Girls Night Out

Remember, the greatest gift is not found in a store nor under a tree, but in the hearts of true friends. - Cindy Lew

The camera was rolling as a few of my girlfriends & I hit the town the other night for a jewelry line debut... Nicole Ritchie pairing her House of Harlow line with Bebe. Wish I had known about the line before! I bought one of her necklaces at Fred Segal the other day & it's probably double the price of Bebe! (I'm wearing it in the video.)

While it's fun buying shiny pretty things, the best part was getting together and being silly. You get to be a fly on the wall during our nonsense. I love my girls!

Below is the necklace I was wearing. I believe it was $65. While the quality is better than the necklaces at Bebe, they look the same from afar. The black & gold version is about $120 at Fred Segal, $69 at Bebe.

Baby's First Christmas

Making a List, Checking it Twice

Now that my Christmas tree is up, I can't help looking at holiday treats.

Juicy Couture rings
Deco, $88 Icon Sparrow, $58 Gilded Pleasures, $98
http://www.shopstyle.com/

12th Street by Cynthia Vincent Bra Cup Dress - $315 http://www.shopbop.com/
Marc by Marc Jacobs Watch, Women's Henry Chronograph Goldtone Stainless Steel Bracelet
- $225 Macy's


Since I already own some fab platform heels like these & a boyfriend jacket... I fell in love with these combos.

Oh Baby!

I'm hosting a baby shower for my sister-in-law, Lindsey. She is very excited to be having a boy. I love to plan parties so this is a perfect combo! I'm hosting a luncheon for her in January and want to pick a fun invite... which is your favorite?
1.2.3. 4.

5.6.7.8.9.

http://www.tinyprints.com/

http://www.polkadotdesign.com/

http://www.paperstyle.com/

Mad About You

I could watch Mad Men on mute & play some Dean Martin instead & be just as happy, because the show is so visually stunning. The 60's styling of Mad Men is all done by Janie Bryant, including the gorgeous dresses. But Don Draper in his suit... wow. It almost makes you forget he cheats on his wife, bullies Peggy and fired a gay staffer for not putting out with a client.

So now, you too can work a suit like Don - for a price. Tonight is the season finale, and the show has partnered with Brooks Brothers to create a limited edition Mad Men suit. There are only 250 available and they retail for $998. (A bit steep in this economy, and a bit pricey even for Brooks Brothers!)

Made from gray sharkskin fabric, the suit is about the slimmest cut they make, featuring a two-button jacket with narrow lapels, diagonal pockets and side vents.

Apparently these went up for sale a few weeks ago, and today is the last day you can buy one at: http://www.brooksbrothers.com/

Get Your Scream On

A pairing for my Halloween style giveaway...

Tricky Treats

On Halloween night I attended Andrew Brandou's solo show at Corey Helford Gallery titled "In the Garden of the Mystic". Some works featured beautiful psychadelic flowers that formed cloud-like rabbits and skulls.

Others showcased innocent little bunnies that looked like they hopped straight out of Little Golden Books and into nightmares.

Since this was Halloween, I received a special treat that I'm giving away to a lucky soul. This poster "Pumpkin Carver" features a delightfully devilish little rabbit who is really enjoying carving jack o' lanterns.

You can enter the giveaway on twitter, so click here for more deets.
(Poster is approx. 12 x 24 inches, knives not included)

In the meantime, visit his website: http://www.howdypardner.com/

If the Shoe Fits...

To be fair, this was before his wildly successful Pop Art period... thanks letters of note!

LA Woman: Life In the Fast Lane

They don't call me Suzi Speed Racer Marques for nothing.

I am obsessed with fast cars & not just because they look pretty. I don't prefer the passenger seat. I like being behind the wheel & love wide open spaces to push cars to their max.

While I've done time trials, I had never been in a race with other drivers on the track with me at the same time.... until now.

Go karting in The Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix. When it comes to racing, it's all in the family.

Simple Butternut Squash Soup

Visited farmers' market in Santa Monica with former Fox11 news producer Sandra Messick. She lived just like Under the Tuscan Sun for a few years and now she's back from Italy to share her wisdom.
She has a genuine love for food & is excited to share it. She came up with this recipe on the spot when I told her I love butternut squash soup. Just as delicious and impressive as the best soup in any fab LA restaurant!


Butternut Squash Soup
by Sandra Messick
http://www.nourishingtable.com/

1 butternut squash
2 tbs butter
1 tsp sage
good dash salt and pepper
1/2 large onion, diced
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 can vegetable broth

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash longways down the middle (mine was 3lbs). Spray a cookie sheet with pam, place the squash face down. Cook for 40 minutes.

In the last ten minutes, prepare the rest of the ingredients in a large pot. Melt the butter, then saute your garlic and onions until they are opaque. Add sage & salt and pepper.

When the squash is done, discard the seeds, then scoop it out while it's hot & place it into the pot. Add vegetable broth.
Once all of the ingredients are incorporated, put it all in a blender, blend and then serve!

I had crusty french bread on the side. It was insanely delicious and perfect for fall!

Rich Runyon Canyon

Runyon Canyon has a haunting past and a rich & glamorous history. American Indians once hunted here. In 1919, Carmen Runyon bought the land and sold it to famed Irish tenor John McCormack, who built a mansion called San Patrizio. Friends like Will Rogers & John Barrymore came to visit. It looks very different now.

Don't be put off by the warning of rattlers in the midst.

As you walk in, there's a charming refreshment bar where everything is a buck & it's ice cold. My favorite part? It's on the honor system.

The payoff. The panoramic view can't be captured with one shot, so I created an homage to David Hockney. Click on it for a better view!

On the walk up, you pass by remnants of the grandeur that once existed here. Pieces of San Patrizio. A tennis court.

Steps to nowhere.

Huntington Hartford bought the property in 1942 - the heir to the A&P grocery fortune. He commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to create a futuristic country club on the property & tried unsuccessfully to gift the land to the city of LA in 1964.

As Lloyd Wright recalled in 1977, "Here was this very wealthy man and he wanted to give something very stunning to Hollywood. The Chambers of Commerce, the hotel owners and the various businesses were jealous of the park, and with the help of the City officials, the City refused to give us permits. Hunt was so angry that he wanted to get out immediately and sold the property at a low price to Berman, who then destroyed the mansion and let the place run down."

Now, there's a little dog park on the property.

Inspiration Point still stands.

Once you get there, look back & there's one more (excruciating) level.

Once you walk up, there's an incredible view looking down over LA.

And to your left, the Hollywood sign.

90's Prom Party!

A link to more pics below!

Relived my glory days by recreating prom at mi casa. I rented a helium tank, blew up a ton of black & gold balloons, hung up a bunch of gold stars, invited a friend's rocking band, Petree to play and made everyone drink out of red cups just like high school.

Since this was the 90's, it meant huge hair, flashy dresses and wrist corsages. A little vintage 90210 & Color Me Badd and it felt so good.

Click here for the prom party album!

Joshua Petker: In Living Color

My 2nd vlog! My favorite LA artist and now dear friend Joshua Petker gives a preview of his upcoming show and a tour of his new at-home studio! He's self taught and influenced by everything from classical impressionists to old school graffiti artists.



His next show will be Spring, 2010 at Corey Helford Gallery.

If you would like to purchase a limited-edition print: http://posterchildprints.com/Joshua-Petker/

Follow him on twitter! http://www.twitter.com/joshuapetker

A Little History, A Little Halloween

This installation is from 2002, Olaf Breuning's Skeletons in the Garden of Villa Medici.

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays & puts me in the mood for the rest of the season. I'm already fighting the urge to play Christmas CDs.

Napoleon Bonaparte once lived at Villa Medici, which would eventually become a haven for artists. Speaking of Napoleon, he made an appearance at my prom party not too long ago.

Here he (Donny Miller) is posing with his wife and Napoleon Bonaparrot.
More snapshots soon~

My $3,000 Shoes

When I first saw Madonna in these Louis Vuitton ads, her shoes screamed at me!

BUY ME!

The shoe below promised to give me satisfaction in exchange for $3,000.

So I gave up. This was March. In September, I was drawn into Steve Madden when I spied a sale wheel.

Spin the wheel, get between 10-90% off.

I spied a pair of shoes priced around $100 that kinda resembled the shoes above, spun the wheel & scored 20% off.

I sauntered out with a guilt-free pair of kicks that to wear to work & yes, they are already banged up.

The incredibly talented (and yes folks, he is that nice in person!) Nick Verreos. We did a fashion segment for GDLA the other day & I stole this pic from his beautiful website.

Lies Lies Lies Yeah!

Isn't Tim Roth the hotness? I'm on the 2nd season premiere of Lie To Me Monday night at 9pm!

Here's a look behind the scenes as I prepared for my cameo. Since I had a few lines, I scored my own trailer! The best part? Seeing my name on the door. What a thrill.

When I stepped inside my precious little space I looked down and saw an itty bitty area rug. Love!

To my right, a little bench to stretch out and practice my lines. Or in my case, a place to lay out all of my beauty goodies and practice while I primp!

To the left of the bench - a rocking soundsystem. Unfortunately, I didn't bring any of my tapes so I turned up the radio. I toats could've brought my blue Paul's Boutique tape.

My little bathroom reminds me of the RVs of my youth but since this was my trailer.... j'adore.

Goofing off after they did my hair.

I was just too darn nervous to take pics during the shoot. I was the first shot of the day and shaking in my heels. The producer was an angel and encouraged me through my nervousness.

We'll see how I did Monday night at 9pm!

BTW... we borrowed Tim Roth's personal golf cart from his penthouse-sized trailer to get me on-set & a few people had a hissy, but I like to think he's too tough to care about lil ol' me borrowing it, don't ya think?

Venturing into Vlogging...

This is my first vlog! I've called it LA Woman because I'm LA born & bred, I grew up with a crush on Jim Morrison, and I also live on Love Street, down the block from where Jim used to live in his heyday.

For my first video, I've invited over girlfriends for a dinner party. I don't cook too often but my mom's helping me out with her spaghetti sauce recipe. With every guest bringing a bottle of red wine, all mistakes should be forgiven. On that note, this is my first video blog ever, so if you like/love it, there's more where that came from. If you hate it, I apologize for robbing you of the five minutes it took to watch the video.

xo Suzanne

My 2nd vlog will feature one of my fave LA artists!

Faux & Fabulous

I am allergic to fur so I have no desire to wear it. But I do love my faux fur vest by Rachel Zoe! I signed up for The Zoe Report and subscribers were offered the chance to purchase it before it was available to everyone on QVC.


Jaime loves the vest too!

One reason she's anti-fur? She designed PETA's LA offices. Check em out below:

Doesn't the faux red fox look smashing with Simba's coat?

Click here for more eye candy and fabulous things to buy from Woodson & Rummerfield!

Heidi Does Hollywood

Famed fashion photographer Mark Seliger & supermodel Heidi Klum recreated these classic Hollywood images a few years ago. They are currently featured in a show titled Heidi Klum: Pinups at Guy Hepner.

Guy Hepner
300 N Robertson Blvd
West Hollywood CA, 90048

Check out a beautiful online collection of his work here.

Birthday Treats

Mom& I dropped into D&G the other day in search of a party dress for my birthday! How adorable are these dresses?

The black & white are so classic & fresh.And the shoes! I am dying for the bows on the left, but the sexy patent leather boots go with so much more.

I settled on the boots & this dress. It hadn't even hit the floor - thus making it more irresistible - and how can one resist a delicious black & white frock with a picture of another dress printed on it?!

Since one cannot live on splurges alone, I also scored this adorable little bag at Target for $1. I believe it's a pencil case but it fits my makeup brushes perfectly.

Nick Brandt: A Shadow Falls

"Nick Brandt continues his ambitious and ongoing photographic project to memorialize the vanishing natural grandeur of East Africa. His spectacular yet intimate wildlife portraits are filled with a sensitivity usually reserved for human beings."

Fahey/Klein Gallery

Nick Brandt A Shadow Falls
September 10th - October 17th

Fahey/Klein Gallery
148 N. La Brea

Los Angeles, CA 90036

Summer Escape

All my troubles seem so far away...

Berry tart & sisters holding hands. Sweet.

Cruise control.

Juggling + Drinking = Relaxing.

Nighttime vamping.

Sailor's delight.

Shutters on the Beach is like a friend's beach house. It doesn't feel like a hotel. Whimsical toys, books & decor are placed strategically around the room - most of which can also be purchased. Smart.

The interiors were designed by Michael Smith, who was recently appointed as designer of the Obama White House.

Napabu. Say What?

That's what Tony Griffin & his friends call the part of Malibu that resembles Napa Valley. Napabu. I took this photo from his patio, looking out at one of his vineyards. Ah, the life.

Tony is the son of tv legend Merv Griffin. He welcomed us into his home to promote the Malibu Wine Classic happening this Saturday 1:30-4. You can buy tickets here.

Tony schooled me on wine and introduced me to this:

Never heard of it? I hadn't either. Screaming Eagle is ridiculously difficult to get your hands on, with a years-long waiting list. Members are restricted to three bottles a year, which cost $750 each. If you miraculously find Screaming Eagle sold at a restaurant, it costs around $2,000 a bottle.

Click here for Screaming Eagle Winery & Vineyards. You won't find much information. The winery is located in Oakville, CA but it's not open to the public. I love that.

Let's move to something that's more my speed and a bit more accessible. Vueve Clicquot's version of the Ice Cube. How adorable!

Now from oohs and ahhs to oh no.

A Jagermeister cooler. Possibly on the Christmas wish list of every fraternity across the nation. I do like the idea of the chilled bottle connected directly to the spout. Nifty! I can see other alcohol companies catching on.

Dear Project Runway. I Like Space Hookers

The losing design this week was created by Ari. Ok, so it's not something you'd probably see on any red carpet, but possibly onstage?

I was more than a little surprised Ari went home - not only because she didn't suck the most.

Lindsey Lohan was a guest judge... and doesn't Ari look a lot like Samantha Ronson?

I thought subconciously LiLo would protect her. But no go.
IMHO Mitchell and his sheer old-lady style nightgown should have been sent packing. It was so bad I can't find a photo online! 2nd worst? The dress below.

When Qristyl chose the bad Pucci fabric knockoff, I thought she was out.
The hosts were making a big to-do about taste. Hello?

When I saw the dress come down the runway, I thought it sealed the deal. It looks like half of an Emmy's red carpet gown sewn with 1/2 of an MTV Movie Awards party dress on the right.

It's like Katy Perry at the MTV Europe Music Awards, but Katy is making a statement. She's wearing a cheeky costume. Qristyl's dress makes me sad. Hopefully she'll bring it this week.

I'd like to dedicate the video below to Ari. I'll miss ya on Project Runway.

N.A.S.A. "Gifted" featuring Kanye West, Santogold, & Lykke Li.

It's like 2001: A Space Odyssey with a beat.

Falling Out of Summer

I love these dresses from BGBG coming out in the fall.

I need an event for the gown on the left. So dramatic.

I will find somewhere to wear the dress on the right with the leather gloves. So deliciously dark.