Meet my dining chairs

Well, one of them anyway. They're clones of each other, so seeing one is as good as seeing both. I met these chairs at Jamba Juice. Yes, the smoothie place. John loves Jamba Juice. Me, not so much. I appreciate it, don't get me wrong, but I grew up drinking smoothies that were better than those juice-bombs. My mother made them for me all the time. What I really wanted was a milkshake, but she was always making us eat healthy substitutes. When we wanted soda, she would propose a compromise: A tiny bit of her Diet Coke mixed with a whole lot of milk. Kix instead of fruit loops. Applesauce instead of oil in cakes. Whole wheat flour instead of bleached white in cookies. Grilled chicken sandwiches instead of spicy crispy ones. I hated her for it. Now, I find myself using the same tricks, VOLUNTARILY. My cupboards are full of low-sugar, high-fiber stuff that I scarf down with relish. I make eggless, unsweetened banana bread souped-up with oat bran and crave it like it's brownies. She turned me into a health nut! But hey, I don't have diabetes or heart disease. So thanks, mom. Back to the chairs.

I spent weeks searching for them online. I looked through pages and pages of google image results using key words like "bent wood chair" or "molded wood chair." And all I got were hits of Eames designs and cane back cafe seating. And then the moment of clarity came. I realized that Jamba Juice's chairs stacked. Eureka! With "stacking" and "stackable" added to my searches I eventually hit paydirt. These are manufactured by a Canadian company called Holsag, who calls them the "Carlo Stacking" chair. And they're affordable to boot, less than a hundred dollars a pop. They come fully assembled, and are available in a couple different stains. They're sturdy and smooth, and I love them. Despite the fact that my friend Hector says they look like school chairs. Despite the fact that they will always remind me of Jamba Juice.

always, carolyn

Pillows

New pillows for the sofa! I made these using two sheets and a pillow case I bought at the Goodwill down the street (don't worry, they were thoroughly washed first). I love the patterns and colors--yay retro--but mostly I was looking for something really comfortable. Hence using bedding. Plus buying second-hand always saves money. Double yay. The lighter colors really brighten things up. Ready for summer, whenever it decides to show up. I'm totally tempted to slipcover the sofa entirely, but I'm not a very experienced seamstress. I envision myself spending a bunch of money on yards and yards of fabric, then working myself into a state of frustration and disappointment. Not really how I want to spend a weekend. So maybe the slip covering will wait a while.

The citrus situation is not so great this year. There was a late freeze that took out a lot of fruit in California's central valley. Prices have gone up, and the fruit is just not as good as it should be. Lucky for us, Southern California was spared the temperature drop, and there is a monstrous orange tree in the backyard of a house behind our apartment building. The property looks deserted, like a renovation project stopped midway. We decided to help ourselves to the fruit, which was literally rotting off the tree. The oranges are delicious. I think they're the Valencia variety. Very sweet and juicy, with a sharp tang that really adds dimension. We've been giving the fruit to neighbors in our building and friends in the area. John has to get up into the tree to get the fruit, which he loves. And we have fresh, organic juice pretty much on demand. Life is good, eh?

always, carolyn

Bloooo

It's been so hazy here in LA lately. These conditions are great for wallowing around all depressio, but I'm trying to fight it. I have lots of drafting to do today (we're supposed to finish a 3D perspective of our loft spaces for tonight, ew.), and I REALLY don't want to do it. In fact, I don't want to do anything. That's the power of the marine layer.

I did take a picture of the new blue half wall though. Oops, I'm sorry, the blue/blue-green half wall. Looking very Tiffany. I love it, but it doesn't coordinate with anything else in the house. Oh well.


I got the latest issue of Domino magazine yesterday, providing a good half-hour of eye candy. There are so many patterns in the spaces they photograph. Rugs and textiles and wall papers and tons of accessories to boot. While for the most part everything is very amateurish (a lot of "real people" have their spaces featured) it always photographs amazingly. So someone is hiring somone who knows what they're doing. Anyway, for the most part, by the time I get to the last page in the magazine I feel inspired to just do whatever when it comes to design. Whatever may tickle my fancy, just put it where ever. And then make up some cute story about it, like "I love the homeyness of mason jars. They remind me of summers spent picking peaches on my grand-aunt's farm in New Hampshire. She was an opra singer turned farmer's wife, and I loved wearing her old costumes while eating toast and jam on the veranda." Blah. I love mason jars because they come free with some foods. My story would be like "I got this table in the as-is section at the Ikea in Carson. I saved thirty dollars because someone came to their senses and returned it. I figure I can sell it on Craigslist when it starts to annoy me."

always, carolyn