until next year

pantone's color for 2011

A Color for All Seasons
Courageous. Confident. Vital. A brave new color, for a brave new world. Let the bold spirit of Honeysuckle infuse you, lift you and carry you through the year. It’s a color for every day – with nothing “everyday” about it.

And I would add: a little goes a long way!

From the Pantone website: Honeysuckle emboldens us to face everyday troubles with verve and vigor. A dynamic reddish pink, Honeysuckle is encouraging and uplifting. It elevates our psyche beyond escape, instilling the confidence, courage and spirit to meet the exhaustive challenges that have become part of everyday life.

Add a lively flair to interior spaces with Honeysuckle patterned pillows, bedspreads, small appliances and tabletop accessories. Looking for an inexpensive way to perk up your home? Paint a wall in Honeysuckle for a dynamic burst of energy in the family room, kitchen or hallway.

And then there's the Visa card. Let your purchases say who you are - really? Go here to apply for one.

PANTONE 18-2120 Honeysuckle Vibrant, Energetic, Captivating

PANTONE 14-0941 Beeswax Warm, Optimistic, Enlightened
PANTONE 16-1452 Firecracker Cheerful, Dynamic, Tuned In
PANTONE 15-3817 Lavender Insightful, Intuitive, Spiritual
PANTONE 18-4039 Regatta Trustworthy, Cool, Confident

'tis the day

life in topanga

After seven days of rain (9"), the sun finally came out and a rainbow emerged.

silvertip fir

SILVERTIP FIR (RED FIR - CALIFORNIA RED FIR) -- Abies magnifica

The California Red Fir, commonly referred to as a "Silvertip", are trees native to the high mountains of northern California and southern Oregon. The Silvertip is famous for its open, layered appearance and the silvery - green color of the tips of the tree. If you hear someone talking about an old fashion Christmas tree, they are more than likely talking about the Silvertip.

I had seen these trees at parties but never at a Christmas tree lot to purchase. But I found a lot in Woodland Hills that carries them. It's probably the most beautiful and most unique tree I've ever had.

winter solstice

The 2010 winter solstice will occur on Tuesday December 21, at 6:38 pm GMT.


The winter solstice occurs exactly when the Earth's axial tilt is farthest away from the sun at its maximum of 23° 26'. Though the winter solstice lasts only a moment in time, the term is also a turning point to midwinter or the first day of winter to refer to the day on which it occurs. More evident to those in high latitudes, this occurs on the shortest day, and longest night, and the sun's daily maximum position in the sky is the lowest. The seasonal significance of the winter solstice is in the reversal of the gradual lengthening of nights and shortening of days. Depending on the shift of the calendar, the winter solstice occurs on December 21 or 22 each year in the Northern Hemisphere, and June 20 or 21 in the Southern Hemisphere.

via wikipedia

lunar eclipse

Total lunar eclipse visible Monday night

The moon will be shadowed by the Earth starting late Monday and into Tuesday morning, the first such eclipse in nearly three years. The event can be seen from anywhere in North America.

A total eclipse of the moon will be visible throughout North and Central America from 11:41 p.m. PST Monday until 12:53 a.m. Tuesday, the first such eclipse in almost three years.

Weather permitting, observers will see the moon enter the Earth's inner shadow, or umbra, at 10:33 p.m., with a red-brown shadow creeping across the bright moon. This shadow has a curved edge, a fact that was taken as proof to at least some ancients that the Earth is round. The sky will get darker as the shadow progresses across the moon, and more stars will be visible as sunlight reflected from the moon fades.

The total phase of the eclipse will last 72 minutes, then the moon will begin to emerge from the umbra, coming totally out of the inner shadow at 2:01 a.m.

Read more here.

a plethora of on-line mags

Who knew that there were so many on-line shelter magazines. And it turns out there's a contest brewing to see which one is liked the most.

I've checked them all out and some are definitely better than others. I'll let you decide which ones you like: Nesting Newbies, Lonny, Ivy & Piper, Sweet Paul, Rue, or Pure Green?

mid century gingerbread

A fantastical candyland with gingerbread walls, coconut shag rugs, and fondant Eames chairs. This pad not only satisfies the monthly cravings, darlings, but it does so with mid-century flair.

From the chocolate wafer Jackson Pollack to the candied Noguchi table, every inch is totally edible.

A craveable and crafty case study worthy of worship.

via trendhunter

life in topanga

Mapping America, Block by Block

Browse local data from the Census Bureau’s community survey, based on samples from 2005 to 2009.

Here's the 2010 Census payoff. This is an interactive map published in today's NY Times. Type in your zip code and you can find out the ethnic make-up of your community.

There's no surprises for Topanga:
87% White
2% Black
5% Hispanic
2% Asian
3% other

meteor shower tonight

Geminid 2010 To Peak December 13th and 14th

Stargazers are in for a treat tonight as the annual Geminid meteor shower is set to peak in the early hours of December 14, 2010. According to The AP, astronomers predict that it will be the best meteor shower of the year, with over 100 blazing meteors streaking through the sky each hour.

While the entire shower should be somewhat visible between December 12 and December 16, the best time to watch is between midnight tonight and sunset tomorrow morning, with ideal visibility in the Northern Hemisphere.

The meteors will appear to fall from the Gemini constellation, thus the reason for its name, so face northeast to witness the spectacle.

According to National Geographic, Geminid is the only annual meteor shower though to come from an asteroid-like object, known as 3200 Phaethon, a three-mile-wide space rock discovered by a NASA satellite in 1983.

richard holbrooke : good night

Mr. Holbrooke was hospitalized on Friday afternoon after becoming ill while meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in her Washington office. Doctors found a tear to his aorta, and he underwent a 21-hour operation. Mr. Holbrooke had additional surgery on Sunday and remained in very critical condition until his death. He died Monday evening in Washington at age 69.

Read more here.

hallelujah chorus flash mob

OK - so sometimes it pays to go to the mall. Enjoy!

great practical gifts on the web

Who needs to go to the mall and face the hoards. Here's a couple web sites that allow you to shop from the comfort of your own home, in your pajamas!

Brook Farm General Store
These are their gift baskets but you can buy everything individually as well, along with many other things.

via remodelista

Kaufmann Mercantile
Image above: 1. Tartan throw, $78; 2. Beeswax Finish, $19; 3. Canvas Tote, $95; 4. Handmade Beeswax Candles, $5.95; 5. Wooden Refillable Pencil, $39.90; 6. Market and Fruit Picking Pack, $102; 7. Claw Hammer, $36; 8. Snowshoes, $316; 9. Coffee Maker, $65.90; 10. Pine Cones Stamp, $5.75 (Not from KM, but it felt like a perfect fit for the look); 11. Leather Eyeglass Case, $70

Image above: 1. Shampoo Bar, $4.60; 2. Measuring Cup, $10.60; 3. Rust Eraser, $12.20; 4. Stronghold Denim Apron, $118; 5. Fountain Pen Ink, $8.60; 6. Postalco Notebook, $12

via design sponge

renegade craft fair in la

December 11 & 12. Read more here.

elizabeth edwards : good night

Elizabeth Edwards dies of cancer at 61. Read more here.

Ring the bells that still can ring

Forget your perfect offering

There is a crack in everything

That's how the light gets in.

- Leonard Cohen "Anthem"

as quoted in Elizabeth Edward's book "Resilience"

heath & house

Letters, numbers, ceramics and craftsmanship collide in a month-long House Industries exhibition at the Heath Los Angeles studio and store. House will transform the legendary tile and tableware maker’s airy Beverly Boulevard space into an unprecedented emulsion of clay, metal, ink, cotton, wood, lacquer, lithography and letterforms.

Place: Heath Ceramics, 7525 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif.
Opening: December 11, 2010, 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Live music at the opening by The Mattson 2
Custom screen printing at the opening by Fresh Pressed
Exhibition Runs from December 12 through December 31, 2010

avon fights violence against women

The Avon Foundation for Women has just launched a ring to fight violence against women. Named Women Power and retailing at 4 euros, the ring is available for purchase throughout all of Avon’s distribution channels. The money made from the sales will be transferred in full to the Fédération Nationale de Solidarité Femmes (FNSF), whom Avon has been engaged with for three years.

The project’s sponsor could be no one other than Reese Witherspoon, president of honour of Avon’s Foundation for Women. Since 2004, the foundation has gathered more than 30 million euros to help in the fight against conjugal violence.

By Matthieu Guinebault
Copyright © 2010 FashionMag.com All rights reserved.

gap in italy - a sad day

One reason I liked Italy so much was that they had done a really good job keeping out US chains. Well, it appears that's changing.

Gap store opened in Milan since 20/11

MILAN | Sat Nov 20, 2010 - U.S. clothing retailer GAP Inc opened its Milan flagship on Saturday, the first of three wholly owned stores in the fashion-hungry country, as it aims to spur sales outside its mature home market.

The owner of Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy chains is tapping into international markets such as China and South America to offset tepid growth at home.

The company's same-store sales, a key measure of retail performance, were flat in the third quarter.

"Italy was the really important step for us, as it is among the top five apparel markets globally," Stephen Sunnucks, President Gap Inc. Europe, told Reuters in a phone interview.

"Italians spend nearly three times as much on fashion as a U.S. consumer does," he said.

Around 74 percent of the $1.4 trillion global apparel market is produced outside the United States and Canada.

Gap is almost completely the reverse, Sunnucks said, with only 12 percent of its business internationally.

"We have been growing fast but we still have an awful lot more to go," he said.

Gap expects to be in 80 countries by the end of 2010, compared to 25 at the start of the current fiscal year, helped by online and outlet sales.

Known for its American casual clothes, Gap is opening its flagship store in Milan's top shopping district, near the central Duomo cathedral, a popular spot for tourists and shoppers flocking every day to fast fashion chain stores.

Gap plans to open an adjacent Banana Republic store, betting on the brand's more upscale offer, as early as December.

Another wholly-owned Gap store is expected to open in Rome in 2011, the company said.

The retailer, whose European stores are already in Britain, France and Ireland, is also considering operating outlets in smaller Italian cities and boosting its online offer.

"Our aim is to maximise our sales. Our customers can shop on the high street, in outlet malls or from home through the online channel," he said.

Sunnucks said Gap has no current plans to expand its lower-priced Old Navy chain in Europe or in other countries.

To better respond to the Italian appetite for designer clothes, the retailer has teamed up with Italian fashion house Valentino to create a seven piece collection, featuring multi-frilled long-length parkas and cargo trousers.

(Reporting by Antonella Ciancio; Editing by Paul Casciato)
© Thomson Reuters 2010 All rights reserved.

holiday table

I saw this in the current Rue online magazine yesterday and thought it was just gorgeous. Then today it was in Remodelista with all the how-tos and where-to-buys (because they did it for Rue). Enjoy!

You'll most likely see some of these ideas put in to practice at my house when you come for dinner.

rue no. 2

click here

life in topanga

first frost

We woke up to a dusting of white down in Dix Canyon. At 7 AM it was about 38 degrees at the house. Brrrrrrrrr!

postcard from provence

Autumn clouds,

From Julian: Today's painting is the view from my studio window. I can see the last leaves clinging to the vines. The lower slopes of the Mont Ventoux lead up to a snow covered summit, after 24 hours of torrential rain.
16cm x 13cm, oil on card

This painting will be auctioned today starting at 20:00 UTC -00:00
(15:00 EST -05:00)

Click here to bid.

smile

Love this.

(via pinterest)

my favorite veteran

My father, Eugene Mielcarek, enlisted in the army in 1942. His basic training was at Ft Meade, MD with extended training at Cooks and Bakers School. He became a mess seargent and as he says, peeled potatoes through WWII.

He was sent to Clemson College in the fall of 1943 to learn Russian and then to the University of Chicago in 1944 to continue his Russian studies.

He was finally shipped overseas just in time to take part in the Battle of the Bulge under Patton. He went on to Germany to work for the Military Government as an interpreter for displaced persons. He was also part of the forces to liberate Birkenwald.

He came home in 1945 but rarely spoke of his experiences.

remembrance day

Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day, Armistice Day or Veterans Day) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries to remember the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and civilians in times of war, specifically since the First World War. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognised as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth countries.

Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November to recall the official end of World War I on that date in 1918, as the major hostilities of World War I were formally ended "at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month" of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice. (Note that "at the 11th hour", refers to the passing of the 11th hour, or 11:00 am.)

The day was specifically dedicated by King George V, on 7 November 1919, to the observance of members of the armed forces who were killed during World War I. This was possibly done upon the suggestion of Edward George Honey to Wellesley Tudor Pole, who established two ceremonial periods of remembrance based on events in 1917.

The red poppy has become a familiar emblem of Remembrance Day due to the poem In Flanders Fields. These poppies bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders in World War I, their brilliant red colour an appropriate symbol for the blood spilt in the war.

via wikipedia

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie,

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

by John McCrae

going without

Levi's also plays the sustainable development card

It’s Levi's turn to launch sustainable development. The American brand of jeans has developed a process for reducing water use in the production of its jeans. The 42 litres used on average will be minimised via an Atuel finishing process. WaterLess will christen Levi's new approach; the required amount of water used for jeans is reduced by 28%. And even under the 96% mark for some new products! This process includes reducing the number of wash cycles, removing water from the washing with stones.

The method is not yet used for all production. The first collection of this type will enter stores early next year and will include a dozen classic Levi's jeans, including the 501's, 511's, 514's and the Levi's Trucker Jacket. The aim is obviously to extend the brand’s suppliers’ techniques to the whole world. And in any case this target should be mostly achieved by Autumn 2011.
This new idea should also affect consumers, directly in their own practices, Levi's has decided to change its products’ tag instructions to advising a "greener" washing; wash less or wash on cold.

By Jean-Paul Leroy, fashionmag.com

hereafter

A drama centered on three people -- a blue-collar American, a French journalist and a London school boy -- who are touched by death in different ways.



I just saw this and would highly recommend it. It's very moving. I don't think it's Oscar-worthy but it's pretty darn good. The London school boy (who is a twin) really got to me. Bring some tissues if you go.

I can't get it out of my mind that Dirty Harry directed this. Who would have thought that Clint Eastwood was going to turn out to be one of film-makings best talents.

Read more at the movie's official website here.

missing phone?

Whoa, this is genius! You know when you lose your phone, and you have to ask a friend to call it for you? Well, if no one's around to help, you can go to this clever website, enter your number, and it will call your phone for you. Ha, I just tried it; it really works!

(Via Swissmiss)

postcard from provence

Venice in the rain
14cm x 17cm (approx. 5"x7"), oil on gessoed card

Today's painting will be sold by auction -auction starts today at 8pm GMT and ends on Tuesday 2nd November at 8pm GMT (4pm EDT / 1pm PDT)

Starting price: $100
To register or login to the auction visit: http://auction.shiftinglight.com

paper sculpting

As Halloween approaches, I find myself coveting eerie, avian-inspired paper sculpture from Australian artist Anna-Wili Highfield. Highfield, who studied painting at the National Arts School in Sydney, creates her slightly menacing, otherworldly pieces from archival cotton paper that she paints and stitches together ("I leave the stitches and the threads on the surface; I find it intriguing when you can see how something is made," Highfield says on Yatzer). Go to Anna-Wili Highfield for sourcing information.

Raven
2010
35cm x 80cm x 55cm
Ink, shellac, black archival cotton paper. cotton thread, copper pipe, timber block

Boobook
2010
Ink, watercolours, archival cotton paper, cotton thread, brass rod, timber plinth.
70cm x 80cm x 33cm

House Finch
House Finch
2010
14cmx 15cm x 7cm
ink, water colour, archival cotton paper, cotton thread, brass rod, timber block

Australian Magpie
2010
32cm x 40cm x 17cm
Ink, shellac, archival cotton paper. cotton thread, brass rod, timber block

via remodelista