Apology to Gwen Stefani

I would like to apologize to a true local inspiration Gwen Stefani (I went to CSUF and No Doubt would be the first band to play every Fall Semester back in the day), her husband Gavin Rossdale, and their baby Kingston -- for staring. The story goes like this...

In my efforts to shop locally, we decide to take what might be our second ever trip to the Hollywood Farmers Market this past Sunday morning. We walk the market, buy produce and then decide to have lunch there. After getting some food, we successfully score one empty seat at one of those random communal tables, this one happened to be behind the booths. Of course we have no idea what is about to happen, so we simply sit down and start eating.

I look beside me just to be aware of who we were sitting with and think wow, they are dressed up for the market. In my head, I think, they look like amazing Gwen Stefani Family wanna be's. Here is this petite chick, hair done, with perfect skin, lipstick and nails. This is entirely possible since we are in the middle of Hollywood. The pragmatic side says to me, they can't be real because she'd have on a baseball cap, etc, right? So, minding my own business, I check my phone messages and talk about the fun evening at an art opening the night before. Casually, I catch another glimpse...Huh?

This really can't be... Gwen Stefani sitting next to me!? Her elbow is seriously inches away from my elbow. She is out here in broad daylight? Suddenly, I become beyond myself trying to figure this out. I am not quite convinced because she was so regular, easy going, laughing, playing with her baby, but just dressed up in a glamorous way. I have regulars friends who dress fabulous. I proceed to stare, rationalizing by thinking we are in public, I can be that weird person today. Crazy, right? I blatantly check out her outfit, her husband's outfit, their little lo key stroller. She is eating out of styrofoam for god's sake! Of course the baby is the only brave one to acknowledge the fact that I was starring because he looks right back!!

It was at this point that I wish I would've given the baby a smile, as I normally would have to any other adorable baby, to break the awkwardness that was developing, but I am simply having this out of body experience. I should've figured out it was her after spying the huge jewels on her fingers, but honestly, I was really really confused and, I guess at one point, frozen in time, having no idea that my eyes were invasively inspecting every inch of these people, trying to find some sort of clue!

They speak softly so I can't confirm based on their voices which we know so well. Gavin gets out his camera to take pictures of the baby with his messy mouthful of so-so mexican food (plate of food in photo above). Too cute. They leave gracefully at which time I say, she looked so much like Gwen Stefani, wow. Uh, yeah... because it was!!!

I don't usually get star struck and it would've been fine seeing them maybe ten feet away, but, she was sitting seriously right next to me, we could've been best friends sharing a meal together!! She even left her baby sitting alone with me just for a second. Her husband gave my husband a chin up. Ya. It was confirmed by the girl who sat in their place after they left. She said she saw Gwen at Whole Foods all time time and had even been in one of her videos as an extra. For about fifteen minutes, I totally flipped out. I called a friend who I knew I could gush with.

Four hours later, however, I feel SO guilty that I stared and didn't just treat them like some cool local people we happen to share a table with at farmers market with. So I am SO sorry Stefani-Rossdales!! I promise never to invade anyone's relaxing Sunday morning again, celebrity or not!! It was an honor sitting next to your beautiful family and learning that we not all so far apart!!