Palm Springs: day 5

On Wed we had breakfast at home again, then went downtown to the Michael Weems Gallery.  We were introduced to Michael Weems' art on our last visit by our friend Peter who knows Michael personally.  Unfortunately Michael wasn't in the gallery when we stopped in, but his assistant told us how Michael's newer work is moving away from the AutoErotica theme and going in a less racy but still fun direction. While I liked the AutoErotica stuff, I found his new stuff to have a wider appeal.

I love the color and contrast in this piece

Same with this one

These are 2 car parts onto which photography has been transferred.  Very cool!

This piece makes me smile

This piece is very Palm Springs

These coasters are a scream!

These would make a great gift for the person who has everything. Order online at the website.

This one had me laughing out loud in the gallery!

I almost bought one of these trays with the mid-century homes but I was afraid of transporting it home, so I'll order one on the website.

Next we drove over the mountains to Joshua Tree National Park.  I didn't know that much about it before we went so I had no real expectations.  One thing I knew for sure is that we were NOT going hiking!  So we stopped at the visitors' center and got a map that showed a great driving route threw part of the park.

I was really struck by how peaceful it felt there.  No homes, no buildings, no power lines, just the sun and the breeze.  It was 25 degrees cooler there (60 degrees) which was a surprise, since the 3 of us were in shorts and flip flops.

I found this sign to be comical.

Spouse & Carl at Keys View overlooking the Coachella Valley

From Keys View

From Keys View

You can literally see for miles

The Keys View observation area

 On our way back from Joshua Tree we passed a Jack in the Box and Carl's enthusiasm was wildly apparent.  For those unfamiliar, Jack in the Box is a burger chain (that also sells tacos) that used to exist where we grew up, but has been long gone, kind of like Shakey's.  So we stopped for a late lunch at Jack in the Box which delighted Carl.

The balance of the afternoon was spent at the house by the pool and spa.

Carl relaxing near the pool

That evening we took Carl to dinner at Lulu.  We enjoyed our meal there so much during our previous visit that we made it a priority to bring Carl here.  We had a very talkative waiter who was very nice but sort of held us captive when Carl needed to sneak out for a cigarette!  It was a great meal.

Carl at Lulu

Afterward we hung out for a while at Hunters and Streetbar before calling it a night.

Project

One of my clients recently bought a furnished townhome.  During the pre-settlement walk-thru I saw a vintage metal patio chair stashed in the attic storage area.  I pointed it out to my client who said that it likely wasn't out on the porch because it didn't match the other furniture.  After pulling it out into the daylight we realized it was rusty and needed some attention.  

She mumbled something like "Hmmm... I'm not sure if I'll keep this or not".  Loving mid-century modern the way I do, I thought the chair was adorable so I said "Well, if you decide you don't want it, please don't throw it away.  I'll take it."

A few days after settlement she texted me that I could have the chair, so I asked her to just place it on the back patio and that I'd stop by within the next day or two to pick it up.  That way she wouldn't need to be home.

Yesterday I decided to start working on the chair.  First I took a sanding pad and sanded the arms and legs which had been sloppily painted white at some point, and were quite rusty.  It actually took less time than I thought it would.

Next I took plastic bags and painters tape and taped off everywhere I didn't want paint.  

I really like the color and patina of the turquoise and cream paint on the seat and back, and despite there being some rust on them, I decided to leave them as is.

Next I wiped down the sanded areas with a rag to remove the dust, and then spray painted the arms and legs with a grey that resembles aluminum. 

I don't think the arms/legs would have originally been painted at all, so rather than repainting them white or black, I chose the grey that resembles aluminum in hopes of making it look more original.

It turned out pretty well.  

Not bad for a $5 can of spray paint and an hour of time!

Black & white

In Feb when we toured a mid-century modern home in Palm Springs I was intrigued by this framed photograph on a wall:

Of course there's the obvious reason I was intrigued: a naked man.

But I found it unusual that a black & white photo would be in a home simply bursting with color.  Typically I'm not a fan of black & white photography because I always think "Wouldn't this look even better if it were in color?"  But this photograph may have been taken before color film was invented - who knows?  There's nothing in the composition or background that dates it.

Another thing I liked about this photograph was that, although the man is completely nude, the photo doesn't come across as being sexually suggestive.  He doesn't appear to be posing.  In fact it looks to me like the subject may have been unaware the photo was being taken.  I imagine he and his boyfriend just finished a light breakfast (1/2 a grapefruit and a cup of coffee) and were just about to go for a swim when the boyfriend picked up a camera and snapped this photo.  It seems completely natural.

I liked the photo enough to take this photo of it and share it with you all.

heArt

The house we rented in Palm Springs had the cutest piece of art hanging in the dining room:

Even if we didn't have 2 Chihuahuas I would still like this very much.  I like that its very colorful, textural, and a bit abstract.

Its not signed so we wondered if it might have come from HomeGoods, TJMaxx or the like.  We weren't able to easily remove it from the wall to check the back, so its origin remains a mystery.

It produced a smile each time we walked into the room and saw it.

Vacation: Wed

After a light breakfast, Spouse & I began to tidy up the house and pack.  Earlier I posted photos of the back yard and pool but I realized I hadn't taken any interior photos so I did that just before we left.

Living room

kitchen

dining room

Secondary living space

Next we had lunch at Lulu where we both enjoyed delicious kobe burgers.  Then we walked around downtown and stopped in a few stores and galleries.  Having seen my Palm Springs posts on Facebook, my friend Peter recommended we check out a unique gallery/store called AutoErotica. The artist Michael Weems is originally from MD and is friends with my friend Peter. He pioneered a process for transferring vintage male erotic images onto auto parts (fenders, hoods, doors), hence the name AutoErotica.  Fortunately Michael was in the gallery/store so we introduced ourselves and talked for a while.  He was a real hoot!  Later Spouse said he wished we'd met him earlier in our visit because he'd be a lot of fun to hang out with.  Oh, and we loved his art too!

Eventually we had to leave our desert oasis and drive back to LAX.  Fortunately we didn't experience the heavy/slow traffic the Newlyweds had experienced the day before, so we arrived in record time.  We returned the rental car, shuttled over to the airport, and had 4 hours until our plane was scheduled to leave.  We found our gate, went to the bathroom, looked at Facebook, then decided to order a pizza at the Wolfgang Puck place in airport.  Then we picked up some snacks from a store and waited to board.  We had upgraded our tickets from regular coach to premium coach so we'd have a little extra room, hoping we'd be able to sleep on the plane.  Neither of us was able to do more than doze for a few minutes.

After arriving in Baltimore we took the shuttle to the hotel where our car was parked, then drove home to DE, arriving about 8am.  We were pretty exhausted when we got home, but were thrilled to be reunited with Marvin & Walter!  The 4 of slipped into bed and slept til 1pm.  We could have slept longer but I didn't want to sleep so much that we wouldn't be able to sleep that night.  We had a little lunch, watched TV, and relaxed.  All in all the trip home was easier than the trip out there, save for the red eye flight.

We loved Palm Springs and would definitely like to return.

Vacation: Mon

Mon morning 1 of the Newlyweds went for a hike while the other relaxed at home.  Spouse & I went downtown and had breakfast at Ruby's Diner, which is a chain, but fun and retro.

It was very windy and cooler that day so Spouse & I actually wore light jackets as we walked around downtown in the sunshine.

We returned to the house, picked up the Newlyweds and headed back downtown for a vintage car show.

Afterward we ducked into some vintage shops and saw lots and lots of gorgeous stuff.

Colorful vintage glass

LOVE this china with the Sputnik motif!

So fun!

Next we went inside Shag, a modern art gallery/store.  I fell in love with the art in there and couldn't resist taking photos.  If I had more wall space and a bigger wallet I would buy all of these!  (Click on the images to enlarge them.)

Then we returned to the house for massages.  A friend of the Newlyweds from Portland relocated to Palm Springs and came over to give us massages.  I love to get a massage on vacation; its the ultimate treat.

That evening we had happy hour at Streetbar which was relaxed and fun and then dinner at Lulu.  

The vibe and atmosphere at Lulu were quintessential Palm Springs and the food was excellent.  We had a really great time at Lulu and I'd highly recommend going when you're in town.