There are only four more sleeps before Christmas. You don't have to be Semi-Homemade Sandra "I'm Freaking Terrifying" Lee or your great Aunt Tamanay to create a cherished (or at least wanted) homemade gift for your friends and relatives in a short amount of time. more ›

ArtCycle took over the streets of East Hollywood yesterday for the third year in a row. Because the art scene is just a little too sprawling for pedestrians — and because bikes are so important to the scene — the event caters to attendees on two wheels. more ›

Here are some hurricane-appropriate covers to get you through the storm (of media coverage). "Come on Irene" to the tune of "Come on Eileen" is now a meme, but it's not the only cover with slightly-changed lyrics. more ›

L.A.'s best cupcake shop--that's just, like, an opinion, man--recently introduced a line of cupcake mixes so you can rock out at home and impress your friends. The $13 mixes make 18 cupcakes and include the mix, liners, frosting and any toppings if necessary (like pink sugar crystals for the vanilla flavor). The flavors offered--Red Velvet, Strawberry, Vanilla, Chocolate, Black Tie (dark chocolate), pumpkin and others--are basically the same as what you can buy already-made at Famous Cupcake's Valley Village and Beverly Hills locations. more ›

Over the past month, these signs have been popping up around the city. A group of anonymous renegade do gooders, calling themselves the Department of D.I.Y., are taking credit for the work, adding to the public dialogue about safer streets. Do-it-yourself campaigns are nothing new. In recent months Los Angeles has seen citizen illegal sign enforcement and sharrows. On the internet, the L.A. Bike Working group has made its own citywide bicycle plan and is collecting data for public mapping of bicycle crashes on city streets. LAist asked the Department of D.I.Y. for a statement and this is what they had to say: more ›

Okay, everyone. An apology in advance, but seriously, it's time for a Martha Stewart moment. Thanks to a reader comment on our urban farming-pinkberry connection post, we learn a little trick that will be exciting to try out. LAist commenter LadyAMC points out an article on Cookthink about re-growing green onions on your window sill. Basically, keep about an inch of the bulb-end, place it in a cup of water on a sunny windowsill, let them grow and clip bits off as you need. "It works, I've got 6 of'em growing right now," she exclaimed. more ›

The Cinefamily regularly makes movie-going an event, with mega-rare film screenings, musical performances, crazed clip compilations & backyard barbeques. This weekend, the group goes beyond even their usual gusto for those proud souls stitching & hoisting the DIY flag. Thursday, their "Don't Knock The Rock" series features I Need That Record!, a documentary tribute to the independent record store... more ›

We first took notice of Timothy Dahl and his blog, Charles and Hudson, last month when he published his excellent home DIY City Guide to Los Angeles. Upon further exploration, his blog revealed a wealth of useful information for those looking to upgrade their home on their own. From snaking your own sewer line to buying a backyard fire pit and an electrical outlet orientation, there's a lot to learn from him. So we ask a few of our own questions about Los Angeles and more... more ›

Tonight comedy makes a huge return to the networks with the season premieres of "My Name Is Early", "Ugly Betty", "The Office", and "ER" (because that show's a joke). more ›

Artist and forager Nancy Klehm will be holding the last of her highly unique cooking classes at Echo Park gallery/performance space Machine Project this Monday, March 10th, from 6-9pm. There are still a few spots left (tickets cost $85 for members, $95 for non-members), so head on over to the website to sign up for a lesson on making your own fermented fruits and vinegars. Fruit wine sounds like a fantastic way to take advantage of Southern California's many urban fruit trees! more ›

If you're looking for something interesting to do this weekend, tomorrow night from 9:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m., a group of young women under the name Fetus are organizing the first of a planned monthly event at the INMO Gallery, in Billy's Coffee Shop, at the historic 1920s Rosslyn Hotel building. more ›

Yes, I know. Saturday's a busy night. So many places to go. So many people to do. But there's always time to fit in a signing of a really cool book at a really cool gallery space and store, especially if there's gonna be live music. So, why not roll into La Luz De Jesus/Wacko tomorrow night between 6 and 9pm to celebrate the publication of what all us musical nerds have long awaited: Bomp! : Saving The World One Record At A Time. more ›

Release Date: Fall '07 more ›

Sometimes Watt sends out pictures of found objects that he comes across while pedaling around Pedro. My favorite thing about this photo is Watt's DIY self-painted helmet on the ground. True, he probably took it off to look through the viewfinder of the camera. But it also makes me wonder just a little bit whether he was going to try on the hat.... more ›

I’ve been an avid fair-attendee and crafter for years and must say it’s my favorite place to get that special unique, handmade something for the people who seem to have just about everything. more ›

Like a lot of women, I started down the long road of body hair removal at the onset of puberty. First came DIY techniques: plucking, bleaching, shaving. As I got older I moved into "it takes a village" territory: waxing, electrolysis, and lasers. I was always most concerned with my eyebrows – I even used to carry a pair of tweezers with me to high school. But maintaining good eyebrows takes either a great... more ›

Release Date: September 17th, 2007 more ›

8:00pm Going Back to New Orleans UPN/KCOP - Music icon Deacon John Moore documents the unique culture of the Big Easy. 9:00pm Against the Tide: The Battle for New Orleans CNBC - The business side of the New Orleans recovery effort. 10:00pm Still Waiting: Life After Katrina PBS/KOCE An African American/Creole family returns to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, hoping to hold on to their bayou culture. 10:00pm DIY to the Rescue: Katrina Rebuild... more ›

LAist was comped front row seats by the Dodgers due to Malingering being struck by a foul ball last week, and she came back with some great photos, and earlier made fun of 4th of July on Venice Beach. But the biggest stories of the week was that the Mayor's Hot Tamale was revealed, and that a Kwik-E-Mart was erected in Burbank. Phillyist was busy doing the Fourth of July up right, exercising their... more ›

I'll admit that it's nearly impossible to abstain from bias while reviewing Nomo & Nino Moschella. They're considerably under-appreciated by the masses. Nomo's show at Spaceland on Sunday was representative of that. Although they played a flawless set, chock-full of soulful improvisational instrumentals, the fact remains that the attendance did not suffice. So, I decided to attend the following show on Monday at Temple Bar with hopes of experiencing them in a more lively... more ›

Release Date: 03/27/2007 more ›

Two segments of a DIY animated show about magical unicorns, one of whom is named Tom Cruise and had a pink mini-mohawk. more ›

If you've passed through Hollywood enough times, you can’t have failed to notice the bizarre billboard on the West side of Highland just North of Fountain. And if you're like me, every time you pass by, you idly wonder about the man whose leonine countenance gazes benignly on weary travellers. What is that guy staring at so intently? Why have I never heard of his movie? And how the hell can he afford to... more ›

Known as the Guitar Granny, Cordell Jackson, 84, began performing in the 1930s with her father's band, the Pontiac Ridge Runners. She spent several years as a real estate agent, but in 1980 she resurrected her label, Moon Records, and revitalized her music career. In short, she kicks ass. Awesome guitarist, DIY musician and inspiration: Cordell Jackson. more ›

USC Free Culture is hosting a panel discussion this evening on reinvigorating Los Angeles' open space. What we can do with artistic expression, do-it-yourself technology and the public domain to preserve and enhance LA's 500 square miles of diverse culture before our greatest spaces are swallowed up by thinly veiled corporate interests? What type of “knowledge ecology” is possible in a city devoted to fame, celebrity and image? USC's Taper Hall, Rm 301 3501... more ›

Mom wants to be hip. She's tired of silk scarves from Nordstrom's and Liz Taylor handbags. What she wants this Mother's Day is a monster-appliqué purse and a set of robot-stencilled tea towels, all made by local hipster craftspeople. Who happen to be selling iridescent cupcakes in the parking lot of a comic book store. Ok, maybe not. But you might — and you can tell yourself you're shopping for mom. more ›

Mark Vallen has been making art in Los Angeles for more than 30 years. A native Angeleno, Mark has integrated the city's residents and landmarks into his work since his teens, when he worked on seminal LA punk publication Slash Magazine and captured the early punk scene in a series of sketches, drawings, and paintings. Mark continues the DIY spirit by supporting LA's contemporary art scene, advocating for change against the status quo and sharing his opinion about the current state of painting and culture on his blog, Art for Change. more ›

A random sampling of some of our favorite uncategorizables of the year. Stay tuned for a restaurant roundup, our favorite news stories, and some books and bars we love. If we can remember the bars. more ›

• The Mountain Goats grace LA with their special brand of music as part of the DIY Festival, tonight at The Echo. Tickets re $12 and things get started at 8:30 PM. [18+] more ›