January Warmth and Inspiration

There is something about January and the adjustment of being so busy in December and the holiday tempo that makes it seem a little forlorn. Leaving my grandchildren is always hard and it never seems to get any easier even as some of them are reaching their teens. It was a nice boost this year to return to my fairly new location and shop and plunge right into a workshop with inspiring and energetic women. What a fun way to begin a new year.

What I love best about workshops is the mingling of mutual passions and ideas and ways to hunt for bargains whether it be furniture or hardware. There is always someone in the group who has a secret way to find the best deal. Everyone talks about design, color, and technique in a refreshing and sharing manner. We all love paint and being creative, but we also love a chance to share and know we all belong to a mutual group that loves design and improvement and recycling neglected pieces of furniture.

After we were done painting our wood samples, we decided to try painting some metal hooks. This is what I love most about Chalk Paint™. You can paint on absolutely anything and these decorative hooks took to the paint as any refined hook would do given the same opportunity!

How about Florence with Antoinette and a little distressing and some dark wax?

And then there is the regal beauty of a Primer Red with some dark wax and a distressing.

A Fleur-de-lis with Chateau Grey, a little distressing and softening with dark wax is pure elegance.

And who does not love Provence in any form? Here it is ready to hang in the warmth of a little distressing and dark wax.

And here is Antoinette in all her beautiful subtle refinement. I love the warmth of the dark wax and a little distressing to give this piece an extra charm.

At the ending of the workshop we all shared our information on Pinterest and Facebook. There will be more pins to pin and more friends to add to all of our pages and isn't this the best way to begin a January that at the onset seems a little calm and remote from families and friends where the miles may seem a bit long. I am warming up to a wonderful year at The Purple Pear. The wind may seem cold and the temperatures chilly but there is much to warm our hearts and keep our creative pulses beating.

From San Francisco to The Lost Coast

We left LA on December 29th, and arrived in San Francisco on the 30th to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We had a drink at the bar in the Huntington Hotel, a classic and beautiful bar, and I loved the lamp that was there....the lights dim and the ambiance very special. We spent a lot of time visiting our favorite haunts, places we loved to visit when we lived there...

Our favorite bakery was at Pine and Fillmore, La Boulangerie.

And Nest, my favorite boutique for home decor and inspiration was on Fillmore Street and Washington. If you have a chance to visit the bay area don't miss the chance to visit this magical place.

On our anniversary, the 31st, we headed over to the SF Giants Ball Park to see the brick we had to commemorate our place of marriage in San Francisco and to memorialize our years there together.

We were given a small bowl of fruit from the hotel and I had to take a picture of it. The stem was so wonderful, such a statement. Grace Cathedral is in the background.

From the time we arrived until we left the weather was spectacular. This was a view from our room. The Flood Mansion is in the forefront, now the Pacific Union Club. On the way north we headed up through Mendocino and The Lost Coast, Humboldt County. We stayed at The Benbow Inn.

I could spend hours on their front porch even though the weather was very cold and foggy.

This inn was built around the 1930's and has the most amazing collection of antique furniture. I went around taking a few photos. This hall tree was on the second floor near our room.

This detail barely does it justice. I was so drawn in by the beauty of it every time we passed by.

This amazing statue was of an angel in flight holding a hot air balloon filled with people. Where in the world did they find these incredible pieces?

And what about this beautiful swan table with the intricate carving?

I think they had the most original and lovely light fixtures I have seen in some time.

This fixture was actually a standard one seen through out the hotel. We are back in Portland now and returning to The Purple Pear in the morning. I can't wait to re-do the store and update the look for 2013. Happy New Year!!

"Levitated Mass"

The day before we left LA, our daughter wanted us to see an outdoor exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. She described it as a huge displaced mass of rock (boulder?) that was poised over a structure that one could walk under. It sounded strange and fascinating at the same time.

The grounds and buildings of this museum are energizing and contemporary, fitting and appropriate for a city that sets trends in fashion as well as design.

When I approached this "rock" I was astounded, not only about the size and mass, but the way it had been set above this passage. The dimension of it as well as the feeling that it conveyed was one of awe and reverence. How something so massive could seem so majestic and balanced.

My grandson and I are standing next to the mass that is set above the tunnel, so you can see how massive this structure is in comparison to our sizes.

As we walked up to the museum there was another outdoor display with strings of yellow tubing, a visceral and tactile change of experience.

Jeanette, my daughter is in the foreground with her youngest son, and I am in the background with her oldest son. It is funny how this kind of experience seems to create a feeling of inclusion and security.

What a memorable experience this was for us to have as individuals as well as a family. And it reminds me how important it is to support our museums whether they are local or distant. The art is there for us to experience and whether it is visual or interactive, it is a gift for us to embrace. It is a time to feel and reflect and memorialize the experience. And it is always within our reach. It is an opportunity to recall and remember this gift as we approach a new year knowing that art is the one constant in our lives in a world that is in constant flux.

LA Style

I have to say I have never been a fan of Southern California for a number of reasons and always avoided LA because of the traffic and freeway congestion. However, since my youngest daughter moved there with her husband and two little boys, I have gotten to know it a little better. I have to admit, I have enjoyed the experience, and each time I go I find something surprising and fun. Where else could you pose with Santa on a street corner and not feel the least bit self conscious?

Jeanette and Ben seem to have a knack for finding the best coffee shops in the area near where they live. The Sycamore Kitchen has the best pastries and coffee drinks, and I loved the decor.

What a great way to use color for an exterior wall to designate privacy and a special place to retreat from the life of the busy street of La Brea.

I find it quite amusing that they serve Portland's famous brand of coffee, Stumptown.

Our next visit along La Brea was to a contemporary design store featuring colorful and trendy accessories as well as some furniture. This rug was such a great splash of color and texture.

Jeanette loved the look of this clean, contemporary chair.

Across the street, we came upon a museum with a statue of Lenin at the entrance. Always expect the unexpected in this city.

A few blocks down from this museum we walked into the store American Rag. I had not been in one of these stores since I moved away from San Francisco. They had a section that housed the most beautiful collection of housewares as well as furniture.

I loved the way they displayed their glassware, really colorful and beautiful.

In this gorgeous display cabinet, which I will show you in the next photo, they displayed an arrangement of fun pink pottery. It reminded me of toile designs, very fresh and updated.

This was the detail on the cabinet. Beautiful piece. I keep studying it, wondering how I will find a way to duplicate the technique and tones.

As we headed back to Ben and Jeanette's home, we walked by the store that sells all manner of items from the movie industry. I think this pretty much sums up the diversity of LA. One can go from the truly kitschy to the sophisticated and sublime all within a few blocks.