omar the tent maker and the baby doll

don't you hate it when you eat too much and have to undo that top button? and who wants to wear pants with an elastic waist band. thank god for the ubiquitous baby doll dress. it's the dress of summer out here in L.A., and i for one am working this hard. i found this great one at gap (i almost never shop there and was happy to stumble upon this) now i know, you're thinking, "mama cass" or maybe it's just a little too maternity for you. but i'm telling you, it's more mia farrow--- it flatters everyone. look, here's me, making mac and cheese (again) wearing my sweet little b.d.d. my pattern (no twister jokes please) is way cuter than the grey one. but the grey one is not so bad either. oh and i got this for 30.00 dollars on sale! deal! what shoe to wear? oh you can wear your havianas, a sweet little sandal or a cute little ballet flat. here's another find, from old navy. a nice linen. i bought mine in cream. ($29.99) and am wearing it with these shoes (which are an awesome addition to any wardrobe. by sam edelman and found at zappos.com for $85.00)... to a little soiree by the beach this very eve. this little baby doll trend, will surely bring you comfort and joy and i promise you won't look like omar the tent maker's daughter or mama cass for that matter.

pierre frey pillows

check out the pillow find at pierre frey. these might be just a tad too 'coastal living' for me. but i think the sail boats could be pretty cute on a white sofa for summer. these would be great in a little girls room with the luludk 'madison' sheets and the serena and lily 'damask' bedding.

gang art

bird hanging, originally uploaded by bungalow8.

these birds are all over l.a. right now. does anyone know what they are? it's usually a p.r. stunt. we had a graphic artist, here in the beach cities,

do this with his 'hippy trees' to, sort of, brand his image. i remember reading somewhere that gangs will often throw tennis shoes up on to a wire to signify territory. (ok, if you're a gang member, reading this, and i have it all wrong, please don't laugh at me. i'm a suburban white girl. what would i know about the g-man--i just report what i read.....G)

in the dog house

first there was milo....found in a shelter in beverly hills. i was guilted into taking him by the volunteers. he seemed old then, maybe a 3 year commitment, 6 years later, covered in tumors and a case of diabetes, he's still truckin'. sort of the black sheep. not a real looker but the nicest dog i've ever owned. then there was george. pure bred, researched, actually paid money for.... sort of my step-dog. one of those slow, lumbering labs. aka 'the tank'. known for his looks (sort of the blonde quarter back type) now there's fred. fred was another freebie. found roaming south central L.A. (think rodney king) about a month ago. spastic, sweet bouncing off the walls....maybe a year old. we all live in a tiny beach bungalow. it's insane. and i swifter about 20 times a day.

gang art update----danglebird

danglebird. that's what they're called. they're the work of venice, artist-- 4eightyone. here are a few Q and As from the an interview with the artist.

Q: How many are there in L.A.? A: I've thrown up about 200 here.

Q: Anywhere else? A: Yeah, San Francisco and Santa Barbara. And I'll be in New York next week to put a bunch up. And then possibly France in March.

Q: It seems the birds have taken on a life of their own. A: They have and it's really weird because that was not my initial goal.

Q: What was your goal? A: My whole thing is -- and I don't know if it sounds selfish -- it was really about me just having fun.

Q: So there's no meaning or message there? A: I haven't really released or told anyone the meaning of it. The thing is I've heard so many different interpretations. People think they're about "peace" or they're this and that. And I'm fine with that. Let them have that. I'm not going to dispute it. I don't like to use this example but it's like when a kid finds out there's no santa. Why should I take the imagination and mystery away from somebody?

Q: What's the overall reaction that you've experienced about the birds? A: I haven't heard anything negative about it. It's all been positive and that right there makes me feel even better. This is something that I enjoy and other people are freaking out over. It's awesome.

Q: How do you decide where to install your birds? Do you have any help? A: No, it's all me. I do everything myself. When I first started since I know Venice fairly well I knew what the key intersections were and went from there. As far as the rest of the city, I'll find myself driving sometimes just going to get something to eat in the Midcity area or around Museum Row and I'll see a wire and either write it down or remember it. Other times I'll be out and I'll say "Let's do this one." Other times it's a full on night mission. It all depends. Maybe I'll start at like 12 and sometimes it'll end at like 6 a.m. so much for my gangster art theory. this interview was snagged from blogging.la.com

sale on!

what do you make it mean? we all make things mean something based on our past experiences, and michelle caplan's work puts this exercise to play through her gorgeous work. and here's the fabulous thing-----i just found out that she's having a sale over at her sale blog if somehow you haven't had the opportunity to fall in love with her work, here are a few of her pieces: i love the whole collage look and michelle is a master at this. using ephemera and vintage photography to create a story and evoke a connection. to every viewer, they mean something different. i love this one, as my household is all women/girls (spare the dog, milo) this strong looking woman with the beautiful flowers growing next to her...such a metaphor! this one i loved immediately and thought would be great for my friends, who just bought their first home. it's entitled, 'housewarming' what a perfect gift. loving anything to do with water...this would be so perf in my beach house. the bonus is that these are really really reasonably priced. go check her stuff out, because the sale ends july 3. go! now! seriously...before they're all gone.

peace out

happy canada day weekend!

i just want to acknowledge and thank all of my, many, canadian readers. canada oh canada. some of the most beautiful country.

styling by the book

we should know better, but you gotta admit sometimes, a cover says it all.... the ever stylish, stylecourt recently posted on books often seen on the scene. that is, books often spied in 'shelter' rags. this one grabbed my attention. because, who doesn't like a little zebra? and what a great way to infuse it. the one she found was on parishotelboutique.com which is a really great little site but this is a first addition and so goes for $85.00. (a little steep in my book) but if you go to alibiris.com (like i did) you can find one for $18.00 there are a few other books oft used by designers such as miles redd as finishing props. here are 3 that he likes to pile on a coffee table for their content but mostly for the vignette they create. this: an omnibus of several decades of the fashion and travel magazine 'flair' this hot pink book, aptly named, 'shocking life' by elsa schiaparelli and...... our lord and savior...david hicks and then of course, albert hadley (who apparently doesn't like to have any fun) had to get all sancitmonious and designery on us and added his 2 cents on this whole trend. "I hope people have more respect for books" then he warms up. "of course, if you have a pile of them," he says, 'you do put the best looking one on the top" thanks 'dad'---way to make us all feel like total insipid poseurs trying too hard. i should add, the hadley quote is from an old 'house beautiful'

high art

AirCraft, The Jet as Art, photos by Jeffrey Milstein---a 104 page, full color, hardcover book, published by Abrams. these would be beautiful, framed, in a sophisticated (oxymoron) boy's room (right next to the starwars posters)

bic pen chandelier

i remember being bored in chemistry class (told you i was a lousy student), tossing my bic pen up toward the acoustical tile, trying to make it stick. just think, if i could have actually accomplished the goal?....i may have created this... a chandelier made entirely out of bic pens! made by enPieza! cool. really cool when it's lighted (lit? lighted?) the price is not cheap: one thousand doll hairs. (you're paying for the art here).

124

remember that posting on the vintage gas station numbers? today i was driving along, and i saw them in action. look how cute! i also like the funny little container garden. very shaggy beachy surfer-dude-ish

my dirty little secret

in this posting i am going to expose "my dirty little secret". that is, a room in my house that i avoid showing to the public. it's most likely going to have 'cottage living' all but quit emailing me about shooting my house, but i can promise you, no other design blog has done this one. also, according to the tenets of blogging, you need headlines that 'grab!' people's attention. (can't wait for the icky guy who google's 'dirty little secret' and ends up here!) so i figured why not? i think there's way too much gilding of the lily going on around here sometimes. ok...so... ready? here we go. deep breathe (and hold your nose, it smells like mouse cage up here) this is my 6 year old's bedroom. this is about as clean as it gets. and this is every interior designer's nightmare: a child who, by god, will NOT let you art direct her room and then, as if thumbing her nose at my need for order and beauty was not enough, she has the hygiene of an absolute, frat-boy of the john belushi variety. dirty clothes on the floor, stickers on the walls, clothes left hanging from the dresser. ARRRRGHHH!!! makes me INSANE. in the begining there was an effort to make this into a sweet little loft. nice vintage iron bed, bedding by house, vintage finds of different varities. but bit by bit, hello kitty entered the room, followed by american girl dolls, followed by millions of tiny pieces of 'stuff' and try as i might to organize, every day looks like a toy bomb went off in the room. so i avoid it. and to a six year old, the only thing that matters is 'fun'! and apparently it's way more fun to be a piglet than a mini-me.