(Bonus item to closet reconstruction)

Ok, ladies... I'm gonna have to admit something. I'm a little obsessed with shoes. And right now I'm obsessing on a certain pair of shoes. Not just any shoes... the kind of shoes that make your legs look miles long, your height seem sky high, and your confidence about 'yay big'.

These Stuart Weitzman shoes are the stuff dreams are made of...



They are not only gorgeous, and on point for this season's chunky heeled look, but comfortable, oh-so-chic and will go with EVERYTHING in your wardrobe.



Think:

Dresses
Skirts
Cuffed Trousers
Baggy Shorts
Rolled Jeans
Bathing Suits!






I have been obsessing over them since I tried them on several weeks ago when the cub fell asleep in her stroller, while I was happily strolling the Americana at Brand.

Only thing is... they're a little pricey. I know, I know... writing a blog about (amongst other things) fashion and then flinching at (ahem...) an $xyz-something price tag.

But who (besides a celebrity friend I know) can drop a few thou on a shopping trip like it's nobody's biz? Not I. Especially with child. A whole lotta guilt is associated with buying anything over a Benjamin Franklin for oneself.

So I have devised a plan. In a continuous effort to get rid of the old and make room for the new, I have made a deal with the hubs. Come up with most of the cash by selling more unworn items in my closet, and I will allow myself to buy these shoes. See, the hubs kinda likes that I'm an inventive shopper. I'm a good bargain hunter, so when I do spend substantial money on something of value, he gets it. But again, it's just not in the cards to always buy this sort of stuff. We're running a household, raising a child.

This not only gives me passionate motivation to get rid of more stuff that I would otherwise hang on to (and never wear) but will keep my wardrobe streamlined and current. Pretty genius pact, eh?

This deal was made as I was clearing out the garage for our move. I pulled out my packed-away by season-wardrobe, and dusted off the ol' summer beauties for another 'go round' in my world... But as I pulled out some silk dresses, cotton jumpsuits and trusty sheaths, I realized... there are very few items in this pile that I'm actually excited about wearing again. And a few of these heels, although designer etc... are gorgeous, they're just not the ones I desire with all my heart right now... (sigh)

So off to Crossroads I go...

Watch me make this happen.

Black Vintage Skirt/Red Polka Dot Blouse

Well, it's moving day, folks. I'm up to my ears in boxes and a bunch of crap I don't need. We leave tomorrow morning and although I'm excited about a month of travels before our move back to Venice, I am a bit overwhelmed. I need to pack for myself and my little self for three different trips in three different cities, all by tomorrow morning. I need to decide what to pack away, what to get rid of and what to take with us.

Streamline
Simplify
Sell

Case in point: Getting rid of soooo much more! I have a goal to make enough cash to buy some ridiculous Stuart Weitzman sandals that I will blog about later.

In the meantime, enjoy a look from Day 4 of FREE Spring Wardrobe Essentials after cleaning out my closet:

This Black high waisted vintage skirt with pockets & Red polka-dot blouse are pretty classic. You could never go wrong for an interview or meeting in this ensemble.



See ya, Glendale!

Spring/Summer Musts for Your Guy

A dear friend sent me an email yesterday and asked me to be so generous with the guys, and post some Spring and Summer Essentials for men. It's only fair, right?


This one happens to be easy for me cuz I'm already looking for a few key pieces for my man, and continuously plan his (and my daughter's) wardrobe in my head. I know, it's exhausting, but fun. And I just can't help myself.

When asking my husband to be the model for this project, he scowled, then smiled sweetly through clenched teeth and sighed "Ok, babe..."

See why I married him?

I'll put him out of his misery and pull from the internet too:

My top picks:

Striped boat neck 3/4 length tee - a la Pablo Picasso.
Not just a fan of the man, but have always been obsessed with his style, even later in his life. This is a gorgeous man and a gorgeous shirt that will never go out of style. Hugo Boss is doing a great version this season.


Light cotton button up, easy-to-throw-on shirt.
If vintage - even better. This is the hub's most favorite shirt. It was not hard finding a pic of him wearing it. I will have to pry it from his cold dead fingers. (Wait, that's kinda creepy. I love you, babe!) It was another Goodwill find. Around $5 bucks. You can pop a tee underneath, or wear alone on a warm day. But trim the chest hair, and don't unbutton too low. (Please!)



Loose and worn jeans rolled at the bottom.
(You can cuff your dark, fitted denim too) But NO skinny's. Boys wear skinny jeans, real men wear real denim.


(Above two photos courtesy of the Sartorialist. A daily fashion read MUST!)

Wear the cuffed stuff with oxfords or wingtip shoes. (Très cool!) Or you can also do low top sneakers without socks. Keep it worn and casual ~ we don't want you looking like you're trying too hard.

Seersucker pants
Maybe this has something to do with the childhood crushing on that preppy boy at school, but I am and always will be a fan of the seersucker. They're more pulled together than jeans, but can still be worn casual with sandals (men who wear sandals are so sexy!), sneakers, tees or a nice button up.

Shorts
Some sort of cargo. Abercrombie always does cool versions.

Tees
No logos, or cheesy little sayings. The "vintage" rock tee is a little played out too. When in doubt, get a good gray, black and white. Slim fit and soft. You can wear these alone or layered. I like Alternative Apparel and American Apparel.

Hat
See above Sartorialist photo.

(Assuming you have a decent Spring/Summer suit in your closet - think gray or beige...)

Your blazer can be worn with jeans and will also work for a casual cocktail affair, even for a casual office, or casual Friday.

Banana Republic does beautiful and affordable suits.


And remember... your ladies love you. Especially when you're lookin' good.

xx

White Jeans/Silk Tank

Day 3 of FREE Spring Wardrobe Essentials after cleaning out my closet:

White jeans for night

When I gathered these two items, I had no idea I'd want to wear them together. But as I was thinking of a way to dress up my fab new white jeans, I popped on my trusty nude heel , threw on this new silk top, a lacy headband and voila! Perfect eve outfit!

If the jeans are tight, keep the top loose and billowy.

Notice the red lip? Keep your lashes dark, but the rest of your eye makeup simple.


And no, that's not a real tattoo. It's the fabulous handywork of my very talented makeup artist sister.

Can you tell what it says?

Bohemian Top

Day 1 of FREE Spring Wardrobe Essentials after cleaning out my closet:




Seeing a pattern here? Yeah, this is my favorite kind of look.

Worn here with:

• A pair of shorts (Ripped and cut from an old pair of jeans)

• Knee high socks (From Target. Yes, Target)

• Boots (From Fall wardrobe)

Trash for Treasure

I traded all of that trash for some new spring essentials.

Oh, ya... and it was free.

Don't believe me?

I'm going to give you proof that you can clean out your closet, get rid of stuff you never wear, and trade it in for things you want!

I'm also going to show you how I incorporated each item into my existing wardrobe.

My closet is lighter and freer of items I no longer want, and in their place are a few new goodies that I can't wait to wear!!

Stay tuned...

Skinny Tricks

You gotta have a couple up your sleeve, girls. And no, I'm not talking about anything dangerous or just plain torturous. I'm talkin' sweets... yummy yummy treats that make you feel like you're being naughty, when you're really being nice.

Super Easy Chocolate or Spice Cake Muffins:
1 - 15 oz can of pure pumpkin
1 - Box of chocolate or spice cake mix




That's it. No eggs, no oil, nothing else. Don't add any ingredients that the package calls for. Just the powdered stuff, and a can of pumpkin. Make sure to get real, plain pumpkin and not pumpkin pie mix.

Mix the batter

Fill batter in cupcake tins

Bake as directed

Enjoy.

They taste like chocolate cake. No lies. And it's basically ALL fiber from the pumpkin.

I can't take credit for this one. My sister-in-law, Karin (shout out, Kar! Woot woot!) changed her body and her life with Weight Watchers and gave me this recipe when I was trying to lose the baby weight. Even though I'm back in my size 2 jeans, (with the help of WW and the trusty elliptical trainer) I still devour these things. They keep you skinny, I swear. Because I have such a sweet tooth, I NEED to have things on hand that satisfy, and I've never been one to deprive myself.

This is not delicatessen, folks. It's an easy and quick-fix. ~ I'll leave the gourmet stuff to my incredibly talented friend over at The Chirpy Bird to create to-die-for, handmade, sinful desserts ~ (which SHOULD be enjoyed from time to time, because LIFE IS TOO DAMN SHORT!)

But try this little recipe. I promise you won't be sorry. And neither will that perky little tush of yours.

Better When We're Together

Hope you're having a beautiful weekend...



"Better Together" Jack Johnson

There's no combination of words
I could put on the back of a postcard
No song that I could sing
But I can try for your heart
Our dreams, and they are made out of real things
Like a shoebox of photographs
With sepiatone loving
Love is the answer,
At least for most of the questions in my heart
Like why are we here? And where do we go?
And how come it's so hard?
It's not always easy and
Sometimes life can be deceiving
I'll tell you one thing
It's always better when we're together

(I snapped this shot with my phone while waiting outside a very long line at the post office, and hangin' with my tiny best friend. There is beauty everywhere...)

Bohemian Living

I awoke this morning refreshed, renewed and so excited for summer. (It could have something to do with the fact that I went to bed at 9:30pm ~ bliss!) But I'm feelin' the happy vibe creep up on me like a warm day ...

I'm admittedly a fall/winter girl, especially in fashion ~ Loving tights, boots, jeans, sweaters, coats, et al! But the thought of spending this summer...

A) Not pregnant
B) By the beach
C) Free of clutter and dressed in Bohemian goodness

... makes me giddy with excitement!

I fully intend to play the part of fabulous Venice Beach housewife/artist/writer/photographer and to follow through with my commitment to getting rid of the grub and living in the fabulousness I deserve. Even at home! And this style of dressing is perfect and comfortable and so easy to just throw on ~ that if someone were to show up at the door, unannouced mid-afternoon, I'd actually be happy to see them.
I'm a big fan of Nicole Richie's Winter Kate line. This is her 2nd, sister line after House of Harlow and it's divine! I've been obsessed with this printed silk kimono dress ever since I saw it in person at Kitson. The prices for this line range from $35 for a camisole, $260 for this dress, and up to $600 for leather items. Again, I'm not sayin' these beauties aren't worth the price, and I hope to gather an item or two, but I also want to remind you that you can achieve this look with some inventive shopping.

And the bohemian look is so much fun because if you look hard enough, you'll find actual vintage pieces that inspired this modern look to begin with.


I found this dress at a local thrift for around $10. It's one of my favorites to just throw on and go! And there was something magical about wearing this to the downtown floral mart yesterday... swirling around amidst a sea of blossoms.

OH Mama

Mommies,

Have you ever had one of those days?...



You know the ones.

Where you're grasping on tightly to who you used to BE

What you used to DO

THINK

FEEL

And simply just BE about.

Don't lose sight.


It's in these terrifying moments that we can regroup, recharge and remember who we are.

That woman is still there. And she's amazing.

Even more amazing than you thought...

Especially to the one who calls you mom.

Lucky You

Ladies, I'm going to give you a really fun cleaning house project:

If you're like me, you have room upon room full of fashion and home magazines, all dogeared and set aside for that next free moment to wish, dream, plan, and hopefully make some of those sparkling visions a reality.

But those magazines are just gathering dust. Are you really going to reread them? Save for the momentous article or special collection issues (I happen to have a plan to set aside a years worth of every Vogue issue since the month of my daughters birth) these babies need to be tossed.

Anyway, inspired by my pending move at the end of the month, (and a desire to streamline, simplify and unclutter my world) I decided to sit down with my stack of magazines, a glass of red, and my embarrassingly backed-up tivo list ~ to finally go through each magazine, one by one, with a vengeance like my latest closet reconstruction.


I plowed through my Lucky mags first because they are ingeniously pre-tagged with those cute little stickers. I ripped out each page and sorted them into fancy little folders labeled for FASHION and HOME. This will make it really easy to go back to later and decide which websites I want to visit, bloggers I want to get to know, and looks I want to achieve. If you're really organized, you can label each folder by month and create your very own yearly magazine of your most favorite things!

The home section is especially fun for me because we're moving back into our charming Venice Beach bungalow come summertime, and I need lots of ideas to make this tiny space a livable, spirited sanctuary for us and our chubby bundle of joy.

Trust me, this little project of mine was not a daunting task. It was actually quite fun and relaxing. And I finished the evening feeling not only accomplished, but newly inspired for things I had forgotten I loved.

Vintage Shopping

If these photos don't excite and inspire then I recommend going back two posts or forward a few, when we discuss all things new. But for now I will bask in one of my favorite past times... vintage and thrift shopping.


As far as I'm concerned, there are 3 types of this kind of shopping:

1. Down & Dirty Digging
2. Presorted and Simple Sifting
   
3. Careful & Considerate Choosing

Category 1 holds the Goodwill's and generic thrift stores of the world. Not many people can go here. It takes a lot of patience and endurance because it's very time consuming and you have to have an eagle eye to find that jewel of an item, wedged between a rack of horrible, smelly discards. But I happen to believe this is the most rewarding, because when you find that gem - it's usually extremely cheap and oh-so-cool. (And there is such a thing as dry cleaning, so don't be such a snob.)

Category 2 falls within the preselected thrift (or trading) stores, usually run by people with some sort of taste and fashion sensibility. All of the items in these stores, such as the ones I've told you about like Crossroads and Buffalo Exchange, are presorted. This takes the edge off of the heaps of garbage found in most generic thrift stores.

And lastly, category 3 is in the real vintage shopping boutiques. Oh, this kind of experience is divine because you can actually feel the history surrounding you like a whisper of moments from days past. I always, always walk away deeply in love with something, and quite nostalgic for an era that I have only visited in my dreams... But please note - items in these stores aren't necessarily for the dirt digging bargain hunters, and they can cost you a pretty penny, because they are true and valuable vintage.






Category 1. 1970's vintage jumpsuit (with pockets!) from Out of The Closet for $6.00!
Category 2. Hat from Crossroads - it was a new item, that I happened to get for free, because I traded in a bunch of stuff from my latest closet reconstruction.


Happy shopping!

Hand Held Inspirations

I'm constantly inspired by things I want to remember & I used to scratch things down on napkins or receipts. But since having my trusty blueberry (as my aunt calls it) I keep a notepad of desires on my hand held wireless.

I was going through my list last night and here's what I found:

DO - Buy a large rectangle canvas and hang it vertically on the wall. Use black paint to write block letters of a personal letter from a loved one or thoughts from a journal...

GET - O.P.I. Grey Nail Polish in "You don't know Jacques" My friend was wearing this when I met her for lunch recently. It was gorgeous.

LISTEN - To the song by Gemma Hayes - "Oliver" .... "I might look the same, but I'm a little different now..."

FIND - Vintage suitcases like these I snapped while shopping on Abbot Kinney recently (unfortunately these ones weren't for sale)

APPRECIATE - The world around me.

Love.

Shoes, French Actresses, and Smoking Hot Friends

The last time I tried to go out with one of my most fashionable, and dearest friends, I mixed up the nights and ended up dressed to the nines in my favorite print with nowhere to go except home, and nothing to do but make my favorite, fallback tofu recipe.

So last night was a real treat indeed. We ended up at a chic little boutique on Melrose to celebrate her friend, Jerome Rosseau's Spring Collection of shoes.

They were to die, of course, and as I stood tall and proud in my
nude platforms, I couldn't help but think of how Mr. Louboutin himself told Vanity Fair's May issue that his "supertop customer owns over 6,000 pairs of (his) shoes" ~ 6,000?! Really, Danielle Steele, really?! So glad my mother and I obsessively read your books in my preteens, further assisting my own shoe fetish to live vicariously through you and all your gluttony. Holy God that's a lot of shoes. But back to Jerome, this guy is a shoe genius (and so down to earth, humble, and just fun to be around) and it took every restraint left in my bones to not blow our entire rent money on these babies:


When I met French actress, Roxane Mesquida, all 5 foot nothing of her, so tiny, yet svelte and perfectly cool, I was blown away by her style, striking beauty, and subtle, yet aloof French charm. (Why are French women so damn sexy?)


We capped the night with some shiraz at a trusty favorite on Franklin, where we were greeted warmly by our bearded friend, who once starred in our reality pilot on love in LA, still doing his time as waiter con dreams in Hollyweird.

You gotta love this town. x

Twins, Plans, and Coming out of the Closet

Two of my constant muses are my little sisters. They just so happen to be twins, but so complexly different in so many ways, that it irritates me when people refer to them so generically as "the twins" in title or conversation.

One thing they have in common is crazy, unique style. Their occupations as makeup artists are equally as glamorous and no doubt lend a hand in their fabulousness personified. This is a rare moment for little sis, sans a stitch of makeup and without her usual signature red lips ~ (more on finding the perfect red lip later!)

I captured this shot the other day while on step 1 of my closet reconstruction tour. It helps to have a second eye when discarding your semi-precious goods into oblivion. Scratch that - make it a third, or even fourth eye if you're sentimental like I am. I found that I was not as cut-throat as I would have hoped when cleaning out my closet. And little sister got lost in the "oh-remember-when..." trap just as easily as I did.

So, it was an exhilarating rush when my gorgeous (in spirit and style) friend came over yesterday and helped me with step 2 - the eliminating.

Things I learned:

1. If you're embarrassed to show your friend an item of clothing in your closet - get rid of it.
2. If you feel the need to justify an article of clothing - sayonara!
3. If it looks better on the floor than on you - hello!
4. If your item invokes an outburst of song and dance into Ace of Base's "I saw the sign" ~ you should be ashamed of yourself.
   
5. Would you, in all seriousness, purchase this item in a store, that you're so fervently contemplating?
6. Is there a better version of this item available today?
7. And lastly, (must I even say it?) only take advice from someone who's style you admire. If not, it's like asking a poor man to help you balance your checkbook.
   

Good luck, lovlies. xo

Closer... am I?

Remember this movie? God, it was fantastic. And this GIRL. Natalie Portman... everything she does is magic. I'm still not over this haircut and have daydreams about being this bold.

A Commitment to Art

When I think about it, through every aspect of my life, from the time I was old enough to stage a backyard play, or try to convince my mother that I could indeed sell my poetry for enough dough to get my ears pierced ... I have wanted to surround myself with art. I didn't quite know what that meant for a really long time. And in my early twenties, I devoted all my days and energy into an art form with such little and infrequent return, that when I did book a movie, I was so exhausted and insecure about the next acting gig, that I rarely took a moment to look around me and appreciate. I suppose if I had, I would have realized I was going about it all wrong. But that's the thing about your twenties, you think you know everything.

Now that I've had time to marinate on my past, I find that even the smallest amount of art, or artistic people (should it/they be genuine in nature) gives me such a charge of inspiration and joy, that I wonder how I let myself starve for so long.

So when my creative little family got together with a small group of newly acquainted artisans, (in such a strikingly magnificent home) for the Easter holiday yesterday, something inside me awakened.

We were free. Free to dance, play, think, feel, share and imagine. In every direction I turned, there was a little nugget of goodness, something to photograph, something to draw or paint on, a story told that I wanted to write about, a person there, I wanted to know about.

If my husband had informed me sooner, that we were in the company of some real greats, perhaps I wouldn't have been so bold with my own camera, or gyrated so many silly dance moves. But I walked away with such a rush from that powerful drug called ART, that the morning after - I'm still feeling the buzz.

Whatever your art is; be it fashion, literature, painting, music, dance, photography - immerse your world in it. Rip apart that magazine, tack that fabric on the wall, scribble your feelings out loud, stack those books high up to the ceiling, play that vintage record AGAIN. Toast to your world. It will feed your soul. And you'll never go hungry again.