Makeover

The first phase of the multi-stage unveiling of the Fantasyland makeover has moved into "soft opening" mode in advance of an official unveiling later this month at the Magic Kingdom in Florida. Photos: Fantasyland expansion at the Magic Kingdom Three years in the making, the new Fantasyland at Orlando's Walt Disney World resort adds a Little Mermaid dark ride and a Seven Dwarfs roller coaster while updating the classic Dumbo ride and recreating the village from "Beauty and the Beast.

A change is in store for the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens’ main display of its rare books, manuscripts, drawings, photography and other literary and historical  holdings -- including a Gutenberg Bible from the 1450s, a 1623 First Folio edition of Shakespeare’s plays and a gigantic first edition copy of John James Audubon’s “Birds of America.

Nike revealed its new NFL uniforms Tuesday. And unlike the somewhat unconventional looks of the company's college apparel, the pro football garments are sticking with a mostly traditional look ... with one exception. The Seattle Seahawks were the only team that requested a new look from Nike, which took over the NFL clothing license from Reebok on April 1. And, boy, did they ever get a new look. Anyone who thinks neon went out in the '80s with lip gloss and plastic bracelets may need to think again.

A historic — and some say haunted — Los Angeles hospital that has been closed for two decades is set to be converted into apartments for low-income seniors in a $40-million makeover. Linda Vista Community Hospital is an imposing relic from the days when railroads took care of their sick and injured employees in company facilities. Originally known as Santa Fe Coast Lines Hospital, it was built for employees of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in Boyle Heights, a blue-collar neighborhood east of the city's rail yards and home to many railroad workers.

This month's makeover Who: Bronwen Aker Income: $80,000 a year Assets: Three-bedroom home on national forest land appraised at and insured for $250,000. Debts: $23,000 in credit card debt; $11,700 in student loans; $10,000 owed in probate fees on grandmother's estate. Recommendations: If possible, sell the home and buy one away from the forest for $300,000 or less. With other proceeds, pay off credit cards and probate fees. If unable to sell home, reduce rent by $500 by moving elsewhere.

Although the makeover movie genre often thrusts men into padded superhero suits, the silver screen has offered up a handful of memorable male metamorphoses that required little more than a change of clothes, a shift of the shoulder and an attitude adjustment. Among some of the standouts: "The Nutty Professor" (1963) Jerry Lewis didn't need no stinkin' fat suit in the original version of his Jekyll and Hyde romp (later remade starring Eddie Murphy in said fat suit). Lewis transformed his character with just buckteeth and a bowl cut for the nerdy before and an eye-catching blue tuxedo, pink shirt and smoldering swagger for the after.

The Hotel Normandie, a mid-Los Angeles inn with a checkered past, is on the way to becoming respectable again as its new owners labor to restore its Jazz Age charms. It's a testament to how fortunes have improved in one of the city's oldest neighborhoods that investors are eager to spend millions of dollars restoring a beaten down building with a modest pedigree. The squat brick structure at Normandie Avenue and 6th Street drew attention in 2010 when its then-owner vowed to turn it into a "pot-tel" catering to medical marijuana smokers.

In its prior incarnation, the grille was hideously toy-like. And the car, as a whole, lacked the sort of styling panache buyers of luxury sport sedans demand when they lay down $40,000-plus. But the Acura TL for 2012 has gone under the knife and gotten a Heidi Montag makeover to enhance its physique and overall allure. Now in its fourth generation, the TL has been plumped to slightly larger proportions and pumped up under the hood. Honda Motor Co.'s luxury marquee has put a lot of effort into finessing its bestselling sedan, upgrading its style, performance and fuel economy in recognition of the significance of the entry-level premium vehicle segment.

Its exterior is classic California bungalow with beveled siding, wood-trimmed windows and a cheery gabled roof. But inside the Venice house, owners David and Jennifer Ritch live with clean lines, an open floor plan and modern furnishings. Can the two styles -- cottage and contemporary -- coexist? How can 1906 California architecture meld with the design preferences of its 2009 occupants? The Ritches asked themselves those questions when they decided not to demolish a 950-square-foot bungalow that the city of Los Angeles had already cited as a public eyesore.

Are you just out of college and still trying to lose your freshman 15? Did you recently start a family but are unsure how to meet everyone's nutritional needs? Are your roommates' bad dietary habits undermining your attempts to eat healthful foods? Then you may be a candidate for our next Pantry Raid. We're looking for volunteers to participate in our Pantry Raid series in which we overhaul diets and give practical suggestions for eating and cooking more healthfully. We'll come to your house with a registered dietitian who will go through your refrigerator, freezer and cabinets and suggest ways to improve your eating habits.

In a bid to pull more users away from rival Google Inc., Microsoft Corp. said Thursday it is rolling out the most significant revamp of Bing since its search engine's 2009 launch. "Over the coming weeks, we will be introducing a brand new way to search designed to help you take action and interact with friends and experts without compromising the core search experience," Microsoft's Bing Team said in a blog post. Leveraging its relationship with Facebook, Microsoft said the new features will personalize the search experience to make it more relevant to users.

Owners of the Glendale Galleria have launched a massive makeover intended to update the regional shopping center in downtown Glendale. Improvements to the 1.5-million-square-foot center will include the previously announced addition of a Bloomingdale's department store in the space formerly occupied by Mervyns. The Bloomingdale's store is set to open next year. Other changes will be the most comprehensive since the mall opened in 1976 and "nothing short of dramatic," General Manager Larry Martin said.

A lot has been made of organic cotton and other eco-friendly fabrics made from Tencel, hemp and bamboo as fashion rides the mega-trend of environmentalism. But recycled clothes purchased at thrift and consignment stores, as well as upcycled items reworked from out-of-date castoffs, may be an even greener choice. Almost half of the climate impact of clothing occurs before it reaches consumers. It was this idea I embraced when I hired a wardrobe consultant for a desperately needed eco fashion makeover.

Nike revealed its new NFL uniforms Tuesday. And unlike the somewhat unconventional looks of the company's college apparel, the pro football garments are sticking with a mostly traditional look ... with one exception. The Seattle Seahawks were the only team that requested a new look from Nike, which took over the NFL clothing license from Reebok on April 1. And, boy, did they ever get a new look. Anyone who thinks neon went out in the '80s with lip gloss and plastic bracelets may need to think again.

Former Von Dutch chief executive and clothier Tonny Sorensen — who gained recognition for popularizing a trucker cap bearing the company name and using celebrities to promote the brand — has left his own signature on his personal residence in Beverly Hills and put it on the market at $6.9 million. The gated Midcentury Modern was built in 1961 but completely redone by the Danish entrepreneur. He combined his love of minimalism and high-quality materials in the single-story, 6,000-square-foot home.

The first phase of the multi-stage unveiling of the Fantasyland makeover has moved into "soft opening" mode in advance of an official unveiling later this month at the Magic Kingdom in Florida. Photos: Fantasyland expansion at the Magic Kingdom Three years in the making, the new Fantasyland at Orlando's Walt Disney World resort adds a Little Mermaid dark ride and a Seven Dwarfs roller coaster while updating the classic Dumbo ride and recreating the village from "Beauty and the Beast.

After 10 years of contentious discussions, the Los Angeles Harbor Commission is expected to vote today on a $1.2-billion project designed to transform the San Pedro waterfront into a vibrant commercial district. The action would bring to a close a master-planning process that some in the seaside community thought would never end. But the struggles over what should arise along 400 acres available for development are just getting started. The project calls for replacing the ailing Ports O' Call Village tourist spot with up to 300,000 square feet of new restaurants and shops and a 75,000-square-foot conference center.

Much of the real estate market is still stuck in deep winter, but Highland Park is showing signs of spring. Investors have descended on this and other communities in Northeast Los Angeles, snatching up bargain-priced Craftsman homes located within an easy distance of downtown. It's an echo of the housing boom, only this time speculators are drawn by the crash in prices. Attracted by an abundance of foreclosures and aided by interest rates near record lows, renovators are giving distressed properties a makeover.

Are you just out of college and still trying to lose your freshman 15? Did you recently start a family but are unsure how to meet everyone's nutritional needs? Are your roommates' bad dietary habits undermining your attempts to eat healthful foods? Then you may be a candidate for our next Pantry Raid. We're looking for volunteers to participate in our Pantry Raid series in which we overhaul diets and give practical suggestions for eating and cooking more healthfully. We'll come to your house with a registered dietitian who will go through your refrigerator, freezer and cabinets and suggest ways to improve your eating habits.