Monday, June 30, 2008

Disney Girls...

Some of you may remember seeing these "behind the scenes" sneak peeks that Jeff took at a photo shoot for a friends top secret book project last summer at my favorite ice cream stand in LA:




Now the secret is finally out! This weekend was the official release date of my dear (and dearly missed!) friend Miss Jennifer Brandt Taylor's magical new tome, Vintage LA!

"VINTAGE LA: Eats, Boutiques, Decor, Landmarks, Markets & More" is the ultimate travel and lifestyle guide for vintage fashion fans, Hollywood history lovers and cineastes alike. Jennifer, an L.A. native, takes you on a colorful tour of L.A.'s best vintage boutiques, restaurants, historic hotels, and movie palaces, as well as interviews L.A.'s most artistic residents. VINTAGE LA features dazzling Technicolor photography by Jeaneen Lund."

I always thought of Jennifer and her family as some of the last true Hollywood eccentrics, and will be forever grateful that they took me under their wing when I first arrived in Southern California and shared some of the most amazing secret hideouts in all of the land, so cracking open Vintage LA will surely have me pining for long lost Los Angeles in no time! I can't wait!

Oops...

I think I may have accidentally acquired a new eBay obsession...


Where have you been all my life Florentine enamel?

Sunday, June 08, 2008

Home Sweet Home!

I only just realized that in all of the frenzy of the past few months, I had all but forgotten to post a few quick snapshots of our new place! Still very much a work in progress, originally dating from the 1800s and heretoforth known affectionately as the shed, it's an adorable outbuilding in a super central semi-historic neighborhood, a stable turned laundrette turned cute baby loft space and my new favorite thing ever... I secretly want to buy it and transform it into the vintage Disney set designer turned Storybook architect style faux English cottage of my dreams, half-timbering and all, but in the meantime:

Here is a beloved Princess Tina folkface pillow surveying its new surroundings...


The polished concrete floors still festooned with piles of winter rugs...


White stucco vintage brickwork and whitewashed original shingles...


Which are going to serve as perfect backdrops for all of our super colorful collections...


One of our favorite features is a row of skylights that extends through the living room and office areas...

I would love to rewire this area with all vintage globe lights, but alas, renting!

Oh, guess who else loves the skylights?


More to come as everything starts to come together, for now we're still unpacking, living in a sea of boxes, and considering a couple of summer garage sales when the sun finally comes out for good here!