“A 5-level serene, tranquil, refuge and Stanley Saitowitz masterpiece. Tinted walls of sea greens and grays inspired by exceptional bay views. A minimalist materials palette of frameless etched glass, polished slate flooring, stainless steel and vertical grain fir captures and reflects the stunning views and light through a perfectly placed skylight and floor to ceiling windows. Accessed by elevator and exquisite floating stairs, is a finely detailed master suite, state of the art media room/recording studio, chef’s kitchen with south-facing deck, magnificent dining room, and stellar pent room with a frameless etched glass terrace and sweeping bay views. Perched atop Russian Hill, perfectly situated for spectacular upcoming America’s Cup.”  $6,980,000 | 3 bedrooms | 2 full baths | 2 half baths | MLS ID: 396084.  Call Anna Maria Marchetti (415) 901-1785  Property Details

1.  Nixon end table from Jonathan Adler.  2.  Platner side table from dwr.  3.  Yellow Garden Stool from Targe´.  4.  Acrylic Tree from Inspiration.  5.  Silver Tuffet side table from Abode.  $210 – $4,810.

My all time favorite thing to see in Vegas is the singing frog at the Wynn Hotel.  Located next to the Steve Wynn Steak house (yumm) is a patio with bar service perched on a lake.  Grab a seat just before sundown and you’ll get a free show of a giant frog singing Louis Armstrong.  Most people sitting on the patio are surprised once the lights go on and the show begins.  It’s a secret that’s not so secret anymore.

Other must see attractions on my list include:  1. All of the Cirque Du Soleil shows – grab a seat up close if you can.  2. Secret Pizza at The Cosmo – don’t look for a sign, you won’t find one.  3. Tea at the Mandarin Oriental. 4. Lake Mead – a gem most people don’t visit while in Vegas.  5. The European pool at the Wynn is pretty entertaining I must say.  Where do these people come from?  6. Grab at drink at the bar next to Mix and take in the view.  7.  Wine tasting at the M Hotel – swipe your card and serve yourself any of the 160 wines in the room.

Items still on my to do list: Neon Museum, Grand Canyon, First Friday Art Walk, Smith Center,  Absinthe, Garth Brooks, Red Rock, Jaleo, Frank Gehry’s Center for Brain Health

“Zavaglia employs what she calls “renegade embroidery.”  Yes, she uses a needle and thread, but she doesn’t follow and standard sewing rules, instead layering stitches every which way.  She is far from alone among contemporary artists mining traditional women’s needlework – Ghada Amar and Elaine Reichek are well-regarded practitioners-but she is carving her own niche with uncannily photo-realist “paintings,” as she considers them.
…
Descrbing the technique as “pointillist,” Zavaglia says she layers stitch atop stitch to achieve the desired color and subtle tone.  A large work consists of roughly 80 to 100 colors of crewel wool and takes six to seven months to complete; a smaller one, made with finer, shinier thread, about six to eight weeks.  Zavaglia has yet to count her stitches, but the tally is clearly in the thousand.” … Julie L. Belcome Elle Decor

1. “Heather Gonsior lives in Portland, Oregon where she keeps her belongings. She toils by day as a drafter. She is not to be confused with the other Heather Gonsiors.

Heather Gonsior works in whatever medium suits her at the time, and produces quality products for Standard Manufacturing by both will and compulsion. She has studied under the American painter Cliff Smith since 1999 and continues to show art in many media. Ms. Gonsior is further certified as an E-I-T and Tube Bender. She has allowed her traffic signal inspector and flagger certificates to lapse.”

2.  “109 Lighting Books” was created by Airan Kang. The glow-in-the-dark bookcase changes color and is part of the group exhibition “Textual Landscapes” at the Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery in New York City.  Airan Kang was born in Seoul, Korea, where she earned her BFA at the Ewha Womans University, and later attended Tama University in Tokyo where she earned her BFA.  Her work has been shown in solo exhibitions in Seoul, New York, Tokyo, Kyoto, Moscow, Paris, and Los Angeles. She is a visiting scholar at New York University in the Department of Art, a resident in the International Studio and Curatorial Program in New York, and a a professor at the Ewha Womans University in Seoul.

3.  Roger graduated from Brandels University in 1999 and continued on to SVA, a school of visual arts in New York City.  In late 2003 he founded 419 Neon LLC, a custom neon sign and lighting company.

“it’s always interesting to see where work leads. more than one great artist has stated that work begets work, that by continually addressing problems and pursuing solutions in the studio, by this ongoing conversation with materials and ideas, we are led to places that otherwise we may have never considered.

such is the case with this most recent and evolving body of work, which has presented itself as a synthesis of two very independent antecedents, the flat stacks and the open series. although these series arose and continued in parallel for some time, existing as independent entities, their unique characteristics have been fused into a new lineage and a new vernacular. the diaphanous nature of the open series and the density of the flat stacks have found a way to coexist, merging from one state to the other.

the horizontal stacks have turned vertical, forming a dense central core, which in turn yields its mass by stretching outward and away from this cluster. thus it transitions from solid to open, and in a way, so have i.” – RB

In the featured image I’ve grouped together a few of my favorite things about Palm Springs: architecture, interior design, color, classic cars and Iris Apfel’s style.  It’s my plan to wear these glasses when I’m in my 80′s.

1.  The Parker Hotel

2.  The Saguaro

3.  Donald Wexler home for Dinah Shore.  Currently offered at $5,995,000

“DONALD WEXLER, FAIA, was born in 1926 in South Dakota and graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1950 after serving in the Navy during World War II. Thereafter, he moved to Los Angeles where he worked for architect Richard Neutra, and subsequently moved to Palm Springs to work for William Cody on the Tamarisk Country Club. In 1952, Wexler, along with Richard Harrison, a colleague from Cody’s firm, set up their own offices as Wexler & Harrison. That partnership dissolved amicably in 1961, and Wexler formed Donald A. Wexler Associates in 1963.” ps modern

4.  I’ve always wanted to make it to Modernism Week but seem to miss it by a month.  This is an exciting 11-day celebration of mid-century modern design, architecture and culture in Palm Springs, California. This design aesthetic originated in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, and was typified by clean, simple lines which came to define desert modernism. February 14 – 24, 2013

5.  The 53rd Classic Car Auction will be held November 16th, 17th and 18th 2012  at the Spa Resort Casino in downtown Palm Springs, California.

6.  Iris Apfel