While the owners of New Stone Age might not describe their awesome, cool store as steam punk or hippie, their wares inspired this hippie girl. I put together the “45” necklace from pieces I discovered in their inventory of fascinating finds. The other necklace was made by Detroit Trash at a street fair on the Santa Monica Pier. I am now traveling down a fashion path to combine my boho roots with this turn-of-the-century style. Lately, keys and key holes are appearing a lot in my universe so I am assuming I will be unlocking something exciting very soon. Maybe in January…I’ll keep you posted.
Yesterday I mentioned my new found interest in steam punk. I don’t know how far I’ll go with this, but I can tell you I am fascinated with gears. Truly, I love to know how things work, so I immediately respond to that graphic representation of work. This watch covers both areas and inspires me.
I got to see Kate Spade Saturday live and local in Los Angeles last weekend. I have been cyber stalking the website for months and to be in the space in person is special for me since I love love her retail spaces. This one was not a let down, and in fact the ceiling outside the front door was the fabric pattern found an several pieces inside. This was hand painted by a local graffiti artist and I had to snap a pic. I will be working this into my holiday sewing projects, I know it.
With all the various outlets for creative exploration, watercolor is the most difficult and delightful for me. The mere act of painting with watercolor brings me back to the years of painting with my Dad, the man who put me on this path of creativity. Autumn is always the time of year when I renew my creative spirit and start new projects. Kind of like New Years, only before all the Holiday hubbub starts. The above is my first wash of the season. It’s fitting that it’s the hot colors of Phoenix in the cool Autumn air. I am grateful to my Dad for his guidance and inspiration through the years. He is an amazing man.
I was inspired to make a fabric pumpkin. Finding this herringbone burlap at Joann Fabrics turned up the heat. Yow!
Fabulous doesn’t get much better than this. Thanks to Cyndi Coon and Suzy Blanck for your inspiration!
I had a rare long weekend off to shop and discover. The weather was gorgeous so I stuck to the outdoor walking malls. I am seeing a lot of succulents probably because they are so easy to care for and require little water. Here are some photos of a smashing garden I saw.
While in Santa Ana over the weekend, I saw an ingenious and charming way to display succulents. I am totally stealing this idea for decorating the garden.
Another idea is to use clay chimneys. These gardeners simply dropped plastic pots (the kind the plants come in from the nursery) in the top and, voila!
Finally, the classic concrete planter is alwys a winner. All three of these planters mixed together are going to look fantastic! I am starting this weekend.
We were lucky enough to get the time to drive out to LA to see a great series of events. The folk fest on the Santa Monica Pier was a blast. Here was the line-up Saturday:
Eagle Rock Gospel Singers 2:10 – 2:45
Shovels & Rope 3:00 – 3:45
Justin Townes Earle 4:00 – 4:50
Calexico 5:10 – 6:00
Brett Dennen 6:20 – 7:20
Neko Case 7:40 – 9:00
Beer was served and fun was had. It was a gorgeous day. Check out Shovels & Rope if you ever get a change. Lots of energy. Great show.
We saw Maroon 5 at the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday. Amazing space. Amazing show — with fireworks!
We were able to fit in a few museum stops along the way, too. The first was Friday to see Matt Moore install his newest piece at the Grand Central Art Center.
Matt was artist in residence to explore, examine and reflect upon the impact of the Los Angeles Aqueduct – part of a sixteen institution initiative funded through the Metabolic Studio’s Chora Council grants, marking the LA Aqueduct’s 100th anniversary. The piece was amazing. If you get to Santa Ana before January 2014, you have got to check it out.
Then, finally, Monday we got tickets to the James Turrell retrospective at LACMA. He is my favorite and most impactful contemporary artist. It was an inspiring few hours walking toward the light. His show goes through April 2014. I will be back.
While hiking, I come upon the most beautiful sights. Many are of mountain tops and flora at eye level, but sometimes the best views are beneath my feet. Here is a patch of rock that inspires me. The sections and intersecting lines create shapes within shapes I can relate to. This reminds me that I want to take a stained glass class this fall. I love the gifts in nature.
The Discovery Palette!
