WHORANGE

happy holidays to you!

wow, i actually got hitched this year!  (which reminds me...i still need to post our wedding pictures, don't i?  more pix to come in 2010 -- i promise!)

with the holidays upon us, i wanted to take this moment to thank each and every one of you for your love, support, decor inspirations, artistic endeavors, sagacious comments, foxy emails, keen queries, frolicking slumber parties, habitual bootie calls, mid-day martinis, wiglet coupons, solar-powered panties, and of course...magnificent hair.

it is from you that i draw inspiration -- every single day.  thank you for dancing through this titillating design journey with me! 

have a wonderful holiday, darlings.  give the gift of teaching someone something new, stay warm, and i'll be back before you know it.

xoxo,
tula

{our chinatown wedding photographs by gennan shippen.}

my DIY letterpress thank you cards

okay, kittens.  here it is -- my letterpress class report.  i know i promised to write about my adventures in letterpress about five thousand years ago, but ye ole wedding and computer meltdown slowed me down.  as a result of my tardiness, i will make this a two part series.

also, to those lovely readers who contacted me regarding class details, thank you for your patience.   a special tip of the tiara to you.

now please keep in mind 1). this was a beginning letterpress class at otis art & design in los angeles, therefore, i don't know what other schools/classes are like;  2).  all notes are stored precariously in my head, so proceed with caution;  and 3). pictures were taken with my camera phone under fluorescent lights, so details are not fabulous.

okay, let's boogie...

the class supplies several ink colors for student use.  most are soy based and can be mixed to achieve the color of your dreams.  black ink, however, tends to print on the dark gray side (at least it did for me), so if you want a true black, you may need to test out different inks or consult an expert.  also, inks print a lot lighter than they look on the mixing plate.  if the ink looks orange, most likely it will print yellow.  if it looks red, you may get pink.

you will learn how to set up a press bed.  above is a set up for photopolymer plates, which is what i used to print my designs.  my instructor and letterpress guru, gerald lange, makes excellent photopolymer plates.  prices vary, but my plates ranged between 38.00-65.00 depending on the size and intricacies of my design.  some students didn't create plates, and instead worked with the array of metal and wood type available in the classroom.  more on that in a later post.

after peeling and sticking the reusable photopolymer plate to the metal grid plate, it's basically like a game of tetris getting it into place.  you take different lengths and widths of metal and wood blocks (called "furniture") and set your bed.

then you dab a little ink on your rollers and let 'em spin.

the longest (and least glamorous) part of the letterpress process is adjusting your rollers and aligning (or "registering") your image to the paper.  it can take hours.  the actual process of printing is the payoff.

students supply their own paper.  other printing materials and machinery are available in the classroom.

i made about 60 of these pink "thanks, deer" cards in one night...

and here is another thank you card i printed one day, because you can never say thank you enough.

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.

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.

whoranging with the honey

the mister and i are off to our mini-moon in big sur.  our goal is to recreate this picture sans polar bear.

i'll be back next week and ready to whorange, darlings!

stay pretty, and if i haven't mentioned it already, your hair has never looked more stunning.

xoxo

marriage, mustaches, and me

it actually happened, poodles!  this little missy became a mrs.on saturday!

i can't wait to share the fete with you all once i get some proper pix.  in the meantime, here are some snaps from our vintage photo booth.

FUN 'STACHE FACT:  about five years ago, a psychic told me i would marry a man with a mustache.  i had known steve for several years, but it was one night, after a long talk about radiohead and coachella, that i realized i had fallen for him.  then on our first official "date," steve showed up with, you guessed it...a mustache.  little did he know how far that 'stache would take him.

four years later, for our wedding, i couldn't resist supplying a few barber mustaches-on-a-stick by something's hiding in here.  after all...somethings (and some 'staches) are just meant to be.

the bride is high and i'm moving on

okay, poodles...the time has come.  my wedding is less than two weeks away(!!!), which means less WHORANGE and more wedding preparation for me.

posting may be light, but my love for you runs deep.  thank you all so much for your kind emails, comments, advice, and letters.  you've filled me with endless amounts of heartfelt whorange and inspiration.  i hope to do you all proud as i strut my 200 pound, jewel-encrusted ballgown down the aisle in ten days.

stay pretty and keep your hair just as marvelous as it looks today.  i'll be back!

xoxo,
tula

{image via charm and poise.}

girlie time

oh deer.  recovering from my bachelorette evening.  see you tomorrow, kittens!

(by the way, your hair looks marvelous today!)

bachelorette activities courtesy of sublime stitching

tonight is my bachelorette party, kittens.

although i will not be embroidering with the girlies, i will be partaking in one of the sublime stitching embroidering scenes below.

take a guess which one:

 

here's a hint:  shamelessness -- a plus!

all of these fabulous patterns are available at sublime stitching.

wedding a go go: DIY invitations and other painful pleasures

oh deer.  as promised, here are my wedding invitations in their perfectly imperfect glory.  (click here for a larger view.)  wood tree block via the fabulous b green design.

i had never put together a multi-component invite, and must say, within the course of six weeks, i learned more than i ever thought i could about paper, inks, construction, RGB, CMYK, hemp cord, scoring, adobe illustrator, envelopes, letterpressing, offset printing, glue sticks, and masochism.

top honors go to my best friend and maid-of-honor, gennan shippen, who gloriously designed the flora and fauna motifs.  from dancing bunnies and bears, to perching peacocks, to doting deer, gennan's playful yet elegant illustrations truly put the pretty in pretty.

also, my aunt diane provided fabulous calligraphy for the envelopes, which you can't see very well in this picture, but trust me, it's good enough to eat.

i took on the glamorous job of printing and construction.  after receiving quotes from print shops ranging from 1500-2600 dollars, i realized i had to get crafty and DIY it.

i enrolled in a beginning letterpress class at otis college of art & design and learned how to press the invitation's text insert, two sets of thank you cards, and my program cover.  i stayed at the studio until 1:00 a.m. on several nights because i'm a complete loon.  i became obsessed.  steve wondered if i was going to start letterpressing post-it notes and toilet paper.

(by the way, after mentioning my letterpress class last month, i have received a lot of emails from readers asking about my experience.   stay tuned.  letterpress class post coming soon!)

for the remainder of the inserts (RSVP, map, hotel accommodations, wedding day details), i picked up basic white card stock from kelly paper and ran them off at copymat.

one of my and steve's favorite invitation elements is the RSVP card.  we included a message on the bottom of the card which read, "please feel free to write or doodle something for us on the back of this card."  the backside featured a little doe and a simple top border.

here are a few of the smashing replies we've received so far...

green acres reply card courtesy of my favorite west of hollywood prince, laine.

end result -- by making my own invitations with the help of my friends and family, i learned how to work a letterpress, bonded with the guys at kelly paper, saved a few thousand dollars, and only went slightly insane.

cut, print...that's a wrap!

wedding a go go: flashin' my flowers & feathers with k. autumn

i have a new girl crush.  her name is kelly sperbeck and she's the creator, founder, designer, and darling goddess behind k. autumn custom hair florals. 

kelly handcrafts gorgeously layered silk douppioni flowery clips accented with delicate touches of feathers and gemstones.  i first spotted kelly's craveable clips at oh joy! when miss joy donned a scarlet k. autumn floral on her wedding day.  i bookmarked joy's page and added k. autumn clips to my list of future fashion must haves.

well, the future has come, poodles.  i'm getting hitched, so i figure it's the perfect excuse to wear a fancy floral.

i met k. autumn's kelly during a recent visit to the bay area, and not only did i discover that miss kelly is ridiculously talented and inspirational, but she's also beyond nice and groovy cool...

and cute, too, yes?

kelly was in the process of moving her studio, so we met at her friend's photography suite.  here, i found a garden of k. autumn's fabulous flowers perched upon plushy little poufs, begging to be modeled.  i even fished through k. autums's colorful collection of gemstones...

i also got a peek at some of kelly's up-and-coming designs such as the ballerina pink triple flower (below right).

next, came the temptation of the veil.  one reason why i wanted a hair floral is because i'm not really a veil kind of gal.  nonetheless, i tried one on per my mom's wishes.

putting my mug in a birdcage veil confirmed my complete inability to walk or think with a net over my face.  don't get me wrong, i think birdcages are fab, but they leave me void of coordination.  plus, they make me feel a little, well...caged.

i can't wait to wear my feathery little flower on the day i become a dynamic duo!  i'm not going to tell you which one i picked, though.  you'll have to wait and see.

however, here's a little hint:

goes perfectly with my shoes, not to mention my wiglet.

kelly's got her work cut out for her!

{floral headpiece via fabulon.}

whorange of the week: shoes for li'l ole me

the sadistic search is over, poodles.  i finally found my nuptial kicks!

thank you, everyone, for your suggestions, guidance, and emails.  and thank you jolie from the fabulous la maisonette for putting red vintage shoes in my head.  (and thank you coco for pointing me in the right direction.) these ruby reds aren't vintage, but they still send my heart aflutter.  and they were affordable to boot!  (89.00 bux -- not bad, right?)

okay, now if i could only find a fabulous and affordable DJ...

DIY wedding invitations: whoranging at the letterpress

darlings, pour yourself a cocktail because postings may be a bit light for the next few days.  i'm in the middle of printing, assembling, logging, gluing, weighing, tying, pressing, and cutting my wedding invitations, and honey...it ain't all glamour.  i'm DIYing it and there is no turning back now!

i'll give you the full skinny on the invitation soon, but in the meantime, here are some pictures of me letterpressing a little bit of text onto ye ole invites.

yep, i decided to take a letterpress night class at the local art college.  my stationery budget is pretty tight, so i figured a class would allow me get a little press in my wedding without having to pay the letterpress prices.  plus, i'm learning a new skill, which is always a groovy thing.

here's a teeny, tiny peek at my first pressing.

sure, it's not the most complicated design, but each piece is pressed with 100% tula love.  full invitation ensemble to come!

alexandra grant love necklace to benefit the Watts House Project

L.A.based contemporary artist, and friend of WHORANGE, alexandra grant designed this beautiful, special edition love necklace for LA><ART to help raise funds for a wonderful cause:  the Watts House Project (WHP).

The WHP is an artist-driven, neighborhood redevelopment program aimed at improving the homes and lives of residents living near the historic watts towers located in south central los angeles.  directed by artist edgar arceneaux, the ongoing project uses art and architecture as a catalyst for expanding and enhancing community.

alexandra's inspiration for the love necklace stemmed from her original WHP proposal:  to have the word “love” placed upon the roof of the Cerate family home on 107th street.

according to the WHP:

"Grant and the Cerate Family are currently working together with architect Mike Niemann on a plan which will incorporate and balance the family’s needs and wishes for their house and lifestyle with Grant’s proposal for 'love on the house.'  The Cerate Family own a roofing business and are open and excited to develop Grant’s idea further to incorporate a sculptural element on their roof."

the shape of the sculpture inspired alexandra's elegant sterling silver love necklace, which embodies both the “hand-made” and the universal aspects of love.

improving the lives of others and enhancing community through art.  what’s not to whorange?

to learn more about the Watts House Project, click here.

to purchase the special edition love necklace (125.00 for sterling silver and 500.00 for 18k gold), visit the honor fraser gallery.

and to view more of alexandra grant's fabulous art, visit her website.

{above image:  "first portal" and "second portal" by alexandra grant.}

{above image:  "my self of loss" by alexandra grant.}

wedding a go go: sadistic shoes and other joys

okay, kittens, it's happening...i'm gonna talk wedding.

for several months, the bitter queen in me has resisted subjecting you to bridal blathering.  however, as the date draws closer, i find myself consumed with flyaway veils and chuppah construction rather than more whorangable items such as owl shows or lipstick tampon holders.  don't worry, the phase will soon pass.

but, in the meantime, let me give you a little skinny on the wedding pretty...

picking the dress was easy.  i walked into a small, low-profile boutique.  my hair was unfabulous, i wore no makeup, a dress called my name, i stripped, i zipped, i purchased.

the shoes, however, have been another story.  strappy shoes are so sadistically seductive, but unfortunately, i have the feet of a linebacker, so delicate just won't do.  i need something strong enough for a man, but made for a woman.

behold -- eight pretty pairs that seduced me, then kicked me to the curb...

{above: left to right, top to bottom. kate spade lola (160.00);  chinese laundry jet set (46.00);  charles david dovey (109.95);  caparros zelda (64.50);  kate spade lyla (172.28);  mackenzie (69.99);  kate spade loupe (298.00);  bandolino eira (58.95).}

it's okay.  i'm already so over them.

now, if i could only find these sultry slides...

i think gloria would want me to have them!

{image via the magnificent fabulon.}

happy freedom to marry week!

i'd like to take a moment to worship the fabulous wedding blog, something old, something new, for bringing awareness to the fact that this week is the 12th annual freedom to marry week (february 8th-14th).

as many of you know, i am fortunate enough to soon be marrying the person i love.  both my and steve's wish is that every couple will be given the same opportunity -- wholeheartedly, legally, and without prejudice.

learn more about the freedom to marriage coalition here.  click here to learn how you can get involved.

and, click here to show your support of mackenzie of something old, something new for expressing her support for the equal right to marriage.  although many of mackenzie's readers supported her choice, others did not.

thank you, mackenzie!  you're the queen of class, darling.

xoxo,
tula

{above:  ann wood cake toppers.}

the pink candy bar

otherwise known as PMS fun land.

(via something borrowed, something blue.)

keepin' love legal and fair: vote NO on prop 8

five months ago, WHORANGE celebrated the legalization of gay marriage in california.  today, there is a proposition on the ballot which seeks to amend the california constitution to deny same-sex couples the right to marry.  needless to say, i'm pissed.

if you live in california, please, please, please VOTE NO ON PROP 8!!!  if you live elsewhere, please call your friends in california and urge them to vote no on prop 8.  be sure to start off the conversation by telling them how fantastic their hair looks, then cut to the chase.

it's about love.  it's about civil rights.  it's about equality.  to learn more, please click here.  

(by the way, i'll be standing on the corner of ventura and laurel canyon in studio city today around noon with my handmade "no on prop 8" and "go obama" signs.  please come join me, or if you're driving by, give me a honk!)