It was supposed to be Julian, Fab and Alex Turner (of the Arctic Monkeys) staying at my place from December 17th through the 27th and then Colorado till the 3rd and then back in CA till the 10th. But then The Strokes decided now would be the perfect time to start studio recording/travelling to find the perfect studio A.K.A. I spent the 21st-24th with just Alex. It was actually a lot of fun! He's a really sweet guy. The first day we spent literally drinking tea, reading magazines, and wrapping presents. The next day we joined Illy (the girls didn't join the boys on their music bonding bro trip) to the doctor and then got In n Out because ALEX HAD NEVER GONE BEFORE. It was delicious. Then we went out to dinner with the rest of the Arctic Monkeys to Cafe Gratitude (a vegan restaurant in LA) and then slept over at Matt Helder's place after watching a movie and Friends on netflix. Next day was more wrapping, more tea, more magazines, video games, TV, and then Justyna and I went to a Lakers game and watched them get their asses handed to them by the Oklahoma thunder. After hitting up the bars I went home, bothered Alex for a while, and then crashed.
Julian and the gang came back Christmas Eve! We had all 15 of us (five strokes, four strokes girlfriends, four arctic monkeys, two kids) in my California house. We had a nice dinner, plenty of wine, lots of laughs. I love the other members of the Arctic Monkeys, they remind me of a combination of Fab and Nikolai, hilarious and quiet.
Christmas was a MASSIVE success. I (in order) got a giant crystal vase with dozens of flowers from Albert and Justyna, massive bouquet of edible arrangements from Matt Helders, a security system that goes to my iPhone from Nick Valensi, a crystal skull filled with vodka from Amanda, a set of gorgeous gold foil mugs from Fab, a pottery class for Illy and I to do together in Colorado from Illy, a very pretty necklace from Nikolai, a set of fancy teas from Jamie (suggestion a la Alex), bath and body works massive gift basket from Nick O'Malley, and, literally the coolest fucking thing from someone I've literally known a week:well, let me explain first. Alex and I were talking about British shows and I was telling him that I was excited to watch the 2015 Big Fat Quiz of the Year because of David Mitchell, Richard Ayoade, etc. and he said that he'd never seen the show, so, we watched 2013, 2014 and then 2011 to watch me make a hugh fool of myself and I was telling him how I'd love to be on the show again but I'd only really do it with Noel, Richard, Matt Berry or someone else I had worked with. So, Alex got me two things: one of which being the coolest fucking thing ever: a spot on the Big Fat Quiz of Everything, AKA filming right after we get back from Colorado AND Noel and Richard are on the show as well as Jonathan Ross and Chelsea Peretti!! Alex is joining me, of course, and we ARE GOING TO WIN! I am so fucking excited, I have so much to do, I need to get a plane ticket, a rockin' outfit for the taping, beg Noel to let Alex and I stay with him, etc., etc. The other gift is also amazing, it's the right to a small tattoo of my choosing on any part of Alex and I AM EXCITED. Lastly I got the best gift ever from the best person ever, Jules. I got a HOUSE. It's the current house that I'm renting and it's been a pain in the ass but I could never get it and the owner kept saying that I couldn't buy it but somehow Julian negotiated and I am now a homeowner! I just have to sign some paperwork and then I own Christina's Palace of Crazy!
In terms of giving gifts I gave Fab these awesome fur shoes, customized wood coasters with AM on one side and O'Malley on the other for Nick O'Malley, a Harry and David massive gift of everything food related for Jamie, a bottle of wine with Amanda's name on it, a trip for two to Napa Valley for Nick Valensi to take Amanda, a water color class in Colorado to take with Illy (what a coincidence that we got similar things for one another!), a paint printed group photo of all of us for Matt, a base strap customized with pictures of Nikolai and Illy's kids for Nikolai, a go pro for Albert, a boho dress for Justyna, a horse back riding trip for Alex and me and a mixtape of his 10 favorite songs sung a la me because of something that happened over the week, and a 10 day European vacation for Julian and I in March!! We are going to Munich, Vienna, Venice, Verona, Lucerne, and then we end back in Germany (Frankfurt). What an amazing haul, loving every minute of this combined Christmas!
Cloudy and gloomy in LA this week
Alex pointed out a cross in the wood of Cafe Gratitude and I took a picture because our waiter asked us what we believed in as the "question of the day"
calabasas!
the goofs
lakers game from our box!
goofs take 2
Christmas was a MASSIVE success. I (in order) got a giant crystal vase with dozens of flowers from Albert and Justyna, massive bouquet of edible arrangements from Matt Helders, a security system that goes to my iPhone from Nick Valensi, a crystal skull filled with vodka from Amanda, a set of gorgeous gold foil mugs from Fab, a pottery class for Illy and I to do together in Colorado from Illy, a very pretty necklace from Nikolai, a set of fancy teas from Jamie (suggestion a la Alex), bath and body works massive gift basket from Nick O'Malley, and, literally the coolest fucking thing from someone I've literally known a week:well, let me explain first. Alex and I were talking about British shows and I was telling him that I was excited to watch the 2015 Big Fat Quiz of the Year because of David Mitchell, Richard Ayoade, etc. and he said that he'd never seen the show, so, we watched 2013, 2014 and then 2011 to watch me make a hugh fool of myself and I was telling him how I'd love to be on the show again but I'd only really do it with Noel, Richard, Matt Berry or someone else I had worked with. So, Alex got me two things: one of which being the coolest fucking thing ever: a spot on the Big Fat Quiz of Everything, AKA filming right after we get back from Colorado AND Noel and Richard are on the show as well as Jonathan Ross and Chelsea Peretti!! Alex is joining me, of course, and we ARE GOING TO WIN! I am so fucking excited, I have so much to do, I need to get a plane ticket, a rockin' outfit for the taping, beg Noel to let Alex and I stay with him, etc., etc. The other gift is also amazing, it's the right to a small tattoo of my choosing on any part of Alex and I AM EXCITED. Lastly I got the best gift ever from the best person ever, Jules. I got a HOUSE. It's the current house that I'm renting and it's been a pain in the ass but I could never get it and the owner kept saying that I couldn't buy it but somehow Julian negotiated and I am now a homeowner! I just have to sign some paperwork and then I own Christina's Palace of Crazy!
In terms of giving gifts I gave Fab these awesome fur shoes, customized wood coasters with AM on one side and O'Malley on the other for Nick O'Malley, a Harry and David massive gift of everything food related for Jamie, a bottle of wine with Amanda's name on it, a trip for two to Napa Valley for Nick Valensi to take Amanda, a water color class in Colorado to take with Illy (what a coincidence that we got similar things for one another!), a paint printed group photo of all of us for Matt, a base strap customized with pictures of Nikolai and Illy's kids for Nikolai, a go pro for Albert, a boho dress for Justyna, a horse back riding trip for Alex and me and a mixtape of his 10 favorite songs sung a la me because of something that happened over the week, and a 10 day European vacation for Julian and I in March!! We are going to Munich, Vienna, Venice, Verona, Lucerne, and then we end back in Germany (Frankfurt). What an amazing haul, loving every minute of this combined Christmas!
Cloudy and gloomy in LA this week
Alex pointed out a cross in the wood of Cafe Gratitude and I took a picture because our waiter asked us what we believed in as the "question of the day"
calabasas!
the goofs
lakers game from our box!
goofs take 2