Author: Becca

travel

Top 5 Gadgets for Summer Travel

Becca

The possibilities for travel over the summer months are endless — from the picturesque deserted islands of the Pacific to the crowded, cobbled streets of Rome.

Travel abroad, however, can also challenge any wanderer technologically and geographically. What if your cell phone doesn’t work in Tokyo? What if your laptop dies in Madrid? What if you’re lost in Buenos Aires?

Whether you’re traveling to far off foreign lands this summer or only as far as a tank of gas will take you, your trip can be cleared of a lot of pesky roadblocks and speed bumps by picking up some of the newest travel gadgets on the market today.

From GPS devices to the most innovative chargers known to man, the five following travel devices can be timesavers and lifesavers when you’re traveling abroad.

More here.

Uncategorized

Fresh Cuts: The Short of It- eHow.com

Becca

(I’ve been writing some fun pieces for eHow.com on a variety of topics. Here’s one on short haircuts.)

Aside from being world famous, Victoria Beckham, Michelle Williams, Rihanna, Pink, Carey Mulligan and Emma Watson all have at least one other thing in common: They all have embraced short haircuts.

Actors and musicians have revitalized the pixie, demi-bob and other short haircuts that were made famous during style-heavy decades of the 20th century. For instance, the pixie cut — very short in the back and slightly longer in the front — became popular with flappers in the ’20s and was reincarnated in the ’60s by British model Twiggy.

The demi-bob, which hits anywhere from mid-neck to shoulder-touching, was cited by “Vogue” as the beauty phenomenon of the 2011. “Vogue” credits relatively unknown model Arizona Muse for starting the trend when, in 2010, she dramatically cut off her waist-length brown hair into a demi-bob. The look spread to the spring 2011 runways of Prada and YSL, and to the heads of celebrities such as Brooklyn Decker and Alexa Chung.

The pixie cut and demi-bob are popular looks for spring and summer not only because they cut down on the heat, but because they showcase a woman’s face, creating a sense of confidence that long hair can’t.

“When someone goes from long hair that they’ve had for a long time, going to short hair just makes everything fresh and new again,” said hair stylist George Amaral of Salon Mario Russo in Boston.
Continue reading “Fresh Cuts: The Short of It- eHow.com” →

entertainment, travel

Breakfast and a Taste of Hollywood History at the Village Coffee Shop

Becca

By Rebecca Ford
Hollywood Patch

In the shadow of the Hollywood sign and just a few minutes from the bustling streets of Hollywood, Beachwood Canyon is a quiet oasis with quaint homes, secret staircases and one restaurant—the Village Coffee Shop.

The Village Coffee Shop has charmed residents since 1975 with its feel of a grandmother’s home, cozy and welcoming.

The eatery, which serves breakfast all day and lunch, is within the area that was initially known as Hollywoodland; developers coined the name to attract residents in 1923.

The charming restaurant embodies the history of old Hollywood, and like any grandmother, has watched its residents grow from young starlets to superstars.
Continue reading “Breakfast and a Taste of Hollywood History at the Village Coffee Shop” →

Uncategorized

944- May Travel Issue

Becca

Check out 944’s May Travel Issue if you’re in Los Angeles (or online here).

I wrote a fun piece (go to page 72-73) on glamping (glamorous, or luxury, camping) which is perfect for people like me who like to be in the outdoors but want to feel clean and comfortable. There are several great places to go in California. I also wrote a short piece on how to take a travel photo (page 106).

entertainment

Tour Offers Glimpse Into Raymond Chandler’s Hollywood Life

Becca

By Rebecca Ford
Hollywood Patch

At the intersection of Hollywood and Cahuenga, an inconspicuous sign tells the world that this is Raymond Chandler Square. 

It takes a lot to have enough of an impact on a city that’s littered with celebrities to get a square named after you. 

Raymond Chandler was a novelist and screenwriter who not only defined American detective fiction, but turned Hollywood into a living, breathing character in his writing.

The Pacific Security Bank building lies at this intersection, and was most likely the inspiration for the office of Raymond Chandler’s main character, detective Philip Marlowe.

The best way to get a crash-course of Chandler’s life is to hop aboard Esotouric’s 4-hour bus tour.

The tour, which happens about four times per year, takes fans through Chandler’s life, building by building.
Continue reading “Tour Offers Glimpse Into Raymond Chandler’s Hollywood Life” →

entertainment

Seeing His Name in Lights

Becca

Ivan Kane, the owner of Cafe Was, came to Hollywood looking for fame as an actor, but made his mark with his nightclubs and restaurants.

By Rebecca Ford
Hollywood Patch

Ivan Kane’s journey to Hollywood started the same way that many people’s do: After success as an actor in New York, he drove across the country to make a name for himself in Los Angeles.

After landing several film and TV roles and selling a script to HBO, Kane decided he wanted to make a different kind of impression. After all, fame is fleeting, but ownership is forever.

In 1997, he opened Kane, an intimate nightclub that played mainly ’70s funk music, and then went on to open Deep on Hollywood and Vine three years later. In 2002, Kane opened Ivan Kane’s Forty Deuce, the now-famous burlesque show and nightclub in Hollywood.
Continue reading “Seeing His Name in Lights” →

entertainment

Hollywood’s Museum of Death Lives to Tell the Tale

Becca

By Rebecca Ford
Hollywood Patch

For someone who is always surrounded by death, Cathee Shultz is very lively. Her energy is electric, especially when she’s talking about her fascination with death, and the vast collection of death-related items at the Museum of Death.

Shultz and husband J.D. Healy originally opened the museum in San Diego in 1995, but moved it up to Hollywood in 2000. At its current location on Hollywood Boulevard near Gower Street, the museum encompasses several rooms, each with a different theme, such as serial killers (with art and letters from infamous killers including Richard Ramirez and Nico Claux), executions (with beheading photos) and embalming (with an instructional video). Patch caught up with Shultz to find out more about her unique exhibits.

Continue reading “Hollywood’s Museum of Death Lives to Tell the Tale” →

entertainment

The Man Behind Madame Tussauds Wax Figures

Becca

By Rebecca Ford
Hollywood Patch

Neil Linssen is up to his elbows in hands. As the Creative Studios Development Manager for Madame Tussauds Hollywood, Linssen is tasked with the upkeep of the more than 100 wax figures. Dozens of spare hands, used to replace any damaged digits, are kept on a shelf in the studio where Linssen and the other artists work.

Every morning, Linssen and his team spend two to three hours checking over each wax figure for scratches and dings. Unlike at other wax museums, visitors are allowed to touch and interact with the wax figures at Madame Tussauds (which opened in Hollywood in 2009), and sometimes a celebrity might get roughed up.

Each figure costs an average of $300,000 and takes several weeks of labor to create, so keeping them in top shape is of highest priority. Linssen, who had just returned from a trip to Palm Springs to measure a top-secret celebrity for his wax figure, sat down with Hollywood Patch to talk about the process of making and maintaining these very famous faces.
Continue reading “The Man Behind Madame Tussauds Wax Figures” →