Speak Easy, Will Ya?

Let’s go to the bar.

But nowadays it’s not like you can just go to any bar. You need to go to the bar that’s the hot new thing. You know- super exclusive, trendy as hell. Some may even be a secret…

Oh yes, I’m talking about speakeasies.

Like the Gatsby era, there are some secret “speakeasy”-like bars that are still in our midst for us to rage in. LET’S GO. Wait, I just realized, it’s a secret. WELL, let’s just see if you guys can actually get in.

What? Get into a speakeasy? What, like it’s hard?

My friends and I went to one in Los Angeles, more specifically Culver City, called the Blind Barber. 

The name carries significant meaning. For starters, the entrance is a full on barber shop. And, this entrance isn’t just for show. It literally runs as a barber shop by day, & then the entrance to a secret bar by night. When you imagine what a barber shop looks like, that’s what this was. Think: black and white floors, the classic red, white, & blue barber pole, scissors, razors, two rows of barber chairs. The whole shebang.

Before even entering the barber shop, we had to state the entrance password to a man. The man acts really nonchalant & doesn’t look like a super obvious body guard standing next to an entrance door. He actually just looks like a guy that happens to be walking on the curb past these shops. Perhaps, he paces down a few shops back and forth all night? I’ll never know because I wasn’t there to hang out with guard.

Once we stated the entrance password to him, he escorted us through the barbershop, a bunch of right & left turns, & then VOILA! Next thing I know we were at the top of a staircase and could hear some bumpin’ music and a sh*t-ton of people. We all looked at each other with a twinkle in our eye and shared a couple fist pumps to the music – AKA HERE WE GO, IT’S RAGE TIME BETCHES.

Not only was it a full bar, but the Blind Barber happens to be known for their gourmet grilled cheeses. Drunk girls and carbs- Yeah, they go well together. 🙋

Now, this is just my account of one of the speakeasies I have been to. Of course, there are other speakeasies out there. It’s just a matter of whether or not you can find them and then know the password… Good luck! 😉

XOXO,

-Hailey

Shout Out to All the Lefties!

IT’S LEFT-HANDER’S DAY! August 13th that is…

Cheers to a happy, happy day to these pro sports lefties! You da real M.V.P.

Manu Ginobili 🏀

James Harden 🏀

Clayton Kershaw ⚾️

Phil Mickelson ⛳️

Rafael Nadal 🎾

Shaquille O’Neal 🏀

Chris Sale ⚾️

Tim Tebow 🏈

Michael Vick 🏈

Bubba Watson ⛳️

Stay weird my friends.

XOXO,

NBA Free Agency, You Dirty, Dirty Dog!

Photo: DeAndre Jordan Instagram

It goes without saying that the NBA free agency is a way to get luck or get f*cked and that definitely rang true this season.

Some franchises, like the San Antonio Spurs scoring David West and LaMarcus Aldridge, hit it big and some (aka Dallas Mavericks) didn’t hit it at all.

Photo: Mark Cuban Twitter

The notorious Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban, put all of his eggs in one basket over a verbal commitment from DeAndre Jordan for a four-year $80 million deal and got absolutely blind sided when DeAndre went completely radio silent and re-signed with the Clippers five days later.

Being the business-minded man that he is, Cuban offered the following choice words about this blatant act of disrespect, “I pick my nose at the table. I don’t give a f*ck about etiquette. It’s not about etiquette. Look guys, sh*t happens, right? This is business. this is the real world. You move on. There’s lots of guys that haven’t played for the Mavericks that are in the NBA.”

But, need I remind you, this same man was the one saying a few days earlier that the Mavs were banking on DeAndre Jordan and, without him, they would go into full blown tank mode… Yikes, Dallas. Cuban was not pleased to say the least, and did not accept DeAndre’s apology when he came out with one.

Jordan posted the photo at the top of this article last week with the hashtag #home.

There’s another ouch for Cuban.

Who knew that watching the NBA free agency picks unfold would be more dramatic than watching The Real Housewives of Orange County?!

– Adrienne

 

ESPN Body Issue- Our Top Picks!

ESPN The Magazine annually posts an issue dedicated to none other than the beautiful, sculpted male and female athletes that kill the game, literally and physically. From all shapes and sizes, ESPN gets the up-close and personal view of some of our favorite athletes.

Here is my top 10!

Now go pick up a copy, read by the pool or use it as motivation to get that ass in the gym! (Uhm… Hello Paige Selenski, can I just have a few of your abs?! Hook a sista up!)

1. Kevin Love, F, Cleveland Cavaliers

Photo: ESPN Instagram

2. Odell Beckham Jr.,WR, New York Giants

Photo: ESPN Instagram

3. Ali Krieger, USWNT, Women’s World Cup Champion

Photo: ESPN Instagram

4. Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals

Photo: ESPN Instagram

5. Natalie Coughlin, US Women’s Swimmer, 6 time Olympic Medalist

Photo: Natalie Coughlin Instagram

6. Venus Williams, US Women’s Tennis player

Photo: ESPN “Bodies We Want”

7. Paige Selenski, US Women’s Field Hockey Player

Photo: ESPN “Bodies We Want”

8. Dallas Friday, US Women’s Wakeboarder

Photo: ESPN “Bodies We Want”

9. DeAndre Jordan, Center, Los Angeles Clippers

Photo: ESPN Instagram

10. Ali Raisman, US Women’s Gymnast

Photo: ESPN “Bodies We Want”

Well, I think I’m going to have to go do a spin class now and drink some green sh*t or something. Later!

– Morgan

 

Shaq is Making Serious PAPER… More Than He Ever Did in the NBA

Shaquille O’Neal was an absolute powerhouse on the basketball court. We know this. But, what you might not have known is this 7′ 1 giant is even more of a boss in the business world.

After retirement from the NBA in 2011, he took his talents to Barry University where he got his Doctorate of Education in Human Resource Development, and this was just the beginning of his almost unbelievable business career. He rapped, he acted, he starred in his own reality series and he even became a reserve officer with the Los Angeles port police. However, his true intelligence was showcased in the stock market.

Turns out this former NBA player knows how to invest!

After many successful investments, he took on multiple real estate business ventures and today he sits on the board of many companies. And do I even need to mention all his endorsement deals?

While most retired professional athletes are criticized for blowing through their fortune, Shaq has found a way to capitalize on his household name and use it as a method to gain endorsement and business deals, and is making more money today than he ever did as an NBA player.

Now that’s what we call a victory, Dr. O’Neal!

– Adrienne

Tips for Finding the Best Apartment for YOU!

Finding a perfect apartment in your city is just like finding the perfect outfit to wear on a Friday night out with the girls.

Well, maybe not. Because let’s just say, the commitment of a crop top for a couple hours doesn’t quite compare to picking your new home for the year or years to come.

If you’re like me and like to live a plethoric amount of “mini” lives in your lifetime, then you’ll be packing up and moving out every twelfth month of that lease. But with every move comes the heavy weight of a big commitment decision (yikes.)

So how have I managed to do it these past years, you ask?

I’ll let you in on my dirty, but sensible, secrets on how to find the PERFECT apartment to make all of your friends wonder what you’re doing, how you got it and who your interior decorator is!

1. Find your SOCIAL AREA and focus in on local apartments— Where do you like to go out?
   Save yourself some money in Ubers on Friday nights and Saturday day drinking and drive
   the extra ten minutes to work instead. Because who doesn’t want to wake up and walk of shame to Sunday brunch in your makeup from last night?
2. Know the right TIME— A lot of people don’t realize the amount of money you can save on apartments just by the month you start your lease. A $1,400/month apartment can easily go down to $1,100/month in the “off-season.” Try to start your search around October with a lease-start around November-January (Think: no one wants to apartment hunt during holiday season, so snag a deal!) Months to AVOID: May, June, July, August and September.
3. Do your RESEARCH— Hire an apartment locator. They can lay out all of the options available in your area and price range and, in most cases, it won’t cost you any money because the apartment you sign a lease with will usually foot the bill. An apartment locator will help you seal the deal on getting that perfect apartment (with the tanning pool!)
4. STYLE it up— Even the nicest apartment can look like a frat house with the wrong furniture, so don’t do that to yourself! Tap into some discounts and look on websites like: houzz.com, www.jossandmain.com, and www.wayfair.com and get some design on a dime!

Even though apartment hunting can seem like a huge responsibility, take it with a grain of salt (or a splash of sugar) and realize that it can be fun and easy! Plus, if clothing trends change by the year, doesn’t that mean that housing trends change too? So stay on top of what’s hot and realize that a new apartment is also just a really good excuse to redecorate.

Good luck on your search my friends, but I think it’s time for me to put on some shades and go walk to the nearest bottomless mimosa bar!

Cheers!

– Adrienne

Just Because, Mike Trout

Well of course we all love Mike Trout-not only is he extremely hot, but there is no doubt he is the Angels’ All-Star and MLB’s favorite rookie to the sport!

Trout has earned the respect among his peers and among Angel’s fans because he’s batting, oh you know, .297/.386/.543 for a 163 OPS. Not too shabby.

Trout is constantly in control of the game, whether it’s running the bases (like his feet are actually on fire) or blasting the ball to the ends of the stadium. Plus did you see his steal to third against the Red Sox?! It doesn’t get much more impressive than that.

Even Bryce Harper loves the kid. According to the Washington Post, Harper said Trout is “the best player in baseball, and I don’t think anybody can argue with that.”

And I’d like to see someone try and argue that!

But seriously, what do I love better than watching that cute face on Subway commercials? Seeing a 23-year-old make a name for not only himself in the majors, but also making a name for the sport.

Oh, and I guess enjoying my beer and brat while watching the kid at an Angels game pretty much tops the list.

– Taylor