>> scenes from san francisco

The General Store in The Sunset: me likes.

Mollusk Surf Shop rules.

Post-run grilled cheese at Outerlands and a quick pop into the Heath Ceramics factory in Sausalito.

>> chippendales on craigslist

Last Friday I drove down to a neighborhood near San Pedro (where the 405 and 110 meet) and bought two 1950s Chippendale chairs (see above left photo). The cushions were beat and the fabric covering them...was, how do I say, a total nightmare. But I knew these were a great deal and had real potential once the cushions were redone. Today I picked them up from the fabric guy and...tada, new living room chairs at a livable price!

>> the pink swan project

My friend Larissa over at Suite NY turned me on to their Pink Swan project this morning. 19 designers, architects and fashion icons were given the iconic Fritz Hansen Swan Chair designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1958 to customize. The chairs will be auctioned on charitybuzz.com and proceeds will benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Hot puppies.

>> mathematics by the yard

I found this article in a 1954 issue of LIFE while looking for something else. One of the anonymous designers quoted in the article said, "Geometric prints are a reaction against flowers and fruit." Bold stuff.

>> Eliot Noyes

Just playing some accordion...

Architect Eliot Noyes' daughter, Derry Noyes, practicing her accordion in the living room of her home (designed by her father). Note the vase in foreground by Pablo Picasso. Photo by George Silk, 1963.

Just cleaning my rifle...

The Talbot Rantoul summer house designed by Noyes. Neil Rantoul cleaning his rifle on a pull-down bed in the boys' quarters which doubles as a painting studio. Photo by John Dominis, 1965

>> tiiiimber!

Jeep Grand Wagoneer; select edition Eames Hang-It-All ($249); five year diary ($25); George Nelson Polygon wall clock ($540); folding knife ($45); Donna Wilson pillow ($92); Rook table lamp ($159).

>> nesso lamp

I watched Kramer vs. Kramer for the first time this weekend, and yes Hoffman and Streep were superb, but that apartment was per-fect-ion. How great is the Nesso Lamp ($380) designed by Giancarlo Mattioli in 1967? I want to get that exact lucite side table too, only then not leave my husband and 6 year old son. I also noticed the Nesso Lamp has a starring roll in Roger Sterling's new office on Mad Men, although that is supposedly 1965, two years before the lamp was designed...Mad Men mistake?

>> sister corita

Before I started heavily researching Sister Mary Corita (a.k.a Frances Elizabeth Kent), I knew just that she was a Catholic nun that worked at a school down the street from our apartment during the 60s and 70s and made serigraphs based on advertising images and visuals of the time—I basically thought of her as a lesser-known west coast Andy Warhol...that was also a nun.

There's so much more to the story, and I certainly don't have the authority or space to write about her here and now (but there's a great book on the subject if you're really interested), but I find her incredibly fascinating. From her rebellion against the Catholic church to the fact that she and Charles Eames were both friends and inspiration to each other, Sister Corita's story is a trip.

Several of her silkscreens are on sale to the public still, at the Immaculate Heart School on Western Ave and Los Feliz Blvd (basically where AFI is). MOCA has recently bought up a bunch of them along with some art collectors, but they are still extremely accessible. All it takes in an appointment. Are they cheap? That depends on who you're asking. No, they're not cheap in the sense that the price range is roughly between $800 and $3,000. Yes, they are very cheap in terms of art collector prices and how their projected value will hold up over time.

Matt and I are celebrating our first anniversary this weekend, which is traditionally celebrated with paper, so we picked out a 1966 Sister Corita serigraph yesterday! Buying art can be intimidating and scary (to me), but what was really great about this experience is that all of the profits from their art sales go to local charitable causes as they did when Sister Corita was there. Check out more here.

p.s. Happy 1st anniversary, husband. x

>> the spoils of etsy

During the process of writing this post, I bought the first item, sorry. Blue blanc + rouge wooden flag ($30...but sold) circa the 1930s; 1960s Roly Poly cocktail glasses ($195 for six); lucite and wood magazine rack ($100); vintage aviators ($12).

>> tiny toddler chair

How do parents resist the cuteness of toddler furniture? I saw this mini mid-century chair at a vintage store on 4th street in Long Beach (forgot the store's name, but it's right next to Number Nine Noodles). I almost justified the $145 price tag by saying I'd give it to my favorite toddler but logically walked away unscathed. But it was hard. Very hard.

>> wknd

Headed to Palm Springs with my friend Alex in about an hour where we will magically step into this Slim Aarons photo.

>> living architecture

Just back from the west coast book launch of Living Architecture ($75), a beautiful Assouline tome chronicling 20 of America’s most innovative and iconic houses of the 20th century. Your coffee table with thank you for it.

>> wknd

Love this photo by Peter Stackpole of flight attendants putting on makeup pre-flight. Amazing! Have a great weekend!!

>> zographos side chair

My friend recently scored a set of four chrome-plated tubular chairs with buttery worn leather laced up in the back a tag sale for a price that would make anyone want to jump off a building for not buying the set themselves (yes, that good). The chairs were designed in 1966 by American furniture designer Nicos Zographos. So good.

>> current obsession: leather egg chair

One of my pet peeves is people reading over my shoulder, so it is natural that I'd enjoy the semi-private feel of Arne Jacobsen's iconic Egg Chair ($5,934), which I'm especially fond of in a blond leather upholstery. Jacobsen designed the chair in 1958 for the lobby of the Royal Hotel in Copenhagen for exactly that reason—to allow a bit of privacy in a highly public space. Now I just need to find one at a garage sale.

>> the spoils of etsy

I was scrolling through Etsy last weekend and found a few stand-out pieces that I don't now how I can live without. Also check out my friend Zinzi's article The Coolest Cali Etsy Shops To Bookmark Now on Refinery 29.

Kodak Brownie 8mm camera ($40); 1980s clear sparkled telephone (just sold!); Mid-Century plywood school chair ($80); Mid-Century magazine rack ($38); metal industrial drawer ($17); 1960s lucite bar ($260).

>> acapulco chair

I think I first laid eyes on an Acapulco chair ($350+) earlier this year when I was writing a story about a Los Feliz couple who had white ones in their back yard. The chair, which is based on Mayan hammock weaving technology, was designed in the 1950s and has been a huge hit in Mexico. They're great for outdoor space but could work indoors as well. Another good online resource is Greenpoint Works in Brooklyn.

>> out of vogue

It seems like all the good scores are in Orange County. Recently I was turned on to this vintage modern shop, Out of Vogue in Fullerton, Ca., which I've heard has been a source for many a Mad Men set. Great store and the prices aren't awful. Above is a vintage Heath Ceramics "Sea and Sand Set" ($385) and an eight piece Michael Lax Copco cast iron cookware set ($275). Order by phone (714) 879-6647 or get into the 3,500 sq foot showroom at 109 E. Commonwealth Ave. Fullerton, CA 92832.

>> cocktail hour at the pool

Campari soda (recipe); The Savoy Cocktail book ($20 new); 1950s Italian bar cart ($2,400); Kisses 7" single ($7) or here on iTunes; red Supergas ($70); Spaghetti stool, 1979 ($335); Perrier tumbler ($12); beach blankets ($48); Bird-Electron portable speaker ($80); paper straws ($3); Gaucho boardshorts ($58).

>> arrowed

The arrow saga continues. Think I gotta have these mid-century brass arrow bookends ($145), and obviously this hat—all from Paris Hotel Boutique.