Blogger Prom 2010: Living the glamorous life

"Someone notice me," I think as I cross the street to my car that is parked across from my apartment.

I glance around the tree-lined street searching for a neighbor walking their dog or arriving home after a long day at work. But there's no one there -- no one outside to notice me in my form-fitting black and gold crochet dress and low black heels. No one to see my deep rose-stained lips or curled hair that took me twenty-five minutes and two curling iron burns to perfect.

No one there to pause, rub their chin in consternation and think, "I wonder where she's going all dressed up like that?"

I'm on my way to Blogger Prom at Yamashiro Restaurant in Hollywood. The theme for the evening of air kisses, eating and Tweeting is "Hollywood Glamour," a theme that is far more appealing to me than the previous year's "80's theme." As fun as it was to wear an obscene amount of neon make-up and a bright pink frock, this is more my style. Especially in a city where "California casual" seems to be taken a little too seriously.

I'm anxious as I make the drive from West Hollywood. I want to get there now. I can't wait to see what the Blogger Prom committee -- Caroline on Crack, LA & OC Foodie, Shop Eat Sleep, E*Star LA, Lindsay from LAist, Happy Go Marni, Tara Met Blog, and the Liquid Muse -- have come up with this year. I can't wait to see the acquaintances like Nastassia from Let Me Eat Cake (pictured below) and Esi from Dishing Up Delights who have become more than just casual friends in the time since last year's prom. We will share hugs instead of handshakes tonight. Genuine laughs instead of polite giggles. "Remember when" stories instead of small talk about the traffic.

Everything about this night feels special. And I feel like I'm some how cheating at life to be a part of it. Normal people don't get all dolled up on a Wednesday night for a private prom complete with wine, cocktails, Cool Haus ice cream sandwiches, Crumbs cupcakes, ChocolateBox Cafe's chocolates, an expansive cheese display from the Cheese Impresario, and a taco bar manned by Chef Brock from Yamashiro.

Normal people go home and make pasta for dinner, and then watch primetime TV until their eyes begin to droop and the clock reminds them that they have to be up for work in 8 hours. I'm usually one of them. Usually the girl who easily falls into a week night routine of a Bar Method workout, a sensible dinner and a sensible bedtime.

Tonight, I get to be insensible. I get to wear a dress I would never wear in "real life." I get to meet and chat with the charming Chef Brock while I eat his made-to-order duck confit and cod tacos with pickled daikon and wasabi guacamole. I get to smear lush cheese over plump dried figs and sip red wine with no regard for my waistline. And I get to spend a night surrounded by the people who have turned LA into a "home" for me this year.


Staring out into the night sky overlooking Hollywood when I finally do arrive at Yamashiro forty minutes after leaving my apartment, I take a moment to admire the view.

"You're pretty awesome some times, LA." I think. Then I smooth my dress, coif my curls and walk up the stairs to go enjoy that awesome.