Out with the old...

Happy New Year, friends...Here's to a better year!

(Illustration by the fantastic Kelly Reemtsen.)

Kodachrome rolls into history...

Maybe a new project for Impossible?

Snowflakes, stardust, dreams...

...New images on my Tumblr page...


(Photo, called "One Mississippi," by Anastasia Volkova.)

So, what books did you get?

I didn't get any books for Xmas. None!  My husband said he thought about getting me a Kindle but then opted for a GPS device for my car. Sigh.


What about you? Did you get any books (and which ones!?)


Btw, at the moment I'm reading Kazuo Ishiguro's Nocturnes. It's marvelous.



(illustration by Jason Cover.)

She started writing notes...

I love this little work of art -- on a pink pillowcase -- by Michaela Lynch.

A charm for happy dreams.

Paris yes or no?

My friend Elaine wants me to housesit for her for 2 1/2 weeks next month in Paris. Normally, I would jump at the chance...but this year I have several job opportunities here in LA and I'm thinking that I should stay put...(Jobs are hard to come by in this economy!)...

Also, I'm not sure I'm up to doing Paris alone at the moment, especially now in the winter when it's dark there forever...

What do you think? Stay in (mostly) sunny LA and work?


UPDATE: I just looked at the fares. I could fly round-trip for $700 and stay at Elaine's for free...
what to do?

A chainsaw and an ax

I love these paintings by LA artist Kelly Reemtsen:

Women armed to bust through ceilings and walls...and clear out the brush in the front yard.
(more here!)

Winter Wonderland

...a little holiday cheer on my tumblr page....

(I'm procrastinating. I should be cleaning the house and wrapping presents...)

Which Book Do You Most Want for Xmas?

The other day I was in Book Soup on Sunset Boulevard. I saw Bob Willoughby's Audrey Hepburn Photographs: 1953-1966 in person. I know it's really expensive, but I have to say, it's so beautiful! (Although it might be too big to fit down the chimney.)

What's the book you most want to receive this xmas?


Photo, above, by Karin Elizabeth at Phantomato.

Some things aren't meant to be...

It's a very cold, rainy day here in LA and I'm very sad to tell you that we had to withdraw our bid on the little Victorian. After having it inspected and investigating further we discovered that it would have been far more expensive than we realized to deal with the removal of the peeling lead-based paint. There's a new law that requires painters to treat lead paint as if it were, well, asbestos.
(More on that here...)

So our search goes on....


(Photo by Pearled.)

Redstone Diary

For me, this is one of the many joys of starting a new year: Flipping through the pages of a new Redstone Diary...

For years now I've been hooked on the colorful calendars produced by the UK publishing house Redstone Press.

Every year, they pick a different theme: this year it's The Artist's World.

Here's the site's explainer:

"Get to know: Louise Bourgeois, Georges Braque, Paul Klee, Vincent van Gogh, Frida Kahlo, René
Magritte, Kazimir Malevich, Henri Matisse, Claude Monet, Kurt Schwitters, Varvara Stepanova and many others through remarkable photographs and revealing texts. The diary also contains a special year-planner illustrated with a rare and beautiful series of drawings made by Pierre Bonnard in his diaries."

I can't wait!

My previous Redstone favorite: Happiness.

Do you have a diary that you're hooked on, too?

(PS: Amazon has the 2011 Redstone Diary stocked here.)

Stacks

New photos of books, mostly, on my tumblr page.

I'm having a very busy, stressful week trying to finish projects before the holidays.

But searching for beautiful images is so relaxing...

(Book stacks photo by Moa.)

Which books are you giving as presents?

Here's my list:

"Audrey 100: A Rare and Intimate Photo Collection Selected by Audrey Hepburn’s Family."
by Ellen Fontana

Maira Kalman's "And the Pursuit of Happiness."

"The Invisible Bridge" by Julie Orringer

"Cleopatra: A Life," by Stacy Schiff

"Frank: The Voice," by James Kaplan


What about you?


(Photo by Uniform Studio.)

What are you reading this week?

I've been swamped with different work projects this week, plus trying to get everything set for the purchase of the little Victorian house. As a result, my reading materials are really stacking up...but, I did start The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. It's really wonderful!

What are you reading?

(Photo by Jessica Alena.)

The Bookshelves of Celeste Tumulte

This Lyon, France girl has fantastic style!