If you went overboard at the beginning of quarantine, and you bought a lot of plants, and now you have a lot of dying plants, might I recommend following Christopher, the Plant Kween, @plantkween on Instagram?

On Mondays they talk about Monstera’s and these tips are IMPORTANT. As a Monstera mama, who’s had her Monstera for years, I’m embarrassed to find out that she needs a moss covered pole to climb up, and I should be spritzing her roots. My Monstera is a monster. But yours doesn’t have to be. Check out their tips below!

 

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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ GURL??IT??BE??MONDAY??‍♀️?✨ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ A kween is ready to get this week started and because its #monsteramonday a kween is shining some light on one of her fav monstera gurls, Ms. Monstera Deliciosa Albo-Variegata ? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I’ve been a plant parent to this kween for three years, and it has been a journey. She lost 2 of her 3 leaves within the first couple of months, and did not grow a single leaf for almost two years. Last summer I was convinced she was not going to make it, and so in a last effort, I repotted her into well-drained soil and attached a moss-pole. GURL, this kween must of loved her makeover because since she last summer she has grown with a fierceness … the most recent leaf unfurled last week, dahling ??? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Moral of the story, hunty … don’t give up on your struggling green gurls, just yet … do a lil research on her needs, inspect those roots, assess what kind of light she’s getting, measure humidity levels, modify your watering schedule … cuz when that struggle green gurl finally shows up with that new growth, it’s one of THE best feelings ? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Green Gurl – @sprouthomebrooklyn Pot – @cleancutmosaics Moss Pole – @illexotics Humidifier – @target Fir Bark- @petco Spray Bottle – @thecontainerstore

A post shared by CHRISTOPHER ? (He/She/They) (@plantkween) on Sep 28, 2020 at 5:12am PDT

If you’ve ever wondered where we got our inspiration for wall murals, look no further than Camille Walala. The French-born University of Brighton grad takes mural painting to a whole other level. In Fort Smith Arkansas, Walala transformed a 1950’s gas station into a cheery dream.

Walalla’s art is heavily influenced by the Memphis Movement, an art and design movement from the 1980’s started by Italian designer Ettore Sottsass. Memphis design quickly gained popularity but was described by its detractors as tacky and vulgar and a sign of the excess of the 1980’s Yuppy generation.  You will remember it mostly from your youth in the Max the set from Saved By the Bell or the interior re-design Kathleen O’Hara does to the Beetlejuice house. Obtuse strange shapes, loud colors, patterns inspired by African, Japanese, and Indian and even American-Tiki cultures, all describe the Memphis movement. And Camille Walala has taken it to the next level.

Her murals are of epic proportions sometimes taking up entire sides of multi-story buildings. She uses bright colors, black and white stripes, and geometric shapes to transform spaces into happy and inspiring retreats. It’s just the kind of eye candy you need right now.

*Midi Trumpet Horn Plays Here* Here ye Here ye! We are amazed at all the work folks did for the micro Sketch Festivals. Community members from all over the US have figured out how to create videos together while being located in different houses, different towns, even different states. We found this to be so inspiring we thought “hey – if people can figure out how to put together videos in all of these locations, maybe we can figure out how to make digital sketch teams.”

So that’s what we’re doing.

How do you apply? Well we’ll release that info soon. But first find out if you’re qualified to apply.

1. You are qualified to apply if you are currently on (or were previously on) a Ruby LA sketch team from September 2019 until right now.

or

2. You’ve taken our comedic content sketch class. If you haven’t taken that class there are just two spots left (as of this writing) so jump in there!

We’ll release more info soon so keep checking back for more info!

A new announcement about a news announcement!

We’ve interviewed some amazing teachers and house team members over the years in our newsletters. And we thought it was a gd shame that all this great content is buried out back in an old newsletter bin. So we scooped up the bin, dusted off the newsletter password, and converted all of our old emails into this hear ‘blog’.

Going forward, though, our news section will be filled not only with cool stuff going on around The Ruby LA space, but also projects that we and our performers are working on, essays from some talented writers, and just general things we are totally into. Because hell, it’s 2020, so why not start a blog.

Here you’ll find what we’re listening to right now. Hint: it’s good music.

Janaya ‘Future’ Khan is the role model we all need right now. Their ability to explain major historical and political events in such an easy to understand and patient way is the only thing we want to watch.  Every Sunday they put out a Sunday sermon and this is our new church! Everyone get in and buckle up. A little bit of hope is about to march into your day.

 

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Empathy has become a vexing topic. Liberals will evoke it as stagnant value that often cuts down real movement work, newer scholarship suggests it causes more harm than good, and studies show us that there is a ‘racial empathy gap’ with real life consequences. This Sermon grapples with the concept of empathy, what empathy looks like in action, and what must be done to live with the fullness that this work, and your life, demands. The more you become who you are meant to be, the fewer people you will have around you. This is true, but remember that you cannot live the life you deserve if you are surrounded by those who do not deserve you. Remember our brother Dijon Kizzee. We will keep fighting for him. #blacklivesmatter

A post shared by Janaya Future Khan (@janayathefuture) on Sep 6, 2020 at 1:09pm PDT

We’ve all started wearing masks. And they are, in the words of Vogue, the “It Accessory” of 2020. But we need to start accessorizing the accessory. And also warding off evil in the process. Enter the “white bead” chain from Mikukumi.

Mikukumi is a Etsy store based out of LA. They make delicate gold / gold filled pieces (important distinction for those with sensitive skin) like necklaces, bracelets, or earrings. But the piece that really jumped out is their white bead chain with its blue eye detail and spiritual protection. Eyes on jewelry and artwork have been around for thousands of years and were thought to be a repellent for “the evil eye” – a curse that brings bad luck to those who unfortunate enough to be plagued with it. And right now, sis, we’ll try anything.

How are you accessorizing your it accessory?

Sometimes we’ll talk about comedy classes, sometimes we’ll talk about comedy shows, sometimes we’ll talk about activism, sometimes we’ll talk about women owned businesses, we’re a real mix. This article is an example of one of those things. 

In our latest podcast, hosts Randy Thompson and Lindsey Barrow chat with board member Jeff Thompson about the high cost of comedy classes. And our guest expert Nick Armstrong (Rise Comedy) chimes in with his expert knowledge about why classes are too high, what theaters should be doing, and what performers are getting wrong too.