my inspiration's inspiration . . .

I love this intimate look at what inspired his genius!

Dream Library

If I could I would transport the entire contents of this store into my personal dream library! Alas, a visit to the shop and a perusal of a few of these amazing books will have to do!

Orange County recently got it's very own ASSOULINE book shop! This French publishing company is famous for their glamorous coffee table books with amazing images of everything beautiful!  Here are a few on my wish list, and this  SPECKtacular leather trunk designed by MCM for Assouline stocked with 40 of their signature Memoires!!

saturday shopping

I've been immersed in color as of late, but today I'm in a neutral kind of mood . .

Nailhead detail on natural linen is always in style, This Danier leather trench has been haunting me!
Petrified wood is turning up all over these days - great as a stool or side table, this one's @ Witford Laguna.
Fell in love with this sculpted travertine pedestal sink available at Ann Sacks ~ the lines are so sensual!

This Baker floral convex mirror has a softer feel than its sister starburst mirrors. Loving the tortoise shell top
with the greek key detail on this fabulous Eric Brand Cocktail table ~ available at Witford Laguna.
This Nancy Corzine leather upholstered bench also has the greek key detail that gives it that extra pizzazz!
From the Blake House ~ Cannon and Bullock handmade wallcovering adds texture and WOW to any room!

delicious decadence

some lovelies that have captured my imagination . . .

This fabulous rainbow fur trimmed coat I spotted on 1st dibs,  Gold foil nails - must try this,
the exquisite package design of Abella's gourmet honey,  the lines of this amazing bare~back dress,
Very-Galaxy Gold Loubies, and this divine three-legged chair (I'd upholster mine in turquoise velvet)

a Twainism

Steampunk ~ it's all the rage!

As of last year, I had never heard the term Steampunk. But then after watching two seasons of Warehouse 13, I got on board with the cleverly cool genre that is popping up all over these days.  Here are some fun examples of Steampunk mixed with another fascination of mine ~ Taxidermy. According to Wiki ~ Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Specifically, steampunk involves an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century and often Victorian era Britain—that incorporates prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy. 

All of these pieces were created by the artist Lisa Black

local color

Whether I am shopping for a client, strolling through galleries on an art~walk, or just out and about, I always have my eyes on the look-out for interesting art. Something that tells a story I have not heard before, or mixes color in a way that my eyes can not resist. The paintings below are pieces that caught my eye (and then were caught by the lens of my camera!) 

This picture is all about the story! Hanging at the Canter's Art Center at Stanford University.  It is a
 portrait of the Stanford Family by Thomas E Hill in 1878 ~ I particularly love the bear rug on the grass!

This lovely multi-media piece by Ingrid Dee Magidson is made with several layers of glass that have
been painted on and embellished with bits of sheet music, butterfly wings and lace! Her work can be found
at the Marion Meyer Gallery in Laguna Beach

This glamorous piece by Andy Moses is even more amazing in person. The photo is not distorted,
he is known for stretching his canvases in unusual shapes, this one bows inward at the center.
His work can be found at the Peter Blake Gallery in Laguna Beach

This captivating, albeit somewhat disturbing piece, is another interesting example of mixed-media,
Gold leaf, cellophane, etc., I saw this at the Fendi showroom on Robertson in LA - during last years artwalk.
(I regret I did not get the artist information) 

This is an eye catching oil that I picked up a couple years ago at a local consignment shop.
It was not signed, however I felt the artist had an original style and I love the way they
captured the movement of this bird in flight!

This painting I found at the Laguna School of Art and Design's gallery. It was done by a student, and I can
not read the name noted beside it, however I felt they have a great understanding of  lighting as well as
a good sense of composition and ability to capture drama!

This interesting piece by Margo Selski is titled Machine in the garden, I found her style
and subject matter drew me right in, and it's a painting I like to look at again and again.
You can find more of her work at Glass Garage Fine Art on Robertson Blvd. in LA 

This piece is another work I did not get artist information on, but it was so "out-there" I couldn't resist
snapping a photo. I found this during the Los Angeles Downtown Brewery Artwalk ~ that happens
twice a year and is a great venue for up and coming artists to strut their stuff!

Bloglovin!

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~skin~tastic~

just a little eye candy for your enjoyment!

beauty in unexpected places

orang~spirations . . .

 Tony Duquette's whimsical console! I have been coveting this for years now!
As a consolation, I just bought a pair of these feather lashes in purple! 

Lusting after that rainbow wig! Really digging that colorful ottoman/settee and the fun wine bottle chandelier!

SPECKtacular getAWAYS!

A little while back I got the opportunity to stay at the unbelievable Post Ranch Inn, in Big Sur. It is a weekend I'll never forget. This place is a slice of heaven perched on the majestic cliffs jutting high above the Pacific. As soon as you drive onto the property you realize you are someplace special. The grounds have a very natural feel with fabulous specimen trees and indigenous growth, but made magical with cleverly placed large works of art scattered all over the property. When you reach the hotel's "lobby" you are given a reception cocktail and your car is parked (no cars are allowed past the entry to eliminate noise pollution), and a golf cart takes you to your private bungalow in the woods! Each guest suite is a stand alone architectural masterpiece ~ nestled so subtly into the landscape (they did not remove one tree when building this resort!). I could go on and on, but I'll let these photos tell the story. 

Big Sur coastline as we were speeding up the curvy coast!

The Sierra Mar Restaurant perched at the edge along with one of several infinity spas!

A couple of the individual guest bungalows built amongst the trees!

The ocean front bungalows are built to blend into the terrain - foliage grown on the rooftops!

Woodsy interiors with SPECKtacular views!

Our balcony!

View looking down onto the Pacific

A nature walk in the morning, took me along side this pond and past this lovely water feature!

A souvenir from the visit! A cookbook from the Sierra Mar! I can' say enough about this restaurant!

Their brunch buffet was out of this world, love the architecture of this space!

You feel like your on the edge of the world!

 One last thing . . . you foodies out there, their restaurant ~ Sierra Mar ~ is worth the trip alone!

¨*•♫ Day~dreaming

One of the things I love so much about blogging is coming across unforgettable images! I am so inspired by the amazing photographs my fellow bloggers post ~ and sometimes these glorious images send me off into a daydream . . . . . .

. . . .  i awaken to this exquisite pink sunrise in a far off land . . . . 

. . . . and decide to dye my hair pink to match (just cause i'm cool like that) . . . .

. . . . i hop in my 63' avanti convertible, with one of my outlandish hats and take a joyride  . . . 

. . . . i stop to visit a friend in her chic abode for some afternoon champagne . . . .

. . . . we decide to take her boat out on the lake, and discover some wonderful books on a distant shore  . . . .

. . . .  argh! and then the phone rings and brings me back to reality . . .

Thanks to all the wonderful photographers and muses out there that created these gorgeous images ~ whoever you are! I sure enjoyed them (hope you do too!) xoxo ~ Annie

the ART of ARchiTecture

I have been a student of architecture for as long as I can remember. Wherever I travel to, I am constantly seeking out beautiful buildings and wonder at how they were conceived and constructed. Architecture is one of my favorite subjects to photograph and below are a few of my favorite forms I've captured on recent trips.

Cruising down 12th Ave in NYC, these gorgeous modern structures caught my eye!
I adore the ghost "frosting" on these etched windows and the "Mondrian~esque window layout.

These exquisite Spanish terra-cotta "confections" in San Diego's Balboa Park have always  inspired me,
One building is more beautiful than the next and they keep me coming back!

This fabulous facade belongs to the cathedral at Stanford College. While visiting with a friend last year,
I got the opportunity to admire the amazing mosaic tile work all gilded and glorious!

This past summer I visited both NYC and San Francisco in June, I took so many pictures that I lost track of where they all came from! I do remember purchasing a lovely Tom Ford lipstick at this department store ~ but thats all!

The lobby at the Sofitel Hotel in Lyon France had such a grand, yet warm and welcoming feel ~ there's my
baby checking us in, before we headed to Paul Bocuse for dinner that night!

I stopped at the Apple Store on 5th Ave in NYC  last summer while on the hunt for an iPAD in stock,
and was blown away by this amazing feat of glass and steel.  I had to wait maybe 15 minutes to get this shot
with no one on the stairs in this very busy store - but it was worth the wait!!

Coal Harbor in Vancouver, BC ~ I love the juxtaposition of these quaint little house boats up against the ever-growing skyscraper skyline of downtown Vancouver!

We are back at Balboa Park in San Diego (i love this place), and this is the sublime Botanical Garden's
building with its latticed dome and reflecting pond stocked with lotus blooms and koi!

This Frank Gehry designed Concert Hall in Los Angeles caught my eye and while waiting at the stoplight
at Grand,  I snapped this shot. One of the most acoustically sophisticated concert halls in the world!

The most glamorous hotel in all of Cannes ~ Always booked to the max during festival week, I dream of
having the corner suite one year and watching the ongoing on the Croisette from my balcony!

The painted ladies of San Francisco, I snapped these lovelies while waking down to Haight Ashbury for
some vintage hunting!