Cool Stuff to Do

“There’s never been such a day… in Redondo Beach, L.A.”

It’s December again – though us locals have had a hard time noticing, what with the near-80 degree weekend and all. Nonetheless, there’s to be snow in the mountains soon and perhaps the temperatures will soon be below 70, and that means it’s time to get the family out for Riviera Village’s Holiday Stroll.

There are a whole host of shops to see in The Village on December 1st, starting around 6pm. There are boutiques and restaurants who all will be sharing cookies, cider, cocoa and close down Catalina Avenue for fun with the kids and families.

Of course, our favorite neighbors up in that neck o’ the woods (about a mile from WSmad’s HQ) are (in alphabetical order) Abbracci Studio, Fowler & Moore at Home and Peters Realty Center.

Abbracci Studio (and now Baci, as well) is a medical spa offering state-of-the-art facials, laser-hair removal, and other excellent treatments. Of course, they also have a fabulous gift boutique where you’ll have a excellent chance of finding something for the hard-to-shop-for. They stock the finest skincare items from the best companies in the business, and their kind and expert staff will be able to tell you exactly what’s right for you. If you prefer, they will deliver to you if you use their site, www.AbbracciStudio.com.

Literally next door is Fowler & Moore AT HOME, created by interior designers Chris Fowler and Suzy Moore. If you’re looking for holiday decor (or during the rest of the year, anything to spruce up your home), Fowler & Moore is the place to go. They have items of all prices, from a few dollars on up to the best things money can buy. And, of course, when it’s time for a full home makeover, there’s no place to go but to see Chris and Suzy at Fowler & Moore. They are the best Interior Designers in the whole Palos Verdes/beach cities area.

And if your home makeover just didn’t work for you and you’re ready to just trade the whole thing out, there’s nobody better than Nick Peters to find you a new home. Peters is THE expert of REO’s and short sales, and nobody on the planet knows Torrance Real Estate better than Nick. He knows everything there is to know about the Beach Cities Real Estate market. His real estate office is just up the street from the other two, right near Chez Malange on the corner of I. He’s invited you to stop by, too!

So in between horse carriage rides and cider, stop in to see some of the small businesses that are making the Riviera Village tick. And we all wish very happy holidays upon you!

This past November 8th and 9th, Chris, Suzy and Sara of Fowler & Moore and Fowler & Moore AT HOME hosted their most successful Creative Holiday Decorating event ever.

The two events in two days format worked well as Fowler & Moore AT HOME, in Redondo Beach’s Riviera Village, remained comfortable for attendees despite selling out quickly. Each designer had time to showcase at least one unique idea, answer questions for those gathered, and posit new ideas showing the latest Holiday decorating trends creating new Winter trends in interior design.

In addition to selling out of space, customers appreciated the value and simplicity offered by their suggestions, and many items in the store sold out quickly after the events.

Be sure you’re on the list to be invited to Fowler & Moore’s next decorating event. If you enjoy entertaining or just living in a lovely, fresh home, you won’t want to miss it!

Herair Garboushian has brought Shana Nys Dambrot in to his gallery to collect some of the great artists of our time. On display will be works from David LaChapelle, Gina Stepaniuk, Casey Lee Wanlass, Rick Robinson, Austin Young, Swinda Reichelt, Alexandria Lee, Grant Vetter, Jennifer Vanderpool, Peter Wu and York Chang.

With such disparate styles, it’s hard to imagine any commonality (besides all great pieces from great artists) – but Nys Dambrot has managed to pull together an intriguing combination of pieces surrounding the theme of our consumption as a society. As with any great exhibition, these seemingly dissimilar pieces come together to create an exploration better – more consuming philosophically – than the individual pieces alone.

CONSUMPTIVE is on view at the GARBOUSHIAN GALLERY in Beverly Wilshire, from 11 November though 16 December.

Fowler & Moore, your favorite interior decorators in Redondo Beach and Southern California, are having a warehouse blowout sale tomorrow.

This is an incredible opportunity to capture some of their overstock at seriously reduced prices.  As you know, Fowler & Moore AT HOME has some fantastic, very high end pieces that are normally priced accordingly.  For tomorrow only, you might be able to snag one of these beautiful pieces of furniture or home accent for next to nothing!

The terms of the sale are cash and carry – that means be ready to take it home yourself.  The address is Fowler & Moore AT HOME Warehouse Location – 2751 Plaza del Amo, #306 in Torrance, CA 90503.

Good luck and hope to see you early!

Beverly Hills’ most exciting art gallery, the GARBOUSHIAN, is supporting the Getty’s Pacific Standard Time, showcasing the impact of Californian artists on the art world from the 40’s through the 80’s.

California Armenian Pacific Standard Time is a showcase of the part of this larger exhibition, showing specifically the most influential Armenian artists in California through the same period.  On display are some of the most important pieces from John Altoon, Charles Garabedian, Leo Krikorian, Paul Sarkisian, William Saroyan and Sam Tchakalian, among others.

It is an incredible display and already many important people from the art world, collectors and critics alike have heralded the Garboushian’s efforts to celebrate this wonderful modern art.

California Armenian Pacific Standard Time opened on September 14th and will only remain on exhibit until November 5th.

Prader-Willi California Foundation is hosting an event at a MLS L.A. Galaxy game! It will be a great time to hang out with family and friends and enjoy a great game with the Major League Soccer-leading Galaxy. Plus, our group gets to have an exclusive autograph session with one of the Galaxy players!

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a rare and very complex non-inherited genetic disorder. Symptoms associated with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) are believed to be caused in part by a defect in the hypothalamus, an important supervisory center in the brain that controls metabolism of fats and carbohydrates, the development of muscle tone, the regulation of the sleep-wake cycle, body temperature, blood pressure, heartbeat, the expression of emotions, and many more functions of the body.

The game is on Saturday, September 17th at 7:30pm.

So come out, support a great group that’s hungry for the cure, and have fun watching a great International sport all at the same time!

It’s summer and it’s prime vacation time.  That means great weather, more time with the kids, and longer days.  It also can mean tourists everywhere you go, and higher prices.

However, escaping to San Felipe, Mexico in Baja, California is kryptonite for the normal vacation blues.  You can go off-season to get the same great weather, It’s stunningly inexpensive, and there are significantly fewer tourists in all of Baja Mexico (much less your own little practically private resort) than there are in line for Space Mountain.

That’s not to say you HAVE to sit around on the beach all day.  There is a quiet but thriving community of like-minded, relaxed people enough to support any number of vacation-like activities.

So if you’re trying to plan a vacation for this summer but you’re looking for a real escape, escape from the tourists, the grind, and from high prices, EscapeToSanFelipe.com.  Tell Karen WSmad sent you!

An Evening of Design Inspiration: Accessorizing Tips & Trends is Fowler & Moore’s latest presentation, set to take place the evening of Tuesday, May 24th, 2011.  Chris Fowler and Suzy Moore will be presenting and demonstrating ideas to freshen your home as we transition from Spring to Summer.

After the literally overwhelming success of their last RSVP,  limited space event where Fowler & Moore AT HOME was packed so full it quickly became standing room only, they have followed on with An Evening of Design Inspiration, which is sure to have even more fun and useful ideas.  Fowler & Moore have instituted a token $20 requirement but have also implemented a 15% off discount for anything, aside from custom orders – meaning in all likelihood, the $20 will pay for itself by the end of the night.

Come join Fowler & Moore at Fowler & Moore AT HOME in Redondo Beach’s Riviera Village at 7 next Tuesday to get the latest tips and trends for the coming seasons, and be sure to RSVP early as seating is limited and is sure to be sold out soon!