June 2010

Pummeled and Polished

BY STEVEN BILLER

The installation of L.A. artist Julian Hoeber’s untitled cast heads — each shot, stabbed, and otherwise pummeled during clandestine trips to the High Desert, near Joshua Tree — renewed the spirit of this body of work exhibited by the Culver City gallery Blum & Poe.

Intelligencer - Signs of the Times

With more than 3 million U.S. billboards a year sent to landfills, New York-based bag purveyor Yak Pak partnered with TerraCycle to create eco-friendly Billboard Bags. Each bag is made from a different cut of a billboard, so no two are the same.

Intelligencer - Well Well

In its annual poll, Conde Nast Traveler readers named The Well at Miramonte Resort & Spa as the No. 1 resort spa in North America. The Well scored 96.1 out of 100 to capture the top honor.

PSST - Cameo Ann Lauren on the Height of Fashion

Janice Kleinschmidt

At 5-foot-2, Ann Lauren aims to change the ideology of a fashion industry that she says recognizes only women who are at least 5-foot-9. A model/spokesperson and producer of petite model shows, Lauren has assembled a team of expert contributors, designer sponsors, and investors for an online community of petite women: www.bellapetite.com.

Art on the Fly

Janice Kleinschmidt

A Palm Springs resident who fishes primarily in Canada, Browne describes salmon fishing this way: “You cast and cast and cast for days and days, and then you finally hook one. I know it’s insane. Most of the time it’s raining and snowing. It’s just plain nasty fishing, but I like it.”

Savoir-Vivre on El Paseo

BY JANICE KLEINSCHMIDT

After Fashion Week El Paseo’s runway show on Friday night, the Big White Tent transformed overnight into a showcase for another element of sophistication: fine wine and food. Instead of models strutting down a catwalk for a seated audience, winemakers conversed with guests roaming from one table to the next — wine glass in hand.

Tough All Over

BY ROBERT JULIAN

“I was born to sing. That’s what I do,” she says. “I have to sing for a living. I have to write songs. And I have to help people.” Lynne has just returned to the desert after a national tour — playing 24 cities in 33 days to promote her new CD.

The Year of A Thousand Wines

BY JANICE KLEINSCHMIDT

With little effort, you could taste a thousand wines over the next 365 days. Trust me. I’ve done the math.

Horoscope - June 2010

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) The streets beckon, but your biggest coups come from the home front. An organization of files produces long-forgotten papers that could apply to a current project. Within 60 days, you will have a chance to drop a heavy load that is no longer relevant.

Editor's Letter June 2010

BY STEVEN BILLER

Flee if you must, but I’m staying! Sure, a few weekends in L.A., San Francisco, and Santa Fe will give me a break from the heat. Otherwise, I prefer to take advantage of so many great deals available to those of us who enjoy dining out, taking in spa treatments, and visiting cool attractions, such as Palm Springs Aerial Tramway and Knott’s Soak City.

Escape to Orange County

BY LISA MARIE ROVITO

Accessible, exploration-worthy, easy-on-the-eyes Orange County offers more than a change of scenery: It offers many of them. Each carries a fresh perspective driven by salty sea breezes, vibrant culture, and a taste of the good life (the chefs make sure of that).

Welcome to My Kitchen

BY BARBARA BECKLEY

In select restaurants, if you want special attention from the chef, the primo table sits not in front of a beautiful painting or in the center of an exquisitely appointed dining room but, rather, in (or slightly outside) the busy, pots-and-pans-filled, stainless steel kitchen.