...guaranteed to blow your mind.

have a blast this weekend, darlings!

{lazer tits beamed to me via jennifer wolfe.  thanks, jennifer!}

in a land of squirrel candle holders and birdie pillows, rhinos rarely get their share of design loving.  and they deserve it!  with their stately horns and impressive backsides, the rhino is positively peachy.

but, more importantly, the rhinoceros is a critically endangered animal.  hunted for its "decorative" and falsely rumored "medicinal" horn, we're losing this magnificent animal to vanity and chinese medicines.

thankfully, there are many great foundations dedicated to preserving rhino habitats and raising awareness of the rhino's plight such as the international rhino foundation and rhino conservation (whose slogan is "this horn is not medicine").

so, let's celebrate our lovely horned friend, shall we?  donate if you can.

also, below are some groovy wares to keep you rhino aware.  items with a double asterisk (**) donate a portion of their sales to rhino conservation.

{above left to right from top:  modern recycled cardboard rhino mount (48.00);  jonathan adler rhino box (295.00);  kera polished chrome rhino** (world wildlife fund auction);  goody grams animal shot glass (28.00 each);  cardboard rhino (17.99 - 57.99);  rhino eraser** (9.99);  rhino bookends (250.00);  modern in wilderness rhino** (58.00).}

{rhino desk image from life magazine, 1967.  thank you, laine, for posting it to my facebook wall!}

...cloudy with a chance of fabulousness.

{top to bottom: the forecast calls for mod clouds by mod box studios (72.00);  cloudy dining room photographed by susanna vento; donna wilson knit cloud pillows photographed by susanna vento.}

there isn't anything about these cutout illustrations by germany-based artist julia guther that i don't think is beyond super awesome.

{via grain edit.}

just another day of happy homemaking at WHORANGE.

{photography:  miles aldridge for vogue italia 2008.}

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!}

bred for its skills in magic.

{available here.}

dear WHORANGE,

i feel like i have no choice but to register for gifts for my wedding, even though i'm dreading doing so.  in my culture, people give cash but my fiance's guests will be uber confused if there is no registry.
 
did you register?  do you have any thoughts on where to register?
 
i am thinking about doing multiple places.  i'd really like to have some eclectic things that i worry standard stores wouldn't be able to offer.
 
yikes!

thanks for your help :)

melody

********************************

dearest melody,

first of all, congratulations on your upcoming wedding!  yay to you and mr. man!

initially, mr. whorange and i were not going to register.  especially with the recession in full swing, a gift registry felt somewhat extravagant and we didn't want to stress people out financially.  also, steve and i had been living together for years and owned all of the towels, linens, and appliances our little home could handle.

however, our "non-registry" news did not go over well with some friends and family members.  my newlywed friend gave me this piece of advice: "make it easy on your guests -- just register.  they will want to get you something, so you should put together a list for them."  she also showed me a collection of bride & groom teddy bears, rose embossed towels, and a crystal candelabra she had to return since she did not have a registry.

so, we opened up a few registries at various price points with a message letting guests know that their attendance was the best gift of all.  again, we didn't want anybody to feel obligated!

for brick-and-mortar shoppers, we chose a traditional store (crate & barrel).  for online shoppers, we chose a store we loved (velocity), a catchall (amazon), and a honeymoon registry (traveler's joy).

you'll be happy to know that many unique stores now offer registries, so i think you will find one that tickles your fancy.  here are a few i think are quite groovy:

amenity (modern organic linens, furniture, and accessories)

branch (sustainable design)

fitsu (modern furnishings and accessories)

jonathan adler (fab homewares)

heath ceramics (handcrafted tile and tableware)

a + r (modern accessories)

mod livin' (mid-century modern home)

relish (modern home goods)

also, visit your favorite neighborhood store to see if you can open a registry.  even if they don't offer registries on their website, many stores can still set up a special registry for you.

and, just in case you're curious...here are some of the items steve and i registered for:

{above from velocity art & design:  these are all accessories that i've coveted for years and will cherish forever and ever.  the eames hang-it-all; george nelson sunburst clock; cul de sac deer, bird, and evergreen plates;  harry allen chrome pig bank; eames house bird; offi overlap tray; kikkerland campfire votive;  roost squirrel lamp.}

{above from crate & barrel:  i admit it...we registered for this eva zeisel reproduction dinnerwar after seeing it featured on mad men.  yeah, we're easy like that.}

{above from amazon:  for as long as i can remember, i've collected turquoise fiestaware.  it's our everyday tableware, so i figured replacing our broken sets would be a practical registry choice.  plus, i've been obsessed with flame le cruset ever since i saw it in a swiss chalet theme fashion spread in a 1970s vogue.  oh, and the jonathan adler whale pitcher...he was just begging to come home with us.}

{above from traveler's joy:  we created a honeymoon registry for our trip to costa rica -- which we still have yet to take!  instead of physical gifts, guests had the option to purchase experiences and memories. gifts ranged from canopy zip line tours and romantic dinners to contributions towards airfare or hotels.  friends and family seemed to really like the honeymoon option.  even our more traditional family members opted for costa rica surfing lessons over cream & sugar sets.}

that's it!  i'd love to hear of more gift registry alternatives from other readers.  please feel free to contribute, kittens!

stay pretty,

tula

{vintage postcard images via actionlog and johnny dollar.}

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

no screws or tools were harmed in the making of the versatile t.shelf -- just a bunch of cables and zipties.

in addition, the clever shelving system was designed to pack flat for easy transportation.  perfect for the gal-on-the-go who loves displaying her goods anyplace, anywhere, anytime.

{available at j1studio.  via sub-studio.}

it's that time of the month again, kittens!

today's pad is a personal WHORANGE fave:  '50s starlet jayne mansfield's infamous pink palace.  known not only for its cotton candy hue, but for its heart shaped details and haunted history.

located at 10010 sunset blvd. in beverly hills, this pad was purchased in 1958 for $76,000 by miss mansfield and her mr. universe hubby.  the palatial pad was immediately painted powdery pink to reflect miss jayne's trademark color.

surprisingly, miss mansfield decorated her lavish digs on a dime.  she wrote over 1,500 furniture and building suppliers and asked for free samples.  in exchange, she allowed donors to brag that their wares were featured in her majestic mansion.  the pitch worked and miss jayne received over $150,000 worth of free merchandise!

fab features included an iron door, a gigantic crystal chandelier, pink shagged bathroom, a heart-shaped fireplace, a heart-shaped jacuzzi, and a heart-shaped swimming pool which read "I love You Jaynie" in gold leaf mosaic.

after miss mansfield's tragic death in 1967, owners included ringo starr, mamma cass elliot, and engelbert humperdink.

rumor has it, despite several attempts by these owners to paint over mansfield's signature pink, the bright hue would always mysteriously return.  in addition, the palace was reportedly haunted by miss jayne's bikini clad ghost.

in 2002, the pink palace was demolished.

although jayne mansfield's pink palace pad is gone, the rich mammaries memories will forever live on in our hearts!  PERIOD.

if you'd like your home to be considered for WHORANGE'S montly pad, please drop me a line at [email protected].  feel free to include two non-flash, composed, sexy pix of your darling den.  no nudity required.  xoxo.

{images via ginger <3 and the selvedge yard.)