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