Save Trestles: Stop the Toll Road

My husband, Jim, grew up surfing Trestles, a world-famous surfing spot near our house, and wants our boys to have the same experience.

But that may not happen. The proposed 241 toll road extension, which would cut through San Onofre State Park, threatens to ruin the surf break at Trestles, as well as coastal open space and water quality in that area.

On Wednesday, Feb. 6, the California Coastal Commission (CCC) will hear an application for the proposed toll road -- and hundreds of activists and opponents of the toll road will rally together at this meeting to send the message that Trestles should be saved!

The public is invited to take a stand, join the rally, and help save our park.

When: 9 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 6
Where: Del Mar Fairgrounds at Wyland Hall, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar.
Info: savetrestles.org

Listen Up: My Compatriots

Songwriter and music aficionado/little bro to many of us, Jon Caro (Bloodshed, The Mood Swingers, The Belle Contract), has launched his new creative venture, My Compatriots.

Band mates include: singer-turned-record producer Scott Silletta (of PlankEye fame) on drums; Ryan McIntosh on guitar; and Bryan Mayfield on bass.

Listen and love it!

(Listen for my "woah-ohs" at the end of "Medicinal Hold")

A fitness ephiphany

Getting in shape is a lot like getting out of credit card debt.

Not only does my body require a rigorous workout to work off the calories I consume each day (I'm addicted to snack food and sweets), I have to exercise extra long and hard to compensate for all the years I've been lazy.

When you don't exercise, the calories keep piling up like compound interest. Metabolism slows and bulges form. Now it takes months of sweat and extra effort to get where you want to be.

A zero balance. A toned size 4.

My Wish List: Chloe Platform Wedge Pumps

Feast your eyes on these scrumptious Chloé Platform Wedge Pumps! These 5-inch beauts are circa-'70s fashion at its finest, dontcha' think?

Cost: $870
Shop: saksfifthavenue.com

Special Alert: Hurley Employee Missing

Dane Williams, an employee of Costa Mesa-based Hurley International, has been missing since Saturday. Williams, 23, was in San Diego for the Action Sports Retailer trade show at the time of his disappearance, according to a brief on OCRegister.com. I don't know Williams, but he's in my prayers for a safe and swift return home. For more info, click here.

UPDATE (1/29): Dane Williams was found dead in San Diego, according to a brief on OCRegister.com. So tragic and heartbreaking... My heart goes out to his family.

Gaga for BlaBla!

I adore BlaBla! How could one not?

The colorful company, based in Atlanta, offers the cutest, most huggable selection of hand-knitted animals and dolls. Sizes range from a 12" mini-size to a 3-foot giant doll, the perfect kid-sized companion ($12-$120).

Also knitted backpacks, finger puppets, mobiles, toys, blankets, and more. All simply adorable!

Shop: blablakids.com

Here She Is... Miss America!

This year's Miss America Competition underwent a face lift, of sorts. No longer is the 87-year-old pageant a showcase of sequin-covered gowns, big hair, and cake makeup.

The Miss America Organization now aims to present its contestants as real, modern women. The ladies even became reality TV stars on their own makeover show, "Miss America: Reality Check."

One will rise as America's new "it" girl, they touted. So heads up to Britney, LiLo and Paris: Miss America is out to take back - and clean up - the limelight.

Last night's event, which was broadcast on TLC (The Learning Channel), offered its typical format of intro, swim wear, evening gown, talent, and question portion of the competition. But this year's pageant mixed things up a bit, with a live DJ to boot.

Instead of heading backstage to weep, the eliminated contestants joined What Not to Wear's stylist Clinton Kelly on red bleachers on the stage, where he offered the bounced beauties a plate full of "Carbohydrates! Lots of carbohydrates!" -- bonbons, cakes, and the like.

Quippy Kelly is super-sweet eye candy (gay, straight, whatever) so thumbs-up to whoever invited him. But the "carbs" joke? A little tired. And the DJ? Can we say "The Ellen Show"?

Another twist: America got to be a judge. Unbeknown to me, we had the opportunity to vote for a 16th contestant in the typically 15-contestant semi-final.

The nation and I were on the same page: we chose Army medic-turned-beauty queen Jill Stevens, Miss Utah, a tall, girl-next-door type with a short blond bob and a warm smile. Unfortunately, she was ousted right after the swimsuit competition, and the ladies honored her with an awesome push-up salute. (Worth note: She was the only contestant to wear a one-piece -- her military background, perhaps?)

The talent competition was lackluster at best, with only two performances that stood out to me as anything resembling a talent. Notables were Miss California, Melissa Chatty, who wowed with her operatic performance of "The Jewel Song" from Faust (and did you see that gorgeous dress?!), as well as Miss Virginia, Hannah Kiefer, who performed a piece from The Nutcracker Suite on pointe.

I thought for sure Miss Michigan Kirsten Haglund's shaky performance of "Over the Rainbow" would earn her a seat on the bleachers. Not to mention her choice for evening gown - a sparkley, sheer number that reminded me of an ice skating costume.

Clearly, I'm not a pageant judge. Haglund, who confessed to America that she can't ride a bike, went on to win the crown, our new Miss America 2008.

My BlackBerry is like a hug

I'm chronically disorganized, even though I try so hard to get it together - I really do. When I stepped out as a freelance writer, I felt the move merited the purchase of a BlackBerry to keep me on task. My husband splurged to buy me the latest model, a BlackBerry Curve. Nice, huh?

There's only one problem -- I'm too impatient to read the owner's manual. For months I've been using the device for calls, text messaging, and as an alarm.

A few days ago, I finally installed e-mail on my phone. (Actually my husband did the installing). Now my e-mail automatically filters into my phone, which gives a little "ding" every time I get a new message. It's brilliant! I also recently started to use my BlackBerry to keep track of daily to-dos, appointments in my calendar, etc.

So yes, I'm a little behind the curve (pun intended) but am finally getting with the program. And hopefully soon I'll be able to delete "Get Organized Already!" from my to-do list for good.

Take Cindy Crawford home

In my teens, supermodel Cindy Crawford often came into my living room to help me tone and tighten my buttocks and thighs - via the Cindy Crawford Workout Video, of course.

Now the model-cum-furniture designer is inspiring the masses to sit on our butts, vis-à-vis her signature furniture collection at Wicke's Furniture Stores.

The Cindy Crawford Home line [offered exclusively in California, Illinois, Indiana, and Oregon] features eight collections of living room, bedroom, and dining room furniture in looks ranging from new vintage (paisley) to chic contemporary (Italian leather) to relaxed (denim and khaki).

While other popular models' home decor efforts haven't turned my head (like Kathy Ireland's lamp collection), Crawford's furniture shows promise. On a TV commercial touting her collection, I saw a red couch I want to check out for sure. I've been wanting to spruce up my living room with some color!

Listen up, OC residents. You can meet Ms. Crawford as she signs autographs tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 26 at the Wickes Store in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

I hope to head over there. Maybe I can get her to sign my workout video, if I find it in my stash of VHS tapes.

Shop/info: wickesfurniture.com

Shown in photo: Cindy Crawford Hudson Collection, $2,399.99

White Lightning

Silver's streak as the most popular car color has ended. The color white (plain and pearl) now takes the No. 1 slot, according to a report on ForbesAutos.com. Silver is second. Black is third.

White has always been a No. 1 pick with my parents, who used to opt for the stark hue for their honkin' huge SUVs.

Not me. I think white cars look like service vehicles - construction trucks, or those medical couriers that transplant human organs from hospital to hospital. I prefer a shimmery blue (like my Jetta wagon), champagne, or candy apple red. Va-va-voom!

For the full story, read here: http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/412/white-hot

My new blog

When I told my family I was starting this blog, my 5-year-old chimed, "Mom, you're starting to be a log?"

"Uh...I hope my writing will be slightly more interesting than that," I replied with a laugh.

I'm a freelance journalist and work from home, which means I don't have to battle a daily commute. But I love driving, even on the busy freeway. It's my time to let my creative thoughts wander (while staying alert to the road, of course). I sing impromptu lyrics that seem to well up from the center of my torso and exit through my vocal chords - songs I often forget by the time I get to my destination.

While out and about, I take in everything I see. Billboards touting upcoming events. Funny quotes on bumper stickers. The latest model car in the parking space next to me. And oh, there's a new boutique over there - wow, when did that open?

I often take different routes to and fro so I can explore an uncharted neighborhood or shopping center.

When watching TV, I learn things by paying attention to commercials. The fact that the new BMW has this cool windshield wiper that signals to the brakes to start drying - pretty cool! And of course, there's a plethora of information in print and online: the latest fashion trends, funky gadgets, food, and more.

I do my best to translate these interesting topics into articles and ultimately, a paycheck. The smaller tidbits that don't merit a story are filed away in my memory under "Interesting Things I Discovered Today" and are eventually forgotten. But I don't think they should be. They were interesting enough to pique my interest and I think they're worth sharing. That's why I started this blog.

I hope you enjoy!