WHORANGE

if you want it...

...go and get it.

this dashing, vintage, orange flip calendar clock is up for grabs in deedee 9:14's july giveaway.

guaranteed to my your desk (and hair) look fabulous.

(re)cycled style: tweed ride brooklyn

 

thanks to the fabulous fine and dandy shop, i discovered the splendid tweed ride which flourishes in various cities across the country from brooklyn to portland.

the tweed ride embraces dapper cycling attire (not a stitch of spandex in sight!) and celebrates the joy of the ride instead of the pressure of competition.  so whether you are a newbie in a seersucker suit or a pro in croquet couture, you're sure to be looking dandy and riding high.

i hope the tweed ride comes to los angeles soon!  can't wait to get my knickers in a twist.

{brooklyn tweed ride images via sonic ribbon.}

happy 1st annual harvey milk day

"hope will never be silent."

-- harvey milk

GOING ROGUE: whoranging at the rogue taxidermy show

on friday night, i boogied on down to the la luz de jesus gallery on hollywood blvd. to check out the resurrection of some little critters who once frolicked freely, but are now going rogue.

yep, i went to a taxidermy show.

keep in mind, the artists behind "the rogue taxidermy show" do not kill animals in their work.  instead they promote a "recycling" philosophy by using animals who perished via roadkill or natural causes.  the taxidermists utilize technology and decoration to create pieces that approach high art not only in craft, but in concept.  styles span from steam punk to rococo, and from photography to sculpture.

sure, there are a few pieces that are literally gut-wrenching, but overall, the artwork is playful and surprisingly elegant. 

oh, and there is weasel playing an accordion.  need i say more?

{above:   "accordion jugador" by mirmy winn.}

{above left:  "franken-pussy" by sarina brewer;  above right: "Frick 'n Frack" by sarina brewer.}

{above: "cotton" by brooke weston.}

{above:  "fighting siberian mice" by jeanie m.}

{above left:  "ladon" by mirmy winn;  above right:  "pimped peep: by sarina brewer.}

{above:  close up of franken-pussy.}

WHAT:  the rogue taxidermy show

WHERE:  la luz de jesus gallery
4633 hollywood blvd.
los angeles, CA 90027
(323) 666-7667

WHEN:  now - may 30th

ADMISSION:  free!

BONUS:  weasel playing an accordion.  plus, uni-corn corn holders are for sale in the WACKO gift shop.

{all pix by WHORANGE.  see more here.}

"primeval love" by amanda visell at the natural history museum

hi kittens!  if you're in LA tonight, i have a date for you.

come on down to the natural history museum between 7pm-10pm to experience a very special and rare exhibition by one of my fave artists -- amanda visell.

amanda's show, entitled "primeval love," will hold court on the main floor of the museum.  35 art pieces will be on display including a large‐scale installation.

amanda inspiration behind "primeval love":

"Primeval Love is my first self‐invested and self‐produced art show. Without official gallery representation in Los Angeles, I believe that I’m in a great position to push this art movement forward towards a more independent artist‐driven community.

I created Primeval Love when I started thinking about being a tiny spec in the history of the world, how humans have barely been here, and that the destruction of one civilization is birth for another.  This show is one of the possible paths life may have taken on Earth and traces of it can be found in our lives today. This world is void of oppression by men and the female characters are the stewards of natural order."

so put hop on your griffin and fly on down!  i promise it will be carnally delectable.

WHAT:  primeval love exhibition by amanda visell

WHERE:  natural history museum
900 exposition boulevard
los angeles, CA 90007

WHEN:  tonight 7-10pm

ADMISSION: free!

BONUS:   live music by the petrojvic blasting company (seen them. love them); vietnamese mandoline grill food truck, and limited edition "primeval love" paperbacks for sale for $15.

{special thanks to sonja teri of poster child prints for contacting me regarding amanda's show.  thanks, sonja!}

eyeing margaret keane at phyllis morris gallery in los angeles

yesterday, i laced up my skates and rolled on down to the phyllis morris showroom in west hollywood to catch a rare exhibition of paintings by the iconic, '60s artist margaret keane.

from teary waifs to sad pets, keane's signature doe-eyed subjects have always held a special place in my whoranging heart.  therefore, seeing a collection of both vintage and contemporary keane paintings gracing the walls of phyllis morris' delectable, hollywood regency showroom was pretty much the perfect storm of pleasure.

to top it off, the fine folks at phyllis morris were lovely as can be.  they told the story of morris's and keane's longterm friendship and were thrilled to exhibit some of keane's recent works along with some never-before-seen-keanes from morris' private collection.

i even had the honor of slipping into the showroom's display window (below) with marketing director, greg firlotte, to get a closer glimpse of two stunning paintings along with the graphic keane-inspired bedding, which was designed by firlotte.

infamously reclusive, keane (who currently lives in napa county) rarely exhibits or makes public appearances.  in fact, keane's last appearance in los angeles was in 1968.

therefore, it's not surprising that last week's gala opening, in which margaret keane was the guest of honor, brought out over 400 fans and collectors.  some flew out from new york, florida, and even napa to witness keane's rare exhibition and to meet the introverted artist in person. 

a handful of paintings will be on display at phyllis morris for the next few months, but if you want to catch the show in its entirety, the exhibition ends TODAY.  so, get moving, kittens.

oh...and did i mention the showroom boasts a 9' x 10' bed?  completely not keane related, but it's quite the sight (and fantasy) to behold.

WHAT:  margaret keane exhibition

WHERE:  phyllis morris showroom
655 N. Robertson Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA
(310) 289-6868

WHEN:  today

BONUS:  9' x 10' bed

{special thanks to sandi vincent for alerting me to this exhibition.  thanks, sandi!}

{all photography by tula jeng.  all images copyright margaret keane, courtesy of the keane eyes gallery, san francisco.}

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WHORANGE!

WHORANGE is bending over for not one...but TWO spankings!

yep, this little blog turns two-years-old today.  that is 730 amazing hair days!

and, i owe it all to you, kittens.  thank you for keeping me inspired everyday.  if it weren't for you, i'd just be another gal with pink foam rollers, a bumpit, and dream.  you're the swellest.

please help yourself to a fruity sorbet and let's toast to another year of design cravings, cat walking, bitch slapping, hair hopping, bra stuffing, heart mending, sequin swilling, ego massaging, artist worshipping, and pad crashing.

and, don't forget to grab a gift bag on the way out!  this year's bag contains one of my favorite items -- the perfectly practical tome "the beautiful peoples book" by princess luciana pignatelli.

click here for a book preview.

love it.  learn it.  live it.  because you're worth it, kittens!

xoxo,
tula

"the enormous tiny art show" with gretchen wagoner, APAK and more

one of my favorite artists on the planet, gretchen wagoner, is part of a fab art show beginning this evening at nahcotta in portsmouth, NH.  it's called the "enormous tiny art show" and promises to be good.  opening reception with some of the 50 participating artists is from 5-8, so if you are anywhere close the portsmouth, you simply must go.  no excuses.

however, for those of us who who are thousands of miles away, nahcotta has set up a website to sell and peruse all of the available works.

gretchen's artwork is pictured above and available here.  other participating artists include...

{above: APAK.}

{above:  helen musselwhite.}

view the entire list of artists here.

enormous tiny art show @ nahcotta

when:  february 4th - march 1st
where: 110 congress street, portsmouth, NH 03801

NAME THE MUSE contest results - PLUS FIVE prize winners announced!

greetings, poodles!

i'm thrilled to announce that the results are in for WHORANGE and velocity's john tusher's "NAME THE MUSE" contest.  after 300+ entries, the five most popular names were:

GIGI
VALENTINA
MRS. KARL WINSLOW
LOLA
PERSEPHONE

and name that received the most votes...

MRS. KARL WINSLOW!

heather c. writes, "She was born poor little Emily Broom, but grew up to marry the heir to a toilet paper cardboard dynasty. She now signs her name 'Mrs. Karl Winslow.'"

congratulations to STEVE LEE for first crafting mrs. karl's moniker.  you will receive a matte stephens "Alfred was obviously underdressed for his induction into the Adventurers Hall of Fame" print!

but, wait...there's more.

as you know, john added four more prints as a ginormous thank you to everyone for submitting such amazingly creative and inspirational names.  (thanks, john!)  we drew names from a random number generator and the four additional recipients of the matte stephens alfred print are:

TINA from the scatterbox organized. comment #165. muse name: "Emperatriz de la Milonga."  click here to read Emperatriz's intriguing bio!

BRENDA.  comment #193.  muse name:  Celesta.

MICHELLE P from creatocrat.  comment #283.  muse name:  "Her last name is definitely de la Rosa (of the roses).  hmmm... Valentina de la Rosa sounds right to me!"

MARY T. from shelterrific.  comment #308.  muse name:  "Vulva!"

congratulations!  perhaps "vulva" was mrs. karl winslow's maiden name?

thank you so much to all who participated!  we found such inspiration from each and every name.  perhaps one day john will paint a painting based on "Prudence Magpie" or maybe i'll write a screenplay about "Comtesse Evangeline de Mornay."

but, most of all, we hope you had fun!  because, at WHORANGE...it's all about you!

xoxo

GIVEAWAY UPDATE: more prizes added to the "name the muse" contest!

i have wonderful news, kittens!

john tusher from veloctiy art & design fell so madly in love with the 250+ names (and bios) submitted to the "NAME THE MUSE" contest thus far, that he has added FOUR MORE matte stephens prints to the prize pool!  that's right...there will be five winners total!

john and i are downing martinis and discussing how these additional four prints will be awarded, but in order to qualify, you need to enter here.

remember, you may enter up to three names.  contest ends today at 9:00 pm PST...so hop to it!

thank you, john, for your loving generosity.  you are a true hero to us all!  xoxo & xoxo

WHORANGE CONTEST: name the muse and enter to win a matte stephens print from velocity!

hold onto your mittens, kittens, because we're in for a fun ride!

john tusher, the dashing and debonair owner of velocity art & design, recently acquired this gorgeous, vintage painting (above) from white sage studio in seattle's ballard neighborhood.  isn't she fabulous?  this lovely lady is so superbly special that she will provide the decor inspiration for john's latest interior endeavor.  however, the only problem is...she needs a name.

and, that's where you come in...YOU GET TO NAME HER!

yes, mr. tusher has asked the readers of WHORANGE to name his muse. john describes his painted lady as "sexy, sophisticated, a little rough around the edges, and very well traveled."  rumor is she hails from buenos aires, but the year of her birth is unknown.

but, wait, there's more!  not only is john a modern-living savant, father of one, hero to many, and inspiration to all, he is also ridiculously kind and offering a fab prize to one lucky participant:  a limited edition, signed, matte stephens print entitled "Alfred was obviously underdressed for his induction into the Adventurers Hall of Fame."

love. this. print.  click here for more details.

TO WIN:  simply enter a name for the muse in the comment section of this post.  how easy is that?  be inspired, be creative, and be fabulous!  you may enter three times, but you must nominate a different name each time.  this will increase your chances of winning, poodles, so hop to it!

the muse name that receives the most nominations wins the title.  so, feel free to review what other people have written and rally behind the same name if you desire.

please note, you don't have to pick the winning name in order to be eligible for the prize.  simply nominating a name puts you in the running.  i will pick one winner at random on monday, february 1st, at 9:00 pm PST.

and, finally, can we just take a moment to admire her stunning coiffure...

...talk about an inspiration.

good luck, everybody!  and thank you, john, for entrusting us with such an important decision.  we love her, we love velocity, and we love you!

UPDATE!  due to the overwhelmingly amazing entries thus far, john tusher has added FOUR MORE PRIZES!  yep, five winners total will receive prints!  how fabulous is that?  thank you, john!!!!!

helping haiti

 

many of us are looking for ways to help the people of haiti.

according to bill clinton, the UN special envoy to haiti, "the most important thing all the rest of us can do is give even small amounts of cash for food, medicine, water and for shelter."  such donations, he added, "will immediately convert into medicine, food and water."  listen to mr. clinton's interview on npr and donate money to The Clinton Foundation to support haiti relief efforts.

also, by texting "HAITI" to 90999, you can have $10 added to your cell phone bill, which will go to relief efforts by the Red Cross.

yesterday, steve and i donated money to Yele, which is wyclef jean's nonprofit organization.  wyclef founded yele in 2005 in an effort to build global awareness for haiti and to help transform the country through educational, sports, art, and environmental programs.  yele is taking relief donations on their website or you can text "Yele" to 501501 and you will automatically donate $5 to the Yele Haiti Earthquake Fund.

also, the huffington post has put together a comprehensive list of foundations with relief efforts including Doctors Without Borders and Save The Children, which are foundations i've helped raise money for in the past.  they are amazingly good people.  click here to view the huffington post's foundation list.

and finally, i chose the images included in this post by melissa moss because these prints, plus other amazing pieces of artwork, home furnishings, and more are available at 2modern.  today, 2modern announced that 10% of all store profits, through january 31st, will be donated to UNICEF and CARE to help earthquake victims rebuild their lives and communities.

big hugs to all of you.  let's do what we can, however small, to help our brothers and sisters in haiti.

xo,

tula

UPDATE:  just announced -- one of my favorite tableware companies, heath ceramics, is donating 25% of sales from their sausalito, los angeles, and online stores to Architecture for Humanity’s earthquake reconstruction efforts in haiti.  effective donation dates are january 15th-17th.  visit heath's online store here.

modernica's pets on furniture contest

listen up, kittens!  our lovely friends at modernica are holding a pets on furniture photo contest.  grand prize winner receives a panty-dropping, fiberglass, rocker arm chair!  view today's entries here.

HERE ARE THE RULES:  1). take a pic of your pet posing on a piece of modern furniture;  2). email it to petcontest@modernica.net with "pets" in the subject line;  3). hope that you are selected as one of the top five picks;  4). sleep with several readers to garner votes (optional);  5). win the first round of fan voting and win a Downtown Dog Rescue calender or Cats of Lamu book; 6). sleep with more readers to garner votes (recommended); 7). win final round of voting and receive the rocker arm chair;  8). give rocker chair to me as a thank you gift.

i combed through my archives and found pix of my cats doing what they do best -- lounging.  and, yes...their fur looks terrific:

{top left: veruschka on danish modern chair from the rose bowl flea market;  top right: dylan poses on turquoise modernica shell chair purchased at the warehouse sale;  bottom left:  atticus on green "down with love" sofa from room service;  bottom right:  atticus on mid-century table from grandma with turquoise couch from flea market.}

so, get snapping, people!  whether it's your spaniel on a saarinen or your mutt on a malm, put your furry friend to work and make them bring home the rocker gold.

for modernica's rules and info, click here.  and, don't forget to tell them i sent you!

2010!

at WHORANGE, we do not believe in "out with the old, in with the new."  instead, we prefer to celebrate the old and embrace the new.

cheers to 2010!  may the old and the new sip from the same frothy punchbowl of wisdom, prosperity, kindness, gaiety, and mysterious wonders.

happy new year, kittens!

xoxo,

tula