WHORANGE

WHORANGE unplugged

well, poodles, it looks like my computer danced its final cotillion and polished off its last cocktail.  it officially died today.  however, in true WHORANGE spirit, its hair looked fabulous...even in death.

sadly, this means WHORANGE will take a few days to get back on its feet.  i had planned to share my adventures in design show whoranging with you this week (dwell on design, CA boom, and the poketo pop up shop -- all of which i conquered over the weekend while wearing heels), but alas...computer dramatics prevailed.

i'll be back on tuesday, though, and i'll be wearing a brand new party dress.  in the meantime, have a wonderful holiday and enjoy twiggy enjoying herself on TV.

xoxo,
tula

{flashback} DEAR WHORANGE: heavy metal parking lot couture craving

{image via modern fred.}

darling readers:

in typical rockstar fashion, my computer lived life too close to the edge and crashed.  while it undergoes rehab, let's take a moment to reflect back on more innocent times -- a time when WHORANGE was only one-month old.

so, put on your spandex, turn up the 8-track, and let's get busy to our favorite rock ballad as we flashback to march 25, 2008...

dear whorange:

i need help. after reacquainting myself with the cinema verite masterpiece HEAVY METAL PARKING LOT, i have realized that i must own this shirt. i need it like crack needs cocaine. i would say i need the entire ensemble, but let's not get crazy.

so miss whorange, where do i point my browser or direct my skinny legs to find myself something so desirable? i put you on the case.

yours in judas priest,

-- laine

darling laine,

the need to emulate a screen idol is perfectly natural and highly encouraged at WHORANGE.  so, prepare to get your tailgating catwalk on, because i found the entire ensemble for you.

the shirt hails from a cheerleader & spirit gear shop and comes in prints of cheetah, tiger, white zebra, and pink zebra. order one size smaller for a snug fit.  cut with scissors.  take a shot beforehand for best results.  the leggings are american apparel.  the belt is slash n' burn.

and, if you enjoy these choices, may i also suggest for your home...

above clockwise from left:  venfield zebra chair (7250.00); dan yeffet hanging lights (3500.00);  neiman marcus edible handbag cake (235.00);  hand painted zebra martini glasses (70.00);  zebra devil duckie (8.50); caboots hair-on cowhide cowboy boots 560.00.

questions, queries, or dilemmas?  drop me a line at tula@whorange.net.  if you begin your email with "dear WHORANGE., your hair looks fantastic today," you may receive a speedier reply.

dwell on design 2009: LA times classifieds reclaimed design exhibit

earlier this month, the los angeles times and dwell on design held a contest for designers to create items to be displayed in dwell's reclaimed design booth.  the catch -- all materials need to be harvested from the los angeles times classifieds.

the designers' objects were exhibited this past weekend alongside vintage items from attic in studio city.  the esoteric and inspirational booth encouraged people to take a more sustainable and environmentally friendly approach to design.

from skateboards to submarine parts to scrap metal -- all items on display were refurbished or reimagined.  just goes to show you -- one person's trash is another gal's whorange.

but wait, that's not all...the sellers of the classified-found objects were entered into a drawing.  one lucky seller won a 1000.00 cash prize.

i was hoping the winner would be the seller of these feet, but alas, it was not.

dwell on design 2009: woolly pocket wonderland

over the weekend, i hustled on down to the los angeles convention center to get myself a tasty injection of dwell on design.

i must admit, however...i'm not a fan of the convention center.  the fluorescent lighting, trade show carpet, and black partition drapery set a drab stage for all of the delicious wares on display.  kind of like making love to elevator music -- it's tonally off.  the exhibitors deserve something much more sexy.

however, this year, something made the lackluster venue much more inviting -- greenery, and lots of it!  thanks to monrovia gardens and the tantalizing woolly pocket gardening company, the so-so center was a little more sassy.

and to make matters more marvelous, the floral designer for our wedding, holly flora, arranged many of the woolly pocket displays.

i actually think this ram attended my reception.  at least i hope he did...

it seemed like everywhere i looked, a woolly was watching over me.  and, judging by the whisperings around campus, the innovative planting pockets were quite popular.

to learn more about the woollies, visit their website.

whoranging for tiny joe & junior by steven weismann

judging by these fabulous watercolors and screenprints by steven weismann, i think tiny joe & junior are more athletic than i am.  i actually purchased a screenprint of them fishing at felt club last year, and it's probably the closest i'll ever come to catching a fish.

to see more tiny joe & junior and to meet steven's entire cast of characters, visit his blog.  and to purchase one of his fabulous prints, click here.

because i'm worth it: the beautiful people's beauty book

much like water and air...i need this book.

penned in 1971 by italian socialite princess luciana pignatelli, "the beautiful people's beauty book" provides invaluable tips on fashion, fitness, face lifts, and how to be forever fabulous.  for example, on bathing:

Hot vs. Cold
"Hot baths should never contain water higher than pelvic level. Above all, the bosom must never soak in the tub. Hot water only drags it down, and no woman wants that. After a warm bath, aim a good blast of cold water on the bosom and thighs. They need it."

and skincare:

The Homosexual Facial
"The rage a few years ago with the chic Paris homosexuals is this: Take the white of one egg, a teaspoon of the best olive oil, beat, and apply for 20 minutes. Remove with hot face towel, lace trim optional."

princess luciana rubbed elbows with the rich and famous, received her first nose job at the age of eighteen, married a prince, annulled the marriage.

the book also provides astrology of the beautiful people:

Aries: must have frequent dental check-ups.
Taurus:  should marry a man of means.
Gemini: often the face is too long or the nose is too long or big.
Cancer:  tends to be lazy about beauty and should be encouraged to make the effort.
Leo:  if ambitions are not fulfilled, can have difficult menopause.
Virgo:  remains surprisingly youthful despite hypochondriac tendency.
Libra:  rarely gets fat.
Sagittarius:  torn between bright, amusing men who are good talkers and her desire for a solid social position.
Scorpio:  hypersexual and often attracted to men who are her inferiors.
Capricorn:  always well turned-out and insists on quality in clothes.
Aquarius: often slightly neurotic and with fragile health.
Pisces:  feet are the weak point and pedicures essential.

whoever said beauty starts from within was wrong.  it begins with this book.

{via cup of jo and pipeline.} {images via starworks and charm & poise.}

love letters: airside pin ups

as easy as A, B, C...

airsides' limited edition, lovely lady letters for wallpaper* are available here.

also available in bunnies!

feeling humble: eco-friendly pillows & tea towels

humble's gorgeously graphic goods are organic, made in the USA, hand printed with water-based inks, and luscious to the touch.  (yep, i've fondled them personally, people.)

but get this...not only are designer kristen thinnes's patterns hypnotically hot, but they also help to support our coral reefs!  turns out, miss kristen's fondness for sea creatures inspires her to donate 1.00 from each humble sale to the coral reef alliance, which helps keep coral around the world protected.

whoranging has never felt so humble.

pillow covers, kitchen towels, and MORE are available at humble's website and etsy shoppe.

it's not easy being queen

cleopatra...the gal with the million dollar face and the nile at her doorstep.  she took the pink pills.

{photography by ellen von unwerth.}

whoranging for the thomas wold block party credenza and book case

two block parties i really, really want to attend.

thomas wold available at design public.

banksy versus bristol museum

a few years ago i attended an uh-mazing banksy exhibition in downtown los angeles and have been eagerly awaiting the elusive graffiti artist's return.  alas, mr. bansky choose instead to set up his latest wares in new york and bristol.

on june 13th, banksy's largest exhibition entitled "banksy versus bristol museum" was unveiled at the bristol city museum.  it features more than 100 of banksy's works mixed amongst the museum's permanent collection (including a mouse with a backpack tucked inside of a natural history case.  someone, please send me a picture!).

on opening day, a line of eager fans snaked around the corner, waiting more than an hour for admission.

for once, banksy's art was celebrated and not berated by a museum.  in fact, banksy said, "this is the first show i've ever done where taxpayers' money is being used to hang my pictures up rather than scrape them off."  pretty funny considering that bristol-raised bansky was once sought out for vandalism by his hometown police.

and finally, a picasso banksy WHORANGE philosophy...

{images via art of the state, nikolaasB, and the guardian uk.}

a WHORANGE reminder...

...and your hair looks marvelous today.

{image via l'esprit.}

father's day gift guide 2009: daddy icons

with daddy's day just around the corner (june 21st, darlings!), let's gather round and show our appreciation for the mr. man figure in our lives.

this year, i fashioned a little something for a few of my favorite fictional fathers:  the dashingly deceptive don draper from mad men;  moral hero, atticus finch, from to kill a mockingbird;  and robert thorn, father of demon spawn damien, from the omen.

pick your poison, people.  and don't forget to take a peek at last year's father's day gift guide for more groovy goods!

first up -- THE DARK AND DAPPER DADDY...

above:  1. rubis grooming set (150.00);  2. woven passport case -- because you never know when you'll have to jam (or change your identity) (30.00);  3. inside out martini glass set (65.00);  4. george nelson walnut diamond desk clock (395.00);  5. chiarugi briefcase (442.00);  6. back scratcher shoe horn (29.00);  7. altoids;  8. travel shoe shine kit (19.00);  9. deck of cards flask -- when you need to discreetly disguise a deck of cards (45.00);  10). dirty mug (9.99);  11. belfry gangster fedora (48.00).

next up -- THE PROTECTIVE AND PRINCIPLED PAPA...

above:  1. singgih kartono toys for the soul (40.00);  2. selima optique glasses via mr. peacock (300.00);  3. bird call set (160.00);  4. silk mod foulard tie (66.75);  5. sun jar (42.00);  6. a father's day gift basket for the international rescue committee (IRC) -- baskets help build homes for millions fleeing war, oppression, and disaster;  7. vanmoof solar city bicycle (600.00);  8. shoe cleaning box (56.00).

and finally -- THE DEVIL SPAWN'S DISTRESSED DADDY...

above:  1. ropeball doorstop (98.00);  2. gothic side plate set (28.00);  3. now panic and freak out mug (15.53);  4. framed DNA print -- simply ID your child's devil DNA with a saliva sample and turn it into art (500.00);  5. good book flask (25.99);  6. oster golden A5 clippers (134.45);  7. wigan handforged digging fork and spade (76.00 each);  8. hunting trap cuff (395.00).

the uniform project = 1 dress, 365 days

 

that's right, poodles -- 1 dress, 365 days.

the lovely sheena matheiken is wearing the same dress for an entire year!  it's the premise behind the uniform project which promotes sustainable and reimagined fashion.

here's the skinny on the pretty:  sheena has seven identical dresses -- one for each day of the week.  the dress is versatile enough to be worn both backwards and forwards.  miss sheena switches up her look each day using primarily hand-me-down, vintage, or donated accessories and layers.

but, it doesn't end there!  the uniform project is also a fundraiser for the akanksha foundation -- a grassroots foundation that benefits education in india.  at the end of the year, all financial contributions to the uniform project help provide uniforms and other educational expenses for slum children in india.

oh, the power of one dress!

click here to learn more about the uniform project.  and, while you're there, check out all of sheena's creative outfits and show your support!

xoxo

feelin' eden: whoranging for the woolly pocket

los angeles based artist, miguel nelson, recently contacted me to tell me about his innovative, eco-friendly, and versatile gardening system -- the woolly pocket.

i first met miguel and his wife, sherry walsh, a year ago when steve and i were scoping out wedding locations.  we fell in love with miguel and sherry's home and green event space -- the marvimon.

one of the many enticing elements of the marvimon is its lush array of vertical, outdoor gardens and its indoor, living wall installations...

and here we are getting married in the garden just two weeks ago!

while designing their vertical landscapes, miguel and sherry teamed up with floral artist extraordinaire, holly vesecky of holly flora (who also provided the floral designs for our wedding...check out that chuppah!).

the collaboration resulted in walls that live, breathe, entice, and even provide sound proofing.

the clever contraption used to hang the garden is the woolly pocket -- a stylish, breathable, easy to use, modular gardening container.  and get this...each felted, woolly pocket is handcrafted in the U.S.A. from recycled plastic bottles!

some pockets are designed to be placed on horizontal surfaces and others are constructed to be hung on walls for vertical gardening.   both styles can be used indoors and out and have built-in moisture barriers to help protect furniture.  they're perfect for creating urban gardens where space is limited. in addition, they are lightweight and can be folded flat, which makes them easy to use, move, and store just about anywhere.

and placing a pocket on your wall is easy peasy!  click here to learn how.

the woolly pockets are also on full display at miguel and sherry's newest event space -- the smog shoppe in culver city.  here is a view from the sidewalk...

and finally...what a lovely excuse to post a gallery of gloriously gorgeous guys and gals in their most organic state.  now if we could only get those woolly pockets out of the way.

pick a pocket of your own and learn more about the wonderful world of woolly at their website.

freud's flowers: jonathan adler banana bud vase

perky and practical.  the possibilities are endless...

available here.

kg+ab = whorange

kg+ab's porcelain pugs, owls beneath glass, foresty friends, and bears in love.

a must have menagerie of marvelousness.

welcome wagon: whoranging with my squirrel lamp

after frolicking amongst the woodland creatures and mineral hot springs of big sur, i'm pleased to report that we were greeted by this little forest fellow on our front porch when we returned home!

i have been stalking the roost squirrel lamp for months now and decided to stick him on our velocity wedding registry, because i truly believe no home is complete without an illuminated squirrel.  luckily, my darling cousin heather agreed and generously sent him our way.

now, along with our campfire votive (which i also shamelessly registered for), our home is cozy, complete, and aglow with glorious shades of whorange.