A High-Low Weekend

A recent article in Elle magazine, "The High Low Show," (by Stephen Milliot; available online here) observes how society lived through middlebrow, branded brow, something called "no-brow" and (for now) has settled into a seamless blend of couture and mass production. Milliot writes of the Américaine actuelle: "You watch John Adams and American Idol. You eat lunch at Chipotle and dinner at the French Laundry. You lap up the tabloids’ coverage of Britney’s breakdown but are now rooting for her psychoanalytic recovery." I'm thrilled with the article. For me, somewhere between being foreign and American, living in a trailer park and Hancock Park, earning a free Subway sandwich and a juris doctorate, I've become a frequent attendee of The High Low Show (aside from dining at the French Laundry, I do all that Milliot mentions; and the moment Thomas Keller has an opening for me, I'll be in Yountville) and I love it. Like that pinch of salt in brownie batter, the high and low complement each other and create a whole greater than the sum of its parts. My life would be wholly incomplete without one or the other.

Fortunately for me, Mr. Blog is the same way and here is a summary of our perfect high-low weekend:

We spent two days at a relaxing spa in Palm Springs for a belated celebration of Mr. Blog's birthday (which is officially in September). We selfishly turned off our phones, sipped cocktails by the pool and just enjoyed each other's company. It was lovely.

On our way home, we stopped by Desert Hills to indulge our shopping needs (and by "our" I mean "mine"). As you know from my last post, I'm in dire need of appropriate work attire at a reasonable price, so (logically) I went to Diane von Furstenberg where I purchased this dress.

I know, I know... I've no need or closet space for it, but it was too beautiful to pass up. And... [wait for it, wait for it] I got it for $115... $115!!! Down from $575!!! YEAH!!! I'm still excited about that! And I love, love, love it! It's so luxurious! See details of the dress here (where you can still buy it for way more than what I paid for it!! Muahahahahaha).

To cap off our opulent, indulgent weekend, we had dinner at Joe's Crab Shack. We were given paper bibs and plastic tools, our napkins came on a roll and our dinner was served in a bucket. It was the epitome of chain kitsch (to an extent that you cannot find in Los Angeles; you actually have to leave the city for this kind of fare). I had so much fun slouching in my booth and getting my hands dirty and am regretting not taking pictures of proper Mr. Blog doing the same.

And thus ended our weekend; from designer to diner, I would not have it any other way.