While my husband is wonderful in many ways, he takes the most unflattering photographs.

So enter photographer Tamar Levine.  I met Tamar when she tutored me in Photoshop about a year ago.  She’s young, hip (but not too hip), and approachable.

I thought, if I was going to get my picture taken, I needed it be by someone who was going to make me feel comfortable.  And Tamar was just the person.  She was fun, supportive, easy to work with, and she even gave me some important tips on how to look my best in photos (“chin up, chin up”).  By the end of the shoot, I felt like such a natural.  I even wondered if I’d missed my calling as a supermodel.

Here are some of the photos she took of me at the photo shoot.  (I love saying photo shoot, by the way.)

While Tamar is best known for her fashion photography, she also loves shooting portrait and engagement photos.

Here are some of her fashion photographs…

And here are some of her gorgeous wedding and engagement photos…

She will be shooting my daughter’s next birthday, so be on the look out for that in March.

And if you live in Los Angeles and are looking for a creative, down-to-earth photographer, who takes beautiful photos, and might make you (delusionally) think you could be a supermodel, Tamar Levine is your woman.

The store is so lovely and the desserts so beautiful, I had to shoot some photos.

Vanilla Bake Shop was started by husband and wife team, Amy and Jeremy Berman.  Here’s an article from the New York Times about their story.

Amy has also appeared on the Martha Stewart Show to bake her famous Meyer Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes.

Some iPhone photos of the store…

The baby cupcakes I bought for our dinner… Yum.

If you’re visiting Los Angeles, I think Vanilla Bake Shop is definitely worth a visit for some of these tasty baby cupcakes.

So to get some insight into what’s hip and cool right now in the world of Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, I talked to two event planners — Terri Bergman on the east coast and Carol Rosen on the west coast — who plan a lot of them.

Terri of Terri Bergman Events, based in Washington DC, says she likes to think of Bar and Bat Mitzvahs in terms of two party areas within one room — one area for the adults and one for the kids.

The adult area is usually more traditional with a seated meal at tables, but for the kids party, she likes to keep it casual.  She create lounges, renting furniture to make the party feel more like a club than an event.

A Bat Mitzvah lounge for the kids designed by Terri

Another one of Terri's lounges

And another...

Basketball centerpieces at a Bar Mitzvah designed by Terri

Lighting and video screens at one of Terri's Bat Mitzvahs

She also likes finger friendly food for the kids: sliders, Chinese food in take-out containers, Japanese food in bento boxes, fries in cones, etc…

And to keep the kids (and the adults) entertained, she likes to have activities going on during the party.  Some of her favorites are:  a casino table, a cell phone bling station, a temporary tattoo or airbrush artist, Guitar Hero, flip books (which I wrote about here), or Dance Heads.  According to Terri, people love personalized activities and they love having pictures or videos of themselves to take home.

When I talked to Carol Rosen of Party Designs by Carol, based in Los Angeles, she said she also likes to do lounges for the kids and sit down dinners for the adults.  She’s a big fan of casual kids buffets, food stations, and candy tables.

A kids' lounge at one of Carol's Bar Mitzvahs

A dramatic table at a Bat Mitzvah designed by Carol

A candy table at one of Carol's Bat Mitzvahs

Lighting used to highlight a room at a Bar Mitzvah designed by Carol

A "red carpet" set up outside one of Carol's Bar Mitzvahs

For activities, she likes setting up a karaoke station or a Rock Band video game station.  She also likes airbrushing, temporary tattoos, and Dance Heads.   But another way Carol likes to get the party started is by hiring DJs that provide trained dancers or “party motivators.”  These dancers get to know the kids during the cocktail hour, then keep them dancing and having a good time throughout the night.

In terms of party favors, here’s where we get an east coast/west coast split.

They are a big thing on the east coast.  Some of Terri’s favorite ideas are personalized sweatshirts, tank tops, boxers, fleece scarves, or beach towels.

On the West coast, favors are not as common.  Carol like to have cards on the table that say a donation has been made in the guests’ honor or she likes edible takeaways like a bag of bagels and cream cheese for each guest.

Please know, the parties I’m writing about are the big ones — we’re talking $50k and up.   Most of us can’t afford them, and according to Terri and Carol, budgets, even in this stratosphere, are coming down.

So use these ideas and photos as inspiration, but don’t be afraid to talk to an event planner if you are having a much smaller Bar or Bat Mitzvah, because believe it or not, with their connections and know how, they can actually save you money.  That’s right… save you money.

And if you don’t believe me, call Terri (on the east coast) and Carol (on the west coast) and ask them yourself.  They’ll be happy to talk to you.

Turns out The Park’s has no restaurant.  They only do catering.  So in order to taste their deliciousness you need live in LA or at least be visiting, throw a party, invite all your carnivorous friends, and have Park’s cater it.

Courtesy of NJ Eats Blog

And why is The Park’s so great?  The secret is the BBQ sauce.  According to the blog NJ Eats, “The sauce makes this barbecue. Don’t get me wrong. The meats are great but significantly enhanced by the addition of this sweet, spicy, garlicky, smoky delight that you likely have never tasted before. It’s that transformational.”

The secret is in the sauce

So what is the sauce?  Passed down for generations, Johneric Concordia, owner of The The Park’s BBQ, says it’s rooted in flavors from the Philippine islands where his family is from.   Natural sugars from cane and pineapples are simmered with soy sauce, peppers, and spices.

Johneric Concordia from The Park's Finest BBQ

So let’s read what some people on Yelp had to say:

From Craig R in West LA, CA:

“Adjectives describing The Parks Finest:

Delectable
Delicious
Divine
Flavorful
Heavenly
Juicy
Mouthwatering
Savory
Scrumptious
Succulent
Tasty
Yummy”

From Larry O in San Dimas, CA:

“Pork Pork Pork Pork. Oh my god it is falling off the bone delicious. I LOVE PORK. Especially when it is cooked like this!!!”

And from Steve Shemuell F in West Hollywood, CA:

“Those who follow my reviews know I don’t give out 5 stars easily. But today I experienced not only some of the finest quality BBQ, but also the most amazing BBQ sauce that ever past my lips.”

So for all you meatlovers out there.  One more picture…

Courtesy of NJ Eats Blog

Yum.

Here’s how it works.  The Fry Girl sets up a mini donut machine at your event.  Your guests watch as they make their “healthy” donuts. (Each donut made with 100% canola oil, has 26 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 3.5 carbs.)  Then your guests get to top them with cinnamon sugar, vanilla, chocolate, raspberry, powdered sugar, Vermont maple sugar, or Oreo cookie crumbs.  Sounds like a big yum to me, don’t you think?

The Fry Girl is based in LA and already has a huge celebrity clientele that includes Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Denzel Washington, Adam Sandler, Ellen Degeneres, and Tori Spelling to name a few.   But don’t be surprised to see my name on that list soon.

Hugo is one of the main photographers for both Quinceaneras Magazine and My Quince Magazine, so he says 99% of the Quinceaneras he shoots end up in print.

His photographs are both gorgeous and one-of -a-kind.   He uses eye-catching backdrops and interesting props to show off his clients, and he designs his pictures so they look like professional modeling shots.

And to top it off, he’s a really nice guy who takes pride in his work and understands that to be a great Quinceanera photographer his job is to make his clients look and feel like princesses.

Here are some “modeling shots” from his Quinceaneras’ Signature Photo sessions…

And his breathtaking Quinceaneras in their gowns…

So if you live in Southern California, are having a Quinceanera in the near future, and have the goal of being famous someday, start by hiring Hugo.  He’ll give you your first taste of stardom.