Monday, December 26, 2011

the morning after.


the boys decide to go out at pipes,
the girls decide to go to pipes cafe.


johnny makes our drinks.
we think 
he is one of the nicest people 
to walk the face of the earth.
{he and his wife just adopted a beautiful boy from Africa,
which we think is totally cool! this is one very lucky, little boy}


next stop, seaside for a quick photo shoot.


while LOVE CHILD actually means 
a child conceived out of wedlock, 
to me, a LOVE CHILD is anyone
who chooses to live in love.



i'm not afraid to ask someone 
if i can take their photo. i asked this guy
'Greg' if it was okay. 
i just liked the way he looked in the background,
but the beach was so crowded that i kept
having to wait and i didn't want him to leave
before i got the shots.


"excuse me, hi, 
would you mind if i took your picture?
i'm shooting some images for my clothing line
you can just be in the background 
or turn around if you'd like"


he said sure, we chatted a bit. 
he was from costa rica. 
we always meet the coolest people.






we met back up with the boys, 
made a plan for lunch
and shared our morning stories.


bumper sticker on an old car in the parking lot. 
so true. yes. the power of love. it can change lives.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

i know, i know...long time no blog.

i love blogging. i miss blogging. and sometimes weeks go by 
and then i feel guilty about not blogging. 
it makes me feel good to get all the thoughts out of my head, 
and put them somewhere...anywhere. 
but, i've been busy working and working comes before blogging. 
although, some people blog for work, oh i so wish i could figure that whole thing out
...for me, blogging is therapy, it's not work.

so, finally a day off.
time to do a little Christmas shopping for others, 
have a little 'me' time...do a little thinking...plan ahead for the nest few weeks
and now, a little blogging.

i am a beauty junkie. i love pretty things.
sometimes i buy a little something just for me. 
even if it's just a bottle of polish...it lifts my spirits. 
this week was crazy so i was hugely in need of a pick-me-up.
first stop, i popped into Bombshell Salon and got some much needed highlights.

then, i hit Target and found this: Essie Over the Edge
i love a dark, short nail or a pale pink Ballet Slippers nail. one or the other
recently, i've been in the mood for dark. i love this color. 
a dramatic, metallic, midnight silver. love it! 
doing my nails always makes me feel pretty.


next, i came home and searched through my eyeshadows {that i hardly ever wear} 
and decided, for our upcoming holiday party next week, 
i'm going to go all out with this Rocker Eye
i have Bare Minerals Legit {a deep, shimmery eggplant} and True Gold 
already at home and an amazing gel liner by Sumita in eggplant, 
so, i'm going to use the things i have and do this eye with a bare-ish lip. 
i have lots of color in my lips, so Cherry Chapstick or this is my go to. 

then, i decided to play with the half-up, half-down hair
i.e. Brigitte Bardot meets Claudia Schiffer, 
as this is about as dressy as my hair will ever get plus it shows off my new highlights. 
i love it! easy, sexy, feminine. not too done. 
i didn't do every step today, but i will come saturday night. 
now, i just need to put together a few holiday outfits 
and that will do it for my 'me' time.

i'm a casual kinda girl. 
first outfit; i'm leaning towards a sequin mini, motorcycle boots, 
a v-neck tee and some sort of jacket for an early evening party. 

outfit #2 might be vintage leopard peep toes with black pants 
and a deep v, long sleeve sweater and TenThings jewelry. 

most of the parties will be by the coast 
and as much as i love a sexy, bare backed dress, 
i'm cold natured, 
so i'd rather wear great fitting pants and a low neck sweater 
or tights and boots and a jacket, then freeze.

and then tomorrow, it's back to work. 
i'll be working from home, 
so let me know what you're doing 
for 
yourself 
this holiday season.

new things in stock at TenThings Collective.










if you haven't visited our little vintage shop lately.
take a look.
we search and find the perfect once-loved items,
some get up-cycled and others just need a little styling. 
we shoot 'em. list 'em. 
and always feel a bit sad 
when they leave for their new home.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

worn driftwood.


Scars

Everybody in my family has different scars. 
My daddy’s scars are scattered. 
And me, mine is over looked. It sits in the corner of my cheek, faded by time. 
Alex’s scars are many, some new. Obvious, yet he doesn’t try and hide them.
But my mom’s scar, my mom’s scar, like a small scratch on glass, 
like a tear in the hemline all delicate because she was only playing, 
almost impossible to see unless she shows it to you, 
sitting on her lap you feel safe, is the worn piece of driftwood on the damp sand, 
is the feel when she makes room for you on the narrow couch still warm from her skin, and you sit near her, the fog outside lingering and daddy still snoring. 
The snoring, the fog, and mommy’s scar that’s like worn driftwood.

okay, so i got the 'proud mama thing going on' these days. 
another beautiful poem written by my daughter. 

Saturday, November 12, 2011

come and knock on my door.

on the weekends i get up hours before anyone else {unless the surf is good, then they're up before me} and i sit quietly in my front room watching The Rachel Zoe Project and drinking cup after cup of coffee, usually while looking through old issues of Domino {i kept every single issue and still refer to them all the time - Domino i miss you!}. Anyway, today as i sat there and looked around this room that is so me and the rain came pounding down and Roger fired Miah {i love Miah! wish he'd do a makeover at my home}, 
I thought about this room and
thought i'd share some of the things 
that make our house a home.

 
Buddhas; all shapes, colors and sizes. 
from serene, old world antiques to colorful, fat and happy Buddhas 
{i find most of these at Marshall's, World Market or Ross}. 
My living room is full of these plump guys. i love them.


distressed, weathered wood anchor pieces, some from Pottery Barn, some from Tijuana and the armoire {purchased unfinished, then i painted it to look like the cover of The Four Agreements Book}.

{mango}

a hot pink, embroidered, patchwork 
Moroccan pouf 
{found at Home Goods a year or so ago - score $89}.

{tiki}

an abundance of pillows in various patterns, colors and textures. 
{my latest find, two Flokati pillows in cream found at Target $14.99 ea.}.


we are fortunate to have amazing professional photographers in our circle of close friends providing us with tons of family photos taken throughout the years. these photos are my most favorite works of art. i look at these photos every day and count my blessings. truly.


i group my books by color on the book shelves. they make a bold statement and a jolt of color in the room. from the stack of Nat Geo's to a tower of hot pink books, color blocking on a shelf. baskets of surf magazines and fashion mags are always at the ready.

a pillow, a luxe throw, a drum set stool that used to accompany a black junior drum set {long ago sold on Craigslist} that now usually acts as a foot stool all in 
leopard print. this girl loves leopard!


{that's wizards of waverly place on the tv, for those of you who are detail oriented}.

a bubblegum pink and a jet black pair of acoustic guitars hang as art on the wall above the couch. a Hawaiian ukele and a set of bongo drums rest aside the armoire. no one here no how to play anything really, so i love it when one of our friends comes over, picks up an instrument, tunes it, and starts to play.

bright. bold, inexpensive surf art and a Jack Johnson concert poster hang in simple frames as wall art, along with a few canvases i painted a few years back { i love to paint, it's just a hobby that doesn't make it on the to do list often enough}, one of my first Etsy purchases; a Keep Calm and Carry On print in British red from SFgirlbybay, a reminder that when the going gets tough, the tough get going {proven time and time again by my Liverpuddlian mum} and crosses adorn the wall as well. i know, Buddhas and crosses
...i am undefined, but a believer.

and last numerous tchotchkes, a small collection of vintage manual and polaroid cameras, candles galore, 50 year old Cuban, wooden cigar boxes my husband inherited from his childhood Florida days, an old, old aqua globe, feather dream catchers, crystal Lalique fish {wedding gifts},  kids pottery and Papier-mâché  from high school art classes, striped Mexican horse blankets and a faux fur throw in steel blue, a couple of yoga mats, two siamese cats and a ginger chihuahua. 

it's a super casual place, not at all like the decor that drives me wild, 
it's a notch above a surf shack
constantly filled with teenagers, 
loud music and the sound of skateboards.
but these are the things make our house a home.

come and knock on my door. 
you are always welcome.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Friday, November 4, 2011

it's a beautiful rain-y friday here in southern california.


it's a beautiful rain-y friday here in southern california.
the perfect day to stay home and create.
a chai latte, a slice of warm pumpkin bread.
a tiny, red chihuahua 
and two siamese cats balled up 
in blankets on the couch.
rain pitter patters on the back patio.
it's a beautiful rain-y friday here in southern california.

what's the weather like where you are?
image via designlovefest.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

only yesterday was the time of our lives.

there are days when your heart aches like you never knew it could, when the sight of a young mom pushing a baby jogger makes you suddenly break into tears, when Adele singing..."...only yesterday was the time of our lives..." makes your eyes swell up so much that you can't barely see the stop sign...today was one of those days for me.


and then within an hour, things were like they used to be...we shared a laugh {baby, baby, baby, nooooo} about a tweet i saw about Justin Bieber's latest news, i made an after school snack and looked at the children that i love, how they've grown, how they are growing away from me, how they are spreading their wings, making choices, teen age choices...i listened to my son complain about his sore throat, i administered medicine, made a dinner he could swallow and i was happy, like the old tree in The Giving Tree. 

and then my daughter showed me a poem she'd written about someone she loved for her 10th grade english class. and then i was really happy. like really, really happy.


Mom Who

Mom who radiates light
And says she loves me
Who is a new idea and a worn magazine
Who is a home cooked meal and a love song
Whose hair is gold thread
Has a lot to do today
Who tells me I’m her baby
Who says it’s her job to protect me
Whose green eyes concentrate
Can’t go to the store right now
Stays on her feet all day
Who likes to laugh, and the number five
Is inspired
Is a pair of old jeans
Is tired turn off the light please
Cuddled up in blankets
Is sleeping down the hall
Who kissed me goodnight
Is chilly hands and the smell of coffee
Who walks fast and talks with kind words
Is the sun that leaks through my blinds
Telling me she loves
I love you too

written in a house on Mango Street style. I love it and wanted to share it. 

Monday, October 31, 2011

i'm a warrior. i have to be.

every day, before i leave,
i tie or slip on an assortment of bracelets. 


i usually wear three or four 
of these beaded wrap bracelets in different colors.
{i am obsessed with making these}.


and one or two of these. 


along with a handful of vintage gold bangles
and other suede wraps with lucky amulets.
lately, i've been adding these superhero
hammered cuffs to the mix.



it's my daily ritual. 
my armor. my protection. 
i'm a warrior. i have to be.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

natural beauty.

jennifer aniston

i am the type of girl who can't wear a lot of make-up
and i don't do much to my hair,
so natural is 'my look'...
i buy a lot of products {can't help myself}
but, i really don't use much
or i put it on and quickly take it off.
anything other than natural doesn't feel like me. 
lucky for me, my husband likes the natural look the best.

so, when i look through mags or blogs for ideas,
dramatic make-up looks
make me want to buy a new liner or mascara
but, it's the natural look pages
that i end up pulling out for inspiration.

carolyn murphy

especially as i get a little older,
i really feel best in my own skin.

there are several women {older than me} 
whose looks i love;  all natural girls
who look beautiful without all the make-up
and straightened hair.
some of my favorites, 


lauren hutton {68}, 

elle macpherson {47}
   

and cindy joseph {60}.

i love cindy's look and attitude. 
shown here in this video.
all images via google images.