vintage on-line

SOON - but not yet because I checked - ThisIsNotIkea.com or TINI (to keep the Swedish retailer's lawyers at bay) will have thousands of moderately priced antique and mid-century modern furnishings available on-line. No musty smell to have to endure! Read the article in the LA Times here.

curated for discovery

The Museum of Online Museums is the best discovery yet! I could spend hours perusing through links to museums of every kind. With galleries like the International Collection of Vintage Soap Labels, the Gallery of Vintage Poison Labels, the Museum of Notebooks and the Virtual Typewriter Museum I may have to tear myself away from the computer to visit a local museum!

from the Museum of Worldwide Postal History

from the International Collection of Vintage Soap Labels

life in topanga

I saw these this morning on the neighbor's property. I had tried so hard to plant some poppies in the winter but had a string of bad luck. First the Santa Ana's came. Then we had to dig up our foundation because of a leak in John's studio and workers trampled the seedlings. So I'm not sure if these blew from where I planted some or maybe someone else is responsible. There's several plants so I'm going to watch them like a hawk and hopefully I'll be able to collect the seed pods for next year.

don't send flowers

This Mother's Day, don't send flowers. Send a gift to support the lives of mothers around the globe. Sponsored by Human Rights Watch, you can send a donation on your mother's behalf so that they can work to ensure that the rights of mothers, and all women and girls are protected. Please click here for more information.

I wish I lived in NYC

Former staffers of Domino are having a tag sale on Saturday, May 9, 10 AM to 5 PM, at West Ninth St (Fifth Ave). Read more in the NY Times here.

another clever idea

Why wait till after a few glasses to uncork your honesty. You can buy these here.

life in topanga

Where's Mezzo? It's so hot, he's hiding under the ottoman to stay out of the sun. I almost stepped on him!!

clever idea

Searching for Value in Ludicrous Ideas

Automobile snack conveyor

Allison Arieff :: NY Times

Especially today, the whimsical inventions of Steven M. Johnson offer something beyond amusement. Many of his musings are simply whimsical, existing primarily as a source of inspiration or delight. Others tackle very real issues, from environmentalism to alternative transportation to homelessness.

An incredibly delightful article. Read it all here.

mine :: my magazine. my way

With magazines folding left & right, I think Time Magazine & Lexus may be on to something with their new venture, Mine.

You pick 5 magazines (from eight & in my opinion, too few choices), answer a few random questions about you, your likes, dislikes, etc, and a custom magazine is put together just for you!

A fellow blogger ordered his "subscription" (keep in my it's still, at this point, completely free!) - and received the first of 5 issues this week. I think it turned out pretty good, but, as you'll see, "as-is, I wouldn't pay for it" . . . 

Read the full post & see more pics of the inside of the magazine here.

the lost tribes of new york city

The Lost Tribes of New York City from Carolyn London on Vimeo.

subprime

subprime from beeple on Vimeo.

parallelostory

Parallelostory from impactist on Vimeo.

made me laugh

a trip to Baltimore

On Saturday we walked over to Patterson Park to watch the end of the Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race sponsored by the American Visionary Art Museum. The entrants construct amphibious, human powered "vehicles" that have to go through water, sand & mud. The Platypus was my favorite. But Fifi the poodle was pretty good too! I've never seen so many nerdy engineer-types!

You can see some of the results here. And more of the entrants - they're all pretty darn wacky!

A visit to the Baltimore Museum of Art with permanent collections of Matisse & Rodin being the highlights. And it's FREE!

The last signs of spring: tulips & azaleas.

on hiatus

I'm out of town for a few days so no blogging for awhile.

cactus drama

Beautiful photos of cacti taken by my friend Eric in Tucson. He's definitely got a green thumb when it comes to cactus.

get outta here

When we were recently in Borrego Springs, I saw this advertised but didn't take it very seriously. It seems I should have. I think it might be on my calendar for next year. Read more here.

shopping for the classes or the masses?

I visited the new shopping center, "The Lumberyard" in Malibu yesterday. I had read a few articles about it, not all positive. I came away with a mixed opinion. Although it is nicely designed using reclaimed wood, beautiful plantings and a state-of-the art septic treatment system (because Malibu has no sewer), the store selection left me scratching my head. The highlight was the J Crew store, with it's reasonable prices. 

The lowlight was the James Perse store. The merchandise was almost non-existent and hung too high for customers to reach.

Local residents are fearful that Malibu is turning into another Vail, with no local business serving the community. 

Dick Van Dyke, who lives locally, said it best when he complained of having to drive to Agoura or Calabasas to shop for a screwdriver and underwear.

You decide.

Read more in the LA Times here. Or in the California Apparel News here.

Photographer . . . . fascinating

Amazing?

left you speechless?

It did to me ..

its the work of Shadi Ghadirian.. a Photographer from Iran..

" I am a woman and I live in Iran. I am a photographer and this is the only thing I know how to do. "

"...every time I think about a new series, in a way it is related to women."

"...It does not make a difference to me what place the Iranian woman has in the world because I am sure no one knows much about it. Perhaps the only mentality of an outsider about the Iranian woman is a black chador, however I try to portray all the aspects of the Iranian woman...."

..." a woman who one can not say to what time she belongs; a photograph from two eras; a woman who is dazed; a woman who is not connected to the objects in her possession. It was very natural that after marriage, vacuum cleaners and pots and pans find their way into my photographs; a woman with a different look, a woman who no matter in what part of the world she is living, still has these kinds of apprehensions. "

"The photographs are not authentic documentations but deal with current social issues. "
Shadi Ghadirian

Santa Fe Art Colony Open Studios

Studio 2A

20th Annual Open Studios - May 2nd & 3rd - Sat & Sun - 12-7pm. For more info click here

AltBuild Expo

6th Annual - Friday & Saturday May 8 & 9, 2009 - 10:00 am - 5:00 pm - free admission

Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. For more info click here.

Shodo Iwagaki exhibition - woodblock prints

05.15.2009 (Fri.) - 06.07.2009 (Sun.) at Tortoise in Venice

Shodo Iwagaki, a Soto-Zen Buddhist monk and an artist living in Japan will be at Tortoise. For this exhibition he will show 11 woodblock prints mounted on vintage indigo fabric in Kakejiku (scroll picture) style.

opening reception : 
Friday 5/15 6pm - 9pm @ tortoise 
*Live painting is scheduled. To read more click here.

Earth Day :: 39 years in the making

Advocated, promoted, and conceptualized by Senator Gaylord Nelson, Earth Day was becoming a huge grass roots sensation across the US after the Senator’s seven year effort and first meeting with President Kennedy. Less than a year later on April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day was celebrated. Now 39 years later, after internet has become a necessity in our existence and you can google (a new “verb” that we know didn’t exist back in ‘69) to no end about Earth Day, new recycling techniques are part of our daily lives, and now, “green” has actually hit its colloquialism stride, Earth Day is a celebrated and anticipated holiday every year across the nation.

With all the talk of celebrating Earth Day, it can seem a bit daunting about how to “celebrate” or take part in the big day. So here are 5 activities (in no particular order) to feel like you're taking part or at least recognizing what your Earth means to you:

1) If the weather isn’t very inviting for an outdoor activity, take some time (in your loft or own respective abode) and indulge in the BBC series, Planet Earth. David Attenborough offers great British narration, and after just a couple episodes in the eleven episode series, you’ll be rethinking some aspect of waste and pollution you produce in the world. (Hint: Watch it without the lights on, since you’re already using electricity to actually view the series). It took four years to produce and is the most expensive BBC series to date that has ever been made. And if you’re an animal freak, nature geek, or just want to kick it back on Earth Day, then rent or even buy (it’s worth the investment for sure) the DVD set. It won’t disappoint.

2) It’s the quickest thing you can do: Make the No Coal Call. All you need is this number: 202.224.3121. This will get you in contact with your member in Congress and to demand from them a moratorium on coal-fired power plants.

3) Calculate your ecological footprint, and then more importantly, figure out the changes you can make to decrease this number.  Go here to start calculating: Find Out Your Footprint NOW

4) If you’re more into giving away the real “green” then you can find more than plenty charitable causes that will take your green bucks off your hands.  Adopt An Acre, Rescue the Reef, or apply for a Nature Conservancy Visa credit card so when you make your first purchase, 10 trees will be planted in the Atlantic Forest and an additional tree will be planted each month afterward.

5) Something so small, can be huge in the end. Such as changing out your lightbulbs, switching to totes (there’s still too much plastic being wasted these days), and honestly not turning on your AC as strong or so soon, even if we’re slowly making our way from Spring to Summer. Think ’bout it.

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

Do you know what you're going to do for Earth Day?

Visit EartDay.net and find an event near you.

Go see Earth!

Join the Arbor Day Foundation and get 10 free trees.

Plant a baby tree at mybabytree.org

Start a compost bin.

Get a rain barrel. 

Plant a garden.

For more ideas go to JustDoOne

TELL YOUR BOSS YOU FEEL SICK AND GO OUTSIDE AND ENJOY THE WEATHER!

(Hey it's Earth Day - it should be a national holiday anyway!)