Venice Beach, Part Three - A Little Bit of Beautiful

Who wouldn't want to live here?  (Maybe not the Paradis family, we've decided that water is not our friend.)

but we can't say we haven't been tempted.  (Would you be?)

You have the sunshine glimmering on the water.  And the mountains in the distance.

The ocean at your doorstep.

And any kind of house you could wish for to live in.

Celebrity neighbors.  (Click to find out who.)  Dennis Hopper and Julia Roberts have just "moved out".

Life can be a little lo-key, if you want to live it that way.

Or you can be a little showy.

But no, not really in that Beverly Hills kind of way.

Of course you might have to put up with the "common slop of humanity" constantly trudging past your windows and quite frequently peering straight in to see what you're up to today.............but HEY!  it's a price you pay for Paradise.

You should be so lucky!

No.  REALLY!

Monday Bites - Eat Anything Good Over the Weekend?

 from Tahitian Vanilla

 from Nikole Herriott (styling) and Michael Graydon (photo)  at forty-sixth at grace

from mon carnet d'images

We oil poached fish for the very first time (salmon) with basil and garlic, and we made some lovely potatoes like the kind they serve at Father's Office in Culver City.  They are boiled and tossed in (more!) oil seasoned with pimenton, chilipowder, red pepper flakes and salt.  They are yummy!

But the most exciting food news this weekend was a book I picked up at the library on Saturday and couldn't get my nose out of to save my life!  More on this in next Monday's "Bites".

But what I've really been craving is cake!  Anybody have a fast simple cake suggestion?

Succulent Sepia

Soon, this will be just about as much gardening as I will be doing.  I could also do without taking the car to the shop, traffic school, and vacuuming up fleas!  (Yes that was too much of my summer.)  Seasons change.  I'm ready too!

Soft Landings - Friday

 via cizlou

via cizlou 

 via Divan Fumoir Bohemian

via Tahitian Vanilla

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!  

It's been a busy couple of months for the Paradis family.  We are looking for a soft landing this weekend.  What about you?

Hope it's a good one!

October on Venice Beach Part Two - Other Side of Paradise

You might already know that Venice Beach has a reputation for being free-wheeling

and let's be frank, a little bit "out there".  So one can never be surprised by what one might find.

Whether what you find might be.......the bemused (yes the third guy also had a camera hung around his neck)

the burdened (no kidding!  this guy's wife was also pushing another cutey-pie pit bull in a baby stroller while all their little kids walked!  sorry!  did not get that picture!)

the babes, 

the beautiful, if bewildered

the be-turbaned (!?) (bewhiskered too, goes without saying)

the befuddling

 the bogeymen.....(have I mentioned how terrifying clowns are to Mr. Paradis?)

The B-a-a-a-d-d-d?  (ummm, yes - looking closely, those are horns!)

the boards.........

the bikini'ed!!!!!!!!

Whatever you find, it could be, that after all that personal style, your basic graffiti, sushi, and texting would seem like a welcome return to "reality".

Which side of Paradise would you choose? 

Corner View - October (on Venice Beach, Part One)

Sunday, October 9th, 2011

Venice Beach

It is the most urban beach scene possible

in the world.

But you still find it strewn with seaweed,

and the shells of mussels, clams and oysters.

It's the kind of delicious shock you will not get from celebrity spotting at Spago.   

L.A. is so much more than what the Hollywood publicity machines will have you think about it.  I'm still new here, but this October I'm reminded of how much there is to love.

For more Corner Views, make sure to stop by here:

Francesca, Jane, Ian, Don, Anna, Dana, LaNinja, Theresa, CherryB, Joyce, Natsumi, Lumetta, Kari, Bonnie, Cate, Dorte, Skylar, April, Lollipop, Janis, ibb, jgy, IdaNielsen, Liza, Likeschocolate, Isabelle, Lucylaine, Allegria, Pienduzz, Elisabelle,RosaMaria, Elizabeth, BichosdaMatos, Juniper, Victoria, Annabel, Angie, Emily, Kamana, Tikjewit, Tanïa, Barbara, Moetjatja, Dorit, Flowtops, Valérie, Juliette, Castor, Wanderchow, LouetTom, Lise, FashionCampagne, Tzivia, Cole,Juanita, Li + Belle, Sophie, Menthe blanche, Leslie...

Turquoise and Blue? For Tuesday

Painting: Sophie Munns

Intelligentsia Coffee, Silver Lake, Los Angeles

These colors/pictures found variously at Sophie Munns' Seed Capsules, Tahitian Vanilla, Confetti Garden, The New York Times, A Perfect Gray, Hidden in France, Allover Print, Vanessa Cabban (Do You Mind if I Knit) took the next to last picture, and the final image is a Rob Ryan tea towel.