Summer Curry!

Squash from the garden
Cherry tomatoes from the garden
Basil from the garden
Asparagus and Malibu onions from the farmers market
Curry medly from local Indian Store

Tasty!

Mellow Yello

LA Loves my favorite yellow wedges!

Paper, Paper on the wall...

Recently I was cruising Kate's Paperie and came across the line of  Cavallini paper products.  I almost feel like it would be a shame to use their beautiful papers to wrap a present and then have them all torn to shreds upon opening. These are works of art that are meant to be appreciated.  $4.50 a sheet may be a tad pricey for wrapping paper but framed and matted and hung on a wall they make some very economical artwork.

Thanks Jeanine!

Fellow Blogger, Designer, and NESAD Alum Jeanine did a great blurb about our house in the Selby Contest.  Check out her blog.  I am loving the most recent post about the giant hammock in Boston.  We need one of those in LA.

Animals!

Soyoung just recently forwarded me to the Animal print shop where you can purchase these great inexpensive minimalist prints of animals for just $25 for a 7" x 9" edition.  I think a series of several of these (like a square of 16 up together on a wall) could be quite dramatic. Simple white mats and frames on a dark wall. 

First off, they remind me of my post about Andrew Zuckerman's Bird.

Secondly, I love the way they cleverly split the items into categories such as primate, hoofs, baby animals, farm, reptile, and cats!

The Nude Olympics

No, I'm not talking about that long gone first snowfall Princetonian tradition.  I'm talking about Olympic Spa here in Koreatown LA.  Not for the modest or faint of heart, Olympic Spa is a traditional Korean bathing outpost requiring full nudity.

I took my 4th adventure there on Friday.  The spa features 2 jaccuzzis one of which is a very hot soaking tub of mugworts herbal tea (said to have healing qualities, and perhaps something out of Harry Potter as well), a cold plunge, a jade steam room, clay sauna and oxygen charcoal room. There is also a warmed stone platform or kang that you can take a nap on.  You can purchase a Simple Soak day pass for $15 and bathe to your hearts delight, and you can even eat in their cafe.  Or you can purchase a special treatment which includes the simple soak.  I highly recommend the Akasuri Scrub and mini massage.  For $70 you get an hour of undivided attention by a Korean masseuse clad in black bra and undies.  Included are a full body slough down, massage, mini facial, and hair wash.  There is no way not to come out of that glowing from head to toe.

Connie Harikul of LA.com wisely says: But don't be fooled by the word "spa," 'cause if you're envisioning candlelit rooms with big, fluffy robes and piped-in new age music, you will be sorely disappointed. If, however, you are interested in visiting a tidy, no-nonsense, Korean bathhouse where a mere $15 grants you unlimited access to a variety of therapeutic saunas and baths, then you are in luck for Olympic Spa offers exactly that.

Golden State

This sunday we returned to Golden State the casual no-nonsense gastropub across the street from Canter's on Fairfax.  Golden State features a great selection of burgers, fries, dogs and other items (which you shouldn't be ordering because you are eating burgers, fries, and dogs).  They also have a great selection of beers and nicely edited wines.  And of course, they are home to LA's best beer float.  Yes, they won the beer float faceoff last year..... and yes, that is a very specific category no doubt created so they could win it.  Nevertheless a novelty and tasty at that.

Birthday FUN-icular!

So, it's been over a week, but for my birthday, Scott took me on the previously mentioned downtown date night.  Highlights include (and I apologize for the blurry iphone photos):

Martinis at the Library Bar.  Cute and Cozy space and probably better food than where we ended up.

A ride on the Angel's Flight Funicular - the shortest railway in the US.  For a mere 25 cents you get to stand instead of walking the steep slope between Hill Street and Grand Ave.

A stop at Redwood - a pirate themed downtown bar

A walk through longer-than-we-thought tunnel under said hill and past several homeless folk.... nothing like pushing the safety envelope on your 32nd birthday.

Final stop First and Hope Supper Club.  Whilst we had fun because we were with each other, my word of advice is DO NOT GO THERE.  Schizophrenic. Southern soul food meets Miami style club lounge with waitresses dressed in 20s gear and they'd run out of practically everything that we ordered on the menu. 

Where are my dentures?!

The final viral video.  Hopefully it will spread like wildfire!

The Truth About Men

Video #2 - the embarrassment builds!

Squash it to me

First squash of the season.  The cukes aren't doing so well.  Thus far they look like prickly cornichons.... but this squash is longer than my hand and certainly edible!

Everything a Girl Needs

Yes, we've gone viral trying to promote our house in the CB2 Selby Contest.  Check out the first of 3 videos we made.  Hopefully the embarrassment will be worth it!:

HELP!

I'm not one to be overly judgemental of other folks' style and taste.  There are a myriad of different approaches out there when it comes to interior design. BUT....

This person's room is in first in the CB2 Selby Contest. 

C'mon people.  You know you want me to win over this. 

Vote now. 

Here: http://www.theselbycontest.com/entry/74306

8th place!

 Help us keep up the momentum and move into 1st!:

http://www.theselbycontest.com/entry/74306

El Tres Inn!

The proprietors of local Silverlake wateringhole and delectable Mexican restaurant have spread their wings in the hospitality world and opened El Tres Inn upstairs of their restaurant location. 

The Inn features only  3 rooms and a "salon".  Uno, Dos, and Tres are all unique rooms with a funky vibe.  Not a bad place to crash after a few too many margaritas downstairs!

A penny for your thoughts

Do you get the penny saver? 

Do you just throw it in the trash, or hopefully the recycling? 

Well, next time take a look.  My friend Jess (yes, another one) turned me onto the penny saver for estate sale ads.  However, this morning I was perusing it and decided to go beyond the sale section.  Just a few of the selections.  I have so many witty things to add, but I think they speak for themselves (sorry, no visuals, but none needed):

Ventriloquest Dummy
30' L, asking $40

Readers Digest
2009 (whole year available), 2010 (January - August) never used, $25 / all

Civil War Book
Picture history of the Civil War, good condition, $7.50

Leather Pants
Men or women, pink, size 12/32 $40

Womens Jumpsuit
Large, purple, Sequence, V-neck, 4 buttons down, unusual, $10

If you want any of these items, email me and I will give you the phone number to call.   Sorry, no interwebs.

Imilla Road

Friend and fashion designer Margaret Brungart of Margaret Miller Dresses is being featured in Imilla Road's pop up store starting tomorrow through August 29 in New York City. 

Manhattanites take note!

Selby / CB2 Update

Vote Now!

http://www.theselbycontest.com/entry/74306 

Our House is currently in 11th place out of 624 entries in the CB2 Selby contest.  On Sept 15 if we remain in the top 50 we stand to win a $10,000 shopping spree, and even more importantly a Todd Selby photoshoot of our house! 

Everyone can vote once, so keep it going virally - forward to friends, relatives, coworkers.

*** You can vote through facebook by clicking the facebook icon, which logs you into your facebook account or you can register to vote or log in with your existing CB2 account.

Lauren Stern Designs

Lauren Stern, a friend and former colleague of mine in NYC started her own design firm a couple of years back and she has really come a long way. She was recently featured on Design Sponge.  I love her eclectic interiors - something modern, something industrial, everything personal.  Great job Lauren!

It's true

I haven't been to the Getty yet

So shoot me.

Vote for my place!

Help me win the CB2 Selby contest.  If I get enough votes I get a photo shoot with trend maven Todd Selby and a $10,000 shopping spree to CB2.  Vote for our house here.  You can also go to the link and log in through facebook!

The motherload

Dude.

I was scouring craigslist the other day and came across Mid Century LA.  This place is a warehouse FULL of mid-century chairs, tables, consoles and lamps.  Talk about specific.  But also kind of awesome.  If you are looking for something like that. 

Materialista!

A friend of mine in the architectural materials industry recently started a blog.  If you're interested in what's new in surfaces - from flooring, to textured wall panels, to laser cut metal screens, check out Materialista's blog.  She's trolling NYC to find the best and most innovative use of materials out there in retail spaces, restaurants, hotels etc. Here is a photo of Rare Restaurant that she recently wrote about.

Orgasmo de la Boca

Yes - that is the name of the LA guerilla supper club just recently written up in Sunset magazine.  I haven't tried it yet but I love the idea.  After several failed attempts at starting various dinner clubs (I blame the lack of enthusiasm by the other members) I think the way to go is an open invite, pay as you come system.  You invite everyone, they RSVP, then they bring A) Wine B) $10 or other set amount to cover the costs. 

This month's Orgasmo de la Boca features a Muppets Movie themed outdoor fete at a home in Westcheester.

Making a cheap room online

Knock-off Eames wood leg chairs for $197 a pair (Overstock.com)

Grellow Dinnig Table for  $249 (CB2)

 Convertible Sofa at $588 (Urban Outfitters)

'Pendelton Blanket for $160 (Urban Outfitters)

 Kulla Floor Lamp $89 (IKEA)

Sveje Rug $13 each - stitched together (IKEA)

Redbury Hotel Hollywood Opens

The ladies over at Avenue Interior Design just had their biggest project open - the new Redbury Hotel in Hollywood.  The deep reds and collected look make it feel like the west coast outpost of the Gramercy Park Hotel.

32 years and counting

And the jello swimming pool birthday cake still takes the cake....

New Favorite Artist

I discovered Hayley Gaberlavage's paintings through Jess at the Love List Blog.  I love the the simplistic themes of her figurative and landscape paintings and the patterns in her abstracts.  Definitely coveting one for the living room somewhere.