RSVPS: Eva Longoria, Lauren "L.C." Conrad, Shane West
When: Nov. 14
Where: Beso
My, how things change in 365 days. At last year's launch party for Samsung's original BlackJack phone, Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson were only BFF, Leonardo DiCaprio was so heavy I barely recognized him, and I lost my chance to make out with Derek Jeter after I decided not to give him my number, leaving the Yankee to vanish off to Hyde and hook up with Jessica Biel.
Exactly one year later, the cell phone company is throwing another bash for its newest device, the BlackJack II. Available in black and red wine, the QWERTY phone has extensive features, including a 2.0-megapixel camera, video share capabilities and GPS, in case you get lost going to a party (that should never happen). I had so much fun playing blackjack last year, I'm psyched to get my game on tonight at the Samsung BlackJack II 2wenty One Club.
Viva la Eva
I pull up to Beso (kiss in Spanish) as co-owner Eva Longoria walks the red carpet. The Housewife has partnered up with Jonas Lowrance and J.T. Torregiani for this new Hollywood restaurant, which will feature food from celebrity chef Todd English when it opens later this year. Eva's megawatt smile shows how elated she is to see her restaurant and the new phone. Turns out Eva's got some geek in her.
"We're really, really techy," she says about herself and French hoopster hubby Tony Parker. "So, every time a fun phone comes out, we’re on it!" Considering the steamy looks between those two, I'd tend to imagine them on each other, not on a cell phone!
Gambling, Girls and Other Entertainments
Though Tony couldn't make it out tonight, Eva manages to enjoy herself inside with her foodie partners and guests like Jon Voight (random!). Though the party is not quite as lively as last year's superfun extravaganza, returnees like Kevin Connolly still manage to enjoy themselves by guzzling free drinks and playing blackjack at the tables out back.
Upstairs, Whitney Port sports fall's hottest shoe trend, the Oxford, with a group of very Teen Vogue-looking gal-pals. Lauren Conrad, however, isn't one of them. L.C. arrives much later with BFF Audrina Patridge, and the two grab cocktails to fuel up for Mark Ronson's performance. Deejay Samantha Ronson's brother takes over the turntables with a cover of Britney Spears' "Toxic," then segues into Phantom Planet's "California." Finally, there's life at this fete!
Giving Thanks with Friends
Audrina tells me she plans to keep the party pumpin' over Thanksgiving. She and L.C. are throwing a private bash at their apartment, since their Halloween party was so successful. The Hills cutie won't tell me who she'll bring as her holiday date, but she does reveal to my Awful Truth cohorts she'd have no problem asking the lucky man via text. How 21st century of her!
So, what are other stars doing for Turkey Day? Well, last night Christina Aguilera told me she's bravin' the cold and going home to Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, Adrianne Curry revealed she's going to be charitable with Christopher Knight. "We'll be taking in our renegade friends who have nowhere to go," she said. "We're bringing in the strays!" Maybe she can use her upcoming Playboy cover as a centerpiece. That would be one yummy dinner!
From Phones to Fairies
Speaking of yummy, Big Love's Daveigh Chase tells me she's heading over to the Los Angeles Kubler Absinthe Launch at Green Door (how clever). The gal can't drink yet, but she's curious to check out the scene. I am, too, so I leave the technical festivity for a more psychedelic one. As Daveigh waits for a car, she's glued to her phone. "I text message 24/7. I'm obsessed," she explains. "You can't get me off my phone." Well, let's see if the green fairy can.
Tricks of the Trade—and of the Mind
I was under the impression absinthe was illegal in the States, but somehow, after nearly 100 years, Blackmint Distillery and Altamar Brands figured out a way to create an authentic and legal Swiss absinthe using their original recipe, which includes wormwood. To celebrate, models dressed up as—what else?—green fairies, dancing around the bar and successfully distracting Daveigh from her phone while providing serious eye candy for men like Shane West and Cris Judd.
A male fairy catches my eye and insists I sample the liquid. It tastes exactly like licorice—but more liquor-ish. And it's a total myth that you hallucinate...but it does play tricks on you. At first I feel completely sober, but after just one drink, I realize I might wind up at the Lynwood jail if I decide to drive. Maybe a fairy can take me to my bed tonight.