Going West /sf

Wally, I just stumbled upon this amazing piece of animation and had to share it..
enjoy!

Bamboo iphone cases / SF

Dear Wally...

So sorry to hear about your Parisian iphone getting pickpocketed! (Guess it could have been worse...remember when all of our luggage was stolen in Spain)? What a bummer! Your phone and case..too cute...gone! My own case is looking pretty bedraggled...so I started poking around and found these gorgeous laser-cut bamboo cases from GroveMade. GroveMade is based in Portland.

You can also design your own for a completely customized look. Most designs retail for ~49.00.
A fantastic price if you think of it as an art piece.

la bonne vie/LA

last sighting of iPhone before it was stolen on the Metro!

Dunkle just had to share. i know Paris is your favorite place in the world. there's so much more to show and tell but i wanted to finally get something to you. we stayed at the Hotel Pont Royal in Saint Germain des Pres. great location and lovely botique hotel. we had an ancient cathedral outside our bedroom window! we got a 5 day pass on the Batobus which took us up and down the Seine and dropped us off at places like Notre Dame and the Louvre. most of these pictures are 12 year old Graces' as my phone-my only camera-got stolen on the second day of our trip. more highlights later. - k

I LOVE ABBOT KINNEY

Dunkle. how can this street keep getting better and better? and NOT ONE CHAIN STORE. Nanc said she'd had lunch at Hals with a friend - love Hals - and found some good shops and bought a thing or two. sad that i missed out on the excursion i had the chance to drop by the next day. i only had limited time but this is what i found:

fiore designs, 1617 Abbot Kinney

Bohemian Exchange, 1358 Abbot Kinney

At fiore i found great stuff for two bathrooms including a relative of the above bird (will document later). at Bohemian Exchange i found a great dress (somehow i only documented the jewelry) at a great price.

Bedroom update/LA

one of the first things any divorced woman should do is burn the marriage bed. chop it up, throw gas on it and ignite. my friend and brilliant designer Lorri Kline sat me in front of the computer and in two seconds we had ordered the Ikea Malm Bed. Tag line: Clean lines, Calm bedroom. sounds good to me (especially at $199). next stop Roberta Roller Rabbit sheets at the Brentwood Country Mart. inspired by the colors i painted a backdrop. finally i found the perfect lamps at Landon Cole Furniture. it's not always calm around here but my bedroom always makes me happy. especially when i shut the door.

Rediscovering La Brea/LA

Peeking inside Landon Cole: amazing lamps and more.

Fabric store i forgot the name of nearby.

Dispela Antiques.

Liz's Antique Hardware.

Dunkle. long time no blog! i know that we are both loosing our minds being single moms and all BUT i have gotten a few respites. Memorial weekend i called my friend Melody. i needed to go somewhere special sans children with food, cocktails and great atmosphere. we ended up on La Brea at Tar Pit Restaurant. very chic. just what the doctor ordered. afterwards we walked the streets and window shopped. here are a few pics i took. i ended up going back to Landon Cole the next day and getting some key things for my house: lamps for my redesigned bedroom and pillows for evolving living room.

Art House Fundraiser Marin California

Wally, there is a very cool fundraiser project, sponsored by the Ritter Center, going on right now in Marin County. The Ritter Center has launched Art Houses of Marin, a new community-wide public art project to raise awareness of the increased pressures faced by homeless and low-income families here in Marin.

We are lucky enough to have a beautiful art house painted by artist/resident, Eric Zener right in downtown Mill Valley at Litton Square. I believe Eric Zener is also the artist who created the painting I fell in love with at the Westin Maui, of a woman swimming to the surface. Remember?

For more information on the project, you can check out the other artists and project details on the video below.

NYC Destinations: High Line, Chelsea market and Williamsburg

Dunkle, we love the Abingdon Guest House because of the west village location and price. and it doesn't hurt that the chocolate bar is right next door. every morning either Nanc or i ventured out first thing and bought lattes and mochas to get us up and out. on Saturday, our last day, i'd read about the High Line park and really wanted to see it first hand. i wasn't disappointed. it's a park built in the sky on the skeleton of the old elevated rail system that serviced the meat markets. see pics below.

we started at the south end and exited the stairs at the north end. we found ourselves at the Chelsea market. our buddy mel had taken us there years ago when it first opened. i'd forgotten how fun it is - especially if you're hungry.

we then hopped the subway, because you always have to ride the subway in NY, and took the very long way to Brooklyn. Willaimsburg to be exact. it was a little sketchy for us. the good stuff was here and there but not all in one place.

Friday in New York City

Dunke, this trip to the City i was more in need of a little food for the soul and brain than the shopping fix of years past (remember our trip a few years ago when we stayed at 60 Thompson and traipsed all over the city visiting all our favorite shops?) i wanted to make sure i got some visual stimulation so Nanc and i decided to visit the Guggenheim. there was something there i really wanted to see "Contemplating the Void. Interventions in the Guggenheim museum". on the occasion of the building's 50th anniversary, the Guggenheim invited nearly 200 artists, architects, and designers from around the world to imagine their dream interventions in its center space. there through April 28 and definitely seeing.

also at the Guggenheim, Haunted: Contemporary Photography/Video/Performance. in the shot above Nanc and i became part of the exhibit.

here's Nancy waiting in line for her second (or third) cupcake of the trip at magnolia Bakery on Bleecker. across the street at Irma the owner confirmed that magnolia is not what it once was. the original owners sold it and i can attest it is not as tasty as before. but let me tell you about Irma - small boutique with gorgeous stuff. i scored big time. i will definitely put it on my list of places to pop in to when i visit NYC.

that night we had a snack at Sardis before seeing Enron on Broadway. enjoyed it. didn't think it was amazing. had to snap a picture of this adorable girl at Sardis. love the bow.

we ended our night at the Spotted Pig. it got a lot of raves and had plenty of atmosphere but the all pork menu kinda grossed us out at midnight. still it was a great night out. it had been ninety the day before and now the weather was windy and brisk with sprinkles of rain. fun for running around late at night.