plantscaping

The fourth season of Mad Men recently became available for instant viewing on Netflix, and {lovah} and I are obsessed. We'd been having serious Mad Men withdrawals, despite having watched and re-watched the previous three seasons! {lovah} is pretty convinced that he is a "Mad Man," and he likes to tell me that regularly. Admittedly, he sort of is. Entertainment P.R. isn't the same as Advertising, but the environment he works in and the mix of creative & purely-business-driven work that he does really is quite similar to what goes on a Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. Minus the drinking at the office... although I'm quite certain he and his coworkers would do that too if they thought they could get away with it! {lovah} has a growing collection of skinny ties, plays 1960's music like it's going out of style (it is out style, right?), and collects vintage decanters. He loves smoking cigars, he loves to dress up, and he drinks his scotch neat. Recently, he moved into a new office, and the first thing he said to me was that he was going to decorate it like Donald Draper's office.

We've found him a perfect lamp and he's painting some abstract canvases (yeah, the guy paints- who knew?). He's planning to take one of his vintage decanters and some rocks glasses to the office (for water, of course!), but he really needed a plant. And what is a Mad Men-style plant? I really wasn't sure, but I decided to go modern, masculine and a little asian-influenced.

If you want to make something similar, this was a snap to put together...

You'll need a ceramic container, a plant, potting soil, large rocks, small decorative rocks or glass, and driftwood or another natural element. First, put a few cups of large rocks at the base of your container, they'll help guard against over-saturation if you accidentally add too much water. Then add some soil, place your plant in the center, and use a small cup to fill in with more soil around the plant's roots. Leave an inch or two of space at the top of the container, and then add your decorative rocks or glass. Add your other "natural element" artistically askance, and voila!!!

What do you think? Is it "Mad Men" enough? Do you have any other ideas for how I can help my {lovah} Mad Men-ize his office?

Image | Plant Design | Styling by Lauryl Lane.

bottega louie

Goorin Bros Hat, striped hat, Bottega Louie, brunch My little sister Maggie had an extended stay/internship with me recently, and although we worked very hard and didn't have much time to play, I still endeavored to introduce her to all of my favorite Los Angeles haunts. One particular Saturday morning we had to awaken quite early to do the delivery and installation of an event for one of my celebrity clients, and afterwards we were famished. So we found ourselves at one of my all-time favorite brunch spots, Bottega Louie.

Goorin Bros Hat, striped hat, Bottega Louie, brunch

Maggie had purchased her hat at Goorin Bros. the night before (I'll leave hats for another post- but I'm obsessed!), and she looked darling and so cheerful despite the amount of work she had to do. I can, however, venture to say that it is highly unlikely she will be going into a career in floral design or the wedding industry. ;-)

Bottega Louie, bar, brunch, downtown Los Angeles

Bottega Louie is a favorite of mine because it really does feel like stepping into a parisian restaurant. It's the closest experience I've had (stateside) to Laduree, -- and while it would be blasphemy to actually compare it to Laduree, it's still a charming spot with a very parisian vibe.

Bottega Louie, menu, brunch, downtown Los Angeles

Bottega Louie, coffee, brunch, downtown Los Angeles

Bottega Louie, pancakes, brunch, downtown Los Angeles

The coffee is always perfection, and the lemon ricotta pancakes or salmon benedict are just a few of the delicious menu choices for brunch.

Bottega Louie, eggs benedict, brunch, downtown Los Angeles

Bottega Louie, brunch, downtown Los Angeles

Bottega Louie, bakery, macroons, brunch, downtown Los Angeles

Bottega Louie, bakery, macroons, french macrons, brunch, downtown Los Angeles

Bottega Louie, bakery, french macarons, macaroons, brunch, downtown Los Angeles

But of course, the crowning glory, the element you cannot leave with out.... French Macarons, of course! They melt in your month. They are utterly delicious. They are.... heaven.

Bottega Louie, bakery, macaroons, french macarons, brunch, downtown Los Angeles

Bottega Louie, bakery, macaroons, french macarons, gardenia, brunch, downtown Los Angeles

And bringing a pretty box of macarons to share with friends? Well, between Maggie & myself and our friends John & Paul, we managed to consume a dozen macarons with amazing speed, while still relishing every wonderful, unusual flavor.

Bottega Louie 700 S. Grand Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90017 213.802.1470 Hours: 10:30a-11p M-F, 9a-11p S-Su

Images | Styling by Lauryl Lane.

serene setting

Calligraphy, Victoria Hoke Lane, spider mums, tulips, green, orange, pink, luncheon, tablescape, candles My Mum (Calligrapher Victoria Hoke Lane, designer of my logo!) has a new website coming soon (get excited!) and I've been sending over images of her work to her designer (Josh Berman, who designed my site- he's the best!). I came across this little luncheon that we designed together and realized that I never blogged it. Oops. Coming soon!

Calligraphy | Hand-painted Cookies by Victoria Hoke Lane. Image | Florals | Styling by Lauryl Lane.

paradis ice cream

A new ice-cream shop has opened in my favorite neighborhood, Los Feliz Village. When I lived one block away from this little strip, I spent time every single day on Vermont- eating, watching movies, browsing the bookstore, and picking up my mail. I still maintain a post office box at the Los Feliz station, but now I only visit it every week or two. It was on a recent trip to the post office that I noticed the Paradis Ice Cream shop (where a Pinkberry used to be- hmmm?), and when my {lovah} and I had an ice cream craving shortly thereafter, we decided to drop by Paradis to give it a try!

While I'm usually partial to gelato, this ice cream was smooth and creamy and utterly delicious. There was a nice array of flavors, and I tried several of them before settling on Hazelnut. Mmmmmmm. Two thumbs up!

Paradis Fresh Ice Cream Made Daily 1726 N. Vermont Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90027 818-248-1004 Hours: 12-10 M-Th, 12-11 F-Sa, 12-10 Su

Images by Lauryl Lane.

intro to pretty

It's been an intense summer wedding season for me and I apologize that I haven't had the time to blog much lately. But I am finally getting some posts scheduled out, so I'll be sharing two beautiful weddings next week and more in the weeks to come! Stay tuned!

Image by Lauryl Lane.

broome st general

Just a couple weeks ago, a sweet new coffee shop popped up on my street, just three blocks away! My friend Bonnie alerted me to the opening of Broome St General, she never fails to know what's new and happening in L.A.! I've now been to Broome St at least half a dozen times, but here are a few photos from a recent birthday luncheon I shared there with my girls Bonnie, Summer and Megan...

Summer always looks so breezy and cool. She has the most impeccable style. And her styling obviously extends to gift wrapping, as well.

Broome St General Store is first and foremost a coffee shop. But they also have delicious sandwiches and salads and other yummy munchies, brought in from Heirloom L.A. and other local vendors. The first time I was there, I saw a Lavender Hot Chocolate made for a customer. So the next time I went in for a morning coffee, I asked if they could make me a Lavender Coffee (I am a lavender fiend!!!). Voila! Lavender Mocha. TO DIE FOR. They also have a darling collection of well-curated items for the home and kitchen.

Megan looks so posh in her bright pink lipstick. Hot stuff! And Bonnie is always so serene and lovely. I seriously love these ladies so much. They are incredible friends and tremendous "office-mates." We keep each other sane as small, creative business owners.

Broome St. General Store 2912 Rowena Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90039 323-570-0405 Hours: 8-8 M-Sa, 9-6 Su

Images | Styling by Lauryl Lane.