It may not snow in LA, so white Christmases are pretty much out of the question. But the W Hotel is making sure Angelinos get to enjoy the spirit of the winter holidays in the capital of sunshine and style--LA style. The Westwood designer hotel has transformed its WET pool deck into a 1,300 square foot hybrid-ice skating rink!

The winter wonderland set-up designed by YourBASH will be around through January 24, 2010. The $10 hourly skating fee includes skate rental (though guests can also bring their own) and requires no reservations.

Also in tune with the holiday spirit, the hotel invites guests to cozy up in the W blankets it provides while sipping hot cocoa. The Backyard's "Snowy Snack Bar," offers winter revelers other seasonal drinks and eats like s'mores, pumpkin lattes and hazelnut espresso martinis. Now that sure puts the "W" back in "wassailing."

Photo: Howard Wise

Out of a recession come some innovative ideas, namely the Design Loves Art program at the Pacific Design Center. Its public centerpiece is a monthly Thursday evening event showcasing the art gallery community within the Center's LA design community hub.

I checked out the scene at last night's Third Thursdays event, which was particularly happening on the second floor as art galleries opened their doors so locals could partake of wine, art and conversation.

Apparently, as I discovered asking around, the PDC has suffered from a lack of design firm tenants during these hard times. That means a lot of empty usable spaces. So they have allowed some art galleries to come in and rent them under short-term (six-month) leases as a sort of hybrid art-design experiment and a "win win" situation.

The Design Loves Art program is curated by Helen Varola, an independent New York curator. Some of the cool galleries participating--whose work I particularly enjoyed were: d.e.n. Contemporary Art (which used to have a space in Culver City), Sam Lee Gallery (also and still in Chinatown as well) and Carl Berg Projects.

Artists to look out for are Pipo Nguyen-Duy (photographs) and Kent Anderson Butler (amazing 'prison yard style' portraits on rugs).

Dropped by the launch party for designer Kelly Wearstler's new book Hue last night at hubby Brad Korzen's Avalon Beverly Hills (which she of course re-designed).

When I first heard "book party" I imagined a low-key affair but as one stylish male patron pointed out with panache, "It's a Kelly Wearstler book party!" That means that all of designy, fashiony, stylish LA came out for the celebration which featured lovely hors d'oeuvres from the new hotel restaurant Oliverio.

There was a whole lot of black attire going on, much of it accented by unique pieces of jewelry. Large retro eyeglasses abounded as well. The celebrated lady of the night, Wearstler was clad in a chic black dress as was star guest Gwen Stefani (plus violet peak-a-boo bra). Her No Doubt bandmate Tony Kanal also made an appearance with his significant other Erin Lokitz.

Photo: Avalon Beverly Hills

This just in...It's the end of an era at 89.9 KCRW. Ruth Seymour (you may recognize her distinct voice from the fund drives and "The Politics of Culture") has been at the radio station at Santa Monica College (SMC) since 1977. She was most recently general manager and program director. She has just announced that she will be retiring in the end of February.

Online, KCRW boasts one of the largest audiences of any American radio station. SMC will search for a replacement for Seymour which they expect will take several months. She is quoted as saying: "It's been an extraordinary privilege to serve as KCRW's General Manager - a joy and source of great pride. That's a pretty good note on which to say goodbye."

Photo Courtesy of KCRW

The holiday shopping season has officially begun in LA. There is of course a potpourri of options for female shoppers, but let's not forget the many stylish So.Cal gents on the hunt for great gifts and fashion.

Through January, Alpha Gear for Gents in West Hollywood will be home to a pop-up shop brought to you by Social Primer.com, the style and etiquette handbook for men.

Alpha--now five years old--will continue to offer holiday shoppers its usual wares--in the arena of "men's lifestyle": candles, cashmere, wallets, grooming products, gadgets and toys, water bottles, apparel and underwear. Added to the for-sale roster are Social Primer's signature monogrammed stationary sets, playing cards, napkins, drink coasters, soaps, and belts.

And let me tell you, these folks are all about the monograms and po-mo dandyism. What city swell could resist their reversible bow ties? It's all about options, fellas.

Photo Courtesy of Alpha/Darren Gold

The medical marijuana dispensary battle wages on picking up where it left off a couple of weeks ago. Today, the LA Times announced that The Union of Medical Marijuana Patients (a local advocacy group) and Americans for Safe Access (a national organization) may be planning to sue city if the City Council passes the ordinance banning the sale of medical marijuana.

So it's game on for City Attorney Carmen Trutanich who spearheaded the anti-Marijuana initiative last month. The advocacy organizations are saying that Trutanich misinterpreted the law and court decisions in fashioning the proposal.

Two committees will meet today to complete the ordinance with the provision that's causing all the heated debate.

Photo: David McNew/Staff/Getty Images

Lead Apron Gallery hosted its first art opening event--"Geography of the Mind"-- at its new location on Melrose Place last night. The festivities also celebrated the opening of the Lead Apron bookstore across the street.

The gallery featured an impressive lineup of artists including Ed Ruscha and Larry Johnson among others. The show was varied with some unusual sculpture and shadow-work alongside abstract paintings. Overall it was a hit.

The bookselling space, under the jurisdiction of Jonathan Brown, is incredible especially at night. It has to be seen to be believed (and the above iPhone pic by yours truly doesn't really do it justice).

Specializing in rare and unusual art and photography books, it opened about a month ago but last night was the official 'opening celebration.' As you walk up the path to the space (at night) there is a beautiful juxtaposition of urban foliage and the bright white airy modern book gallery.

I can't wait to check out some of their hip tomes, featuring photographers like Ed Templeton, Heide Hatry and Eric Kroll, in the daytime when I have more time and my attention isn't diverted in people-watching.

Variety is not only--as the corny saying goes--the spice of life, but it's also the spice of culinary life in LA. Yesterday Breadbar--which has locations on Third St. near W. Hollywood and in Century City--kicked off its new rotating seasonal restaurant concept "HatchiRoku."

The pop-up restaurant at 602 Santa Monica Blvd. in Santa Monica is not unlike those popular pop-up shops that have swept LA in recent years. It will feature a new guest chef every three months offering exciting and eclectic daily and weekly menu changes.

The inaugural chef at the HatchiRoku (for now, temporary) pop-up restaurant is Eda Vesterman, a dietician and UCLA researcher. Her run will last through January 31, 2010.

Vesterman's culinary theme is "four elements," dishes inspired by earth, air, fire and water. Tomorrow evening's meal is: roasted red coulis soup, filet mignon, cauliflower purée and vanilla crème brûlée. Saturday's meal is: tuna tartare, seafood risotto and an assortment of sorbets.

The nightly set price menu (available from 5:30-10 p.m.) costs $33 (minus drinks, tax and tip). There is a $15 wine corkage fee. Seating is limited so reservations--via Breadbar at 310-395-9490--are recommended.

Photo: Thomas Schauer

More drama in Encino, as The Huffington Post and other news sources report that the famed shadow looming over Michael Jackson (in life and in death), his father Joseph Jackson, will receive none of his assets.

The notoriously ominous "Joseph" (as Jackson fans who saw the Jacksons movie may recall little Michael calling him) will still pursue a motion for a family allowance, claiming Michael Jackson had been supporting him all along.

The money talk doesn't stop there. Apparently, that very estate paid close to $1 million on the private Michael Jackson funeral at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Expenses, as noted in the Huf Po story include: $11,716 on invites and programs, $35,000 on burial clothing, $30,000 on cars and security, and $15,000 to a designer.

Photo: Isaac Brekken/Stringer/Getty Images

The plot thickens as more information is revealed about the teens who robbed such celebrities as Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton. The 'gang' was led by 18-year-old Nicholas "Nick" Prugo and 19-year-old Rachel Jungeon Lee. The crime of the century? Nah. These bling bandits were apparently just after designer clothing (and drugs) belonging to their favorite celebs.

If the story couldn't get any more shallow or gross, TMZ is now reporting that the teen robbers used their gossip site to figure out where celebrities lived. You would think that that might make you rethink the contents of your website but, it's TMZ after all...

As the story goes, most of the stars didn't even bother to lock their doors, giving the young criminals easy access. This totally reminds me of an 'open house' I shared with roommates in Beachwood Canyon. It ultimately got robbed as well. The celebrity thieves' next victim was apparently going to be--gasp--none other than Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon) of The Princess Bride.

It appears Prugo may have also been pursuing a (child) acting career based on this IMDB page. Looks like TMZ and other tabloids are prepared to give him that with all the continued coverage.

Photo: Gareth Cattermole/Staff/Getty Images