Friend Infusion

This past weekend was infused with lots of friends. Friday night we attended a dinner party our newly arrived friends hosted at their new home in Topanga. Then on Sunday, after Eve and I had did a quick early morning hunt at the Topanga Vintage Market we headed to the Getty Center to meet up with Gregs long time friend Michelle among others.

As with most meet ups at the Getty, we began with a bite at the cafe, which doesn't seem to have the same great cuisine as when it first opened, its become very mediocre cafeteria food in my opinion. Then with full bellies we drifted toward the museum. First on my agenda was the Heaven and Earth: Byzantine Illumination at the Cultural Crossroads, the best part being a very old liturgical scroll from Greece that was only partially viewed.

At that point in the visit our group dispersed a bit as everyone traveled to different galleries. Eve and I headed toward the garden by way of the European collection stopping briefly to gaze at Spring by Alma Tadema (a perennial favorite pictured above), a few Davids and a beautiful pastel and graphite on paper by Odilon Redon.

From there we wondered over to the Ansel Adams photography exhibit, then out the door into the sunshine to the garden!

After a bit of tea and New York in the 80's stories we said goodbye to our friends and headed back into Topanga. We arrived at our destination, greeted by an enormous amorphous head sculpture, to a Summer Solstice party hosted by more art buddies who live and work deep in the oak woods. 

Art image via the Getty blog and exhibitions page.

Getty Center Garden, July 2013

The Getty Center is one of my favorite places here in LA, as I have mentioned over and over and over here at the journal. I feel completely renewed and rejuvenated when I visit this spectacular space. We headed over there in the afternoon, after the post office drop, with Eve and her boyfriend Walker who was in town visiting.

Eve and Walker (above) went off to the Van Gogh show. Greg and I made our way to the Illuminated Manuscript area and from their split up, I headed to the garden, while Greg went to the Overdrive: LA Constructs the Future show. While making my way back toward the buildings from the garden Greg called me to insist  go check out the Overdrive show, which I am so glad I did and highly recommend. Unfortunately the guard told me that I wasn't allowed to take pictures in that part of the museum. Sad face. The only thing I wasn't too thrilled with about the show is that they left out how the LA street car conspiracy.

No surprise there, after all, the Getty is built on oil and the oil companies were the ones that had a vested interest in the street cars being replaced by individual automobiles.

Anyway, but I digress, back to nature, beauty and inspiration. I love how the museum has a list of all the plants in their garden posted on the website and that honey bees seem perfectly welcome there. We had very little time at the Getty and thus I wasn't able to take in all the splendor the Museum had to offer. Another trip is most definitely a must.

All photos ©Roxana, except for the black and white of the Pacific Electric Red cars, that one comes from Wikipedia.

50 Years on Planet Earth!

Last Thursday we celebrated my birthday, fifty years on planet Earth! Festivities started the evening prior with a pot of deliciously fragrant Stargazer lilies from the Gregster. How I adore the scent of these lilies! When Greg brought them in I was waerning earthy scents like Terrestre and Q, upon inhaling the heavy, sweet florals eminating from the blossoms I craved something similar. I immediately when to the studio and found some Lyra to annoint myself with. Lyra is a sweet, floral, amber fragrance that, to my nose, has a similar fragrance vibe to the Stargazer lily.

On Thursday I spent the early part of the day working in the studio, then at noon Ben came by and the four of us headed to the Getty to meet up with friends Michal, Beth and their daughter Mary. Oh, but before that, look at the cute little card Eve made me at right.

 I was keen to see two shows at the Getty: Gustav Klimt: The Magic of Line and Herb Ritts: LA Style. Both were absolutely amazing and highly recommend them, the Herb Ritts show has been extended. We also spent quite a bit of time wondering about in the garden, take in its beauty and seeking out honey bees.

The zinnias in the garden were in their full glory and a multitude of colors. Every time I stroll this glorious garden I am on the lookout to see what plants the bees are most interested in. As usual they were all over the blue borage blossoms and fuschia echinacea flowers. I witnessed an interesting circular pattern that a few of the girls made while working a few of the flower heads. I'd never seen them work in a circle before, it was mesmerizing.

Here is a montage of photos taken by Eve. The fellow with the colored baseball cap is husband #1, Ben, Eve's father. That's me above with the light brown colored hat. Aren't those ombre shaded flowers spectacular!?!

After the Getty we swung by my mothers home in Encino, she had made fresh ricotta gnocchi with tomato sauce, yum! Later that evening we played geeky games (my favorite) and Eve and I made this delicious Lemon cake. What a grand day, I feel so blessed. xoxo

In the past I've created a Birthday perfume to celebrate the day, Cimbalom was the first, followed by Page 47. This year I've jotted down some ideas and will share soon. My plate over runneth with a multitude of projects at the moment, including getting things ready to launch the Jasmine perfume from last year.