The Romper: Like Overalls, but Hotter

One-piece hotness.   

Word of the wise: Lay off the liquids that day.

Clockwise from top left:

1)  Black belted romper by Insight. UrbanOutfitters.com

2)  Navy belted romper by Marc by Marc Jacobs. $248. Bloomingdales.com

3)  Aqua silk romper by Gypsy 05. $149. Nordstroms.com

4)  Burnt orange silk romper by J. Crew. $98. Jcrew.com

5)  Steel gray romper by Lucca Couture. $58. UrbanOutfitters.com

6)  Black tie-dye romper by T Bags. $149. RevolveClothing.com

Baroque'n'Roll

Balmain's Fall 2010 collection screams rock'n'roll royalty.  Decarnin, moving away from the military inspiration (finally), takes a grander, richer approach this season, using deep jewel tones & luxe metallic brocades.  If Fall 09 brought us Holographic Hendrix and Spring 10 was all about Grungy Sgt. Pepper, then I'm going with a 17th century Mick Jagger for Fall 2010. And what's sexier or more purely rock'n'roll then Mick Jagger!? PS: The gold brocade coat is breaking my heart...

Images via Style.com

Mucha Love

Taking the awesomeness of Czech art nouveau artist, Alphonse Mucha, to another level.  Mucha's "Ete" is going on my side when I finally have the funds.

Images via Nouveautattoos.com

File Under Hilari-tee: No Star

This one makes me laugh...& yet, I feel so inspired.

Check out more No Star tees at NoStarClothing.com.

Witty. Sarcastic. Crass at times.  If anything, they'll make you smile.

Queen of the Stone Age

Jewelry designer Liz Larios creates beautiful, eclectic, strong pieces - reflections of the women who raised her.  The native Californian mixes fine-plated metals, semi-precious stones, and found objects, resulting in a statement collection that's deceptively versatile.  Add edge to a sexy LBD with one of her incredible necklaces or sport that same piece during the day with a simple t-shirt and jeans.  I'm lovin the leather cuffs and had to resist blowing the month's grocery $$ when I first met the designer at a Boutiquing.com event in Little Italy.  And that turquoise...damn...anyone who knows me, KNOWS how I feel about turquoise. Basically...I want it all.

Images via LizLariosJewelry.com

File Under Old School: Psycho

Funny...but scary.

Psycho image via amctv.com

Psycho shower curtain by Urban Outfitters.

Same but Different: Leather Origami

Try folding a crane out of this.

Cori leather handbag by Kooba. 

Crane instructions by hubpages.

Adventures in the Emerald City

Great Wizard of Oz, I think I'd like to stay here a little while...

Seattle was incredible.  Beautiful, lush, laid-back....everything it was supposed to be, except rainy.  The weather held out (for me, I'd like to think) and I was able to explore the city umbrella-free.  I had half a day to see as much as I could, so I took to the streets and discovered the city the best way I knew how...by foot.  The city had so much personality, and I loved discovering its little eccentricities.  Art was everywhere.  From the numerous sculptures, to the graffiti-ed walls.  The SODO light rail station had the sickest black & white mural.  And how could you NOT love a city that welcomed you with a live acoustic performance of "Turn Your Lights Down Low"?  As if it couldn't get better, everywhere you looked you saw the most intense shades of green.  As my friend, C, so eloquently put it, " The hills are exploding with trees! Someone should do something about that."  All that oxygen, that crisp, clean fresh air...wish I could've had just a couple more days.  Guess I'll just have to click my heels & return to the Emerald City someday...like, soon.

Photos are all original & taken by me.

File Under Old School: Spin Art

Oh, how I loved you little Spin Art machine.  I spent hours sitting on the sidewalk in front of my house just spinning, spinning.  Creating little rainbow-colored postcards.  Conning the younger neighborhood kids into buying them for whatever they could afford.  Good times.

Clockwise from top left:
1. Spin Art tee by American Apparel. $25. americanapparel.com
2. Spin Art pillow by Urban Outfitters. $38. urbanoutfitters.com
3. Skate decks designed by Damien Hirst for Supreme.

Oh, Make Me Over...

Two words: Clinton Kelly.  Women love him.  They fawn over him.  They want to be dressed (& undressed) by him. On a daily basis, the What Not to Wear host receives countless invitations home with complete strangers...and its because he's good at what he does.  The man KNOWS how to dress a real woman.  But more than that...he UNDERSTANDS the psychology behind the insecurities.  This past week, along with the fabulous ladies of Style Studio & Macy's, I had the opportunity to, not only re-discover Seattle, but to work with Clinton Kelly again.  We spent three full days styling 12 real women, confronting insecurities and challenging comfort levels.  Exhausting, trying...rewarding.  On the final day, the 12 women strutted down the runway, and the genuine excitement & tears of joy made the entire experience completely worth it.  They're lives were changed.  With one outfit, we changed their lives.  To some, a red pump is a ridiculous, flashy shoe...to others its liberation, confidence...regained sex appeal.  Macy's Make Over America was an incredible experience that I feel super fortunate to have been a part of!  Having Clinton Kelly tell us that "Style Studio was his favorite styling team" was pretty rad too...ok, it was fucking amazing.

 

Meet the Messenger Bag's Hotter Older Sister

Searching for the perfect mid-sized fold-over tote right now.  The IDEAL travel bag - you can sling it cross-body, carry all your travel shit, and still look chic.  All the perks of a big handbag and none of the pain.  Totally wish I'd had one in Seattle...

Clockwise from top left:

1. Tulu Kip Handbag in Teal by Urban Outfitters. $68. urbanoutfitters.com

2. Midcity Tote in Cognac by Foley + Corinna. $444. piperlime.com

3. Coated Canvas Tote in Yellow by SR Squared by Sondra Roberts. $120. piperlime.com

4. Quilting Bee Foldover Tote by Rachel Rachel Roy. $129. macys.com

5. Dylan Tote by Linea Pelle. $680. bloomingdales.com

6. Rory Foldover by Joe's Jeans. $199. piperlime.com

Four Minutes til Midnight...

killed it again @ Winston's Saturday night.

BTW, the lead guitarist, Kenta (aka coolest asian guy around) ripped it on the guitar. And you can't touch the guy's style...his crochet jacket is still the shit.


www.myspace.com/fourminutestilmidnight

Catch'em before they head out on their Japan tour!  (plus 8 pts right there..damn)

File Under Ginger Love: A Fine Frenzy

 

That red hair...

 The lovely Ms. Alison Sudol of A Fine Frenzy

Images via Bando

Women Wear the Pants

It's been a minute since I've shopped at Gap, but I'm always curious to see how creative designer, Patrick Robinson's going to re-vamp the classics.  I must admit...I'm kind of excited.  Cannot wait to try on the slouchy tuxedo slacks!

Images via Style.com

Same but Different: Green Love

Love the neutrals with a pop of green.

3.1 Phillip Lim dress via net-a-porter.com

Electric Current Curtains via anthropologie.com

Same but Different: Oh Indigo

If Maria & thoseVon Trapp children got ahold of my beloved handmade African indigo curtains, I imagine the end result would look something like this little tie-dye number from Harajuku Lovers.

Dress via karmaloop
Indigo swatch via tntindigo

File Under Ginger Love: Elly Jackson

Found myself amidst a growing love for musically-inclined redheads.  Totally digging Elly Jackson's androgynous neo-pop style.  It's Tilda Swinton at 21 raiding David Bowie's closet & stealing Jimmy Neutron's spectacular quiff.  There's an intriguing coolness to her cartoonish style - an amused swagger, perhaps.  And my roommate can attest to this, ever since my buddy M introduced me to the skream remix, I've had "In for the Kill" on repeat. 

Images via La Roux's Official Myspace

Real-Life Rumpelstiltskins

images via alkemie

Discovered alkemie at this great little garden decor shop called Pigment, in my beloved North Park.  Ashley Lowengrub and Dara Gerson, the husband-and-wife design duo, capture nature's whimsy with these little treasures.  Forged from 100% reclaimed metal, in true alchemist fashion, they have cleverly turned the common into something quite magical...straw into gold.

best text of the day...

from the lovely ms. sj

Happy Easter!

do you really

i shouldn't but i kinda do...

love the revamped clog. maybe its my whole "beauty in the ugly" thing.

image via vogue.com

Hidden Treasure

 

End of the Day

 

After perusing the Little Italy Mercato, a couple friends & I decided to embark on a little Saturday afternoon adventure.  Bellies full of panini and gelato, we began meandering down India Street.  About a block into our stroll, we came across this warm, little gallery, the Pecoff Gallery.  We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into...the perfect Saturday was about to get even better...epic, even.  Grant Pecoff's artwork is incredible.  Each painting sways with familiar oceanic movement. Refreshing. Colorful. Alive. Just as refreshing as the artwork, are Grant and his wife/business partner, Layne.  Somehow, J ended up performing an original song for them and the artistic bond was sealed.  On top of being an amazing artist, the Pecoffs are just genuinely good people, with kind hearts, just doing their part to make the world's beauty a little more vivid. So if its a lazy Saturday and you're in the mood for great art and good conversation, head over to the Pecoff Gallery on India. 

Amesterdam

Liquid Sunset

Just never gets old...

GRIPP...of sexy

Gripp Jeans...is the hotness.

Obsessed & want every single piece.

Think I've found my soulmate...

images via amelieboutique.com

Love Your Clavicles

Kind of obsessed with this shirt.

Yes. It really does say "LOVE YOUR CLAVICLES."

 

Support your local artists...

check out QUIET HERO at quiethero.com or MYSPACE.

They're at the Hillcrest Farmer's Market too.

the mechanic

Jenny Shimizu.  Minimalistic portraiture, tattoos, unassuming strength...I love everything about this image.

like pb&j

slow jams + rainy days

bilateral symmetry

three hearts be still.

images via OctopusMe

interchanging mind control

afterschoolspecial
hiphop/alternative band outta SD

www.afterschoolspecialmusic.com

Beauty365.2

Lifesavers.

beauty365.1

to combat the ugliness struggling to hijack our optimism,
i have created this little project.
it is still a beautiful world.
in the form of hope, love, fragmented sunlight, graffiti-ed trashcans,
there is Beauty in the ugly.
there is Beauty in the every day-
fleeting moments that make it all worth it.
Beauty 365.

maybe i'll make a coffee table book one day...

Hubcap reflection.  Makes walking through a mall parking lot a little more magical.

wild horses

the EARTH LOVERS tote is rad too. makes me want to simultaneously shop, recycle, and do the dirty deed.

pony attack!! -- based out of san diego...automatically scores them 5 points.

www.thisisponyattack.com

let's work.

we've still got much to do.

the world is far too beautiful to stop now.

image via Superforest Kathy at superforest.org

More than chocolate

Belgian's importing some delicious little reggae-soul in the form of Selah Sue, a 20 year old singer/songwriter wielding an acoustic guitar & passionate, raspy vocals.

www.myspace.com/selahsuemusic

pretty geisha

Photography's breaking my heart with awesome-ness: Reason # 45634.

image via urbanoutfitters.com

I <3 Free Things.

Every Tuesday, they've got FREE ADMISSION on rotation at Balboa Park.  The only thing better than art...is FREE art! 

 

First Tuesday

Reuben H. Fleet Science Center

Centro Cultural de la Raza

Model Railroad Museum 

Natural History Museum 

Second Tuesday  

Museum of Photographic Arts

Museum of San Diego History

Veterans’ Museum and Memorial Center

Third Tuesday

San Diego Art Institute
Mingei International Museum

San Diego Museum of Art

San Diego Museum of Man

Japanese Friendship Garden 

Dear Abby...

Deconstructing reality and reassembling its nuanced complexities into a psychedelic masterpiece is what San Diego artist, Abby Martin, does.  Creating high energy, passion filled artwork is just how she rolls.  While Martin works with myriad mediums, her mixed media and acrylic pieces are what got my heart racing, brain gears turning.  Next time you're feeling a little underwhelmed, your brain in need of some creative stimulation, get your ass off the couch and head out to PB - you can check her stuff out at Pangaea Outpost on Garnet.  Or you can visit her website at www.abbymartin.org. 

Images via themodern.yournetwork.tv