NKOTB

meet the new kid on the block. he doesn't have a name yet, so we can't formally introduce you, but you'll be seeing a lot of him around here.

NKOTB

we first saw him on petfinder last sunday. a rescue organization, molly's mutts and meows, had sprung him from the crowded LA county baldwin park animal shelter because he "didn't show well" (meaning in danger of not being adopted), and they were fostering him at the rescue founder's home about a mile from the atelier (next door by LA standards). he was hanging with 3 dogs and 4 cats, and got along well with all of them. did we want to come meet him monday? you bet!

his petfinder portrait- love at first sight!

the minute i met lil guy at molly and greg's home, i was smitten. long and low with a beautiful tawny coat and sweet golden brown eyes, he had the sweetest disposition- he could have cared less about the other doggies and kitties, but wouldn't let molly and greg (the rescuers) out of his sight. we went for a walk, and hung out for a while, and molly and greg filled me in on his story- his prior owners surrendered him to the shelter because they were moving. they said so far, he was sweet and affectionate, but didn't know much else as he was such a recent addition to their rescue. they thought perhaps he was between 3 and 5 years old, and a mix between a tibetan spaniel and a welsh corgi, but again, nothing was certain. what they did know for sure was that he was cat-friendly (most important), and in desperate need of some love and a forever home. of course, i was sold immediately, and wanted to take him home on the spot, but they wanted to have him checked by their vet first, so we made arrangements to have him come meet richard thursday, and if all went well, he'd stay.

21 lbs of pure adorableness.

he's been here for 18 hours now, and couldn't be sweeter. he's got no skills- no "sit", "stay", or "fetch", but wags his tail whenever i walk into the room, so that's good enough for me! the rest will come in time. yes, he looks a bit like my little girl mona, and i hope in a karmic way that a little bit of her spirit lives in him, but his own unique personality will emerge once he gets used to his new home, and we can't wait! right now though, new guy is a bit shellshocked after being shuttled between 4 homes in the last 3 weeks, not to mention surgery (his stuff was intact), and his probable first visit to a vet and a groomer (so sweet of molly to have him groomed- i would have happily taken him all stanky and stuff).

i just can't figure what the heck is goin' on...

richard on the other hand, ain't quite as excited about our new member of the family as i am. yesterday when lil guy was in the bedroom, bloodcurdling growling noises like i've never heard before were emanating from underneath the bed, and richard has since only emerged briefly from his place of safety. so for now, we're keeping lil guy downstairs and richard gets the bedroom to himself 'til things sort themselves out. i know he'll get used to the new addition in time, and hopefully he'll even become BFF's like he was with mona. we all have a bit of adjusting to do here at the atelier!

i hope he'll emerge eventually.

speaking of adjustments, we still have to find this little guy a name. before we brought him home, we were all set on "benigno" (derived from kind and friendly in latin languages- i know, weird), but now that we've met him, it just doesn't fit, nor did our back-up choices of "lord nelson" or "juan carlos de borbon y baldwin parque" (again, i know- i'm weird). today, we're thinking a simple, classic, name might suit him better- angus, bennett, conrad, darrin, elliot, francis, harry, laurence, nelson, percy, and reuben, are all in the running (amongst others). we're wide open to suggestions, btw (can't you tell?) so fire away if anyone has any good ideas- we could use the help! (all suggestions are non-binding of course- lil guy and i get the final say; and, FYI, we warn you- no silly pet names like "cuddles" or "buddy" will be tolerated- we think of animals as little people in fur suits, so it follows we like people names for 'em too ;-).

give me a name already!

thanks for making the new kid on the block feel welcome, and we look forward to your help with the name game! and thanks to molly's mutts and meows for bringing this sweet little guy into my life!

shopping on beverly blvd: orange

last week, m21 did a bit of shopping at the fabulous vintage shops along beverly blvd., between crescent heights and la brea, looking for a little inspiration for an upcoming project, and we thought we'd take you along for the ride...

our first stop was orange, @ 8111 beverly blvd., just west of crescent heights. orange has a fabulous selection of vintage european chandeliers and lighting, as well as a small line of well edited reinterpretations of vintage modern classics, so it's always worth a look.

orange's owner angie zupan, has a passion for adnet, hence seemingly *all* the adnet mirrors in existence gathered in one spot.

as well as a passion for pretty, sparkly lighting...

we'll take them all!

love the wallpaper roller lamps, a decorator classique.

this 'lil cigarette table is a maison21 fave (every chair should have a spot to rest a cocktail right next to it, even if space is tight). it's also part of orange's own line, and available in a variety of finishes and options

pairs!

pairs!

pairs!

pairs of chairs!

(this pair, based on a milo baughman design, is again part of orange's own line. masculine, chunky, chic- love! )

Orange

8111 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Phone: 323-782-6898
sales@orangefurniture.com

tee hee.

someone at le tarjay has le sense d'humour:

thank you (and life goes on...)

i want to thank everyone for all the wonderful comments, emails, tweets, and calls; at the risk of TMI, my loss is proving to be harder to cope with than i thought, so every lovely comment recounting how a dog they've never met made them smile, or an email from someone sharing their own strength and sympathy, has made all the difference. the kindness of people whom i've never met, or ever will meet, as well as the support offered by my family and in-the-flesh friends, has been completely amazing and has moved me deeply (a few of my oldest and dearest friends sent the chic bouquet above, along with a note expressing how much they loved and will miss my little girl). one reader even made a donation to a rescue group in mona's memory- one of those random acts of kindness i thought only existed on bumper stickers, and a gesture i found to be especially touching.

but life goes on... and i refuse to let this turn into an icky pet memorial blog, as that would give me (and you) an even bigger case of the sads. actually, i hope the next pet-related post i make will have a bit of happier news, as i've already been stalking petfinder and making the rounds of local shelters (yes, i know i can't replace her- she was one of a kind- but i'm gonna adopt again anyway, so why not give a stray a good home sooner, rather than later?). i've seen lots of little sweethearts in need of permanent homes, but haven't quite found the right fit as yet (or as was the case this weekend, the doggie i've gone to see was adopted before i even got to meet him). the situation is complicated by the fact i'm not just finding a companion for me, but for richard too, so his safety needs to be considered- he may be big, but he's a bit of a pussy (sorry)- otherwise i probably would have brought home the first stray pitbull/shepherd mix who wagged his tail at me (like the one today who brought over his stuffed toy and pressed it to the bars of his cage. so sweet). much as i don't look forward to dookie cleanup (gag) and other horrors of housebreaking, i'm thinking a puppy under a year old might be best solution, one who won't grow too much bigger than richard and someone he won't perceive as a threat. i'll admit, i'm thinking of a puppy for totally selfish reasons too- i don't want to- no, make that i can't- go through this loss again anytime soon, so i want to maximize my companionship years (boy, do i have a new found admiration for those who adopt older dogs- they are stronger, better, people than me! i sure hope medical science is working on a way to extend our little friends' lives- i think they may deserve it more then humans do, anyway).

two of the little ones who got away...

hopefully my next post will be decorating happytalk, soon followed by "introducing xxxxxx". in the meantime, thank you again for all the love. you've made a devastating situation a little less painful.

the best years of our lives

this is a post i hoped never to write, but as i've invited you into our lives, i also feel the need to share the bittersweet conclusion to our story... sadly, yesterday, my beloved mona passed away while cradled in my arms. the end came fast, a blessing for both of us, and she is now happily chasing squirrels and eating french fries on another plane of existence.

i don't want to turn this into a tearfest- believe me i've shed enough for everyone- but i do want to express my gratitude for the joy mona brought into my life. when i recount the story of our first meeting, it sounds like i did her a favor by rescuing a timid and terrified little dog from the pound, but in truth, it was she who rescued me, and together, we went on a transformative journey resulting in each of us becoming happy, confident, and content beings. for that, as well for 10 years of love, laughter, and constant companionship, i am eternally grateful. it's a cliché to say she made me a better person, but she did. it's also a cliché to say she was my best friend, but she was. she was the best little girl in the whole wide world, the light of my life, and she will live in my heart forever.

mona on 5/16/10, smiling as always...

i want to thank all of you for allowing me to share some of the endless joy, boundless enthusiasm, (and shameless mugging for the camera) that this pretty little lady brought to my world, and also ask you to please not be sad for either of us- i hope everyone experiences as much love and happiness in their lives as we shared, even if only for a decade's blink of an eye. it was a good run, and truly, it was the best years of our lives.

last, in mona's memory, if anyone has the room in their hearts and lives, i hope you'll consider adopting a stray dog or cat- no guarantees, but mona and i are proof it can be a life changing (and life saving) experience, and when i'm ready, you can be sure it will be a path i'll happily travel again. at the very least, go hug your loved ones and tell them how much you love and appreciate them- because everyone can use a little more love and affection. i know that for a fact, as i've been blessed with an overabundance of both for the last ten years.