I spotted this lone vending machine at Broadway Plaza in Walnut Creek between See’s Candies and Lucky Brand jeans. Not as ornate as this one but I bet it’ll be quite popular this summer.
I spotted this lone vending machine at Broadway Plaza in Walnut Creek between See’s Candies and Lucky Brand jeans. Not as ornate as this one but I bet it’ll be quite popular this summer.
Editor in Chief of Fodor’s Travel:
Lafayette Library and Learning Center
3491 Mt Diablo Blvd, Lafayette
Tuesday, May 19th, 2015
7:00pm – 8:30pm | $10The LLLCF Distinguished Speaker Series is proud to present Arabella Bowen, Editor in Chief of Fodor’s Travel. Ms. Bowen has been a world traveler since the age of five and a professional travel writer for more than 15 years. A three-month solo trip through South East Asia in 1999 with nothing more than a guidebook for company inspired her to write travel guides herself when she returned home. To date, she has flown more than a million miles, visiting 60+ countries and every continent except Antarctica. Bowen utilizes her extensive travel knowledge to provide the first-hand destination expertise that is synonymous with the Fodor’s name.
Over the weekend the Lafayette Juniors held their 16th annual kitchen tour featuring six amazing homes and kitchens in Lafayette and this year’s beneficiaries are Ruby’s Place, Boys & Girls Club of Diablo Valley, Las Trampas, Trinity Center Walnut Creek and VESTIA. Find out more about the beneficiaries here. This year the Lafayette Juniors also published a cookbook with delicious looking recipes which is available at, “select Lafayette locations, including Diablo Foods, Venture Quality Goods, and The Storyteller Bookstore.”
Everything came together with this mid-century modern kitchen that perfectly complements the Fred Langhorst-designed house, who was an apprentice of Frank Loyd Wright. The colors, textures and lighting feel just right. One of my favorite parts of this home are the gorgeous lights. This kitchen was featured in a Houzz “Kitchen of the Week” post here.
Check out the kitchen designer’s website, Cocoon Home, here. Also note that the painting behind the table in the photo below is by local Lafayette artist Jennifer Perlmutter. Check out her gallery website here.
From the Lafayette Juniors description:
The mid-century modern kitchen homeowners took great care in updating their 1953 home to create a kitchen that is both functional and stylistically appropriate. Existing redwood paneling throughout the home is complemented by cool bluish green cabinetry, while brass hardware and lighting warm up the space. The homeowners improved traffic flow and opened up this kitchen to make it truly the heart of the home.
Ed. Note: The no photography sign didn’t apply to press
Photos of the living room and patio area after the jump…
Bedford Gallery, Walnut Creek
A fun, new exhibit, BlowUP- Inflatable Contemporary Art is being featured at Beford Gallery in downtown Walnut Creek through June 21st.
From the Exhibit website:
BLOW UP explores the imaginative ways that artists use air as a tool for creating large-scale sculpture. Inflatable structures connote fun and whimsy, and challenge our everyday, feet-on-the-ground perspective. The show creates a spectacular, immersive environment and taps into our fascination with inflatables with artworks that are surreal, humorous and poetic.
artists
Claire Ashley • Chicago, IL
Lee Boroson • Brooklyn, NY
Lewis deSoto • Napa, CA
Patrick Flibotte • Brooklyn, NYBillie Grace Lynn • Miami, FL
Guy Overfelt • San Francisco, CA
Momoyo Torimitsu • New York, NY
Andy Warhol • 1928-1987BLOW UP will include a video component featuring documentation of inflatable works by Christo and Jeanne-Claude and Joshua Allen Harris.
More photos of the inflatables after the jump…
Guide To A Healthier Home: Better Living Through Nature:
Rodgers Ranch
315 Cortsen Rd, Pleasant Hill
Thursday, May 21st, 2015
10:00am – 12:00pm | FreeEvery day we are exposed to thousands of toxins, many in our own homes. Cleaning products, furniture, bedding, carpet, paint and clothing can all include chemicals that can be harmful to our families. See how to reduce this exposure by learning how to maintain a clean home with natural products, learn what products are the greatest risk and discover ways to limit or eliminate your exposure.
Also, learn some easy and fun drought tips to share with your family.
You will make and take home a jar of natural laundry cleaner.
1686 Locust St, Walnut Creek
The bakery and pizzeria 54 Mint Il Forno, which opened last May in downtown Walnut Creek, is expanding their pizza offerings to accompany their new dinner service times and is having a grand opening celebration this Wednesday, May 20th from 5-8pm. Check out this month’s menu here.
“Please join us and bring a friend or two, if you like to RSVP please send an email to Daniele @ 54mint.com”
1537 N. Main St, Walnut Creek
Last November we learned that Radio Shack closed in downtown Walnut Creek, and now thanks to a reader for sending word that a new girl’s clothing store is opening soon called Un Deux Trois, “a unique shopping experience for girls & tweens”. Despite the French name, it’s based in Los Angeles.
From their website:
Un Deux Trois is a leading manufacturer and retailer of distinctive girls contemporary fashion clothing and is head quartered in Los Angeles, California. Un Deux Trois distributes to department and specialty stores throughout the United States, Canada and the UK. All products are proudly manufactured in the USA. Sizing covers all girls 7 through preteen which is a popular size for the young girl who has a sophisticated and fun fashion look. The company maintains the highest of quality standards making it the leader in the kids fashion world. The assortment includes dresses as well as co-ordinated separates for special occasion as well as casual dressing.
Un Deux Trois also currently operates five retail stores with 3 in Los Angeles area. Studio City, Tarzana and Brentwood, and two stores in Texas-Dallas and Houston.
Lindsay Wildlife “Experience”
1931 First Avenue, Walnut Creek
Saturday, May 16th, 2015
10:00am – 5:00pm | $8.50Explore wildlife through watercolors and oil on canvas board at Lindsay Wildlife Experience’s new exhibit: Wild Life, Here There Everywhere. The exhibit features watercolors by award-winning fine artist Linda darsow Sutton. Sutton’s beautiful work will be on display until May 31.
The 31 paintings exhibited on two floors at Lindsay Wildlife feature wildlife from, California to Africa, living in protected open spaces surrounded by the complementing light of their environments. A native Californian, Sutton is an acclaimed ‘plein aire,’ painter, working ‘on location’ to capture her subjects in nature.
“To be outside enveloped by nature is humbling and healing, even just imagining so,” Sutton said. “In all places there is Wild Life. Doing the small landscapes outside is to invite experience, not the least of which is wondering, imagining who’s watching me and allowing me to paint their home. Sometimes they show up.”
Her works have been exhibited and published worldwide. In addition to painting, she is an instructor in Transparent Color Theory in Watercolor, the elegant atmospheric effects enhanced by light bouncing through color from the white surface.
3422 Mt Diablo Blvd, Lafayette
Folks are counting down the days until Bonehead’s Texas BBQ opens in Lafayette which replaces Bo’s Barbecue that closed last year. I recently spoke with the owner who indicates they are planning for an early June opening. Check out the latest updates on their Facebook page here. Learn more about their smoked meats, sauces and rubs here. I’m looking forward to trying this place out!
350 Park St, Moraga
Back in March the Rheem Theatre in Moraga was voted best cinema in the Bay Area. Although I prefer stadium seating, the art deco styling of the Rheem and Orinda Theatre is incredible and help bring a certain substance to these otherwise staid suburban towns.
