Rainforest Flora

Phew, I'm done with Dwell on Design! What. an. experience. I met so many awesome plant people and solved so many problems and basked in the glory of a beautiful outdoor section and got so little sleep. It was all worth it. But now I have so much I want to share that I don't even know where to begin.

Well, hopefully you saw the show, but if not I'll be posting some pictures here soon -- and I posted some fun behind the scenes pictures on flickr. I worked closely with Jen and Ive from Shades of Green who are up in Northern California. Even though I've only known them a couple of weeks, I feel like I've known them for a lifetime (working on Dwell was kind of like summer camp) and one of the first things we did when they got down here was going to Rainforest Flora down in Torrance. They loaned us Tillandsia (or air plants) and Bromeliads for the show.




Rainforest Flora is basically a wonderland. Jerry and Paul, who run the place, have been in the business of tropical Tillandsia and Bromeliads for 30 years. Paul has even written a couple of books on the subject. They're passionate, they know what they're doing, and they have a lot of plants.



We weren't there for long, but we got a quick tour of their space (they have an even larger farm (?) down near San Diego) and it was beautiful, and overwhelming and full of magic. My appreciation for air plants skyrocketed after this trip. Bromeliads (which I had associated with dated house plants) have also made their way to the top of my list in terms of interesting plants to rival succulents (though, don't be mistaken, they need a totally different climate.)





They're largely wholesale but have a retail space and sell everything in their online store. And considering what a huge trend air plants are becoming (they're the new terrarium, according to me) they are a great resource.





Thanks Paul and Jerry!

(Find their online store right here.)

Michael McDowell

Love these simple hanging planters by Michael McDowell. I also love his You Are Beautiful project. So. Simple.

Check out his etsy shop here.

Refreshed Interiors

Wow, I haven't had such a refreshing weekend in a long time. It somehow felt really long and I could luxuriate in hanging out with family, getting some work done, celebrating fathers day and generally feeling ready for what is sure to be a crazy week at Dwell on Design.



I also ran across this great blog that isn't in English (Swedish is what I'm guessing and I'm too lazy to google translate it). But I love the two versions of this room with that amazing fireplace. Both are crisp and modern but they have such different feels. Love them both. The blog, highway design is a great find, full of inspiring interiors, almost like a little sister to emma's designblogg.

Won't be blogging much this week, but follow me on twitter for some behind the scenes looks at the Dwell on Design Install.

Letter To The Weekend

Dear Weekend,

I'm so glad you were able to make it today. The natives were getting restless without you. We welcome you lovingly into our home and hope you make yourself comfortable and stay a while.

Love,
Laure

(I love this old letterhead I found on leaterheady via dwell. Happy Weekend everyone and send me a message if you're planning to be at Dwell on Design next week so I can say hi!)

Dwell on Design

So another couple of busy weeks are ahead as I've been hired to help out with Dwell on Design's Outdoor Spaces. I've just jumped into it today so there's lots to learn and do, but I'm really excited to be on the floor while everything gets delivered, help set it up and enjoy the camaraderie of long days.

Are you going to Dwell on Design (June 25-27)?
How about one of the cool home tours?
You can also volunteer to man a home on a home tours or at the convention to get in for free (plus some other goodies)?
And there's a great party happening for a good cause on Saturday the 26th.
You can also follow the event on twitter or follow me!.

Phew. I'll keep you all updated as much as I can. I'm already so inspired by the vendors I'm working with!

Lemon Verbena

If you ever come across verveine (or lemon verbena as we call it stateside), buy it. It's not a common plant on the westcoast so snatch it up as soon as you see it. Like mint, it's a great herb to make a tea out of (just pour boiling water over it and let it steep. The french drink it after a big meal to help digest and chez panisse makes a verbena/mint version that sounds awesome). My aunt always had a bush growing outside the back door so she could take a handful of it and shove it in a teapot.

I bought this little plant at the Descanso plant sale a couple of months ago and plan to use it to experiment with different kinds of iced tea and some of these recipes:

• Lemon Custards with Lemon Verbena
• Lemonade Slushies with Lemon Verbena and Mint
• Raspberry Apricot Compote with Champagne and Lemon Verbena
• Lemon Verbena and Orange Blossom Fizz

Happy weekend, everyone!

The Marion House Book

I just can't get enough of this house and the stylish family behind it. The Marion House Book is a Canadian blog chronicling the ever changing interior design of an old Victorian Home. I love that it's modern, but still full of textures. It's getting me inspired to readdress this old house's decor.

Check out the blog (complete with recipe for root beer bundt cake). Found it via Bloesom.

Sun Tea

It's summer here in Pasadena. It's hot and you can't really just drink all day to battle the heat, so I found an alternative: Sun Tea. It's fun to make, because it's easy, and it makes it feel like it's really summer. This past weekend I did a combo of green tea and trader joe's calm tea.

I put three tea bags in an old mason jar and put it in the sun for a couple of hours.



Then I poured it over ice, squeezed in some lemon and added a sprig of mint.



It was delicious. Plus, I realized, it would be a great mixer for cocktails.

So I wrote a post over on thekitchn about refreshing concoctions that start with tea. What's your favorite kind?

Doughnuts and Bourbon

So Abby, Grace and I went out for a fancy meal of doughnuts paired with bourbon at a place called Grace (conveniently enough). We each had different expectations for this evening of debauchery but they all seemed to center on: doughy donuts, enthusiasm, booze and fun. What we got was, well, on the sterile side. The doughnuts were so so and the bourbon was in champagne flutes instead of chunky shot glasses or glasses you could really palm, and the restaurant was bright and empty (instead of raucous and full and loud like I pictured when I thought doughnuts and bourbon). We were more ladies who lunch than like indulgent foodies.

So we've decided that our version is better and we ought to host a night of homemade doughnuts (piles of doughnuts!), chunky glasses teeming with bourbon, good lighting, good friends and some loudish music.

What do you think, sound fun?

Morgan is Having a Sale

You guys, Morgan (of the Brick House) is having a sale. For reals. This weekend. So if you are in LA or near LA or near Palm Springs, you need to go to Hemet and snatch up her finds. I've been out there (look, her house tour), it's not that far and she has so much great, great stuff. Make a day of it, it's so worth it.

Check out All the sale details.

Interview with Marta Teegan of Homegrown LA

I recently got a chance to interview Marta Teegan of Homegrown LA. She's a chef and a certified Master Gardener and specializes in growing edibles. She is an inspiration and a treasure trove of information. Here are some of my favorite tips:

On easy to grow edibles:
"there are some veggies and herbs that are especially hardy, including mint (which should always be planted in its own pot so that it doesn't take over your garden), oregano, thyme, chard, and kale. All do very well in pots. If you have the space for cucumbers to grow up on a trellis or railing, they are natural climbers, grow very quickly, and produce a large quantity of fruit - you will definitely be impressed with how many cucumbers a single plant can make!"

On exotic edibles to try growing:
"I find many people shy away from artichokes, so I always recommend growing them. They are such beautiful plants, they are prolific producers, and they are delicious to eat! I also always recommend that people with container gardens grow potatoes. Yes, potatoes can be grown in a pot! Nothing compares to the flavor of potatoes, prepared simply with butter and salt, eaten an hour after being harvested.

Some other great edibles to try would include cornichon cucumbers for pickling; the small, red pequillo peppers for frying with eggs; and Catalogna dandelions for a bitter green salad with shallots and bacon."

See my whole interview with her over on Apartment Therapy.

And here are some updates from my own garden. The 'cukes and squash are coming in and the tomatoes are looking promising. I accidentally (I'm lazy) let the lettuce bolt, so no more salad for a little while, but the swiss chard is still going strong!





Happy Weekend everyone. What are your plans? How are your gardens growing? Have you eaten outside yet?