Less Than Zero: An Adventure Story

The moon was full.

It rose over the water and settled determinedly in front of the beach house like a glowing reminder.

(Stinson Beach, Northern California. July 3rd, 2012. 

All photos by LBG.)

Not that we needed one.

Our alarms were already set for 5:15 am.

(Why? Excellent question.)

Early the next morning we were going on a very special expedition, one that could only be done a handful of times a year. Thanks to a rare "minus tide" (one significantly lower than average), for an hour or so we would be able to explore caves, rock formations and miles of coastline usually hidden beneath the watery deep. Our friends who had done it before gave us an explicit directive.

"Wear clothes that can get wet." 

* * * * *

We were on the beach by 5:45 am. The sun was still behind the mountains but the ocean suffused the sky with an otherworldly shade of blue.

(Can you tell how freezing it was from this picture? Mark Twain got it right when he said, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.")

On the shoreline, the waves had been pulled back like the sheet on a bed.

Things looked deceptively ordinary. From far away we thought this was just a big rock. 

Oh how wrong we were. Up close we discovered a magical neighborhood filled with a variety of life aquatic.

This little guy was even waiting with a friendly salute.

(Did you know starfish were so plump and robust? I didn't.)

And who knew sea anemones looked exactly like those drink coasters made from geodes?

There were a few tricky spots that required trust and a willingness to wade. 

What goes out must come back in. The water was rising. It was time to turn back.

We were just talking about how peaceful it was when we were privileged with a rare sighting.

A strange Yeti-like creature emerged from behind the rocks, crossed in front of us and disappeared into the ocean. 

(Undoctored photos of San Franciscus Hippius Nudicus.)

After that, everything paled in comparison.

Own a Piece of the Past

I've always harbored a design fantasy of covering a wall "salon style" with lots of interesting old black-and-white photographs. Unfortunately, most of the limited editions I drool over in art galleries and designer showrooms are beyond my budget and so my dream has remained unfulfilled.

Until now.

Recently I stumbled upon the most amazing website for vintage photographs and it's kind of changed my life and I swear I'm not even kidding. 

Look at this photo of Liz and Dick on their yacht in Sardinia in 1967. Was there ever a more glamorous couple? What would you say if I told you that I bought this original, one-of-a-kind photo (as in once it's gone, it's gone forever) for under $30? 

(P.S. All watermarks are from the website images. These marks DO NOT appear on the actual photos.)

(Collection of LBG. )

Here's the reverse side.  You can see the editorial comments, date stamp and the clipping of the article it appeared in. It's a fascinating little piece of history.

If you're wondering why all these photos are being made available to the public, here's the short answer: as newspapers finish digitizing all of their photo archives, they just don't have the room -- or the money  -- to keep storing the originals in huge temperature-controlled warehouses across the country anymore. (We're talking hundreds of thousands of images, by the way.) It's sad that these enormous collections are getting split up, but in a way, the newspapers are handing over the privilege of being custodians of the past to all of us. I don't know about you, but I'm honored.

Let's keep going. I want to show you some more examples of the kinds of photos you can find on the Tribune Archives. Here's Edith Sitwell, English poet and seriously fabulous eccentric. Of course I had to buy it. What more powerful example is there that glamour has no sell-by date?

(Collection of LBG.)

Here's Winston Churchill painting in the South of France. I love Winston. He is a total inspiration to me. As Boris Johnson said recently about him on NPR (HERE): "He was biblical. For anybody who's ever got drunk and regretted it in the morning, Churchill is a lodestar." 

(Collection of LBG.)

I searched "Charles Dickens" and found this incredible 1932 photo of a troupe of actors performing The Old Curiosity Shop on the anniversary of his birthday. 

 (Collection of LBG.)

I searched "London weather" and found this haunting photo of riders in the fog in Hyde Park in 1937...

 (Collection of LBG.)

...and this one of London girls camouflaging their smog masks with chiffon veils for a night on the town in 1953.

(Collection of LBG.)

And THEN...there's those crazy kids the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. I admit to being fascinated with them and not because I hold them in high regard or find them especially sympathetic. He was weak, she was ambitious. They had a great romance that turned into a great tragedy.

But oh, the stories that their photos tell. To me, the ones with editors' crop marks are especially interesting because of what they say about the Windsor's fluctuating social status over time. In the beginning of their relationship, it's usually the Duke who is highlighted for publication. People were captivated by the king who gave up his throne for love.

 (Collection of LBG.)

(Collection of LBG.)

But as time goes on, the balance of power shifts. Now it's Wallis who the general public can't seem to get enough of. And the Duke? He's not very subtly crossed out.

(Collection of LBG.)

(Collection of LBG.)

(Collection of LBG.)

Unless he happens to be wearing a killer pair of shades.

(Collection of LBG.)

(All photos were purchased via the Chicago Tribune Photo Archive.)

**********

One Very Important Thing to Know About Purchasing an Archival Newspaper Photo:

When you buy a photo, you own it as a collectors' item. The copyright is retained by the newspaper who issued it. As it says on the website, "No rights for reproduction or commercial use in any form whatsoever are given or implied." In other words, don't be making copies or silkscreening it on a tote bag.

What I'm Loving (Under $40)

You don't have to spend a lot of money to up your style quotient this summer. In the last couple of weeks, I've picked up a few things here and there that have me actually looking forward to the next couple of heat-intensive months. (Usually, I crawl under a rock with a book and stay there until September.)


Situation: 

It's summer and you're more stressed out than ever. 

The $6 Solution: 

Nag Champa Beauty Soap will keep you clean and serene while you calmly contemplate ways to simplify your life. It smells subtly of incense, lathers up like a dream and has the kind of chic lo-fi packaging I like to think an aesthetic deity like Wes Anderson would appreciate. I bought two (one to use, one to look at) because yes, I'm that person. 

(Available HERE.)

Situation:

Your closet is overflowing with shirts that looked great in the dressing room and shapeless at home. 

The $38 Solution:

I swear to you these elasticized beaded belts from Anthropologie will reinvigorate your entire summer wardrobe. Slip one on over that loose boxy top you never wear and you won't believe how flattering it suddenly is. Wear it at your waist like a cummerbund or slung low on your hips for that South of France rich hippie look. 

      

(Available HERE.)

(HERE.)

(HERE.)

Situation:

You saw "The Exotic Marigold Hotel" and now you can't stop thinking about India.

The $5.49 Solution:

I found this tea in an Indian specialty store near my house and I love that it's made by Tetley, the brand revered by British "builders" (construction workers) for its strength and no-nonsense appeal. Yes, you can fork over more money for fancier brands, but sometimes nothing beats the honesty of a cuppa that doesn't have pretensions to being more than it is. This particular blend is amazingly fragrant with notes of cardamom, cinnamon and ginger. Add a little almond milk and presto, you're dangling from a high-rise in Bangalore. 

(HERE.)

Situation:

You're trying to protect your skin from the sun but you hate feeling so pale and blah.

The $32 Solution:

I am in serious love with the Mineral Illuminating Powder from Laura Mercier. Sweep it on over your face (or decolletage) and it creates a radiant soft focus-like effect on your skin. And get this -- the powder is made up of a special gemstone complex that includes diamonds, emeralds and other precious stones. It comes in two shades (I use Candlelight) and will let you hold your own next to anyone with a spray tan. 

(HERE.)

Situation:

Your husband just told you he invited some friends to pop by. You need a chic libation for adults, a fun drink for kids...and you need it five minutes ago.

The $6.95 Solution:

Okay, I'm calling it: 2012 is the Summer of the Cordial. These flavorful concentrated syrups are crazy versatile and make the perfect mixer for anyone from 8 to 80. For over-21's, add a spoonful of elderflower cordial to a champagne glass and top it with sparkling Prosecco. Mix it with something stronger and you've got yourself an elderflower martini. For children, pour an ounce or two into a glass of seltzer to make instant fizzy soda. Even Martha would be impressed.

Editor's Note: If you live in Los Angeles, I buy my Belvoir at the Irish Import Shop in Hollywood.

(HERE.)

Stay cool.

x/Lisa

The Anxiety-Free Dinner Party

Sometimes I wish I could have a conversation with the person I was before I started this blog. Oh, the advice I would give myself.

( 6pm, June 3, 2012.)

Old Me: I get so nervous throwing dinner parties.

New Me: Stop right there. That kind of an attitude doesn't help anyone -- especially your guests.

Old Me: But there's so much to d0. It feels overwhelming.

New Me: Entertaining friends is like learning to ride a bike. It gets easier every time until suddenly you don't even think twice about it. In the beginning, K-I-S-S: Keep It Simple, Stupid.

Old Me: So what should I serve?

New Me: Something easy. Something that doesn't require lots of fussy timing. And definitely something you've made before. When you're more seasoned, all these rules can be broken.

Old Me: Who should I invite?

New Me: People you love. People who make you laugh. People you're excited to get to know better. 

Old Me: What if they don't get along?

New Me: Of course they'll get along. People can have different opinions and still get along. That's what makes for a fun, high-spirited evening.

Old Me: But there's so much pressure to have it go perfectly.

New Me: That's all in in your head.  Anyway, perfect dinner parties are incredibly boring. Four years from now, shortly after greeting guests, your husband is going to drop a full bottle of red wine on the kitchen floor in front of everyone.

Old Me: Oh my God. What a disaster!

New Me: Not at all. You and he are going to crack a couple of jokes, nonchalantly clean up the mess and open another one. And do you realize how relaxed the vibe is going to be afterwards? Newsflash: An accident is a unscheduled opportunity to make people feel more comfortable. It's not what happens, it's how you handle it that matters.

Old Me: Really?

New Me: Yes. And listen, you're going to have a couple of dessert fiascos yourself --  and from them, you will learn to always keep some fancy chocolate in the pantry. 

Old Me: But what about timing stuff? How can we make it so Piero and I aren't jumping up and down all night?

New Me: A certain amount of jumping up and down is inevitable. But you can make it easier on yourself by serving the food buffet-style in the kitchen so everyone can help themselves. Guests really like this -- it makes them feel at home.

Old Me: What about setting the table?

New Me: What about it? Keep it informal and fun. String a few garlands of ivy from the chandelier. Gather some bougainvillea petals from your garden and arrange them into a rectangle around a bunch of votive candles. Buy some 99 cent trinkets and put them on everyone's plate. Tie the napkins in garden twine. Be creative. There are no rules anymore.

Old Me: What about when dinner's over? When should I clear up?

New Me: Lisa, please. Let people linger. There is nothing sexier than the sweet disorder of a dining table. The light is low and intimate, there are crumbs on the table, glasses are huddled together. Everything is in bewitching disarray. The conversation that floats up from an atmosphere like this is often the most magical of the evening.

(Midnight, June 3, 2012.)

Old Me: (nervously) Do you...do you really think...?

New Me: Yes. I do. Now get on that bike and start riding.

A Bloomsbury Life Hits Martha Stewart

Remember back in February when I went to New York?

(All photos by LBG.)

And I had a meeting with Jenny Comita, the deputy editor at Martha Stewart about writing an article for them?

Well, it's here! (July issue.)

I wrote it for all of us. 

Let me know what you think.

x/Lisa

P.S. And Jenny -- thank you so much for your wise and warm stewardship. Working with you was a joy.

Gathering Moments

Life is a plot line.

We are born, time passes, stuff happens and then we die.

End of story.

(All photos by LBG.)

When we're growing up, many of us spend a lot of time focusing on the job, the salary, the house, and all the rest of it -- all the achievements that shore up the structure of our lives. The so-called "big stuff."

(London, 2010.)

But if we're lucky, there will come a day when we realize that the big stuff isn't what matters most. Sure, all the challenges and triumphs are important. But what lies in between them  -- in all those spaces and crevices brimming with small unheralded moments -- is where we are really given the chance to live meaningfully. 

Take your morning cup of coffee, for example. It's nothing special unless you invest it with significance. 

But how do you do that?

Maybe you suddenly appreciate the thick velvety silence that surrounds you while the rest of the world sleeps. Or maybe you listen to the birds outside and realize that no matter what happened yesterday, they always wake up optimistic for the future. Or maybe you are reminded of a photo you once saw of Elizabeth Taylor sipping coffee on a yacht in the Sardinian sea. Or maybe you just are grateful that the crick in your neck is gone. 

That's the crazy-simple secret of a satisfying life: appreciating as many of these teeny tiny little moments as you can.

Once you open your eyes and your heart to them, you will find them everywhere.

In a pair of unlikely friends.

(Ford and Paul. Photograph by Jeanne Tripplehorn.)

In the dwindling rays of sunlight falling across a vast plain of possibility.

(Sunset in the Moroccan desert, 2009.)

In the cheerful warmth of a favorite room.

(Home, 2012.)

In a sweaty handful of wildflowers.

(Normandy, France, 2007.)

In the promise of a blackberry cardamom almond cake fulfilled.

(Home, 2012. Recipe from Scandalicious, HERE.)

In the joy of being able to lose yourself in your work.

(detail, "On the Price of Beauty",  2010.)

In the late afternoon hike no one wanted to go on and everyone ended up glad they did.

(Hollywood Hills, 2011.)

In ten minutes of not moving a muscle.

(Home, 2012.)

In the private unveiling of one perfect flower.

(Home, 2012.)

All these things will melt into you and become part of you, if you let them.

Let them.

x/Lisa