Rapunzel Bangle DIY

I was out and about the other day and decided to make an impromptu pit stop at Opening Ceremony. It is a store like no other. Very aspirational, highly inspirational (it inspired this post!). I hope it will become to LA what Fred Segal once was... Okay, before I go off on another tangent, let me get to my point. I was saying how inspired I was. Particularly inspired when I stumbled onto yet another work of art by Delphina Delettrez. (You may remember this post when an obsession with a DD cuff unleashed a flurry of creativity resulting in a hand painted clutch???) 

Well, this time Delphina's "Rapunzel Bangle" was the culprit. The Rapunzel stole my heart and broke it all at once - she was so pretty and so unattainably expensive! If you feel an obsession coming on too, don't feel sad for us because I've found a way to get the look and it's pretty darn easy. 

Here's what you'll need:

Cheapy bangles - found these at F21

Colored floss (I think choosing one color in a gradation of light to dark would be cool too) - found these at Michaels

You'll also need a ruler and a nice pair of sharp scissors  

Step One: Decide how adventurous and impractical your bangles are going to be. I decided 12 inches sounded just long enough to be dramatic without having to worry about the situation getting too tangled down there. Keep in mind the floss is going to be folded in half and looped around the bangle so I doubled the initial length, making it 24 inches.  Measure each strand, clip and set aside in a nice neat stack.  

Step Two: Making sure the strands of floss are even (I used 8 strands per color), fold stack in half and loop around bangle. 

Step Three: Pull ends through the center of loop

Step Four: Pull the ends tight until the loop is flush with the bangle. Repeat.

I used 6 colors for the first bangle and 8 strands of floss for each color

For the second I used 7 different colors and 5 strands of floss for each. This time I added two strands of the neighboring shade to each grouping so that the colors sort of bled into one another. 

If you're going to be this bold may as well pile it on!

Thoughts?

Do you think you'll give it a try? 

Happy Friday everyone! Glad to be back... I missed you so...

Have a great weekend!

Lining Up For Pizza - 800 Degrees, Westwood

That's right - we lined up for pizza because we knew it would move fast and it would be worth the wait. It is the genius idea from the good people at Umami Burger. Seriously, why didn't I think of this?

Once inside you stay in the line and place your order as though you were at a Chipotle or Subway. You choose the foundation for your pizza - bianca, margherita, or marinara. You build your pizza from there by using or embellishing their suggestions or creating your own!

800 Degrees is Neapolitan style pizza, which is meant to have a thin chewy crust devoured by knife and fork. I love a thin crust but prefer a little crunch so be sure to request extra crispy before it is sent off to the wood burning oven if that is your preference.

Vintage Pizza Boxes as Art

Other than being served fast, 800 Degrees has nothing in common with fast food. This gorgeous hunk of prosciutto perched in this sophisticated piece of equipment is proof!

The Burrata Bar

HIgh Tech Soda Dispenser 

Old Fashioned Wood Burning Pizza Ovens

About two minutes later... Margherita base, sopressata, Calabrian chilies. Multo Bueno!

Caponata and Pinenuts from the Burrata Bar

Tartufo

I just love a charred, blistered crust. Don't you?

I hope this post finds you all well and hopefully still my readers after my long and unexplained absence from the blogging world. First my back surgery and then - a burglary! My laptop was among the items stolen. This post is dedicated to my boyfriend - who missed my blog so much he generously replaced/upgraded my laptop!!! The world doesn't feel like as cold and uncaring when you have a good man in your life. Thank you RC. 

Dinner And a Movie - Broadway Theater District, LA

Saturday night we went to dinner and a movie. LA is the birthplace of the movies, as you know, so it only makes sense we have movie-going experiences to rival all others. I've always wanted to see the 1974 Roman Polanski flick Chinatown - a neo-noir film set in 1937 Los Angeles based on the "water wars" headed by William Mulholland (see how Mr. Mul inspired me to frolic in a water fountain in this post). It is a twisted story with incredible acting and gorgeous costumes. Our night began with dinner at - you guessed it - Bottega Louie...

Pizza Love 

 A floral heart is hung above the wood-burning pizza oven at BL

I spy with my little eye... someone who is FABULOUS!

It's my favorite game to play while dining... I shamelessly chased after this couple as they stepped out!

My posse walking the mean streets of LA, en route to the theater

My Aunt Anita is visiting from Canada and I thought a movie about how LA came to be would be the perfect way to welcome her to town. I purchased the tickets through the Los Angeles Conservancy's Last Remaining Seats program which was created to draw attention to the few remaining movie palaces remaining in downtown LA. 

One of the more outrageous shops in the district

The Broadway Theater District used to be home to dozens of theaters. It has the largest collection of pre-WWII movie palaces in the US. If you explore Broadway, which in her heyday was the hub of LA's entertainment scene, you'll find twelve surviving theaters built between 1910-1931. Most of the theaters have been converted into churches and retail spaces in what has become a predominantly Latino shopping district.

The Orpheum - built in 1926 

An ornate French Renaissance lobby makes quite a first impression

Designed by architect G. Albert Lansburgh, it was originally home to the vaudeville circuit where Judy Garland performed as Francis Gumm. I couldn't help but imagine the varied performances those heavy velvet curtains revealed to captive audiences over the decades. From burlesque to rock and roll - the only thing that hasn't changed is our desire to be entertained...

The Mighty Wurlitzer - the last remaining theater organ on Broadway

Back in to the neon night...

Guns N' Roses "November Rain" features the Orpheum

Tell me about your weekend, my friends. Did you enjoy a spectacular meal? Discover something new? Lay around Italian style - "dolce far niente"?

Pink and Orange - Ombre Nail Art

Isn't it interesting how inspiration can emanate from a variety of sources? One of the most difficult things a blogger encounters is how to be creative and remain inspired enough to post consistently. LA inspires me in so many ways - the lush vegetation, eclectic architecture, amazing markets and restaurants... But sometimes I find the most inspiration in you, my fellow bloggers! I'm still recovering from back surgery so I spend a lot of time being horizontal and that allows for time spent with you. This morning I decided to see how Paola of The PvdH Journal was doing with her relocation from London to Mexico City when I discovered a very lovely and unusual post on nail art. Unusual for Paola, I mean. I myself have only posted once about nail art when I painted nails inspired by Tony Duquette. Take a peek here. Anyway, Paola inspired me to do a post on a new Essie color I picked up over the weekend. I decided to apply my art degree here and mix it up a little! The result was ombre nails using Essie's "Orange, it's obvious" and Rimmel's "Posh Pink". 

Thank you for being my muse today Paola!

Tell me friends, when inspiration doesn't find you, where do you find it?

Post Cards From The Canals of Venice - Venice, California

Venice is my favorite beach city. You may remember this post about  a shopping and eating excursion on Abbot Kinney Blvd. Well, food and tchotchkes aren't the only draw in Venice! Let's see, there's the ocean for one! There's a vibrant art scene too.  Great people watching on the boardwalk... But what you may not know is Venice, like her namesake city in Italy, also has glorious canals! 

Tobacco millionaire Abbot Kinney wanted to create a beach resort town and in 1905 he dug several miles of canals on marshy land. Not only did he build residential cottages but also a pier complete with roller coaster, arial acts, an aquarium and several other attractions. 

 Kinney Pier circa 1921 photo via Los Angeles Public Library

On weekends the population swelled to up to 150,000 visitors until the late 20's. It was the Disneyland of its day. But by the 50's Venice had become incredibly neglected. It became "The Slum By The Sea", with low rent run-down bungalows attracting European immigrants and young counterculture artists, poets and writers. (Would that I could step into a time machine and buy up all the adorable little cottages at discount prices!) Home to members of the Beat Generation and founding members of The Doors, the Venice of today is one part hippie and two parts bougie! If the city of LA hadn't let it fall into disrepair maybe it would never have become the art center it is today.  

 The table was all set for brunch - wouldn't you love to be a guest?

 Stars stenciled on a bridge

 70's globe chandeliers decorate a tree

"Fly pelican! Fly!"

I hope everyone is having a great week! I'm coming down off a crazy sugar-induced high from Easter Weekend celebrations... Wish me luck on day two of NO SUGAR!