hello.

We’re sure that over the last few months you’ve come to realize that here at L’CHAIM, we are all about living life to the fullest and getting as much joy out of each day as possible. Which is why we’re also sure that you’ll understand why we’ve made the decision to combine December and January into one issue so that you can spend some time with your family, while we do the same with ours. (We’re welcoming a new member of the L’CHAIM family any day now, and we are so excited about it!) Even though we’re taking a small break, we decided to give you the best content we could. In this issue, we’re taking a look at the arts in San Diego, and all that makes seeing a live performance so wonderful.

Theater can make you smile, lift your spirits and leave you feeling elated. It’s given us great hope for the world and even inspired some of us to perform ourselves. (See pages 9 and 26; respectively, for more on our columnists experiences behind the curtain.) Great performances have the power to stir something inside of all of us, and we’re lucky to live in a place where there are so many great choices when it comes to entertainment. Just take a look at page 20 for one example of how transformative theater can be, and catch Devra Gregory when she performs as none other than the King of Pop himself at the Horton Grand in December (you heard us—a woman as Michael Jackson—why aren’t you getting up to buy tickets now?).

Also in this issue, and just in time for those holiday gatherings you’re sure to be attending, you’ll find a list of the latest and greatest kosher wines. Even if your hosts don’t keep kosher, we’re sure they’ll be impressed with anything other than the same-old, sticky sweet stand-by we’ve all had too many times before. And if they do, you just might impress their socks off with something they haven’t heard of or tried before. Finally, if you’re wishing for a new look as December 2014 turns to January 2015, you’ll just have to turn to page 28 to learn all about the latest trends in hair, makeup and fashion this time of year. You’ll be happy you did; our beauty experts are fantastic and local; so if you want more after reading, they aren’t too far away for a personal consultation.

We think we’ve put together a great issue to round out our first in business, and we hope that you’ll continue on this journey with us in the next year because we have a lot more up our sleeves. And don’t be sad with your time alone; whether it’s catching a show at the La Jolla Playhouse (see page 16 for more on that), cruising around town looking for the best donut spot (page 22) or even taking a moment to pamper yourself with the Beaute Nouveau Experience (check out page 12!), sometimes we all need a little more “me” time. So relax for a little bit, and we’ll see you in 2015! Try not to miss us too much; during the break, we’ll be working on the next installment of L’CHAIM, full of what you’ve come to expect from us: FUN!