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This Might Just Be What Finally Puts Britney Over the Edge!!

I am sad to report that on Tuesday, February 26th, every single Starbucks store is going to close between the hours of 5:30PM and 8:30PM for an emergency re-training session with CEO Howard Schultz. Whatever is BritBrit going to do if she wants her beverage of choice during those three hours?? For that matter, what am I going to do??? Thank God Sophie Kinsella’s (my very favorite author!!!) new book comes out that day to keep my mind off of my Starbucks withdrawals!!

You can read more on the story here.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: Britney’s Starbucks of choice is located at the Malibu Country Mart in Malibu, right on Pacific Coast Highway. You can read a more detailed post about Britter’s fave Starbucks here.

February 24, 2008
The Night Before the Night Before Party

Last night I dragged my boyfriend to the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel to do a little stalking of the “Night Before the Night Before Party” that was being held at Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant Cut located inside the hotel. I must say that aside from seeing Jeffrey Katzenberg (who is teeny tiny!!), the night was pretty much a bust. Apparently the “Night Before the Night Before” party is more for industry types and not celebs, as I didn’t recognize anyone. Supposedly Faith Hill and Tim McGraw were in attendance, but we didn’t spot them. We did grab a couple of drinks and appetizers at TheBLVD bar inside the Regent, and saw a production crew taping a segment for The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Sadly, Ellen was not in attendance. 🙁

After the Regent, we hit up the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where nothing much was going on. All in all, it was a pretty disappointing night from a stalking standpoint. Here’s hoping we have better luck today! 🙂

Until next time, Happy Stalking. 🙂

Stalk It: Cut is located inside the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel, which can be found at 9500 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. TheBLVD bar is also located inside the Regent, and, while pricey, it serves up some great appetizers and is the perfect spot to people watch. We saw a lot of interesting characters there last night.

February 23, 2008
Big Mistake! Big! Huge!

Those of you planning to stalk the “Night Before the Night Before” party taking place at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel tomorrow night, might also want to check out another famous location just down the street. A few blocks away from the Regent is a little shop that might look familiar to Pretty Woman fans. It is the very same store where Julia Roberts, hoping to purchase a cocktail dress, gets snubbed by a group of snooty saleswomen. Later in the movie, Julia gets her revenge when she returns to the store, laden with shopping bags, and utters her famous line, “You guys work on commission, right? Big mistake! Big! Huge! I have to go shopping now!” In real life the shop is called Boulmiche and it looks pretty much the same as it did in Pretty Woman. If you would like to venture inside the store to do a little shopping yourself, don’t be scared – in real life, the salespeople are very friendly. 🙂 Boulmiche has become something of a celeb magnet as of late – attracting the likes of Jessica Simpson, Halle Berry and Eva Mendes, just to name a few.

As I mentioned in my last post, the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel is famous in and of itself – also from the movie Pretty Woman. It is the hotel where Julia Roberts and Richard Gere spend their six days together. Sadly, though, only the exterior of the Regent was used for filming; the interiors existed only on a Disney sound-stage. While the inside of the hotel is very beautiful and luxurious, I was disappointed when I visited it for the first time. I was really hoping that all of my Hollywood tour books were wrong and that at least part of the lobby had been used in the movie, but sadly that was not the case. Even the elevators were different. Even so, I would highly recommend visiting the Regent, tomorrow night or any other night, as it is truly a beautiful hotel. And you never know who might be hanging around. Last time I was there I saw Jake Gyllenhaal. 🙂

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: The Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel is located at 9500 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. The “Night Before the Night Before Party” is taking place at Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant Cut, located inside the hotel. While Cut will most likely be closed off to the general public tomorrow night, you can always grab a drink in the bar right off the hotel lobby and hope for a star sighting. Boulmiche Boutique is located at 9501 Santa Monica Boulevard, at the corner of Rodeo Drive and Santa Monica Boulevard.

February 21, 2008
Oscar Weekend Stalking – Part II

On Oscar Weekend, after stalking the red carpet, I recommend hotel-hopping your way through Hollywood and Beverly Hills for optimal star viewing! The Chateau Marmont, the Mondrian, the Sunset Tower Hotel, the Regent Beverly Wilshire, and the Beverly Hills Hotel are all prime celebrity viewing locations – and most have extremely friendly staff – except for the Chateau Marmont. The Chateau is a notorious celebrity hangout and was home to Lindsay Lohan for a few years, but the staff there seems to go out of their way to make non-famous guests feel unwelcome. That’s probably why celebs like the place so much. 🙂

The Mondrian, on the other hand, is a great place to star gaze. Last year, while driving on Sunset Boulevard the day before the Oscars, we noticed a huge crowd of paparazzi standing outside the Philippe Starck designed hotel. It turns out Posh Spice was having lunch inside! We went in and, sure enough, there was Victoria Beckham, much taller than I expected and a whole lot better looking. She didn’t have that robotic look in person that she usually has in all her paparazzi photos. She seemed really friendly and was giggling with a friend and hotel security over the pandemonium she had caused outside. We also saw Spike Lee, who is a frequent guest of the Mondrian’s Asia de Cuba restaurant. The Mondrian staff could not have been nicer – the gift shop attendant told us a really long story about Britney Spears, who had just recently shaved her head and had shown up at the hotel in her infamous pink wig, sans credit card, cash or an ID, demanding a room and a free bathing suit! Ah, Britney!

The final stop on your Oscar tour must be the Beverly Hills Hotel, as every Saturday night before the Oscars, the famous “Night Before” party is held by the hotel’s pool. Without a room, the hotel staff will not allow you to hang out in the lobby when the stars start arriving for the big shindig, but don’t worry – most of them venture into the hotel’s Polo Lounge for a drink beforehand. So just park yourself on a bar-stool and you’re virtually guaranteed a star sighting! Last year, dining among us were Paris Hilton, Reese Witherspoon, Russell Simmons, Elle Macpherson and billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, owner of the MGM Grand Hotel.

A Few Oscar Weekend Stalking Tips:

1. Book your hotels early! Anyone who is anyone will be in town for Oscar Weekend, so hotels book up quickly. I would suggest staying at the Beverly Hills Hotel or the Mondrian. The staff at both are extremely friendly, the restaurants and bars are exceptional, and both hotels are beautiful. If you can’t stay at these hotels, or don’t want to spend the money, be sure to at least visit both on your stalking adventures!

2. Drive around Hollywood and Beverly Hills as much as you can and keep your eyes peeled for paparazzi. If you notice a large group of people standing outside the entrance to a hotel or restaurant, stop and go in! There is most definitely a celeb inside! Paparazzi, on the whole, are not very nice people, but if you smile, they will usually tell you who they are waiting around for.

3. Get your hair or nails done at a ritzy Beverly Hills salon – but be prepared to drop some coins! Everyone gets gussied up for Oscar Weekend, so if you are lucky, you just might be getting your French Manicure next to Jennifer Aniston.

4. Whatever you do, don’t forget your camera!! This is one occasion where you will NOT want to miss out on taking pictures! You just never know who you are going to run into! 🙂

5. Don’t be afraid to ask hotel staff and security about celebs. Most are extremely friendly and love to share their stories.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: While hotel-hopping, be sure to hit up Chateau Marmont (8221 Sunset Blvd.), Sunset Tower Hotel (8358 Sunset Blvd.), The Mondrian Hotel (8440 Sunset Blvd.) and The Beverly Hills Hotel (9641 Sunset Blvd.) – the site of the annual “Night Before” party. This year the “Night Before The Night Before” party is scheduled to take place on Friday, February 22nd, at Wolfgang Puck’s eatery Cut, located inside the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel – the very same hotel where Richard Gere wooed Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. The Regent Beverly Wilshire is located at 9500 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills.

February 20, 2008
On the Red Carpet – Oscar Weekend Stalking, Part I

If you have only one weekend a year to go star stalking in LA, then Oscar Weekend is it! Los Angeles comes alive during the few days before Hollywood’s Golden Boy is given out, and you are virtually guaranteed a star sighting – that is, if you know where to look. So, it’s a good thing you’ve found me. 🙂

Last February, on the Saturday before the Oscars, I dragged my boyfriend to the famed Kodak Theatre at the Hollywood and Highland Center, which is home to the awards ceremony to end all awards ceremonies. The nondescript Hollywood and Highland Mall turns into a virtual sea of red and gold the day before the Oscars – and anyone is allowed to walk right up and witness it all first hand! Although, unfortunately, most of the red carpet is roped off to the general public, there is a small area where the celeb obsessed are allowed to walk right on it. Even though it was covered in plastic at the time, I got goose bumps while standing on it all the same! It was pretty unbelievable to be standing there on the most famous carpet in the world!

Being the stalker that I am, I even found a part of the carpet where a piece of the plastic had been peeled back, so I just had to step on it. 🙂

After my stroll down the red carpet, we made our way to the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, where media crews were filming Oscar press junkets. While walking around the conference room area of the hotel – hoping for a star sighting – we ran into Jay Manuel from America’s Next Top Model ! Jay was extremely nice, shook my hand, and even posed for a picture.

Stay tuned for Oscar Weekend Stalking – Part II tomorrow! 🙂

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: For Oscar weekend stalking, your first stop should definitely be the Hollywood and Highland Center in downtown Hollywood. The red carpet starts right at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue. From Highland, you can make your way down Hollywood Boulevard to the entrance of the Kodak Theatre for more great behind-the-scenes Oscar viewing. After your red carpet adventure, visit the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel (7000 Hollywood Blvd.) and the Hollywood Renaissance Hotel (1755 N. Highland Ave. – also accessible via the third floor of the Hollywood and Highland Center), which both hold star studded press junkets and media events the day before the Oscars.

February 19, 2008
Sydney Bristow’s Apartment

Although I am not a big Alias fan – never seen an episode, actually – I know most of America was pretty obsessed with it. And I do love me some Jennifer Garner. So when I found the address of Sydney’s Bristow’s apartment in my fave stalking book, I, of course, had to stalk it.

Sydney Bristow lived in a very cute Spanish style apartment building called the El Cadiz in Hollywood. It was built in 1936 and definitely evokes a feeling of Old Hollywood. The El Cadiz is also a City of Los Angeles declared Historic-Cultural Monument.

Now that I have stalked Alias, I think I am going to have to go rent me the first season on DVD, so I can see what all the fuss is about. 🙂

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: Sydney Bristow lived in the El Cadiz apartments located at 1731 N. Sycamore Avenue in Hollywood, just a half a block north of Hollywood Boulevard and a few short blocks from the Hollywood and Highland Center. In 1970, Janis Joplin died of a drug overdose just a half a block from the El Cadiz at the Highland Gardens Hotel, which can be found at 7047 Franklin Avenue.

February 18, 2008
Don’t Quit Your Day Job, Spencer!

Those who have seen Heidi’s new music video “Higher” will totally understand when I say it’s a good thing Spencer comes from money as I really don’t see a bright future for him in the music video industry. For those of you who have yet to see Heidi’s video, you really must do so now, as there are NO words to describe it!!!!

LOL LOL LOL!

A few months ago in US Magazine I read that Spencer’s dad is a prominent Santa Monica dentist, so this weekend I did a google search for a Dr. Pratt in Santa Monica. I found the address of his office right away and promptly drove there to take a picture. 🙂 His office is located in a very nice building in a nice part of town – so I am not too worried about Spencer not having a future in music video directing. I am fairly certain his daddy will continue to take care of him until he finds his true life calling. For the time being, Spencer should rest assured that he is fulfilling his goal of “making people react and ultimately not think about that we are in a war in Iraq” – while watching “Higher” I swear I didn’t think about the war in Iraq once!

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: If you want to get your teeth examined by Dr. Pratt, you can find him at the Tenth Street Medical Building in Santa Monica, located at 1450 10th Street, right at the corner of 10th and Broadway. Maybe he can also give you ginormous white teeth just like Spencer! 🙂

February 17, 2008
No soy una cazadora!

Oh my gosh – I’ve been translated!!!!! Apparently Google can translate webpages into any language and someone had me translated into Spanish!!! How cool is that? Evidentally the word “stalker” in Spanish is “cazadora” which directly translates to “hunter.” LOL

Hasta la próxima vez, ¡Feliz Acecho! 🙂

February 17, 2008
Where Music and Passion Are Always the Fashion

I can now die a happy woman because on Valentine’s Day I got to hear “Copacabana” sung live and in person by none other than Barry Manilow himself!! My boss had Valentine’s Day tickets to Barry’s “An Evening of Music and Passion” at the Staples Center in Downtown LA, but his wife ended up getting sick so he gave the tickets to me. I was absolutely floored as my dad is a huge Barry fan and I grew up listening to the man who “writes the songs that make the whole world sing.” What I didn’t realize was that my boss had luxury BOX seats for the show and my boyfriend and I were treated like VIP’s all night! It was the perfect way to spend Valentine’s Day!

I have lived in Los Angeles for almost 8 years now, but this was actually my very first trip to the Staples Center. And what a way to get introduced to it!! Having box seats, we didn’t have to wait in the massive lines at the main entrance; instead we were whisked through a separate VIP entrance. We had separate elevators, separate bathrooms, and even a VIP bar complete with an actual carving station serving up every kind of meat you could ever want. In the middle of the show, they even brought around an enormous Valentine dessert tray to all of the boxes.

To top it off, our seats were incredible!!!! The box was huge and luxurious, with leather seats and a huge plasma TV and we were practically sitting right on top of the stage. Barry was, as always, the perfect showman and the concert was spectacular! He sung all of his greatest hits, including “I Write the Songs”, “Mandy” -which was made complete with a sparkling white grand piano that was raised up onto the stage – and, my personal favorite, a 10 minute encore of “Copacabana.” It was one of those occasions that made me wish I knew how to whistle! I cannot think of a better way to have spent Valentine’s Day.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It:You can see Barry Manilow live and in person at the Las Vegas Hilton where he is headlining with his show “Manilow: Music and Passion.” Tickets can be purchased here. The Las Vegas Hilton is located at 3000 Paradise Road, just off The Strip. Staples Center is located at 1111 S. Figueroa Street in Downtown LA. If you have the means, I definitely recommend getting box seats – it’s the only way to concert! 🙂

February 16, 2008
Where the Stars Shop!

While Rodeo Drive is the most widely known shopping mecca for the rich and famous, there is another lesser known shopping street in West Hollywood that the celebs swarm to in droves for their version of retail therapy. That street is called Robertson Boulevard and it is home to a little store named Kitson. Kitson is a celeb favorite – the boutique for all things trendy – and has remained so for the past few years. On any given day, you might spot Lindsay Lohan, Paris and Nikki Hilton, Nicole Richie, Eva Longoria, Jessica Simpson, Drew Barrymore, or Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. It is the Les Deux of shopping.

Kitson always carries the latest and greatest, but – be prepared – it can be pricey. Kitson was the very first shop to come out with the “Team” t-shirts that have become ever so popular. Starting with “Team Aniston” (YAY!) vs. “Team Jolie”, Kitson then branched out into “Team Paris” vs. “Team Nicole” and “Team Lauren” vs. “Team Heidi.” They sell everything from Kabbalah bracelets to Hudson Jeans to Victoria Beckham’s new book– which is (surprisingly) fantastic, by the way! Lauren Conrad’s line of clothing and purses can also be purchased at Kitson.

Kitson is not the only celeb magnet on Robertson. You might remember the Lisa Klein store from an early episode of Newlyweds –it’s the shop where the salespeople had to drop down a special black-out curtain to stop the paparazzi from watching Jessica Simpson shop. Lindsay Lohan got into one of her many car accidents on Robertson Blvd. and she ended up running into Hideaway House Antiques to hide from the paparazzi. The most popular celeb restaurant of them all – The Ivy – can also be found on Robertson. The Ivy is the place to “do lunch” and be seen in Hollywood. Tom and Katie went there on one of their first dates, John Travolta dined there in the movie Get Shorty and Lindsay Lohan is a regular.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: Robertson Boulevard is located north of the 10 Freeway in West Hollywood. Kitson can be found at 115 S. Robertson – but if you can’t make it out to West Hollywood, you can shop Kitson from the comfort of your own home at www.shopkitson.com. The Ivy is located at 113 N. Robertson – keep your eyes peeled for the paparazzi who usually wait for the celebs with cameras poised directly across the street. While shopping on Robertson, be sure to hit up the MAC Cosmetics Pro Store, located at 133 N. Robertson – it’s by far my favorite MAC store in all of LA.

February 13, 2008