Iam Toluca Lake born and raised! I moved several times throughout my life, but always seem to find myself back in my beautiful hometown. I’ve always loved the sense of village community, but what I love most as an adult is how diverse the neighborhood has become. It makes me even more proud to live in such an inclusive village of creatives and working professionals.
We are a very creative family, so my daughter, Jaxon, and I are entertaining ourselves with lots of walks with our 12-year-old dog, Foxy Brown, as well as art projects, bike rides, gardening, learning Spanish together and a lot of music and cooking! I’m a DJ professionally, so my industry is completely on ice right now, but I am a creative to the core, so for me there is always something to do. It’s been an interesting time of reflection, and I love the time and space to really dive into projects that have been sitting on a growing to-do list.
I’ve been fusing together my passions of music, cooking and entertaining, to inspire myself and others. I’m spending a lot of time going through my record collection, producing a lot of mixes to give people soundtracks for their ever-changing moods and emotions during this time. Music, food and wine are the trifecta remedy for anything, right? I started a cooking series called “The Closet Chef” where I share family recipes, and once a month I’m doing a “Dinner & A Mix” where I curate a menu and a mix for people to create their own dinner party, whether it’s a party of one or a virtual gathering with friends and family. I want to inspire the closet chef in people. Food from the soul is one of the greatest ways to connect with people. My mother was an amazing cook and she inspired that passion in me, so it’s come full circle — now I cook for her. She’s 78 and can’t leave the house, so I bring her lunch and dinner every day, trying to find ways to keep her smiling. It’s really a tough time for her generation on a myriad of levels. It’s a tough time for everyone, but I’m just focusing on being grateful and positive — staying busy and active has been the key for us!
I’ve seen such warm support of small businesses with neighbors ordering daily from our beloved restaurants that decorate Riverside Drive, and people out on their walks exchanging compassionate hellos to everyone they pass … and don’t get me started on the incredible job Trader Joe’s has done. I’m there a few times a week and they’ve been an absolute rock for this neighborhood! We love that entire staff!
My advice is to take this opportunity to get to know your neighbors, look out for one another and exchange contact information so you’re prepared just in case you need to communicate as a part of a collective. And we have a huge dog community here, so for those who are dog parents like myself, please keep your dogs on a leash, no matter the size or breed and whether in your front yard or not. We all have all the time in the world right now to take all precautions.
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