Category Archives: design
Lipstick Traces
Artful smudging. Irving Penn’s 1986 ad for Loreal. Artless smudging. Kalanchoe luciae ‘Fantastic,’ Variegated Paddle Plant.
Posted in design, succulents
Tagged Irving Penn, Kalanchoe luciae 'Fantastic', photography
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the gardening beatle
I think it was George’s son Dhani Harrison who let slip in the Martin Scorcese documentary “Living in the Material World,” (last week on HBO) that the family sometimes called George “Capability,” jokingly comparing George to the great 18th century … Continue reading
Wreath of Asarina
Now that it’s October, the grapevine wreath I hung on the fence mid-summer doesn’t seem half as silly. The pink flowers are from a nearby Asarina scandens, which has been galloping over the fence. The wreath is one I made … Continue reading
Rained Out
Unlike a sporting event or outdoor concert or meal, a Southern California garden that’s rained out in early October is cause for rejoicing. And to really intensify the blissed-out experience of the first seasonal rains, just the day before you … Continue reading
Posted in agaves, woody lilies, Bulbs, design, garden visit, Occasional Daily Weather Report, Plant Portraits
Tagged Agave bovicornuta, Agave desmettiana 'Variegata', Agave parryi var. truncata, Allium sphaerocephalum, Bouteloua gracilis 'Blonde Ambition', climate change, dahlias, garden disputes, Pennisetum 'Princess Caroline', prechilling tulips, Salvia farinacea 'Texas Violet', San Marcos Growers
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Home
If you ever walk your neighborhood wondering why it looks the way it does, or wonder why you never want to walk in your neighborhood at all, you may be interested in The New York Times opinion piece, “Shifting the … Continue reading
Posted in design
Tagged "Shifting the Suburban Paradigm", Allison Arieff, Dwell, The New York Times
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Beer & Art
I’m not arguing that these are the twin pillars of civilization or anything. Just pointing out that there is a surreal alliance between the two that has been taking place for years in a local abandoned brewery. The old Pabst … Continue reading
Posted in design, garden visit, pots and containers, succulents
Tagged Ken Burns Prohibition, Los Angeles Brewery Art Walk, succulents
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Mid Century Modern Madness
Yesteday, the Modernica sale, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. A couple wire, Eiffel-Tower-base chairs were tentatively on my list, like these: But the sale itself was such an amazing spectacle of Mid Century Modern mania that I lost my focus, … Continue reading
The California Look 2011
The Los Angeles Times L.A. At Home section has been asking for readers’ input in a poll to determine the “California Look” for 2011. Results of the poll can be found here. Offered as inspiration for the poll is this … Continue reading
Flea Market Shuffle
A sunny day at the flea market brings its unique brand of hangover. An unfocused listlessness follows the rest of the day. The adult equivalent of the delicious exhaustion I’d feel as a kid after spending a whole day at … Continue reading
Old Lights Made New
In the angle of the eaves where the house intersects with the bath house, the space cried out for a light. A hanging light or three. I’ve had these three glass shades for many, many years, but every time I … Continue reading