Take two can be second to none. A recap over a second night cap with the right storyteller can be infinitely more interesting than real time. Smudged kohl eyes and bedhead are sexier the morning after. The sophomore door of A+R trumps our maiden voyage into retail. And, each on spouse number two, Andy and I can vouch that this second time is definitely the charm.
So, at Diamond Dogs Thursday night, when my amazing friends, lead by Bryan Rabin and Michael Schmidt, had to do a repeat performance of "Happy Birthday"--complete with sparklers and an interruption of the regularly scheduled disco happening on the dance floor--well, it was twice the fun.We'd met up unofficially to toast a few May birthdays--my sister Blanca (on the 8th), Hya Handel (on that very day, the 28th) and yours truly (days before). There was much to celebrate, too, as Michael's bubbly clear corset costume for Lady Gaga made the cover of Rolling Stone; Robert Barr was capping off a day styling a shoot for Cartier; and Ruth Handel's cool modernist home she shares with husband Lloyd Scott and son Jobim made the cover of The L.A. Times (see below).
The whole sprawling lot of us parked into a corner in the main room at H'wood. Friends joined us there throughout the evening, and Diamond Dog hosts Bryan and Kelly Cole ensured we had a phenom set of rock n' roll disco blaring from the speakers, a bottle of Belvedere on the table and, well, anything else we needed. Including, it turns out, not one...but two cakes.
A surprise, indeed.
So much so, in fact, that the one time I got up to wander the warren of H'wood's rooms and snap photos of the kids there was the moment when the music was interrupted, the singing started and the cakes brought out. I was in a far room and oblivious to it all. Someone retrieved me. The Leica was extricated from my hand and passed on to a friend. And, an encore ensued among the divine diamond dogs gathered, a split second of deja vu.