Playboy Benchwarmers Party: Crystal Harris, Ciara Price, Lisa Gleave and more

Late Saturday night I attended the Playboy/Benchwarmers party being held in Hollywood.  I really wanted Joanna Krupa and she was the guest of honor scheduled to be at the event.  I showed up about half an hour early and they were setting up the red carpet and decorating:

The guests started showing up and I got a few autographs, mostly on nude playboy shots.  (Disclaimer: I don't know why but signed playboy nude images sell much better than clothed images, so for Playboy Playmates I always try to get nude photos. Purely business decision).  

Lisa Gleave is a model and television personality.  I got her to sign a few photos and she was super nice:

Jonathan Lipnicki aka the cute little kid from Jerry Maguire came as well.  He's all grown up now.  I had him sign a Jerry Maguire 11x14 photo, Family Guy 11x14 (which I'm going to make a cast piece to put lots of people on), and I got him on a dollar as well:

Throughout the next few hours I got three more models: Katrina Van Derham, Jessica Burciaga, and Talor Marion:

Then we got word that the guest of honor Joanna Krupa was not coming and there was a chance Crystal Harris (Hugh Hefner's runaway bride was also not going to make it).  I was obvious devastated.   But a little after midnight Crystal did show up.   Since there was no Joanna, Crystal became the prized autograph/picture to get.  The photographers and graphers all surrounded her.  I quickly got my 2 photos signed and left the crowd circling her:

But luckily for me I noticed the person Crystal came with was none other than Ciara Price, Miss November 2011 and a finalist for Playmate of the Year.  You can vote for her online once a day here's the link:

Vote Ciara PMOY

Well while everyone else was fighting to get Crystal I decided to instead get Ciara.  Can you blame me, look at her she's gorgeous.  She signed 6 photos for me and took a picture with me too.  We chatted a little, she told me about the link to vote for her as PMOY.  So while I didn't get Joanna, I was happy to leave the night with a potential Playmate of the Year on 6 photos. 

Meeting Ryan Potter, Taylor Gray, Dillon Lane, and George Takei at a Toy Drive

I went to a Celebrity Toy Drive on 12/17/11 because it was very close to where I live and Ariel Winter from Modern Family was on the list to attend and I really need her to complete some Modern Family cast pieces I've been working on for a few months.  Well . . . she didn't show up.  But a few other celebrities did.

The first to show was Ryan Potter from the show Supah Ninjas (yep Supah Ninjas).  I've never seen the show, but I had one photo of him along so I had him sign it.  He was nice and had no problems signing.

Next to show up was Taylor Gray and Dillon Lane who are the co-stars of Bucket and Skinner's Epic Adventures.  In true co-star fashion they drove together and as they were walking in both signed for me. I was able to complete 2 dual shot 8x10s. 

And lastly George Takei showed up.  George was Sulu in the original Star Trek so I was happy to get him to sign an 8x10 photo for me.  I also got a picture with him which was cool.  Interestingly he told us that his name is pronounced "Ta-Key", which is completely different than I've heard.  I have always heard it pronounced "Tak-eye".  

I was at the event for about an hour so it was not too shabby results for the time put in. 

Robin Thicke shares the holiday spirit

I had the joy of meeting Robin Thicke on Thursday December 15th.  As far as celebrities go, you cannot get much nicer than Robin Thicke.  A few autograph collectors were waiting for someone else at a studio lot when we saw Robin Thicke driving himself in a SUV.  Someone signaled to him asking if he would stop and he pulled over his SUV along the curb and rolled down his passenger side window.  How nice is the guy when all it takes is to wave at him as he's driving and he pulls over?!?  He signs a few autographs and I snap a picture of him as he's doing it.

I didn't know he was going to be there, and thus did not have any photos of him along.  So I pulled out a one dollar bill and had him sign it for me, which he gladly did.  Here is him signing the dollar:

It was a great bright spot to a day that was rainy and windy in Los Angeles.