“Summer movies under the stars”

By: Gracee Arthur

MALIBU COUNTRY MART PRESENTS FREE OUTDOOR FILMS AT THE FIRST ANNUAL SUMMER MOVIE SERIES

Malibu Country Mart welcomes summer with its first annual Summer Movie Series Families, shoppers, Malibu locals and movie fans are encouraged to enjoy FREE outdoor films under the stars at California’s premier luxury retail center.

One Sunday each month in June, July and August, the Mart will entertain audiences of all ages by screening family-friendly movies including:

• “The Endless Summer Revisited” - June 9
• “Madagascar” - July 14
• “The Goonies” - August 11

Movies will start at approximately 8:15 p.m., or about 15 minutes after sundown.

The Malibu Country Mart is a great place to spend a warm summer evening dining at Mr. Chow’s or on the patio at Tra Di Noi, browsing at Diesel Books or hanging in the courtyard with the kids. There are also some terrific shops like Room at the Beach, John Varvatos, Ralph Lauren, MAC make up and Coffee Bean for a pick me up. So “treat” yourself and the family to a free movie and enjoy your evening at the Malibu Country Mart. The complete list of shops and eateries may be found here.

For more information on events in the Malibu Country make sure to connect with them on Facebook & Twitter.

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Watch K-9 Heroes at Work

By: Gracee Arthur

Animals have always been very important in my life. My blog has featured Malibu Pet Companions and Spunky’s Rescue Ranch, as well as other great organizations who save pets from shelters and find them “forever” homes. I had a wonderful German Short Hair Pointer named Lady Alice who was my best friend and running partner in many Purina Charity runs. Lady was a great retriever and tireless ball chaser who would bring me the Sunday LA Times . My current pets Minnie and Harry cat are more into being served than doing service but their entertaining tactics are worth the “price of admission”. However some animals work for a living to serve and protect us grateful humans.

The dogs of the Los Angeles County Police Canine Association are my heroes. On Saturday, May 18th There will be a Police K-9 demonstration at the Santa Monica College Stadium, as well as an educational Public Safety Fair. These highly trained and skilled dogs are heroes who not only save lives, but sometimes sacrifice their own to protect their human handlers in dangerous situations. Just the sight of these crime fighters makes some criminals cower into submission!

We have recently seen the role of dogs in the Boston Marathon bombing but dogs have also been instrumental partners in situations from 911 to earthquakes rescues , as well as hurricanes, fires and locating missing people. These wonderful, intelligent animals require money for training and care which allows them to work alongside police enforcement agencies to help fight crime and save lives. The event on Sunday promises to be an exciting one and for only a $45 donation you and your family may purchase a ticked to the event. The Canine Association also appreciates larger donations and sponsors to help keep their programs vital.

Call 310-390-2472 For tickets and/or advertising sponsorships. www.lacpca.com Santa Monica College Stadium is located at 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica.

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“Night out in Malibu”

By: Gracee Arthur

I have lived in Malibu since 1983 when there were only a handful of good restaurants and little entertainment options, save a small movie theatre. These days we have many more options and one of them is our local theatre Malibu Stage Company. I began attending the theatre 3 seasons ago and have enjoyed musicals like “Cabaret” and dramas like the “Oldest Living Graduate”. There are hits and misses but it is always an adventure in entertainment. The small theatre with the great sound system (donated by patron and Malibu local Dick Van Dyke) , is an up close and personal experience for the audience. It also offers an opportunity to meet your friends and neighbors over a glass of wine ($5.00 donation) and refreshments. The current production is “Blood Knot” by playright Athol Fugard.

The story: “Two brothers, one black and one who passes for white live together saving for a farm that will allow them to move out of the ramshackle village in which they reside. Zachariah, the black one, works; Morris, the light skinned one saves. They are quite different, they even remember their mother differently. Life takes a dangeous turn when they begin a pen-pal relationship with a woman from Oudtshoorn. Now, for the first time, Zachariah realizes that his brother can “pass”. Two brothers, one black and one who passes for white live together saving for a farm that will allow them to move out of the ramshackle village in which they reside. Zachariah, the black one, works; Morris, the light skinned one saves. A. Martinez and Oscar Best are both up to the task of bringing these characters to life.”

The production is directed by Lou Gossett , who played the role of Zachariah in New York. Mr. Gossett held an interesting question and answer at the end of the play. The production continues through May 19th 2013. Friday and Saturday 8 PM, Sunday 5 PM.

Reservations are recommended: 310-589-1998 or www.malibustagecompany.org located at 29243 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu.

Kristy’s Wood Oven and Wine Bar at the Malibu Country Inn is my favorite place to eat before the theatre. Directly across the street from the venue, Kristy’s has great food , friendly professional staff and a charming ocean view setting which also features outdoor dining. The menu is eclectic and always evolving with a fabulous selection of seafood, salads and custom pizzas from the wood oven. There is a full bar and a great wine list. We had a fabulous Pinot Noir, all shared a large Mediterranean salad and ordered the special wild salmon with crispy skin. The food was fantastic and because we were so close to the theatre we could enjoy a leisurely meal. Kristy’s also has a great lunch menu and a Thursday night Burger special. This is one of my favorite Malibu restaurants.

Reservations are recommended 310-457-2602 or kristysmalibu.com

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“Celebrate Earth Day in Malibu”

By: Gracee Arthur

What better place to celebrate our beautiful planet Earth than in Malibu where the mountains meet the sea. The Malibu Country Mart event (now a tradition) features environmentally friendly solutions and products for home garden and business uses.

This year the Malibu Country Mart will celebrate Earth Day on Sunday April 21st from 11:30am-2:30pm! This will be a local Malibu event, in conjunction with the Malibu Chamber of Commerce, promoting eco practices and services in Malibu. The Country Mart will be highlighting its latest Green Initiative—working towards LEED certification!

We will host around 15 tables that will educate the public on sustainability practices. Some participants include:

• City of Malibu
• Chamber of Commerce
• Malibu Patch
• MCM table highlighting their practices
• Solar West International
• World Team Now
• Eco Biz Check
• Partner Energy

In addition, Malibu Chamber of Commerce and Malibu Country Mart will host two kids activities:

1. Eco Face Painting
2. Plant potting- Each kid can plant a succulent in a little take home pot

There will also be live music and light appetizers to entertain shoppers and guests!

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Wine “What difference does the glass make”?

By: Gracee Arthur

One of the perks of my job and writing this blog are receiving invitations to fun events. In March, Christine Anderson of Communication Arts and Design invited me to a wine tasting at Snyder Diamonds’ recently redesigned showroom. My friend Mary Lou loves wine and was looking for some new appliances for her home, so she was excited to join me at Snyder Diamond for a night of shopping and wine. The recently expanded showroom was all decked out for the “sold out” event sponsored by Riedel glass company and Miele appliances. The pairing of Riedel and Miele, each famous in their sphere, came about because Miele makes a dishwasher which safely washes fine wine glasses. This means no more staying up after a dinner party hand washing your crystal glasses!

Russ Diamond, President and owner of Snyder Diamond (which celebrates 65th year in 2013) was our host for the wine tasting event. Russ, who has been active in the family owned business for the past 35 years travels to Europe regularly in search of the best and latest innovations in appliances and plumbing fixtures. When I spoke with Russ he was preparing to leave for the ISH trade show in Frankfurt Germany. Russ was the mastermind behind the showroom expansion and remodeling of the tony Snyder Diamond showroom. The wine tasting was a great way to show off the beautiful new space.

The wine tasting was presented by Riedel VP Julie Barba. I would love to have Julie’s job traveling around the country educating wine lovers on how the size and shape of a glass will alter your wine tasting experience. The evening began with appetizers and champagne as lucky invitees roamed the showroom browsing the innovative appliances and beautiful fixtures. When the moment arrived we all found our places at one of the linen covered tables where ,along with glasses filled with wine, was a plastic cup and a Riedel glass box. Julie began by explaining to us how the shape and size of a glass would enhance our wine drinking pleasure. There were two glasses of white wine and two glasses of red and some chocolate. The wine was provided by Miners Family Winery Oakville Napa Valley. We tried each wine in the appropriate glass, the inappropriate glass and a plastic cup carefully comparing each sip! Julie convinced even the most cynical of us the answer to the question is “a magnificent difference!”

Robert Parker Jr’s ‘The Wine Advocate “all of this may sound absurdly high-brow or esoteric but the effect of these glasses on fine wine is profound. I cannot emphasize enough what a difference they make.”

Desert and coffee were served before we headed home with our boxes of Riedel glasses.

Snyder Diamond is located at 1399 Olympic Boulevard in Santa Monica.

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