>> current obsession: crafting community

I know I'm not the key demographic for this as I am neither a child nor a mother, but, I'm totally and completely obsessed with Crafting Community, a weekend of hip arty and good old fashioned family fun hosted by Kimmel Kids and Kid Concierge. This time (and don't worry they happen throughout the year) 75 families headed for The Ace Hotel in Palm Springs for fun events, pool time, and plenty of activities to keep the little ones (and big ones) muy occupado.

Splendid, the weekend's main sponsor, set up a pop-up shop at the hotel where kids (and...ahem, grown-ups) could design their own scarves! You pick four fabrics, staple them to a sheet and the seamstress gets cracking on it. I'm wearing mine right now.



The schedule of activities and classes is massive and includes DJ-ing 101, spin art on old LPs, fort building classes (OMG!), Skate-Or-Dioramas, underwater photography, garland making, succulent assembly, friendship bracelet classes and good old macrame.

This is literally too cool for school. For more info: click here!

>> wknd

Headed to Palm Springs with my friend Alex in about an hour where we will magically step into this Slim Aarons photo.

>> c magazine spread

C Magazine, a California style pub, featured our wedding in their first-ever Weddings Issue which just hit stands. Seems like forever ago now, but it all went down last October, probably about time to take that giant bow off of Harrison.

Pendleton Woolen Mills

I've posted (along with the rest of mankind) about how freaking dope The Ace Hotel in Palm Springs is. Well, my friend Ashley recently checked out the Ace Portland and became so smitten that she wanted to find a blanket like the ones at the hotel. Not a bad idea.

Many of Ace Portland's furnishings are sourced from Pendelton Woolen Mills, a Portland company that's been around for over 140 years! They've got some great Native American and Pacific Northwest-inspired bedding, blankets and tabletop items. But, beware it's hit or miss...really hit or miss. Ashley said it best when she texted me while at the store:

It feels a bit like a west coast Orvis with a tinge of Talbots.

All Aces

So, the Ace Hotel & Swim Club in Palm Springs is officially going to be our winter retreat. I know I'm not the first blogger to rave about the no-fuss cool-as-ice hotel in the dessert that opened in February, and I'm no doubt not the last. But, wow, they revamped an old HoJo and Denny's and made it into one groovy spot.


Rooms are great! Comfy beds, nice baths, flatscreen TVs, and great patios. Did I mention this one was $85 for a night!?

I love the clipped on art.

The GMC party van is available to take into town, airport runs, and make-outs.

Adult snow cones. Enough said.

This is Linda. She's 71 and leads open-mic night on Tuesdays in the bar. I would describe what went on here, but I don't think anyone would believe me.

The old-school photo booth in the lobby not only rules, but also takes credit cards.

Thankfully the main pool is open 24 hours a day, because we needed a dip after riding a tandem bike back from dinner.

We only had time to grab a few to-go coffees from King's Highway, the Denny's-turned five-star diner—but I was wishing I could have had the chilaquiles. There's always next time.

Ace'in it

Matt and I are headed out to Palm Springs tonight to have dinner with our friend Nicky! I'm really excited because we're going to stay the night at the urban hipster Ace Hotel & Swim Club (rooms start at $85!) which has been getting rave reviews from anyone and everyone since its recent opening. More on the Ace tomorrow!

Julius Shulman 1910-2009

Legendary photographer Julius Shulman died July 15th at the age of 98. His iconic documentary images of design and architecture helped define the modernist era. A resident of Los Angeles since 1920, Julius Shulman photographed homes in Southern California and across the globe for nearly eight decades. His images of Pierre Koenig's Case Study House No. 22 (1960) in Los Angeles and Richard J. Neutra's Kaufmann House (1947) in Palm Springs are among the most recognizable and iconic architectural photographs of the 20th century. I certainly knew his photographs before I knew who he was, and I think they helped spark my interest in design.

The Homo Sapiens kitchen tool

I love twofers, especially when it comes to things that can double as other things. I'm not sure why this kitchen tool is called the Homo Sapiens (am I missing something really obvious here?), but regardless of the name, the tool sounds pretty awesome. It's a sandstone kitchen tool in the shape of a peeled potato which functions to sharpen knives, crush garlic, and grind herbs like a pestle. Check it out right here ($79).

Trina Turk residential

I stopped into the new Trina Turk residential boutique in Palm Springs (right next to the to the original clothing store) last week on our way to The Parker. My first reaction was feeling underwhelmed. The store looked great, but there wasn't really anything there that was new or different than hundreds of other stores in the country. I'm torn because in terms of fashion Trina Turk was one of the first to bring back the resort looks of the late 60s and early 70s, but they seemed to come into the home store scene a little late. Their own fabrics used for pillows and seat cushions also looked like they were made with polyesther or something even cheaper—which the prices weren't. That said, they had some cool little antiques, like ashtrays and tumblers, that were one-of-a-kind. Definitely worth a visit if you're in Palm Springs, but don't get too excited. 895 N. Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA.

Hanging rattan chairs

My friend Lisa is always working on her apartment, no matter how great it looks. This past week when I stopped into to say hi she showed me her new patio chair she recently nabbed from an online auction. Many people recommend David Netto Designs for buying your own. But recently I've heard that it's cheaper and easier to buy them from New Jersey-based Fran's where they go for $195 (not including shipping). Above is a shot of Lisa's new chair and below is a shot from a Villa at The Parker Hotel in Palm Springs. What do you think, should a hanging rattan chair be indoors or outdoors?

Trina Turk residential

One of the many reasons why I'm stoked to be planning a wedding in Palm Springs is all the fun design shops out there. Last time I was there I did a vintage shop trip and next time I'm looking forward to stopping into Trina Turk Residential, the only of it's kind, at 895 N. Palm Canyon Drive.

Butterfly Chairs

Just yesterday my neighbor Michelle, of recent mention, found two butterfly chair frames behind her house stuck in a tree! They had to saw parts of the tree off to get both of them out, but they were in good condition, she couldn't believe it (neither could I), two original butterfly frames just sitting behind her apartment in a tree (like the photo below)! What's even crazier is these are two chairs she's actually been wanting to buy for their patio for a long time. They sanded the rust off and they're going to spray paint them and buy two covers. How crazy is that! Don't get confused with the collapsible butterfly chair knock-offs that grace plenty a dorm room—these bases typically cost between $175 and $275. You can check out all the variations at the Circa 50 website. Above is a great shot of the chairs around the fire pit at The Parker in Palm Springs. Lesson learned? Look in trees behind your house, you may just find that chair you've been pining after.

Hangover Cure #497: Norma's

Returned home today from a wicked weekend spent in Palm Springs for my friend Heather's bachelorette party. There is a photo in my camera of the bride to be's sister strumming a mounted Marlin like a guitar, memories of personifying wind turbines, and I have a heart-shaped temporary tattoo on my forearm that says "I Will", so it pretty much goes without saying that it was quite a night and I'm still hurting. Luckily, the said "marlin guitarist" had the good sense to make a brunch reservation at Norma's, one of the fabulous restaurants at The Parker (the Jonathan Adler-designed hotel that opened in 2004). I had seen photos and read articles about the hotel but never been and really is a sight. Possibly the coolest hotel design I've ever seen. What I really like is that the design isn't too Jonathan Adler, although his stamp is certainly there, his store brand isn't. Besides the plentiful eye candy, the brunch was just what the doctor ordered: crisp lemonade, churros with chocolate dipping sauce, and "super cheesy french toast" which I would like to eat forever. It's one part sweet, three parts savory and likely the only reason I survived the two-hour drive home. Whew...