California Life News Room

Billy Elliot is a boy with a dream–of dance.  It’s a dream that’s shared by pretty much everyone in the cast of Billy Elliot the Musical.

Billy Elliot the Musical is based on the 2000 British drama film written by Lee Hall and directed by Stephen Daldry. It’s set during the 1984-85 coal miners’ strike, and tells the story of a young boy named Billy who inspires an entire community by pursuing his passion against all odds.

The show features music by Elton John, book and lyrics by Lee Hall, choreography by Peter Darling and is directed by Stephen Daldry.

Billy Elliot the Musical was the winner of ten 2009 Tony Awards including Best Musical and has entertained audiences all over the world on tour.

The Billy Elliot the Musical tour recently stopped in San Diego, and California Life’s Audra Stafford got a chance to chat with one of the adorable”Ballet Girls,” 12-year-oldSamantha Cutler, who has been with the show for 2 1/2 years.

Watch this week’s episode of California Life to find out how she keeps up with her schoolwork on the road and what she enjoys most about being on tour!

This Mothers Day, let us not forget to celebrate all of those moms to be out there and one of the greatest gifts a mother to be can receive is some well fitting maternity clothing! Rosie Pope Maternity offers some of the trendiest and fashion forward maternity clothing around. Rosie took the often boring and unflattering style of maternity clothing and gave it a unique spin! Actress Molly Sims says, “It’s a great store! It’s young, it’s hip, it’s modern.” Molly really loves that the clothing is feminine and figure flattering.

Rosie’s maternity style is sophisticated and always fun and colorful. The style adapts to the pregnant form of a

woman, which makes it easy for those a little more self conscious with the big belly, to feel stylish and elegant. Aside from designing only the most fashionable in mom-to-be clothing, she is also sought after for parenting tips, advice, and trends. Rosie Pope Maternity has been worn by many celebrity mothers including Alyson Hannigan, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Garner, Molly Sims, and Jane Krakowski.

To browse the beautiful selection of maternity clothing from Rosie Pope, head over to www.rosiepope.com and check out California Life with Heather Dawson airing Statewide or watch online www.californialifehd.com!

Some of the greatest Mothers Day gifts are usually those that involve relaxing spa treatments, fresh manicures, and refreshing massages. Many women will come out of these feeling rejuvenated and refreshed however even with the softest skin and the most spectacular nails, if all that a woman can notice are the fine lines and wrinkles on their faces it is hard to feel 100% confident that they are looking their personal best.

If you’re toying with the idea of a surgical face-lift—whether soon or someday in the future—know that you don’t have to go under the knife. That’s because Evolastin, an aesthetic procedure, delivers similar dramatic face-lift-like results without the surgery.

No more scalpel. No more stiches. Evolastin uses tiny needle pricks to erase the years.

Evolastin is a procedure that utilizes radio frequency energy at a very specific level in the tissues of one’s face to produce a three dimension rejuvenation of not only collagen, but elastin fibers,as well as hyaluronic acid. So in essence with the Evolastin procedure, doctors are creating new volume, giving patients, plumper more youthful skin.

The science is verified. In a recent study published in the Archives of Dermatology, researchers confirmed they saw continual improvements in the skin’s textural, tone or elasticity, in addition to volumetric improvements, for up to 18 months post procedure. The study found that Evolastin delivered a third of the improvements of a traditional facelift.

Unlike the typical nip and tuck facelift, only a single hour-long treatment is required for great results. And

the down time is minimal. After a few days of bruising, redness and swelling, results show within eight weeks and continue to improve for up to six months.

Evolastin is performed under local anesthesia. It costs about 3,000 dollars.

So husbands, this Mothers Day consider Evolastin and give the gift of youthfulness to your lovely ladies and it all starts with no more crows feet, wrinkles, or fine lines on her beautiful face! To learn more about Evolastin, visit their website at: www.evolastin.com. For more on health and beauty, you can watch California Life airing statewide and streaming online at: www.californialifehd.com!

Nothing says “Happy Mother’s Day” like fresh flowers. But forget the boring bouquet!

California Life’s Audra Stafford went straight to the expert– Lesley Stowe–to get some fun floral ideas to show mom you care.

Lesley is the founder of Lesley Stowe Fine Foods. She has also written a cookbook, and her signature product–Raincoast Crisps–has been featured on Oprah’s O-List and in Martha Stewart’s Whole Living magazine.

One flower arrangement Lesley says you can easily do at home–the rose martini. Simply take a large martini glass, cut the rose stems fairly short, then fill the glass! Simple, right?

Are you hoping to arrange that perfect bouquet? Here are some tips from Lesley to create the perfect floral arrangement for your special lady!

Be creative! Many people get very intimidated when it comes to creating their own floral arrangements however that is what makes it special and unique from you! Lesley uses cups, bowls, and vases of all shapes and sizes to play host to her beautiful flowers. Lesley also says that when arranging a bouquet it is a good idea to stick to one central theme, color, and flower because the simplicity will make the arrangement that much more effective! Finally, Lesley also says that it is best to decorate in odd numbers to make for uniqueness and effectiveness.

To see more of Lesley Stowe’s great Mother’s Day ideas, be sure to watch California Life, airing statewide this week and online at www.californialifehd.com!

This week on California Life we take a moment to celebrate all of those wonderful mothers and mothers to be with some beautiful flower arrangements from Lesley Stowe, a new age facelift from Evolastin, gorgeous baby showers with Liza Utter and even some gorgeous Rosie Pope Maternity clothing Plus we show you a beautiful new jewelry line inspired by the stunning Grace Kelly and also we chat with Anide Media CEO Tonisha Johnson to hear just what makes for a successful entertainment journalism company it’s all happening this week on our Mothers Day special here on California Life with Heather Dawson airing Statewide or watch online californialifehd.com!

This is your final weekend to see the world premiere of Federal Jazz Project at the San Diego REP.

The show was created by Richard Montoya (co-founder and lead writer for the Culture Clash) and features an original jazz score by trumpet virtuoso Gilbert Castellanos.

Set in Downtown San Diego, South of Broadway, from 1929 to the present, Federal Jazz Project also features two talented “sisters”–San Diego and Tijuana.  San Diego (Lorraine Castellanos) is an incredibly talented singer and classical guitarist, and Tijuana (Claudia Gomez) is a hoofer (a really great one, I might add).

The music is incredible and each night, two new local musicians are brought in to show their stuff in the second act.

Federal Jazz Project is playing through this Sunday, May 5 at The Lyceum Stage at Horton Plaza.  For show times and ticket information, visit www.sdrep.org.

On April 15, 2013 tragedy struck the city of Boston, MA during the Annual Boston Marathon when two pressure bombs exploded devastating the city and the country. Millions of people have rallied to raise money and awareness for the victims of these terrible attacks. The team at ENERGYbits health and nutrition products were incredibly heartbroken in regards to the tragedy, as ENERGYbits calls Boston their home. In response to the events that took place that day, the ENERGYbits team has launched a fundraising initiative called ‘Go The Distance’. The plan behind the ‘Go The Distance’ initiative is that whenever a purchase is made with the promotion code BOSTONSTRONG, ENERGYbits will donate $26.20 which is the distance of a marathon. All of the funds raised will be donated to The One Fund, to help those affected by the tragic events that happened that day in Boston. The BOSTONSTRONG code will also give customers a 10% discount when a purchase is made!

If you are interested in making a donation to an amazing cause head over to energybits.com/bostonstrong for more information. Help spread the word about the ‘Go The Distance’ fundraiser by tweeting the link to the ENERGYbits press release! Help make a difference in the lives of those that were affected that day in April and head over to ENERGYbits.com to be BOSTONSTRONG! Follow in the footsteps of the Roush Fenway Racing team, as they have also made contributions to the ‘Go The Distance’ initiative!

La Jolla is known as “the jewel of San Diego” because of its beautiful beaches, world-renowned institutions, fine art and restaurants.  So California Life paid a visit to the seaside town to show you all that glitters.

Among the highlights… the Tony Award-winning La Jolla Playhouse, which has launched numerous shows, like Jersey Boys, that have gone on to entertain audiences on Broadway and around the world.

The Torrey Pines State Reserve is one of the wildest stretches of land on the Southern California coast and features 8 miles of hiking trails and the nation’s rarest pine tree, the Torrey Pine.

UC San Diego, which is located in La Jolla, is the 34th Best University in the World according to Times Higher Education’s World Reputation Rankings.

And when it comes to golf courses, the Torrey Pines Golf Course is top-notch (which is why it’s home each year to the Farmers Insurance Invitational, and why it was chosen for the 2008 U.S. Open).

Located right along the 18th hole of the South Course is The Lodge at Torrey Pines.  It’s a golfer’s paradise, not only because of the location, but because of the special golf packages with guaranteed tee times (because getting a tee time at Torrey can be tough, especially for those from out of town!)  

 

But that’s not the only benefit of staying at The Lodge.

The hotel’s dedicated staff, full-service spa, complimentary Audi car service, heated saline pool with underwater speakers, croquet lawn and other amenities have earned The Lodge AAA’s prestigious 5-Diamond rating every year since it opened in 2002.

The Lodge also features two delicious dining options–The Grill and A.R. Valentien, which has been named one of the top farm-to-tablerestaurants for its signature dishes like “Chicken Under a Brick.”

To see what else La Jolla and The Lodge at Torrey Pines have to offer, be sure to watch California Life, airing statewide and online at www.californialifehd.com!

This week on California Life we’re visiting the jewel of San Diego with a beautiful 5-star getaway at The Lodge at Torrey Pines Then we head up the coast to check in with some eco-friendly wineries in Monterey, Livermore and El Dorado Valley’s and how to reverse the signs of aging with new ZO skin care created by Dr. Obagi Plus the sweet love story that made headlines across the country that ends with an amazing discovery for one California couple~ and a fashion show with models that lost a combined weight of over 3,000 lbs. It’s all coming up this week on California Life with Heather Dawson. If you miss any part of the show you can watch online at www.californialifehd.com

The city of Corona is full of history and beauty. The city of Corona was discovered in the 1800′s and was developed in to the perfect suburbia during the housing boom. Many of the homes in Corona are products of this housing boom however, there are homes that are still standing from years and years ago. This historical contrast of time periods that is still evident today, is part of what makes Corona such a beautiful city. Aside from being known for the beautiful landscape and housing, Corona is also home to many successful companies such as Monster Energy Drinks, and Fender Guitars.

A company that has served the transportation options for many celebrities is none other than West Coast Customs. West Coast Customs was the original home to the MTV show ‘Pimp my Ride’, a car remodeling television series hosted by rapper Xzibit. West Coast Customs had quickly gained some celebrity status, and now serves as the site for the TLC and Discovery Channel reality series ‘Street Customs’. The television series ‘Inside West Coast Customs’ later premiered on Discovery HD Theatre and gained quite an A-List celebrity cliental such as Will.i.am, Justin Beiber, Mark Wahlberg and Sylvester Stalone.

For teen singing sensation Justin Beiber, West Coast Customs created a unique Batman themed Cadillac CTS-V coupe, complete with suicide doors and painted in a matte black. Rapper Will.i.am started his remodeling journey with a 1958 VW Beetle and was completely remodeled beyond recognition! The car build started in 2009 and West Coast Customs completed the project in 2011. Will.i.am wanted something futuristic and modern and that is certainly what he got, complete with suicide doors and a Bentley ‘The Expendables’ themed F-100[/caption]style front grille. For the action movie ‘The Expendables’, West Coast Customs created an ‘Expendable’ themed truck for star Sylvester Stallone. The crew built a custom 1955 F-100 for the movie, and it later sold at a Barrett-Jackson auction for $132,000!

For more spotlight stories, head to Californialifehd.com!