Diane Keaton = LOVE

No mystery, I love Diane Keaton. My all time favorite movie is Something's Gotta Give, followed by It's Complicated (which is not a Diane movie), and then every other Diane Keaton movie ever made :)

She has been laying low for several years and now it seems like there is a resurgence in her activity...making a new housewares line K by Keaton for Bed, Bath, and Beyond...filming 2 new movies that will both be coming out next year, being a spokesmodel for L'Oreal and Chico's, and writing her memoir, Then Again. Happiness!

I downloaded Then Again on my kindle and finished it in a few short hours partly because I am a fast reader and partly because I am not sleeping very well.

So in honor of all her newest ventures, I am posting a blog about California...before I became a blogger. Take a trip with me, back in time...

Picture it, California, 2008. I got a google update that Diane Keaton

was going to be signing copies of her book, California Romantica MY BIRTHDAY WEEKEND

at Barnes and Noble at the Grove in Los Angeles. I immediately called up my friend, Kara, and asked if she was down for a weekend trip to sunny LA and she was on board. We bought our plane tickets, the books, packed our suitcases and headed to Beverly. Hills that is...swimming pools, movie stars....

I was ready to pass out! We wristbands that morning and then shopped until it was time to get in line, and we were 2nd in line!

I started getting really sweaty the closer it got to time, and then once I saw her come down the escalator in typical Diane-wear (leggings, long brown coat, high heels, hat, glasses, gloves, and a wine glass in hand) I no longer felt my legs. They told us we were not allowed to take any pictures, but I snapped a few before I got chewed out.

As she signed my book, I mentioned that my friend and I flew in from Texas just do to this for my birthday, to which she told me happy birthday and we began to chat about Texas. She mentioned that she had always wanted to visit San Antonio but had never been able to. San Antonio would have been a perfect addition to her collection of Spanish architecture photos etc. For what it is worth, I am so glad I didn't vomit on her as the nausea was killing me. After we chatted, she thanked me for showing up, and I walked over to my friend who was talking to a tall brunette women, we later found out was Diane's personal assistant.

We chatted like old friends for almost 10 minutes before Tom Bezucha, the writer/director of The Family Stone joined in our conversation. I was truly having an out of body experience.

When we left, we headed to eat fries and milkshakes at Johnny Rockets and headed back to the hotel. Giddy, I kept looking at my autographed book

and marveled that Diane Keaton had actually written my name on a piece of paper. I was bummed that there were no pictures of both Diane and myself in the same photo...until the promo pictures came out online.

So here is what we found. Granted we are in the background, so we are fuzzy, but over Diane's right shoulder you will see a girl in a red shirt (Kara) and a girl in a black shirt (me!!!!).

In one picture I am actually on the phone with my husband letting him know that I thought I might vomit.

For the rest of the weekend as we ate at Spago,

drove up and down the Pacific Coast Highway,

ate at the Santa Monica Pier,

shopped on Rodeo Drive,

drove through the twisty Hollywood Hills,

visited the Chinese Theater and the Walk of Fame...

and just soaked in the California sun....

I was elated. Diane Keaton makes me happy :)