ice cube celebrates the brilliance of the eames in a promotional video for pacific standard time.

to quote cube:

"...what i love about the eames is how resourceful they are."

"...got off-the-shelf factory windows.  pre-fabricated walls .  they was doing mash-ups before mash-ups even existed."

"...it's not about the pieces.  it's how the pieces work together.  you know, taking something that already exists and making it something special.  kinda like sampling."

"...this is going green 1949 style, bitch.  believe that."

ice cube, we salute you.

over the weekend, i slipped into my swan dress and checked out a few halloween shindigs around town.  we started at an eclectic co-op in the sunset junction, stumbled into a strobe-lit bouncy house in echo park, and did some dancing at a gold lamé queen's lair.

around 2:00 a.m., we found ourselves at this entourage-esque mansion off of mulholland drive.  rumor has it, the grand pad belongs to some mysterious, music mogul's kid who only lives there a few days out of the year and uses it primarily for throwing parties that he may, or may not, attend.  nobody really knows who he is or what he looks like.  he's like the banksy of trust fund kids.

ohh-kay.  anyways...

mixed amongst the cleverly-costumed patrons, sexy chewbaccas, and black swaned ballerinas was a house filled with some mightily impressive furnishings.  it broke my heart a little, because the place was getting trashed and all i wanted to do was rescue the furniture.

in an attempt to honor the few pieces that remained unscathed, i pulled out my pocket camera and snapped a few shots of some of my favorite decor moments. 

{above:  a white, mid-century, metal flower pendant lamp hangs amongst a field of subtlety psychedelic wallpaper.}

{above:  a steel, studio 54-style, beaded curtain separates the screening room from a surprisingly quiet reading room.}

{above:  cobweb-covered sputnik lamp and vintage sunburst clock.}

{above:  a vintage floor lamp with gorgeous orange and turquoise glass shades, which appear white in the photograph.}

oh, and the top photo is of me and my hubby steve in the backyard cemetery.  as we like to say, "till death do us part is for wussies."

have a happy halloween, darlings!

kittens, it's a documentary about the beloved couple who made sitting a supremely stylish pleasure.  actually, ray and charles eames were so much more than that.  they were visionaries, dreamers, architects, film makers, photographers, painters, and of course...two of the most influential designers in american history.

and the film is narrated by james franco.  it's a win/win/weird situation!

the doc opens theatrically in NY and LA on november 19th and then has its broadcast premiere december 19th as part of the PBS american masters series.

plan your premiere outfit now.

{see the full trailer for "eames: the architect and the painter" here.}

as seen through the lens of my iphone camera.

they rocked, their tights rocked, and of course...their hair rocked.

learn how to look like a dum dum girl here!

darlings, i'm so excited!  my dear friend, matthew james, is going to be premiering on MAD FASHION tonight on bravo!  he is chris march design's master fabricator and he is truly one of the most brilliant, creative, funny and amazing persons on this planet.

i first met matt when i lived in san francisco.  i was a bartender at a gay bar and he was a designer for beach blanket babylon.  matt introduced me to everything from stephen sprouse to franciscan starburst dinnerware.  he also threw the best thematic xmas parties you could ever imagine.  oh, those were the days!

to top it off, he's also an amazing fine artist.  i featured a few of his pieces in '08 on the 4th of july, back when WHORANGE was only five-months-old.  be sure to check out matthew's art at mattjamesart.com.

and tune in tonight!  i guarantee you will fall in love with him just as i have.

over the weekend, i cruised on down to little tokyo and stumbled upon the wishing tree located in the japanese village plaza.

the wishing tree project began in july, courtesy of naoko ikeda, the owner of blooming arts gallery.  naoko placed bamboo trees and colorful strips of paper, pens, and ribbons outside of her shoppe as a place for angelinos to write messages and offer wishes for post-quake japan.  she states, "i want people here in los angeles to think about people in japan." plus, "when people are writing the wishes they look so happy."

personal wishes are also encouraged.  everything from "wishing for peace, love & decent employment" to "i really, really hope she likes me" graced the trees.

of course, i made a few wishes of my own...

i'll keep you posted on their fruition.

visit the wishing tree at:

blooming arts gallery (outside)
129 japanese village plaza mall
los angeles, ca 90012

kittens, last year, when i wasn't scoping out george nelson chairs or contemplating men with cats, i worked in the art department on CONTAGION.  yep, i researched bio-safety labs, studied hazmat suits, composited airport scenarios and made location presentations.  not very whorange, i know, but fascinating beyond belief. (and, honey, i can assure you -- hazmat suits can cover up even the worst hair day.)

jokes aside, contagion a fascinating and scary film (and beautifully shot to boot).  i am honored to have been a part of it.  i loved the crew and steven soderbergh is a cinematic genius, so in was a win-win-win situation.

go see it this weekend!  however, if anybody in audience coughs nearby, i guarantee it will send chills up your spine.  you may want to put a little purell in your purse.

xo

listen up, lovelies!  thomas wold, one of my favorite furniture designers in the whole wide world, is having a show in san francisco -- and you must attend!

mr. thomas has crafted everything from the much coveted mushroom forest table to his i-need-it-so-badly signature credenzas.  most of his practical-and-fantastical pieces contain recycled and found materials, which not only make them eco-fabulous, but truly one-of-a-kind.

did i mention thomas wold is also a really nice guy?  yeah, that, too.

the cherry on top is that the show is at park life, which is a gem of a shop tucked away in the richmond distract of san francisco.  (special note:  my brother and sister-in-law used to live around the corner from park life and let me tell you, the store rocks.)

thomas's show opens tomorrow night and runs through september 15th.  be sure to make a date of it.  plus, there is plenty of dim sum and waffle cone ice cream in the neighborhood.  it's a win-win-win-win situation, kittens!

WHAT:  unlimited shelf life:  new works by thomas wold

WHEN:  tomorrow-september 15th.  opening reception from 6-9.

WHERE:  park life gallery,  220 clement street SF, CA 94118

last week, i boogied on down to the MOCA to check out the graffiti art exhibition "art in the streets" -- the first major U.S. museum exhibition focused on the history of graffiti and street art.  this was actually my second visit.  the first time, i only had my camera phone, so i had to pay a second visit to snaps some better shots.  more on my first visit later (and my encounter with shepard fairey!).

anyways, kittens...today is the last day of the exhibit! so, if you can, CHECK IT OUT!  admission is FREE today courtesy of banksy, who's footing the entry fee for all monday visitors.  ain't he swell?

along with banksy, there are several amazing artists featured including shepard fairey and fab 5 freddy. i'll be posting the remainder of my exhibition photos this week, but in the meantime, enjoy the yummy bits of banksy that are on display...

{above:  hazmat suited, martini-drinking golfers.}

{above:  "stained glass" -- a ginormous window painting created by banksy in collaboration with a group of LA art students.}

{above: a peeing dog creates abstract art and is named best in show.}

{above:  a pinata cop beating.}

{above:  ape warning -- "laugh now, but one day we'll be in charge."}

{above: fish sticks swimming.}

{above: crayon machine gun.}

{above: denture flowers.}

{above: surveillance camera.}

{above:  banksy's flower thrower in riot painting.}

{above:  i hate mondays.}

ART IN THE STREETS
MOCA at the geffen contemporary
hours: 11-5
admission:  FREE today
ends today!

{photos by tula jeng.}

liberace would want you to.

sparkle on!

xoxo,
tula