HAPPY Los Angeles

Meet our friend Heather Arndt who used to get HAPPY by designing skate shoes for DC, Vans and World Industries.  Now she gets happy with HAPPY –  her newly opened Los Angeles shop that combines gift, garden and gallery to create a unique space, full of inspired gifts and thoughtful embellishments that “just make us HAPPY”  Oh and her daily AM hike to the top of Mt. Hollywood helps, too.

Why did you create this company?

I love design, I love art and I love to shop. I created Happy so I could indulge in these things regularly.

What makes you HAPPY?

A thoughtful design, and inspired piece of art, a job well done, a day well spent, my daughters laugh and when all else fails, cupcakes.

What products help HAPPY to continue smooth business operations?

An accurate level with measurements, a cordless drill and a good broom.  My iPhone is pretty key as well. I really don’t know how I ever functioned with out it. Remember in the early 90′s when cell phones were rare…crazy how much that has changed..

What inspired the idea?

I don’t know if there was one inspired moment. I was searching for a way to bring the elements of my life together. I do freelance product design, I finished graduate school for painting, and I have a lot of artists friends who are making great work but don’t have a lot of opportunity to show it, and a lot of designer friends who are trying to create their paths in design. Happy was born from the desire to have a space to showcase, discover, and promote the people and creations that I have come to know and love, and the ones I’ve yet to meet.

What is the best thing about starting your own gig?

You know there is the whole freedom aspect, but really, it’s the adventure of it. Everyday is a new challenge or opportunity. I wake up excited to come in and start my day, hopeful to see what new people, things, ideas will come across my path.

What is the worst thing about starting your own gig?

There’s not any real worst thing. You know, they call it work for a reason, some days; I just call a cookie a cookie and take a day off with my daughter.

What product is a must-have for you from your store?

I use my kleen kanteen and envirosax bag every day. So I think they must be my must have, however, the dining table Ping Pong kit is pretty indispensable at home.

Who visits your store?

We have every kind of patron from actors to moms from my daughters preschool, artists to city council reps. We have such a great and diverse community of customers and fans, its really heartwarming to see everyone come together at our events.  I genuinely love the people who come in, they are becoming like a family.

What is HAPPY doing for the green movement?

Our team tends to lean toward companies that are environmentally conscious. Production, packaging and impact are a big determining factor when I’m looking at someone’s line.

What do you hope readers will take with them after visiting your store?

I hope they will feel like they found a new special spot to come check out art, find a unique gift, and most of all, feel HAPPY!

How long did it take you to set up the store?

From signing the lease to opening our doors it was about 4 months. I think it will always be a work in progress. We get new ideas and change things up. Create new windows, displays, art shows…

What inspires products sold within your store?

Basically the product has to inspire me. I stick to what makes me feel excited, and that works.

Where do you shop?

The Village here in Los Feliz has lots of great shops, Skylight Books,

Ozzie dots or Apartment 3 for vintage, Fresh Pressed.  I love a good day of thrift store shopping.

Upcoming Events to recommend?

Our year anniversary is in November so we have an event in the works for that. In December we have “Plenty” which is our first annual small works show. Small affordable art for the holidays.

Our upcoming art openings are:

Nov. 2009:  Los Angeles artist Chelsea Dean will offer delicate graphite drawings in Happy’s main space; Los Feliz Renaissance man Donald Krieger’s visual homage to Walt Whitman (project room).

Dec. 2009 – Jan. 2010: PLENTY – Happy’s first annual small works exhibition.  Over 100 artists – small, affordable and fun!

Feb/March 2010:  Recent paintings by Chicago’s iconic artist William Conger, Project Room TBD.

What music makes you HAPPY?

Phoenix, Yeah yeah yeahs, and the Rolling Stones are in heavy rotation right now. We listen to music all day at the store, so “Pandora” is a lifesaver. I put it on “the cars” station and it plays the best 80’s mix ever. Our employees can also put in their tastes and get a mix they like AND I got my ipod back.

What product makes your mom HAPPY?

She likes all the kids’ items. She buys them for my daughter and won’t let me give her a discount. It cracks me up.

Tell us something funny about the process of creating your store.

My 3-year-old daughter Colette is my jr. merchandiser, from the beginning when she is in the shop, she’ll follow behind me rearranging everything that can be reached from 3 ft tall. Sometimes it looks better than the way I had it to begin with.

Shop on line: happylosangeles.com

Shop in store: 4675 Hollywood Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90027

Frieze Art Fair

15-18 October 2009

Frieze Art Fair takes place every October in Regent’s Park, London. The fair showcases new and established artists to an international audience.

Frieze Art Fair announced that the Frieze Music presentation for 2009 will be a performance conceived and choreographed by Turner Prize-winning artist Martin Creed. Co-commissioned by Frieze Music and Sadlers Wells, Work No. 1020 will be performed at Sadlers Wells during Frieze Art Fair 2009. This will be the first time that Creed has created a dance piece. Tickets are now on sale.

• Buy tickets
• Visitor Information

A Group Show introducing Gallery Artists
AUG 25 – OCT 3, 2009
Opening Reception: SATURDAY, AUG 29, 6-10pm

Wine tasting generously provided by Carruth Cellars
DJ Chuck Prada
Public Welcome

ARTISTS

pre-register now.
see + buy the book.

While @ Comic-Con visit booth # 4833
Featuring Murphy Art Books by Mark Murphy and Jeff Soto

What to expect @ the booth:
original artwork by Jeff Soto and Mark Murphy will be made available and high-quality art books featuring: Ray Caesar, Jeff Soto, Kathie Olivas, Bob Dob, Mark Murphy, Martha Rich, Jonathan Viner and more.

More from Mark Murphy here, follow it, we do.

…continued from TKDANewsletter 34 June 2009
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BUTCH & harold are the imaginary childhood dogs of sister team Michele and Ariane Gold. The dogs went everywhere with the girls and now have most recently become the namesake of their innovative home design collection of peel and stick artwork. Imagine – art that requires no framing, hooks or hammer! WE LOVE IT! Interview completed by Michele Gold

Why did you start BUTCH & harold?
It was born out of the frustration of living with bare walls and the expense of decorating them.

What’s the coolest thing about what you do?
Coming up with great ideas and then finding out lots of other people think they’re great as well!

Favorite thing you sell?
“stickr (frame)“s are my favorite because they really allow you to personalize your space with your fav pics and change them out on a whim and create a gallery display on your wall.

If you weren’t running BUTCH & harold what would you be doing? I’d be producing great Broadway musicals…. because if I can’t make you smile in your home with great aesthetic I’ll make you smile out of your home at the theater.

What is your Fave Musical?
Definitely “Ragtime” – one of those rare shows that nails it on all levels – great music, inspiring story, goose bump moments throughout!

What types of dogs are BUTCH & harold?
Butch is a miniature doberman pinscher and Harold is a cairn terrier.

Why is BUTCH caps and harold not?
I chose to create the logo of our company with BUTCH spelled in all caps and harold spelled in lower case because I felt that through the style of the lettering the dogs’ personalities are brought out – similar to their names themselves, BUTCH is more in-your-face and harold is a much more passive puppy! (BUTCH is pink and harold is orange…)

What pics do you have in your “frames”?
Since it is so easy to change it up, I like to rotate my pictures with the endless pics of my kids that I’m taking and also sometimes throw in some old pictures of friends and family for nostalgia sake!

What famous people are fans of BUTCH & harold?
Snoopy is a fan. Paris Hilton’s dog Tinkerbell has dated both BUTCH and harold. Rumor has it that Bo Obama has a few of our pieces in his new crib at the White House.

Do you twitter?
Butch does but harold is pretty low key. We have a page on Facebook though!

Any new projects in the works?
We have some new frames coming out in glam colors – pink and silver. They will be introduced this summer.

What CD is playing in the BUTCH & harold office?
A mix of the Beatles, classic 80′s, Rilo Kiley and of course, showtunes!

Do BUTCH & harold wear outfits?
When posing for new packaging design BUTCH & harold love to role play – check out their conductor hats on the “stickr train (frame)” and wait till you see what they picked out for the soon-to-be-released “stickr glam (frame)”. It’s hot. Otherwise, they like to roll au natural.

Special TKDA offer: free “stickr (mini)” with each order, just type “TKDA” in the comments section of the check out process. Get sticking.