The brand newly designed logo for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was unveiled yesterday, which is…

“…also making it easier for Americans to see what projects are being funded with their money as part of our recovery. So in the weeks to come, the signs denoting these projects are going to bear the new emblem of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,” Obama said. “These emblems are symbols of our commitment to you, the American people — a commitment to investing your tax dollars wisely, to put Americans to work doing the work that needs to be done. So when you see them on projects that your tax dollars made possible, let it be a reminder that our government — your government — is doing its part to put the economy back on the road of recovery.”

A hilarious analysis of the design can be found at Gawker.

…that we have days like today. In February – uh March. I really feel for all a y’all, shoveling snow and stuff.

But make the best of it – you can “procreate” a virtual garden while you’re stuck inside.

(Thanks to Alex for the flower site : )

…is “Laughing Matter: Comedy’s New Legends” in Vanity Fair. If you’ve seen any of the movies these guys have made, seeing them here is already making you laugh.

VF’s Jim Windolf observes:

“After appearing in Knocked Up and/or The 40-Year-Old Virgin, this quartet can now be considered summa cum laude graduates of the Judd Apatow school of comedy. Unlike so many comedy stars of the last two decades, they—and the other funny people depicted on the following pages—seem at their best when they work not as soloists but as part of a tightly knit ensemble. Say good-bye to the laughter of alienation and hello to a brand of comedy that fosters a feeling of community. Rather than dominate a crowd, they conspire with the people in the audience. Their strength lies in their charm. Even Rogen. Photographed by Annie Leibovitz (in tribute to her own March 2006 cover shot) on Stage 28 at Paramount Pictures Studio Lot, Los Angeles.”

I’m really glad I watched a few of the videos from this photo shoot – I needed a laugh, after the Critter and I were awakened to the arboring of the palm trees at the Beverly Peninsula this morning, complete with GIGANTIC wood chipper complete with noise, and everything else on the net is telling me that the sky is falling. Thank God for Vanity Fair and rain.

I usually leave politics out of my blog. I keep up with local politics fairly well, have served on committees for the City of Beverly Hills, and have endorsed candidates from time to time, but consider this to be my own personal business. I am much more art than politics.

Worlds collided with the event of the John Mirisch campaign mixer at the Sundaram Tagore Gallery. My perfect Husband and I put the Critter on his tricycle and walked on over to see art and politics mix. We like Mirisch for the City Council a lot – he has the same ideals in mind for our city that we have – first class, but with a village atmosphere, good schools, for development and against overdevelopment. We still have to choose two more candidates, so wish us luck. Mirisch has come up against some very dirty pool in the politics game here, so I’m hoping that my neighbors haven’t been fooled by the tactics of the cheaters.

Part two of the little sojourn was that I got to see work of Judith Murray – her “Continuum” show premiered at Sundaram Tagore on February 21st. It is not hard to see why Ms Murray has been the recipient of many awards and shows, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and the Academy of Arts and Letters. The paintings are fairly large and extremely painterly, with generous flat brush strokes, creating an abstract impression. Her color palette is sumptuous and brings the viewer into her world – my thought was that the strokes lead one into another place beyond the canvas.

Maybe we’ll stroll back over to Sundaram Tagore for more Judith Murray after we visit the polls.

Yves Saint Laurent's Eileen Grey Dragon Chair fetched $28 million

The twentieth century deco antiques are selling at top prices! Shown above is the “dragon chair”, designed by Eileen Grey and owned by Yves Saint Laurent; auctioned by Christies at the Grand Palais yesterday.

Stephen R. Rue is the King of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club - the krewe that rolls first in the lineup of parades on Mardi Gras

Click here to get yourself in the groove

Jazz Fest is coming, baby…

For a funny recap, check this out. The list of the 2009 Academy Award Winners is as follows…

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Sean Penn – Milk

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Kate Winslet – The Reader

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Penelope Cruz – Vicky Cristina Barcelona

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Wall-E

DIRECTING
Danny Boyle – Slumdog Millionaire

BEST PICTURE
Slumdog Millionaire

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
Slumdog Millionaire

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
Milk

MUSIC (SCORE)
Slumdog Millionaire

MUSIC (SONG)
“Jai Ho” – Slumdog Millionaire (A.R. Rahman)

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Man on Wire

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
Smile Pinki

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
La Maison en Petits Cubes

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
Spielzeugland (Toyland)

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Departures

ART DIRECTION
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Slumdog Millionaire

COSTUME DESIGN
The Duchess

FILM EDITING
Slumdog Millionaire

MAKEUP
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

SOUND EDITING
The Dark Knight

SOUND MIXING
Slumdog Millionaire

VISUAL EFFECTS
The Dark Knight

…that luxury is dying in the world of interiors. Behold the tissue paper holders that were forwarded to me today by Judson Rothschild of The Rothschild Collection. I love everything about this line of furniture, as it appeals to my philosophy of intellectual design for modern living. I completely agree with Judson that furniture can be art. He prides himself on creating pieces that are made to pass down through the generations – tomorrow’s antiques. Clearly he can turn the change of a t.p. roll into a lesson on European classicism.

In light of today’s economy, maybe acquiring fine furniture is not so frivolous after all.

I have been saying for years that the luxurious manner of the interior design business’s days were numbered. The advent of so many do it yourself televisions shows, the internet, and the big box stores have been the killers. Everyone thinks they know how to do what we do. The only real interior design client is a scintilla of a per cent of the current population – a person who really want the difference between good and the best.

One of the grande dames of high end textiles since time immemorial has been Scalamandre. In addition to just about every “important” residence and public building on earth, the Oval Office is decorated with the wares of the luxurious purveyor of fine French fabric, trimmings, and textiles. I have worked with the showroom at the Pacific Design Center for twelve years, and with the Houston showroom’s representative when I was in New Orleans.

I adore what we in the trade refer to as “shopping trips”, where we select the textiles and accoutrements that will become our designs. One walks in, picks up the white pencil and request pad, and goes through the huge wing samples of the fabrics, writing down the numbers of each style to sample in my library, imagining those pieces installed in some beautiful way in my client’s homes. It’s always been a very civilized practice, this “shopping” that we do. It usually involves having a piece or two of candy and delighting in the new designs that the purveyor has released, sitting in a comfortable and fabulously upholstered chair, sipping coffee or tea while waiting for the sample librarian to pull the facsimiles of the large pieces, to place the spoils of the hunt in one of the beautifully silkscreened shopping bag, of which I now wish I had kept.

I wonder what can be predicted by this email I received this morning:

“Dear Valued Scalamandre Customer,

Due to unresolved differences relating to ongoing lease negotiations with a “common” landlord at four showroom properties nationwide, the Scalamandré showroom at the PDC building has been temporarily closed.

The Scalamandré Los Angeles sales staff and customer service department are still available to service your design needs whether you are requesting memos or placing orders. Please note, memo sample requests will now be sent directly from our warehouse facility located in New York.”

This is as bad as Karl Lagerfeld designing for HM – we must wait and see – I now am DYING to run over to Scalamandre at the PDC and start selecting more fabric for my library. I don’t know what will come next…

I was thrilled to read here that the 2009 Oscar set is being designed by my professional crush Mr. David Rockwell himself. I’ve always admired his work in the hospitality design field and love it that he is so diverse, with a portfolio including Emeril’s revamped flagship restaurant, W New York, and the theatrical production of Hairspray.

I couldn’t possibly write more clever copy than the New York Times article that revealed this news to me – it’s definitely worth your click. You’ll find very interesting details regarding the creative process that is going into reviving interest in the annual spectacle. Also check out the Oscars through the years slideshow.