"Kinfolk is a growing community of artists with a shared interest in small gatherings. We recognize that there is something about a table shared by friends, not just a wedding or once-a-year holiday extravaganza, that anchors our relationships and energizes us. We have come together to create Kinfolk as our collaborative way of advocating the natural approach to entertaining that we love.

Every element of Kinfolk – the features, photography, and general aesthetics – are consistent with the way we feel entertaining should be: simple, uncomplicated, and less contrived. Kinfolk is the marriage of our appreciation for art and design and our love for spending time with family and friends.

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The first issue is available online now!

From our good friends at Global Green:

Just booked on the Global Green calendar: A Bike Share open forum Wednesday, July 20, 6-8 PM, at the Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica. Global Green USA has been working with the city of Santa Monica for the last several months to explore the possibility of launching a bike share program in the city, and we’re co-hosting this forum to invite members of the community to join the discussion. Attendees will also be able to test-ride the latest models of bikes from one of the biggest bike share operators. Favorite event detail: secure bike parking will be available. More information on our invitation. More info: Facebook event page (if you haven’t already done so, like us on Facebook for more updates).

The Twilight Dance Series is about Discovery, Music, and Community! The series was designed to bring us together through emerging, eclectic and established music while embracing the very special and unique community that has fueled the series’ growth. Now in its 27th year, the Twilight Dance Series will again present ten free concerts on the deck of the Santa Monica Pier this year, beginning Thursday July 7, 2011. Each Thursday night the highly attended concert series will showcase a different musical theme: The SaMo Mambo: Salsa, ‘80s Pop, Australia Rocks the Pier!, Reggae/Ska, La Monica Ballroom Then & Now, Making Waves: A Night of Surf Guitar, Tango on the Timbers, New Americana, and A Night in Treme!


JULY 7 - The SaMo Mambo
GRUPO FANTASMA
OSCAR HERNANDEZ’ L.A. SALSA ALLSTARS
Cristian Oviedo Salsa Dance Lessons at 6pm

JULY 14 - 80's Pop Rock!
THE BANGLES
CARACOL

JULY 21 - Australia Rocks the Pier!
ANDY CLOCKWISE
MISSY HIGGINS

JULY 28 - Reggae/Ska
THE SLACKERS STARPOOL Plus Rusty’s Surf Ranch Emerging Artist Competition

AUGUST 4 - Cirque Du Soliel Presents Rock of the Bay
In support of a Cleaner Ocean

AUGUST 11 - La Monica Ballroom Then and Now
ROYAL CROWN REVIEW ORGONE AMEERA

AUGUST 18 - Making Waves: A Night of Surf Guitar
DUO-TONES SLACKTONE THE ELIMINATORS

AUGUST 25 - Tango on the Timbers
MILONGATRON Tango lessons start at 6 p.m.

SEPTEMBER 1 - Americana
DAWES SONNY AND THE SUNSETS

SEPTEMBER 8 - Bloomingdales Presents: A Night in Treme

The folks at www.rundown.com, a free daily email that delivers current, relevant, fun info in 60 seconds or less, have put together a little list of 5 ways we can all escape what has so cleverly come to be called Carmageddon:


T-minus three days. Gather your loved ones, your bottled waters, your stock of canned baked beans: Carmageddon is upon us.

This weekend, we're all in the path of the 405's destruction/construction. Here's our trusty guide to surviving the worst of it. For more ideas, visit car-mageddon.com.

Wing it: Discount Helicopter Rides
Having a baby? Going to a movie premiere? If you really need to be someplace this weekend, don't take a car — take a chopper. Rides between Van Nuys, LAX, Santa Monica, and Downtown are as cheap as $150.
Briles Wing & Helicopter, Inc., 16303 Waterman Dr., Van Nuys (818-994-1445)

Get Lei'd: Luau and Surf Contest in Santa Monica
You're safest on the waterfront. Hang ten with long and shortboard surfing competitions, lend a hand in Friday morning's beach cleanup, or enjoy Saturday's all-day luau with hula dancers and quieter shores (with fewer commuters).
Sat 7a-7p Ocean Park Luau & Surf Contest. Ocean Park Beach at Lifeguard Tower 26, Santa Monica (310-428-9295). Free.

Get Hurt: Dancing and DJs in Venice
Only at The Good Hurt will you find naughty nurses writing prescription cocktails to ease the pain of traffic congestion. Electronic Underground kicks off its grand-opening show with DJs, go-go dancers, and free energy drinks, making full use of the club's private booths and pool tables to help alleviate the headache outside.
Sun 8p-2a. DEFIB at The Good Hurt, 12249 Venice Blvd., West LA (310-390-1076). $10.

Chill Out: Gelato Flights
Drago Centro Downtown offers a 4 fo' 5 sampler of gelato, with your choice of four flavors from salted caramel to tomato — all for the cool and appetizing price of just $5.
525 S Flower St., Downtown (213-228-8998)

Get Out: Make Tracks to Santa Barbara
Make your own escape from LA by heading north aboard the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner with a 20% train discount, courtesy Santa Barbara Car Free. Once there, take advantage of Hotel Oceana's own 405-inspired markdowns, including room discount, $4.05 poolside specials, and cocktail reception for drivers who've survived "Carmageddon." Yep, that means you.
Hotel Oceana Santa Barbara, 202 W. Cabrillo Blvd., Santa Barbara (805-965-4577)

A Handbook on Sustainability and Change

This powerful narrative sheds new light on what stifles change, and shares engaging research and proven strategies that every individual, organization, business and community can use to truly enjoy surfing the waves of change occurring in our world today, and in our lives every day.

Surfing Tsunamis of Change by Shanah Trevenna (2011) shares one woman's journey from an unfulfilling career to a meaningful, highly rewarding work-life integration. When Shanah realized her prized engineering job at a high tech company was hurting people and the planet, Shanah left her corporate life and home country of Canada on an exploration of change. Her transformative journey eventually landed her as an unknown graduate student amongst thousands in Hawaii with a vision that her new home would be a model and world leader in sustainability.

Despite finding a culture resistant to change with no recycling or renewable energy, she led a team of change agents to build a movement recognized throughout Hawaii. Using Futures Studies, Engineering, and Political Science her ‘transformative emergent model’ for change introduces 30 easily applicable axioms for creating change in all aspects of life.