It was last October when I was in Orange County witnessing the massive wild fire near my parent's house and watching on TV with horror as Malibu and San Diego County were being scorched by flames. Since then 1500 homes have been lost and over half a million acres have been burned. I've been hearing about the heat wave that Californians have been enduring lately and the attached potential for new wild fire outbreaks, like the one in Santa Cruz. I came across SoCal Fire Poster Project and was really impressed with the artists who have donated their designs to a cause which raises funds for victims of wildfires. The idea is modeled after The Hurricane Katrina Poster Project, which was hugely successful. The above silk-screened poster "State of Consequence" ($35) is by Criswell Lappin (Make-Out); below is "Los Fuegos" ($35) by Barretto-Co. + Bloom Screen Printing.

Jake over at Chicago's RJA Design told me about the the 5th annual Guerrilla Truck Show that occurred last Tuesday in Fulton Market in Chicago. It's a brilliant idea is that helps artists and designers display their work at little or no cost by simply renting box trucks and turning the back of each truck into a portable gallery. How simple! The trucks are backed up to the docks on Fulton Market where everyone opens the back doors to create a fantastic pop-up art show. I couldn't make it on Tuesday but it looks like a lot of fun and was made possible by The DIFFA (Design Industry Foundation Fighting Aids) and Morlen Sinoway. Thanks Jake!






All photos by DIFFA Chicago

Yesterday the L.A.-based company New Editions, which produces limited edition prints of contemporary art for children and their parents, opened a pop-up store in The Brentwood Country Mart. Although the art would be so great in a nursery or kid's room, I'd be lying if I told you I didn't have my eye on a few prints. All of the work is commissioned exclusively for New Editions and each artist creates five works which run in an edition of 100, 60 or 30. It's a great concept and they have some great new work out this Spring. Above: "And then I ate it" by Farrah Karapetian ($345). Below: "Royal Viking" by Brian Wills ($345); "Color List" by Dennis Koch ($90).



A photo sent in from Lauren of opening day!

What is it about this glam rocker that has inspired more than one designer to create tabletop items in his image? Don't get me wrong, I'm all for David Bowie in the dining room. How incredible would it be if a company like Lladro did a Ziggy Stardust porcelain figurine collection?

On the left is actually a Slide Plate by David Bowie himself, part of his Peace Through Art program ($21, proceeds go to "Save The Children" and "21st Century Leaders"). There is also a mug available for the same price Both items will be available in January, but can be pre-ordered now. On the right is a David Bowie Pint glass ($10 each).

Designers Steve Mosley and Dominic Wilcox collaborated from 2002-2005 on the Mosley Meets Wilcox Meets Rock line which included the above Bowie plates (as well as tables and vases) at Paul Smith and other design shops. The plates were in a limited set of 250 and came out a few years ago, so check with your local Paul Smith store or click here to email Mosley Meets Wilcox to see if you can still get your hands on a set.

Growing up I had three Golden Retrievers over the years, all of them varying in degrees of obeseness. I've have had Harrison, a little 35 pound mutt, who looks like she may have had a golden grandfather or grandmother in there somewhere, for two years. So to pay tribute to these wonderful pets of all different sizes, I just ordered blank nesting dolls ($12-$15) from Reform School and I'm going to paint these golden beasts on them as soon as they arrive! What would you paint on yours? Extra credit: The nesting dolls are imported by traders who work directly with talented Russian artisans from the former Soviet republics. In other words, they're From Russia With Love.

Last Friday I stopped by one of my favorite places in L.A., the home of Priscilla Woolworth. She lives and operates her newly launched eco-friendly general store out of her lush 1920s Spanish compound in The Valley. Over the years she's owned it, Priscilla has added on rooms, re-done garden sheds and back houses to create one of the best live/work properties I've ever seen. First, we'll check out some of the living space, then we'll look into her works spaces.

Priscilla's lunch and dinner invites are a highly coveted commodity among friends and family. She seamlessly fuses her childhood spent in France and her love of organic California cooking in the kitchen. Yum, yum!

The tablescapes at casa Woolworth are always subtle and purposeful.


Birdcage as wall sculpture. I love the use of negative space here.

The avocado green kitchen built-ins were in place when Priscilla moved in, but she couldn't imagine re-doing her kitchen any differently.

Art at Priscilla's has no hierarchy. Work by Jamie Wyeth hangs indiscriminately among modern prints picked up in downtown L.A.





The Priscilla Woolworth store mascot, bad bad LeRoy Brown.


Priscilla's work spaces are full of inspiration boards and bold color. She rigorously tests her products to make sure they're not just packaged well, but also that they are actually green and that they work better than anything else on the market. The Woolworth retail brand has stepped into the 21st century!

Priscilla showing off a new pin board made from recycled magazine pages in her office.




One of the stock rooms, with variations on her signature Golden Rules painting ($120) on wood.

A French all-purpose cleaner being considered for the store.


Priscilla showing off a wasp catcher from her stock room. Just add sugar water to it and place it around your dining table for a peaceful and non-toxic al fresco meal.

Check out Priscilla Woolworth's online store often as it is growing and new products are added frequently. I can't emphasize enough how well her products work and how intensive the testing phase is. Good stuff all around.