RPA: Rubin Postaer and Associates ~ ad agencies always seem to have so much FUN with their office spaces! Remember the Sainty + David Whittle at rp& (of RPA) post? With the amazing art adorning their walls? Well, here’s a peek at the rest of the RPA offices! My favorite part is definitely the adorable original Honda Civic ~ their first account back in ‘79! What’s especially fun, is to see so many props from their various adverts in real life! From the SoyJoy tree, to “I Pinch” Crab, and more honda campaigns i’m sure you’ll remember when seeing the pics! Also fun, they are full of passion and creativity ~ and character! My favorite tradition they shared ~ on “birthdays” (anniversaries of being at RPA!) everyone signs pieces of paper with drawn candles ~ you can see a picture of one showing Gerry Rubin’s in his office… awesome to see how many candles there are! Also worth a read ~ love this article in Smart Business from 2007 about Gerry Rubin’s philosophies on the importance of nurturing your corporate culture! Anyhow, take a little walk through some of the highlights of the world of RPA in Santa Monica, CA (including their Club RPA bar…) on the next page!

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Tags: advertising - los angeles - studio

Baxter of California has opened an impressively adorable little retro barbershop in Los Angeles - the Baxter Finley, Barber & Shop at 515 N. La Cienega Blvd. (Already soft opened, the official launch party is next week!) Seems like the natural extension of their men’s skincare/shaving line ~ and what better way to learn about the products than actually experience the lifestyle of the brand as Jason or Shane treat you to the shave or haircut of your life? The incredibly carefully collected/restored vintage chairs are such a beautiful work of art in and of themselves… but even though i couldn’t get a shave, i couldn’t resist sinking into one while my friend offered himself up (and a few days of unshaveness) as my shave model!

A few fun facts - “The shop was designed and built with old world charm and is adorned with chairs from the early 1900’s (restored ultra-rare Koken “White King” models), reclaimed Douglas Fir flooring, and custom made oak & marble bars. All Baxter Finley barbers will don custom made gingham check shirts by Steven Alan. At the service‐ helm, Jason Simao (of Freeman’s Sporting Club fame) is the lead barber and manager for the shop.”

I want to drag all my guy friends in to experience a shave here! And Ladies, don’t be shy, grab a man in need of a shave and head on over for an excuse to check it out! I had way too many pics i loved, so take a tour through the amazing details of the Baxter Finley, Barber & Shop on the next page.

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Tags: health - los angeles - luxury - men - travel

While on a bit of a travel bender, i was SO tempted to reroute myself home to LA for the Premiere of Banksy’s “Exit Through the Giftshop” at the stunning historic Los Angeles Theatre, but since teleportation has yet to be perfected, luckily awesome photographer friend of NOTCOT, Lou Mora and his assistant, Jack Wittbold, stepped up and offered to not only check out the premiere for us, but also take some stunning pics to show me what i missed! So take a look at this latest Dear NOTCOT ~ his pictures of people and the art especially blow me away! While i sent him mostly to take pictures of the artwork and installations happening around the film… here are a few quick comments i got from him:

“The crowd was definitely pumped and cheered throughout the movie. The venue was stunning. There were 4 installations. Alongside the red carpet you could grab some spray paint (from the girls dressed in red) and do whatever you wanted to either a box truck or limo. Second, there was an older gentleman with a black mask on playing piano. Third, was Tweetie bird in a cage. Tweeties eye would slowly open as you got closer to the cage. Really amazing and probably my favorite. Fourth, was the security pole w/ cameras at the top, which also acted as a strip pole for the cops. All the ushers and waitresses had black masks on so their identity would be hidden. I have a feeling Banksy was there somewhere. He’s has two brand new pieces here in LA that popped up yesterday morning so we all know he’s here.”

On to the images on the next page!

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Tags: banksy - events - los angeles - lou mora - movie

The latest in the Dear NOTCOT guest posts… here’s one from my old friend, Jackson Stakeman, who just might become our food editor… if we’re lucky! He was kind enough to help attend what sounds like a delicious event, and being a professional photographer AND food connoisseur, his pics are looking awesomely scrumptious!

Laid out underneath the enormous iconic tree of the Santa Monica Fairmont Hotel, StarChefs held its annual Rising Stars Revue. Tables were laid out in a massive ring, and there was fabulous food and drink in all directions. Being there an hour just before sunset, there was a lot of running around trying to photograph everything before losing the perfect light.

The food was fantastic, these rising stars were picked for a good reason, there was lots of amazing tastes, and fun playful ideas as you went table to table. The surprising and minimalist cube sculpture above is actually Jordan Kahn’s violet sauce topped white chocolate cube filled with cream a sponge cake served on a white kitchen tile. Equally amazing was having the chance to experience such a variety of dishes and drink pairings all in one event. It was also a great opportunity to watch many of this year’s rising star chefs prepare these delicacies before my eyes.

Culinary interests aside, the plates were also especially NOTCOT worthy. All of the 13,000 plates were provided by Verterra, whose compostable disposable dinnerware are not only beautiful, but made from fallen leaves!

Ready to dive in to see my favorite dishes of the night? There are plenty more courses on the next page…

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Tags: Dear NOTCOT - drinks - events - food - Jackson Stakeman - los angeles - scotch

After a long week, sometimes you just need something totally random and silly to reset you… tonight that ended up being…. grabbing a friend to get food, suddenly fog rolls in, and as we drive by the little santa monica airport… we vow to go wander around it if its still foggy on our way back (she was hungry, so food naturally had to come first). Well it only got foggier in the interim, so it was on! And here are the pictures that came from that exploration… driving around the parking lots, tiptoeing through bushes, and trying to find that perfect light that made the fog covered planes glow so awesomely. And suddenly we heard shouting and laughter… and as we got pretty close to the insanely foggy brightly lit soccer fields… we saw there were people playing! (Yes, it was foggy enough you had to get rather close to be certain!)… There’s something so other worldly about the way things felt in the ominous fog… see it all on the next page!

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Tags: airplane - los angeles - park - soccer - travel

I hopped on a plan in london, hopped off in LA, and within hours i ran off to Manifest Equality ~ art for change strikes again ~ the location: this time in LA in a converted Big Lots in Hollywood ~ the cause: equality! Last time it was Manifest Hope in DC during the Obama Inauguration. Tonight was the pre-opening night event kicking off this week of Manifest Equality. With artworks from hundreds of artists ~ and The gallery will be open to the public, Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 through Sunday, March 7th, 2010. There are so many unmissable pieces, quite the music lineup for the next week, and if you’re in the LA area, it’s a must see! I took so many pics, i couldn’t even decide what to share with you, so on the next page is a look at my favorites views of Manifest Equality ~ including a video of one of the most incredible water/reflection/reactive to music pieces that is definitely worth seeing in person!

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Tags: art - events - gallery - los angeles - opening

This is the first of a new experiment ~ Dear NOTCOT ~ think of it as our version of letters to the editor ~ SO many stories of amazing experiences filled with inspiration and creativity from our friends like you ~ i’m working on convincing you to share them with us in your own words! And filled with pics of course, since its fun to see the world through your eyes! So hopefully more to come! And if you think you have a visually inspiring adventure to share, feel free to drop us a line!

Heath Ceramics ~ stunning tile and table work ~ i hadn’t realized that they’ve been doing their thing since 1948. Currently lusting after their tile work! Their main store and studio are in Sausalito and they recently teamed up with Adam Silverman of Atwater Pottery for their LA location. Julie Wolfson had a chance to go hang out and chat with Adam as he worked on pieces for Playmountain in Tokyo! On the next page you can see her adventures at Heath filled pics and quotes she came back with!

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Tags: Dear NOTCOT - gifts - interview - los angeles - shopping

I think i fell in love with the video installations of Jennifer West at the Calvin Klein Collection + LAND art event tonight… or perhaps, it’s the way people interacted with it. a large open space, multiple spastic video projections pulling you in ~ colorful, intriguing, and apparently the perfect thing to make stunning shadows as people passed in front of them. While i can’t seem to find a website for her, i did find this fun interview on Flash Art Online about these pieces! Turns out she’s a topangan! And the way she works with and physically manipulates real film fascinates me in this digital age… her love of and experimentation with abstraction and representation is beautiful! Beautiful and fun enough it certainly needed a post of its own! So take a peek at some of my favorite pics involving her projections from the night ~ as well as a video! That really gives you a good feel for the experience… i suggest playing it full screen in HD mode!

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Tags: art - calvin klein - events - installation - los angeles - projection - video

On incredible and unexpected inspiration tonight ~ i ended up at the Calvin Klein + Los Angeles Nomadic Division event. As the invite stated - “CALVIN KLEIN COLLECTION AND LOS ANGELES NOMADIC DIVISION (LAND) TO PRESENT FIRST-EVER EVENT IN LOS ANGELES IN CELEBRATION OF L.A. ARTS MONTH AND ART LOS ANGELES CONTEMPORARY (ALAC) Brands’ Creative Directors Francisco Costa and Italo Zucchelli to Host Special Evening; Unique Collaborations with Jean Shin, Neville Wakefield, and Special Installation by Jennifer West” Firstly the space across from the Pacific Design Center is absolutely stunning. A beautiful culmination of art and fashion, these collaborations were breath taking ~ Jean Shin created “Pattern Folds” commissioned by Calvin Klein, and first unveiled in Seoul. She’s known for her ability to create installation which transform castoff materials. In this case she created a beautiful installation on the first floor of the event. Upstairs in a specially lit stark white room, Neville Wakefield presents Zuchelli’s Spring 2010 collection… it was quite a trip to wander through the room as the collection is suspended and the lighting constantly shifts from incredibly bright, to dark. See the images of these collaborations as well as the space itself on the next page, and videos and images of Jennifer West’s installation have a post of their own here.

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Tags: art - calvin klein - events - fashion - los angeles

Wow. This has definitely been a whirlwind of a week or so, and a very Macallan filled month! A week and a half ago, i thought tasting the 50 and 52 year old Macallan were the oldest my lips may ever touch, but little did i know that this week i’d be sipping the 57 yr old Macallan! Tuesday night was a NOTCOT first. I’ve never played host at a party before! But when Macallan and the W Los Angeles approached me to co-host a party with Julie Wolfson, saying they’d take care of the details, we just had to invite some friends to come indulge with us, how could i say no? Despite the rainy night (which cleared up mid way through the party so we finally got to sneak outside and enjoy the brisk night air, curl up by the fireplace, and smoke cigars while sipping Macallan into the night), we had a great turn out. And as you know, Macallan loves twitter (in fact, our other co-host, The Macallan West Coast Ambassador, Eden Algie ~ just joined twitter, please follow him and message him to convince him to let us throw another LA party!)… so once again live tweeting was up on the screen during the party, and people were tweeting up quite a storm with #macallan (you can see my favorites on the next page!)… one of the highlights of the night was definitely getting to taste the 57 year Macallan in a Lalique crystal decanter… take a peek at the festivities, as well as some of the great coverage and photography to emerge from the event so far!

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Tags: drinks - events - hotels - liqurious - los angeles - macallan - party - scotch - W

I passed out as soon as i sat down on the plane from SLC to LAX ~ i barely remember take off ~ and then suddenly when turbulence jolted me awake somewhere in between, all i saw out the window were surreal and stunningly dramatic shadows on snowy mountains… and i was so mesmerized, then something kicked in, and i half awakenly grabbed my camera, and felt like i was dream shooting all the way back to LA. So fun to see the world from that view ~ such a nice perspective shift from what’s felt like a very conceptually nazel gazing last few days. I love the way the snow transitioned into dessert… and into cities… and the way roads are carved into the snowy tree filled mountainside… the way the city glowed with the hollywood sign and downtown popping out as we landed… Take a look on the next page!

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Tags: aerial - airplane - flying - los angeles - Operation Window Seat - photography - travel

I had one of my “wow, i love LA” moments as i was flying in from NY the other night… after not sleeping the night before, i crashed hard in a strange and contorted position for 5 hours on my JetBlue flight home, and as my eyes started to open, i was disoriented and fascinated by the sparkles of the city below me. It was such a clear night. and the colors felt different… i couldn’t help but wonder if it was the increase of things like LED billboards that are so blindingly bright when i’m on the ground changing the landscape of lights from above. They felt brighter and sharper ~ twinkling as we approached… and of course, i couldn’t help but snap a few pics to share with you. Also, nice placement of your URL, JetBlue, it’s as if you knew people would be taking pics out of the window… or just looking out of the window constantly…

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Tags: aerial - airplane - flying - los angeles - Operation Window Seat - photography

I’m a bit obsessed with print recently. I mean, i always love/d print, but extra aware of it and all its design nuances at the moment. Beyond that, i can’t seem to help fixating on the way digital/online medias can translate back out to print in the real world well ~ and how integrated ads can be beautiful and/or enhance the content. Ran into this little booklet for the first time at a hotel and love not only the concept and execution, but also the design!

Daily Candy has a beautiful Los Angeles pocket sized city guide that is perhaps one of the most thorough (SO many of my favorites and many more are included!) guides to places to eat, sleep, shop, and more in LA! Design is fun and readable, adorable little icons and extra notes and illustrations tucked away in each page. It’s also light on the branding/advertisements Only a few Jet Blue ads inside with fun creative and copy of course! On the front it mentions it is in partnership with the Viceroy Group and Urban Retreats. As far as positioning, seems like great positioning to get Daily Candy in front of boutique hotel guests ~ particularly those who may not know the mailing list yet. Lovely idea, beautifully executed, i’d rather grab one of these than a Wallpaper guide, etc. if i’m sending a friend off to explore LA ~ now i’m curious what other cities exist! And how to find them! Take a peek inside this LA guide on the next page…

UPDATE: Just in from Daily Candy - there are NYC and LA guides. the NYC guides were made last year and can be found at the 5 W hotels in NYC. The LA ones just arrived in the Viceroy and Urban Retreat hotels last month! “They were penned by the NYC and LA editors respectively. It’s the first time we’ve printed our favorites in such a fashion and they are being well-received in both markets. The great thing is it’s everything we love — Not just the “latest and greatest” but they also include mention our tried and true favorites.”

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Tags: book - hotels - los angeles - travel

Popped by the opening of the inaugural PRISM Gallery exhibition, MindTheGap, featuring the stunning works of Barry McGee and Phil Frost. There are so many angles a post on this opening could take, just doing a quick google of it, quickly you can see who's who that showed up, the architecture, the artists, the gallerist... so let's just focus on what was truly most inspiring about the event. The art. The details. The space. And to take in such overwhelming amounts of pattern heavy art that took a bit to process... and perched on sunset in West Hollywood, the three tiered roof with breath taking LA views were exactly what you needed... although the sparkling lights of the city felt as if you were staring into another patterned piece of art to lose yourself in. With all of the work shown, you could easily spend some time discovering details, turning away, turning back, and still see something new. So explore some of my favorite views of the show on the next page...

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Tags: art - events - gallery - los angeles

NOTCOT Field Trip? Posted The Grilled Cheese Truck earlier this week on NOTCOT.org, and when we noticed it was going to be on this side of town for lunch, simply had to pop out to see what all the commotion was about. (Also, i have a soft spot for grilled cheese... and their logo reminds me of The Magic School Bus... i half expected to see Ms. Frizzle pop out to take us on a cheesy adventure)... With website, twitter, and facebook page (like many of these social media savvy specialty lunch trucks) the updates were constant as their precise location kept changing down to the minute, and we finally found them at the Los Angeles Fine Arts & Wine Storage Company parking lot, only half an hour into it and quite the line had already formed, inescapable scent of delicious greasy cheesiness omnipresent. Even CBS news was there tasting and shooting away... With a mix of your classic grilled cheeses, to your gourmet grilled cheese (add in mac+cheese, bacon, avocado, bbq pork and more) ~ and even dessert options (marshmallows, nutella, bananas) ~ as well as tomato soup shots and more ~ it was hard to choose! As with all of these specialty twitter happy lunch trucks, the lines are long, ordering seems to be the bottleneck, and it seems best to meet up with a bunch of friends to hang out with in line... also, go early! Because depending on zoning/landlord regulations, they can usually only stay put for a limited amount of time, so not everyone will get fed! So take a peek at more pics of both the truck and the food ~ this is the first time i've peeked INSIDE the truck! And since it took quite a while to get the food, and i promised to get Linhchi back to her house by 1:40, we shot the food pics in the car (sometimes at red lights)...

p.s.
was reading up last night on this Lunch Truck Phenomenon that seems to be sweeping the nation lately ~ some fun resources to note: Find LA Food Trucks and California Taco Trucks (run by dan's old boyscout friend, Cyrus Farivar!)

p.p.s.
While fun and amusing ~ i think overall, if i'm going to spend an hour+ at lunch with friends, i'd rather do the sit down thing ~ but good times, and a fun chance to catch up with some old friends!

p.p.p.s.
From an im conversation right now, we've decided that when the process of getting the food and hanging out with friends is a lot of the fun... where is our champagne and oysters truck?

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Tags: food - los angeles - truck

On unique experiences, i was invited to a lovely intimate dinner at the LeBasse Projects gallery in Culver City prior to the opening of their Edwin Ushiro "Softly Encompassing the Womb" and Ryuichi Ogino "Idealistically Hypocritical 3" shows this weekend ~ where they essentially set up a dining table in the midst of all the artwork, and invited a few of us to dine with the artists and gallery owners and discuss everything from the art, to the mythologies and stories behind the paintings, to twitter/facebook/luddites, to hypocrisy, to ghosts, and so much more. I also couldn't help but get constantly distracted at the stunning pieces on all sides to stare at... gorgeous body of work from Edwin Ushiro as always. And having a chance to really spend time with the pieces up close was great, the larger pieces are just breath taking, and so beautifully layered with such evocative palettes. Take a peek at the scene, and some of the pieces up close on the next page!

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Tags: art - events - food - gallery - los angeles

Just checked out the preview of Mike Shinoda's Glorious Excess (Dies) show at the Japanese American National Museum, the follow up to his Glorious Excess (Born) show last year. It's stunning ~ a definite must see ~ and what's nice is that besides the fact that the work is technically beautiful and a fun mix of skulls, urban art, "vanitas", mixed media wallpapering with gossip rags, a casket and silver skeleton, video and more... the way it all comes together as a thought provoking look at the life (and death) of celebrity through paparazzi and the consumption engine behind it all is fascinating ~ especially coming from Shinoda who is most known for Linkin Park and Fort Minor, and he is also an Art Center trained graphic artist and illustrator. Take a look at the images on the next page to get a feel for the flow from excessive living to implosion to death to ascension... and if you make it to the actual show, the video that ties the whole show together is definitely worth sitting in on! (Love that he actually filmed what it was like being on the "star home" bus tours - and captured the world of the paparazzi from the red carpet perspective) - Take a look at the pics on the next page! Some really stunning pieces!

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Tags: art - events - los angeles

On inspirational spaces ~ and that very odd feeling of wishing i had a huge office filled with creatives to hang out and play with (not that you kids here on the internet aren't fun!) ~ who knew that answering a random email/twitter would lead to having such an inspiring lunch over at TBWA\Chiat\Day, and getting a chance to explore their VERY fun office space over in Playa Del Rey? I suddenly have the hankering to break out the vinyl cutter and fill unexpected spots with giant quotes... play with designing guest stickers (for people entering the house/office???)... spray painting giant logos out on the floor of the patio... build a BAR out of surfboards... and so much more silliness... It was really incredible to be in a place that so clearly prioritized creativity and the generation of fun ideas. Don't get me wrong, i've always loved advertising, and i REALLY love the visual and innovative sides... but recently as i've learned about advertising on the web, i've gotten to see the less fun side of it (negotiations, accounts, ideas that get devolved until unrecognizable - as well as incredible ones of course!)... I guess you could say it was fun to have that moment of "ooooh so THIS is where my crazy campaigns and banner ads come from"... and just so nice to connect with real people behind the artwork, ideas, and campaigns.

SO ~ take a peek inside TBWA\Chiat\Day, the incredible land of ad legend, Lee Clow... tons of pics on the next page!

p.s. Huge thanks to all the TBWA\Chiat\Day-ers who knew NOTCOT ~ it's such an honor to hear the sites help keep you inspired! And i'm not kidding about being curious to see what else you find out there that i miss!

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Tags: advertising - architecture - los angeles

So far you've seen the close ups of the Standard + Quiksilver Boardshorts and vending machine ~ the packaging/experience/etc... but as i was photoshopping my way through my pictures, there were SO many more filled with fun absurdities, design details, quintessential LA... everything from the vintage incredible hulk wallpapered gym bathroom with green tinted mirror... to the number to call for encouragement... to the kids that perk up and pose in the pool... to the bikini girl with her red chanel bag traipsing through the downtown LA parking lot... to the red bed pods... to the tubs of flip flops which couldn't make a matching pair unless you had two left feet... to the huge twister board... and the photobooth with vintage mannequins... and so much more i couldn't bare not to share with you! So take a peek at this stunning LA saturday up at the roof of The Standard Downtown LA launch party scene with Quiksilver!

p.s.
on unphotographed things... it was hilarious that beyond water guns and beach balls there were even cupcakes and jello shots circulating... good times...

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Tags: events - hotels - los angeles - luxury - pool - quiksilver - standard

There is really only so much you can get about an actual user experience, packaging, presentation of a product from press photos. You saw what i had to show you about the launch in the previous post... For the rest you just have to go play with them in their natural setting! So for part one of the posts from The Standard Downtown LA's rooftop pool party with Quiksilver to launch their boardshort collaboration ~ let's focus on the SHORTS! And the vending machine! And the people wearing them! And then on to the rest later... I was lucky enough to get a chance to sneak away from the party to play with samples in one of the Standard rooms ~ so actual close up pics of the adorable pouches and details on the next page too! Take a peek at it all on the next page!

P.S.
I wish they had them smaller than a 30! The feel amazing ~ dry super fast ~ and are so cute with the retro upside down labels, pouches, special buttons, and more... the bikini is adorable too (subtle stripes, oh so soft, cutest buttons ever on your bum)... and to purchase them, its ok if you're not by the pool vending machine ~ they are also on the Standard online store!

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Tags: beach - events - fashion - gifts - hotels - los angeles - luxury - pool - quiksilver - shopping - standard

On stunning art shows coming up ~ just got a sneak peek at Carlos Ramos' upcoming show "India" at the Corey Helford Gallery - this LA artist had the solo show "Natural History Museum Part 1" last year ~ and this one looks to be just as promising! From the press release: "Corey Helford Gallery is proud to present "India", a solo exhibition of new works by Los Angeles artist Carlos Ramos. In 2008, Ramos transformed the gallery into an epicenter of flora and fauna with his stunning "Natural History Museum Part 1" exhibition, and for "India", he continues to dazzle audiences with a unique collection of works celebrating this enchanting South Asian republic. Ramos weaves his fascination with Indian music, culture and history into a magnificent display of narratives that span from the Ganges River and the statue of Bahubali to the Mahaparinirvana Temple. His characters come to life in more contextualized environments than before, and the addition of gold leaf adds opulence and splendor to his vibrant cel-vinyl works. Open to the public, the reception for "India" will take place on Saturday, August 15 from 7 to 10pm, and the show will be on view until September 3, 2009." Check out a peek at the works on the next page!

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Tags: art - events - los angeles

So you've seen the craziness that is Travis drumming over the audience as he's floating/rotating around... well for another peek at the Blink 182 Reunion Tour friends + family show ~ the visuals were stunning. Some really really incredible animations were going on behind them in a fascinating array of round screens and stripes of light that i couldn't possibly capture and enjoy all at once. So, you'll have to catch them on tour for the full experience, but i have a few sneak peeks to whet your appetite.

This was a really fun test of the 5D MKII ~ The roof of the LA Forum is beautiful! And it was such a trip to see it so empty, and be able to actually wander around and take pics throughout the show... HUGE thanks to, Mark for the invite. Anyhow, go see the pics on the next page ~

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Tags: blink 182 - events - los angeles - music

It's kind of surreal how everything comes around ~ loved Blink 182 as a kid ~ and it turns out Mark Hoppus is a fan of NOTCOT ~ and when he invited me to their friends and family show tonight before they kick off the big reunion tour, i couldn't say no! And it was awesome! 1) it was totally amazing to go to such an intimate show 2) i got to play with my big camera in a concert! 3) when they had travis AND his drum kit literally flying around over the stage at impossible angles while he played a hell of a drum solo... it was just stunning. So first things first, check out the pics of Travis' flying solo, and a snippet of a video of it too on the next page. Totally mind blowing...

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Tags: blink 182 - events - los angeles - music

As i clean through many ICFF pics ~ i snapped a few as we were coming in to LAX, and it was such a foggy day the sunset was absolutely stunning, and caused some crazy lens flare with awesome orange blobs i'm quite liking tonight... and the colors... if you haven't been able to tell by now sunsets/sunrises/incredible views are just so inspiring and entrancing to me! So here's a random weekend post of the glowing orbs my camera found... you can watch the sun disappear on the next page...

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Tags: aerial - airplane - flying - los angeles - Operation Window Seat - photography - sunset

On incredible openings ~ today the Annenberg Community Beach House opened in Santa Monica. "A public place henceforth: The story of the Beach House is one of evolution from private to public. the facility is open to all, no membership required." It is the only one of it's kind on the california coast!

Originally built by William Randolph Hearst for silent film star, Marion Davies, in the late 20's ~ it later became a hote; ~ then a private beach club, and was even on of the settings of Beverly Hills 90210 ~ then shut down after the '94 quake. After 10+ years of planning (and i've been driving past this spot since i was a kid almost daily!) ~ it's amazing to see what it has evolved into. Set right on the beach in Santa Monica ~ the house has been restored for events, there is a beautiful pool (with stunning restored tiles), cafe, pool house, volleyball/tennis courts and more... and there is even a bicycle valet! And its a green facility! Silver LEED Rating and all...

For its big launch this morning ~ there were events for everyone ~ from Cirque Du Soleil performers to synchronized swimmers and sand castles.... kite flying and power volleyball exhibitions... and so much more. While i wasn't able to make it, Sanna Björn, biked over with camera in tow, and took SO many incredible pictures of the event to share with us! Take a look at her experience on the next page! (Thank you, Sanna!)

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Tags: beach - events - los angeles - travel