Editor’s Note: Make sure to read Cheryl Benton’s tribute to Debbie and how they first met. Read it here.

The LA Life Three Tomatoes Newsletter hits a milestone this week, Tomatoes! Congratulations…to MOI! Wild Waves of Winter, our Cover Photo from our LA Life Photographer Lorraine Devon Wilke, is stupendously stunning. Our other wonderful contributors, LA Life Fashion Stylist Felicia Arlin, LA Life Tasting Tomato Molly Cheek, LA Life Theatre Maven Lauri Foti Cohen, and LA Life Poetess Penny Peyser are back in full force with us for this new year. That makes my heart sing with happiness and pride.  And as always activities, events, sights to see abound in our beautiful City of Angels. Happy 2024!

LA Life Turns 10

Congratulations LA Life! On January 17th, 2014, the very first Three Tomatoes LA Life Newsletter flew into the new LA subscribers’ inboxes and so began a rewarding 10-year journey. I think I deserve a little pat on the back too so…Congratulations to moi, Debbie Zipp. With this milestone I thought I’d share a few of my thoughts and revisit the very first LA Life newsletter introduction. I sure got a kick out of it. Read more.

Wild Waves of Winter

We’ve had some wild weather, especially at the beaches.  Lorraine’s eye and timing were perfect when capturing the wild waves of winter and you will love her reflections on our subtle So-Cal seasons. Lorraine tells the best stories around her photos. Thanks to LA Life Photographer Lorraine Devon Wilke we have this magnificent image to inspire us.  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.

“But I would miss the seasons!” cry friends and family back in the Midwest when any debate about “weather” and “seasons” sets off. They think Los Angeles has none. Seasons, that is. Their romanticism of turning autumn leaves, crisp white Christmases; the bouncing robins of spring, and yes, even the bright green humidity of summer contributes to the notion that seasons are best served extreme. But we here in sunny southern California know otherwise… because we do have seasons! They’re simply more subtle, usually unpredictable, but always notable and appreciated. For example, this winter (so far) has offered up a series of hearty rainstorms, the brushing of snow in higher elevations; depending on what trees exist in your neighborhood, crisp orange and yellow leaves remain piled from the autumn months, and at our beaches… well, wild, wild surf. In fact, this winter brought such dramatic, pier-pounding waves that the events, up and down the coast, became newsworthy. This one, captured here in “Wild Waves of Winter,” brought heaving horizons, rolling, undulating sets of shore smashers, and a whole lotta shakin’ of piers like this sturdy one in Manhattan Beach. It was huge. It was exciting. It drew crowds. Welcome, my friends, to winter in sunny, showy, spine-tingling Los Angeles!

Tastes of LA: Lulu at the Hammer

Molly Cheek, our LA Life Tasting Tomato, has written…not just any passionate love letter, but a remarkably joyous love letter to a restaurant…not just any restaurant either… but the amazing Lulu at the Hammer Museum. In her words, “… every meal has been a wonder.” Wow! Who knew a museum restaurant could be so incredible. I’m definitely inspired to make Lulu a food destination after Molly’s rave review. Read on.

Sonnets from Suburbia

Oh, dear oh dear. Lady Penelope has Alexa anxiety. Don’t we all?! And guess who has a brand spanking new book out? Penny Peyser (Lady Penelope) and she has outdone herself with “Sonnets from Suburbia: Romance Dance”. It’s masterful, brilliant and an easy and deliciously entertaining ride that you will adore, Tomatoes.  Remember if you haven’t already, don’t forget to order a copy of Penny Peyser’s first brilliant book, “Sonnets from Suburbia: More Candles Than Cake” to add to your collection. And you can always find out more about Lady Penelope on her website Tomatoes. Watch the video.

LA Style Stories

Inspired by Leonard Bernstein’s fashion style in the film “Maestro”, LA Life Fashion Stylist Felicia Arlin knocks it out of the park with her casual modern Jets look in “Westside Story”. In “The Afterparty”, Felicia starts with an eclectic blend of separates and uses her magic to turn top and bottom pieces with little in common into a very special look.  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’, Tomatoes. Read on.

Theatre Buzz: Josefina López is the Star of Casa 0101

LA Life Theatre Maven Laura Foti Cohen brings us an excellent in-depth profile of theater legend, Josefina López, who founded and runs the highly praised Casa 0101 Theatre in Boyle Heights. Do you remember the film Real Women Have Curves?  Well, she wrote that, Tomatoes.  She is a remarkable powerhouse of a talent and Laura’s interview expertly reflects that.  Get the details.

Winter Blooms

There’s always something beautiful to see at Descanso Gardens, but winter… is a bloomin’ good time to visit, Tomatoes. There is a vast supply of a variety blooms to enjoy with the brilliant colors and aromatic smells of the Camelia’s, Paperwhites and Birds of Paradise, My fav is the Camelia. Descanso’s Camelia Forest is the best and most vast collection I’ve ever experienced and to see it in full bloom is a wonder.

I know it might seem that I consistently have gardens on the brain but visiting a garden does wonders for your state of mind, Gals. The Camelia’s, also considered the “Queens of the Winter Flowers” and they have quite a history. They are definitely worthy of a royal title.  Also revealing themselves are the gorgeous and fragrant Paper Whites, similar to Daffodils, known as Narcissus Papyraceous because of their delicate paper-like petals. What a wonderful way to brighten your winter days, Tomatoes.

Through March 3rd Luna Luna

What’s Luna Luna Forgotten Fantasy? Well, it happens to be a spectacular showcase of the world’s first art amusement park-lost since 1987. OMG! What a fabulous idea? My daughter experienced Luna Luna first-hand and she told me it was a fantastical experience so I had to share that with you Gals.

Luna Luna has quite a remarkable story. Some call it a “fairground of sensations” and some “the museum of the future. Brought back from warehouses in Texas, it has re-emerged once again to inspire the imagination of everyone.

January 25-28 Dance Camera West

Time again to celebrate the art of dance and film with the 22nd edition of Dance Camera West . It promises to be a a feast for the senses, Tomatoes, and a memorable cinematic journey within the gorgeous hilltop surroundings of the historic Barnsdall Art Park.

Dance Camera West (DCW), the Los Angeles-based film festival committed to exploring the possibilities for dance in the context of cinema, showcases a curated selection of 40 films from 20 countries, each making its debut on the international, U.S., or Los Angeles stage. Carefully chosen from 320 submissions, these films represent the pinnacle of dance film creativity. You’ll find a mix of shorts and feature-length picks. The festival also offers workshops, artist talks, and receptions.

Bird Walks

This Sunday and for a few other select dates the San Fernando Valley Audubon Society will be hosting Bird Walks at Malibu State Park, Hansen Dam and the Sepulveda Basin. It will be easy, and no birdwatching experience is needed…just a fondness for nature and birds, Ladies.

All the locations are a haven for birds but also home to all kinds of wildlife, flora and fauna. The walks are very informative and fun and will give you new insight to the world of birds in LA. First up this Sunday January 21st is Malibu State Park, the Hansen Dam on January 27th and on February 4th the Sepulveda Basin.

January 27. Uncorked Wine Fest

The Uncorked Wine Festival returns to our beautiful Union Station bringing with it the chance to enjoy over 150 wines from across the globe. Yes, that’s right, over 150 wines to explore! Wow! If you are thirsty this is the place to be, Tomatoes, whether you are a wine aficionado or not.

In addition, you can visit the festivals’ gourmet local food trucks for tasty eats, listen to a live band and DJ while tasting the wonderful wines.  You can’t beat that combination, especially at such a fantastic location like Union Station. Uncorked

LA benefits the national charity A Kid Again. A Kid Again is a wonderful non-profit fostering hope, happiness and healing for families raising a child with a life-threatening condition. They provide ongoing, cost-free, group activities for children and their families to remember what it was to live carefree, create fun-filled memories, and give illness a time out.  What every child deserves.

January 28. Happy Birthday Marion

LA Life is not the only one celebrating a birthday this month.  You’re invited to Marion Davies Birthday Party and it won’t cost you a dime. The Annenberg Community Beach House and Santa Monica Conservancy will be celebrating the life and times of Marion Davies, the famed silent film actress, philanthropist, businesswoman, party hostess and the original Beach House resident. You are in store for a marvelous time, Ladies.

Marion Davies, legendary silent film actress, pioneering businesswoman, philanthropist, and the original Beach House hostess, would be over 120 years young if she were still here today. But who’s counting.  All ages are welcome and there’ll be live music, a dance showcase, magic performance, and more. Immerse yourself in a roaring 20s attitude. Don your favorite Gold Coast era glad rags and head on over! RSVPs are requested. Free tours of the guest house will also be available 12-2 on a walk-up basis.

Ends January 21 Woven Histories

Head’s up, Tomatoes! If you are a fashion lovin’ gal there is only a couple days left for this exhibition so make sure you visit LACMA this weekend. If you are of the opinion that fashion can be art, you might find Women Histories: Textiles and Modern Abstraction thoroughly fascinating.

With over 150 works by an international and transhistorical roster of artists, this exhibition explores an over-looked strand in art history’s modernist narratives.  The exhibit does that by tracing how, when, and why abstract art intersected with woven textiles (and such pre-loom technologies as basketry, knotting, and netting) over the past century. It reveals how shifting relations among abstract art, fashion, design, and craft shaped recurrent aesthetic, cultural, and socio-political forces, as they, in turn, were impacted by modernist art forms.

January 21-27. Pasadena Cheeseburger Week

Holy Moly! I just learned the 100th anniversary of the invention of the cheeseburger…AND…it was born in Pasadena! Yep! Pasadena will be dining in honor of Lionel Sternberger with Pasadena Cheeseburger Week. The culinary genius was the first to put cheese to hamburger and he served it at the Rite Spot in Pasadena in 1924. It was an instant culinary hit!

“2024 marks the 100th anniversary of Lonel Sternberger’s amazing inspiration in adding cheese to a hamburger, which began a revolution in the culinary arts. We’re hoping to celebrate with some special additions to Cheeseburger Week,” said Paul Little, CEO of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce. “We will continue the Cheeseburger Challenge but add some new elements such as the Cheeseburger Passport where participants can win prizes.” There will be a lot of cheeseburgers being enjoyed in Pasadena next week, Tomatoes. You might want to make a visit.