the red bicycle reporting on the red carpet...

Today is THE BIG DAY IN L.A.!

It's that magical day of the Academy Awards!

Hollywood has been getting ready since this past Monday. Streets have been blocked off, cranes and trucks have moved bleachers, giant Oscar statues and carpeting into place at the Kodak Theatre, while spectators watched.

Even though workers have always covered up everything with protective plastic during the set-up days, because it rained this past week - including late in the day yesterday - they had to make sure that all of the plastic kept the entire area dry. A huge tent was put up over the length of the red carpet, which was also covered in sheets of plastic.

But yesterday evening, it was decided that the tent covering the red carpet wouldn't be needed today, and could  be taken down. As crews worked throughout the night, the plastic covering the Oscar statues, the red carpet and everything else was removed.  With no rain in sight, and clear blue skies, the finishing touches to the red carpet areas were done!

So, after all of the festivities of the night are finished, just what happens to the "Red Carpet" that is so iconic?  Do they clean it and reuse it for the next year - which would be the eco thing to do?  Do they cut it up for fans to have pieces of it as souvenirs?  Or do they just roll it up and send it to a landfill?

I've lived in L.A. for almost twenty-six years, and have never thought about this before now. But I am on a quest to find out the answer. So if anyone has knowledge about what becomes of the "Red Carpet" used for the Academy Awards when they clean up, please email me. I will also do my own research through some of the local entertainment reporters, and see what I can find!


Have fun watching all of the Oscar festivities, and...


... come along for the ride!


Photos courtesy of Celebrity-Gossip.net and The Red Envelope/The Los Angeles Times

a nod to warmer weather...

Just a little colour to warm up things, since it's

going to be cool for several more days here in L.A.

So here's to spring and warmer days ahead...

I've always loved this fun and playful

mixture of colours in the entrance tiles

of the American Rag Cie store

at the Fashion Island mall in Newport, California.

I plan on doing a similar combo in a future bathroom! 

I would hang this vibrant and colourful

Anthropologie shower curtain in a bathroom

coordinated with floor tiles similar to the ones above -

except with some greens and reds added.

What a great wake up that would be in the morning!

I saw these cabinet doors and cart

at the CO-OP Barney's New York store

in South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, California.

This may be inspiration for future kitchen cabinets!

Another shower curtain (also from Anthropologie),

which could be used during the spring and summer,

in a bathroom with the above floor tiles.

These balloons caught my eye at South Coast Plaza

when I was going up the escalator,

so I just had to quickly take a picture.

The colours and fan shape reminded me of the movie, "Up"!
Who knows what creative ideas I might get from them?

My daughter spotted this 1970s caftan dress

at the Jet Rag (in L.A.) dollar sale.

I've decided to repurpose it into
two monogrammed pillows for her bedroom.

So, for the next few days, I'll be working
on this project, along with drapes that

will be refashioned from shower curtains.

While I get started on these, let the warm colours
be inspiration for your own projects, and...

... come along for the ride!

hot chocolate...

Since it's cooler out today in LA - and is going to be for the rest of the week - I thought that I'd warm things up with a blog about "chocolate" (or dark) brown. With furniture, this colour can give a room earthiness, elegance and/or sophistication, while dark brown accessories can help to make a statement in a room.

This antique dark wood game table is in the entryway of my home. I mixed in some vintage red watering cans and plaid metal picnic basket to add a "pop" of colour to the other off-white and neutral accessories.

I have these three wooden boxes in my living room, not only as decoration, but also as much needed storage. The large antique brown box on the bottom holds my note cards and stationery, while the red Chinese box holds vintage napkins that were my grandmother's. The top little jewelry box was my mom's, which came from Switzerland when she was younger. I have a few of my necklaces that I wore when I was a kid, along with some of my mom's pins in this box, and enjoy great memories whenever I open it!

This wood and glass container is also in my living room, and holds dark buttons during the fall and winter. Then I exchange the buttons for white rocks and shells in the late spring through the end of summer.

This faux tortoise box and the little brown and white shells in the bowl are from one of my favourite stores in Manhattan Beach, A Summer Place, which carries a great selection of different shells. I found the tiny bowl up in San Francisco about eight years ago at Filamento, one of my favourite home decor stores, which unfortunately is no longer in business.

These three little shelving units were repurposed from old wood and galvanized steel drawers. They're holding various vintage items, including a top, toy car, and five tiny metal toy chickens and Indian that my dad played with when he was a little boy. There are also a few of my grandmother's postcards from the early 1900s.

When it comes to clothing and accessories, I just love Wayfarer sunglasses! I own three brown pairs (as of now!) that I wear with different outfits. They're retro and classic, as well as fun, well-made and chic - plus they aren't very expensive!

Even though I use my iPhone for a lot of things - including scheduling and keeping track of my appointments - I also carry this "Deco" filoFax in my purse. I bought this great little silver and tortoise pen to coordinate with it, as well as for writing notes.

I also love vintage purses, and these three chocolate brown are just a few that I own, both to use and for decor around my home. The lower right purse was my Grandmother's, and it's so sweet and delicate. It's made of silk, with tiny silver beads hand sewn along the bottom edges, and a hand carved closure at the top. I got the reptile purse on the left several years ago from the Long Beach flea market, while the other simple leather cutie came from the Irvine flea market last year.  

This bag - which I bought for a great price at the Brooks Brother's outlet - is great for carrying on the plane when I travel. It's durable linen fabric with a chocolate brown leather bottom, top and handles. I use it as an overnight bag, or to take extra things that I can't fit into my checked-in bag, since I always tend to over-pack!

Oh, yum! How can I talk about chocolate brown without including some of the tasty stuff? I can't resist tucking these Japanese chocolates into my purses or travel bag. These include both milk and dark chocolate, along with coffee-flavoured chocolate, too. Oooh, I just love them!

And of course, who doesn't like a mug of hot chocolate?  This powdered mixture was part of a goodie bag from my friend Kelly (who also has a blog, chef kelly... with 2 tbsp of love, at www.chefkelly.com).  Mmm, just heat and enjoy, and then...

... come along for the ride!

sweet, funny valentine...

I've found that valentines can come in many shapes
and guises...


from nature...

a rock that my daughter found when she was little,

which she thought looked like a sideways heart,
(albeit, a really abstract one!),

or shells that I found on the beach after my run.

I realized when I was cleaning them

that they create heart shapes when they're open.

from a loved one, as well as the unexpected...

This nightgown was my mom's, probably from the 1940s. 

I love the shimmery satin and the detail on the lace,

because it reminds me of old Hollywood glamour!

I've draped it over this garden chair,

which I had picked up curbside a few years ago.

The chair's overall "aged" look originally caught my eye,

but then I noticed the heart design that
the back creates works perfectly in this blog!
I always like to have fun with my decor
 by mixing different styles together,
such as the elegant with the tattered.

from my daughter...

Two flea market finds from her collection of

vintage and new sock monkeys, all cuddled together

in her bedroom, providing memories of her

 while she's away at college!

from my son when he was in the first grade...

I still remember looking at all of the Valentine's

that he had received from his school party back then,

and seeing this one just made me smile and laugh!

I've kept it on my desk ever since -

and my son is now a senior in high school!

Maybe you'll also find a valentine
where you least expect it!

So enjoy a very Happy Valentine's Day, and...

... come along for the ride! 

raise the red dress for awareness...

February is heart health month,

and today is "National Wear Red Day",

which is part of the

American Heart Association's "Go Red for Women" campaign.

Unfortunately, heart disease is now

the number one killer of women,

with one in three women dying every year.

Seven and a half years ago, my mom

died of complications after heart bypass surgery,

so I truly believe in exercise, eating healthy
and informing other women (as well as men)
about this campaign, promoting awareness and

the prevention of cardiovascular disease in women.
To learn more and get involved, please go to
GoRedForWomen.org

I hope that you will join in "National Wear Red Day"

by wearing something red today

(even if it's something little),

and asking your friends to do the same.  Then...

... come along for the ride!  Your heart will thank you!