rogue parenting: vestiges of light

"When his parents pick him up from school, they're always taking pictures of each other's outfits."

Maximize your fun, a good friend once said.

My vest: Marc Jacobs 

His vest: Levi's

spring, summer, to fall... what is your favorite season to dress for?

Spring...

Summer...

To Fall...

 

Spring, Summer, to Fall... What is your favorite season to dress for?  To dress for.  Just yesterday, my fashionista-Phd.-wielding-momma friend, Holly was explaining to me how it's not that she likes to dress fancy all the time, she likes to "dress for her day".  She says she likes the "pomp and circumstance" of it all.  Me too!  I thought about how I dress for my day, and I realized I dress for occasions that I imagine might happen or that I desire or that I am trying to evoke.  Here we go, from the top:  

Spring

Evoking:  I am going to a mother's day tea.  In Palm Desert, California.  In the 1960's.

Reality:  I was hosting an open studio of my art. 

Summer

Evoking:  I am an actress in a Greek Tragedy at the outdoor theater by the sea at the Getty Villa.

Reality:  I was picking up my sons from cross country practice.

Fall

Evoking:  I am drinking Turkish coffee in Prague at a vinyl listening party.

Reality:   I took a walk and took photos of cats on the street.

                    

Nice outfit, cat.

Spring:  dress - vintage, necklace - vintage

Summer:  dress - Matty M, skirt under dress - Matty M, necklace - vintage, Mexican blouse - vintage

Fall:  dress - Mayle, belt - vintage, necklace - Tiffany's, headphones - Sony, boots - used, unknown, darn label worn off!

guava boots

This is what together looks like right now.

I dreamed of a guava room. It was guava colored with guava branches hanging down the walls.  There was a window somewhere with nice late afternoon light coming in.  Paula, giver of pineapple guavas floated through the room.

"Paula, Paula!  I got these two pairs of shoes!  Come see them!  They're amazing, and they were only three dollars!"

She looked back smiling and floated away out the guava door of the guava room.

Do you know that as I write this, I am breathing guava?  This photo is actually a combination of Paula's little pineapple guavas sitting in front of me amid my dad's giant guavas and avocados.

So the next day after the dream, Holly comes over to drop off not only her son for the (last) mega slumber birthday party, but also two pairs of boots that look a lot like the shoes in my dream.

And they fit.

And they are comfy.

Thank you San Francisco friend of Holly's sister for cleaning out your closet, and thank you Holly for thinking of me.

Happy.

boots by Hanna Anderson, top is vintage, jeans by Levi's 

Miss Marple

Spring break'n it on Main Street with Lissa of Two Trees Herbal and the dashing Aristotle the Photographer...

Us ladies were fresh off a very amazing night at my studio, Paradiso Arts where we gave the workshop, Transformative Power of Beauty with the effervescent Briana Schuck. We were feeling all glowing and successful because we created an art studio/spa/feast for a special group of women. We got to reap the benefits of each other's teaching as well. It was down right transformative that is for sure!

Prior to this photo shoot, we had a hat fest at Fedora Primo in Santa Monica. I might have to go back for a huge, floppy brimmed wool black hat. Made me look mysterious. Artists must retain their mystery (ha!), I learned from a character on Miss Marple, that happening BBC murder mystery show set in the early 50's, I've been addicted to this spring break. God, they have a superb costume designer!!! Anyway, I digress. Lissa and I discovered at the hat shop that we are both attracted to hats that do not look good on us. On the other hand, when we try on hats that we are not attracted to, we end up looking incredible. Interesting. Aristotle was the only one to walk away with a handsome purchase... In this case, a Greek fisherman's hat. Perfection.

We pose in front of the shop, Paris 1900 which is NEVER OPEN. Art nouveau spectacular shop design. My outfit is a 2013 take on Miss Marple, while Lissa's is part forest.

Also, prior to this shoot we had just rolled down a grassy hill overlooking the ocean in skirts. It's okay because we decided we were 12 years old for the day.

Laura's tank is by American Apparel, cardigan by Loulou, shoes by Hush Puppies, belt is homemade, and healing stones necklace is by Nicole Hoegl.

Lissa's outfit is vintage, baby!

Aristotle's hat is by Dorfman Pacific Company.

I'm not a shoe person really.  Well, I do LOVE boots, but I don't consider myself a shoe person especially because I have picky feet.  Anyway, aren't these beautiful?  I like to be able to run in my shoes.  Running randomly for fun.  Running in emergencies.  Let's stick with the fun image.  These are made in Namibia

Adding this image to my little shoe gallery was inspired by a walk to the Van's store today to get our youngest some shoes.  His first Van's.  They didn't have these, but I was impressed by the moccasin style selection.  It was pretty cool that my husband and I both have memories of going to the local Van's store in the early 80's and ordering our custom shoes.  Multi-tones of blue, a little hawaiian print here and there.  Ah, the excitement of knowing they might be ready, hopping on the cruiser and going to collect them.

Okay, like I said.  I am not really a shoe person... but I am a dress person!  So all that talk about running made me add some running dresses onto this post.  I couldn't help it.  Just had to sneak them in!  I have no idea who makes the yellow one because it is off a Japanese blog and the link from the dress goes to a website that is all in Japanese.  Oh, but I do covet it.  And the Nike white one is perfect for running away with your groom to your honeymoon.

I can't seem to stop.

My Mother's 60's Mexican Dress

I have had this dress for a very, very, very long time.  My mom got it in the 60's as a thirty-something single woman.  I always imagined her buying it in Mexico City, but I have no idea.  I'll tell you something, though.  When I took it from her in my early twenties... I had to let the hem out.  Yes, it was SHORTER.  A lot shorter.  Those crazy 60's.  I wore this dress to improve our luck in finding an apartment in San Francisco.  Two wearings and two trips up north later and it worked.  I added a belt from another dress here and those ubiquitous boots.  The earrings were hers, too.  I love my mom.  I feel her looking down on me, and laughing like she used to... "Ay, Laura.  Te vas a poner esto?" ("You're putting that on?") Shaking her head.  Mystified at some of my tastes, but always entertained.

vintage clothing expo IS my disneyland

Santa Monica Vintage Clothing Expo.  If I wasn't doing yoga and meditation all the time I would have simultaneously hypervenilated, had a panic attack, and lost all feeling in my legs when I walked into the Costumes from the 1930's Mexican Independence day booth.  But luckily, I am doing yoga and meditation so I didn't.  Whew.  

And by the way, I found one a shorter version of one of these skirts that needs a little TLC in another booth for $15.  Score.

I put this find on when I got home.  I am hoping I can wear it when I get to be a "fancy extra" on Enlightened tomorrow, but I am waiting for that special call from wardrobe for my instructions.  (Did you hear my secret agent attitude.  Always.)  Anyway, this dress isn't really vintage.  It was a stowaway at the expo, but it makes me want to say, "Yes, take me to the Tonga Room."  We lived a few blocks from San Francisco's Tonga Room in another fairy tale chapter of our lives.  Go there.  You exit the street and enter a night time tropical paradise, with a band playing on a barge surrounded by a lagoon, happy hour food on skewers, and it RAINS.

Dress by Kimchi in Blue

Rebecca!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First, thank you to my friend, Laura for getting me to the expo (texting me during Avengers the day before), and thank you to Rebecca for missing the surprise part of a surprise party to come shopping at the expo so last minute.  Rebeeca comes dressed to do some damage in her beautiful platform shoes, lady-like hat, updated 50's shape skirt, modern neck drapery (What did I just make up?), and... come on!  She had to get these gloves.  She was an accessories girl that day.  Delicate handkerchiefs, suit triangles for her man, sunglasses, and gloves... those gloves.  Ms. "No thank you, I don't need that plastic bag for my vintage treasures" Harrell Tickell is one of my super heroes whose film, "The Big Fix" about the BP oil catastrophe will be released on DVD on June 19th.  Pre-order your dvd now!!!

new single... two outfits!

Boom Boom! from evan hartzell trio on Vimeo.


Ummm... I feel so decadent.  In addition to occasional fashion styling, painting, filmmaking, art teaching, event hosting, I sometimes get to write bilingual songs which I get to sing as a part of Evan Hartzell Trio.  It's so fun.  


Here's the fashion part... I get to imagine what I would wear performing these songs in some romantic location like a Santa Fe weathered-wood floored bar, or on Venice beach with my blue silk dress getting sandy and wet while I listen to the track on headphones.  For some reason, I love getting that dress dirty.  Preferably with once again romantic dirt like sand on the beach and charcoal in the studio... not cherry-flavored Slurrpy at a kid's movie outing like I got on it later that evening after shooting this video.  I don't care that my sentences don't make sense anymore.  Poetic license.  And I love dot, dot, dot... if you haven't noticed.  Everyone can dot, dot, dot if they haven't tried it.  It feels really good.  It stands for looking up at the trees while you wait for inspiration.


On the sidewalk:  Levi's/Pendleton collaboration poncho, Levi's top, X2 jacket, Lithe skirt, Tsubo sneakers.


On the beach:  Rebecca Taylor dress, Zinc jacket

I can't believe I'm saying this...

...but, so far my favorite Fall 2012 collection is Victoria Beckham.  Why?  Because I actually want to wear these clothes.  It's not about admiring craftmanship and art, like when I take in Rodarte.  It's about knowing I can do what I want to do in these clothes... but do it better because the feel is so inspiring.  It's inspiring to action.  The cuts are so feminine.  The details are sporty.  And the models are wearing BIKER BOOTS, not high heels.  Plus, the dresses are all elegance in the front and sassy in the back.  You've got the watch the video to see this.  So cool.  Please, can I have some?  I don't usually ask. Or by some miracle, help me figure out how to make something like this.  I mean, I can't even tell what kind of fabric is happening here.  I have never been so into zippers. 

Check out the well-placed, flattering stripes.

It's so predictable I would like this.  Just add an apron.

And here is the video so you can see the backs and the way they move. 

Favorites from Spring RTW 2012

Valentino Spring RTW 2012 says, "What's the big deal?  We know what you want.  It's a no-brainer."

Louis Vuitton... yes, it's the same dress - on the horse, off the horse.  

Alexander McQueen's women will make things happen.  I swear those photos are moving a la Harry Potter...

My new love - Vena Cava.  These are the clothes I drive around in my red car in with my BFF's getting boba drinks on the sunny westside, feeling the ocean breeze.  It's called "no time".