My joy and happiness is renewed in the company of creative women. This morning, five of us gathered for camaraderie, conversation, and crafting.

My current goal is to improve my watercoloring skills. How fun is this description? Watercolor is celebrated for its fluidity and the beauty of its "happy accidents". Water acts as an active partner in the painting process, where artists must learn to embrace the unpredictable nature of the medium rather than fighting it.

If it's Thursday, this is where we like to be. Sadly, life has made other plans for us most weeks but we were there this week.

"The shoreline turns into South Lake Tahoe's summer stage. Presented with The City of South Lake Tahoe and Visit Lake Tahoe, Live at Lakeview gathers locals and visitors for community, music, food, local makers, and amphitheater-style views of the lake."
It also seems to gather old friends. We met up with this sweet family who were in town from Sacramento.
This amazing community event was the brainchild of Rob Giustina. What a very cool guy!
Plus people watching is exceptional.




I love this guy's shirt!
Everyone had their favorite viewing spot!


The band, Joe Marcinek with Groove Session, was a lot of fun.

How wonderful to be able to attend two amazing history lessons on pretty varied topics.

Though we knew some history of California City and Tahoe Paradise, David added layers of knowledge and introduced us to so much we never knew.
I could listen to David for hours. I really wish I would have had someone like him as my history teacher in school. I can't wait until his next lesson!

Our second lesson was another Tahoe History Talk on the Beach. Author Paul Nelson brought to life the intrigue and opulence of Lake Tahoe's earliest resorts as he discussed his book, Lost Grand Resorts of Old Lake Tahoe.
"Beginning in the 1800s, Lake Tahoe's beauty enticed entrepreneurs to build the most opulent resort hotels in America catering to the wealthiest from California to Nevada. Baldwin's Tallac House, the Tahoe Tavern and Brockway Hot Springs Hotel fought to outdo one another, taking luxury to new heights with musical entertainment, movies, horseback excursions, and five-star dining." Paul's knowledge was presented so that one paid attention. I enjoyed it so much that I purchased his book to learn even more.

It had been almost 11 years since these ex-Temeculans came for an overnight. With just 25 hours together, we made the most of it.

To get to Round Hill Pines Beach Resort we parked at Rabe Meadow Trailhead and strolled to our favorite idyllic beach spot (5 r/t miles, 10,581 steps total).

That said, I love standing on this historic deck. In 1931, the Round Hill Pines property was purchased by Arthur K. Bourne, one of the heirs to the Singer Sewing Machine Company. The Bourne family resided on the property during the summer months. During his tenure on the land, Bourne purchased additional acreage at Lake Tahoe, eventually owning 800 acres in the basin. In 1951, he built a house one mile to the north and converted the summer place into a commercial resort.

Dining on the lakeshore with old friends... What a perfect Saturday.

Years ago, I heard of a Midcentury Modern neighborhood in Las Vegas and Steve agreed to take me there on our way out of town.

Some background history before we begin our tour. Prior to the 1950s, Las Vegas was a burgeoning city that hailed gambling as its main attraction. By the mid-1950s, the city had grown so popular that it was no longer just a place to go gamble—it was a place for Hollywood’s elite to see and be seen.

With its proximity to Los Angeles, the mob-run casinos found a new way to attract customers and stand out from the pack: hiring talent. The bosses hired only the best and paid them accordingly. Marlene Dietrich, Frank Sinatra, and Sammy Davis Jr. were a few of the notable Vegas performers at the time.

As the 1950s came to a close, the city was evolving. The mob’s organized hold on the city was eventually edged out by Howard Hughes and other savvy businessmen, who shifted Las Vegas’ gambling background into a booming destination for gaming and entertainment of all kinds.

With tourism at an all-time high, there was an obvious need for housing. And while ad hoc and organic development was already in progress, real estate developer Irwin Molasky (and his company Paradise Homes) saw an opportunity to bring Las Vegas its very first master planned community. This was in 1960.

As a developer, Molasky sought out successful SoCal architectural firm Palmer and Krisel Architects to bring its distinctive modern design to this newly planned neighborhood: Paradise Palms. The vast majority of this historic mid-century modern community was designed by this dynamic duo of Modernism. It was safe to say that Las Vegas’s elite found a new hot spot—not just to travel, but to live. (Side note: I am a huge fan of Krisel in Palm Springs. See more blogs about him here.)
So here we are, in Paradise Palms, a historic community in the heart of Las Vegas proper. It includes roughly 1000 homes that are situated on the Las Vegas National Golf Course (originally the Stardust Country Club). Some of the neighborhood’s notable residents throughout its 60+ year history have included Dean Martin, Dinah Shore, Debbie Reynolds, Howard Hughes, and Bobby Darin. The golf course country club was also a popular hangout for the Rat Pack and other famous celebrities of the golden era of Las Vegas.

Homes were visioned by Molasky to be “designed for the better life, placing a newer and higher standard of living within the reach of the vast majority.” Master planning was done by TME Engineering Services Corporation of Los Angeles, CA who had gained fame planning the communities of Lakewood and Palos Verdes Estates. Curved streets were laid out ending in cul-de-sacs with the intent to “add to the privacy and quiet of every home.” Paradise Palms would go on to win the American Builder magazine award for one of the best planned communities in the U.S.

Each home was touted to be of "contemporary design for modern desert living.” Starting at $25,000, 3 and 4 bedroom plans used similar concepts employed in other Palmer & Krisel communities. Each home was offered in three unique elevations with flat, gable, folded plate or butterfly roofs. Homes were post and beam construction with facades using combinations of decorative block, shadow block, stone or board and batten siding. Sides and rears of homes were finished in a medium sand stucco finish. Facades were also accented with modern-styled window planter boxes, sunflaps, and wooden window screens. Interiors offered shoji sliding doors, kitchens with floating islands, and unique suspended upper cabinetry over breakfast bars. Countertops were offered in 4” x 8” ceramic tiles in grey, yellow, brown, cinnamon, and blue, a hallmark of Krisel’s designs, and custom rectangular brass pulls accented cabinetry offered in light or dark stained natural wood finishes. Other unique features include marble countertops in each bathroom, sunken bathtubs, unique fireplaces with either block or floating concrete hearths. Oh man, it's calling my name!





These were affordable homes with $25,000 in 1960 being the equivalent to about $283,043 in purchasing power today.

Steve is standing in front of Johnny Carson’s former estate, located at 3333 Seminole Circle. Built in 1965, the mid-century modern property spans roughly 3,400 to 3,500 square feet on a quarter-acre lot and features a vintage pool where Carson’s name is still preserved in the cement.