I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to a very quiet Easter weekend, with lots of Rest & Relaxation.

Last time I did that was in Palm Springs. The Ace was the Place and the mind was at peace.

NYC doesn’t seem to want to give us desert-like heat any time soon, but I can (and will) at least start the day off with a fresh-squeezed OJ mimosa.

Her husband won a Golden Globe (Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama) last night, but Livia Firth is the one to really bring it home on the red carpet. She has challenged herself to only wear sustainable fashion in all her public appearances, and you can follow her journey on her Green Carpet Challenge blog.

The dress was designed by Jeff Garner of Prophetik and made from Tussah silk (more commonly referred to as Peace Silk) — which does not kill the silkworm in the process, unlike normal silk. There’s a bit too much gathering at the waist for my taste, but I think it suits Livia gorgeously, and that’s the point. I do love how the color of it changes with the lighting.

On the Green Carpet Challenge blog, Livia writes:

Where do you stand on silk worms? I have to say I’m not overly moved by the “cruelty” issue with conventional silk — they are just worms, or am I being heartless? But what I do love is that it is produced without the chemicals and waste inherent in normal silk production. It also gives a stunning lustre.

So add to this eco silk some hemp and we have a truly hippie fibre. And even more exciting (I think!) Jeff has revived natural indigo dyeing. He’s even grown his own Indigo Plant which takes us back to the 1800s, before someone discovered a synthetic substitute which resulted in destroying rural Indian economies — where natural indigo had sustained people for generations.

The thing I really appreciate about Jeff is that he thinks very deeply about problems in the fashion chain such as the heavy chemical pollution associated with dyeing and comes up with a considered response. His understanding of ecologically intelligent fabrics and processes is as extraordinary as his respect for the natural world.

What’s not to love there?

Top two photos via the Green Carpet Challenge blog, bottom photo via Style.com

One day, I want to live in one of these. On a quiet beach somewhere. Or wherever I feel like being that day. Wouldn’t that be amazing?

When looking back at the year that past, I spent some time going through photos. It’s nice to sit down and relive great moments, which is why I’ll be sending you a few postcards from the past. This one’s from January, 2010 — a gorgeous long weekend in Ojai.

We flew into LAX, rented a convertible and drove up the PCH. It’s the best drive in the entire world. The further inland you get the hotter it gets, and there are more cacti.

We arrived at Casa Barranca, an organic vineyard/yoga retreat high up in the mountaintops. Our room had a fireplace and a bath tub. We did yoga and some reflective reading. It’s so quiet up there.

The estate also has an incredible citrus grove, where you pick oranges, grapefruits and clementines right off the tree. I ate so many I was about to turn orange. We also petted dogs and drank lots of delicious organic wine.

We got up early in the morning to go for a hike over the mountain — a very LA thing to do. Morning chill turned into desert heat very quickly.

We also went for long walks, had big group dinners on the porch, went for a nighttime swim in the pool, played ping pong and formed a spontaneous jam band, but none of that made in into the camera. This is one of my favorite places in the world, I have been twice and hope to return soon. Read more about Casa Barranca here and see more photos here.

After waking up on that Sunday in the desert, we headed to 29 Palms Inn for brunch. The Inn has been around since 1928 and has been known to attract a celebrity or two.

We did not park in the lawn mower parking. But, we did check out the on-site farm, where much of the produce (as much as you can reasonably produce in the desert) for the restaurant is grown.

There was a hammock. I love hammocks!

There were also grapes, most of which had shriveled on the vine and almost turned into raisins because of the heat. These were the pretty ones.

The atmosphere is refreshingly laid-back, and the room (bugalow, really) rates are pretty affordable.

This cute one is called Gold Park, has two queen beds, a sun porch, a hammock and could be yours for a night for between $90-175, depending on the season.

Despite the heat, we decided to enjoy our brunch outside, by the pool.

It was yummy.

We also had mimosas, a weekend-must, before we headed off to Joshua Tree National Park. Great start to a great day.

See my other desert posts here, here, here and here.

Waking up in the desert is amazing.

I step out onto the porch and look out over the vast prairie that lies in front of me. All is silent.

I stretch and yawn and am amazed that it’s actually realtively cool here in the morning hours.

Maybe that’s why pretty desert flowers survive.

It also amazes me that there are power lines out here. Too bad there were no solar panels back when these were installed. It would surely have been easier.

One day, I want my own little house on the prairie. Off the grid.

After the dusty desert drive, we ended up at Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace.

My vest matched the backdrop of the stage.

Where a country-western band was playing. Inside, the crowd consisted mostly of locals — with plenty of families and kids.

We had a plate of cheese fries, then ventured outside, to the outdoor concert space.

There was plenty of meats roasting over an open fire.

The crowd was very L.A. We even had a minor celebrity-sighting, Pixie from the reality show L.A. Ink. The evening’s acts were Alain Johannes, Sweethead and Earthlings?, pretty good.

Pioneertown was founded in 1946 by a group of Hollywood investors with dreams of creating a living movie set — an 1870s frontier town with facades for filming and interiors open to the public. It still has the feel…

Driving through the desert as the sun is coming down. The car in front is whipping up dust that starts to cover my lens. I suddenly realize the meaning of the expression “being left in the dust.”

Camera firmly in hand, I try to capture all the amazingness that surrounds.

Desert landscapes swish by. Apparently driving fast makes you feel the bumps in the roads less. People here drive really fast.

The sun is almost down and we have almost reached our destination. Where to? You shall soon find out.

I never got a chance to patronize this fine establishment. Even so, I found it worthy of a blog post.

Love the hand-painted signage and genius mix of weathered wood and semi-rusted corrugated metal.

Oh, and there is a pole outside where you can tie up your horse while enjoying libations inside. Forget what I said about the bike. Next time, I want to come here on a horse!