KATIE D.I.D. BLOG

The beautiful Margaret Russell of Elle Decor at WS Home

Hi all! I am back from Oregon (more on that later!) and ready to tell you my LA stories! I have to say I made the mistake of not making plans sooner for my trip, as I could have fit more in, but the trip was busy and informative none the less!

West Week was in full swing at the Pacific Design Center, and there were Keynote Panel discussions being held to discuss the rise of social media as it pertains to the design industry at large and to print media in particular. I wanted to attend as many of the panels as possible.

I arrived at the Farmer's Daughter Hotel Tuesday afternoon in time to freshen up before Christian May of Maison 21 picked me up for a party at WS Home for Margaret Russell of Elle Decor. She was in residence to sign her wonderful book, Style and Substance, The Best of Elle Decor (which I posted about HERE).

Before I go further, I just wanted to give you one of the best pieces of news I had during my stay in LA! Margaret Russell told me that Elle Decor now has officially launched their new website!!! (previously Elle Decor was part of the point click home website) The new website is full of exciting new features including a comprehensive LookBook with photos from all of your favorite editorials. You can also explore design destinations around the globe, and get expert design advice in the Home Design 101 section. There are sections on Design, Remodeling, Shopping, Celebrity Style, Entertaining, as well as a Resources section. I am told there is much more to come as well. So have fun checking it all out!

So...back to the party! It was such a fun evening for many reasons. I had not been to a WS Home store in a very long time. There are only two in California: Beverly Hills and Palo Alto. It was a treat to see everything in person and very nice to know that the catalog and website show off how beautiful the inventory is in person. The other reason the party was so great is that I finally got to meet blogger friends from all over the country, and in one case from overseas. I did not get as many pictures as I would have liked, but here are a few people you might recognize:

Moi, Monelle Totah (Vice President of Design for WS Home), Patricia Shackelford (Mrs. Blandings) and Christian May (Maison 21)

It was such a pleasure meeting Monelle Totah of WS Home. She was charming and so very gracious. She is the reason WS Home has such beautiful things! You can check out Monelle's beautiful San Francisco flat on the Elle Decor website HERE! Such a great home!!) And Patricia of Mrs. Blandings was out from Kansas City. She was just like her blog: so nice and welcoming, smart, interested and savvy...not to mention classically beautiful! And Christian May of Maison 21...the perfect host: handsome, witty and so much fun!!!! He made my stay in LA the best (more with Christian later!).

Ronda Carmen of All the Best, Scot Meacham Wood of Tartanscot, me again, and Christian May

Ronda Carmen of All the Best was there all the way from the UK. We time for just a quick "hello" but there were so many people, it was difficult to chat. Next time! My friend Scot from Tartanscot was down from San Francisco looking as debonair as usual!.There were so many there that I could not get pictures of! It was so great to get to meet Andrea Borda Stanford, Design and Style Editor for C Magazine in person as well. She is chic, down to earth and beautiful all in one!
(BTW....the latest issue is fantastic...you might want to run out and get it before it is gone....just sayin').

As the party was winding down, I was chatting with Megan of Beach Bungalow 8, and who should walk by but Eddie Ross and partner Jaithan. We gave each other that immediate warm blogger hug that bloggers in touch over the years give upon first sight. We all decided to go to dinner so we could continue the conversation. As per Megan's fantastic suggestion, we went to El Carmen...home of the best tacos and tequila in LA (250 kinds of tequila at last count!). If you are ever in LA, you have to stop in.....if for no other reason than to see the interior, which houses the best collection of Mexican Wrestlers painted on black velvet I have ever seen. Killer. Kudos to Megan as our guide. It was a riot!