Nick Miller + Urbanic = #Urbanick

There was a fun neighborhood gathering last night to celebrate the launch of Nick Miller's new line of art and cards now available at Urbanic on Abbot Kinney.

Miller is a writer living in Venice, who I became friends with when he and his now wife, Cammy, lived downstairs from me. Both Millers are deeply involved in Venice, with Cammy owning her own store on California Avenue, Show Me Your Mumu. You've also probably seen them around town walking their beloved dog, Mick Swagger. I adore the Millers, and was delighted to join in the party for Nick's new endeavor.

Urbanic (dubbed UrbaNICK for the evening) was full of friends and fans, all enjoying the libations served up on the outside patio in back by some of the lovely Mumu girls.

Miller writes his cards and art pieces on vintage typewriters, one of which was there for revelers to write their own profound thoughts.

It's almost a shame that this soirée took place after Valentine's day, as most of Miller's cards are deeply romantic, and would have been very well received on that day. Good thing Valentine's Day is every day, right? RIGHT?!

Absolutely correct, if you glanced around and saw the love all over the place last night. Family, good friends, and a community gathered to celebrate and support one of our own. That's love, and that's good times.

Miller's novel, Isn't It Pretty To Think So? was also available, and the author was present to get them signed. I think my favorite piece in the collection is one that says "Art will come from this". These days, that's some solace.

Congratulation to Nick Miller and to Urbanic, for an excellent new collaboration between community citizens and businesses ... that's the way to help keep Venice, Venice. Isn't it pretty to think so, at least?

Cheers to #Urbanick!

*Top two photos by Mark Epstein

Send Real Mail!

I've been both the sender and the recipient of beautiful, wonderful real mail this week, and you know, there's just nothing like it. Texts, emails, Tweets, Instagram messages ... all of that is fine and dandy, but when you go to the mailbox and a fun, colorful, envelope with the real handwriting (and in my case, wax stamps, fancy postage stamp, and whatever else I can find to gussy it up...) of someone you care about, it's just the best.

I was lamenting the fact that people just don't send real mail that often, and saying how it's all going to go away if we don't keep the tradition alive, all up on my soap box when I was walking down Abbot Kinney the other night, and saw this stencil on the ground in front of Urbanic.

Awesome. And you better believe that the very next morning, I did just that. Posted it, Venice, California!

Check your mailbox.

May Flowers

Everyone knows you need to stop and smell the roses ... but sometimes life just demands it.

Strolling down Altair the other day, I came upon this arch filling in with gorgeous, fragrant roses. Though pictures rarely suffice, it insisted one be taken.

I was thinking about that, how nice it is that people do things simply because they make things more beautiful in this world, when I walked past Urbanic on Abbot Kinney and they had a card that said, "Stop and smell the roses" in their window. Synchronicity. Pay attention.

Enjoy your own roses you pass by today, and think of me when you take a whiff! Mmmm.


*More synchronicity ... this was today's general horoscope in the L.A. Times:

If you find yourself responding emotionally to the existence of flowers or celebrating the wonder of clouds, you might blame it on the lovely Lady Venus, who yesterday crossed into one of her favorite parts of the sky. Ah, the beauty there is to behold! The world is visual poetry. Give it a soundtrack, and watch it dance!

Yep.