More LA Househunting!

We had a REALLY productive day of house-hunting today. The end is near...I can feel it!

Now that I've seen a bunch of properties, I know what I like and what I don't like. And one thing that I've decided I just HAVE to have is high ceilings.

So this time around we only looked at places with high ceilings.

The first one was the best. Impeccably decorated since the owner works for the container store.



AND it had this amazing private roofdeck.




Their closets were SO organized, they had all their different shoes in little plastic boxes. INSANE WEHO GAYS.



The second apt was similar to the first, but needed a bit more work.



Same high ceilings with a little loft and terrace area. This one probably makes the most sense investment-wise as it has two bedrooms that I could easily rent out.




The last one was like a little bachelor pad. It's just a living room with a loft, but it's amazing and already has two offers on it. I love it though.






I just need to finish doing my taxes this week. And then I will find out how big of a home loan I can get pre-approved for, and then I think we'll be pulling the trigger. Eeeek! Exciting!

We celebrated with Tender Greens.

I had a Kale Salad.



And then I popped into the brand-new West Hollywood Library. My new favorite place in the world. It is so beautiful.



ESPECIALLY when you compare it the old library - which was, for lack of a better word, a sh*thole.



The new library has so much seating, all overlooking the Pacific Design Center.




If I win MegaMillions this week, I am going to buy all of the above. INCLUDING the library.

Off to LA

It's 5:30 am. Yay!



Sorry my updates have been awful lately.

I'm off to LA to shoot my friend Donk's wedding.

Bianca -> Bedonka -> Donk

And then it's off to Diana's bachelorette party in Palm Springs.

Should be a fun weekend!

I like an early morning flight because it gets me into LA before lunchtime and I still get a full day of stuff to do.

I'm going to try to finish my taxes this week and then I will be much less stressed and maybe I will get to post more updates.

Gotta board my flight now. Bye!

Hungry Games

I'm going to see the Hunger Games in a couple hours.

I'm going to take a nap first.

And maybe eat some foods.

Yum.

Here's a fun video:

NEWSIES

IT WAS
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
GOOD!!!!!!

Usually for standing ovations, people gradually rise half-heartedly to join the crowd so they don't look like assholes. At the end of Newsies, people LEAPT to their feet. I would have even given them a standing ovation after the very first dance number. SO GOOD.



So I bought these tickets weeks ago the second I found out Newsies was coming to Broadway. But to be honest, I had never seen the movie all the way through until yesterday. I just really really loved the song, "Seize The Day" and I had a hunch it was going to be pretty well done based on the performance I saw on The View.

Well...our seats were really really close. We could literally see the spit fly out of the singers' mouths.



Constance has been a Newsies superfan since childhood, so she was really excited.



Jeremy Jordan, who plays Jack Kelly (the role Christian Bale plays in the movie) is incredible. Both as a singer and dancer. He is going to be a household name someday soon.



The dancing is incredible. The singing is incredible. The almost-all-boy cast is so athletic and so talented and HOT.

This production blew me away Book of Mormon-style.



The set design is pretty simple, yet really cool in the way it transforms and rotates to fit whatever number is going on.



The show officially opens March 29... after which the official reviews come out... after which it might become REALLY hard to get tickets. The show was supposed to only run until June 10th, but Disney already extended the run until August after the show made like $7 million dollars in its first few days of presale and the show went on to break all kinds of records at the Nederlander theater in its first 6 days on Broadway... records that were previously held by final performances of Rent, a show that ran for 12 years.

So...you should buy your tickets now. Don't be afraid and don't delay!

You will NOT be disappointed.



Going to theater in NYC is THE BEST!

NEWSIES Tonight!!!!

Con and I are going to see Newsies Tonight!

It opened on Broadway last week to rave reviews.

We have SICK seats. So excited!

Happy Belated Birthday Eva!

Eva Longoria celebrated her birthday the other day with her BFFs Kate Beckinsale and Victoria Beckham.



These three are like my dream trio. They are like the funniest prettiest ladies in all the world. Throw in Sofia Vergara and my head would explode.

If I were to choose three celebrity A-Listers to make my friends, these would be them. So jealous that they get to be BFFs with each other. Can you imagine how much fun that dinner would be?

I've long been obsessed with Posh. People don't understand her appeal because they don't think she's funny. I say watch this video if you didn't in 2007 when I originally posted it:



And Kate Beckinsale? She's smart and hilarious and gorgeous as well.

My little buddy and headshot client Andrew got to interview her a few months ago and verified my hunch that she really is as lovely as she seems:



Am I ridiculous for wasting my time thinking about these things? Probably. But it makes me happy. And I just know our paths are destined to cross at some point. Just like I know I'm destined to eventually win the lottery. And until that day comes I'll look like a fool, but it will come...and I will just laugh and laugh and laugh. And you'll probably still be in your office or cube or couch, reading this stupid blog.

BREAKING NEWS / Invisible Children: The Musical

The universe is just too funny sometimes.

I'm excited to see how they try to spin this.

Oh and for a real WTF moment fast forward to the 2 minute mark on the video below.

Invisible Children: The Musical



I'm pretty sure his entire cause was just single-handedly (haha) destroyed.

In a single stroke.

Somewhere in the world, Joseph Kony is rolling around on a dirt floor laughing his face off. Maybe that laughter is enough to get him to stop killing small children. Maybe this was the goal all along...

Charity Auction hosted by Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos

I've now shot a couple events for celebrity auctioneer Paul Zekos.

Paul hosts SUPER high-end auctions. Fun auctions where the prizes to be won include autographed football helmets, tickets to the Grammys or Oscars, American Idol finale tickets, super-luxe getaways. Etc etc.

The auction yesterday took place at Pier Sixty @ Chelsea Piers and benefited the Stephen Gaynor school.



In addition to the usual neato items...





They were also auctioning off artwork by children from the school.




The apps were amazing. My favorite were the bite-sized chicken parmesans.

YUM.



750 people or so attended the event. Tickets for the event were like $500 each.





Paul is a really talented auctioneer and jumps around on tables and really gets people laughing and bidding. He must have raised almost half a million dollars last night.




And it didn't hurt that the event was hosted by Kelly & Mark!



There was also a musical perforamance by Laura Bell Bundy, the star of Legally Blonde on Broadway.




Paul and I both work in lines of work where the number and caliber of the celebrities we work with has a somewhat dramatic effect on our business. So he and I were both equally excited to have new pictures of Kelly and Mark to add to our portfolios.



Welcome to my website, A-Listers!






Oh, and I launched a new website:

www.denniskwanevents.com

It's a lot of the same stuff as my weddings site, but I want to be able to do more fancy events like this and people who are hosting events like this don't necessarily want to see all wedding pictures when looking through my portfolio.

I'd love to do more red carpets and premieres and fun things like that. Woo!

Olive Garden LOL

Source: Grand Forks Herald

THE EATBEAT: Long-awaited Olive Garden receives warm welcome

After a lengthy wait for Olive Garden to open in Grand Forks, the lines were long in February. The novelty is slowly wearing off, but the steady following attests the warm welcome.

My first visit to Olive Garden was during midafternoon, so I could be sure to get in. After a late breakfast, I figured a late lunch would be fashionable.

The place is impressive. It’s fashioned in Tuscan farmhouse style with a welcoming entryway. There is seating for those who are waiting.

My booth was near the kitchen, and I watched the waiters in white shirts, ties, black trousers and aprons adorned with gold-colored towels. They were busy at midday, punching in orders and carrying out bread and pasta.

It had been a few years since I ate at the older Olive Garden in Fargo, so I studied the two manageable menus offering appetizers, soups and salads, grilled sandwiches, pizza, classic dishes, chicken and seafood and filled pastas.

At length, I asked my server what she would recommend. She suggested chicken Alfredo, and I went with that. Instead of the raspberry lemonade she suggested, I drank water.

She first brought me the familiar Olive Garden salad bowl with crisp greens, peppers, onion rings and yes — several black olives. Along with it came a plate with two long, warm breadsticks.

The chicken Alfredo ($10.95) was warm and comforting on a cold day. The portion was generous. My server was ready with Parmesan cheese.

As I ate, I noticed the vases and planters with permanent flower displays on the ledges. There are several dining areas with arched doorways. And there is a fireplace that adds warmth to the decor.

Olive Garden has an attractive bar area to the right of the entryway. The restaurant has a full liquor license and a wine list offering a wide selection to complement Italian meals. Nonalcoholic beverages include coolers, specialty coffees and hot teas.

On a hot summer day, I will try the raspberry lemonade that was recommended.

There’s a homemade soup, salad and breadstick lunch available until 4 p.m. daily for $6.95.

An olive branch on menu items signified low-fat entrees. There is a Garden Fare Nutrition Guide available for customers seeking gluten-free food. And for those with food allergies, Olive Garden has an Allergen Information Guide.

All in all, it is the largest and most beautiful restaurant now operating in Grand Forks. It attracts visitors from out of town as well as people who live here.

Olive Garden is part of the Darden chain of restaurants that also operates Red Lobster. There are about 700 restaurants, including four Olive Gardens in North Dakota’s major cities.

Olive Garden has gained a following since 1982 with its ample portions and relaxed ambience. It’s known for its classic lasagna, fettuccine Alfredo and chicken Parmigiana.

Celebrity Auction!

I'm shooting this event tonight!



We LOVES Kelly and Mark!