jonathan adler

In honor of Top Design's premiere tonight and because I will finally get a chance to visit the Parker Palm Springs this weekend, we have Jonathan Adler's "life affirming" bird pillow.

I've been tagged

So I've been tagged! Okay I can handle that. Thanks Jon. Here are the 5 things you may have not known about me....

1. I recently realized that I am addicted to containers.
2. I can balance a glass of water on the palms of my two hands and my head and do two rolls on the ground, a filipino traditional dance called binasuan.
3. My song was Flashdance during karaoke at family parties.
4. I am sooo close to doing a headstand in yoga.
5. I am obsessed with pinkberry (but who isn't?).

was that right?

selvedge

Finally got a chance to investigate my latest issue of Selvedge. I am always amazed at the diversity of the magazine. The focus on fiber and textiles is on modern, global, historical, and even technical level. The matriarch on the cover is gorgeous, the visuals for an article about luxury "underthings" is art, and the color and detail of the Tibetan garmets are stunning. Is this National Geographic of textiles?

Vija Celmins

Vija Celmins's work always brings me to a peaceful place. Her graphite drawings fool one to believe that they are photographs. The big sea, the moon's surface, and the desert floor are mesmerizing. A retrospective of her work opened at the Hammer Museum this weekend and was well worth the visit.

In a lecture that also took place this weekend, she spoke about a time when she was living too much inside her head. To clear that space, she backtracked to a more primitive way of creating art. She found herself drawing and painting objects in her Venice studio in black and white, nothing complicated, just the practice of hand eye coordination, in her words "dumb drawings." Through these now famous works, she discovers that despite them seeming like basic excercises, her nature, her personality always revealed itself bringing about the spiritual, not so photo-realistic quality of her work. She spoke of "recording" photographs, but as an individual who was actually recording the way she felt when she saw them.

What struck me most about her personality was this openess about her insecurities, the restrain in her work, her nervousness, bringing her to a level of the everyday person's struggle, making us understand that these struggles were the root of this work that we so deeply admire. After signing my book, she even flagged me down, kindly making sure to return my pen.

Perfecting the noren

Thanks to my fabulous friend Yuka, master sewer and candy maker, I've finally perfected my noren! It's the same "Maru" print I've been selling as a wall hanging, but this time as a door curtain noren.

Gocco is BACK!!

Two pieces of incredible news -- First, after scouring the globe for 5 Gocco printers, I am finally ready to set up Gocco workshops! Second, and this would've been first had I not heard it after, they are bringing the Gocco back! Still unconfirmed, but according to http://www.savegocco.com/ and another source I have, Riso has partnered up with an American retailer to bring back Gocco supplies. Please god! In any case, I was interested in how there was still so much interest in Gocco despite their annoucement to depricate the product last year that I said to myself, why not? And then this news!! Fate maybe, but really because I truly enjoy teaching and because it's the Gocco, it's totally gratifying. My first workshop took place this past Saturday and I have scheduled 3 more beginner and 2 advanced workshops in the coming months. I decided 4 students max to keep it cozy*.

what a bunch

The daffodils decided to bloom today. They're such a happy bunch! Thanks to Maxwell's 8 Step Home Cure, I've been honoring my home with flowers almost every week. Plus the daffodils were only $3.99 from Trader Joes! Small price for happy.

katazome in blue

I've impulse bought this paper at Paper Source so many times!

Gorgeous food

Gorgeous food. Is that domain name taken? Yep. Dry Veggie bowl from Pho Cafe in Silverlake.

The Cutting Edge of Wallpaper

Picked up a new wallpaper book at the MOCA shop called The Cutting Edge of Wallpaper. It's a great overview of what's been happening in "wall ornamentation"

Skin and Bones

Finally made it to Skin and Bones, MOCA's latest show. Oh how wonderful it was to be surrounded by the works of Hussein Chalayan, Issey Miyake, Viktor and Rolf, Junya Watanabe and Rei Kawakubo for Comme des Garscon, Yohji Yamamoto, all pushing the boundries between fashion and art.

I was totally thrilled at idea of standing so close to Hussein Chalayan's "Afterwards" Collection from Autumn/Winter 2000, a thoughtful commentary on fleeing one's home in times of war. Chalayan linked the refugee theme to the idea of camouflaging valuable possesions. The chair covers morphed into dresses and the chairs folded up to become suitcases and of course you had the table that pulled up into a skirt. I was this close to taking a snap. Thoughtful, clever, brilliant.

day and night tea towel

Day and Night, tea towel by Lucienne Day is a concept so simple it transends time. Ordering it now.