mission accomplished

two years ago, i not only fulfilled my dream to take a woodworking class, but also embarked upon an endeavor that was quite an ambitious undertaking. i decided i was going to build a dining table that was featured in an Elle Decor article, and recreate the kitchen island/bench that was a part of it. at that point in time, we had broken ground on the construction project where said dining table & kitchen island/bench would be housed and projected another 6-8 months until it would be habitable. i figured 3 months for the class to complete the project plus another 3-6 months until the building was ready for the table to be used, no problem! boy, was that a major miscalculation!

here we are, 2 years later, and the table has finally come out from its hibernation in pieces, awaiting final assembly. and boy was it worth the wait. luckily, i had help with this, as being the visionary and perfectionist that i am was not enough to manifest this dream. i was told by contractors that the island/bench could not be done, as well as my parents asking where i would find a table to fit this so-called island bench and me responding with, "i'll make one!" (yeah right!). soon their disbelief was toppled by shear wonder as to how this was actually happening - their daughter and her then boyfriend, driving out to Otis College of Art & Design in El Segundo out from Huntington Beach 2, sometimes 3 times a week - me, an absolute beginner and him, having had some exposure observing as a young child in his grandfather's wood shop - a total recipe for success if i don't say so myself!

not only did we take on the largest project the teacher has ever seen, especially by beginners, but we also made something work that the teacher was not totally sure would! i had the magazine cutout and the will to make it happen no matter what and Conor had the engineering mind (it helps that he is a guy) and good sense of adventure. together we made it work and finally this weekend we put it all together: a 7 1/2 ft. long solid walnut table with stools. tada!!!!!

architect's paradise

today i had an hour and a half between appointments downtown. i finally made it to the los angeles central library, a work of art unto it's own, to check out the richard neutra exhibit of sketches and drawings. wow. so inspiring. an hour was not enough and i must go back. it made me so happy to see his renderings in pastels, one of my favorite mediums.



i also had my nifty polaroid on me and snapped this amazing chandelier of the globe hanging from a magnificent dome, celestially hovering above as if we were in outer space perceiving the constellations from beyond.



leaving the library, i noticed so many details about the architecture of the grounds and surrounding cityscape. i love my polaroid. and the iphoto editing feature.

hail mar(c)y

tonight i was reminded yet again how much i love getting my haircut at hairroin salon in hollywood. the haircuts just keep getting sweeter and sweeter. my hairdresser marcy rules. i wish i never had to "step out of the salon" so i could keep the perfection going for eternity. the haircuts are always exactly what i want at the moment and I never have to worry about a thing because marcy knows how to please. but i am especially in love with the latest and greatest and had to capture the moment in the salon boudoire:

striking a pose



so shiny



seeing this makes me smile every time



next time?



which inevitably may lead to...

late summer days

the overwhelming heat has simmered down (at lease for the moment), labor day has passed and the light crispness of indian summer air is awakening to welcome fall, my favorite time of year.

a few highlights from the last days of summer:

girls gone wild - our san diego getaway! (pre-polaroid days cheating with poladroid)

steaming hot mamas in our hotel room shower


sipping tea at the spa



i actually bought the Polaroid SX-70 SLR Vintage Land Camera i set out to get almost 3 weeks ago and have been getting acquainted with it, especially at my parent's new home, the one we have been laboring over for 6 years!

garden oasis









my friend layla's baby girl came with the full moon on september 4. name yet tbd, although i have a hunch it may have something to do with lily, the moon lily...

sprouting up

i can't believe i have not been to the silver lake farmers' market yet. today it happened. it could not have been more perfect. on my way home from the office today on labor day weekend, just as i approached the market, i thought to myself, i want to go to the market!" i saw a guy carrying a watermelon on his shoulder and i have been insanely craving watermelon lately and wanted to buy some. magically, a car pulled out from a parking spot on sunset blvd. right in front of me. i had to pull in, there was no excuse!

wandering down the market, the first stand that drew me in was the display of sprouts - all varieties, and i had to check it out. the lady proceeded to tell me all of the different kinds of sprouts she had, but honestly, i was so engrossed in the idea of having finally made it to the market and how it brought back so many memories of being in Healdsburg and being inspired by the daily fresh pickings, i phased out what she was saying. i remembered the mustard greens we used to make sandwiches and salads with. fading back into the present moment, i managed to record a couple of the names - alfalfa, bean, spicy mix - she said they would be great in a salad with tomatoes and I asked if she could prepare a mix for me, thinking of the last bits of butter lettuce i had in the fridge. i love simple salads. the simpler, the better. herbs and lettuce are my favorite. why not sprouts and lettuce?

off i went to venture through the rest of the market and then i saw these cherry heirloom tomatoes that looked divine. remembering the sprout lady's suggestion, i grabbed a bag of the mini tomatoes.




i am so thankful for that inspiration. why don't i do this all the time? the salad was perfection.

-prepare a simple vinaigrette in your favorite bowl large enough for the whole salad:
-red wine vinegar, olive oil, fresh cracked sea salt and the secret ingredient: fresh cracked citrus pepper
-cut cherry heirlooms in halves and toss in bowl
-add mix of sprouts
-tear some butter lettuce leaves into bowl
-toss all together

fashion forward

i have been meaning to post something about this magnificent store Confederacy in los feliz for some time now. ever since i bought my Vena Cava dress, Opening Ceremony shoes and Whitely Kros jumpsuit, i am totally in love. it just keeps getting better and better as i unravel the inner makings of this fashion world unto its own.








for starters, ilaria urbinati co-founder of confederacy and style maven extraordinaire, is beyond inspiring. secondly, i just came across Vena Cava's blog, by way of ivanhoe books blog and connected the dots that i have one of their designs, purchased in Confederacy! but my heart skipped a beat and my jaw dropped when i came across this on Vena Cava's blog - utterly mineral forest! the crystalarium collection

diamonds in the rough

echo park may still be a little rough around the edges, but when it comes to fashion and design, step aside. the new kids on the block are going to blow your mind (i know they have mine!)



ladyboy (6 years in the hood) is the perfect example. just visiting the website alone makes me smile, but if you ever catch yourself on Echo Park Avenue, you must stop into Megan & Robbie's world - the dynamic duo owners have captured everything rad about the 80's when it comes to foot ware. I can't wait to buy my own pair, or two!






i have not yet been to mohawk general store and i know i will beat myself up about it forever when i finally do manage to make it because i know in my heart of hearts that this place will rock my world. the shoe collection alone is reason enough to shop here. but the rest of it is equally amazing and i think the blog is pretty awesome as well.

design therapy

there's nothing like stepping into the quintessential design boutique. i feel like i grow wings and take flight as every corner has it's own unique feng shui. everything is perfectly placed and it all flows. i am in heaven. nothing can go wrong when i meander through the mock living spaces and treasure all of the accessories, the way they are arranged. it brings me back to my childhood, when all i would love to do was play "store" with my sister. we would set up shop, so to speak, and our bedrooms would be the the playground, the boutique, if you will. anything was up for grabs and we would barter. it was the exchange of stuffed animals for little trinkets, books, even furniture pieces. I couldn't wait to play store. the anticipation elated me. i would arrange my book case as if it were a display cabinet in a chic designer boutique. i would dust and place everything just so, as if i were the proud proprietor of this imaginary storefront.

i found one of these enchanted kingdoms on my trip to Seattle, in Ballard, my favorite neighborhood. it's a family run business with a fantastic selection of modern vintage and recycled furnishings and home accessories.

Collective
5339 Ballard Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107
(206) 782-1900







i've always fantasized about living in Silver Lake, in a mid-century modern home nestled up in the hills just off Silver Lake Blvd. and within walking distance of the reservoire. since the early years when i first discovered this alluring neighborhood (back in college!), i knew there was something to this place, and sure enough, it has blown up in terms of trendiness and is now officially on the map of advante-garde design. funky and ultra cool retail stores have then since sprouted up and i am speechless as i am discovering these gems one by one.

last week it was Yolk - "free range design" is their slogan. i absolutely fell in love. i immediately went into "nesting mode" as i dreamed of wedding and baby shower registries. everything is darling, adorable, and just plain rocks. leave it to those swedes to know how to do it up!





but when it comes to serious design, of the not so "within reach" kind, (ie. for the serious connoisseur and serious pocketbook), there is lawson-fenning. this one caught my eye two-fold: i had seen the storefront on my way back to the car from Yolk last week and saw books - really neat and groovy books, of the coffee table sort. i mentally filed it in my "places to go" but didn't realize how urgently i needed to make a visit to this place until today when after stopping in Yolk to buy a wedding present (thank you Jamila & Patrick for a reason to shop there!!!) I noticed the words "lawson-fenning" stenciled on the window. this rang a bell and like a dog zeroing in on just the right spot to mark it's territory, i marched straight in and was entranced from the very moment i entered. (cue angels singing accompanied by harp) not only is this the most orgasmic design boutique I've been into in a while, there is a killer bookstore in the back to boot: ivanhoe books : art and design. pure bliss.



and the lawson-fenning website has several links to equally glorious and like-minded designers and artists like this one: atwater pottery. i think i was a potter in a past life, because something inexplicable happens to me when I see this work.