I found the two becca street art pieces at the corner of 7th and Mateo–in my neighborhood (the Arts District). I’ve seen her work before, but only in photos. I did a little research about becca, and found out she’s a  renowned street-turned-studio artist.

““From the littered streets of Hollywood to the whitewashed walls of its hotspot galleries and cultural institutions, the reclusive artist known to a nation of enchanted spectators simply as ‘Becca’ has brought her tale of urban alienation and sly humor to life in the form of her innocent little girls and elegant ladies.” –Juxtapoz cover story, Jan/Feb 1999 Issue #18

The above comes from an article in Juxtapoz magazine written over 10 years ago.  In the last 15 years, becca’s work have been snapped up by  Leonardo Dicaprio, Norman Reedus, The Getty Family and other esteemed art collectors.

Here are some studio pieces:

I’m constantly looking at what’s going on in the background.  Sometimes I take photos of furniture/accessories I like while watching  my favorite cable series or obscure vintage movie.  While watching Mad Men tonight(via Itunes), I captured some of my favorite treasures from the controversial episode.(Season 4, Episode 5).

Above,  Betty meets with Sally’s new therapist. I love the entire look of this room.  It evokes such a feeling. It’s drab, full of (fabulous) vintage toys, and the only touch of (forced) color is the bright orange “patient” sofa with yellow pillows.

The side of the sofa is either grasscloth or wicker (some natural grass or palm)– which is so “in” right now.

It started with Fashion a few years ago….see Anya Hindmarch clutch below:

Now it’s moved to Interiors:

Vintage Albini Ottomans are hot this Summer:

This chest is featured on 1st Dibs (I have one that’s pretty similar!):

And,  I am super fond of these tiered wicker side tables from Robert Lighton:

(*bad iphone photo of ad in Elle Decor magazine)

They remind me of my grandparents house when I was a kid.

As far as accessories go,  I’m digging these gold-rimmed cocktail glasses spotted in the office:

I have a few of my own gold-rimmed glasses, which I’ve picked up at various thrift stores. Mixing and matching is the way to go.

And….then there is this thing:

It’s called a “drinking bird“. And you can get them here.   Fancy that.

For more fun props found on Season 4 of Mad Men, see EW photo gallery  here.

I’m not a line-stander. But Monday night, I (somehow) ended up waiting for David Lynch to sign his new ($85) art book.

I learned about the book signing via Lynch’s Twitter account, and traveled to Book Soup on Sunset Blvd at around 5:30 on Monday, bought the book and then proceeded to stand in line for approximately one and a half hours.  There were some real Lynch fans out there. The couple in line behind me had just come in from Texas for the signing. The wife actually surprised her husband (a fancy restaurateur from Dallas) with the trip because he loves Lynch so much.

Anyhow, I’m glad I met Mr. Lynch. He was one of the kindest people I’ve ever encountered.

Here are some photos of other books from my eclectic book collection:

]]> http://missenscene.com/2010/08/18/dark-splendor-photos-of-my-books/feed/ 4 missenscene IMG_6434 IMG_6437 IMG_6439 IMG_6445-1 IMG_6447 IMG_6451 IMG_6463 IMG_6467 IMG_6472 IMG_6473 IMG_6479 IMG_6482 IMG_6483 IMG_6491 IMG_6492 IMG_6497 IMG_6506 http://missenscene.com/2010/08/16/i-wanna-go-here-new-places-in-dtla/ http://missenscene.com/2010/08/16/i-wanna-go-here-new-places-in-dtla/#comments Tue, 17 Aug 2010 04:58:05 +0000 missenscene http://missenscene.com/?p=3936 ]]>

There are new restaurants and bars popping up all over downtown, but I’m thrilled to announce two relatively new neighbors: KTCHN 105, and Villains Tavern.

I haven’t been to either restaurant yet, but I’ve heard nothing but good things about both places.

KTCHN 105 is located here:

“Beyond cooking, our studio kitchen at KTCHN 105 was designed for learning, entertaining, and coming together for the appreciation of food. Located in the the heart of the Produce District of Downtown Los Angeles, our studio kitchen offers catering, private tastings, specialized cooking classes, private dinner parties and creative culinary energy. “

They Also offer Sunday Brunch:

Some of the yummy offerings include: sun-dried tomato scramble, Corn Meal Waffle Pear BLT and Basil Cured Salmon Lox with Toast Baguette.

Next up:Villain’s Tavern

The folks who brought you Bordello and 4100, are now bringing you this amazing place.  I really want to go to look at the design of the space, which supposedly includes: ” church pews on the outside patios, an antique bar that used to reside in an 1880s-era New York City tavern, and a Gothic church window behind the bar.”*

According to the yelp reviews, food includes: burgers, grilled cheese and Parmesan fries. And, there are a ton of beers on tap including: Chimay,  Deschutes Porter, and Racer 5. The most popular drink is the combo: $8 gets you a mason jar of one of 20 beers, ales, lagers or ciders on tap and a test tube shot full of hard liquor on the side. What a deal?!

Here are some more shots of Villains (thanks yelpers!):

*Uptake

*Photos Courtesy of KTCHN105 and YELP.

Today I stumbled upon this cool website, where photographer Danny Santos II  posts his portraits of complete strangers taken in Orchard Road, Singapore.  Some of the photos are candid, which I tend to gravitate towards–since this is how I like to shoot.  I like capturing moments that are not posed in anyway.  Santos also shoots staged portraits of strangers, which are quite nice, as well.

“One of the reasons I love shooting in Orchard Road is that it’s teeming with good-looking people frequently walking around, almost strutting… especially on the weekends. Even with relatively modest getups, the air of confidence is often noticeable from their head-turning allure down to their subtle swagger. Early on in my candid shooting exploits, it was this crowd that I wanted to capture.”

Check out some of his photos below:

Candids:

Street Portraits:

Stranger #19

Stranger #44

Stranger #7

]]> http://missenscene.com/2010/08/12/shooting-strangers-stumbled-upon-site-of-the-day/feed/ 2 missenscene About Shooting Strangers in Orchard Road - Mozilla Firefox 8122010 65015 PM gallery-city-strollers-08 candid1 candid2 candid3 Stranger #19 Flickr - Photo Sharing! - Mozilla Firefox 8122010 70455 PM s Stranger #7 Flickr - Photo Sharing! - Mozilla Firefox 8122010 70321 PM http://missenscene.com/2010/08/09/digging-matchstick-gardens/ http://missenscene.com/2010/08/09/digging-matchstick-gardens/#comments Tue, 10 Aug 2010 02:25:51 +0000 missenscene http://missenscene.com/?p=3906 ]]>

www.matchstickgarden.com

I just inherited a garden–for a month or so.  It’s a plot of land in a community garden in downtown Los Angeles. I’ve had it for about a week, and watered it once.  The owner told me to plant some things, and I just haven’t had a chance.  But, today, I found these awesome matchstick gardens and I’m obsessed!  At first, I thought the special matchsticks were only available in Europe—but no, you can buy them at our very own Los Angeles Public Library!!  (I’ll post some other Southern California locations below).

Here’s some quick info from the “about” section on the website:

“The cute Matchstick Garden holds a clever secret inside.

Tear out a matchstick, plant it tip first in soil and you will soon have a flower, herb or vegetable garden growing. On the tip of each match are seeds already mixed to grow.

There are four styles of Matchstick Garden available: Mixed Herbs, Wildflowers, Italian Garden and Mixed Greens. Each Matchstick Garden is 3″ W x 2″ H with 10 matchsticks. Easy to follow instructions are printed inside. “

I’m so excited to start gardening….I absolutely love these magical matchsticks.

Here’s a partial list of locations you can buy the matchstick garden at in Southern California:

The J. Paul Getty Museum Bookshop
1200 Getty Center Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90049
310-440-7061
www.getty.edu

Los Angeles Public Library
630 W Fifth Street
Los Angeles California 90071

Fern’s Garden
5308-B 2nd Street
Long Beach California 90803

Giant Robot, LA
2015 Sawtelle Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
310-479-7311
www.giantrobot.com
www.gr2.net

Orange County Museum of Art
850 San Clemente Drive
Newport Beach California 92660

Everything I love and hate about Colorado (yep-that’s where I’m from).  I don’t think this video will be funny for anyone who hasn’t spent a lot of time in Denver.   But , for everyone else—click play above.  Fun memories. OMG.  I’m like totally glad I like live in California now.

A friend of a friend started this totally awesome new site.  There are tons of other websites that offer freebies in LA, and even free things to do in LA, but this one offers  info on free upcoming events (mostly related to art and entertainment) like the one that’s posted below:

Summer Clothing Swap

Guests can swap a maximum of 10 items in “nearly new condition.” Bringing extras is encouraged as all leftovers will be donated to Women Helping Women. Free hand massages will be provided by Bliss Spa and the first 50 guests will receive a free bag from The Green Garmento.

Unfortunately, this is an “exclusive ladies-only” event and RSVPs are a must. Email rsvpwlaevents@whotels.com to make sure that you’re on the list.”

Be sure and bookmark totallyfreela.com.  You’ll be the awesome one who knows about the amazingly fun free events in LA when your friends complain about not having enough money to do anything cool.

Nordstrom Rack has the best shoes–especially the one in Orange County right next to South Coast Plaza. Today I found the incredible Celine shoes (see above), but they were a 1/2 size too big.  I combed the store for my size without success.  Sad.

The shoes were just so beautiful and well crafted that I had to post a photo. I love the Tiffany blue next to the leather.