Linda Knight is fellow poster from Citymommy. I always enjoy her perspectives and was thrilled to find that she wrote this commercial that debuted yesterday at the SuperBowl. When I saw the spot yesterday I nearly died when I saw Sockmonkey riding a mechanical bull. That kind of stuff could have Ashton Kutcher shreiking “AWESOME!” Congratulations to Lindyloo for her sharing her awesome imagination.

Now you really don’t think I’m going to do a post without acknowledge my beloved Saints for really marching in. Their win has made a lot of people happy and lifted a lot of spirits.

I was delighted to receive an invitation to screen the latest offering of PBS Kids at the Jim Hensen Studios, so this afternoon I put the Critter down for a nap, got Uncle Robert to oversee the napping, and headed over to Hollywood. Wilson and Ditch is the new web series that the two titans of educational kids’ programming have put together to satisfy ever growing need for online kids’ content. My interest was trifold – it’s incredible education for me as a person who is developing an illustrated character myself (and knowing nothing about it), to see the historic studio lot on LaBrea, which was originally erected by Charlie Chaplin 1918, and to be in the prescence of Jim Hensen’s own kids, Brian and Lisa.

As Halle Stanford told us, “We’re excited to bring an innovative series like this to the web, where a variety of online and offline activities will help inspire kids’ interest in learning more about he United States. As they travel the country with these lovable gopher guides, our audience will gain a greater understanding of their national citizenship that extends beyond their own community”.

After viewing a few of the hilarious episodes which take two brother gophers who miss their mom and their “homeland”(go to France and take a left) all over the United States, I can see how the grade school crowd will love to learn with them . The web site will see the furry faces through their hijinks and will eventually have webisodes with all fifty states including the top three destinations for families to travel. There are games, video and a blog from each brother. This is content that will be emblazoned on the minds of kids in the same way that Schoolhouse Rock taught my generation, as I mentioned to the group during the Q and A. I can still sing the preamble!

After viewing the new show, we were given a studio tour of the grounds and had the unexpected treat of seeing inside “The Loft” where we had access to Brian Henson (son of Jim, genius of all things puppet and muppet) and the former A&M Records soundstage where production for the Critter’s favorite show Sid the Science Kid was happening. If I wasn’t overjoyed enough to have all this wonderful perspective, a very smart mom asked Brian “What was it like?” to grow with the creator of creatures that every child in the world loves – I wondered this too, as everything I think about these days is what it is like for my little Critter. You can see his response in the video – I’m sure his dad is smiling from heaven.

As an ambassador for Arzu, I am delighted to tell you that they have launched a fabulous new line of modern rugs in tandem with Design Within Reach. I am very much looking forward to seeing the collection at the West Hollywood Studio. Now we have even more stylish ways to show our support for education in Afghanistan – and that’s the best way I know to fight the Taliban:

Arzu is a nonprofit organization that provides income to Afghan women by sourcing and selling the rugs they weave. DWR is proud to host the Arzu Trunk Show, which will feature five one-of-a-kind rugs. The hand-knotted, all-natural floor coverings will be available for purchase, and representatives from Arzu Studio Hope will give a presentation on the creation of these exquisite works.

If you are in the Los Angeles area I’d love to invite you to celebrate and learn about the rugs and Arzu Studio Hope’s extraordinary work in Afghanistan.

Learn more about DWR and Arzu Rugs at dwr.com/arzu

Design Within Reach Studio
Thursday, October 29, 7-9pm
Beverly Blvd. Studio
8070 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048

Leave a reply in the comment section and I will RSVP for you!

…Volkswagen for their “Fun Theory” – a little experiment in Odenplan, Stockholm to try to get people to take the stairs instead of the escalator. This certainly can’t hurt sales!

Thanks to my Groovaloo Mom Joanie for this!

…wearing a studded collar, popping out of the top of a Louis Vuitton bag on Rodeo Drive. For sure the next big thing!

…passing this on! I hope that my little Critter will always love music the way I do. He’s already doing air guitar and drumming on any and every surface. And I encourage it, even when it’s a little embarrassing, because magic moments can happen when we let them do their thing!

Thanks to Shane for this great link from the Foundation for a Better Life. Looks like they just want to encourage people to behave. I’m all for that!

Seems the theme these days is that change is good. It better be, because it seems I’ve constantly been changing forever! I guess it’s the nature of being a creative person involved in the design business. I’ve often wished that I had been inclined toward a profession that required only a Blackberry or an iPhone to do business. No, I have always had so much stuff to schlep that it’s unbelievable. Sure, I could have presented my ideas to clients in Powerpoint, but that wouldn’t show them the patina of a finish on a chair, or the feel of a silk cut velvet. I needed to let them touch stuff. Understand the story of what they are doing with their home or nightclub or hotel. The magic has always been in the details, and to control the accoutrements that display these details in a way that I could have a clean slate in my office for each new project has always required change.

Among the crazy amount of ephemera I have collected just in the last few years that are waiting for a home are a set of hand carved and gold leafed Chinese armoire panels, a skeleton of the spine of an ornyx, a yet to be mounted deer rack, boxes of colored glass, yards and yards of fabrics from Venetian hand painted to faux snakeskin, six large boxes of trimmings and tassels, including antique passamenterie and antique woven brass tassels, a two foot tall cinnabar ram bedecked with turquoise, rocks and seashells from every trip I have ever taken…I could spend all day describing everything; this is just the list off the top of my head, and it does not include my basic furniture and decor. These are things I think are wonderful and just can’t figure out how to use them.

When I moved into this townhouse six years ago, there was enough room to hold more than all of it. There were plenty of closets to keep safe all the things like those I mentioned and not have an unkempt home. It was very manageable with just Louis XIV and me. The architectural charm of my building and the fabulous neighborhood pretty much caused to me resolve never to move again. That sense of permanence has been so important for me, because there is a constant revolution in my head of things to change – for my home and studio, things to change for my clients, the painting I haven’t yet painted, the book project I want to finish – how to make things better, nicer, more fun, more comfortable. I made myself a rule that when I got too much stuff, I would edit – I don’t want my life to be bigger than what I can manage – the idea of keeping storage places and to keep getting bigger and bigger houses has never appealed to me. I had other people’s stuff to worry about too, you know, and I just really don’t need the stress.

Then my Perfect Husband showed up, and, well, he is the photography, camping and skiing version of me – he has collections of so much stuff! And now we have the Critter – more stuff! They are the delight and loves of my life, but honestly the stuff has finally gotten to me. And the smart two story that started twenty steps up is a real drag. I have longed for “clean surfaces, Dahling” – all you AbFabbies will know what I mean. I have fantasized about a place where every single thing can be closed up in a cabinet and locked, so the Critter can run screaming through it and can’t grab anything off the shelves. A place with no nasty places to fall or hard corners to nick his little noggin. I informed my Husband that we have to do the big edit.

So the big edit is this – a condo two blocks away! We are now in escrow for the place – giant closets, totally groovy built ins and lots of storage in the enclosed garage and an elevator at this fork in the road is a dream come true. The place is SO seventies and I am already picturing a cocktail party where I dress like Jacqueline Susan. I have begun our new modernist renaissance and I love it! I am really having fun with bright colors and textures, and simpler furniture. Stay tuned for the shopping trips here and in the Alexandra Out and About section…

…from your gentile neighbors! Who knew Animal was Jewish?

Thanks for this, Sassy Chic Roxy!

I think about television a lot these days. As much as I love Beverly Hills and the whole La La Land thing, I wonder what it will be like for my little Critter to grow up with these places as his reality – I really can’t imagine what will be exposed to him as we take this journey. I remember watching an interview with Bette Midler around the time she had her daughter, and she said that she never let her watch TV and that she greatly filtered the types of things that went into her little head. At the time I heard this I was in college, so I had no reason to retain this information, but I did. I guess I just think that most things that come out of the Divine Miss M’s name to be pearls, whether or not I ever thought I would apply it to my childrearing skills. We’re not seeing her daughter in the tabloids, are we? She’s a Yale alum and speaks Mandarin Chinese. Clearly she’s no train wreck – but I digress.

When The Critter was born, I resolved, as Miss M did never to let him watch TV. But I just didn’t know the things I know now. Somehow we started with Sesame Street’s Celebrity Guest videos on my computer, because if we’re not doing activities outside the home, we’re in my office. Feist’s edited version of 1,2,3,4 was the first song that The Critter ever sang along to, and that day was a developmental milestone. I sang to him and danced with him constantly, playing music all the time from the Beatles to Aretha to REM to the Brandenburg Concerto, and never a reaction like this. The visual and the audio together did it for him.

And it gave me from one and a half minutes to four minutes to perform some leisurely activity, like, to use the toilet, pay bills, or negotiate real estate.

And then I started letting him watch the real television. First it was more Sesame Street. Then the Backyardigans, which not only made him dance, but also karate chop and say Hi-yaH Pie-Yah, and it was freaking cute. After going to a luncheon at our PBS affiliate which introduced me to SuperWhy and Sid the Science Kid, two seriously, thoughtfully created programs. I really started to see this medium not as HFCS for the brain, but as a way to expose him to style, music, science, and to use his imagination.

With the floating ash in the air, we Angelenos have been cooped up a lot lately, so we have developed more TV rituals than I would have had in my most shameful TV junkie nightmares. So we went from watching only on demand TV and PBS with no commercials to Disney and Nickelodeon, which have decidedly more crack like qualities. But you know something? He likes Mister Roger’s Neighborhood, too. He seems to have a taste for his PBS pals. Spongebob, and Barney, still not allowed. They’re annoying, and there’s no reason for that. And I want whatever it is that he’s watching to inspire him to do something other than watch TV.

And then I can’t wait until he goes to bed so I can watch True Blood or Real Housewives…

Greetings everyone, and a Happy Labor Day to you all. It’s been a hot, smoky, stressful couple of weeks here in the City of Angels. Fires are now 50% contained, it doesn’t smell like a barbecue out side, and we’re now in the last part of escrow for our soon to be fabulous new home! Of course I can’t tell you exactly where, but I’ll still be in the hood!

I have feverishly been drawing new plans for the space, checking out the latest and most efficient appliances, and looking forward to living in the most modern space I’ve ever designed. This will be a huge departure for what I usually do for my clients, which is usually very traditional.

I am very superstitious about some things, so I won’t share photos of the place until it’s officially ours, but I intend to drag you through every last bit of minutiae of what it’s like to be a mom of a two year old managing the project along with all the other design stuff I do and manage to stay as happily married to my perfect Husband as I am now.

In the meantime, please enjoy another terrific flash mob attack in Hollywood. My very talented filmmaker / actor friend Rebecca Roberts is part of the mob – check her out all in black, to the right of the lead dancer. She has a short pony tail and great arms. I keep hoping to get caught in a mob!

sorry for the wide video, but the HD version is so much better 😉