In your face September issues!

Their oversized September issues proclaim that Boho is dead; Safari is in; denim jackets are cool (again);  if your boots don't lace up, store them; and if your coat isn't camel, you'd better re-think winter.

Whatever.

Considering that I had to turn 108 pages to get to editorial in Elle,  I think we can agree that "what is cool" is designed and sold by whoever bought the full page ads closest to the front cover. Oh, and which front cover?  The one with a joyful Gabaray Sidibe?  Or the reverse with four super skinnies celebrating the magazine's 25th anniversary? This particular double cover annoyed me.

Sorry if I appear bitter.  I'm not.  But...come on. Harper Bazaar's "Buy, Keep, Store" continues to judge. Oh how cleverly they forget what they told us to buy last year.. begging the question "how much storage space does one need to designate for fashion?"

I don't often go to the mall but today I needed something from the Mac counter (hello sweet Aimee-Beth!) and was forced through Macy's to get there. Yes,  there they were- the fur collared vests;  the black two-pieced suits;  the small floral prints (ala Seinfeld's Elaine character); and the black leather Motocross jackets.  And, although here's nothing intrinsically wrong with any of these garments,  I kept wondering what if we had decided to wear them last year?  Would we have been considered fashion forward? Probably not. Will Elle give me credit for the camel coat I bought on sale at Anthropologie at the end of last season?  I doubt it.

So, I'm just here to encourage you to wear what makes you feel good....what defines your own personality.  Be rebellious.  Don't care too much about what's supposed to be in fashion. Wear your embroidered Mexican wedding dress with cowboy boots or your preppy pink and green striped polo shirt not because somebody with a byline at Vogue gave it four stars or a "revised" preppy handbook needs to sell copies.

I'm NOT saying it's okay to be stuck in the same old thing you've always done.  What's so fun about that? I hope we can continue to evolve as we figure out who we are. What I am saying is  (I almost typed "just saying" eew) explore what feels right for you and feel good about what you wear.  Let's be more like Mondo Guerra on Project Runway who, in response to Michael Kor's resort challenge said that "my resort time is me in my living room in my underwear and tee-shirt." Take that, Michael Kors!

Present tense favorites

Listening-Billy Bragg

Snacking- Fage greek yogurt with honey and walnuts

Reading- iMovie '09 The Missing Manual

Wearing- Old Navy jeans and a big white shirt
Cooking- Pizza from scratch (including crust)

Appreciating- Ajinette at Radio Shack

Dreaming- backyard redesign

Watching big- Get Low

Watching small- Breaking Bad
Sniffing- Marc Jacobs Amber

Pocketing- iPhone

Coveting- mature shade trees

Lifting- upper body free weights

Remembering- Ethan's first bike ride video
Shopping- Gerards
Laughing- Ricky Gervais

Subscribing-  Fine Gardening
Cancelling- Harper's Bazaar

Reviving-  Filofax
Thrifting- Community Thrift, Covina
Weekending- Downtown LA

An Autumn Color Story

Here's the latest palette I've been working with and I paired my garments with some pretty accessories I found while perusing Etsy. Visit Mia Beads, Jenifer's Family Jewels, and Ikestaedt for more information on these sweet accessories.

REMINDER!

Artistic License is this weekend- Friday, October 23rd and Saturday, October 24th at Estancia Park in Costa Mesa, CA. All reports call for perfect weather so come out and enjoy art in the beautiful outdoors.
See prior blog post for additional information about the show.

Fall/Winter 2009 Inspiration

This is coming very late in the season. I have tried numerous times over the past couple of months to get going on Fall but always found excuses to procrastinate. Here are a few:



"I don't like what I'm seeing in my big fat fashion magazines."

"It's too hot to think about Fall."

"I don't want summer to end because I'm having way too much fun designing alternative wedding dresses."

I used the last one the most.

But two things happened. First, we bought a new piece of art by Charles Dwyer called "First Performance- 1936." It's a work on paper of a Russian ballerina- Alexandra Danilova. The artist painted a beautiful image of her on stage and also sewed swatches of the costume design, curtains and theatre seats in a sort of story-board form.


It inspired me greatly.

Also, today is September 1st and in my mind, I sense a change in the season. So, I pulled out my magazines (again) and began to look with new eyes. All of a sudden I saw things I had completely missed before. I was immediately drawn to aubergine, ochre, turquoise, Chinese red and sapphire blue....and textures on top of more textures and mixed patterns and volume. I continued to ignore the geometrics and out-of-scale shoulder pads and black leather leggings but found myself so much more drawn in than the last time I looked.

Below you can see my complete inspiration board for the coming season including some cuttings of fabric and trims. Tomorrow I set about pulling out all of my textiles and trims to concoct my first garment.

Heart-pounding color to cheer the June gloom

I just downloaded "Jai Ho" the pulsating track from Slumdog Millionaires having seen a group of young dancers perform to the song outside LACMA a couple of weeks ago. I loved the performance- especially the costumes- vibrant with color and metallic reflections. So even though we're in the midst of spring and quickly approaching summer, I am drawn to the beautiful colors of India today. Here are a few favorites to share with you.


1940s Remix wedges


Enamel pendant by bullfinchbarbury

Clutch handbag by esonefone



Beret by dadaya


r

Right now

SAVORING Las Brasas' albondigas soup
WEARING Jeffrey Campbell shoes
SIPPING a cup of tea in the evening (photo from zoogal)
ENJOYING Greek yogurt (photo from These Days in French Life
EYEING Iceland poppies
BREATHING THROUGH kundalini yoga
LISTENING TO Antony and the Johnsons
READING "Self Portrait in a Velvet Dress" ,
COVETING handmade jewelry by Etsy's simplytess.

I like what Doretta Says

[caption id="attachment_197" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="Doretta on her Harley and Bettina, the store"][/caption]

"'Oh my daughter could wear that-- she would love this store.' Before the customer in question had opened her mouth I knew what she would say. Every day I hear comments 'If I were 15 years younger' or my personal favorite 'I hate when women dress like teenagers.' These words come spilling out of the mouths of women, some attractive, some not so, some mature in age, some younger than I.Words that undermine the individuality, personal style and , gosh darn it, send us straight into the matronly zone."

Doretta's New Rules of Dressing as she calls it, says everything I've been thinking but unable to articulate. The idea that when we turn a certain age, we have to start buying Sag Harbor....give me a break! Thanks, Doretta, for speaking for many of us who choose to express ourselves through fashion and refuse to be defined by what others think is appropriate.

I met Doretta through my Etsy store a couple of years ago. She purchased one of my favorite tops that incorporated a vintage corset. There are certain sales that really make me want to know more about the customer...who they are, what they look like, their personal style. Well you can imagine my excitement when I learned that she owned a fabulous boutique, Bettina, in San Francisco. So when I was visiting the Vivienne Westwood exhibit at the deYoung last year, I stopped in to take a peek. The visit confirmed everything I expected- a beautifully edited collection of women's clothing and accessories with a clean and modern aesthetic. She was at market so I didn't get to meet her in person. And it wasn't until I read "Doretta Says" on her website that I fully appreciated how much I love her.





Let's hear a round of applause for Doretta and be sure to visit her website or store if you're in the City by the Bay.

16 Things...

...you might not know about me.


1. I attended one Brownie's meeting and dropped out because I was too shy.

2. In junior college I dated two Rogers at the same time.

3. As a child my secret fantasy name was Joann.

4. Chuck Connors invited me to dinner when I was 23.

5. I read 32 books the summer between 3rd and 4th grade.

6. I've never taken an art class.

7. Football annoys me.

8. I'd love to learn to tap dance.

9. I buy candles but forget to light them.

I0. Intelligence is my favorite aphrodisiac.

11. My wrinkles are starting to bother me.

12. I stopped going to church at 18.

13. I sometimes regret working when my children were small.

14. I'm rarely in bed before 2am.

15. I usually exceed the speed limit.

16. I am thinking about planting an herb garden in the spring.

Senior Moments

Revisiting my senior year in high school, originally uploaded by lorimarsha.

An email from flickr friend, becktress, got me feeling a little nostalgic recently. She knew someone who went to the same high school that I did and we were trying to figure out if we knew anyone in common. That got me to thinking about the fact that over the years I had lost all of my yearbooks. Moving away from home, renting storage units...who knows where they ended up? I have no idea. But it felt like there was this little hole in my personal history.

So I decided to go to ebay and see if I could replace them, or at least one. And would you believe that one was available from the Goodwill store in Tacoma, Washington? It was from my senior year and had belonged to someone who I had shared what we called "homeroom" with as a senior. We had the same last name..and in those days, for this one class, we were seated alphabetically. So...there it was on the internet and available for purchase. Of course I bid on it. I was the high (and only) bidder and it came in today's mail, in pristine condition.

Only one person signed it. (That part is kind of sad.) As I looked through the pages, I was taken back to that year, to that time in my life that was not entirely pleasant. But not awful, either. Just not my "glory days" as some feel about their high school years. Then my thoughts moved to the prior owner. What had become of her? How did this yearbook end up at the Goodwill? And...how did they know her last name? She was addressed only by her first name in the signed comment.

Mad About Plaid

When I was about 12 my mom sewed me a pair of tartan plaid knickers with a vest. I loved that outfit and there began my lifelong love of plaid. There's something about the tartan plaid that rings happiness with me. So that's what I was thinking when I redesigned a pair of stretch cotton toile pants this week. The muted fabric design had a bit of an "English hunt" theme so I added a bright splash of plaid at the cuffs with vintage button trim. I thought it looked nice with this vintage 1960s plaid jacket, French souvenir scarf and leather belt. The outfit was inspired by Vivienne Westwood...she is also admittedly "mad for plaid."

My Secrets

This is big. I'm going to share my secrets to happiness. A list of things that I have found to have exponentially added to my joy in life. The things that I love so much that if they were to disappear, I would sense a lessening in the quality of my existence. The things that no one else told me about. The things that I have discovered on my own. Here they are (in no particular order.)

1. Stell's Hue Hue Tenango coffee

2. Dansko shoes

3. Olay Regenerist Microdermabrasion System

4. Mountain High Plain Nonfat Yogurt

5. Sebastian Molding Mud

6. Joe's Jeans

7. Etsy.com

8. The Essential Leonard Cohen

9. Keri Lotion Original Formula

10. Gerber Daisies

11. Bypassing the waiting list at The Claim Jumper and eating in the bar

12. Cakebread Chardonnay

13. The Office

14. Filofax

15. Osho Zen Tarot

16. Jazzercise

17. Green Bakelite

18. Ken Watanabe

19. Flickr

20. Dia de los Muertos

21. Deltoids

22. Vintage corsets

23. Bette's Ocean View Diner

24. Big Hunk

25. Vincent Van Gogh

26. Patchouli

27. Paris

28. Stumble Upon

29. Grilled Artichokes at the Daily Grill

30. Chanel No. 5

Charge me Full Price, Please

Carl and I were in Palm Desert over the weekend and decided to go to the movies. We had seen the previews for "Conversations with Other Women" and thought it looked good. The next showing was at 10:40 so we decided to buy our tickets and go have a cup of coffee before the show. When the cashier asked for $12.00 and gave Carl his change from the $20 I mentioned that movies were cheaper than in Redlands. Didn't think anything more about it until we were sitting outside the Starbucks and Carl handed me my ticket. "I guess that explains why they were cheaper," he said. I looked at the ticket. Senior $6.00 admission.

Carl laughed and said he was happy for the lower price. I wanted to know at what age the "discount" was given so I'd know just how badly to feel. And I thought I looked so good in my new Joe's jeans. I never thought I'd be unhappy to save money. But there it was. An unwanted discount.

Out of the Closet

Is there anything in your closet that has stood the test of time? My closet is in a constant state of flux since I go through it every few months and relegate stuff to the Goodwill or to the "other closet" in the guest room where a few months later it may, too, be relegated to the Goodwill. Occasionally, however, things find their way back into the "good" closet and I ask myself how I could have possibly considered getting rid of them. Too much time on my hands? I think not. I love my closet. I just really enjoy the process of sifting thru, organizing, sizing up, etc. It is a perpetual cleansing and helps me work thru the process of letting go and opening up space for more!

Which brings me to the question of what in your closet really stands the test of time? I asked myself this question this morning and was surprised at the answer..... not too much. If I haven't worn something in the past 12-18 months...it is out the door. So here's a list of what has remained in my closet for more than 18 months:


Nicole Miller black, sleeveless cocktail dress-- no ornamentation, buttons, zippers--just a simple A-line design in luscious black wool crepe. Purchased in the mid 90's. Last wearing: 12/22/04.

Levis 501 buttonfly jeans-- soft and comfortable from multiple washings but still a dark enough blue to not look faded and there are no holes, rips or signs of distress. Got too used to the low rise cuts and these sit high on the waist. But can't let them go. Purchased in 1984. Haven't seen the light of day since about August '04.

Vintage circle skirt-- 1950's full circle cotton skirt with graphics of lavender giraffes on a black background. Holding on to it because even though the vintage circle skirt thing got a little too trendy, it's still a great piece. Purchased in 2000. Last wearing Summer '05.


Gap white shirt-- 100% cotton like a man's dress shirt but slightly fitted, starched and ready to be worn. Purchased 2003. Last worn 3/25/06.

J. Crew denim jacket-- slightly fuller cut and darker, dirtier wash. Went thru a period where I almost didn't like it but now glad I hung on to it. Purchased Summer 03. Last wearing 10/05.


Beaded vintage cashmere sweater-- one of many I acquired while binging in this category a several years ago. This one is too beautiful to let go of even though I may never wear it again. Delicate shade of pinky peach with the letter "L" embellished with peachy pink pearls. So yummy and pretty. Purchased 2002. Last wearing Easter Sunday 2004.

So what does your closet say about you? Is mine a reflection of my quixotic relationship to fashion or shall I interpret something more deeply disturbing about my inability to hold onto material posessions? The answer to that question changes depending on my mood. Today I'll just say that fashion is simply one way that I define myself and it seems that my definition changes frequently.

2005 Favorites

Favorite Fashion Moment. Cate Blanchett wearing Jean Paul Gaultier at the 2005 Golden Globes.


Favorite Scent. Mac Creations MV3. Their description: A deep dark velvety blend of bergamot, jasmine, vetiver, vanilla, whipped with leather, sparked up by amber crystals and tolu balsam wood. Exotically earthy, rich and ritualistic, totally addictive. My description: Incredibly hard to find.



Favorite Lunch. Mountain High plain nonfat yogurt mixed with a sliced Granny Smith apple and a small handful of chopped walnuts. We hosted a cyclist for the Redlands Bicycle Classic last Spring and Josh introduced me to this combination.


Favorite Pharmaceutical. Lactaid. Allowing me to enjoy my favorite lunch.



Favorite Song. Ron Sexsmith's song "In a Flash" from the Whereabouts album.



Favorite Beverage. Byron 2004 Pinot Noir. Their description: An ancient varietal with its roots in eastern France, Pinot Noir is a red grape that is highly expressive of its terroir. Byron Pinot Noir has undertones of cherry and plum with depth and velvetiness from maturing in oak. My description: tastes really good.



Favorite Film- Broken Flowers. Loved Bill Murray's performance --written and directed by Jim Jarmusch.



Favorite Play. August Wilson's Radio Golf at the Mark Taper Forum.



Favorite George Bush Quote. "I think we are welcomed. But it was not a peaceful welcome." —Defending Vice President Dick Cheney's pre-war assertion that the United States would be welcomed in Iraq as liberators, NBC Nightly News interview, Dec. 12, 2005

On giving thanks for........

Carl- the complete package.... intellectual curiosity combined with down to earth substance. A man both pragmatic in the realities of living and non-judgmental when it comes to other people's choices.

Jessica and Kevin- each finding their way in life while putting their own spin on established maps and signposts. I'm thankful for the choices that they've made to learn what's important for them.

Scout- a true companion. Happy to just show up next to me in each room of the house, circle a couple of times to find her special spot, and settle in for yet another nap. An occasional butt rub or walk around the block or game of long knotted sock tug is all she asks for in return.


Women friends- we talk about stuff that we care about and it doesn't matter whether it's reality tv or how we lost our virginity or the war in Iraq or our relationships with our kids....the important thing is that we talk.

Freedom to create- every day I acknowledge how lucky I am to behave in creative ways...to experiment with new processes and ideas...to jump into new areas of expression.

Health- gratitude to this loyal body of mine that has sustained me through fits of good and questionable behavior. Nutritional and otherwise.

Home sweet home- the place I'd rather be than anywhere else in the world.

Things I like right now

Apple green, sparkling mineral water, Gwen Stefani, orange lantana bushes, a brand new yellow highlighter, my new dental hygienist, Matl silver jewelry, Grape Nuts, Dia de los Muertos, New York Times travel section, Ethan's laugh, lamb and basil saute, Nanette Lepore, brown shoes, Jessica's calls, microfibre dust cloths, Holly's emails, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Daily Ohm, saying "it bodes well" or "it doesn't bode well", Native Foods with Kevin, hammered copper, Mac MV3 perfume, my turquoise and orange RY tee, Ode Magazine, Al Green singing "Let's Stay Together", watering the plants, Carl popping the wine cork loudly, Stell's coffee, White Sox uniforms.

A Cooler, Hipper Fanny Pack?

Is that even a possibility? The accessory designers in the 80's that offered fanny packs as a viable alternative to handbags were on the right track. But they never figured out how to resolve the frump factor. Exotic animal skins and glitzy hardware called attention to a design that might have worked for an afternoon hike in the woods but failed to transition to fashion.


Why a cooler, hipper fanny pack? Clutches tie up a hand or create that tight elbow to the waist posture. Shorter handled bags hang off the elbow and tend to bang into store displays and children's faces. Shoulder bags just beg to be overfilled, creating dented shoulders and lopsided posture.


So, are you nuts, you ask? Why would a handbag designer spend time figuring out how not to carry a purse? Let me be clear about what I'm doing here. I am simply determined to create an alternative to all of the clutches, hobos, totes and shoulder bags that we love to collect. That sometimes annoy us. That we could never eliminate from our lives.


I've been experimenting with recycled black lambskin and designing pocketed belts that will hold a cell phone, lip gloss, cash and ID. So far I've developed three styles...."biker chic", "holster variation", and "tool belt retooled". Inspired by Harley enthusiasts, the Old West, HGTV home makeovers and racy lingerie, I'm shooting for broad appeal.


My original target audience was the club scene. After admitting to myself that my knowledge of clubbing was limited to the words themselves, I widened my market to include anyone who has hips and would like to have their hands free. Think shopping. Pushing a stroller with a toddler in tow. Working the refreshment stand at a Little Leaque game or a t-shirt booth at the Warped Tour. Dancing. Imagine being able to turn your back to the shopping cart at the grocery store and actually inspecting those Granny Smith apples. The possibilities are endless.


I'll post some images soon. Then you can tell me whether you agree that a cooler, hipper fanny pack is possible.

Short Hair

I realized today that all of my friends have short hair. *See note at bottom. I'm not even sure why I was thinking about this but I was. The thought just came into my head- all of my friends have short hair. Mine is very short so a few of them have longer hair than me. It may be cut in layers but, overall, the style would be considered short. So picture Ellen Degeneres or Meg Ryan or Angela Bassett or Halle Berry before extensions.

So anyway, I started thinking about all of the people that I hang out with and couldn't think of one with long hair. And I don't really understand why. I'm friends with a with a pretty diverse group of women- aged 18 to 80, various backgrounds and personalities. I like long haired women. I admire them, actually. I've never had long hair.

Then out of the blue I started thinking "what if there is someone I haven't thought of who has long hair who, if remembered, will disprove my theory?" And then I asked myself "what theory?" I really didn't have one... it was just more of an observation.

All of that went through my head in about 20 seconds. And for some reason I started thinking about it again earlier this evening. I wondered if there were statistics out there about women with short hair. Isn't that what the internet was invented for? After a quick Google ("statistics short haired women") , I found this article that talks about why women cut their hair and how it gets easier as they age. Also lays out some stereotypes that you may or may not agree with):
short hair info
There was another article claiming that it is an urban legend that short haired women are targeted less frequently by rapists. Is that good news or bad news? Now I'm getting confused.


*Note: July 20, 2005- I have since realized that I have at least two friends whose hair could not be considered short. But I swear they've grown it out in the last two months.

Vegetal Epiphany

For the past year or so I've been buying the romaine lettuce hearts- three to a package. Seemed like the right thing to do. The preponderance of lettuce in the fridge inspired more salads, etc. However, it seemed like the final head wasn't quite as fresh as it should be and we hadn't been able to keep up with the salad consumption. So... last Thursday when I was in the produce department at Stater Brothers, I took a look at the old-fashioned heads of romaine lettuce, sold individually. Perhaps it was time to revert back to them. As I picked up the leafy head, I noticed the color- a beautiful shade of dark green. I examined the outer leaves and found them to be leafier and more fibrous. "Aha!" I said to myself. "Isn't it true that the more intense colored vegetables have the most nutritional value?" I walked over to the prepackaged trio of romaine hearts and compared the color. They were a pale green; the leaves, slender and consistent. It was then that I realized I had unwittingly fallen into the "we're making life easier for you" trap. I felt ashamed. Call me nuts, but I also felt betrayed by my green grocer and the produce suppliers who had sacrificed nutritional value for convenience. I bought a head of the old-fashioned romaine.

Later that night when Carl came home and we were chatting in the kitchen while I fixed dinner, I told him about my revelation. I explained why I had decided to stop buying the hearts of romaine....how I had discovered a conspiracy of sorts to reduce the quality of our favorite lettuce...and detailed the thought process behind my decision. He looked at me and said "I think romaine is romaine." In my head I was quoting the all too often quoted Jim Carrey's "allrighty then." Carl didn't seem interested in discussing it further so we changed the subject to the increase in junk mail, something upon which we could agree. Upon.

Common Threads

I spent a few hours with a friend of my 20 year old son, Kevin, last night. Shaina had asked if she could "come and hang out and make some art" so we made a date. "Let's start small," I suggested. We decided to design a pair of earrings and she collected a little pile of findings and started to design. Combining skull beads, copper wire, vintage orange and green leaves and other small glass beads, she created one of the most unique pair of earrings I've seen in a long time. Totally original.

Turns out she's not only an earring prodigy but works in oil pastels, clay, polaroid photography and plays guitar. And she's 18 years old. And very bright. We talked about a lot of stuff that I had no idea that eighteen year olds even thought about. Like Diane Arbus and Jesus and Denny's and insomnia and Dia de los Muertos.

So I'm trying to remind myself that the next time my 80 year old neighbor or your thirteen year old nephew says something, I need to do more than listen. I need to ask a question and listen to the response. Then ask another question. There's a lot to learn out there.