If you haven't sorted out your NYE plans yet (me neither!)- there are lots of great options in Venice , and one more just in from the always intriguing Stronghold boys. Yeah, yeah, we know you know Mike Cassel, but this time you REALLY have to pay up and RSVP. They SAID SO....no if's, and's or Mikes. You can pay ahead  $50 on Paypal and bring your receipt for all you can drink ! Check out the invite below.

In the Party Star Department: N'ice Cream, the cosmic  gelato shop on Abbot Kinney is doing a special edition CHAMPAGNE Sorbet, you can call in today and order a whole box for $5 and pick it up tomorrow. Bring their Champagne Sorbet to the party and I guarantee you will get kissed (more than just at midnight)!

In the Hangover Department: Its going to be 70 & sunny on New Years day, so pick out one of your half-drunk bottles of wine from the fridge, and  grab a spot on Bondi BBQ's back patio to line your poor  belly with delish BBQ. If you can't brave the sunlight, Bondi will deliver to your bed, er, I mean, house- judgement free! 3 out of 3 Scandinavians agree- Bondi is the perfect hangover cure.

I already got a request this morning for a little guidance on Cheap New Years Eve ideas in Venice...
which exacerbated the building NYE anxiety that has been simmering inside me all month! The thought of figuring out my own plans, much less plans for all of you wonderful folks is overwhelming. And then, BEHOLD ... A MIRACLE! Facebook status update... like a couple of  ANGELS, Yo Venice &  Venice Paparazzi have teamed up with a great list of NYE options... from Ski Bunny ensembles at High to day-after options in the ocean, there is lots of good stuff here. Of course, I am dying to go to the KCRW party at the Viceroy, and although I know I can definitely drink my $175 worth of champagne, and will give the sexy plexiglass-over-the-pool-dance floor a run for it's money... I am afraid it's just not in the budget this year. Who knows... maybe Santa will pull just one more surprise out of his bag,  or a dashing prince will come to the rescue...FINGERS CROSSED! Happy New Years ya'll and if you have any stellar New Years plans, leave a comment and share'em!

I had to interrupt my regularly scheduled eating and drinking with my family to bring you this important message. HOME JAMES IS BACK! (sort of) When I lived in London, I found the existance of  "Scooter Man" to be revolutionary,  then I moved to L.A. and voila! HOME JAMES launched- and I was instantly their best customer. (Then Home James closed abrubtly,  and I never left Venice again. )What the hell am I talking about? THIS IS WHAT: You call this ( genius!) service, a delightful and often handsome man shows up to the bar where you are embarassingly drunk, he charmingly walks you to your car, tosses you in the passenger seat and  his big bag in the trunk, and DRIVES YOUR DRUNK ASS HOME IN YOUR OWN CAR. What then? 
Mr. ThankYouSoMuchYouAreTheBestGuyEverAreYouSureYouDon'tWantToComeIn rides off on his clever little scooter that he magic'd out of that big bag in your trunk! This phenomenon of outrageous helpfulness has resurfaced as YDriveLA.com. Plug this number into your phone right now 888- 401-DUI7 and go to their website. And tell all of your friends. For $38- you can afford to drink and not ruin your life! Hooray!

I must admit, I am celebrating the holidays and new year with my family, so forgive me for not keeping you updated on the day to day of drinking. But... I think by now you have enough to go on to divine some intoxicating holiday spirit for yourselves! The hour-by-hour, day-by-day ,  guide above in the top nav should keep you informed and in-budget for at least a little while.

So, Cheers, Happy Holidays and best wishes for a fabulous New Year!

Funny how dramatic we Venetians can get when the rain finally arrives. I mean, hell, we've had 8 months of straight sunshine, but who's counting?....this stuff sucks! Makes you want to hole up with a nice bottle of wine, some warm snacks and a couple of great friends. Well, get your umbrella, cause you are heading to El Vino to do just that. Its a Sparkling Weekend ( I love this!) at El Vino. Saturday you can try three bubblies for $12, all fancy from France and even a red fizzy one - SO HOLIDAY "SPIRIT"!
Sunday, a fellow named Jeff Nelson from Henriot Champagne will be there, pouring the drinks and the knowledge from the 16th Century winemakers for $15 bucks. I have to say, that's what I adore about wine tasting, they sort of make you feel like you are CLEVER and gaining a great education while you listen intently, alternately tilting your head back , then extending your glass. El Vino is super snug and beautifully cave-like, the perfect little spot to hide out on Abbot Kinney during the rainy season. After all, it will all be over on Monday- so use the excuse while we've got it!

The latest issue of Trendcentral was dedicated to my favorite subject! Home made potions and local liquer! Click through to see what's new in the world of booze!

The Venice Paparazzi were busy ! See more goofiness from VHH.com on Facebook and check out all the peeps  on Venice Paparazzi...as they say, see if you made the cut, visit www.venicepaparazzi.com!

The holiday "spirits" were flowing on Abbot Kinney last night! From the  partying amongst $165 hoodies at the  Aviator Nation, the glass-shakin' techno dance party at Trim, to  a cozy cool little SHAG-alicious lounge at  Hint Mint, there was fun in every flavor. And speaking of flavor, I think LITERALLY every food truck in Los Angeles was on the street last night- check your Twitter- who ever you follow-I swear they were there. That being said, myself and the Danish Drinking Contingent craved a bit of local love, and peddled away from the throngs to  Bondi BBQ. Open late for alcohol absorbtion, conveniently located next door to The TownHouse, the BBQ here is SO GOOD. Rich, delicious, salty sweet- made this Georgia Peach crave home( just for a second). Needing a crisp Chard to wash all this goodness down, I took a quick peddle around the corner to that ( formerly) dodgey liquer store on Main. When I lived on Horizon at the beach, this place was last resort, but the Korean lady (a.k.a ChiChi's Auntie) who runs it has cleaned it up... and like the land lady in Kung Fu Hustle, she will CLEAN YOU OUT!  I stood awestruck in front of the refrigerators as I gazed at $14.99 bottles of Andre and Korbel ($4.99?), and $16 bottle of Barefoot Chardonnay ($7.99?)...so buyer beware, you'll get your booze, but you'll have to PAY!

Along with being a resident barllerina, I also fancy myself as a bit of a Venice historian! As you may already know, Venice was founded by Abbot Kinney in 1905 as a giant amusement park called Venice of America. Well I think ol'AK would be delighted to see that his namesake street is infact a bonafide circus on the First Friday of every month. Tree man, Ompalooma bands, Burners on double high bikes, parties in every nook, galleries packed with art admirers, bars crammed with boozers, more food trucks then I've got fingers,  and crowds  5 abreast on the sidewalk...IT IS ONE BIG AMUSEMENT! Want to get the down-low on tomorrow's fun fest...check out one or both of these handy sites: Yo!Venice or Abbot Kinney Online. See you on the street!

Tonight, by means I cannot disclose, you-know-who- and I went to a party in HW launching the new models of Jaguar cars. Let me just say that I wish Icould pronounce the word "jaguar" the way these guys do...like the commercials, they add three vowels and two syllables to the word..and no matter how hard I try- I just can't get it. It was chock-a-block with chic, handsome men in suits, plentiful cupcakes, women in their finest lurex, and a DJ/Orchestra ensemble that stretched the boundries of musical entertainment. Chard, Kir Royale, Chard, Valet. Heading back to Venice, we stopped by the Townhouse, which has been around since THE BIRTH OF VENICE. Opened in 1915 ( I think) it has a 5-7 happy hour and is always a great little dive bar to fall into. It has gotten a bit hipster lately...HIPster literally. Tonight was" Red Light Wednesdays" where amateur Betty-Page'ers scoot along the bar, doing their best Frederick's of Hollywood catalog impressions. Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of a sexy gal, some seductive dance moves and great lingerie, but tonight's performance was a bit aspirational. Generally- I recommend: Relax at the Townhouse whenever confronted with a where-to-go moment, it's s a very  local scene- with a pool table , strong drinks and chill people.