Thursday Giveaway!

Hello everyone! I'm very happy to announce this Thursday Giveaway: a lovely plaque painted by the fantastic San Francisco artist Lisa Romero at Paper Bullet. Lisa specializes in turning found objects into fantastic art with colorful acrylics. I love this piece. So very cute.

To enter to win this little plaque, please leave a comment here anytime today (Thursday). Also visit Lisa's Paper Bullet Etsy store!

The winner will be announced on Friday morning. Good luck darlings!

UPDATE!!! AND THE WINNER IS.....DISGRUNTLED CUSTOMER!!! (I hope she will not be disgruntled about winning the prize). Thank you all for entering. There will be another fabulous giveaway next Thursday!!

Running

Hello everyone. I'm running like crazy today! (Sort of like the girl above, but probably not as graceful). There's so much going on: Bono is in trouble for saying the F-word, Bill Clinton is coming to town, there's a Congo event tonight, followed by a gala to raise money for women in Afghanistan. And I'm so behind.

I did manage to put up a post on Ms. Muse about Brad Pitt. Check it out if you have a moment. Meanwhile, I'll meet you back here, late late tonight...

PS: Please visit the sites of my lovely new sponsors (to the left)! I love them!

(The photo above is by Complejo via We Heart It.)

Inspiration

On the days when I'm at a loss for inspiration, I find it in the photographs of Jeanloup Sieff...



PS: There's one more over {here}. I couldn't resist!

Hope you're having a lovely Tuesday. I'm busy working on my column today. I've been closed up in my little office...

Monday in Beverly Hills

There are many beautiful, expensive things in the shops on Rodeo Drive. But the view of the sky and the buildings is free.

I know I should try photographing something other than the sky. I guess it's my muse.

Talented Ms. Tarnoff

My friend Tina Tarnoff, a fantastic artist and blogger in San Francisco, has recently been commissioned to do a mural in New Orleans' gorgeous Garden District! I'm so proud she is going to be a part of the ongoing restoration of an amazing city. I spent a little time this weekend browsing through her paintings, above, on Etsy. I love them. Her silhouette papercuts are really special too. (My previous post on those!) And here's the link to her blog, Thought Patterns.

I hope everyone has a lovely Monday! Such a busy week ahead. I'm heading out to, where else?, Beverly Hills.
xo

Ads on the English Muse

Hello everyone. I'm very excited to announce that the English Muse is now accepting ads! If you're interested, please email me at englishmuse (at) yahoo (dot) com. And thank you for visiting my blog!
xoxo

Tina


(PS: Photo by English Snow.)

Pink Coat!

The illustrator goddess Maira Kalman posted an update to her New York Times blog! My cousin Heidi flagged me on this, knowing how much I love pink coats!! This made my Sunday. (Thank you Heidi. Love you!)

Pink it is, indeed.

(PS: My previous Kalman posts and a photo of my beloved pink cape.)

Lavender

Lavender is blooming like crazy in my garden. The bees are so happy. (Not so much my husband, who was stung on the foot the other day.) I took these pictures this afternoon. Check out the weird little thing on the upper-right-hand corner of both photos. What is that? Polaroids always surprise me with their strange little spots.

As I'm blogging this, I'm sitting on our new Ikea sofa, with a very practical khaki denim slipcover. It's not as mushy and as comfy as the last sofa, but it's lovely all same. I'm wondering how long it will be before it's shredded by our two beastly cats.

Poor Cat

This is Kali. She's the devoted cat of my 10 1/2 year old daughter, Isabella. Here she is pictured wearing a lovely blue silk scarf. (Photo taken by Isabella in her very green bedroom). Kali has been photographed wearing crowns, pink feather boas and bead necklaces. And still she endures more. She's such a good sport, really.

Saturday Clouds

...turn to blue skies. The perfect weather for shopping for a new couch -- at Ikea!


Hope you're having a lovely day.

A Peaceful Weekend

I love this photo by Margolove. It's so calming. Reminds me to breathe. I'm so glad it's the weekend!

We're going to the Los Angeles Times Book Fair tomorrow. (We're also looking for a new couch!) What are you doing??


PS: Margolove has an amazing photostream on flickr, for a little respite.

Nest

I've been meaning to show this to you. It's a little nest I found in one of my climbing rose bushes this winter. It was abandoned and empty. I filled it with beads and put it on the fireplace mantel.

Maybe I should have left it in the bush? Would the little birds have come back?

Beverly Hills at Dusk

Good morning. I had such a lovely evening in Beverly Hills. I'm working on my column now about all the going ons this week. Will put up the link as soon as I'm done. A little preview: Tony Blair is so funny! I had no idea!

...xoxo


(PS: Photo on Polaroid, extra saturated.)


Here's the link! Blair gathers with Hollywood types this week to raise money to combat malaria.

ALSO:
A new Beverly Hills photo on Ms. Muse. Let me know what you think!

Majblommor

It's mayflower season in Sweden. I noticed one of the little paper flowers on my girl Katarina's Lolita blog today. I wish I could import this tradition to Los Angeles. Every year -- for more than a hundred years -- Sweden's Mayflower Charity Foundation has sold these little flowers to raise money to fight child poverty. Their website has a lovely catalogue of all the flowers -- dating back to 1907. The idea was started by Ms. Beda Hallberg from Göteborg. "Her simple but brilliant idea was that everyone could contribute by buying the small flowers from children – 'Children helping children'," according to the website.

Brilliant and beautiful!

I hope you all are having a lovely Wednesday. I'm going to a charity event in Beverly Hills tonight. I was thinking about leaving a little early to take some Polaroids on Rodeo Drive. If I don't return, you can probably find me still wandering around the Prada store.

Breakfast, Anyone?

The fantastic Jennifer Causey of Simply Breakfast posted this week! And pictures from Paris, no less! Her blog is such a treat, even if read in the middle of the night. (Ok, 1:06 am. Now I'm going to bed. xo)



PS: Thank you All the Mountains for the tip!