AÉRIAL: Water Rushing Into a Room by Baptise DebomBourg
April 28, 2012
“Artist Baptiste DebomBourg created a site specific installation for an old Benedictine monastery called Brauweiler Abbey near Cologne. The artist had laminate glass shattered and then put into place to mimic the feeling of water rushing into the room.” -Warholian
Click here to see more.
Wearble Planter
March 15, 2012
Totally digging this necklace. Available on Etsy for $32.
Currently Obsessed With….
December 15, 2011
Stacked Paperback Wallpaper From Anthropologie
At $198 a roll, it’s ain’t cheap. The good news- you don’t need a lot.
This wallpaper, designed by Tracey Kendall is totally awesome. I decided to take a peak at her other work and was very much delighted…….Here’s a few of her other designs:
I Want This…
December 5, 2011
The other day I saw the entire line of Marie Turnor bags. They are sooooooo adorable. The “picnic” in tan is quite popular right now, but I really dig it in gold lace. I love the juxtaposition of the generic lunch bag shape and the intricate lace pattern of the gold leather.
The lunch bag shaped purse comes in three sizes: the snack, the picnic, and the dinner. Love.
A for Artisan House #DTLA Restaurant Preview
November 23, 2011
Artisan House
600 S Main St
Los Angeles, CA 90014
I’ve been watching this place for a while—and not just because it has the word “art” in its name. I have a lot of friends who live on Main St, so I’m in the neighborhood quite a bit.
Right after a quick trip to Pussy & Pooch for some gourmet cat food with a friend, I walked inside the seemingly open restaurant/bar/deli/market. They weren’t quite up and running. However, Patrice Rozat, one of the owners invited us in to look at the space and try some appetizers and sandwiches.
They seated us in the restaurant section (pictured above). There really wasn’t much of a selection for appetizers. We were offered either black salmon ceviche or some kind of steak tartare. I don’t eat red meat, so I chose the salmon. My friend had the tartare.
Here is my dish. I totally forgot to take a picture until I was half way done. I was famished.
This dish was amazing—–SOOOOOOOOO good. Everything was complimentary during our visit, but I would have easily paid for this. And I will. This might be one of my favorite dishes I’ve ever had in LA. The fish was delicious. It was a tiny bit spicy, as it had peppers. It also had creme fraiche and pomegranate seeds. This dish was a surprise…a tasty surprise for my mouth. I will go back to Artisan House just to have this dish again.
My friend’s steak tartare was just medicore. At least it looked pretty.
After we were done tasting the appetizers, we were asked to fill out a questionnaire about the food and ambiance of the 90-seat restaurant.
The restaurant was pretty, but kinda generic. I liked the artwork, as it was a bit unexpected. I also really loved the bar (which was not open when we were there). Apparently they have molecular mixologists and fun drinks. I’ll have to try one next time.
After we filled out the paperwork, we were escorted to the market side of Artisan House. There were lots of empty shelves, but they looked like they were stocking the store and deli with a good selection of high-end wine and gourmet food products.
We then got to order off the sandwich menus. The items in red were not available during our visit. I took a photo of the other side of the menu, as you will be able to make your own sandwich in the future.
I had Mary’s Smoked Turkey sandwich, and my friend had the Reuben. We were offered sides, as well. I had Israeli couscous, and he had quinoa. We thought the sandwiches were okay. Mine was very tasty, but the bread didn’t really work. It was just plain wheat bread. It needed to be toasted or have some crunch. The Reuben was toasted, but not very thick. We agreed that the ingredients should be piled a bit higher. The couscous was okay–not as good as Lemonade’s version. But, the quinoa was really good. I would go in and order just that. Again, another item that will bring me back.
I enjoyed my visit to Artisan House. I know this place will be successful. I think it’s really smart that they are opening (softly)to the neighbors by offering complimentary tastings. Word of mouth will bring lots of people here. I talked to another friend who had a full dinner here the other night. He said the menu was limited, but delicious.
There’s also really good people behind Artisan House. Patrice (formerly, Breadbar, The Four Seasons and Mr. Chow), was running a tight ship. And Jason Ryczek(One Sunset and Boa), the executive chef, really wanted to know our opinions in order to modify the food and make it better. It was nice interacting with both Patrice and Jason. I can’t wait to come back.
California Design, 1930–1965: “Living in a Modern Way
Yesterday, I attended the California Design exhibit with my family. It was a perfect rainy day to go to the museum. If you live in LA, this exhibit is a MUST! If not, don’t fret–I took photos of a lot of the amazing pieces. You can see them below. The exhibit is totally inspiring.
Those are just some of the rad items on display. Check out the exhibit. It runs until June 3, 2012.
Sound Bath: My First Time at the Integratron
September 7, 2011
“The purpose of the Integratron is to recharge energy into living cell structure, to bring about longer life with youthful energy
– George Van Tassel
builder of the Integratron
This past weekend, I took my first trip to Joshua Tree. I stayed in Pioneertown, which was awesome. After exploring the old Western movie set, I had to go explore more of the desert. If you know me, you know I like to find the most random things ever. I was flipping through this Joshua Tree guide-book at the park welcome center, and I saw a photo of a magical, white, round dome. I read a bit about the place. It was called the Integratron. But what was this Integratron ? In a nutshell, ” It’s an acoustically perfect tabernacle and energy machine sited on a powerful geomagnetic vortex in the magical Mojave Desert. ” After reading that last bit, I was sold.
“The Integratron is a machine, a high-voltage electrostatic generator that would supply a broad range of frequencies to recharge the cell structure.”
“George Van Tassel, creator of the Integratron, was a legendary figure, an aeronautical engineer and test pilot who worked for Lockheed, Douglas Aircraft and alongside Howard Hughes 
at Hughes Aviation . He was also one of the leaders in the UFO movement who held annual “Spacecraft Conventions” at Giant Rock for 25 years. Van Tassel said UFO channelings and ideas from scientists such as Nikola Tesla led to the unique architecture of the Integratron. He spent 18 years constructing the building.
Today, the Integratron, with its amazing architecture, sound chamber and high energy, still stands and is maintained by a group that offers public tours, special events, “Sound Baths,” and rentals of the property to a variety of groups spanning many interests. Many visitors experience the Integratron as a very powerful vortex for physical and spritual healing. Scientists who study the building call it “a mass battery” and a “magnetic room.”*
So, I did what any logical person did. I went to the magical vortex to experience a sound bath. After driving through the middle of nowhere, I ended up at the Integratron. I paid my $10 and talked to a woman who worked there. She asked how I found out about the place. I told her I was really into yoga and metaphysics. She told me that the sound would be really good for bodywork. I thanked her and followed the others into the dome. Most everyone carried a blanket or yoga mat.
The entrance lead to a lounge with all sorts of metaphysical books and press clippings.
I looked up and saw this:
I climbed this little ladder and ended up in a room encased in wood.
I grabbed a mat and found a spot to take my sound bath. There were about 50 people in the room. It was like a really crowded yoga class. A few minutes after I sat in shavasana, a pleasant woman came up to these 8 quartz crystal bowls on the ground. She gave a very brief history lesson about the Integratron, and then asked us to watch her play the quartz bowl with a wood and rubber piece. Apparently, lots of people are distracted during the bath because they are trying to figure out how the sounds are being made. The woman, who called herself a sister, just lightly brushed the piece round and round the crystal, and the tiny sound was amplified throughout the dome. It was quite fascinating and very magical.
The bath began. I laid there in a meditative state listening to the sister began to play the bowls. This sounds strange, but I began to feel energy–and my body felt like it was gravitating towards the center of the dome. It was so extremely peaceful.
Even though there were sounds bouncing off the wall everywhere, and this incredible magnetic energy was swirling around, it felt very still. We sat there for about 30 minutes being energized by the sounds. Then some recorded music came on. People started getting up. I stayed on the ground for a while, until I felt the time was right. I got up in a slight daze, but I really wanted to capture the interior of the dome. I decided it might be okay to take a few photos.
I don’t know what you’re supposed to feel like after a sound bath. I don’t know what’s supposed to happen. But, I can tell you that I am still incredibly relaxed. And something has changed..some kind of shift in energy? Right after I got back from the trip, this one thing I had been working on for forever (finally) came through. I was almost ready to give up…..and then it happened. Coincidence or not? I think not.
*Integratron website
Love in Los Feliz.
August 16, 2011
I love this photo I took of the Andre piece in Los Feliz.
Outside of the PDC on Melrose (where I’ve been spending a lot of time lately), there’s a collection of strange yet totally awesome sculptures. I took a photo of a few of them a few days ago. I researched the random pieces of public art and found out they were created by Miranda July.
July is a filmmaker, writer and artist. She might be most well-known from her film Me and You and Everyone We Know. Her new film, The Future , comes out later this year.
I love her “Eleven Heavy Things” project (the sculptures outside the PDC), as they were designed for interaction and photography. There are basically 11 witty photo opportunities. You should totally check out the front lawn of the PDC if you are in the area.
From July’s website:
“…Though the work begins as sculpture, it becomes a performance that is only complete when these tourist photos are uploaded onto personal blogs and sent in emails — at which point the audience changes, and the subject clearly becomes the participants, revealing themselves through the work.”
Production of this work has been supported by Deitch Projects
RAD.
Cool Find: IdeaPaint
July 24, 2011
I just came across IdeaPaint. I’ve seen blackboard paint, and have even used it at clients used blackboard paint at client’s homes–but I really love this dry erase formula. You don’t have to worry about chalk dust! Apparently, the paint has been out for a couple of years now.
I’d love to paint the wall next to my front door with IdeaPaint. It would be so much easier than trying to go through the random sticky note reminders I have on the back of the door. I’d also love to have an office with one wall covered in this stuff.
From the website:
“Millions of worn out and unwanted whiteboards and blackboards end up in landfills each year. With IdeaPaint, there’s nothing to throw out. You apply it directly over the existing wall or surface in your home. When you’re ready for something new, just paint over it. IdeaPaint can even restore your old whiteboards and add years to their life. “
IdeaPaint is so great that it won a bunch of awards. It was created by some college kids
”The ‘idea”’for IdeaPaint came out of a brainstorming session in the e-tower, a dorm for entrepreneurs at Babson College (Wellesley, MA). True to the entrepreneurial spirit of the school, the students decided to cover their walls in large sheets of paper to write down their ideas. As their ideas grew the paper became filled with writing and had to be torn down and replaced– writing on the walls was great, but there had to be a better way! e-tower founder Andrew Foley suggested and looked for a paint that could turn every wall in their dorm into a dry erase writing surface. Surprised to find this paint didn’t already exist, John and friend William Gioielli set out to find one while Andrew began working on the business plan and created the name. When students and visitors from across campus began stopping by to write on the wall the team knew they were on to something!”
Here’s some more cool IdeaPaint rooms:
