My dear buddy Matthew made the Small Cool Apartment Contest this year on Apartmenttherapy.com. Go vote "super cool" for him and he has the chance of winning gift certificates not to mention the accolades of all the design-y people. If you check out Matt's floorplan you may recognize his work from his super great web comic, Isolated Instances of Non-Gravity. He's currently taking commissions, and if the comments on Apartmenttherapy are any indication, Matt's drawings could be quite the hot ticket.

The orange stripe on the wall was a good lesson in what a little painter's tape could do. The shelves were those basic modular kind just painted to match. Matt's vintage finds come from eBay and the Pasadena Rose Bowl.




Pictures of the colorful kitchen and bathroom here.

Labels: design, DIY, www.internet.com

One of my favorite girls is featured on Daily Candy today.

Daily Candy - Sand and Deliver

www.alexandracassaniti.com

Alexandra Cassaniti moved to the neighborhood last year and took over. All the ladies will be trying to dress like her soon and they sort of can since she's launched her own line. It's an online catalog right now so beg all your favorite boutiques to start carrying her summer themed stuff in time for you to hit the beach. She'll even design you a custom surfboard. (That's Alex in the picture showing off a custom lighting bolt pattern on one of our hometown beaches in Encinitas. That's right. I grew up with an up and coming designer, jealous?).




Available in these LA stores:

CURVE
154 N. Robertson
Los Angeles, 90048
310.360.8008

OPENING CEREMONY
451 N. La Cienega
Los Angeles, 90048
310.652.1120

Labels: design, fashion, shopping

I have a habit of browsing Craigslist's rentals even when I don't need a new place to live. I like to keep up on what's available in the neighborhood, remind myself how crazy the cost of studio living is, and daydream about the perfect home. But I never knew Craigslist could be a portal to learning about designers, until today. See the ad here.

Labels: design, local

Those who know me know I like things - but I am not a material girl - even though my closet says different. I often give in to the fleeting happiness gathered from beautiful clothes, shoes, jewelry and other stuff. These three are on my happy list today:


Atelier Hoodie by Eloise. Available at Anthropologie, just in the stores, not online anymore. Softer than the most expensive terry cloth hoodie and way more flattering. The wide band in the middle hugs the curves in the right spot. The wide bell sleeves and slightly puffed shoulder elevate this to a not-so casual sweatshirt. Plus the crochet details is just right, especially the row on the back, which compliments a lady's lower back just the way we like it. I'm trying out more layering options for this piece because if worn just with jeans the BF thinks I look too much like a Shirley Temple character and calls me good ship lollipop.




Thanks to the eames photostream on flickr I now know the U.S. Post Office will release Eames design stamps later this year. I'm a big fan of commemorative stamps. I'm not a collector, I just really enjoy the trips to the post office when they have a wide selection for you to choose from that doesn't include Christmas imagery or stamps made for weddings. I must plan a Saturday visit to the Eames House in Malibu soon as well as the Eames Office - the gallery/store that's gotta be cooler than the closest DWR.




My inner teenager wants to scribble all over my notebooks I heart Missbehave Magazine. Even though it's New York City centric it's full of sass. Like Jezebel, sometimes the sass needs to be taken like salt in small doses, other days I crave for the foul-mouthed fashionistas in training and say, bring it. I'm indulging in all of their guilty pleasures from ghetto-fab nails to the latest plastic-fantastic accessory. The blog occasionally posts party fliers for the LA area. I'll be checking in often to know which latest trend I'm missing out on.

Labels: design, fashion, shopping

With the 3-day weekend around the corner I'm making time to get back to an all summer long project - tackling the piece of dirt my landlord calls a lawn.

A little over a year ago my mom, her boyfriend and I made a patio. It was a fairly inexpensive and fairly easy project we completed in one weekend. My landlord even agreed to go half-sies on it with me. Poor renters take note: Always ask when you're going to do some sort of home renovation. You shouldn't expect your landlord to pay for the whole thing but you can usually sway them to help out when you talk about how much you like living there but would love to increase the value in some beautifying way. Be prepared to present a budget and if it's going to create more of an inconvenience for the other tenants than what it's worth.

ReadyMade provides a great how-to article to make a stone paver patio. Leveling the ground with sand is key. I wasn't super concerned as I was just looking for some extra sitting/eating area. We don't get a lot of rain in these parts either, so worrying about puddles forming in front of my door wasn't a concern. Never having to weed again was the objective so we laid a heavy black plastic. Since then I've found damp newspaper also does the trick. When the occasional renegade weed does poke through I opt for boiling hot water or vinegar instead of reaching for icky chemical killers.

My patio care of half my yard problem and provided a great outdoor extension to my free-standing studio. Since then I've fantasized about complete outdoor space to house more guests, more parties, more outdoor time.




When I moved in to my studio I immediately started filling the outdoors with potted plants. The Sunset Nursery is my neighborhood resource. I collect succulents and plumerias. My major concern is that any plant I bring home has to be drought resistant (I'm environmental and I'm lazy!). Both types of plants are easy to care for. They thrive under the LA sun, and remind me of places my family and I visit. The cactus and succulents are for my extended family in Arizona & New Mexico, the plumerias are for Hawaii. I've always kept my plants in pots because I am the non-committal renter ready to move them at any notice.

I've been gathering inspiration little by little to bring continuity to my taste and have come up with a Palm Springs meets Mexican dessert theme. I've been collecting yard sale and swap meet finds. Hopefully by this weekend things will continue to come together.

The biggest hurtle is covering the dirt-yard with something attractive and environment friendly. I do not want to be weeding a garden or mowing a lawn on my off time. I love what Philip Dixon has done with pebbles and concrete.

Labels: design, DIY, shopping

The posts have been sparse because summer's got the best of me. Romance is all around and I keep skipping town. A year ago this little blog got started because I fell in like with LA in the summertime. Those of us in the know know there are those who "Heart NY" but we "Like LA".

Kate Neckel has been mentioned on a few design blogs. She's made a wonderfully unique quilt out of old skateboard decks. She also makes these daily drawings that make me wanna quit my job and go join the coffee house sketch artists. Then I remember I don't have the patience.



This one especially caught my eye. She says it's from a series done in Paris. I think it looks like the perfect alternative to a travel log. If not a drawing for each day, each little sketch could represent a favorite moment form one's travels. Here's a link to the larger image.

Maybe I'll get motivated and go to Casbah some warm Summer evening to sketch my recent escape to La Fonda, BC.

Labels: design, random

Never one to skip my daily browse of all the trustworthy design blogs, I have to pass on a very cool decorating idea via Apartment Therapy. Amy and John share a 1000 square foot apartment in New York. (Here's the full slideshow). Amy is a salvage artist for This Old House. She writes and creates video tutorials. This handy and handsome entranceway shelf looks to be a pretty straightforward DIY project. The quality and historical interest of the doornobs she chose I think make all the difference. Thumbs up for the YWCA nob. I think a similar effect could be had with mis-matched antique hooks on a re-purposed door or old wood facade. Scrap pieces like that can be found at Silver Lake's own salvage yard. Then bust out the drill and a couple screws. Now if only I had an entryway.


Silver Lake Yards
1085 Manzanita (down the hill behind the Sunset & Manzanita)
Silver Lake, 90026
323.667.2875

Labels: design, DIY

Boy was I excited to get up early on a Sunday, don my Etsy purchases and go out to Felt Club early in hopes of grabbing up a goody bag. Well, me and 500 other Los Angeles crafters had the same idea. By 11:00am - the set time for the doors to open to the pretty little Ukrainian Cultural Center - a line had wrapped around the block. Standing in the hot sun did not look fun.

We all knew it would be packed this year, but the extent of the crowd was intimidating, to say the least. By the time I showed up around 4pm food was sold out, but the crowds had diminished. There was still plenty of merchandise to be had. Charles Phoenix hugged mascot Gluey Gluerson and called the raffle. DJ Lance Rock, never one to disappoint, spinned my favorite poppy re-mixes and I learned that very day he's the new host of possibly the best cartoon show for infants ever, Yo Gabba Gabba.

I was happy to meet Robert from Mahar Drygoods and even happier to learn they had a Mr. Toast affiliation. Mahar Drygoods is a cute online shop that Robert works out of his house in Santa Monica. He aspires to have an actual, versus virtual, storefront one of these days.


I didn't make any major purchases, but was more excited to do a little craft-shopping with as many vendors as possible and sign up on everyone's mailing lists.



This lion t-shirt came home with me from Poketo thanks to their bargain bin. A tip to craft shoppers: always look below their booths for the bargain bin section. Sometimes the cast-offs are more interesting than the "perfect" ones on the tables. The cotton is so soft. I plan to cut off the sleeves and shape the tee into a cosy yet skimpy camisole perfect for layering this summer.



A Happy Bacon magnet by SappyMooseTree now smiles back at me from my fridge. It would have been a crime to leave Felt Club without a creation of felt.

A Lucha Libre stencil kit will encourage me to take up cross-stitching thanks to Handmade Nation who were selling a variety of items for charity.



Fuzzy Balls Apparel had free buttons. My friend and I proudly wore the "I'm Fracking Magical" buttons for the rest of the day. She supports the Battlestar Galactica reference while I post-modernly adore Veronica Mars re-referencing "Frack" in one of her better episodes. Their temporary tattoos were a nice give-away as well.



Fomato stole my heart first with their graphic ghost prints and then with their witty birthday cards. Who wouldn't want a birthday card that reads "I'm celebrating your birthday by going to a dive bar in hopes to go home with a stranger"? There are also informative birthday cards on drinking tea.

I'm still on the lookout for the perfect frilly apron. It's gotta have at least four ruffles and tons of brick-a-brack. I'm probably gonna get crafty and make one.

There were lots of options to solve the small wallet that only holds the vital credit cards, ID, cash & change problem, but not one that was absolutely perfect. The DEVO inspired plastic one from Poketo came close. You can buy it here.



The auditorium lacked good AC or ventilation and word is the Craft Fair will move outdoors in November for their Holiday Expo. They're trying for the LACC courtyard.

Here's the thank you email letter from Felt Club maven Jenny Ryan:

Hello All,

This is just a quick e-mail to thank you all for coming out in droves for today's Felt Club: XL Summer Event. We all had an absolute blast!! Believe me when I say that as great as the press we got was, we still had no idea the crowds were going to end up being so enormous. Clearly we have outgrown our venue! Please know that we are aware of the situation and are hard at work coming up with new and better ways to bring you Felt Club fun in the future.

For everyone who has been asking, we are indeed doing a holiday show on November 18, and rest assured that the venue we're using for that show is MUCH larger, very well ventilated, and just downright fabulous. We'll be able to share more specifics with you on that soon, so please stay tuned! We think you'll be very pleased.

Many, many thanks so all of you who braved the crowds and heat to come support the super-crafty L.A. scene. Heartfelt apologies to those of you who couldn't take it, and we thank you so much for supporting us as we sort out our growing pains in order to continue bringing you the very best handmade awesomeness California has to offer. We're extremely grateful for your interest in what we're doing, you're the best!!

Sincerely,
Jenny Ryan
Felt Club

Labels: design, DIY, fashion, shopping

No I am not rallying for celebrity chef Tom Collichio's new restaurant, although I'm sure the opening of Craftsteak this weekend will be fabulous...


What is the hottest ticket in town is FELT CLUB XL this Sunday. The Winter Craft Fair was a huge success for the LA Craft Club that could and their summer one has gained so much attention from the community at large I'm sure it will be even more packed than last time. Show up super early if you wanna get in on the door freebies. Only 250 SWAG bags will be at the door with little freebies from Subversive Cross Stitch and local sponsors including Reform School and Echo Park fave eatery Masa - I think in the form of gift certificates, not pizza slices. But if you do get hungry Auntie Em's Kitchen will supply the noshes. I couldn't be happier about Auntie Em's. Once just my stop for red velvet cupcakes after tennis matches in Eagle Rock now the treats are showing up all over the city. The uber-trendy downtown Edison Bar even has her cupcakes on the menu. If you've never indulged, the perfect cream cheese frosting will make you forget about any disappointing pastry experience you've ever had.

But enough about the sweets, how about the sweet vendors? There's too many to mention. Over 70 from around the country! Craft blogger fave Michelle Caplan will be there with her gorgeous collages. Local illustrators Jordan Crane and Martin Cendreda will most likely be sketching up a storm. Craft Magazine will provide a booth of craft classes. The schedule includes yarn spinning, gocco tutorials, needle felting, charm jewelry design. It's a bonafide craft-nerd paradise. The vintage culture deity himself Charles Phoenix MCs the entire event. That's him hugging Felt Club's mascot Gluey Gluerson. Adorable, no?

Sunday July 15th 11:00am - 7:00pm
Felt Club XL Summer
Ukrainian Cultural Center
4315 Melrose Avenue
LA 90029
$1 Donation at the door
Street parking or $2 lot on Vermont Ave.

Labels: design, DIY, events

The Live Earth concert over the weekend sure got my environmentally conscious pals and I worked up. Maybe we would have been more supportive if the acts were anyone worth wild but John Mayer's poo-face (the face he makes when he hits those cringe-inducing cliche guitar notes) started a rant about how un-environmental a giant concert is. Apart from the obvious waste and litter large stadium shows make, a friend of mine brought up that an Internet streamed concert from around the world would be just as effective, possibly "revolutionary", and a much smaller carbon footprint than planes for the artists and fans to fly to Tokyo, for example. From an environmental design perspective I was really unimpressed by the tire wall for the U.S. show. The "recycled-chic" look got lost when I started to think about the amount of energy needed to transport old tires and then attach them to a giant wall. And it doesn't look any better than Fat Albert and the Junkyard Gang's clubhouse.

Kelly Clarkson gets down with tires [via liveearth.msn.com].


Repetition with re-used or recycled materials is a signature green look - from seat belt purses to crochet plastic bag bags. The best looking example of this I saw today via sub-studio design blog. The Vintage Belt Floor Mat by Branch is awfully pretty. Made completely out of discarded men's leather belts, it makes quite the statement piece for your floor not to mention all the color variation from years of wear and fade would match most decors. And like signature green products it'll put you in credit card debt faster than you can download the Live Earth concert.


Never lacking at the local thrift stores, I'm confident a rip-off version could be made from old belts and a lot of leather glue. Branch's creation in fact is made just like that - belts glued onto "reconstituted leather backing". A bad suede jacket plus your dad's hand-me-downs could equal similar results, or at least a couple trivet trays. You'll need leather shears and strong glue which can be found at fabric or upholstery stores.

Labels: design, DIY, environmental

Just today I discovered a new favorite blog: REFERENCE LIBRARY aka Andy's Blog. Andy likes to do what I like to do. We both scour the Internet for interesting vintage items, covet antique school furniture and modern toys, and get outbid on eBay all the time. Andy doesn't provide a lot of explanation but I'm still just as inspired by all this cool stuff as I would if each item was written up in some glossy magazine.

Labels: design, random, shopping, www.internet.com