I've seen lots of bad art in hotels. Strolling along a hallway or in a bedroom the same art that is found in dental waiting rooms. When the better and original pieces are shown the feel of the hotel as definitely made clear... Your surrounding environment is a key to feeling st ease, that somebody went to the trouble of placing creation before you. A part of their imagination in a tangible form. We are hoping that the pieces displayed at Maggie's Garden Home will inspire your heart and stir you to feel welcome and cared for. So Come and relax amidst the creation.

                   "The Flamed Pomegranate Tree" Is a 4' x 5' acrylic on canvas By R. Yamamoto

                                This is a great Water Color Paper Press by local artist M. Issacs called "Flight"

                              This wood and acrylic by S. Yamamoto is called "The Burning Bush"
                            and below the Winter Robin is Water Color on Paper By; R. Yamamoto

                    "Born Unto Us This Day" Linoleum block Cut on Vellum. By; R.Yamamoto 11/11

                        "Hummingbird in the wind" Linoleum Block Cut on Vellum. By R.Yamamoto

                           "Fruits of the Spirit" Linoleum Block cut on Vellum. By; R. Yamamoto

These are some examples of the Lino cuts created for "The Home". We are in hopes that the one of a kind art will add a pleasant feel and enrich your stay.

I love good hot dogs, sausage, and the right fixin's!

Not just any sausage is a good sausage. Not every hot dog is worth eating. But when I find a sausage worth consumption I will visit often. Newest on my list of "Exotic" sausage is "Wurstkuche". It is the German word for Sausage Kitchen, and they are doing it right. Rare issues of rabbit, rattlesnake, or alligator are the exotic additives to the wild side of the sausage, but tasty gourmet styles with apple, sun dried tomato, cheeses blended with smoked turkey or chicken are also available. I'm kind of a purest, so their more tame classics seem to be my favorites (although I have had the exotics and the gourmet and enjoyed them). They add two of the four toppings for you, caramelized onions, sauerkraut, sweet peppers, or spicy peppers. All of which are mind blowing. all on top of a beautiful bread roll, not a nasty hot dog bun as most are so sadly poised. They also have four different mustards to top your sausage, and several internationally flavored dipping sauces for your deep fries steak cut potato fries, yes and catsup too for you true blue Americans. They also host a great list of Beers both on tap as well as bottled. 10 minutes from Maggie's Garden Home in Venice.

See availability now on AirBnB!

Well we are finally open for business! 

Go to www.AirBnB.com and search for "Maggie's Garden Home in Culver West"

Test drive an Asher Guitar!

 Here is Bill Asher, President of Asher Guitars out for a test drive on a newly finished "Ben Harper" Signature Model!

A room of "guitar art" awaits you! Get ready to ROCK!

Guitars in every stage of production!

Fun with wood.

Today's work had me sanding and polishing some beautiful guitar necks, buffing them out to a spit shine and ready for hardware. It seemed as soon as they were done they were being put onto the bodies that were patiently waiting to be completed. See finished Asher guitars at the NAMM show opening this weekend!

Meet Robert "The Pharaoh" Asher. Artist and Technician

I've seen his work, and this humble man has skills! Here he puts some bake-a-lite to the router and jig to create the perfect pick guard. Also scrimshaw pieces, inlays, and more create the impressive and personality of the hand built Asher guitars.

Meet Bill Asher.

This is Bill putting the final touches on one of his "Electro Hawaiian" Lap Steel Guitars. If you are a guitar buff or love to work with wood, being a "Luthier" (guitar craftsman) is the ultimate thing! You can visit the Asher Guitar factory by appointment, free of charge, by appointment only when time is available when you stay at Maggie's Garden Home. This is another fun place I get to work and see a real master of his craft create images of beauty from a block of wood to a screaming guitar on the lap of the likes of Ben Harper. see more at asherguitars.com

New lace curtains!

Robin worked it out and created a great look for Maggie's Garden Home. New sheer lace curtains are now hung in all the rooms and they make for a bit of romance and privacy. Tell me how you like it in the comment area! We love the feedback!

New eatery in Culver City

On occasion we like try our luck at new places to eat around our homestead. Today we had dinner at Yamadaya Ramen on W.Washington Blvd.just east of Sepulveda. Our daughter Sarah had requested it for her 13th birthday. Unusual and dynamically different the broths were rich with flavor and the noodles were interesting in a good way. Not traditional in any way. Casual and relaxed atmosphere, a little loud, but none the less good food under $10.00 a serving.

Sunset from the porch.

It's not an everyday experience, but lately the sunsets have been breathtaking. Grab a cold frosty and your favorite snack and enjoy Gods painting. These are shots from the porch at Maggie's Garden Home, enjoy!

Great fishing + Kitchen prowess = Awsome dinner

This weeks fishing excursion takes us to the Channel Islands, a series of small islands off the Southern California coast. Leaving Channel Island Sportfishing ( http://www.channelislandssportfishing.com ) in Oxnard Ca. we boarded the "Mirage" a small overnight boat an Wednesday evening around 9pm. Sleeping on our way out to Santa Rosa Island we arrived at dawn to 20kt wind and 10ft swells. A little bumpy and cold Captain Tucker (in photo with me above) put us adrift over a series of rock structures. By lunch time we had our limits of good sized Vermillion Rockfish, Chuckle Heads, and both brown and blue Lingcod, so off we went to fish another spot to target Ocean Whitefish. Within a couple of hours we had filled all of bag limits (20 fish Total per bag). See the tasty baked lingcod with Costa Rican Styled "Gallo Pinto" flavored with the famous "Salsa Lizano" and fresh sweet peppers with sea salt. Kine Grind Eh Bruddah!

Bathroom gets a facefilt of Mexican clay art!

Trying to find good pieces had proven difficult but not impossible. New Porcelain tile floors, "Kohler" pedestal  sink,commode, and fixtures, mirror in a hand made mohogany frame.

Kitchen appliances are ready for use!

This was an interesting task. I want the feeling of home, but didn't want my customers to read several instruction manuals on "How to operate devices in the kitchen". So we kept it simple!  Dishwasher, Coffee Maker, Microwave Oven, Blender, Stainless Steel sink with disposal, Four Burner Stove and Oven, Pots and Pans, knifes, forks, spoons, Cooking utensils, Synthetic Cutting Board.

Bedroom awaits the final touches!

Lace curtains ans custom Euro pillows will adorn our new Simmons Natural Latex Fully adjustable bed. Also more art is on the way.

Dining Room is ready for your meal!

We decided to go a little more formal with dinner plates and glasses, but casual bowls and plates are also available. We have also been unpacking some treasures that have been put away from previous trips around the globe. The ambiance is getting more and more "home-like"!

The deck gets some new slats and a paint job!

We are done with all the necessary repairs to our little deck. Complete with a couple of teak chairs and a table. Its a great place for a casual drink of meal, and faces west to see the sunset.

Details, details, details....................

This week has been a mind bender trying to get it all right. I thought I'd post some new photos so you could see our progress. We still have a good sized list of details to go over before opening.