I LOVE LA (AND A THANK YOU...)

As many of you may remember if you've been following along on my crazy life, I was recently in LA wrapping up the last issue of Rue and playing with some friends of mine! From there, I spent a weekend in San Francisco before heading to Las Vegas Market.

I thought this crazy west coast tour deserved a little recap thanks to some fabulous sponsors along the way...

First stop: la la land! Oh how I miss it my sunshine! There's was hardly any time for beaches, but I did get to spend brunch with Alissa and Jessica where I devoured those gorgeous crepes, and enjoyed a little blogging gossip session.

I also had the chance to visit the new Nordstrom in Santa Monica where I was pampered with a brow treatment at the Anastasia counter and some fabulous attention from my stylists Jenni and Carly! My two favorite purchases (thanks in part to a $100 gift certificate!) were these orange twill Mother pants and patent Sam Edelman loafers.

The best part? My mode of transportation for the week. Thanks to the peeps at Nissan I was able to cruise around town (along with my lucky passengers) in this smooth Murano, which I am officially in love with. Much better than the dinky little economy rental that I'm used to, and the navigation system and bluetooth had me feeling spoiled!

And if you think all that sounds good... wait until you hear about my adventures in San Fran!

I LOVE LA (AND HAPPY WEEKEND!)

I arrived 'home' in LA yesterday afternoon and it feels so good to be back in my city! While I'll be hard at work the next few days, I hope I'll get a chance to enjoy some sunshine and palm trees soon...

I know many of you are melting in the rest of the country, so stay cool and try to enjoy the summer while we've got one!

*image via here

THE GOODY BAG: BEATING THE HEAT

What's a girl to do on a scorching hot LA day when her air conditioner is busted? Head on over to Calypso Home for a furniture launch party, of course! It's Alissa from The Goods Design, with the Goody Bag: the best of Los Angeles' interior design events, people, places and things.

If you haven't heard the news, designer Sean Knibb is now selling his gorgeous indoor/outdoor furniture at Calypso Home, and we got to check out his amazing pieces in person! (But, you can also peruse their goodies online.) Thank goodness they were serving up some cool champagne... and cookies that perfect matched his furniture!

I loved his striped Negril Chair and Boxwood Cube. Great for outdoors - or a sunny inside spot.

And the Picnic set - this table and bench set definitely make me want to fire up the grill and mix up from fresh iced tea!

Some more of his fabulous furniture...

All these bright refreshing colors are really putting me in the mood for a day lounging by the pool (really the best way to beat the heat!). I might just grab one of those towels and go!

THE GOODY BAG: SUMMER PARTY SEASON

Summer party season seems to be in full swing here in Los Angeles! My inbox is overflowing with interior design events. Alissa from The Goods Design here with The Goody Bag, bringing you the best of Los Angeles' interior design events, people, places and things.

Last Thursday night I had a design-party-double-header. First stop: the opening of Rummage, the newest shop to hit the LA scene. The shop is the baby of Kishani Perera - an amazing LA interior designer.

*clockwise from top left - gorgeous pink canopy chair, I got a photo op with the talented owner, a blue armoire that I would have stolen if it fit in my purse.
The shop is just as lovely as Kishani herself. Rummage is filled with treasures that Kishani has picked up from estate sales and other secret sources. All the goodies feel unique and one-of-a-kind. And gorgeous.

Do you spot the celeb party-goer? I'll give you a hint, it's Molly Sims.

Hurry up and visit Rummage before I buy everything in the store.

Rummage: 7374 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, 323.935.5483

My second stop was the Summer Social at Urbanic, the adorable Venice stationary shop. We had lovely drinks (courtesy of Mrs. Lillien), the decor was super cute, and I love our goody bag item - pinwheels we made ourselves at the crafting station!

From left to right that's Alison of Faire Frou Frou (my FAV lingerie boutique), Jessica of Life's Little Jems, and me - all showing off our fancy little pinwheels.

Make your way over to Urbanic for adorable cards, stationary and more.

Urbanic: 1644 Abbot Kinney Blvd. Venice, 310.401.0427

THE GOODY BAG: LESSONS FROM LCDQ

It's Alissa from The Goods Design here with The Goody Bag, bringing you the best of Los Angeles' interior design events, people, places and things! Last week I had the pleasure of attending LCDQ- LA - an annual get together at the La Cienega Design Quarter, where some of the best design shops in town are located. It was two days filled with design panels, fiestas and gorgeous goodies.

While the actual goody bags were a bit lacking (an orange tote and design magazines from all the sponsors,) the real take-away was the amazing lessons about interior design that I learned from the panels...

LESSON #1: BE AUTHENTIC

Whether your style is mixing antique pieces with modern furnishings, or simple and edited interiors, be true to yourself. One of my favorite panels was Style Trumps Trend which included amazing designers Jeff Andrews, Brad Ford and Madeline Stuart. The overall vibe of the panel was about staying timeless and avant garde, something we all strive for. While we've all (including me) been cuckoo for ikat and chevron, how do we keep our interiors from looking dated in another 5 years? Madeline Stuart suggests mixing antiques with more modern pieces, so that you can't pinpoint a room to a specific moment in time. But I thought Brad Ford summed it up well "the best design is authentic design."

A look at some of my favorite panelists...

*clockwise from top left: Madeline Stuart, Jeff Andrews, Gulla Jonsdottir - she spoke on a panel about what "modernism" means today, Brad Ford & Windsor Smith

LESSON #2:
LA DESIGNERS ARE WELL DRESSED.
COME PREPARED.

LESSON #3:
LEARN THE RULES.  THEN BREAK THEM.

Study the masters. At the Style Trumps Trend panel, the amazing designers were constantly referencing the amazing designers who had influenced them. Knowing the history of design can teach you the rules, so you can break them and find a style that's uniquely your own.

Windsor Smith (someone I consider a real design guru) talked about a new Showcase House she's doing with Veranda at the panel Redefining Luxury for Today's Modern Family. She is doing away with the old model for homes and using the showcase house to "reinvent and redefine what we need in a house today." She feels like technology is separating us, so now more than ever we need our homes as a way to keep us connected. No more his/hers master bathrooms. No more prime real estate to formal dining rooms we never use. "The kitchen is our new family room," she says. Her showcase house opens in June 2011 here in LA (cannot WAIT to see it!) and will be featured in the October 2011 issue of Veranda.

I saw lots of bold design throughout the showrooms...

Clockwise from top left:

1. Designers were selected to curate different store windows throughout the event - I loved this one by Ruthie Sommers with the bold red stripes and pops of yellow! Totally unexpected and adorable!
2. Gorgeous brass sunburst light fixture from the Nanz Hardware/Remains Lighting showroom. Would be a gorgeous and bold statement fixture in an entry.
3. Loving these geometric cookies served at Mecox Gardens. The bright color combos were lovely (and they were so cute, I didn't dare take a bite.)
4. I am totally obsessed with this vignette I saw at the Szalon showroom. Hanging a beautiful patterned woven rug on the wall, then hanging a portrait over it? Definitely breaking the rules. In the best way.

See you next year LCDQ-LA!

THE GOODY BAG: FROM WESTWEEK

Wednesday was the beginning of Westweek at the Pacific Design Center - a week of lectures, events, parties and more for the interior design world of Los Angeles. And there were parties. And more parties. And did I mention parties?

I'm Alissa of The Goods Design, here to bring you the best of the best of Los Angeles' interior design parties, people, places and things. My first stop for the fabulous fetes was the James Perse outdoor furniture showroom opening. It had the key elements necessary for a fabulous party: margaritas and a ping-pong table. The ping pong table was a huge hit - Jessica of Life's Little Jems dominated!

The furniture was divine. The flowers were gorgeous. The line to the bar went out the door. All signs of a raging success!

Just around the corner was the Elle Decor/Brown Jordan party. Even though it was pouring rain in LA, it felt like summer with all these outdoor furniture fetes!

Me and Michael Boodro {editor-in -chief of Elle Decor} enjoying the gorgeous Brown Jordan showroom.

There were loads of succulents, modern outdoor furniture and fabulous LA designers.

{Brooke Gardner, Amanda Malson of Domicile ID, Vanessa De Vargas of Turquoise & Jolene Ballard of Domicile ID}

After all this party hopping, I'm off to soak my feet! It's a tough life, but someone's gotta do it!

BIG ON BUCKINGHAM

Kristen Buckingham happens to be one of my favorite designers - her fresh, eclectic aesthetic is something to be highly admired. Lucky for me, I was extended the invitation to take a peek at her new(ish) showroom on La Cienega while I was in town, and was thrilled to visit some of my favorite pieces in person!

The bold entry alone made me swoon, but it was the mix of Kristen's beautiful pieces alongside collections of vintage lighting and accents, as well as perfectly selected artwork, that made the space a must-see. Pretty little vignettes ranged from traditional and sweet (like the window setting), to more garden inspired (like the one below).

My favorite moment, however, was definitely this sofa in the middle of the showroom - I loved how the pillows instantly made the piece more playful!

I couldn't mention Kristen without touching on one of my favorite piece of hers - the asymetrical Jackie Bergere chair. And, now I can fully attest that it is indeed quite comfy too! Another stunner was this antique pendant that they hope to reproduce in the future - just amazing.

I look forward to interviewing Kristen for an upcoming Vignette series soon, so we can all learn a little more about the woman behind the designs!

*all photos by coco+kelley

HELLO FROM LA!!

Hello lovely friends!! I can't tell you how wonderful it's felt to be back in my hometown of LA...

I flew in Saturday afternoon to loads of chilly but beautiful sunshine, and it's already been a whirlwind of fun! We kicked things off with a premiere party for the adorable and talented Emily Henderson's Secrets From a Stylist on Saturday night (have you watched? did you love?).

Then Sunday it was off to brunch with friends before heading to lunch at the stunning estate of Tony Duquette - Dawnridge - which I'll share more of later today.

After that we buzzed around town taking in some Oscar energy and ended the evening with a wonderful dinner at Ago, hosted by the folks at Sub-Zero. (The most amazingly delicate ravioli I've ever had!).

I've hardly had a moment to breathe and will be speaking in just a couple of hours for the Design Bloggers Conference, so I'm off to get ready! More photos and fun from la la land soon...

xoxo,
cassandra

*photography by steven chee

THE ART OF ARRANGING (FLOWERS THAT IS...)

I'd love to introduce to you today another new contributor here at c+k! Miss Lyndsy Sullivan of Yellow Brick Blog will be covering fun little events out of Los Angeles as they come across my desk. Not only does she have one of the most sparkling personalities I've ever met, but she brings fun everywhere she goes. And, I should know - she's one of my best friends! I have a feeling her adventures will leave me missing my days in LA, but I'm so excited that she'll be sharing some of these opportunities with us... especially this one! Take it away Lynds...

The Beastie Boys song “She’s Crafty” is most definitely not a song I would use to describe myself. In the fifteen years Cass and I have been friends, I have watched her style and design skills grow while what little skills I had all but disappear. Which is why I was extremely flattered that she would think of me to attend a design class at Floral Art on Abbot Kinney in Venice. Flattered... and totally nervous.

I decided to attend the “Simple Modern Masterpieces” class, and as I walked through the door of the adorable Floral Art shop, I was greeted with a delectable cocktail, smiling fellow classmates and the gorgeous owner Jennifer McGarigle (who looked as though she had just finished shooting a J.Crew catalog).  Jennifer has owned Floral Art for six years and used to offer the design classes only in private, but decided to open them up to the public (which we all thank her for!).

The gorgeous store was bright and dazzling, just brimming with beautiful flowers, vases, home accessories and anything else your heart could desire. After two cocktails and a little bit of mingling it was off to the back of the store to begin our class. Once I was settled into my workstation, Jennifer and her creative team coached us on how to create our very own submergible floral arrangement.

*top left: Jennifer demonstrating how to arrange. *top right: Floral Arts examples.

*bottom: classmates creations

I worked with flax leaves, palm fronds, green tea leaves and orchids to create my masterpiece. I was pleased with my final arrangement but of course wanted to tweak it for a more professional look after it was too late. What I found the most exciting was that although it would require additional practice on my part, I left feeling creative, inspired and like I could really use these skills on my own at home.

My final arrangement!

Of course, I jotted down some tips to pass along to all of you to master your own submergible design!

• Waxy flowers and leaves work best – orchids, anthuriums, colored calla lilies and the leaves I listed above generally last 5-7 days; roses, peonies, and hydrangeas will last 24-48 hours
• Green Tea leaves are key to creating a base to allow your flowers and leaves to stay in place.
• Once your arrangement is complete, drop in a cap full of bleach to keep your arrangement from turning into a science project.  

It was a truly wonderful experience for me and I cannot thank Jennifer or Cassandra enough for allowing me to partake in all the fun! This class is such a genius idea for those of us who need a little extra help in discovering our inner floral artist, and desire a truly tasteful centerpiece to come away with!

If you live in LA and have a love for florals, I would recommend signing up for a class. The skills you take home with you (in addition to your own arrangement!) will have leaving you feeling a little more “crafty”. Oh, and be sure to pet the darling Daisy Pickles when you walk out the door!


*first photo {via here} all other photography by lyndsy sullivan.