THE ARTISTs OF THE ISLAND

During our recent visit to the City of Avalon (on Catalina Island), we were lucky enough to discover 'the Artists of the Island'. ..Will Richards and his wife Cindy.

We were zipping around town on our rented golf cart and, by chance, turned off on a little side street to check out what used to be 'Bird Park'. As we exited the cart, we heard music coming from the hill immediately behind us and looked up to discover WILL RICHARDS' STUDIO... What a fantastic treat.

Will graciously invited us in for a tour...and it was like nothing we'd ever seen... A hillside mansion constructed of recycled materials, sea glass, bones, shells...you name it. It was dreamlike...walking from room to room...peeking into each and every tiny space to reveal the treasures they contained. The most fab-U-lous windchimes made from driftwood, abalone, and old chandelier crystals.

Tilework, assemblage, mosaics, mobiles, paintings, soapstone carvings, and more... Truly a sight to behold...and such an inspiration to create.

My favorite room, by far, was the open air bathroom with seashell encrusted counters and a fully functioning 'conch shell faucet'...

xoxo, amy

VIVA LAS VEGAS

We spent the 4th in Vegas with Kristin and Scott (at the beautiful Venetian). It was such a treat...

The Grand Hall (off the main lobby) was unbelievable...

and the Grand Canal Shoppes were almost surreal...

Gondolas floated through the waterways in the Grand Canal Shoppes...

On Thursday night, we walked down Las Vegas Boulevard from the Venetian to Bellagio...

The Bellagio fountains weren't the only thing putting on a show (thank goodness these were censored)....
Then, it was on to the slots. We LOVED the Wizard of Oz machines (which had cushioned, high-back chairs...complete with surround sound).
We made a new friend...who apparently had $10,000 dollars in his $200 shorts...
Some of us had a stronger connection with him than others...

On the 4th, we dined at Benihana... dee-li-cious!



On our last afternoon in Vegas, we strolled over to the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace and were lucky enough to find the JUICY COUTURE store! How exciting (especially for George and Scott).

And, for anyone that wanted to know, the wallpaper in the dressing rooms is just as cute as the rest of the shop... Don't you just love toile?

We also noticed that CHANDELIERS are all the rage in store displays...



In between the gambling and sightseeing, we also spent two lovely afternoons by the pool. It was so nice to just hang out and relax.

Thanks again guys for a wonderful trip.

xoxo, amy