I've been busy! After spending a few days in Hollywood, ending with a fun morning spent at Shepard Fairey's studio in Echo Park, I hopped to the beach for a change. It's been relaxing and heavenly. I've been holed up for a few days in Santa Monica at wonderful small hotel called the Oceana on Ocean Avenue a bit north of all the brouhaha. All I can say is this is my new favorite hotel. It's NOT big or trendy. Not loud like a club or designed with stupid furniture. Cushy. Comfy. I'm sleeping in a marshmallow of 500-thread-count in an 800-square-foot terraced suite that overlooks the Pacific waves crashing and the Ocean Avenue park. I also love the vibe of Venice. It feels so casual and hippie to me. I had dinner at local wonderful watering hole Djelina and ran into two people I knew as soon as I sat down! What a yummy dinner outside on their little patio next to a fire pit.

Yesterday I spent the entire afternoon at the Hollywood Bowl with my friends Pink Martini in tow with Rufus Wainwright, who had arrived from Portland that morning to play the bowl with PM for three nights. Pink Martini has inivited me to play the Triangle with them.

I know I know, we're in the midst of fashion week and fashion night out and Id have to miss A LOT of pretty awesome stuff that I'm sad about, but HOW COULD I SAY NO? And so I spent the entire day of Fashion's Night Out at the Hollywood Bowl at sound check, rehearsing for the night's premiere. I go to listen to the wonderful China Forbes sing. I also got to see the following: The brilliant Thomas Lauderdale playing piano and riffing, the adorable genius Rufus Wainwright singing an aria from his new opera, the 81-year-old-cutie legend Jane Powell singing and dancing, the handsome smart NPR White House correspondent Ari Shapiro crooning away, the glamorous and beautiful Alba Clemente doing her original song "Una Notte di Napoli" (in a cowboy look that was to die for) and my dear friend Paige Powell shaking the maracas. I, of course, was practicing my Triangle for my song Dos Vedanya which I must say I am really getting into in preparation of opening night. (Check out my snaps above from the rehearsal and concert).  And what an opening night it was -- complete with fireworks and tons of friends amid the 18,000 attendees. Wow. This morning, after one last night at the beach, and a bit hung over, I'm heading back to Djelina for breakfast and then back to Hollywood for yet another ridiculous and sold-out night at the Hollywood Bowl with Pink Martini. Tonght our friends the Scissor Sisters are also in town for a quick gig at the Hollywood Palladium, not far from where we will be, so were hoping to collide afterwards. More later!