Wright Land

We had a very special treat this weekend.  P was invited to a classmate's birthday party.  Since we are in a new school, and it's still relatively early in the year, we don't know anyone too well.  We received the invite via email and I noticed the hours were 12-5pm. Also, the party was potluck.  These two factors were a new concept for me as far as kid's birthday parties go. To be honest, I thought it was a bit odd.  The hours were terribly long and bring our own food?  What?  But in the spirit of building new bonds and making sure P was feeling included in her new school I was enthusiastic the party. Plus there would be cake. In my book, cake makes all good. The give away would have been the address. But,  it meant nothing to me since I don't really know Malibu all that well. Had I forwarded the email to Dave, he would have given me a head's up about the treat we were about to have.

Turns out our friend's are associates of Eric Lloyd Wright....as in Frank Lloyd Wright's grandson...as in Lloyd Wright's son!  The party was on their property in Malibu!  This property is magical, amazing, beautiful and rustic with breath taking views. Eric and his wife were there!  I had so many opportunities to say hello but I get tongue tied around this kind of legendary genius.  I also tend to ask very inappropriate questions. Like I wanted to know what is it like to grow up essentially branded by a name? How do you make your own identity?  Do you even bother?  I mean, really it seems like the entire family followed in grandfather's footsteps.  Was it out of genuine passion or why do something else when the road is already so brightly paved?  Who asks these kind of questions at a kid's birthday party?  Me!  So, it's best I just keep quiet.

 I took as many pictures as I could without seeming like an architectural paparazzi. I think that's what I am, an architectural paparazzi.  I step into a beautiful home and I want to pull out the big Canon and shoot away. But we're guests and I feel very, very privileged to get invited. The last thing I want to do is invade any one's privacy.

The Wright's land has a pond, that the kid's played in.  Rocks with caves that P climbed in with her buddies and a beautiful build out patio area with what seems like an outdoor arena. There's an outdoor kitchen and a lovely water fall feature all under giant trees. That's me nursing G with the soothing water falling on rocks behind me.

They also have a home that's partially built.  I didn't get the full story on it.  So far it has been built into the mountain side so it's completely unobtrusive to the landscape.  Even in the unfinished state it's in, you can feel how the home was built to blend with nature and engage all five senses.  The skylights on the top floor were so well placed and soothing. You could feel Mother Nature was in control of the dimmer.The fireplace was located out close to the floor to ceiling window where you would feel like it could have been outside, yet feel it's warmth inside.  The views of Malibu and the ocean were phenomenal.

Besides the aesthetic of the place there is really a magic there.  I tend to worry too much about P's safety. Here I felt she was in a safe place and yet there was water, cliff edges, heights, rocks, caves, etc. But the energy of the land let me go. I know it sounds hokey but the place was special.  I don't know how else to describe it. The party was really wonderful. The kids had so much fun in a way like no other party we had been to.

Here are my pictures.