The Witch’s House cover photo and story, from LA Life Photographer, Lorraine Devon Wilke, captures LA’s whimsical spooky season mood. LA Life Theatre Maven, Laura Foti Cohen, has a fab interview for you in Theatre Buzz.  LA Life, Tasting Tomato sets your mouth to watering in Tastes of LA.  LA Life Fashion Stylist, Felicia Arlin, has stunning looks in LA Style Stories. In Sonnets from Suburbia our LA Life Poetess, Lady Penelope, find meditation is not in her wheelhouse. TV Addicts Opinion is back with a review from yours truly. And great events are coming your way and Happy Halloween, Tomatoes!

Witch’s House: Cover Photo & Story

Who knew LA had a Witch’s House?!  Well, of course we do…it is LA afterall. This Witch’s House is sooooo adorbs I’d give and arm and a leg to reside there even though it sends a chill up my spine. Nobody has taken a better photo or written more eloquently about this unique home than our LA Life Photographer, Lorraine Devon Wilke. Be sure to check out Lorraine Devon Wilke’s marvelous photos on her webpage and browse her entire website as it reveals the vast tapestry of Lorraine’s amazing talents.

When I was brand new to Los Angeles, I found myself in an unfamiliar neighborhood with a friend of after he took a right turn insisting, “There is something you need to see!” Traversing streets I doubted I’d ever find again, he finally stopped, parked, and said, “Come with me.” I did, beyond curious about what had so captured his imagination, and within minutes we were standing at the gate of one of the most amazing houses I’d ever seen: the Spandena House, or, as I discovered it’s called, the “Witch’s House.” I was absolutely captivated by this magical, Storybook home, and years later, with the dawn of the Internet and, therefore, GPS, I found my way back. This now-private home in Beverly Hills, originally built in 1921, was designed by an art director named Harry Oliver, a very busy man in Hollywood between1919 and 1938. Originally built to house the offices and dressing rooms of the Willat Studios in Culver City, it found its way to Walden Drive in the late 1920s and has been a private home since… meaning, there are no public tours, but you can stand on the sidewalk to capture a little glimpse, as I did in this whimsical shot. And what better time than Halloween to make that happen! 

TV Addicts Opinion: The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart

Though the critic reviews may have been mixed, I found The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart (on Amazon Prime) well worth my time.  Actually, I loved this engaging and well produced series and how it intimately delved into the lives of these remarkable women and the mysteries surrounding them. READ MORE.

Tastes of LA: Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery

If you have always loved carbs but have deprived yourself, it’s time to throw out those restrictions, according to our LA Tasting Tomato, Molly Cheek. At least…when you visit the yummy and divine Agnes Restaurant and Cheesery. It is the best place to get back into the delish bread & cheese game. Boy, are you in for a treat. I’m just passing along Molly’s impassioned recommendation, Tomatoes. GET THE DETAILS.

LA Style Stories

In “Playing with Layers”, our LA Life Fashion Stylist expresses her own personal style with classic layers. I love dresses and layering but with Felicia’s example I am inspired to be more intent on looking neater and more put together.  Our wardrobe can always use a tune up and in “Tonal Tune Up” Felicia advises considering monochromatic dressing in neutral tones that is both calming and easy on the eyes, Tomatoes. Remember, I only highlight a snippet of Felicia’s amazing cur8edme posts so be sure to follow her on Instagram.  And she is the most amazingly insightful guide for helping you to find the right and most flattering style for you.  Just sayin’. GET THE DETAILS.

Sonnets from Suburbia

When it comes to meditation, LA Life Poetess Lady Penelope (aka Penny Peyser) has quite a few difficulties. In “Shmeditation” she bemoans the mistakes she’s made and her feeble attempts at mantra.  Don’t forget to order a copy of Penny Peyser’s (Lady Penelope) brilliant book, “Sonnets from Suburbia: More Candles Than Cake” .  GET THE DETAILS.

Theatre Buzz: Roger Q. Mason: Tapping Their Life and the World Beyond

In this month’s installment of Theatre Buzz, our wonderful LA Life Theatre Maven Laura Foti Cohen spoke with the incredibly gifted, Roger Q. Mason (they/them). Roger Q. Mason, is a rising Los Angeles playwright, director, producer and performer in the LA Theatre scene. Laura delivers an in depth, intimate and thought-provoking interview in Roger Q. Mason: Tapping Their Life and the World Beyond.  GET THE DETAILS.

Oct 22. P-22 Day Festival

The remarkable life of iconic and courageous P-22, the Cat known around the world, inspired LA to move in a new direction with our relationship to the environment around us. The P22 Day Festival at Griffith Park is a gathering of groups to celebrate the legacy of P-22 who believe that wildlife and nature have an important role to play in our city environment. This festival is a truly remarkably entertaining and educational event with nearly every environmental organization in SoCal represented there.

The P-22 Day Festival is presented by the National Wildlife Federation, National Park Service, Friends of Griffith Park, Santa Monica Mountains Conservatory, Mountain Recreation and Conservation Authority, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks and the Baker Group. The Annenberg Foundation, Michael McMahon and The Friends of Griffith Park are the sponsors.  There will be a ton of fun for adults and kids and plenty of fresh air in the beautiful Griffith Park location. And you’ll receive an update on the historic Wildlife Bridge crossing the 101 freeway at Liberty Canyon.  As Wallis Annenberg, President of the Annenberg Foundation, says, “It’s easy to think of Los Angeles as a concrete jungle. The truth is, we’re home to one of the most richly diverse ecosystems in the entire world. If you care about conservation, as I do—if you believe this Earth is a precious and an interconnected resource for all of us to share—then you ought to care about urban wildlife here in L.A. and around the world. We need to establish more and better wildlife crossings. And we need to use the extraordinary story of P-22 to help all the people of L.A. realize that this community is not ours alone. I’m proud we’re helping to present this celebration of P-22 and of urban wildlife as a whole—for the good of every living creature who calls L.A. home.” This Tomato heartily agrees.  I couldn’t have said it better myself!

Oct 21 & 22. Farmers Market Fall Festival

Celebrate the fall harvest in the heart of Los Angeles, with the family friendly Fall Festival at LA’s Original Farmers Market this weekend. It’s got everything that will remind you it’s Fall in LA. Don’t miss the excitement, Tomatoes!

There are pie-eating contests, pickin’ & fiddling’, scarecrows, a pumpkin patch, pumpkin carving, a petting zoo, strolling performers, arts & crafts, photo opps and lots of live music and there’s even pig racing. Yeah, you heard me correctly…there will be pig racing.

Oct 22. Malibu Wines & Beer Garden Market

Out in West Hills the wonderful Malibu Wines & Beer Garden is where Tomatoes can experience the taste of Malibu from grape to glass. And now they are kicking off fall with their Malibu Wines & Beer Garden Market with something for everyone including wine connoisseurs and beer enthusiasts. I’d say it’s worth checking out and making the trip.

Local artisans will be on hand selling locally crafted jewelry, art, clothing and more. And, of course, you will be able to experience mouthwatering dishes from the gourmet food vendors perfectly complimented by Malibu Wines & Beer Gardens selection of wines and beers. Something for everyone, Ladies.

October 21. Grand Ave Arts: All Access

Holy Moly, Tomatoes, the Grand Ave Arts: All Access looks fabulous! From the Central Library to The Music Center and everywhere in between, more than 10 arts and culture institutions along Grand Avenue join forces for a day of family-friendly fun. Wow, Wow, Wow!

Grand Ave. Arts: All Access in DTLA is a FREE day of arts experiences featuring tours, interactive arts, exhibits pop-up performances, kids’ activities and more. This a world-class cultural event and I’ll say it again…it’s FREE.

October 21 & 22.  Preservation Pasadena Part III

Preservation Pasadena is an architectural exploration in 3 parts and Preservation Pasadena: Craftsman Pure & Simple is the third and final chapter with a celebration of the arts and crafts movement from 1900-1915. I love tours of historic places and architecture, but this tour is the crème de la creme of craftsman style explorations, Gals. I hope it is not too late to get tickets.

Fingers crossed.  The two days of Preservation Pasadena: Craftsman Pure & Simple will be filled to the brim with guided tours, from experienced docents, of the most celebrated neighborhoods and landmarks along with lectures and presentations from historians and authors who know their stuff. Enjoy, Tomatoes.

Oct 29.  Ms Magazine: The Feminist Fight Forward

The Feminist Fight Forward: Lessons from 50 Years of Ms is a daylong event from the Skirball, examining the evolution and future of women’s rights. Ms Magazine was a publishing revolution, and this is fantastic way to celebrate and honor the Ms magazine’s enduring commitment to feminism.  

The Feminist Fight Forward: Lessons 50 years of Ms, co-presented by the Skirball Cultural Center and Feminist Majority Foundation, will feature keynote speakers, breakout sessions, and conversations with artists, poets, scholars, political leaders, and others as they reflect on the past era and the path forward now for women’s rights.  Remember, from its earliest days Ms Magazine was unapologetically outspoken in revealing the untapped potential for journalism that centered news and analysis on women and their lives.

Halloween Hoopla

The spooky season in LA offers a mind-boggling array of choice Halloween extravaganzas’ that will appeal to everyone of all ages.  I’ve got six Halloween/Día de los Muertos celebration suggestions that caught my eye and appealed to my scary season sensibilities. FYI: One is tomorrow night, Gals.

Boo-zy, Bites & Frights (Oct 21) is Halloween Extravaganza at the Heritage Square Museum presented by Street Food Cinema. You will be thrilled, chilled, and utterly entertained with a double feature screening of Halloween classics, gourmet street food, and guided tours of hauntingly beautiful Victorian mansions, and more!

Fishy Fest (Oct 28 & 29)  Get in the spirit of the season with Fishy Fest at the Heal the Bay Aquarium for a lively and family-friendly event including activities that honor the unique holidays of Halloween and Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).

Boo-Union Station (Oct 28) Union Station will transform its already beautiful self and the South Patio grounds into a an eerily festive party haven for ghosts, goblins, kids, pets, families and Tomatoes to have a smashing Halloween.

Boney Island (through Oct 31)  Boney Island is an interactive light-up Halloween experience that transforms Natural History Museum’s Nature Gardens into an illuminated wonderland of fun and frights with ghoulishly glowing exhibits, fascinating creatures of the night and prehistoric past, and lots of thrilling surprises

Los Angeles Haunted Hayride (through Oct 31) They claim it is the scariest and most haunting experience in LA with at least 4 scare zones complementing the iconic Haunted Hayride.  It so much more than a scary hayride…it’s a full-on Halloween experience with horror-town Midnight Falls filled with roaming monsters and a haunted mortuary.  Watch out for the Boogey Man!

Día Da De Los Muertos Celebration (Oct 28) Celebrate cherished memories of your loved ones at the 3^rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica with their Día De Los Muertos Celebration! You’ll enjoy live performance by local talent, colorful displays of community altars, a Latinx popup market, enchanting La Catrina public art sculptures and plenty of family and pet-friendly activities.

Through November 13. Women’s Empowerment Project

The Women’s Empowerment Project is now on view at Santa Monica’s Main Library from local Los Angeles artist, Maaden Raoult in collaboration with six women in transitional housing. Their portraits and photos along with the complimenting stories articulated by these women makes this exhibit engaging, compelling and uplifting, Tomatoes.

The Women’s Empowerment Project is the result of Raoult’s 2020 conversations with the six women about their experiences of homelessness, their strengths and goals, and the best advice they’ve received. And with their own disposable camera they were able to document what brought each of them joy and empowerment throughout the day. The project highlights each individual’s own empowering story and allows the women to see themselves as artists and creators of their own narratives and how art can uplift individuals and bring communities together.