spring break on balboa island

Tribute to Spring Break on Balboa Island. Balboa is a charming man-made island about ten minutes walk from our house. We are on a cliff above the island luckily and will hopefully avoid the worst of it during a tsunami.

Hope you and yours enjoy a little good this Friday. Happy Easter and hopefully goodbye snow to those of you on the East Coast. Seriously. You have had enough.

remodel research: trespassing and open houses

Come on. Admit it. Do you skulk around construction sites?

View from an "under construction" lot in a neighborhood near our home a few months back
Balboa Island, CA with Christmas lights

Much to my husband and son's horror, any construction fence ajar is simply seen as an invitation. And I brake for all open houses. Now that I am in full remodel planning mode, my sleuthing has gone into over-drive.

how to carry a laptop with (mid-century) style

Have you found any graceful and stylish way to transport your computer? You know, something a little mid-century modern. Like this?

Mid-Century Holzman bag from Etsy shop DejavuVintageretro

Or maybe like this...

#psmw: ten tips for visiting palm springs modernism week next year

Alright already. Enough about Palm Springs Modernism Week 2013.

Just some beautiful and original art the PS Show and Sale.
But I didn't take a good picture of the artisit. Selling for $40K.

Before I forget, and as a public service to my mid-century modern friends, I thought I would post my key learnings from attending #PSMW so that, should you venture to the California desert next year, you will get even MORE out of it then did my mom and me.

#psmw: bringing the outdoors in mid-century style

Something has been weighing heavily on my mind from #PSMW Palm Springs Modernism Week 2013.

Hey good looking. I just can't stop thinking about you.

#psmw palm springs modernism week: 10 decorating tips from the marrekesh designer showcase

Finally, I am nearly at the end of my Palm Springs Modernism Week 2013 material. Marrakesh was the last thing my mother and I visited during President's Day weekend, and it nearly knocked our socks off.

For example, the above is kind of a sculptural chair. Or maybe just a sculpture. It certainly looks like jelly fish tentacles no matter how you slice it.

mid-century thrift shop mystery: can you identify this bottle?

How about a break from our regularly scheduled #PSMW Palm Springs Modernism Week 2013 posts (only 2 more to go)? I thought I would crowdsource the identification of a mysterious bottle I purchased over the weekend.

The questions I have for the mid-century modern universe are two-fold:

1. Who made this and approximately when?
2. How much would you value it at?