While movie-making is done “on location” more than ever before, the Los Angeles area still is home to a steady stream of movie and television productions – so many that it’s not unusual to come across filming on any given trip to L.A. And out-of-towners never seem to get tired of visiting movie studios and famous movie-making locations.

Today most of the studios are closed to the public except when audiences are needed for live shows or when the call goes out for extras to populate various movie scenes. But there are several that do allow tours, including some where the chances are good you’ll see a real movie star.

The granddaddy of movie studio tours has to be Universal Studios Hollywood, which now includes its movie studio tour as just one small part of a Disneyland-like theme park with elaborate rides and attractions all having something to do with the movies. Built along a hillside in Universal City, the theme park has grown over the years incorporating new attractions that match up with some of the hottest movies produced at Universal.

We first visited Universal more than 30 years ago so, on our recent visit to the park, the overall experience seemed much more of a complete entertainment package than when the tour was just a movie studio tour with few additional attractions. We had been back to the park in the 90’s but, even since then, this theme park has seemed to grow dramatically, adding new attractions on a regular basis to encourage visitors to return.

Visitors to the park are now greeted with a choice of parking, lower priced parking that requires a little walking and premium parking that is closer to the park. We chose the former because we need the exercise – but, alas, the park has installed an elaborate 21st Century system of escalators to whisk visitors all over the hilly terrain both from the parking lot, and from the theme park down to the actual movie lot.

One of the highlights of our Universal visit was a discovery we made: the Front of the Line Pass. It is a bit pricey – at $99.95 it’s about double what you’ll pay if you buy a regular pass online – but it totally changes the experience. Instead of waiting in long, hot lines all day (typical of most Southern California theme parks) we were quickly zipping between the best attractions, never standing in line more than five minutes. We felt we saw everything we wanted to see in one day, but were not nearly as exhausted as we might have been standing in lines that each appeared to be 45 minutes to an hour long.

For middle-age guests who have given up on theme parks because of the lines, the Front of the Line Pass will put you right back in the game.

Most rides at Universal are relatively tame – not quite the kiddie-land variety, but something less than the roller coasters at Six Flags. The hydraulic rides like Back to the Future continue to be popular, as well as moderate thrill rides like the roller coaster in the Revenge of the Mummy and the 85-foot waterfall drop for the boats in the Jurassic Park ride.

We were especially impressed with the Waterworld show, which apparently is doing a lot better than the movie ever did. A group of actors and stunt persons puts on a show filled with acrobatic feats and pyrotechnics climaxed by an almost full-scale airplane startling spectators by landing in the water right in front of their seats.

There are numerous rides, attractions, top-notch shows – everything to keep you busy for much longer than a day. But don’t forget to take the studio tour – the thing that got all of this started decades ago. The tour is still conducted on the famous trams that snake their way through the Universal back lot. The trams have been updated to offer TV commentary by stars like Whoopi Goldberg, but the experience was much the same as it was back in the 70’s – only the TV shows and movies have changed. Longtime attractions like the original Psycho house are still there, but now the tour includes a stop on Wysteria Lane to see the Desperate Housewives. You can still see where Spartacus was filmed, but now you also drive right through the plane crash scene from War of the Worlds. A new Fast and Furious demonstration adds another thrill with two race cars hurtling toward the tram through the magic of hydraulics.

Universal Studios is one of the best and easiest ways to get a close-up view of L.A. movie-making, but there are many other fascinating locations around town. For example, the Paramount Ranch in Agoura Hills was home to productions like Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, the Flintstones: Viva Rock Vegas and numerous TV series. And, did you know that you can visit a Culver City industrial area that was once the “Forty Acre Back lot,” the former location of Mayberry where all the outdoor scenes on the Andy Griffith Show were filmed?

In addition, there are still other interesting studio tours you can take:

Warner Brothers Studios, Burbank – We enjoyed this two-hour tour which we took a few years back. Visitors are escorted in groups of 12 through the Warner Brothers lot, with stops along the way at television and movie sets. All of the sets and props here are real and not just for the benefit of the tourists. Visitors get to see the costume department as well as the mill that creates the sets. Since numerous productions are ongoing at any given time, you may have a better chance here of seeing a star – we didn’t, but it was fun seeing the actual sets for shows like Friends. Phone 818-972-TOUR.

Sony Pictures Studios, Culver City – If you want to visit the studio that made the Wizard of Oz, this is the place. It’s the former MGM Studios and offers a walking tour of the studio’s back lot, sets, sound stages and historic scenery. In more recent years, the studio is where Men in Black and Spiderman were filmed, and where shows like Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune are taped. Phone 323-520-TOUR.

NBC TV Studio Tour, Burbank – These studios are where many a live television show has been taped, including the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The guided walking tour takes you into the warehouses where costumes and props are stored, control room areas and the tour gives you a great overview of how network television is produced. Phone 818-840-3537.

AT A GLANCE

WHERE: Universal Studios Hollywood is located in Universal City, just north of downtown Los Angeles. The theme park is easily accessed using Highway 101 North. General parking is $10 while preferred parking is $20.

WHAT: Universal Studios Hollywood offers the most complete experience of any movie studio tour – a major theme park and a tour through the actual working areas of Universal Studios.

WHEN: Year-round. Keep in mind that summertime temperatures can be warm under direct sun, so wear sunscreen and dress appropriately.

WHY: While the Universal Studios tour is the most slickly produced of the movie studio tours – which is not necessarily an advantage – it offers a major theme park right next door. Any trip to Universal Studios Hollywood is as much about visiting the theme park as the movie studio.

HOW: For more information on Universal Studios Hollywood, phone 1-800-UNIVERSAL or visit www.universalstudioshollywood.com. Admission price for an adult is $59, or $49 online. The Front of the Line Pass is $99.95 per person.

The shoes you wear on your wedding day will affect not only your overall look – but your comfort level as well – so choose wedding shoes with care.

Here are four steps to finding the right wedding shoes.

1) Choose Your Shoe Fabric

While most bridal shoes are made from cloth (usually white satin or silk that can be dyed to match their gowns), there isn’t any rule that says brides have to wear cloth shoes. You can also wear leather, as long as it fits with the look of your gown.

2) Choose Your Color

White wedding shoes are the most common, as brides traditionally wear shoes to match their gowns, which are usually some shade of white. Some brides, however, opt to be a bit more original with their footwear, choosing a metallic shade that matches an accessory or embellishment. Some brides even don blue kicks as their “something blue.”

Don’t obsess about finding an exact match to the color of your gown. Again, you should seek to complement, not perfectly match your getup. Combining slightly different shades of whites or neutrals is not only perfectly acceptable – it also makes for a richer, more compelling look.

3) Get Comfortable Shoes

As you walk down the aisle, those 4 inch stiletto heels may look adorable. But 5 hours and 10 dances later, cute may morph into acute pain with every step. Avoid the blisters with some chicken soup for your sole:



Forego “Something New” – Don’t leave it up to your soles to be your “something new.” If you are not used to wearing 3 inch heels, or you’ve never dared bare your toes in strappy sandals, your wedding day is not the best arena to try out these styles.

Go Designer – If comfort is important to you, consider investing in a high end brand. Although you’ll pay for the high quality fabric and fine craftsmanship, you’ll enjoy better a better fit and greater comfort.

Add Pads – Shoe pads can help prevent slipping and chafing so that you can keep dancing all night. In fact – here’s a little secret – shoe pads can actually make your feet look better by preventing your toes from hanging over the edge of the shoe. You can find a collection of shoe pads made especially for bridal shoes and heels at My Glass Slipper.

Break ‘Em In – A few weeks before the wedding, start wearing your wedding shoes inside for an hour or two at a time. This will break in the fabric, and help you get used to wearing them.

Go Goody Two Shoes- If you find a shoe that pleases the eye, but kills the feet, bring two pairs of shoes. Wear those killer heels for the ceremony and photos, and change into the comfortable pair for dancing and mingling.



4) Choose Your Wedding Shoes Style

Seek to complement these four aspects, and your kicks will be a perfect shoe-in:



The Season – Traditional fashion rules dictate closed toe shoes are appropriate for winter months. However, this rule has relaxed somewhat, especially in warmer climates.

The Formality of Your Wedding Day – A closed toe pump provides most classic and formal look; added embellishments also make a shoe more formal. On the other hand, low sandals, ballet slippers and even jewel studded flip flops complement a more casual event.

Your Dress – Bridal shoes can be adorned with a number of embellishments, such as crystal, rhinestone, bows, beading, and embroidery, so choose ornamentation that complements those on your gown or other accessories. Also consider your hemline; a decorated hemline calls for a simpler shoe style, while embellished shoes can dress up a plain hemline.

Your Venue – If your ceremony or reception takes place on a lawn, beach, or other soft surface, avoid stiletto heels, as they tend to sink into soft ground and sand. Instead look for a wide heel or flat.



Other Style Tips for Wedding Shoes



Avoid any hosiery with open-toed shoes – as the line across the toe should never show.

Remember that higher heels will make your legs look more toned (keeping your calves flexed), and they’ll also ensure better posture.

Make sure you’ve found your shoes before your first fitting, as you’ll need to try them on with the gown so it can be adjusted to the proper length



This complete guide to wedding accessories has even more advice on bridal shoes, veils, gloves, and headpieces.

All women remember since they are young their mothers always telling them to have their hair brushed, to wear clean undergarments, to wear a little lip gloss. The ballet teacher will always complain about your posture or a little love handle here and there. The fashion industry also has its ugly face, sarcastically because of the “perfect” women seen in television and runways worldwide. It is a world where the stress and pressure to remain thin reigns so much that even little girls as young as 5 years old are starting to worry about their bodies and becoming fashion slaves.

Fashion dictates an esthetic very difficult to achieve, especially for the younger generation. Some models are extremely skinny, some in an unhealthy state, and the younger girls believe that this is how they have to look, because these are the women they look up to and the women who sell the clothes that they want to wear. At an early age, every woman learns that to be successful in love or work; makeup, fashion and beauty always play a main role, but limits exist.

Some girls envision that being skinny is the same as being beautiful and this is the greatest misconception in this industry leading to mental and eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. Beauty is skin deep, a beautiful body is not precisely the fit and skinny one, and teenagers for example are always making fun of the “fat” girls at school.

Some advertising campaigns have tried to help this social problem by implementing real women in their ads for the consumer to consider the product even more just by confirming that you don’t have to be as perfect as the models that were associated with it before. Also, some designers and runway producers are implementing weight restrictions for models to appear on their shows, showing that they are healthy, since this has been some of the biggest polemic in the industry for the past years.

These dilemmas not only relate to the runway, it can also translate to a regular shopping day, not all clothing lines count with bigger sizes for regular bodies and this is a great downer for a girls shopping day out when you have skinnier friends who can fit in any mini skirt or tight dress. Clothing should adapt to people, not people to clothes because then, comfort plays a huge part on the depressing and mental problems this person can go through due to mental overweight issues.

It is true that the female image is used to sell everything, but it is important to know that these models selling the clothes are not perfect, it is a profession and their pictures get retouched and manipulated to accomplish the perfect form and figure. Health is not measured in numbers, being a size 14 is a reality in our population, but we can sometimes confuse being skinny with being healthy. You should always be yourself and quit being a fashion slave.