Final Reflections on my Trip to Cali...

My week got away from me a bit this week...so I am writing a few remaining and random thoughts about my trip to Los Angeles....

First I have decided (based on this inspiration) to investigate aqua/ teal colored lighting for a few strategic spots in my own garden which is currently lit mainly in white... a row of trees in Santa Monica were lit in this soft aqua/teal and I thought it was a stunning departure from traditional landscape lighting....

Since I was in the neighborhood I thought I would provide you a bit of my own "Tour of Stars Homes"...with the former long-time residence of Elizabeth Taylor...

This kind of roadside spectacle is so cliche LA...(tee hee)...

Are you wondering what this is? This property is built into the hillside and has a pool with viewing holes cut into it's base...walking around the perimeter of this pool...it would be like going to visit seals or polar bears at the zoo... but instead you are looking at swimmers......hmm...not sure what the appeal is there....

I am one of those people who can never resist a stroll through a potentially good farmer's market...in my final post about my Cali adventures I had to feature the fabulous fresh fare that grows abundantly in the Golden State...here is a quick recap of a Saturday morning market in Pacific Palisades...




I don't think I have ever seen such large and perfect produce....

I marveled at how each strawberry box was "designed" for perfect symmetry...

There was even bug netting over the bakery goods... but the irony is there are hardly any insects flying around in Los Angeles...I appreciated the attention to detail though! On second thought...maybe the bug netting was mainly to keep customer's hands off the merchandise!

As I winded down my quick tour I saw a few of these magnificent displays of orchids for sale...what a fabulous collection...and a beautiful way to begin my Saturday! Speaking of Saturdays...have a fabulous one tomorrow! XO

Elawa Farm...

Near me is a little place I like to visit called Elawa Farm.

The farm was built in 1917 for A. Watson Armour, a member of one of Chicago's oldest and most distinguished families. It is architecturally significant as a rare representative example of a Lake Forest, Illinois gentleman's farm.



Historically the farm built for Armour was known as ELAWA FARM, a composite of ELsa and A. Watson Armour and subsequently as LeWa Farm, named for Lelia and Wallace Carroll, who purchased the property in 1954.

It is also noteworthy for its fine design and for its association with two very significant architects: David Adler and Alfred Hopkins. Adler and Howard Van Doren Shaw are generally considered the North Shore's premier estate architects.

Hopkins, a New York architect who is known to have designed only two farm groups in Illinois, is the acknowledged authority on estate farm complexes, and has been called the "unquestioned dean of Farm group architecture."

Today the farm is a lovely place to visit for a regular farmer's market in the warmer months, an educational center for cooking, gardening and children's nature classes....you can also rent out the farm for festive gatherings....

Because ELAWA FARM is a stunning example of estate farm architecture, because it is virtually unaltered, and because it is unique in Lake Forest, the buildings forming the main farm group have been preserved and adaptively reused.

ELAWA FARM is a public-private partnership dedicated to the preservation and stewardship of a unique combination of natural setting, designed landscapes and buildings of architectural and historic significance. (Merci':.www.ElawaFarm.com)

For me it is a little chance to get away from "city-suburban life" without a longer drive to the country! Enjoy your weekend! xo

Nature's Bounty



I love an early morning Farmer's Market so this morning I decided to get up with the roosters to visit our local Farmer's Market to get some goodies for the weekend. Enjoy the visual feast!