Donna in Hollywoodland

Souplantation

A delicious lunch today at Souplantation on San Vincente in Brentwood.

I filled up on the salads. It great that its all chopped and prepared right there for you.
I can eat veggies that I normally don't buy - like radishes.

Also, the clam chowder was delicious. With corn bread.
Then for dessert, I had alittle chocolate pudding and lots of fresh melon.
My friends liked these peanut butter/chocolate things they had.
But I am not a peanut butter person at all.

For the month of April, Souplantation is having alot of items with Lemon.
Theres going to be a Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup,Summer Lemon Salad w/ Spiced Pecans, and a Hot Lemon Lava Cake.
I will be definitely going back.

Oh, also... look for the coupons in the Sunday Los Angeles Times . You can eat at Souplantation for a discount with the coupons.

Labels: food, losangeles, restaurant

Electric Guitars on a Greeting Card:

Labels: music, photography, photos, shopping, store

Pet Food recall

I am completely stunned by the Pet Food Recall that is going on.
I just can't believe something like this is happening.
It saddens me to think how many little innocent pets have died, or become seriously ill, because of this.

On the nightly news, one commentator mentioned the entire thing brings up a whole new question.
Is any of this poisonous food, in any human food ?
Supposedly it has something to do with the Wheat Gluten in the canned pet food. It was imported from China where they are allowed to use the rat poison around food products.
Why are we buying any food product from a country that is allowed to use pesticides that the USA has banned ?

There needs to be a big investigation into this entire thing.
Who are we buying our food products from, and how are they farming ? Why aren't we buying wheat Only from the United States and other countries that watch what they put in their food?
As far as I am concerned, the only thing that can make up for this is a
huge class action lawsuit, that will make Menu Foods pay for what has happened.
Because, since they are buying from China, we aren't going to get the company that grew the wheat to be accountable for what they have done.

As far as Cinnamon the cat goes, she has been eating organic canned food.
I actually switched her about six months ago, because a few times she did throw up and have diarrhea.
I thought it was because she was getting old, she's around 11 years now, and I thought a higher quality would be better for her tummy. Now, I wonder if something was wrong with the food even six months back.
Since I switched her canned food 6 months ago to organic, she hasn't had a single stomach problem.

Her dry food was still Iams Weight Control - and a full bag of that went into the trash. I won't take a risk with any of it. I bought a bag of the Brandon Farms, and she really liked it.

But the "By Nature" and "Brandon Farms" brands that they sell at Ralphs is made by Menu Foods as well, even though the website says that they don't use wheat products.
I really don't want to use any food manufactured by Menu Foods, because morally I don't want to give them a penny of my money.

Here are the cat foods that I use :

At Whole Foods Markets:
Pet Promise

At Mayfair Market ,which is part of Gelson's
Newmans Own Organics

These I have found at Ralphs Grocery :
By Nature Organic
and
Brandon Farms
The only thing about these two brands is that the website says they are manufactured by Menu Foods, even though they don't contain any wheat, and safe to use according to the website.
Just the fact that Menu Foods is in involved in the production, makes me not want to buy them. We need to "vote" with our dollar.

I wrote an email to Ralphs Grocery Store Management, since thats where I shop most often, and I asked them to carry Newmans Own pet foods. Then I emailed Newmans Foods and asked them to put their pet food in Ralphs.
We need to let the grocery stores know how we feel.

Also, check out the fantastic blog on PetConnection.com
There is up to date info on the pet food recall posted.
Its a very informative website for pet people.

Labels: cat, food, health, losangeles, losfeliz, pet

A Hollywood T-shirt

or a Hollywood Coffee Mug

Hollywood Blvd Coffee Mug by DonnaGrayson

Get this custom mug at Zazzle

Labels: hollywood, losangeles, photography, photos, shopping, store

March 21 2007 Photos

Cinnamon gets her chin scratched

Labels: cat, cinnamon, photography, photos

Premier The Lookout

AT the Egyptian Theatre , it was the premier of "The Lookout" starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt (remember him from "3rd Rock From the Sun"), and Isla Fisher (she was the crazy one in "Wedding Crashers" ). Along with Jeff Daniels as the blind roommate.

A very suspenseful movie about a man with brain damage, who gets coerced into helping with a bank robbery. The scenes with the bank robbery had me on the edge of my seat.
The acting is excellent.

After the movie, there were wonderful appetizers, sushi, and little sandwiches in the Egyptian Courtyard.

I walked around, and saw Sasha Baron Cohen, who is engaged to Isla Fisher.
I said to one of my friends "He's not as tall as I expected."
Yes, he's tall... but he still looks taller in the movies.

Isla looked adorable, in a cute polka dot dress.

My friends and I hit the dessert table and enjoyed the delicious chocolate macaroon balls.

If you want to check out the pictures on WireImage, they are here :

red carpet pics

arrivals pics

party pics

The Lookout IMDB.com page.
and
The Lookout Offical Movie Site

Labels: celebrities, cinema, film, hollywood, movies

Dancing with the Stars

I haven't much been into the Reality shows. Only watched the first and second season of "American Idol", and then I lost interest.
I also liked "Who wants to Marry My Dad?" - but they haven't had a new episode in years.

But tonight I really wanted to catch Dancing with the Stars . First, I had to see what happened to Heather Mills. All the commercials revolved around comments she was made saying she was worried her leg would fall off. Then, it turns out that she was the best dancer out of all of them this evening.

John Ratzenberger and Leeza Gibbons were the other two I was paying close attention to. They are my personal favorites.

I guess the thing I really like about "Dancing with the Stars" - is there are all different ages.
On "American Idol", there is an age limit, you can't be older than the required age ... which I don't like.
There are plenty of lead singers in bands, who have been playing the local bar for the last 20 years. And they can really sing too. Its a shame American Idol doesn't give them a chance.

There was a TV special on in 2003. Called Second Chance: Americas Most Talented Senior" .
I was really hoping they would turn it into a series, and they didn't.
The guy who won had been a piano player/singer is some little bar in a little town in Florida for the last 30 years. He sang "Mack The Knife" . And he was very talented.

I am going to predict that the winner will be either Laila Ali or Heather Mills .
But I am seldom right about these things.

Labels: celebrities, music, television

Custom Postage

Zazzle offers Custom Postage. You can use these on your letters because they are real postage.
Here are two of my Palm Trees photos available as postage:

and

Palm Trees by DonnaGrayson
Get this custom postage at Zazzle

Labels: nature, photography, photos, shopping, store

Wild Hogs

Over at The Grove to catch an early afternoon matinee. I really wanted to see "Wild Hogs". A moving starring men over the age of 40 ? I am sooooo there ! Such a good cast, John Travolta, William H. Macy, Tim Allen , Martin Lawrence , Ray Liotta and Marisa Tomei and Jill Hennessy . It was such a funny movie. From the beginning to the end. And then make sure you stay for the closing credits because those are hysterical too.

Also in the movie is John C. McGinley , from the TV show "Scrubs" . He is so funny as the local cop. And Peter Fonda makes a surprise visit. He seems to be in all the motorcycle movies lately, He was in Ghostrider too.

Oh, okay... my favorite scene: the four guys - Travolta, Macy, Allen, and Lawrence - are skinny-dipping in a pond. Macy's character takes off his shorts, and you see his rear end - or maybe it was a "butt" double.
He jumps into the pond with the rest of the guys.
They are in the water up to their waist. A really funny cop, played by McGinley, comes along and wants to get in the water with them, although he is looking for much more in the way of action.
The four guys have to get away from him, without offending him since he is the local cop.
Its such a funny scene.

And why doesn't Ray Liotta do more comedy ? In "Wild Hogs" he is the bad guy. I loved him in this. Whatever you do, don't miss the funny closing credits. Because Liotta will really make you laugh during the credits.

My only complaint - the younger actresses.
William H Macy was born in 1950. His love interest, Marisa Tomei born in 1964.
Tim Allen was born 1953. Jill Hennessy plays his wife, and she was born in 1968.
I think would have been better to see these roles played by women who were not 14 to 15 years younger that the male actors. Though granted, with Hollywood age-ism, both Tomei and Hennessy are older than what would normally be cast in a movie like this.
It just that if the movie studio felt that actors in the 50-ish age group can carry a big hit movie - then I wish they would have done the same with the actresses. Even though both Tomei and Hennessy are great in their roles.

After the movie is over, we head over to Dupars . For their delicious Chicken Pot Pie.
And I call a female friend on the phone.
"Guess what movie I just saw?" I ask.
"What?"
"Wild Hogs" I reply.
"No you didn't" she said.
"Yes, and it is so funny! You have to see it!" I said.
"No, I don't" she said
"Yes, yes .... John Travolta, William H Macy, Tim Allen - they are all naked in a pond!" I explain.
"Oh..no...they aren't", she replied shocked.
"Yes, yes they are. You have to see it !" I say.
"Nooooooo" says my friend.
"Well, at least request it from Netflix when its available. Because it is really is hysterical."

Check out the Wild Hogs Official Website

Labels: cinema, film, hollywood, losangeles, movie, restaurant

Hollywood sky

A beautiful photo taken in East Hollywood. Available as a poster, greeting card or post card.

Labels: hollywood, nature, photography, photos, shopping, store