Riviera View

Can you see the quality of light in our newer, cleaner air?  If you have a pulse, most likely you can. After nine weeks of quarantine, millions fewer cars and airplanes traversing roads and skies, it's visible to the naked eye and a reminder that, somehow, we need to change the way we do life. The eucalyptus tree in the photo below, I've walked past probably 200 times over the course of 20 years but yesterday it stopped me dead.  Excuse the wonky, crane-necked angle and please consider the crispness of its trunk, leaves, and well, its overall expression. It's literally flowing in space begging us to keep it up.  And what happened to May-Gray? We should be knee-deep into it by now.  Have you noticed?  It went into hiding. I'm no meteorologist but maybe there is a connection.

They're still doing their thing around here. It's nice to see some semblance of normal.

A nearby neighbor designed this clever "Safer at Home" art project for her front yard. The how-to steps are listed below the pictures. Pick a walkway, driveway or sidewalk. Mark a pattern on the cement with blue painter's tape. Chalk in between the lines with multiple colors. Pull up the tape to see your new sidewalk stained glass design. Here's a video  of someone peeling up the painter's tape.  Happy chalking! 

Looking for a fun project to get your creative ideas flowing for 2020? Here's an idea to raise energy for beauty, wellness and ease, from Athena Perrakis's book, "The Book of Blessings and Rituals." The project shown below, a flower and herb meditative mandala, was made with greenery I'd originally brought inside for the holidays.  The daisies, pussywillow and eucalyptus were all leftover stems and flowers from smaller arrangements.  The pine branches were from our Christmas tree.  The rose quartz and oyster shell I had.  You could use similar objects. For tools, you'll need a pair of scissors. Everything else you can find from your garden or from fallen leaves and branches at a local park.  It's easy to create this mandala in a morning and  also easy on the wallet which is nice after all that holiday spending. This illustration, from Perrakis's book, shows one way to lay things out. Book Illustration, Andrea Henning For my mandal...

https://youtu.be/mIPxLYWo3XM

 photo by Gamie K. Dreamcatchers  with  mini bouquets 24"w x 48"h x 1"d $185.00 Handwoven  in India   at  Design Bakery 1820 S. Elena Redondo Beach, California 90277 424.262.6249  

Looking for a little holiday something, something? Stop into Design Bakery and check out these Shibori pillows by Brett Barker. Or these dainty, hand made and shaped ceramic bowls by Gamie K. To spruce up your own abode, we have a selection of cotton and linen pillows. Or if you're feeling a bit more hands on,  snag some fabric off our remnant table and create your own gifts. Located downtown, in the Hollywood Riviera  Design Bakery 1820 S. Elena Avenue, Suite K Redondo Beach, California  90277 Hours for the week of 12/10/17 Monday 12 - 3 p.m. Tuesday 12 - 3 p.m. Wednesday 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Thursday 12 - 3 p.m. Friday 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Or by appointment:  424.262.6249

Last summer, during a small interior remodel, we lived in a tent in our back yard.  Yep, you read that right.  After 18 years of scuffing up the floors and running into the walls, our house had turned into the  Annie  of the street.  Cute, but in need of a blow-out and a new pair of Chucks.  Searching the internet, I bought a small house of a tent, we walked 10 steps into our backyard and moved in.  Friends would stop by under the auspices of checking on the remodel but really, I think, wanting to see the tent.  They couldn't believe it.  The number one comment we got from men checking things out, "My wife would never go for that."  And from women, a variation on the theme, "Not in a million years." We packed up our belongings, except for our mattresses which landed in the tent, and put everything else in storage.  The plan was to refinish the floors, paint the walls, update a small bathroom and quickly wave a wand over our modest...

Love this wallpaper from Elitis , appropriately named Kandy.  So pretty you'll want to lick your walls.(Ok, maybe not actually lick them, but you get the idea.) I first spotted it in a Nordstrom dressing room, and then again on display at the Donghia showroom in the PDC .  It's a little hard to see here but the design is beautiful in person.  The original pattern appears to be some type of Shibori, a Japanese dying process where one folds, crimps, ties and then dips paper or fabric into indigo.  Shibori is getting a lot of air time lately and can be seen in all market levels from the commercial application shown below, to pillows at Pottery Barn, all the way to  poufs at Target. If you'd like more information on this particular wallpaper, Lauren Park at Donghia, Los Angeles, can provide all the specs.  There are eight designs in this Elitis line some of which appear to be done in a similar process.  I've highlighted the Brit Pop design but che...

Spent the afternoon tooling through Ojai yesterday.   Things seem to be changing in this sleepy little town with some new life brewing on Ojai Avenue. On S. Montgomery Street, I ran across this groovy little store called d eKor+Co. , a spin-off from its L.A. location .  deKor+Co. seems to be a lifestyle store with everything from beach coverups to beauty products and furniture.  Of course I was loving the furniture.  Especially this slat backed, mid-century chair below available in many colors, and two different finishes, at a killer price of $685.00. Just around the corner from DeKor+Co., pop into indoor/outdoor store Fig  filled with products full of fun and whimsy.  Can you see the hopscotch traced on the floor at the entrance? Found these fun cards from Tokyo-Milk . For a little R+R, stop by the Ojai Valley Inn + Spa.  Seriously one of the best spa experiences in Southern Califo...

Earlier this week, we had a few consecutive nights of amazing sunsets. This shot was taken with my phone without any filters.

Here's a quick preview of the work we are featuring at our Pop-Up Market this Saturday, 12/13/14. Textiles - Scarf designs by Brett Barker Paintings - "Day Dreaming" by Olga Krimon Tree Toppers and Ornaments -  by Lisa Young Handmade pillows - by me, (textiles by Raoul) If you're in the neighborhood, stop in and visit our Pop-Up Market on Saturday!