list five - what I love about getting older

the wise old
owl

1. sense of self

2. the ability to be taken seriously

3. getting married (something I NEVER thought I would do...but when it is right, it is right)

4. confidence in your ability

5. ordering a cocktail and not having to show ID each time

6. realizing that the best is yet to come

7. wisdom

8. experience. experience. experience.

9. the realization of the importance of time

10. the older I get the more accessories I acquire...can we say 100+ pair of fabulous shoes!

"Age is not something to fear...embrace it and realize how beautiful experience really is!"
- Katherine Hepburn

love.love.love.love.love.love.

Sometimes you have to decide whether it is time to keep on going or give up...

it hurts,
it stings,
waiting around for something to change.

making believe that everything will get better,
minute by minute,
breathing in and breathing out.

taking charge,
making decisions,
as you lock up the cage.

the pain becomes unbearable,
and you know the time is near,
to get out of this depression bout.

shit or get off the pot,
either keep it or cut all ties,
this is what it means to finally live...

and not just survive.

Leifsdottir - Spring 2010

LEIFSDOTTIR

Something I discovered a little late in the season but still too beautiful to ignore...

As many of you know I adore Anthropologie. I have been a devoted fan and very, very part time employee for over 5 years now and believe that they can really "do no wrong."

Last winter I heard whispers about a new line that the Urban Outfitters Corporation would be releasing. A line by the young Findland designer, Johanna Uurasjarvi.

The line turned out to be Leifsdottir. A feminine line - Johanna crafts evocative narratives from which she and her team derive inspiration.

"Leifsdottir expresses its appreciation for the past by using antique-inspired buttons and trims, in addition to old-world tailoring techniques and fabrics. Juxtaposing this are artistic, modern twists like abstract photographic prints, unexpected color combinations, and uniquely draped silhouettes and proportions. This aesthetic tension results in timeless wardrobe keepsakes that appear to be made, rather than manufactured."
~ from the Leifsdottir website

So, as I was shopping online I found a beautiful dress...a mix between a vintage Japanese kimono and a 70's summer dress. The silk fabric drapes like air around the body and the colors are clean and enticing.

This dress is apart of the Spring 2010 collection and even through the Summer 2010 line has been released there is something special about the early pieces.

A marriage of joyous light fabrics and elegant colors makes this avant garde line stand out among the typical white bohemian skirts and camel toned trench coats.


discover spring and summer



some other inspirations...


something to keep your face safe

another piece of air

"The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize."
- Steel Magnolias

One of the loves of my life...

I love fashion magazines.

It is a crazy obsession that I have. Since I was 15 years old I have been collecting Vogue and Vanity Fair magazines. Even as a teen, I could not settle for the fashion mediocrity that Seventeen, Cosmo and other trash teen magazines espoused. You see Lucky Brand and Quicksilver never made me tingle inside the way the Gucci, Prada, Cavalli, Chanel and Dolce always have. There is something SO compelling about the magic of the coutre houses of Paris and Milan. Yes, they may cost more than some people's first cars but as Coco said, "Money can not buy the fabulous feeling of wearing the perfect dress with the matching shoes. Throw in an ideal bag and it is heaven!"

Yesterday, as I was going through my stacks of fashion magazines and reminiscing about the fashion trends of yesteryear, I realized that these magazines that I have had such a devotion to and took such care of now have to go.

So,
I did some research.

One of the "wish list" items for the Boys and Girls Club Las Vegas is old magazines. I called their in-kind donation line and was told where to drop them off. Tomorrow morning, I am dropping off a trunk full of Cindy, Gisele, Tyra, Naomi and Agness.

Am I sad parting with my treasures?

Yes...
but now I have room for another obsession.

Fashion

There is something so wonderful about being able to express your personality through pieces of fabric arranged in a particular way of your own choosing. It is like you create a piece of art each morning when you wake up. Some choose to follow an established way of arrangement while others take the time to think of different combinations of color, texture and silhouette. Below are some of my current favorite pieces...

Beautiful Sandy...

Michael Stars "Huey" tee

Roberto Cavalli dress

Frye "Daisy Duke" boots

Nic + Zoe "Country Girl" dress

Happi Knits beanie

Mango "Cream Cheese" dress

Splendid "Papa" cardigan

Wolford tights

Dr. Martens "Vintage 1460" boots

Something sentimental...

I haven't seen this movie in years but it will forever remind me of being seven years old.

The American Dream

So, when I was five years old my mother asked me, "Dolly, what do you want to be when you grow up?" Most little girls would have said a ballerina, Strawberry Shortcake, teacher, lawyer, president (which I am sure I considered), etc. I said proudly, "I am going to own my own store!" Strange...yes but that five year old girl knew what she wanted and it seems the more I think about where I am going now, that is where I would like to end up.

America's foundation was built upon small business and the entrepreneurial spirit of it's citizens. When my ansestors arrived at Ellis Island, there was one large dream - to be granted the freedom and opportunity to persue better lives through hard work. As generations have passed, a strong work ethic has been established in my family. My dad owns his own business, my mom puts passion into everything she persues and my nana is known for her business sense and shrewdness.

The freeing idea of being my own boss, having creative liberty and knowing that the amount of work put into the entity would ultimatley determine it's success really makes me feel good. It makes me excited and ideas begin to spark like a 4th of July sparkler in my brain. This nostalgic connection to those bright eyed newly crowned Americans that coined the term, "We can do it," during World War II, makes it more deep rooted than just some "pie in the sky" idea.

So, the journey begins...write a business plan and find some funding.