Category Archives: Friday Frivolity

Things to buy that will make you (or someone else) happy

Friday Frivolity, Home Design and Decor, Made in LA, Shopping

Made in LA: Ancient Art of Modern Ceramics

click the link on the website home page to watch video
This isn’t the real door in Los Angeles, but I chose this one because it fits with where it leads  to

First  you need to click on the door above and follow me to a place in Downtown Los Angeles where an ancient art form produces modern ceramics.  After you watch the video, be sure to come right back–there’s more to see and hear.

Such as what the artist has to say when you click on his photo (but then come back again…there’s more!):

Robert Siegel talks about RS Handmade

Robert Siegel Studio Handmade is part of the magic that is DTLA.         Thanks, Robert, for making your art in my neighborhood!                         Great meeting you at Unique-You told your story so well.                         My blogging job is done for today.                                                                       

Robert Siegel Studio is located at 3430 S Hill St. #105 DTLA               Phone: 310.779.9577

SHOP HERE:

Gold Rim Berry Bowl
Gold Rim Berry Bowl
http://robertsiegelstudio.com/product-category/pitchers/
Original Baba Pitcher
O.bullseyeplatter
Beaux Collection
Fashion & Style, Friday Frivolity, Made in LA, Shopping

Made in LA: Summer Jackets

Memorial weekend–the harbinger of summer–purple jacarandas blooming all over Los Angeles., fog rolling in from the coast, Vin Scully’s voice on the airwaves.   If you’ve decided to take a long weekend drive up to NoCal, remember it’s THE 5 or (NO “THE”)Hwy 1 and DO NOT put “THE” in front of ANY NoCal freeway…even though we call it THE 101  down here.  And one more  thing to remember, once you do arrive in Big Sur, Carmel, or San Francisco you are likely to experience  the kind of summer weather, that according to Mark Twain, was the coldest winter he ever spent.

So the question for us gals is: How do you dress chic when you have to deal with the California summer hot/cold dilemma?

The answer:  Jacket Society!  Nora Minassian’s made-in- L.A. collection of jackets curated for every season. Nora’s created  the perfect look to complete any  ensemble–whether it’s jeans and a tank top,  a tailored skirt and silk blouse or linen shorts and a T-shirt.  No more scrunching up a sweater or going with the 90’s passé  pashmina.  With Nora’s jackets, the look is comfortable and put- together at the same time.

I met Nora at Unique-L.A. and we instantly connected.  She’s got sparkling style with an equally radiant smile.  Her Jacket Society website not only gives you the opportunity to buy online, she also shows how to put the look together, accessorize it and where to wear it around L.A. as she blogs about; and her husband, Tim, photographs; favorite places to spend an afternoon or evening around town.

With Nora’s jackets in your closet, you have an easy wardrobe inspiration every day.  Here’s  a sample of just a few of her looks :

From imported Italian brocade:

The_Broccato_Jacket_Jacket_Society (5)

To Italian Rayon blend with metallic shine:

Nora Minassian Jacket Society

to lightweight Rayon Poly Spandex blend:

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To Rayon Tencel blend

Coral_Jacket_Harper_Jacket_society (2)

 

Nora and I are talking about getting a group of gals together here at the loft where she can bring her collection and we can enjoy some champagne and strawberries while we update the look of  just about every pair of jeans, skirt or dress that’s already in our closet.  No need to throw out the old…it’s the jacket and the accessories that make everything new again.

Have a great Memorial Weekend and while you’re lounging by the pool (hopefully we’ll get some sun!) pull out your iPad and check out Nora’s website for the perfect way to look cool and not freeze whether you find yourself in A.C. or catching some of that summer L.A. breeze.

Friday Frivolity, Home Design and Decor, Made in LA, Shopping

Made in LA: By the Bloom on Wheels

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Truck culture is rampant– food trucks show up everywhere.   In some neighborhoods you might even still see the random beat up ice cream truck  at a park or, if you’re really lucky, you might just spot the illusive Big Gay Ice Cream truck and have the privilege of waiting in a 20- minute line for a cup of Salty Pimp. Of course, back in the day there was the milk truck with the guy in white pants and a white short-sleeved shirt who left milk and eggs on the porch.  And if you’re a boomer born and raised in L.A. you  have to remember the Helms Bakery Truck that pulled up in your neighborhood, sounded the whistle twice to announce its arrival, then dazzled you with the rows of every pastry and doughnut imaginable lined up in those sleek wooden drawers. Today , though, there’s a new truck in town to dazzle you– By the Bloom, a flower shop on wheels!   Owner and Founder, Tara Grand, had a 1999 step van converted into a mobile flower shop where she creates, stores, sells, and even delivers, her completely unique floral art throughout the Los Angeles area. image I met Tara at Unique-LA where I got to see a little bit of everything she makes– oh so seemingly random, but ever so carefully designed  fresh arrangements, dried floral sculptures, succulent gift packs and even floral-wear:  wrist cuffs and head crowns made from sustainable plants that were inspired by the pieces she  recently created for her fans heading off to  Coachella . View image on Twitter Bythebloom

Tara has taken her experiences of living  and traveling through Europe, where flowers and gardens are everywhere, and created a mobile studio that  gives her the   flexibility to take  her creations everywhere in and around L.A.

According to her website, Tara has trained with various flower companies including London based Jane Packer, The Covent Garden Academy of Floral Design and Portland event florist, Francoise Weeks, which has allowed her to infuse her own style with traditional English and European designs.

So whether it’s a wedding, a birthday, a bridal shower, a hostess gift

White-bouquet-8449lowPurse-8392low

Corset-8399lowLarge-basket-8422low

or even something a guy might appreciate:

Succulents-wooden-box-8518low

Tara has a bloom that fits every event, occasion, sentiment, customer or style.

You might find where Tara is rolling next by following her on twitter.com/bythebloom or just give her a call at  (626) 371-3870 .

After her recent coverage by Hollywood  Access and her appearance on KTLA she may be more busy arranging flowers than arranging where her truck will be next.  My advice: get on her list now before all the celebrities get a hold of her!

Fashion & Style, Friday Frivolity, Made in LA, Shopping

Made in LA- Custom Hats

As Southern Californians, let’s all  tip our hats to California Chrome  who might just show the world that a horse  from the  town of the stinky cows  has a chance at being the first California horse EVER to win the U.S. Triple Crown!  California Chrome’s win at the Kentucky Derby on May 3rd made him the only California horse to take the Kentucky Derby since 1962 –and the others were all the way back  in 1955 and 1922.  California Chrome’s next race is the 139th  Preakness Stakes on May 17th which will be the 6th race in his 5 race winning streak.

Did I say, “Tip our hats?”  What image better says “Race Day” than an undulation of remarkable hats?   Yes–it’s time to celebrate with a hat! So to honor California Chrome’s Derby win and his prospects for the future,  I headed straight to CLADE, Maya Reynolds’ downtown menswear store at 600 S. Spring Street, knowing that  Los Angeles milliner extraordinaire (Azita) Ariane  Azarpira  would be there this past Thursday night during  the monthly Downtown Art Walk. (Yes I know, it’s Saturday and I’m a day late on my Friday post!)

Owner/ designer  Maya is a big collector/ wearer of Ariane’s hats and she introduced a men’s hat line to compliment her expressive menswear collections for clients that include musicians, artists, actors and others who don’t have to conform to tradition.  And  now  Maya has added a  few women’s pieces into her shop, which is akin to a Victorian- era closet on steroids.    Happily, I discovered  that Ariane brought all her new spring/ summer women’s hat creations to  CLADE for Art Walk night.  With wine to  sip and cheese to nibble on–the men  make quick decisions while the women turn the minutes into hours of exploring their alter-egos.

I think there’s something about a hat that makes a statement about the mood of its wearer, festive, intellectual, sporty, brooding, whimsical, hip, mysterious, edgy, or, in some cases, just plain goofy.  Sometimes you’ll hear someone say, “I just don’t look good in hats.” I think the truth of the matter is you have to be willing to explore your personality with no preconceived ideas.  While California Chrome pursues the Triple Crown,   I invite you to sip a mint julep read California Chrome’s Wikipedia story to find out what DAP  really means on the silks of California Chrome’s jockey, Victor Espinoza–and pursue your own crowning moment with a new summer hat!

And for the first 25 people that:

1) Comment below by telling me what hat you think I bought and which other one you think I should buy                                                                      AND                                                                                                                                             2) You’ve subscribed to my blog

You’ll be invited to a hat party at our Downtown L.A. loft with Ariane to personally find the perfect hat for you!  The choices are (these are just a few of the many that Ariane has created):

1) The Diane Keaton

Diane Keaton hatBlack western style
Purple velvet trim

 

 

 

 

 

 

2) The Wild West

 

 

 

 

 

 

3) The Purple Velvet

 

 

 

 

 

4) The Multi-Stripemulti-colored stripe fedora

 

 

 

 

 

 

5) The Summer FloppySummer Floppy Hat

 

 

 

 

 

 

6) The  Hand Painted FloralThe hand painted floral

 

 

 

 

 

7) Ariane and me with a white            Panama fedora

Ariane and me at CLADE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hats are like friends–you make an instant connection…and you rarely have just one!   Be one of the lucky ones to come to our hat party with the  gorgeous, gracious and amazingly talented  Ariane who will  help you find that perfect hat for your personal summertime style-and she’ll show you just how to wear it, too! So let me know your favorites and don’t forget to subscribe to the blog to get on the invite list.

Friday Frivolity, Made in LA

Made in LA: Footmate System Sweet for Feet

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blog footmate croppedWhether you’re walking city streets in sandals or heading to the beach to beat the heat, this is the real deal to keep your feet sweet!  The company  is Gordon Brush Mfg. Co. and they make the Footmate System® at their 51,000 square foot state-of -the- art  manufacturing facility in Commerce, CA, just 7 miles southeast of Downtown Los Angeles– which definitely puts them in the “Made-in-L.A.” category.  Gordon Brush makes over 15,000 different kinds of brushes but this one is like no brush you’ve ever polished, cleaned or scrubbed with.  It’s like a massage for your feet every time you step into the shower.

The website describes The Footmate System® as “A complete foot care system for cleaning, soothing, stimulating and massaging your feet every time you shower.  It’s the ultimate foot massage.”

You squirt the cleaning gel on the brush and slide your feet across the bristles every which way–you get a little tingling with a lot of soothing–and you end up with soft, smooth, super-clean feet.  And the gel  keeps the brush clean, too.

Crazy as it sounds, I’ve given this as a gift… and everyone who sees it wants to know how they can get one, too.  If you’re thinking you want one… and that your mom would, too, (my mom loves it), there’s a Mother’s Day special going on where you can order right off the  Footmate System® website between now and May 11th and get 20% off and an extra 10% if your order hits $100.  One for yourself, one for Mom and one for someone else and you have the deal of your life…OK…maybe it’s just the deal of your week.  But you’ll have a new lease on your shower life, I guarantee it!

At the risk of sounding any more like  an infomercial than I already do(and, no,  Gordon Brush is NOT paying me for this post) I’ll leave you to enjoy your weekend…but with a plea on behalf of your feet–they want this brush!

Friday Frivolity, Made in LA, The Food

Made in LA:This DTLA Coffee is a Cup of Paradise

Urban Radish CoffeeI don’t know about you, but when I drink my coffee I want to know that the birds in the trees where the beans came from are happy.   Maybe that’s why Urban Radish’s Mexico Custapec house- brand coffee tastes so good–just read the label on the  air-tight silvery package.  Happy brew–happy you!  Maybe there’s ancient magic in these Rainforest Alliance harvested beans from the Finca  Custapec coffee plantation that gets me happily fluttering through the morning.  Maybe the colorful flavor comes from the way the  beans are  roasted–Italian-style.  Maybe the  fragrant aroma originates from the roots of the trees that reach deep into the fertile earth of the Finca Custapec coffee plantation established in 1911 in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas, a land of ancient volcanoes.  But what I do know, is that this coffee absolutely makes it worth the extra effort to get out the electric grinder every morning and enjoy this little bit of paradise in my cup.  These DTLA coffee beans are custom roasted in Los Angeles for Urban Radish.

Friday Frivolity, Made in LA, Shopping

Friday Frivolity- So Cal Locale Vintage Votive Holders

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Welcome to Friday Frivolity where each Friday you’ll get a suggestion for something  fun, frivolous, fanciful, indulgent or comforting that’s made by a company based in  Los Angeles or the vicinity.votive holdersI found these vintage-inspired votive holders at Angelo Home,  the best gift and furniture store in Downtown L.A. (or anywhere for that matter–because you can shop Angelo’s website, too).  Each votive holder is unique and the images take you back to everything that was iconic about the culture  and commerce of L.A. , and other California locales, in days gone by.  The designer, David Cheaney, is an L.A. resident who hand-makes all kinds of wonderful  decor items and sells them in stores, flea markets, craft fairs and online.  Plop down in a comfy chair and check out his blog Cheltenham Road and be sure to make a stop in the Etsy Shop while you’re there!