Bzzy Little Bee - Crafting Adventures in Southern California by Carmen Flores Tanis

Inspiration Weekend - Palm Springs Eye Candy

What A View - Elrod House

Last weekend, Bruce and I snuck away for a lovely weekend in Palm Springs. It's only takes two hours to get there from Glendale - although admittedly we left on Friday during rush hour and spent four hours stuck in traffic. Kind of yucky but once we arrived at our destination, all that traffic stress was quickly forgotten. Palm Springs has the most wonderful collection of mid=century architecture - minimal ornamentation, peek-a-boo cut outs, clean lines and a freshness that makes you smile and think of the sea.

Saturday we went on a tour of the Elrod House, an amazing concrete home built in 1968 and most known for its role in the Bond movie "Diamonds are Forever". The main living area is a huge round room with glass walls that open to a spectacular view of the nearby hills.  

Those are yellow Chihulys hanging on the wall.

 

The pool extends from the inside to the outside and underneath the glass walls when they are closed. 

There are curves and spirals everywhere.

 

All that eye candy only made us hungrier for more! On Sunday, we went to the Vintage Airstreams and Trailers show, one of the many events scheduled during the ongoing Palm Springs Modernism Week.

 

I've been obsessed with reflections and shadows lately.

 

 

 

Most of the vehicles sported custom awnings. The matte fabric and colorful stripes were perfect complements to the shiny metal sides of the trailers.

 

Afterwards, we spent hours driving around oogling all the gorgeous homes and proud banks. My camera is completely loaded up with lots of ideas for new designs and color combinations. Time to download and get to work!

P.S. On the way back we stopped by Cabazon to visit the two giant dinosaurs there. A perfect ending to a fun weekend!

 

Bruce Looking For The Car Keys

 

Trip to Judson Studios - History, Architecture and Gorgeous Glass

Judson Studios - Such Glass Wonders Within

I had the most fun today with my glass buddies visiting the legendary Judson Studios in Highland Park.  Located south of Pasadena, the studios have been in operation since 1897 and at this location since 1920. The business goes back five generations of Judsons and is still family run. Known for exquisite stained glass windows and mosaics, you've probably seen Judson work without realizing it: the glass rotunda at the South Coast Plaza Crystal Court, Frank Lloyd Wright's Ennis and Hollyhock houses and the rotunda at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles. It's amazing to think how integral the work of this family has been to the history and architecture of Southern California.  

Glass Workshop

The Judson studios actually started out as the Los Angeles College of Fine Arts which then became USC's College of Fine Arts in 1901. The room in the picture above is decorated with quotes meant to encourage the students who attended school there back in the early part of the twentieth century.

Fight On!

Here is a pair of windows destined for USC. I am pretty handy with a glass cutter but watching the artist as he cut these curves with the ease of a snowboarder carving through snow made me feel like a total beginner. It was beautiful to watch.

Wall Of Light

I love how they keep coded samples of all their glasses hanging in the window.  

Puddle Of Light

It's so pretty when the colors spill onto the floor. Our lovely docent Michelle told us,"Stained glass doesn't come alive until light shines though it."  Glass really is magical.

Stone, Wood, Shadow, Light

Our group was a mix of people with varying levels of glass familiarity - some were experienced glass artists while others were very new to glass - but all shared a great interest and love for this wonderful medium.  Ah, glass, you make everyone smile.

Here are the details so you can go take the hour and a half tour (the bigger the group the easier it is to arrange a date):

Judson Studios Tours

I Spy But I Don't Know What

Urban Easter Egg Hunting

We were on the lookout for the white gleam of errant golfballs.  

An added pleasure to our hike along the outside of the golf course behind the Pasadena Rose Bowl was the discovery of golf balls which had been launched over the fence and abandoned into the scratchy underbrush by golfers in a hurry to squeeze in eighteen holes before the rising sun of the day made the game more of a chore than a pleasure.

Their loss was our happy easter egg hunt.  Until we came across a white gleam that wasn't a golf ball.

I spotted it first - a strange small white skeleton with a long pointy skull covered with what could either have been fur or feathers.  "What the hell is that?!! What is it?! Is this a joke?," I asked.  You see we had seen a spooky voodoo movie on AMC the night before so I still had voodoo on the brain. In the movie, a bundle of bones signaled impeding doom and I for one did not wish to be doomed especially on such a day as pretty as this.

Bruce replied "It's a bird."

I looked closer.  "What do you mean it's a bird?!  It's got teeth!"

"It's a predator bird like a vulture," Bruce said trying to calm me down.

I countered "Birds don't have teeth! What about those little arms?!"

"That is where the wings were."

"Ohhhhh....  like a bat."  I took a closer look.  "Wait! " I spluttered. "This is no bat and birds don't have arms!  What is it?!!!"  It's easy to identify animals when they have their outsides out and their insides in but not so much when they have their insides outside. 

We had walked by other hikers including families with children so Bruce took a stick, lifted the remains and readied to throw them farther into the bushes out of the way of little trampling feet.  That's when I saw the long thick hairless tail.

"Agh!!! It's a rat!  It's a rat!" I screamed as I hopped from foot to foot. I hate rats. Dead or alive.  

Bruce grunted at the weight on the end of the stick. "What are you talking about?! There are no twenty-pound rats. This is not a rat. It's a cat."

"No it's not! It's a rat! It's a rat!"  I shrieked as I backed away and got set to sprint off.  "Look at that tail!"  

"You know," Bruce said slowly, ignoring my hysterics, "this just might be a possum." 

"Yup, that's what it is - a possum," he repeated while peering at the remains still balanced at the end of the stick. 

"Oh, a possum," I said greatly relieved and instantly placated. "Yeah, that makes sense. Possums are okay. Rats are not. Dead or alive."  

Then with an "Ooph" and a grunt, Bruce flung the decaying body into the bushes where it could remain undisturbed in its final resting pose.  At least until the next set of treasure hunters caught sight of a gleam of white and reached under the bush in their search for errant golf balls. 

Voodoo Bird Bat Rat Cat Possum

 

The trail runs on the west side of the Brookside Golf Course which is north of the Pasadena Rose Bowl. To follow the trail, park at the gravel lot at the intersection of West Drive, Washington Boulevard and Parkview Avenue. Cross Parkview and you'll see a path alongside the fence on the west side of the golf course.  You'll find maps and info here:  http://www.ci.pasadena.ca.us/PublicWorks/Arroyo_Trails

 

View Arroyo Seco / Brookside Golf Course Trail in a larger map

My Garden Blooms With (Cardboard) Paper Flowers

Have you ever been to the Sawdust Art & Craft Festival in Laguna Beach?  It's a lovely handmade show going on right now until the end of August.  I've been going there for as long as I can remember so it holds a very special place in my heart. This past Saturday Alissa and I were delighted to teach a craft class during their annual Green Day.  You know me - any excuse to pull out the cardboard and die cutters!

Has Anyone Seen Frodo?

With over 200 artists and craftspeople, there is so much to see (and buy!)

Gotta Get Me Some Art

Although it's called the "Sawdust" there really isn't any sawdust - there are wood chips on the ground instead.  The beautiful eucalyptus trees overhead and water features everywhere make the whole place feel lush and tropical.

That Water Wheel Just Keeps Turning 

For the class, we did a variation of my usual soda can pins but used cardboard and clothespins instead of soda cans and pinbacks.  I called the project "Upcycled Cardboard Jewelry" and it was a hit!

Cardboard Clippies

I had die cut, center punched and wired the clothespins in advance so it was very easy for everyone to assemble their clips.  

Cardboard Magnolias

Two little girls made the above pair of flowers.  Aren't they wonderful?  What's so fabulous about this project is that every single flower turns out differently.  We had about 75 students in two hours ranging in age from little kids to grandparents and everyone did great!

Flower About To Bloom

There was a fabulous ocean themed mural hanging on the wall behind us  which had been painted by kids earlier in the summer.  I wanted to take it home!

Under The Sea

We had so much fun and I'm already starting to think about what to teach at the Winter Sawdust which starts in November.  I don't know what yet but it will probably include buttons!

The Sawdust runs through August 28 with tons to see and lots to do.  

Sawdust Art & Craft Festival
935 Laguna Canyon Rd.
Laguna Beach, CA. 92651

Breakfast of Champions and Champions at Work

Bruce and I love exploring Southern California and we especially love to find new places to have breakfast. After a quick search on the internet, we came up with a promising restaurant - the Agave Bar & Grill at the Angeles National Golf Club in Sunland.  I will jump ahead and tell you that we hit paydirt with this wonderful discovery.

Worth Getting Up Early For

We were delighted to find that the restaurant had a balcony with a lovely view of the golf course.  And there was so much wildlife to see! We saw rabbits, squirrels and all sorts of birds including Canadian geese and a road runner! Even the golfers stopped to watch the road runner dash by.

What A View!

Our plates were delivered quickly by a friendly waiter who made sure that we had everything that we needed. Bruce waited patiently while I took pictures of the plates even though I could tell he was eager to dive into those huevos rancheros.

Beans & Rice Is Nice

A Bowl of Oatmeally Goodness

I had ordered the oatmeal and cautiously took a bite. You see, if there is one food in this world of which I consider myself to be a pretty good judge it's oatmeal.  In fact, I'm what you would call an "O.C.": an Oatmeal Connoisseur.  So let me first explain that there are two types of oatmeal: oatmeal cooked-with-water and oatmeal cooked-with-milk or cream. Both are delicious but neither is good when the oatmeal just isn't cooked long enough.  If it isn't cooked long enough, then the texture is tough and chewy and in my opinion good only for spackling bricks.  I'm happy to say that the Agave oatmeal is wonderful!  It's a 5 out of 5 in the cooked-with-water category. 

Bruce was equally happy with his huevos rancheros so between us both we give a big Hooray for the Agave!

We then travelled about an hour north of Los Angeles to Leona Valley which up the 14 freeway and just east of Palmdale.  I had read online that lots of pick-your-own cherry farms were opening this weekend (a few opened earlier in the month) so off we went in search of fruit.  We stopped at a little orchard called The Cherry House.  It's a lovely little farm with a tiny petting zoo/pen and picnic tables. Bruce and I grabbed a bucket and went to work.

The Cherry House

So Many Trees To Choose From

I Never Knew Cherries Grew Like This

Waiting For The Cherries To Jump Into The Bucket (not really)

It was so much fun that we stopped by another cherry orchard - Big John's Cherries.  But apparently that farm had opened several weeks ago and the trees weren't as full as The Cherry House trees.  But we still managed to pick quite a few!

Buckets Full O'Sunshine

Some Of The Ones I Didn't Eat - Yet

All together, we picked about nine pounds of cherries and brought home seven - I ate the other two pounds. I am full of anti-oxidants and contentment! When we got home, I went online and found some great recipes for a cherry clafoutis, a cherry cobbler and a cherry pie. Tomorrow I bake!

Costco & the Argonauts

Today I found the Costco of my dreams.  

It was quite unexpected and a delightful surprise.  I stumbled into it while trying to avoid the congestion on the 5 Freeway North on my way home from an errand in the City of Commerce. I was zipping alongside the freeway on Telegraph Road when there it was - at the corner of Telegraph and Washington.  With its shiny new gasoline pumps, this Costco seemed like a deserted island set in the middle of a huge empty parking lot.  It called to me.  Cheap gas.....  No waiting....  Freeway adjacent....  My Siren sings to me in terms of saving time and money.  How could I resist its charms?

A few minutes later and all gassed up, I was ready to hit the road.  The freeway looked a little less packed so now would be a good time to continue my journey.  But as I drove through the parking lot on my way out, the Siren threw me another temptation - a front-row parking space bright with freshly painted lines blazing white against the new black pavement.  Never mind that the rest of the lot was empty - this was my lucky day! I was meant to come here! 

Cut to me flashing my Costco "Open Sesame" card to the guard stationed at the entrance.  He stepped aside and waved me in. But this was no ordinary Costco.  Instead of being assailed by a wall of flat screen TVs all shouting for my attention, I was gently greeted by gleaming displays of kitchen utensils and restaurant equipment.  Hold the phone - what is this?!  Tools?  Toools?  Like a parched man gulping at a waterfall, I started pitching measuring cups, silicon spatulas and oversized trays into my basket.  I needed them!  And such a deal!

But this store was full of surprises the biggest one being that besides the half-dozen checkers chit-chattering at the front of the store, nobody else was there.  An empty Costco!  How unusual. When does that ever happen?  "Hmmm.... I wonder why...", I started to ask myself but my mind immediately leaped to "Who cares?!  I can move without people jamming up the aisles while they sample yet another flavor of instant noodles! Yippee! Battle speed!"  

Now in any regular Costco the middle area is taken up with DVDs, clothes and patio furniture.  But this Costco seemed to be a specialized slimmed down version of the store, one catering specifically to restaurants and businesses. So there were no best sellers, no ab crunch machines, no Christmas decorations sharing space with the boogie boards.  Instead the center of this Costco was filled with stacks and stacks of sodas and drinks: Double gulp Arizona cans, fit little Red Bull cans, fierce-looking Monster cans, reliable Coke and steady Pepsi cans - all in every color and design imaginable.  Now anyone who knows me knows how cuckoo I go for soda can aluminum so as I stood in the middle of this empty Costco, surrounded by all these beautiful cans with their promise of "craftibility", I swear to God I heard the angels sing "LAAAAAAAAA..."  

Swear... to... God. 

Then it hit me, "I must be dead!  I've died and gone to heaven! I'm in heaven!  Ooohh....!"  And the lights grew brighter and the angels sang louder.  I kid you not.

But then an inner voice sliced through my moment of ephiphany and said "COSTCO?!  Your idea of heaven is an empty Costco?!  Carmen you are sooo demented."   

Now let me explain about this inner voice: I call it my "Jiminy Cricket voice".  Sometimes it sounds like my mother reminding me to drink water and to exercise.  Sometimes it sounds like my husband Bruce like when I catch myself driving too fast in an area known to be frequented by cops issuing tickets.  This voice warns me to slow down.  But sometimes my Jiminy Cricket voice sounds like my lil sis, Aliss who is so good at "dashing cold water" on me when I go too far into the absurd or the ridiculous.  

So just like that I was ripped from the grips of the Costco Siren and flung back onto the rocks of the present to find myself standing in the middle of the beverage section with the produce guy eyeing me warily while a worker with a push-broom scuttled hurriedly away.  "Wow. That was close!  Thanks lil sis Aliss - you saved my life.  One more second and I would have gone into the bright light",  I thought to myself as I steered my cart towards the checkout stands.  

When the checker asked how I liked the store the words came bursting out in a tumble, " WOWOWOW! This is the greatest Costco ever! Ever!"  Then he explained that it had been open since July and because it was a special "Business Costco", that they didn't get the crowds that regular Costcos got which is why it was so empty that morning. "Cooool... ",  I said, thanking him and vowing to make this special Costco part of my weekly grocery routine.  Even if it was 15 miles out of my way.  Because this is one awesome Costco.

• Costco
• 6333 Telegraph Road
• Los Angeles, CA  90040
• (800) 788-9968
  
• www.Costco. com
  

I must remember to tell my lil sis Aliss when I see her this weekend how her words of wisdom and clarity of vision pulled me from plunging over the precipice and into the unknown abyss. ;0)  "Carmen you are sooo demented."  Five seemingly simple little words but piercing and to the point.  I know she'll get a kick out of it - the lil sis keeping the big sis on track.  And besides in the back of my mind I guess I knew that I really wasn't dead and in heaven - heck, there'd have to be a bingo parlor too and all my loved ones laughing it up for me to believe that!

Light Brights

24 Karat Gold

Ah, Las Vegas, you’re a totally different beast today than you were when the Rat Pack held court in your casinos.  Although the mere mention of Las Vegas conjures up images of martinis and skinny lapels in most people’s minds, it is sad to say that the Vegas of yesteryear is slowly and steadily being imploded and buried in its eternal pursuit of the new and the contemporary. The thrilling chatter of coins hitting metal trays when the slots pay out has been replaced with ear-searing video tunes and winnings printed on a bar-coded slips of paper.  Gone are the plastic cups imprinted with each casino’s logo and used for scooping up new fortunes.  Now each machine has a slot for a plastic reward points card, just like the grocery stores.  There are still a few casinos hidden here and there where the old machines still live but you have to look hard.  Luckily, there is another delightful way to find a taste of the old Las Vegas - by taking the wonderful “Boneyard” tour offered by the Neon Museum.  Hidden away in a residential neighborhood, the Boneyard is a fenced-off storage lot where the Museum keeps a collection of old signs and displays of architectural or historical significance. 

The Motherlode

Old hotel signs with swirls of neon tubing are stacked up against Stardust stars dotted with light bulbs.  A large figure bending over to shoot pool stands not far from giant slippers and nuggets each waiting their turn for restoration and display. 

Rats! I Should Haved Booked Those Vacation Plans Sooner

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Stars

I like to think that the old signs perk up with each oohing, aahing tourist that walks by, like a grandparent who sits a little taller and prouder when regaling kids with youthful tales of daring-do, beauty and strength.  This is a fantastic, fabulous place to catch an up-close, behind-the scenes look at the real sparkle of Las Vegas.

Shall We Dance?

The Neon Museum in Las Vegas