The sight of this baby enjoying the view on the beach caught my eye. Tomatoes can explore the gloriously enchanting world of carousels and childhood toys with the “Giddy Up” exhibit. The cultural wonders of Little Tokyo are celebrated with the “79th Nisei Japanese Festival.”  Lovers of Honeybees and honey might want to drop by, “The Valley Hive” for their sweet celebration of “National Honeybee Day”.  August 12 is “World Elephant Day” but our LA Zoo is celebrating these magnificent creatures this weekend. And “Fefu and Friends” is back to entertain and stir up our spirits at The Odyssey Theatre. So, giddy up to all these fun events, Tomatoes

August 18.  National Honeybee Day Celebration

There’s a reason I have a lot of plants in my back garden to attract bees Tomatoes…Bee cause I love Honey Bees. Tee hee!  So, I’ll be celebrating the Annual “National Honeybee Day” event at The Valley Hive next Sunday. Come hungry and ready to party Tomatoes.

Food and drinks – made with the Valley Hive’s signature honey varieties- will be available for purchase. Local vendors and artists will be on hand and crafts and activities for kids and adults alike will be available. Everyone is invited to attend and sample backyard honey from beekeepers all over Los Angeles and taste dishes made with honey. There’ll also be a Honey Competition & Recipe Contest. I promise you will love The Valley Hive and celebrating National Honeybee Day with them, Tomatoes.

On this week’s Happy Hour Podcast meet jewelry designer Heidi Carey, who started her handcrafted jewelry business at age 50 and has a huge following of “Tomatoes” who love her designs. She talks about how she got her start from tomboy to accessories designer at Ralph Lauren, working directly for Vera Wang, to running her own successful jewelry line. It’s all about saying “yes” to opportunities. Listen in.

Aug 10 & 11, 17 & 18.  Nisei Week Japanese Festival

What’s Nisei? “Nisei” refers to a person born in the US whose parents immigrated from Japan. And “Nisei Week” is a festival, the largest in Little Tokyo, celebrating Japanese & Japanese American heritage and traditions while bringing together the diverse communities of Southern California. It’s free and chock full of marvelous cultural exhibitions, entertainment and activities Tomatoes!

You can enjoy Japanese prefectural displays as well as artisans skilled in Ikebana Flower Arrangement & Bonsai, Kimekomi Japanese Dolls & Yukari Kai Dolls that are hand-made and hand-painted dressed in beautiful Japanese fabrics, Ceramics, Calligraphy and a Japanese Tea Ceremony.  So much to do and so much fun to be had in Little Tokyo the next two weekends gals.

Aug 10 & 11.  World Elephant Day Celebration

My love for elephants has no bounds Tomatoes.  August 12 is “World Elephant Day” when the world is asked to help conserve and protect the severely threatened Asian and African elephants. The LA Zoo is stepping up and asking Tomatoes to “Join the Herd” this weekend in celebrating and learning about the ways we can save these precious creatures.  Bravo!

It will be a fun filled weekend at the zoo where you will learn amazing facts about these beloved and cherished animals and will joyfully explore different ways that our LA Zoo and others are working to safeguard elephants in the wild and to protect them from mistreatment in captivity. Elephants deserve our utmost attention and protection and the ton of cool activities at our zoo this weekend will help you do that . If you have kiddoes in your life, Tomatoes, they will love it too!

Till October 13th   Giddy Up: Children Take the Reins I

It also tickles me that the exhibit features 35 small scaled delightful carousel figures that visitors of all ages will be able to see and touch.  As an added treat, a selection of ride-on horses/animals that rock, bounce, and/or roll, along with a wide variety of animals and carousel themed toys, will also be on view.  We owe a big thanks Tomatoes to local collector and conservator Lourinda Bay who curated this very unique and touchable exhibit.

Opens Aug 3-Sept 29.  Fefu & Friends

In 2017 our 3T theatre critic, Ellen Dostal, had high praise for the play “Fefu and Her Friends” that ran at the Hollyhock House. Well, I’m happy to say that Tomatoes have been blessed that this rich and relevant comedy-drama will have another run, starting August 3rd at the Odyssey Theatre. We have another opportunity to enjoy this play that explores how society limits human expression (particularly for women) and how our spirits fight against unjust societal restrictions.  Yes, we do!

A group of eight women gather at the country home of the brilliant and eccentric Fefu to plan an event for their do-gooding educational work. As multiple conflicts unfold between the old friends, they struggle to define who they are and what it means to be a woman in a male-dominated world. “Fefu and Friends” is a signature work of early feminist theater by giant of the avant-garde María Irene Fornés whose work has been defined as abstract realism.  That’s why “Fefu and Friends” works so well. As Ellen Dostal stated in 2017, this play and it’s abstract symbolism… “strikes you in the gut.  Theatre works so well on that level. It’s alive. It’s an art form that is generated in front of you every single night, so, it isn’t complete until you have an audience.” I’m sure it will not disappoint Tomatoes.