It’s great to hear you’re finding ways through this Hilary. I’ve been thinking of you in LA. I love the drawing challenge and certainly relate to binging on PR.
Take care, keep celebrating the good and the goldfinches.
Thank you for the kind thoughts, Margaret. It is much appreciated and helps. 🩵 Love that you're a PR fan too. I worried when Tim and Heidi left that the show would lose its magic, but I think Christian Siriano is doing a fantastic job.
Your description of the party and walking to class the next day made my heart miss LA so much. One of my favorite things about springtime is driving into the hills with the heavy scent of Star Jasmine hanging in the air. There's nowhere like LA, and I love it so very much. I'm glad you went to the party, it sounds perfect.
Thank you, Page! It’s lovely to hear from another person who appreciates what makes LA special. So very kind of you to pop by and leave a note. We’re finally enjoying some rain ☔️ which we needed desperately. Hope you still live close enough to visit from time to time.
😀El Coyote never disappoints! My dad used to take me there as a kid in the 70s. So happy to connect with another LA fan here. Just subscribed to your Stack and loved your piece about learning to surf.
Thanks for the commiseration, G! Today was the first day I went outside without a mask and then another fire erupted. Stop this train! I want to get off. xoxo
18! The comments from the judges make me lol regularly. Excellent distraction and inspiration to create: just the medicine I didn’t know i needed. 🙌🏽♥️
The judges are hilarious. Elaine Welteroth’s style is fab. And I heart Christian Siriano too — he had such big shoes to fill when Tim Gunn left and he’s really made the job his own. So happy you are enjoying the PR therapy!!
Loved reading your piece - makes me want to watch project runway! And I look forward to reading the articles you linked out to. Hang in there, the devastation is really hard to fathom ; it’s been such an exhausting time.
Aww. Thanks, Sarah! Very kind of you to read and leave a note. Project Runway is great fun. I think you will dig it and if you've never seen it, you have at least twenty seasons to catch up on. Lucky you! Hope to see you soon, maybe over pasta at Garabaldina. xo
A group of us used to do "The Sizzler Challenge." After the first episode of a new season of Project Runway, we'd all pick a "horse," aka a designer, who we thought would go the furthest. The winner of The Sizzler Challenge would get a certificate of participation sent out by the Office of the President (aka my friend Kurt) and the promise of being taken out to dinner at the Sizzler. Of course, no one collected on the dinner, but still, it was silly, good fun.
Christine! I love this. So fun. You and I are simpatico. Did I tell you that I also went to SJSU? Class of 92. :) Some day we must compare notes. Thanks for reading!
Thank you so much for your generosity and support. I’m really so sorry you all are facing this calamity. It’s horrific and heartbreaking. Honestly, I feel like words cannot express how truly devastating this has been for LA, especially for those directly impacted by the fires.
It’s so normal to cope the way you are coping.
Please know that if you need short respite from LA, Vegas is always here. If you come to visit for a short stay do let me know.
Thank you for your sweet note, Autumn. I actually thought about your essay about living in Japan during the Tsunami. It's just heartbreaking that people's lives can be upended in a blink. I'm just trying to be here for friends and people who need a hand. Next time I make it to Vegas, I would love to meet up.
Paulette! I love that Nancy was your fave too. I was just thinking about you. I'm sending a hug your way and hoping to see you soon so I can give you a real one. xoxo
It's such a relief to hear from you and know that you are managing. You are a phenomenon, H2, and no mistake 💛
An absolute banquet of interesting and useful and inspiring information as always. Glad to see the art is ongoing. Those lemons are terrific - the middle one looks so juicy! Fonda looks incredible and everything she says makes total sense. Embrace the years and you can't go wrong - very interesting about the "smiley face" on the graph. Surprising and very encouraging.
Isn't it a shame about the downturn in the use of fine china? Using antiques to eat and drink from is mind blowing, and they are so beautiful. I suppose the dated designs don't fit contemporary decor and that is such a shame. Even the repairs are fascinating and part of the object's history. It tells a story. I hope someone in the lady's family will cherish them after her.
Thanks very much for this Hilary. It must have been hard to write in the circumstances, and it was wonderful. Thanks also for the mention! x
Jules! Thanks so much for your sweet note, readership, and friendship. You always bring the sunshine and lift my spirits. It really is sad that fine china is on the outs. I'm so happy to hear that you're enjoying yours. While I understand that fancy dishes may not be practical and can't go in the dishwasher, there's history and ancestry in every dish. And when your plate is a work of art, even a piece of toast looks regal. I'm kind of hoping for a fine china resurgence like the recent rise in popularity of "granny bathrooms." Apparently young people are ripping out the dull, modern fixtures in their bathrooms and installing floral wallpaper, and powder pink toilets and sinks instead. Up with granny chic! Down with boring mass produced junk. xo
Granny bathrooms sound very pretty! Coloured bathroom suites were all the rage in the seventies but you don't see them here now sadly. It's all white these days.
I don't have any fine china myself but you see a lot of it in antique shops still. Some very pretty stuff around.
Love reading your Stack Hil. You are the purveyor of truth and the voice of our collective feels.
I found myself with Later Daters on in the background as I worked last week to have a bit of a distraction when the local news started repeating the same stories about the fires. I don't even like reality shows much, but I finished the season. Will put Project Runway in the queue. I just got back from an event where I ran into a friend who said she didn't want to come, but forced herself to put on a bra and leave the house. And now that those of us LA, in the path of the fire or not, have all done a mental inventory of what valuables we own, I've decided to start using my "good china" because it's worth nothing on Ebay and has been collecting dust for over a decade.
I'm glad to know you're safe and still tap dancing. I'm sure now you can tap circles around my time step. Thanks for being you, H2.
Bee! Thanks for reading and the kind words. You're a good friend. What's Later Daters? Sounds like my kind of show! :) I'm so glad you're using the good china. Years ago, a friend of my mom's lost everything in the Oakland fire and she told me to use all the good stuff. I started using the good china back then and it brings back memories of my great aunt. There's history in those plates and we should enjoy them while we have the chance. I haven't really advanced much in tap because I only go one day a week or sometimes two. You should come to my class some day. It would be so fun to tap together. Sending hugs to you and glad you're safe. xoxo
H2 I would love to tap with you!! I am so rusty. I can barely eek out a time step, so I may be the one in the corner doing a falap-ball-fall. Fortuitously though, I unearthed my tap shoes in a massive Purge, and they survived the giveaway pile. I'll reach out for class details!
Oh my goodness, I am so glad to hear that you are coping... and that you rallied for a birthday dinner??? That shows serious gumption. You deserve a prize. It must be completely surreal to see ash rain and be told it's all fine by the air quality index folks... I fear that when the insurance adjusters quietly parachute in with all their even-toned denials, things will become oh-so-back-breakingly hard for everyday people. Thank you for the kind shout-out about my book :) Love the pic of you, your mom, and your brother. Sending 💪 & ❤️ to you and J.
Thanks, Alisa!♥️ I so appreciate the solidarity and kind words. These are definitely surreal times. I've been so worried for my neighbors, especially the kids, out and about without masks. I understand the desire for a sense of normalcy. It's all just so sad.
I’m doing the drawing challenge too and saw your lemons earlier today in the group chat and didn’t even know who they belonged to 😊. Loved them! And I loved this post. I lived in LA for a while and the way you describe it is spot on for the reasons it’s so great.
Hiya Sara! I love that you’re doing the drawing challenge too! It’s so fun and a great meditative way to block out the noise. I’m touched that you feel the same way about LA as I do. 💕Thanks so much for reading and your sweet note. You gave me a lift.
Hi Heather! Thanks for the note! Been thinking about you too and how sweet it was of you to brave the scary air and meet me for dinner. I hope you have a good time on your trip. Sending hugs to you. xoxo
It’s great to hear you’re finding ways through this Hilary. I’ve been thinking of you in LA. I love the drawing challenge and certainly relate to binging on PR.
Take care, keep celebrating the good and the goldfinches.
Thank you for the kind thoughts, Margaret. It is much appreciated and helps. 🩵 Love that you're a PR fan too. I worried when Tim and Heidi left that the show would lose its magic, but I think Christian Siriano is doing a fantastic job.
As always, your writing cheered me up and inspired me. You’re a treasure!
Aww. Thanks, Friend! You’re the best. So glad the post brought some cheer. You, in turn, made my day. I will text you shortly. Hugs!! ❤️
Your description of the party and walking to class the next day made my heart miss LA so much. One of my favorite things about springtime is driving into the hills with the heavy scent of Star Jasmine hanging in the air. There's nowhere like LA, and I love it so very much. I'm glad you went to the party, it sounds perfect.
Thank you, Page! It’s lovely to hear from another person who appreciates what makes LA special. So very kind of you to pop by and leave a note. We’re finally enjoying some rain ☔️ which we needed desperately. Hope you still live close enough to visit from time to time.
I’m in Montana now but visit as much as I can to see my old friends and smell the flowers. Oh and to eat at El Coyote of course.
😀El Coyote never disappoints! My dad used to take me there as a kid in the 70s. So happy to connect with another LA fan here. Just subscribed to your Stack and loved your piece about learning to surf.
Thank you! Their enchilada sauce is addictive and their green corn tamales...oh man!
The leaf blower phobia is real. Thanks for the post, HH. You're a gem!
Thanks for the commiseration, G! Today was the first day I went outside without a mask and then another fire erupted. Stop this train! I want to get off. xoxo
Uh, thanks (?) to you, have fallen into a Project Runway hole! 😝
🤣You’re welcome! What season are you on?
18! The comments from the judges make me lol regularly. Excellent distraction and inspiration to create: just the medicine I didn’t know i needed. 🙌🏽♥️
The judges are hilarious. Elaine Welteroth’s style is fab. And I heart Christian Siriano too — he had such big shoes to fill when Tim Gunn left and he’s really made the job his own. So happy you are enjoying the PR therapy!!
Loved reading your piece - makes me want to watch project runway! And I look forward to reading the articles you linked out to. Hang in there, the devastation is really hard to fathom ; it’s been such an exhausting time.
Aww. Thanks, Sarah! Very kind of you to read and leave a note. Project Runway is great fun. I think you will dig it and if you've never seen it, you have at least twenty seasons to catch up on. Lucky you! Hope to see you soon, maybe over pasta at Garabaldina. xo
A group of us used to do "The Sizzler Challenge." After the first episode of a new season of Project Runway, we'd all pick a "horse," aka a designer, who we thought would go the furthest. The winner of The Sizzler Challenge would get a certificate of participation sent out by the Office of the President (aka my friend Kurt) and the promise of being taken out to dinner at the Sizzler. Of course, no one collected on the dinner, but still, it was silly, good fun.
Christine! I love this. So fun. You and I are simpatico. Did I tell you that I also went to SJSU? Class of 92. :) Some day we must compare notes. Thanks for reading!
Thank you so much for your generosity and support. I’m really so sorry you all are facing this calamity. It’s horrific and heartbreaking. Honestly, I feel like words cannot express how truly devastating this has been for LA, especially for those directly impacted by the fires.
It’s so normal to cope the way you are coping.
Please know that if you need short respite from LA, Vegas is always here. If you come to visit for a short stay do let me know.
Thank you for your sweet note, Autumn. I actually thought about your essay about living in Japan during the Tsunami. It's just heartbreaking that people's lives can be upended in a blink. I'm just trying to be here for friends and people who need a hand. Next time I make it to Vegas, I would love to meet up.
I always love reading your posts. These days, i need to do so more than ever.
(PS Nancy was my fav on Project Runway too.)
Paulette! I love that Nancy was your fave too. I was just thinking about you. I'm sending a hug your way and hoping to see you soon so I can give you a real one. xoxo
It's such a relief to hear from you and know that you are managing. You are a phenomenon, H2, and no mistake 💛
An absolute banquet of interesting and useful and inspiring information as always. Glad to see the art is ongoing. Those lemons are terrific - the middle one looks so juicy! Fonda looks incredible and everything she says makes total sense. Embrace the years and you can't go wrong - very interesting about the "smiley face" on the graph. Surprising and very encouraging.
Isn't it a shame about the downturn in the use of fine china? Using antiques to eat and drink from is mind blowing, and they are so beautiful. I suppose the dated designs don't fit contemporary decor and that is such a shame. Even the repairs are fascinating and part of the object's history. It tells a story. I hope someone in the lady's family will cherish them after her.
Thanks very much for this Hilary. It must have been hard to write in the circumstances, and it was wonderful. Thanks also for the mention! x
Jules! Thanks so much for your sweet note, readership, and friendship. You always bring the sunshine and lift my spirits. It really is sad that fine china is on the outs. I'm so happy to hear that you're enjoying yours. While I understand that fancy dishes may not be practical and can't go in the dishwasher, there's history and ancestry in every dish. And when your plate is a work of art, even a piece of toast looks regal. I'm kind of hoping for a fine china resurgence like the recent rise in popularity of "granny bathrooms." Apparently young people are ripping out the dull, modern fixtures in their bathrooms and installing floral wallpaper, and powder pink toilets and sinks instead. Up with granny chic! Down with boring mass produced junk. xo
Granny bathrooms sound very pretty! Coloured bathroom suites were all the rage in the seventies but you don't see them here now sadly. It's all white these days.
I don't have any fine china myself but you see a lot of it in antique shops still. Some very pretty stuff around.
Love reading your Stack Hil. You are the purveyor of truth and the voice of our collective feels.
I found myself with Later Daters on in the background as I worked last week to have a bit of a distraction when the local news started repeating the same stories about the fires. I don't even like reality shows much, but I finished the season. Will put Project Runway in the queue. I just got back from an event where I ran into a friend who said she didn't want to come, but forced herself to put on a bra and leave the house. And now that those of us LA, in the path of the fire or not, have all done a mental inventory of what valuables we own, I've decided to start using my "good china" because it's worth nothing on Ebay and has been collecting dust for over a decade.
I'm glad to know you're safe and still tap dancing. I'm sure now you can tap circles around my time step. Thanks for being you, H2.
Bee! Thanks for reading and the kind words. You're a good friend. What's Later Daters? Sounds like my kind of show! :) I'm so glad you're using the good china. Years ago, a friend of my mom's lost everything in the Oakland fire and she told me to use all the good stuff. I started using the good china back then and it brings back memories of my great aunt. There's history in those plates and we should enjoy them while we have the chance. I haven't really advanced much in tap because I only go one day a week or sometimes two. You should come to my class some day. It would be so fun to tap together. Sending hugs to you and glad you're safe. xoxo
H2 I would love to tap with you!! I am so rusty. I can barely eek out a time step, so I may be the one in the corner doing a falap-ball-fall. Fortuitously though, I unearthed my tap shoes in a massive Purge, and they survived the giveaway pile. I'll reach out for class details!
Yay!!
Oh my goodness, I am so glad to hear that you are coping... and that you rallied for a birthday dinner??? That shows serious gumption. You deserve a prize. It must be completely surreal to see ash rain and be told it's all fine by the air quality index folks... I fear that when the insurance adjusters quietly parachute in with all their even-toned denials, things will become oh-so-back-breakingly hard for everyday people. Thank you for the kind shout-out about my book :) Love the pic of you, your mom, and your brother. Sending 💪 & ❤️ to you and J.
Thanks, Alisa!♥️ I so appreciate the solidarity and kind words. These are definitely surreal times. I've been so worried for my neighbors, especially the kids, out and about without masks. I understand the desire for a sense of normalcy. It's all just so sad.
I’m doing the drawing challenge too and saw your lemons earlier today in the group chat and didn’t even know who they belonged to 😊. Loved them! And I loved this post. I lived in LA for a while and the way you describe it is spot on for the reasons it’s so great.
Hiya Sara! I love that you’re doing the drawing challenge too! It’s so fun and a great meditative way to block out the noise. I’m touched that you feel the same way about LA as I do. 💕Thanks so much for reading and your sweet note. You gave me a lift.
Nice to hear from you. You have been in my thoughts. Take care, Wonder Woman!
Hi Heather! Thanks for the note! Been thinking about you too and how sweet it was of you to brave the scary air and meet me for dinner. I hope you have a good time on your trip. Sending hugs to you. xoxo
Great post!
Thank you for reading and commenting, Katherine! Means a lot to me. ♥️♥️