Christmas tree made of books at Inglewood library

When a reader wrote to recommend a Christmas tree that “requires absolutely no water and can be broken down and re-used,” I expected the usual fake type involving metal brackets and plastic leaves. But on opening the attachment from a friend of Inglewood Public Library, I discovered the tree in the photograph was clearly made of pulp, which is to say books.

It is the creation of assistant librarian Bri Webber, pictured at right. It has been a hard two years at the Inglewood Public Library, Webber said, and the place had no budget for holiday decorations. So she went online and saw that the library trend of 2011 is to build trees from books. There’s a gorgeous one at Gleeson Library in San Francisco. Even the nearby Loyola Marymount University library had one, she said. “I thought, ‘If LMU can do it, we can do it.’”

Moreover, Webber swiftly recognized which books were being used in most of the examples. They were the suitably green-bound National Union Catalog, volumes listing books recorded by the Library of Congress. "I thought, 'I know exactly what those books are and nobody uses them and they’re dusty and this way they’ll be used.' "

After finding different years and different volumes, she used red books for the skirt. By the end, she lost count of how many catalogs she stacked up on the ground floor near the elevator. “It’s in the high 300s,” she said, laughing that once she lost track, they couldn’t have a contest to guess how many books were in the tree.

Given that cuts have reduced what had been a staff of about 70 to something like 30, Webber said, it's a wonder that she found the spirit to do the tree at all. “Times are rough,” she said. “We’re trying to come up with creative ways to keep us happy and keep people happy.”

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Photo: Inglewood Public Library

Build your own geodesic dome gingerbread house

In a lighthearted spin on Buckminster Fuller's famous look, the Echo Park design practice Scout Regalia has created a geodesic dome gingerbread house. The kit includes a laser-cut dome template, shown below right, plus recipes for gingerbread and icing and easy-to-follow instructions. The dome is about 9 inches in diameter, 6 inches tall and as sweetly colorful as you want it to be.

We have featured Scout Regalia designers Ben Luddy's and Makoto Mizutani's work before -- the modern raised garden kits, the free DIY planting table instructions, their High Desert Test Sites project. But this architectural inspiration is too delightful not to share.

"Ben and I are both really into food and cooking and baking, so the SR Gingerbread Geodesic Dome combines two of our passions," Mizutani said. 

The kit is $25 plus shipping at Scout Regalia. If you're a visual learner, check out the fun time-lapse video below.

If you're having trouble seeing the video in our post, you also can view it on Vimeo: Scout Regalia Reel 02: Gingerbread Geodesic Dome.

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Air plant ornaments and a spritz to keep them alive

You've probably seen those adorable glass ornaments inside of which a diminutive tillandsia, or air plant, nests with bits of lichen and moss. Keeping that air plant alive, though, isn't as easy as hanging it near a window after the holidays, which is what some sellers recommend.

An occasional shot of water from a spray bottle does provide humidity in a dry home environment, but that epiphyte requires something more nutritious.

"Tillandsias are easy plants to kill because they're furry, gray and have no roots. They don't look like they need anything," said Cindy McNatt, who owns Dirtcouture.com, an online garden shop based out of her Orange County home. "But like any plant, they need food."

McNatt formulated Air Head, a natural foliar feed that nourishes tillandsias whether they're captured inside a glass ornament or resting on a branch in your backyard. Lightly spritz the tiny plant once or twice a month, McNatt said. A 12-ounce spray bottle is $14 plus shipping.

Dirtcouture.com has its own version of a living ornament, pictured at top, a tiny tillandsia mounted on a 1-by-1.5-inch stone pendant. You can hang the Tillandsia Drop ($22, shipping included) from the tree or wear it around your neck as jewelry.

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W Hotel's pool-to-rink holiday cabana makeover

Event planner Chad Hudson and associates transformed the W Hotel pool deck in Westwood into a winter retreat. The story behind the look is the latest installment of Pro Portfolio, our Monday feature that looks at recently built, remodeled or redecorated spaces with commentary from the designers.

Project: Transform a pool deck into Chill, a sophisticated holiday center with ice skating rink and rink-side cabanas.

Location: W Los Angeles, Westwood.

Designer: Chad Hudson, Chad Hudson Events.

Designer's statement: We wanted to make a dramatic change from previous years and avoid  that “winter wonderland” look. In other words, create something that was festive but not traditional.

Working off of a look the W had used in the past with lots of purple and white, we created a holiday look with a twist. For the cabanas we chose lots of geometric shapes and patterns. We re-covered the couches, ottomans and pillows in bold textiles from Michael Levine -- an inexpensive solution. Because we were working with Z Gallerie, we accessorized with the store's mirrors, chandeliers and other accent pieces.

To create a more elegant feel, we added blues, silvers, earth tones and different types of greens in addition to the hotel's signature purple. The transformation took three days. First we did the lighting. We followed with fabric, and then we added the accent pieces.

   

  To look inside the cabanas, keep reading ...

Lost L.A.: Boys Republic and the Della Robbia wreath

“Do real men make Christmas wreaths?” Tweet that to your presidential candidates and see how they respond. The answer is yes, of course -- for more than a century, at the Boys Republic in Chino Hills. Early supporter Margaret Brewer of San Francisco was what Americans in 1900 called a New Woman, a self-supporting, university-educated teacher who made an independent life for herself long before marrying Minnesota lumber and mining industrialist Eldridge M. Fowler and moving to swanky Pasadena.

With her husband's fortune and her early experience earning self-respect through self-sufficiency, Margaret Fowler rallied wealthy friends to fund the Boys Republic in 1907. Two years later she purchased land that became its present-day campus to house, teach and inspire teenage boys brought down low by abuse and broken families.

VINTAGE PHOTOS: Boys Republic and Della Robbia wreaths

The organization's motto was “Nothing without labor.” Kids earned aluminum coins minted by trustees to pay for food and lodging. The boys planted and harvested crops on the land Fowler donated, and they maintained buildings in a village designed by Myron Hunt, architect of the Rose Bowl and the recently demolished Ambassador Hotel. The kids were self-governing, electing their own mayor and student council.

After a trip to Europe, Fowler conceived a craft tradition to extend the noble cause of honest pay for honest work. In 1923, Boys Republic residents made their first Christmas wreaths, still a Southland holiday standard. Beginning in January, boys and now girls trek through forests and fields gathering seeds, nuts, cones and pods to decorate by hand 40,000 fir wreaths, available on the Boys Republic website. Their classic circular form, with apples and lemons mixed with teasels and cotton burs, is inspired by Margaret Fowler's original design, based on sculpture by the Italian Renaissance Della Robbia family.

There never has been glitter or glitz on a Boys Republic wreath, but Tinsel Town celebs have long endorsed the community's annual Christmas campaign since the rise of TV in the 1950s. Natalie Wood (above right), Diahann Carroll, Tom Selleck and, of course, the goody two-shoes American family par excellence, Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, have celebrated the holiday season with smiling endorsements.

Live succulents as Christmas tree ornaments

Flora Grubb and her chic San Francisco garden shop are taking succulents to new heights: on the Christmas tree. Tiny aeonium or echeveria cuttings are mounted on 3.5-inch hand-crafted ornamental hooks that resemble dangling earrings.

The Flora Grubb ornament will look beautiful as it sways from the bough of your Douglas fir. When the season is over, plant the succulent in a pot to enjoy for years to come. Save the hook and make your own ornament from new cuttings next year.

"We got the idea for these ornaments when we noticed that succulent cuttings remain vibrant for months here at the store," Grubb said. "We built our first prototype out of floral wire and worked on the design for the last few months, experimenting with various succulents to find the types that didn't mind being handled, poked or packed in a dark box for shipping."

Flora Grubb Gardens is selling the succulent ornament for $19 apiece, or $55 for a set of three, plus shipping.

There's no reason why you can't fabricate your own succulent ornaments with a paper clip and a cutting from your garden. But for those looking for ready-made gifts, Flora Grubb's refined version comes nestled in a box with care instructions.

It's a good time for battery powered clocks

With power still out across parts of L.A. County more than a day after the windstorm, it seemed fortuitous that our annual onslaught of holiday gift ideas happened to include a bunch of battery-powered clocks.

Among the merits of clock as gift: Available in a range of prices. Generic enough to fit many people, yet varied enough in design to seem novel. Potentially entertaining. Probably practical. Excellent hint for the friend or family member who's always running late. (Though does that mean we'll get a clock in return?)

The old flip clock gets fresh legs in this Kikkerland design, top left. It's no longer available on the Kikkerland site, but we saw them at Bedfellows in Studio City. Price: $119.

Braun has reissued an old favorite — its 3-inch-tall square plastic alarm clock, top right. It couldn't be simpler, for home or travel. It has a voice- or clap-activated snooze function and a clean, analog face. It's $42 at the A+R store in Venice.

For a different way to illustrate the march of time, little gears turn the big gear on the large wall clock, right, at New Stone Age in Los Angeles. Price: $90.

And if you're rather wake up to a chirp than a buzz, there's this 6.5-inch-wide bird alarm clock, below. It can perch on a stand or hang on the wall. It's $40, also at A+R.

 

 

 

 

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Photo credits, clockwise from top: Jenna Haggard, A+R, New Stone Age, A+R.

 

Candy cane-colored straws for your holiday cocktails

Should we be worried that our annual holiday gift picks keep veering toward cocktail shakers? And ice buckets? And coasters painted with recipes for Cosmos and White Russians?

Hmmm. Among the picks in our first round of home and garden gift picks were these bits of holiday cheer. For those who need to down their drinks with festive party straws and a clear conscience, the witty crew at Kikkerland came up with biodegradable paper sippers whose candy-cane coloring comes courtesy of food-safe soy ink. We picked up a box (144 straws) at the Paper Source for $6.95. We're not sure what vodka residue does to a compost pile (happier kale?), but try it and tell us how it goes.

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Beyond the mall: Pop-ups, craft fairs and other holiday shopping

Looking to shop someplace a bit different this year? Here's a sampling of pop-up shops, holiday sidewalk sales, major craft festivals and other events for your shopping pleasure.

Ongoing: Handmade ceramics, hand-painted scarves, jewelry and more work by local artists are at the Space art center. Ends Dec. 24. 1506 Mission St., South Pasadena. (626) 441-4788.

Ongoing: The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens hosts holiday trunk shows every weekend until Christmas. Selection includes ceramics, herbal bath and skin care products, jewelry, art books and children's games. 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. Parking and admission to shopping are free. (626) 405-2100.

Nov. 30: Artspace Warehouse, Modernica, Gibson (shown above), Bourgeois Boheme, Blend Interiors, Mosaik, Rummage, Espionage and other stores along the 7000 block of Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles host an evening of shopping specials, gift wrapping and refreshments during Beverly Boulevard Night Out. 5 to 8 p.m. (323) 934-4248.

Dec. 1: West Elm hosts an Etsy craft event from 6 to 9 p.m. Customers can create Christmas ornaments for trees that will be donated to local charities. Five local Etsy vendors sell their crafts. 8366 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles; (323) 782-9672. Also, 1433 4th St., Santa Monica; (310) 576-7270.

Dec. 2-4: More than 100 dealers at the Sherman Oaks Antique Mall offer wine, cheese, door prizes and discounts up to 50% off at the 24th annual  Holiday Open House. 14034 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. (818) 906-0338.

Dec. 3: The Craft and Folk Art Museum hosts a global bazaar featuring handmade and fair trade goods. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free. The museum store has extended shopping hours from 5 to 8 p.m. Dec 7 to 9. 5814 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles (323) 937-4230.

Gift guide: Compost pail, cocktail glasses, blankets and more

We're calling it the 2011 money-wise, fun-loving, recession-induced, self-sufficiency-promoting, mostly practical but occasionally whimsical home and garden gift guide. Why? Because giving feels a bit different this year. Few of us are looking to spend with wild 2005 abandon, but we don't want to be miserly either. We're drawn to the pragmatic but fun. Gifts that perhaps encourage some self-sufficiency among our loved ones — and induce a smile.

When spending was easier, some people caught “spiritual Alzheimer's,” says Robert Wicks, author of the new book “In Streams of Contentment: Lessons I Learned on My Uncle's Farm.” “They lost their memories for the little things and the people who meant so much to them.”

Realizing this can give people “the chance to lean back and see things differently,” says Wicks, a clinical psychologist and professor at Loyola University Maryland. Don't deny that the bank account is smaller or that the home repairs are waiting longer, but “make something different.” Realize that time is passing.

With that in mind, we offer some holiday presents meant to amuse -- and get used. For family, friends and others, how about a cute and clever piggy bank or welcoming and warm throw blanket? Mod lunch boxes for the (formerly) brown bagger or cocktail gear to make party hosts that much happier? How about garden goods to grow one's own salad -- and compost the leftovers?

More gift picks will come in the days to follow, but here's a good place to start:

PHOTO GALLERY: Holiday gifts for home and garden

 

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