an interesting dialogue

A few weeks ago our house was featured in the Saturday Home section of the Los Angeles Times.

On the first page of the photo gallery, someone made a comment and then several others chimed in. The comments were all negative except the last one - whoever you are, thank you - the worst claiming that because the house was so ugly therefor the designers and the people who live there must be ugly as well.

Then the incident with Lara Logan happened in Egypt. Hateful comments made about her by rabid right-wingers spewed forth. But it brought about a very thoughtful examination of what the ability to comment anonymously on the internet allows people to get away with. The negative comments about our house are exceptionally trivial in comparison.

Maureen Dowd had a great column in the NY Times. And then just today James Rainey wrote a similar column in the LA Times. Which, to make a long story short, resulted in the worst comment about our house being taken down.

But the issue remains. Why does anonymity give license to hate-speech on the internet? Why can't we be civil - always - no matter what the forum?

I don't have the answer.

a blog is born

A new blog devoted to creating decorative verse to share in community. Check it out here.

pink shirt day

Today is PINK SHIRT DAY in Canada. It was originally started as a protest against a bullying incident at a Nova Scotia high school (Central Kings Rural High School). On this day participants are asked to wear pink to symbolize a stand against bullying.

Even though we're in the US, we should take part as well.


In honour of International Anti-Bullying Day, two schools came together to create a message about Acceptance and challenge others to use social media as a positive tool. Choreographed by Jheric Hizon, Directed by Anita Perel-Panar - A Star Studio Productions
www.astarstudio.com

mission san luis rey de francia

I was recently visiting with friends in the San Diego area and had some time to kill. We decided to head over to the San Luis Rey Mission, number 18 of the 21 California Missions. I've been to it many times but not in at least 20 years. It is a beautiful example of mission architecture that has been authentically restored.

Bell tower and entrance

Founded in 1798 by Padre Fermin Francisco de Lasuen, successor to Padre Junipero Serra, the Mission was named after St. Louis IX, King of France, who lived during the 13th century. 

Outside the main doors

Louis IX (San Luis Rey - Spanish, or Saint Louis the King - English) was taught by the early Franciscans and is the patron of their 3^rd order. He was of Spanish blood on his mother’s side and died fighting in the Crusades. He was canonized in 1297.

Inside the church

During the years of 1798 to 1833, under the charge of Father Antonio Peyri, the mission became home to approximately 3,000 and was self-sustaining. By 1830, the mission was the largest building in California.

Entrance to cemetery

Another interesting fact is that after Mexico won it's independence from Spain in 1821, the mission was sold to private individuals in 1833 by Pio Pico who was at the time the Mexican governor of the state of Alta California. In 1850 California became part of the United States, and the Catholic Bishop in California petitioned the U.S. government for the return of the missions. In 1865 Mission San Luis Rey was returned to the Catholic Church by Abraham Lincoln.

Gargolye in the lavanderia

The history of the San Luis Rey area reflects five periods of occupation: Luiseno Indian, Spanish Mission, Mexican Secularization, American Military, and Twentieth Century Restoration.

Read more about the mission here.


photos taken with an iPhone using "hipstamatic" and "shake it photo" apps

pantone predicts

Pantone reveals Autumn 2011 colour chart
The worldwide specialist in colour charts for professionals has just published its Fashion Colour Report for Autumn/Winter 2011. It consists of a selection of 10 colours intended for female fashion, plus sketches, quotes and designer portraits.

Pantone's Fashion Colour Report for Autumn/Winter 2011

The report coincides with New York’s Fashion Week, where designers were gathered at Pantone’s panel in order to discuss the latest and future trends. At last, it seems like this year’s Autumn season will be seeing shades of Bamboo, Emberglow, Honeysuckle, Phlox, Cedar, Deep Teal, Coffee Liqueúr, Nougat, Orchid Hush and Quarry.
Source: Pantone

egypt unrest

Egypt: retailers and manufacturers at a time of conflict

Pillaging of high-end stores, manufacturing reduced to 20%, export dropped to 10%... This is the situation that Egyptian professionals in the fashion industry find themselves in right now.

Manifestations in Cairo - Photo: AFP

While the Egyptian revolt continues, it is difficult to obtain precise information regarding the current problems that local professionals in the fashion, luxury and textile business are having to face. When the country’s internet was restored a few days ago, Alaa Shedeed, editor in chief of Egyptian textiles magazine Khoyot, talked to FashionMag.com about some of the information that he was able to gather.

The Federation of Egyptian Industries, which naturally includes textiles, announced that the country’s industrial production is down to 20% of its total capacity. The first reason for this is that a great number of people are not going to work in order to stay home and protect their houses and families, given the recent rise in thefts and violence. It is also due to a shortage of supplies in terms of raw materials which, although already a problem before the crisis started, is now even worse. Regarding sales, the latter fell by a critical 90% during the first 10 days of riots.

For now, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry assures that the export of products has only gone down 6% during the month of January. The re-elected minister Samiha Fawzi confirms that it is his intention to restore production to its normal rate, and he even intends to increase productivity in order to make up for the recent losses. The minister also announced the creation of an “exceptional council” in charge of the task, having as a primary goal to make the acquisition of raw materials easier

Meeting between minister Samiha Fawzi and representatives of Egyptian industries

Pillaging of luxury boutiques

With conflicts between Egyptians freedom fighters and the authorities increasing, pillaging came as a natural consequence. In the Maadi square, shopping centre Arcadie saw its clothes, accessories and furniture stores get destroyed. Located at 3 kilometres from the now famous Liberation Square, the shopping centre estimates that thefts have amounted to a total loss of 30 million Egyptian pounds (3.7 million euros), also saying that most stolen goods were high-end imported luxury products.

The occurrence made another one of the city’s shopping centres, City Star Center, appeal to the armed forces to help with its own protection. But shopping centres are not the only ones being attacked, as stores from the prestigious Ligue Arabe Street have also been looted. Just like in other shopping streets, its various high-end boutiques were broken into and emptied. For the time being, stores located in more conventional areas have not yet suffered damages. The question now is to know how longer the demonstrations can last, and if their mission will be successful.

By Matthieu Guinebault

green is the new black

NY fashionistas unveil 'zero waste' clothing

NEW YORK, Feb 10, 2011 (AFP) - Green is the new black at an environmentally minded New York design school at the start of Autumn-Winter Fashion Week.

Students at the Parsons The New School for Design have come up with "zero waste" fashion, a pun on the controversial popularity on catwalks of skeletal, zero-size models.

Simon Colling of the Parsons The New School for Design

/ Foto : AFP

"The goal was to create an organic garment with no scraps," said Janelle Abbott, 21, who was a finalist in the student exhibition organized jointly with Loomstate, an eco-friendly label.
Abbott came up with a denim jacket made of triangular segments. "It's a very difficult process, but it's the traditional techniques with adjustments. It could become standardized, with some investigation," she said.

Timo Rissanen, 35, assistant professor in Fashion Design and Sustainability, said the average wastage in clothes making is 15 percent. Although recycling is possible, it is also costly.

The idea of "zero waste is as old as clothing," he said. "The Japanese kimono is zero waste, the old underwear in 19th century Europe was mostly zero waste, and American Indians used everything too. It's the industrial revolution which is the cause of the huge waste."

What's hard is making the clothes beautiful as well as virtuous.
"It is very easy to do ugly zero waste," Rissanen said.

New York Fashion Week runs from Thursday to February 17.

a new online design mag

Check it out here.

recent stay at the mojave

If you're looking for a quick weekend get-away, the Mojave in Palm Desert is a great place to go.

It was a 50's motorlodge that was redone about 10 years ago by the same people that redid the Rex in San Francisco.

It's located just one block off the El Paseo.

a new architectural digest?

Margaret Russell Unveils the New Architectural Digest
“THE Age of Elegance” states the cover of the March issue of Architectural Digest, sounding somewhat hopeful. The bright pink affirmation declares a new brief for a once-mighty title that has been struggling, and a statement of intent from its new editor, Margaret Russell, who was until last summer the very steady helmsman of a competitor, Elle Décor.

Like so many shelter magazines, Architectural Digest has not been a happy home of late. Once the leader in its glossy domain, it has lost market share — nearly half of its pre-recession ad dollars — as well as its relevance to buzzier titles, or what’s left of them, anyway. And when its longtime editor, Paige Rense Noland, retired in June, it wasn’t much of a surprise when Ms. Russell was announced as her replacement. The only question was to what degree she would renovate the iconic magazine, which had rolled out inexorably month after month, decade after decade, largely unchanged. Would she gut the place? Or just repaint?


I'll believe it when I see it. AD has been a stuffy old magazine. With way-too-perfect interiors that have no interest to me.

Read more here.

a kitchen must-have

kone coffee filter
This makes the best single cup of coffee. It's pricey at $50 but well worth it.

Stainless steel filter designed for use in Chemex® and other pour over style coffee makers (including Hario). Designed with the goal to produce a sustainable filter that also brewed excellent coffee. Locally designed and manufactured entirely in the USA.
Fits standard: 6, 8 and 10 cup Chemex® coffee makers
Get it here.