the weekend...

my kitchen window
A "Friday" doesn't mean so much to me anymore. That being said, it's still the weekend and I'm looking forward to relaxing in the sunshine. Until Monday . . .

another one, a good one, bites the dust

Christian Lacroix files for bankruptcy. I don't know what to say. Total bummer. Read all about it.

finger painting

The June 1 cover of The New Yorker may not stand out to you at first. But artist Jorge Colombo drew the cover of The New Yorker using an iPhone application called Brushes. Yea, no shit! You can watch the finger paiting process here.

anja's ankles

At first look, I loved this Emmanuelle Alt-styled photo from Vogue Paris. I grinned when I noticed the older women leaning over to check out Anja Rubik's legs. Of course, I took a double look at Anja's legs, but I was a little grossed out. They are so thin! Her legs don't look as thin in the other photos, but man, oh man, just look at her left leg ankle. Eww.

There is something to be said of a healthy 10 pounds.

great ideas!

Everyone has been so kind to share their New York ideas. I cannot wait to see the Model's as Muse Exhibition. You can get a brief idea of what it's all about here.

And Emily is my new best friend, because she let me know that David Byrne is playing June 8. Talk about perfect timing!

Cute side story about the Talking Head's: when I found out I was out of a job, we (me and my other 1/2) went out and bought a bottle of wine and some beer. My husband put on the Talking Head's Speaking in Tongues record and we drank and danced in the dark till 1:20 in the morning. All I can say is bad times made good memories. We went to bed sweaty from dancing, and woke up sore the next morning.

carine goes coo-coo at cannes

What happen to Carine Roitfeld? One of my favorite fashion ladies isn't looking so fabulous in these photos. Where is the black, the Balmain, the Balenciaga, and her heels? And someone please fill me in, what is with the hat?

I feel like she could be in the don't section of Vice Magazine. What can I say...bad clothes happen to good people?

any ideas?

This may sound crazy based on my current circumstances, but I am headed to New York in 2 weeks. We purchased the tickets and paid for the hotel over 6 months ago. And at this point, it would cost more to cancel, than it will cost to go. So we're going.

My husband will be DJing while we are there. But I am still in need of some awesome, pocket-friendly places to hang out. Got any suggestions?

coming to a new conclusion

You ever have a day when you are in desperate need of inspiration? A break from reality? A moment of calm?

My past two weeks have been a reality check, a rude awaking as some might say. I have spent the last two weeks going from anger to understanding, from fear to frustration. Being unemployed for the first time in years, my reality feels as though it has been subjected to a rather brutal shock therapy treatment. One of which was not of my choosing, free will, or desire. Every day something new has come up, what feels like an "f-you, now deal with this." This is exactly what my previous employer must have thought when she decide to short me 1/3 of my final paycheck.

But after going round and round in my head, I have come to one conclusion - I must let go. You see, I could go crazy with the yo-yo feelings of anger, frustration and fear. But they only hurt me. And feeling nuts about my circumstances changes nothing. "This" is my current situation. And I’ve decided instead of wallowing in it, I will rise to meet it, grow stronger because it, and with time soar above it.

I came to terms with all of this last Thursday. And so, with my new self awareness, I took myself to Whole Foods, purchased some groceries (thanks to my husband), and made Pia's risotto. I found a peace in the 45 minutes it took me to cook. I stared out my kitchen window, found a simple pleasure in my withering peony, and just let go.

Friday Flowers

Here are some fabulous flowers from Hoot & Heart Co. to brighten your Friday.

Enjoy the weekend!

taking a break

I've spent the week trying to figure out work and life, applying for numerous jobs, and hitting refresh on craigslist every 3 minutes. But for the moment, I'm day dreaming . . .

photo source

Lessons to be Learned from Carine Roitfeld

The Guardian UK posted an interview with Carine Roitfeld yesterday. NY Magazines blog, The Cut , saved us some time and pulled out the lessons to be learned from Carine Roitfeld. Three of my favorites:

Lesson 2: If you have figure flaws, move around a lot so people don't notice them.
"If you don't have perfect ankles, still you can move your legs in a certain way and look very sexy."

Lesson 5: Take your clothes off.
"I like to have something every month that is — how you say? — not politically correct. A little bit at the limit. Sex, nudity, a bit rock 'n' roll, a sense of humour. That is very French Vogue."

Lesson 6: Draw style inspiration from ugly outfits you see in airports.
"Sometimes, when you go to airport and look at the people, you see the worst looks — but the worst looks can give you more ideas than the best looks."

The more I read, the more I realize Carine has a fabulous sense of humor. Read all of Carine's Lessons on The Cut.

Through Her Eyes - Installment 3

Layers of Meaning has posted its second to last installment of the Through Her Eyes 2nd Edition. Check it out.

Do or Die for Journeys of Mangonett

Journeys of Mangonett's Do or Die List:

1. My husband and family
2. My agenda! I write anything and everything in it. It's usually covered in post it notes, paper clips, and a variety of pen inks...the brighter the better.
3. Perfumes. I have a huge collection on perfumes, ones for day and ones for night. One of my favorites is a perfume made of violets that I used to wear as a child. I love to put it on before I slip into bed.
4. Chingnon pins. I carry these with me everywhere and stock up when ever I find them at a store. They are perfect for creating a chignon and don't give me a headache like a hair elastic.
5. Books, Blogs, Magazines, Movies, Music... I need them all. I love looking and listening to all things creative, no matter what medium they are.
6. Food. I'm a total foodie and I married a foodie...makes things so much more interesting.
7. Rosebud Lip Salve. The best lip balm ever!
8. Heels. Next to the perfect dress, heels have the amazing power to make you feel uber girly.
9. The water. I love to be anywhere near the water, what can I say? It must be the island in me.
10. Home. I'm a creature that needs to have a space of her own, a retreat from the rest of the world.

Pia's Guide to Paris

Pia of Pia Jane Bijkerk just completed her first book, Paris: Made by Hand.

"This is a book for lovers of all things handmade, the chic and unique, and of course Paris. In this book I take you off the tourist streets of this incredible city in search of Parisian artisans whose work is truly inspirational, and secreted studio boutiques filled with exquisite Parisian handmade treasures. I’ve been collecting these special addresses in my stylist’s little black book over the past couple of years and now with great delight, share them all with you in Paris: Made by Hand. Expect to see this fine city in a whole new light…"

All I can say is this - GO BUY IT! Seriously the images alone are worth it. Read more about Pia's book and get a look inside.

Helena's Home

I am an avid reader of French Vogue. Perhaps more of a scanner, than a reader (I don't speak French). Too bad for Anna Wintour, French Vogue kicks American Vogue's butt. They always have the best photos, best fashion spreads, best models, best everything! I never walk away from the magazine uninspired. In fact, every time I read it, I want to make over my closet, my home, and my life.

May's French Vogue featured Helena Christensen's New York home. Totally unexpected, Helena's home is way more mix-matched and cluttered than I thought. I am in love with all the vintage and rustic finds she has lying around, the random photos are fabulous, and her dog is the cutest.

See more photos of Helena's Home.

Lady Dior Movie - See it First!

Tomorrow, May 20th, Dior will broadcast a 6 minute 30 second thriller directed by Olivier Dahan starring Marion Cotillard, muse of the legendary Lady Dior handbag.

Oh how lucky we are, you can watch the entire The Lady Noire Affair right now (before the rest of the world gets to see it).

Enjoy!

Let's Go Cruisin

Chanel's Cruise 2010 collection was shown last Wednesday on the beach at Grand Hotel Excelsior Lido Resort in Venice. The show started two hours late, as Lagerfeld insisted on waiting for the the sun to set. Models walked a boardwalk, while editors sat in deck chairs. I could imagine editors weren't thrilled about the sand and the chairs; however, they did get to take home a Chanel beach towel (oh the excitement).

Catch up on all the details, and check out more photos.

5 Questions for Designer Albertus Swanepoel

Albertus Swanepoel may be the sole reason hats are making a comeback. The 2008 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund runner up, has put millinery back on the fashion map. And seeing his collaborations with Marc Jacobs, Thakoon, Peter Som, Carolina Herrera, and Jason Wu, is appears that just about everyone is on board for the ride.

But Swanepoel career didn’t begin with hats. In fact, the Coty Award winning, South African designer started out creating clothes. With a successful career under his belt, Swanepoel packed up and moved to New York City in 1989. Working to make ends meet, Swanepoel wound up as an assistant to glove maker Shaneen Huxham. Though the work was interesting, the spring and summer seasons were slow times; therefore, the seasonal slows gave cause for Swanepoel to get creative. Swanepoel enrolled in millinery training at the Fashion Institute of Technology, and lucked out when he found a mentor in Janine Galimard, a milliner who worked with Cristobal Balenciaga.

Fast forward to 2005, Swanepoel teamed up with Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, the designers behind Proenza Schouler. Swanepoel designed the turbans in Proenza Schouler’s surf-inspired spring 2005 show, which in-turn launched Swanepoel’s career in to space. Overnight Swanepoel’s career took flight, and from there the rest is history.

Albertus Swanepoel was kind enough to give me some insight into how he got started, and what exactly it is about designing hats that is so satisfying.

How did you get started designing hats?
I started in 1992 already.......... had to do other things/jobs as well up to 5 years ago, when things changed around for me and I could only concentrate on millinery.

If you weren't designing hats, what would you be doing?
I would be a game ranger in Africa, catching poachers.

What about designing hats makes it better than designing clothing?
Hats are small, sculptural objects, and so personally, I like the smaller scale and the concentration of ideas on a smaller format. I think the medium is also maybe more challenging, since there is a restriction on which shapes a man or woman will wear on their head.

To date, what one moment has been the highlight of your career?
My biggest moment was definitely last year November, when I was announced a runner up in the Vogue/CFDA Fashion Fund Competition! It is a tremendous honor to be recognized by the industry and a panel of very esteemed judges (Anna Wintour, Reed Krakoff, Julie Gilhart, Diane von Furstenberg, etc.)

Being that you are a hat designer, how often do you wear a hat?
I don’t really wear hats, except in the cold of winter. I don’t feel I have to be Exhibit A of my career!

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Swanepoel refers to hats as “the orphan accessory.” We often think of shoes, scarves, or jewelry before hats. However, if you haven’t noticed, hats are one hot trend for spring.

Albertus Swanepoel is available at Barneys New York, Paul Smith in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, in Japan at United Arrows, Totokaelo in Seattle, LouisBoston in Boston and on netaporter.com.

If You Were Interested. . .

You've seen inside my closet, inside my purse, and now you can get a look at what I was like as a child. The 2nd installment of Through Her Eyes is posted on Layers of Meaning. Check it out here.

Lady Dior Exclusive

Dior fashion house is to launch 6 ½ thriller entitled “The Lady Noire Affair” on May 20th. The multi-award winning team Marion Cotillard and Olivier Dahan (“La vie en rose”) worked together on the film. Much thanks to Katja for providing my readers a sneak peek at the upcoming internet film.

What A Week - and it's only Wednesday.

There are some things in life, many in fact, that you have no control over. What started off as an okay week is continuing to spiral into an awful week.

I am out of a job as of this past Monday. (Yea, that job I have had for less than a month.) I won't go into the details, it would involve far too many cuss words. At this point, that is minor though...

My mom called Wednesday morning while driving to the hospital, her brother is dying and she was on her way to say goodbye. Perhaps this would seem not so awful, except my family has had a string of deaths. My dad died two years ago in February, my grandfather passed a year ago in January, and now the time has come for my mom's brother, my grandmother's son, cousin's father, my uncle.

I am stuck in Seattle. When my dad and grandfather died I flew back to California within hours to provide some minimal form of support and structure for my family. But since I am out of work, and soon to be out of money, I am stuck here. Unemployed, sitting in a coffee shop, hitting refresh on craigslist every 3 minutes, as I wait for my phone to ring. I’ve had it ring like this before.

My mom called while crying and driving, and as she works hard to form sentences, I'm hoping and praying to a god I don't believe in that she doesn't get into a car accident. If I was there, I could drive for her. I could make sure they ate something, make hotel reservations for them, grab a glass of water for them, and hold their hand when they didn't know they needed it.

Perhaps what I am most aware of is the lack of control. It could easily drive you crazy. Your mind eventually reaches a point where it metaphorically throws its hand up in the air and says,” what is, is." And hopefully, you (I) can find peace in those three small words.

Circumstance like this put life into perspective. What I know for certain, what I find peace in now, is that I am small, the world is big, and all things keep moving (including myself, my mom, my family). What is, is.

Carine Says The "P" Word

French Vogue's Editor-in-Chief, Carine Roitfeld, was interviewed in the latest of ACNE Paper. The four-page, casual-conversation interview is perhaps one of the best I've read in years. Carine talks about everything from jeans to gyms, from sex to botox.

Even better yet, whether you know it or not, it appears that Carine may have had an effect on how you primp and prime your private parts.

When I started doing all the Gucci campaigns with Tom Ford and Mario Testino we pushed so much and after that everyone copied it. Everyone tried to be this Gucci girl that we created. So I am sure we were part of this tendency. It was good at the time because we were the first ones to do these kinds of images to sell a product and after that everyone kept on doing it. I think now it’s too much. It’s no fun. It’s not chic. We always had a chic eye on everything, even when we shaved the G on the girl. A lot of girls started shaving their pussy in different ways after that so it really became a trend.

Read the entire interview here.

Thaw Fashion Show Review

This past Friday I attended the Thaw Fashion Show in Seattle. The primarily volunteer ran event benefited the Huntington's Disease Society of America (HDSA), with all of the night's proceeds going to help fund research and social services.

Read my review and check out more photos here.

Do or Die for Apt #34

Running a blog can be time consuming and exhausting; however, it does lend itself to some great things. Perhaps one of the best parts is getting to meet awesome individuals like Erin from over at Apt. #34. What started out as a blog diary for her condo renovating adventures, has turned into a frequent source of interior and fashion inspiration.

So what gets Erin out of bed in the morning?

Apt #34's Do or Die List:

1. Great shoes - the ultimate savior for any ensemble, good or bad
2. Being near water
3. The perfect latte - my morning indulgence
4. Dear friends
5. Fresh fruit
6. Good morning and good night kisses
7. Yoga - to keep me sane
8. Local boutiques - to keep me fashionable
9. Good food
10. My Saturday morning routine - bf+coffee+ farmer's market is the perfect way to start the weekend

Bonus #11. Chocolate - because no one should have to live without it

In case you needed proof...

A while back, last month to be exact, I posted a short story about my grandfather. If you haven't read it, you can catch up on the story here. Anyways, here is a photo of me and my grandfather, and most importantly, my hat.

Happy Friday

Happy Friday! I'm off for the weekend, but before I go, much thanks to Coco + Kelley! She posted my closet for her Style (E)scapes series today. Check it out here.

Until Monday . . .

source

One Hot MObama

Michelle Obama was on the Time's Top 100 list. (Duh, because she is awesome!) Anyways, I think she attended Tuesday night's ceremony just to show us what a hot body she really has.

Seriously, check out how tiny her waist is!!!!

Random Bits of Information

My girl friend Allie takes awesome photos. She took my wedding photos back in July.

I recently logged on to flickr and saw some of her more recent photos. I figured I would share the fabulous photos with you. You can see more of Allie's photos here.

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On a completely different note, do want to know more about my personally life? (It's not that exciting, I promise.) But, if you are dying to know what is in my wardrobe, you can get a look inside my closet over at Coco + Kelley. This week Cassandra is doing the Style (E)scapes series on wardrobes, so check out my wardrobe and my top 5 picks for the spring season. See my wardrobe here. (this post isn't up yet, but sometime today)

If that isn't enough for you, Layers of Meaning starts the 2nd Edition of the Through Her Eyes series. In the first of four installments, myself and other bloggers share with you what we carry around in our purses (if I could fit apple pie in there, I would). Find out what is in my purse here.

Margiela's Home Line

Martin Margiela is one of my favorite designers. He's known for his weird, unusual, yet unmistakable designs. Crazy hair coat on the cover of Purple magazine ring a bell? Overtime I have grown to embrace the weirdness and have grown to love his work. Take one look at Carine Roitfeld's Margiela boots and you'll love him too.

As you can imagine, I was thrilled to hear he is starting a line of home designs. Although his home line has not been created for retail yet, he did put some of the items on display last month in Milan.

Inside a large, open room were various replications of Margiela's office, all of which were as covered in white fabrics. There were various other unusual items such as large metallic balls, random doors, and a chair hanging from the ceiling. As to be expected, his home line adheres to the deconstructionist, minimal characteristics that have defined Margiela for the last 20 years.

Get a first look at Margiela's home line and check out more photos of the one room office.

do or die for sfgirlbybay

Aside from an awesome blog that keeps me inspired with great ideas, Victoria from sfgirlbybay has one of my favorite series - Sunday in the city. The weekly photos make me wish I had an afternoon to wander around San Francisco with a camera, enjoying the constant sunshine. So what makes this camera snapping, furniture finding, design creative tick? Read on...

SF Girl By Bay's Do or Die List:

1. I need to have at least one camera with me at all times. I take shots of even the most mundane subject ever, much to the chagrin of my companions. I love my Nikon D80.
2. The love of my life. He definitely completes me.
3. Life in San Francisco. It's pretty difficult for me to imagine living anywhere else.
4. The Alameda Flea Market. It's an addiction that brings me utter happiness.
5. My blog readers. They are so kind and generous and have given me a whole new career and much meaning to my life.
6. My friends. They are a constant source of creative inspiration and support.
7. NPR/KCRW. I don't watch television, so public radio is my link to what's going on in the world, culture and new music.
8. Sushi. I love everything about it - it's such a lovely, social way to eat. In fact I love all Japanese culture and design (but, that's two, huh?).
9. Design magazines - I love Cote Sud, Living Etc., Marie Clare Maison, Dwell, and Real Living. I miss Domino something terrible.
10. Large bodies of water - oceans, lakes and streams. Bubble baths. All water calms and soothes me.