awesome winter hair

                   

Winter hair.  Black and white can be so elegant.  I love white hair.  White as air.  White as wind.  White as the snow.  I think my outfit was inspired by the two art shows I saw on Sunday.  Yes, that can happen to you.  One day you are looking at someone's art, and the next day you're wearing it.

Top to Bottom:

Me, wearing vintage dress by Filene's, sparkly neck wrap thing from my friend's closet - no tag, anniversary earrings.

faultline and falsettos (shell-ed), oil and wax on canvas, 30" x 24", 2013 by Joseph Lee.  

Angel, linocut, edition of 50, 1992 by Elsa Flores.  Printed in collaboration with El Nopal Press.  El Nopal.  The coolest.  See this print at off ramp gallery in Altadena.  Go now through January 12, 2014.  2014!  It's pretty there.  It's really not that far away.  Nice old trees.

Style icon, Yasmina Rossi, queen of white hair.

Elevate

The purpose of dressing is to elevate.  That's what I'm thinking today.  Taking off for a walk to the beach yesterday, I needed to make this day special.   Again, that pomp and circumstance.  I am capable of flying in this outfit. I kind of want a broom like Kiki's Delivery Service. I could do more than deliver some cakes, however, in this outfit. I might cruise over Milan in these boots, and sprinkle an art installation all over Florence' Uffizi Gallery that brings to light our connection to nature, our connection to each other. How's that for concluding Thanksgiving break?

Boots: Italian, Dress: Levi's, Sweater: Vintage, Purse: Vintage, Sunglasses: Tokyo Shop

photos by Evan Hartzell

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.