars Annual Celebrity All-Star charity weekend. The glamour quotient went through the roof with NBA All-Stars Baron Davis and Paul Pierce holding a live auction where singer songwriter Stevie Wonder did his best to out-bid Magic Johnson for some of the fabulous prizes.

Besides LA Stars on Rodeo, there was a day of service at Richardson Family Park, a Carnival featuring Driving America Healthy, the 2nd annual Celebrity Game featuring NBA Entertainment League and closing celebrating at a popular Hollywood night club. The mission of LA Stars was to give back to youth through community-based programs and health-related resources.

Pictured with me are Seth Horowitz and Brock Moseley

A Contented Guest...

Wendy,

I hope this email finds you well. I would like to thank you for your kind words and email.
I always enjoys us and I look forward to my next stay.

Kindly,
Kristi Goodhue

Retail Coordinator
Handbags, Shoes & Accessories
Valentino Inc.

Bling!

The oldest jewelry house in the world set up shop at Two Rodeo Drive.

Garrard Jewelers has so much sparkle and attitude, you won't know what hit you. In 1843, Queen Victoria bestowed the honor of Crown Jewelers on the company for good reason. Pavé rocker wings, heart-shaped ruby bracelets and one-of-a-kind Eternal Cut diamond rings. (They even created Princess Di's engagement ring.)

A Contented Guest

Wendy,

As always it's a pleasure staying in your hotel, I always feel like home, thanks again, Thanks and see you soon

Gerardo Gomez
Regional Sales Director
Natura Bisse

Models, Models Everywhere

It’s raining models. When the first model arrived an hour early for casting, we knew there would be more to follow. By two o’clock the lobby was awash with young long-legged beauties hoping to be chosen for a Versace fashion show. Good luck!

Loaned and Found

Our Front Desk Manager brought to my attention that an exquisite grey chiffon cocktail dress was being held for several months, pending retrieval. Lucky for Ava Ku, Versace Store Manager, it wasn’t my size! *wink* So I decided to personally deliver it and Ava was thrilled to recover the piece which was worn to a film premiere. We think Jennifer Aniston wore it well!