2.14.11

two hearts

I am a romantic at heart. But somehow I just am not completely behind Hallmark's holiday, Valentine's Day. Sure, I love a wonderful, mouth-watering, chocolaty piece of dark confection, but gushing over $5 pre-written cards, or flowers from out front of the local grocery store is just not my style.

Even though Mr. R and I have been together for close to a third of a century, I never expect FTD, or Tiffany's to pull up to my house on February 14th. I guess my cynical side must be just as prominent as my romantic side.

But here's the thing. There is so much pain and misery on our small planet. So much sadness that people have to deal with on a daily basis. I think that any holiday that is all about love and sharing really can't be all that bad. I mean, it's a good thing to focus on the people you love most, because I know for me, it's too easy to take those people for granted.

So, no more bah humbug Valentine's Days for me. I'm going to celebrate loving and sharing with my  friends and family. I'll give someone a hug today, and then go get myself a piece of my favorite chocolate, too. After all, life and love can only gets better with chocolate.

Wishing you all a very happy Valentine's Day.

Art Squared

My neighbor, Rosalind, is a boardmember of LOCA ( Laguna Outreach for Community Arts). Yesterday afternoon she sabotaged me, and somehow got me to commit to a watercolor class called Art Squared, where all of the finished pieces will be donated to an auction that will help fund their programs. I like to think of myself as kind of an artist, but truth be told, I haven't picked up any type of paintbrush in years! I did, however, take a watercolor class in my younger years. But that was a looong time ago! If I break my age down into dog-years, maybe it won't make me sound quite so old.

Ditching the kids, (they don't start school until 10:30 on Thursdays!) I walked down the street to her house. But as the instruction began, I could feel the too high expectations and panic start to well up deep within. Like I said, I think of myself in an artsy way but the reality is, I'm not an artist! And frankly,  I'm pretty terrible!

Roger goes back to the basics

But the instructors were great, both of them are artists who show at the Festival of Arts, and really make a living by selling their work. Roger Folk began by refreshing us on the color wheel and color values. Thankfully, I remembered some of those terms! Then Jacquie Moffet finished up with ideas for compositions and more info on applications of different techniques. Then it was our turn to somehow turn their instructions into an actual painting.

Jacquie hold up a photo as Roger shows how it's done

It didn't take long to remember why I loved painting so much as a kid! It was really frustrating at times, but really exhilarating and inspiring, too!

Matilija Poppy, or Fried Egg Flower

Believe me, I know that my work is not great, but just knowing that I finished a piece was seriously, very encouraging. Hours went by like minutes, the way they always do when you're in that creative place. With  lots of hand holding and talking me down from scary places, Jacquie and Roger helped me find something that had to be dusted off after years of neglect. Maybe I'll have to take another class sometime. There's always room for improvement.

DIY? Heck no, YDI (You-Do-It)! Pulleeeeze?

Courtesy of HGTV

Why wasn't I born a do-it-yourselfer? I love the idea of being handy, but when I try a DIY project  everything something always gets lost in translation. I recently saw a video with Dan Faires from HGTV's Design Star that made me think about giving another shot at being a DIYer. Although the coffee table I've been dreaming about is much more streamlined, more modern, this is so close, it just could be the "one". And to be able to make it myself? I think I hear the beginning of a hum of an angel or two! AHHH, can you hear it?

But nearly every project that I attempt leads to some sort of disaster. Remember that folding screen fiasco? And if I'm not smart handy enough to be a DIYer, couldn't I have at least married one? I mean, I really try not to be, but I am so jealous of these women who dream up all of these fantastical ideas, only to have their very own Mr. R's build houses made of cotton balls, or planters made of popsicle sticks, or firebowls made of cement (now, that one I totally want!) Ah well, good for them, I say!

So, I guess I'll just keep thinking up my own fantastical ideas, and maybe someday I'll bump into Dan Faires or some other lucky handy-man in a dark alley... the rest will be history. The evidence will be the new coffee table in my living room!

Great walls

When I was visiting the home and garden of Hortense Miller last week, it dawned on me to begin to look at things with a "fresh" eye. Hortense was such an inspiration! She lived an amazingly creative life, between her gardening, her artistry, and the way she put her home together. And that bamboo fence that she designed and built triggered the idea for this post.

With camera in hand, off I went trying to see normal things in a new or different way. I started taking photos of walls and fences around town. I fell in love with the way shadows are cast from the vertical or horizontal slats, and the mid century style to some concrete walls. It's pretty crazy that when you finally look at something in a new way, everything about it begins to look interesting! 

I love this mid century pattern!

Shadow play.

Laguna's version of the stone wall.

Afternoon sunlight creates interesting shadows.

Rustic charm.

Some of these images are Laguna landmarks. Just for fun, can you name any of these locations?

An inspirational artist and gardener

Hortense's lovely, time-weathered hand

Recently, I had the immense pleasure of touring the delightful home and garden of Hortense Miller with my good friends, Janine, who writes the blog Laguna Dirt, and Jill (Jill's mermaid garden was also featured in Laguna Dirt).

Oh my, What an afternoon! Wandering through the rugged 2.5 acres that overlook Boat Canyon, on the same paths that Hortense wandered was simply heaven. Feelings of peace and oneness with nature, I completely understood Hortense's deep appreciation for the plants, animals, and nature that surrounded her and encompassed her home.

Wild gardens

Contrasts

More wildness

Hortense was an avid gardner, and knew the names of every plant that inhabited her hillside haven . She didn't care much for manicured gardens, which is quite evident in her own garden. Although her garden has become unruly since her death, something tells me she would have found humor in that and admired  her obstinate plants all the more. Hortense shows her light side when she was quoted saying, "Age hasn't done a thing for me, but it's done wonders for the garden, it gets better all the time."

Hortense designed and often built these fences made from bamboo and rope.
She would open the gates for the deer each morning.
Photo by: Janine Robinson

 Miller moved into her retreat in 1959 at 51 years old. Sadly, her husband Oscar passed away just 3 months after moving into their hillside paradise. From that point on, Hortense lived alone with her beloved Cockatoo, Dody, and could be found working in her garden daily. She maintained her outdoor post until the age of 93 when she found she could no longer navigate the steep terrain.

Looking at the house from a garden path

I can't believe that I didn't take more garden photos! I guess it's hard to point and shoot when you're enraptured with your surroundings. A true photographer I am not!

Another garden gate. Check out these cool hand-made pottery hanging sculptures

The Gazebo sits on a hill of Korea grass and overlooks the house

A detailed look at the Gazebo. Notice the hand-painted mural on the right.

Hortense's outdoor reading nook. I'm swooning over those Walter Lamb chairs!

But now I'll move on to her fabulous Mid Century Modern home, designed by architect Knowlten Fernald, Jr. and completed in 1959, it's the place of Mid Century fantasies. It is that simple, indoor-outdoor living that MCM fiends (like me!) adore! Her home was perfection and the place where her true artist self could be explored. She painted murals and whimsical drawings and sayings in the most unexpected places (like her bathroom!). I found a mention of her home being featured in Home and Garden Magazine in 1959, but darn! I couldn't find any photos or story to back that up.

The sun-drenched dining room. Are those Wegner chairs paired with the Saarinen table? 

The ultra modern kitchen. 

Can't you just picture Hortense sitting at this desk, journaling and documenting her plantings

A wonderful airy space. Notice the bird cage on the left. It was originally for her Cockatoo, Dody, but Dody was never, ever  put in his cage!

More to gush over. The handmade globe hangs from a thin wire from the ceiling.

The sun streams through the glass between the bricks

The brick wall continues past the glass wall into the garden. Hortense's garden hats
are still on the rack. I wonder which was her favorite?

Musings on the bathroom wall

The desk in the guestroom. I love the way Hortense put things together.
She had quite an eye for detail.

A sitting area in the Master Bedroom. I die for those red Wegner chairs!

Oh, the joy! That lamp, that chair, that fireplace...
And I wish I took a close-up of that ultra-cool mural!

One view of the Master Bath. I adore the fainting bench! 

Hortense died in 2007 at the age of 99, just six weeks shy of her 100th birthday. An ardent environmentalist, a progressive-minded feminist, an artist and devout naturalist, Miller was the kind of woman that I wish I could have known.

I'm sure she was thinking of her next project,
whether in the garden or on some unsuspecting wall.

If you're in Laguna, and want make a reservation to visit this a-maze-ing place, call the Laguna Recreation Dept. at least 2 weeks in advance: 949-497-0716. I highly recommend it! I really can't wait to go back. Springtime in this garden must be what dreams are made of!

Flea market madness

I've fallen in love. Hard.

I've been going to flea markets and swap meets almost my entire life. When I was a kid and lived in Clarence, New York, my sister's best friend's family owned the local flea market called Hickeys Flea Market. We scoured the trash and treasures every Sunday morning after church. Such great memories!

Lately, the only flea market that I've been going to has been the local Irvine Antique Fair, which is on the first Sunday of the month. Well, yesterday I took off late by flea market standards and headed north to the Long Beach Swap meet. 

Let me just tell you, it was THE most fun that I've had in ions! There was more than even I could have bargained for. Ah, sheer bliss!

Of course, I didn't have a whole lot of cash to work with, but even walking through the never-ending aisles of wonderful treasures was intoxicating!

I found and splurged (don't tell Mr. R!) on a set of 4 butterfly chairs! I have been searching e-bay and craigslist for years for these beauties. Whenever I found one that was affordable, I'd always be outbid. Uhggg! So frustrating! And craigslist never even had one on their site. Never!

I'll change out the covers and spruce up the paint.

Can't wait to put these in the backyard!

I also found this all wool queen size blanket for $10! I love the creamy yellow and white colors. And it's pristine condition is amazing!

All wool from Holland

Perfect condition!

Like I said, I've fallen hard for the Long Beach Swap Meet. Sorry e-bay and Craigslist, but I'm breaking up with you. I know it's difficult, but it has to be.

I can't wait for next month!

More than luck

The very last sentence of my last post was, "Wish me luck!", in trying to get my guys to help me drag those folding screens onto the back deck. Well, that never happened! I guess I needed more than luck.

I woke up this morning to both screens laying on the front porch, pretty much smashed to smithereens. What a mess! Apparently it got pretty windy last night, and one screen toppled onto the other, and well, that was that. Looks like I really needed a windscreen!

So... back to square one on the folding screen project. After sweeping up all of the glass and pieces of door, I assessed the damage. Out of six doors or panels, only three were left somewhat intact with no broken glass. I'm going to see if I can put together one folding screen with those three panels that are left, but I'm not so sure the frames will hold. They really took a beating when the fell over!

 I was sooo happy that I actually finished a DIY project! Ah well...
( I can't stop laughing at myself!)