OUR STORIES ABOUT THE EVENT

Liane
Express Your Green Self!

There were so many aspects of Express Yourself that affected and moved me, but I’d have to say that one of the highlights was seeing how many of the exhibitors made a huge effort to be planet-friendly.  Whereas in years past it was less of a focus (let’s face it: a while back a lot of us weren’t as enlightened!), 2007 brought big changes in favor of the environment.  Many of the  arts & crafts projects this year focused on using recycled material, as ours did.  Kids made art out of scraps & junk, and you know what?  They loved it!  There is something really gratifying about creating something useful and pretty out of stuff no one needs anymore.

Shannan and I shared a big laugh when we saw comedian Larry David pull up in his sage green Prius (just like the one he drives on Curb Your Enthusiasm) and at least 5 kids piled out of the car!  It was like watching one of those circus cars that carries dozens of clowns … you go, Larry!

For me, this added dimension made Express Yourself 2007 the perfect event.  It combined food, art, music and environmentalism – all in support of charity.  Now that’s the perfect shade of green.

Shannan
Get Creative!

When Liane suggested Tastybaby participate in "Express Yourself" months ago, without blinking I said yes!  As a girl who spent more time in the art and drama studio than in the library, the arts have always been a great source of solace to me. Lucky for me I attended a private liberal arts school where there was plenty of funding for art programs. Now that I am considering sending my own daughter to public school, I worry about her having the same opportunities that I had to "express" myself. So for the last 2 days I have donated my time cutting petals, baking and frosting cupcakes and blending smoothies, all so that less fortunate children be given the same opportunities that I was given as a child. The best part about being a part of this event was the instant gratification I got when I saw the smiles on the children's faces who performed at the event. In one day, "Express Yourself" raised more than $1,000,000 for local Public School Art Programs. If Tastybaby can play a small part in the overall well-being of children here in Los Angeles then imagine what the rest of the world can do!!

Kelly
We Need More Bags!

I had heard about P.S. Arts' Express Yourself event before but I really had no idea what I was in for … to my surprise and delight, it was fantastic!  The event was so well produced, everyone was so sweet and the kids had the time of their lives.  But what was most surprising was how unbelievably busy it was!

Having been to several tradeshows with Tastybaby, I thought I’d seen busy. When we do tradeshows it's literally non-stop, but Express Yourself rivaled any tradeshow I’ve been to!  We were so swamped passing out smoothies, cupcakes and Tastybaby totes that half way through the event we ran out of bags!  People got so hysterical at the thought of going home without a bag that I had to race all the way back to Encino to pick up more. (Now, if you don't know the geography of LA, Santa Monica & Encino are NOT nearby!) We brought what we thought were more than enough for a 4-hour show but the bags were so popular that we ran out of several hundred in no time! 

Thankfully, I was eventually able to take a break from the madness for a few minutes and enjoy some of the things the event had to offer.  Barker Hangar was buzzing with kids of all ages making crafts and smiling from ear to ear. I enjoyed some terrific food, and perhaps most exciting was seeing Daniel Powter perform live!  Of course, he sang “Bad Day” and it was so cute because he had PS Arts' students up on stage joining him in singing the chorus.  While setting up the booth the previous day, several children were practicing singing “Bad Day,” I had a feeling that Daniel may show up for the event … and he did! 

It was such a fun and uplifting day, and all for such a great cause. I can’t wait to be back next year!

Renee
East Coast Meets West Coast Charity

I grew up in New England and never once met (or even saw) a celebrity in the 24 years that I lived there.  Sure, I'd heard about the occasional celebrity being in town to film movies, like 'Mystic River' and 'The Departed', but not once did I ever cross paths with someone famous. You can imagine my surprise when I moved to LA to find that celebrity sightings are as common as pigeons at the park.  It was a bit of a "culture shock" for me to help out at a charity event like Express Yourself, where celebrities mixed and mingled with all the other attendees.  It's exciting to see many recognizable faces but it is truly awesome to spot someone who you greatly admire.  Amidst all the famous faces yesterday, I not only spotted, but was lucky enough to meet and talk to Molly Shannon (thank you, Liane, for introducing us!). 

Ever since her early days of Saturday Night Live, I've always been a huge fan of Molly Shannon.  I find her style of humor to be hilarious, and I've followed her for as long as I can remember. Yes, I own "Saturday Night Live: The Best of Molly Shannon" and the movie "Superstar" and I truly believe there's nothing like a little Mary Katherine Gallagher to make me split my pants with laughter.  I admit I had to restrain myself from throwing my hands up in the air and yelling, "SUPERSTAR!!!" like the classic character that Molly Shannon portrays so well, but to avoid making a spectacle, I remained calm and collected, shook her hand and introduced myself.  It was awesome!!!  I can't wait for next year's event; it is for such a great cause and definitely a lot of fun. If you have the chance to be a part of this great cause, I highly recommend it!