Out and about: Shirley MacLaine, stopping to get coffee at Starbucks in DeVargas Center, last Tuesday. The Oscar winner also purchased a newspaper , grabbed her drink and was off. Perhaps she was checking on her jewelry line, sold at Queen's Ransom, also in the downtown mall.

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Santa Fe's Jodi Garber-Simon, now living in Washington, D.C., had a brush with fame last Saturday. First lady Michelle Obama was eating at Oyamel at Seventh and D streets Northwest. Garber-Simon and her husband, Neil, were able to watch as the popular first lady exited the restaurant after dining. She has, explains Garber-Simon, "amazing posture." Garber-Simon, a Santa Fe Prep graduate, is the daughter of Bruce and Gloria Garber.

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Mark your calendars: A spiffy convention for mystery fans, by mystery fans, is coming to Santa Fe in 2011. We'll be "The Big Chile," with the activities taking place at La Fonda on March 11-14, 2011. Called Left Coast Crime, the annual event is held during the first quarter of the calendar year somewhere in Western North America.

The lifetime honoree in 2011 will be Martin Cruz Smith, with "toastmaster" Steve Brewer, a mystery writer and former Albuquerque Journal reporter. Guest of honor will be Margaret Coel, whose mysteries are set among the Arapaho people.

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Downtown was humming last week as the curious stopped to see what was going on at the new coffee shop on Washington. Of course, readers of El Mitote knew that the Burrito Company turned Coffee Beanery was the site of filming for Due Date, starring Robert Downey Jr.

And speaking of Downey, he made number three on a recent "Sexiest Movie Stars of All Time," behind No. 1 Johnny Depp and No. 2 Robert Pattinson. The top vote-getter for females was Megan Fox, also New Mexico-bound. She'll be here soon for Passion Play starring Mickey Rourke. The poll was by Empire magazine.

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Pojoaque Pueblo Gov. George Rivera is off to Washington, D.C., where his bronze sculpture Buffalo Dancer II will be installed in front of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. The 12-foot-bronze is going up Wednesday. During Native American Month in November, dancers from Pojoaque Pueblo will travel to D.C. and perform several dances at the site of the sculpture.

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Julia Roberts is finishing up Eat, Pray, Love in Bali after three weeks of filming in India. The film, about an American woman who takes her life in a completely different direction, is scheduled for release in 2011.

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Get ready to be scared: the spookiest haunted house in town is coming Friday and Saturday at the DeVargas Center, presented by the mall, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern New Mexico, the Elks, the Santa Fe Fire Department, the Santa Fe Police Department, Regal Cinemas and Charlie Dalton.

There's a haunted house 5-10 p.m. Friday and 5-11 p.m. Saturday and an old-fashioned Frightfest from 1 p.m.-1 a.m. Saturday with games, a costume contest, pumpkin patch and trick or treating. At 11 p.m. Saturday, enjoy a special screening of The Exorcist. Admission and game prices vary, but are inexpensive, and all proceeds benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters. Scary!

Send any star sightings or local news of interest to elmitote@sfnewmexican.com. We're waiting!