John C. Talbot is a bit of an addiction for me. I’ve been collecting his wares for a few years now. He works with the wood from trees fallen in the urban jungle. He makes the most wonderful precious but useable bowls, vessels and cutting boards among other things. He’s at the Hollywood Farmers Market most Sundays and at Geren Ford we are chipping away at him to let us host his genius at the ANNEX. Check out his body of work on his site John C. Talbot  his works are an investment but they are very very very worth it!

I’m going to begin posting at least one art / fashion / home / architecture book a week. I’m constantly inspired and wanting for more, and this is a great reason to dive into what I like to call mini-courses on a subject. Published but a few great companies from around the world and procured from museum stores they make a house a home and give your mind a chance to dream.

This week is Architecture from the 20th century by Assoline, for me this is actually a travel guide after getting the chance to visit a few landmark 20th century American homes over the last few years, it’s a new passion and really lets you see how the geniuses that shaped our world lived and worked. Living Architecture

Our good friend and amazing LA based artist Sage Vaughn has a show up in London and he was wonderful enough to send us some pics that he took at the gallery. We’re really bummed that we missed the show, but here’s some info on it from his London gallery http://www.lazinc.com/artists/sage-vaughn/

The fruits of one’s labors…actually I can’t take any credit for the eden that I discovered in my backyard this morning. I didn’t plant the trees, a past owner did sometime in the last 60 years, I don’t tend to the trees, or even water them, but that’s what is so amazing. Simply paying the water bill so that the sprinklers stay on, means that an afternoons labor some time ago continues to bear fruit each year without fail. This is a good lesson for me to remember when I am procrastinating about doing something or wishing I could just go on vacation!!! More to come on what the eventual result of these beautiful yet unexpected gems will be….

Portugal last year…exhausted after fashion filled month in New York a good friend was on her way to Lisbon for a shoot, and who am I to turn down a spot at the Four Seasons and the inside view of a city that being on a production brings. All I heard was “much needed instant vacation”.  The night before heading home it was time for one last dinner, we wanted to walk from the hotel and as luck has it the best meal I had during my visit was the last one, an unexpected wonderful surprise. Bocca delivered what was one of the top 10 meals of my life. The highlight of the evening was a wine chosen for me by the sommelier. Without knowing Portuguese wine in any way, all I had to offer were the words Bordeaux, Malbec, Barolo….the kind man was a genius and I ended up being treated to one of the most amazing wines I’ve had the pleasure of tasting. Even better in Portugal it’s not pricey, and the label was stunning. The details he jotted down on a post-it for me and I take it with me as I make my way back to Los Angeles. Once home I hunt, and I do mean literally hunt the vineyard down. No US distributor, a UK one who’s on holiday, and a website for the brand. I send word in all directions…. and amazingly Ronald my soon to become e-mail pen pal responded. He’s at the winery, he may be able to ship to me, and he has what I want! Yes!

Long Long Long and by long I mean 3 months long story short, Ronald is able to ship me 4 cases (which fly via British Airways to LA, that seems somewhat posh to me for an unexplainable reason) and they get STUCK in customs because I’m not a wine importer. Tessa who has just started with Geren Ford dives in deep to help me out, thank goodness no is not an option for her and after much back and forth and a multitude of ideas, one of which was “SEND IT BACK TO PORTUGAL” which gave me hives, it arrives. Not with the same glamour as it’s flight here, but on Christmas eve at noon on Ventura Blvd in Sherman Oaks I meet Jesus to procure my 4 cases of gold out of the back of a delivery truck too large to make it up the windy roads to my house in the Hollywood Hills. The 4 cases are all that is in the truck. I feel like I’m accepting stolen goods, but I am not. I am 6 hours away from heading to LAX for a much-needed St. Barths stay over to celebrate the holidays and ring in the New Year. I am happy to report that a bottle went with me and was enjoyed by all on a tiny island in the Caribbean

Cargo safely in my pantry.

I don’t have many of what a good friend of mine would call Isms (aka addictions)  but I do have a love hate relationship with my DVR. Some of these you would expect and some maybe not as much. Nobody puts baby in the corner!

My 10 Proud Picks

CBS Sunday Morning

60 Minutes

Breaking Bad

Nurse Jackie

The Good Wife

United States of Tara

Weeds

Iconoclasts

Californication

Law and Order (I’m going to lump them all together or they would be the whole list)

My 10 Secret Picks

So You Think You Can Dance

America’s Got Talent

The Amazing Race

Extreme Makeover Home Edition

America’s Next Top Model

Cougartown

Secret Diary of a Call Girl

Kell on Earth

The Rachel Zoe Show

Grey’s Anatomy

We’ve come a long way baby.

This photograph was taken the day before we moved into our first official office in July of 2006. Before this loft Geren Ford was being run out of my cottage apartment at “Mi Casa” in West Hollywood, and while it was an amazing venue we had very much outgrown the space. In July 2006 there was 1 full time employee, even I wasn’t officially an employee yet. Now 4 years later a lot has happened. We have since moved on to a larger studio in the Arts District of downtown LA adding a showroom in SoHo in New York City last December. I too have moved on to the Hollywood Hills, and a house called “La Cuesta”. There are now 12 wonderful employees that make it all happen and countless strategic partners and friends that are the support structure for Geren Ford. Collectively and with unending affection I refer to them as the “village that raised the child”. Welcome to our new blog, we look forward to sharing how we do what we do, what inspires us, and what we dream of being, doing and seeing with you. – Geren