Sunday, January 31, 2010

Counting Coins + Cutting on Sweet Sunday


Trying to have a mellow family day without working, the only thing I had planned on doing today was attending and buying sweets from the Cookies Without Borders bake sale for Haiti which HBT helped organize. The sale started at 2 p.m. so the day went like this (keep your eyes open it gets better towards end:) A morning run with my neighbor Shannon in Elysian Park; Read a bit of the Sunday Times - why do I read Vows?! Every week I tell myself it's the last time...I'm such a girl!; A need to do something constructive with Oscar led to a coin counting project. We gathered all the loose coin jars around the house and spilled them all on floor, separated them and he counted them all except for the pennies. We then drove the neighborhood looking for a super market with a Coinstar! (They suck, I know, I should have rolled coins for the bank! Alas, no coin rolls and banks are closed on Sunday.) Oscar got to keep the money to go towards his "Account" he was very excited about having his own bank account, which I told him he could start at $300. (Is that right?) Anyway, this is a LOOOONG way to tell you what I wore today when leaving the house amounted to trip to a coinstar machine and a bake sale...Ha!


The temp is in the mid 60s these days in LA and sunny. I thought the white jumpsuit would be perfect bake sale attire. But I couldn't find the right boots to wear with it. While digging through my back-up closet, I come across my old cowboy boots I'd bought to attend my cousin's theme wedding - 1930s Mexico - a few years ago. (I loved it.) I'd gotten them at the Santa Monica flea market for a couple dollars and haven't worn them since the wedding. Looking at them today, I suddenly realized I could cut them! I almost bought a pair of Frye booties the other day for $300 + thinking I need shoes for NY winter (doesn't make sense, I know, just another way for me to justify buying more shoes.) I'm still a bit sore I didn't get the Isabel Marant's of last year, nor the Rachel Comey's of this last fall. So, I've had this cowboy booties envy for a while and look how cute they turned out! And I will wear them often! Even in NY when I go mid Feb, I swear. Oh, I forgot I don't have to justify anymore (they were already mine!), I'm just so shoe guilt ridden it comes naturally.


And here's me at the sale with an APC dress, one of my remake clutches and tights I bought en route to bake sale (and put on in the car of course,) as I realized it was a bit chilly to be bare legged!


p.s. Cookies Without Borders bake sale was a smashing success, earning over $5000 today!!
p.p.s. Are those tights too Avatar-esque? A little, right?

(1st and last 2 photos HBT)

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

BODIE and FOU: mentors & love


I've spoken about Karine before, she's the French founder of the English online store BODIE and FOU. We met via our blogs, and since meeting we've developed a very gratifying business relationship. BODIE and FOU was my first British account, which was very exciting to me on a personal level, but also satisfying on another level as she sold the bejesus out of Trops and wrist wraps at Christmas time.
We've never met in person, but Karine is the type of woman who, as a business owner, (and mother) I admire. When she gets an idea she seems to work tirelessy to make it come to fruition. We emailed a few times today and I asked her if she'd be interested in carrying the red Mini Sac for Valentine's day and she said, that yes, she was interested, but that it may be late to get any press for Vday (it's true.) But that this gave her an idea to do something for Valentine's day. This was at 3p.m. PST (11p.m. time of Greenwich Mean.) A few hours later I found this blog link on Twitter. She gets things done! I love that. It's her stick-to-it-iveness and wherewithal and all those other good compound words that makes her business so relevant. Well, that and her good taste.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Daily Sweetness does La Loca



Who writes this stuff? J'adore! I think you're technically supposed to be a subscriber to DC to be able to use this code (but my site doesn't spy on you so it does not know to which sites you are a subscriber, I swear.) But if you're not already one to DC...um, you're crazy. There's much much more where this came from. Now you can get the Mini Sac (among others) for a steal so click, don't clack, on over to get it.
P.S. This looks like a pretty darn cute Valentine's day gift, no? Forward links to beloveds, they really need all the help they can get.
P.P.S. I swear I'm not sleeping with someone at Daily Candy, apparently we're just part of a larger mutual admiration society ;)
XOXO

Monday, January 25, 2010

Be Still My Trop Heart


Along with the Mini Sac...along with the Daily Candy Tuesday Deal (goes live in a.m., I'll link to it for code info)...LA TROP NOIRE. Because sometimes, you're just in the mood for black, we all know that. This is the same leather as the original Trop - veggie tanned from Italy. Yay! Only negro, nero, noir. And just as the brown I've seen people carrying around for the last couple of months, man, this black is going to get better and better with time.

It'll be on site in a.m. If you want it before it's up, just order the Trop and write a note in Merchant Instructions that you'll take LA NOIRE, thankyouverymuch.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Introducing the MINI SAC

I'm so excited to finally be adding this bag to my collection, it's been on the back burner for a while because other things were taking all my time. I was so thrilled that upon picking my first batch of the Mini Sacs yesterday, I decide to stage a renegade photo shoot with my by-myself, as Judice from the Finger Lakes would say. Here's how it goes down and the results.
Here I am at my dinning room table, I've got a large roll of white photo paper going up and over a footstool on my table.
When I realize the Mini's would look cute in comparison to something to show size, I start to grab my husband's paperbacks, as well as, some leather bound collectors edition novels he bought from an antiquarian book dealer in Périgueux, France (don't go there) this summer from the book shelf. I've brought out a few over sized thread spools and other odds and ends for prop-ups.
I'm lighting my show with a floor lamp I've got placed extremely precariously with its legs through the legs of a dining chair so that it will be at the right angle. I have no idea what I'm doing, but prop styling for the Viceroy Hotel photo shoots may have served me well. It is now after 6 o'clock and I should be making dinner for my 6 yr old. But instead he's in the other room watching TV so I can finish my photos. I've staved off major meltdown by plying him with snacks - healthy ones, I swear! (Actually outside of my own need to buy time, snacks are my new pet peeve, this article tells why.)
Anyway, when photos are done, finally, I feed my boy, put him to bed, photo cleaning takes place into wee hours of night, and voilà! Les photos.
It comes in red, camel, and black and will be on the site this weekend.
Come on, if I didn't just write all that you would have never been able to tell these were taken on a dining room table, on white paper over a footstool, lit by a precarious floor lamp, with Sponge Bob annoying the crap out me in the background, would you? This one below is my favorite! ZOLA: L'ARGENT, how crazy cute is that book?
Bo stopped by tonight to pick up some messengers and work totes for the store, I asked her to model the Mini for me. More of her modeling the MS will take place tomorrow.
Stay tuned!

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Target's Belle de Jour moment

So after selling out in 3 days, Target reordered the clutch, as you may know if you follow me on Twitter, or if we're Facebook friends because I couldn't shut up about it for a little bit. It's pretty uncommon for them to do so, as the items on Red Hot Shop only stay up for a month and by the time the item is made (in my case), shipped and restocked in their warehouse, the month will be almost over.
But we kicked it into gear, and first things first, we went and found more remnant leather. Of course it was going to be different as we could no longer find enough pieces of the same colors as last time. We found this rich camel, embossed, patent leather and put that together with an embossed black leather. We had tossed about a bunch of different colors looking for the right combination, but when I saw the camel & black together I said, yes, that's it: it's Belle de Jour. I don't know why - those colors just make me think of Deneuve in that movie. I'd like for it to sell out again, but this time in 2 days. So tell your friends. ;)

To this end, yesterday a little mirror photo shoot took place in my new closet. Two different coats and voilà-the clutch in action, here's how it'll look on you. It's the hard sell.

And I don't really know why, it's not as if there's anything to gain whether or not it sells out at Target. I guess I'm thinking as such a small company, Target is potentially priceless exposure.

We sent it out on Wednesday overnight. Which was exactly 3 working days from when we got the re-order. We hustled it. And, it is PRETTY. I think it'll be available again on the site on Monday. So if you missed out on the first one - here's your chance. And if you got the first one - you totally need this one, too.

Here it is, or was, on Wednesday afternoon as it was preparing to leave the studio - from my house to yours - with a stop in Minnesota (Target HQ) in between.

p.s. I know the world has many more serious things to consider right now besides clutches and such so I thought I'd include the link to one of the charities I've given to in the past few days, the UNFPA , and I feel strongly about it as a mother, a woman and also because I read this article on the Women's Crusade by Kristof and WuDunn from the NYTimes Magazine.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Loveliest of Birthdays

Okay, now the holidays are officially over. Friday was my birthday which is exactly 1 week from New Year's day and exactly 2 weeks from Christmas day. So for 2 weeks after Christmas, I'm always still in holiday mode. This year, for my birthday I scored some pretty lovely jewelry pieces.
I had mentioned a young jewelry designer in a previous post who contacted me out of the blue, her name is Grace Lee and her line is called Oli + Me. (Right now she sells only on Etsy.) I ordered some rings from her, (which she exchanged for bags,) and when I received the package in the mail, she had included this dainty necklace as a birthday gift from her. It was such a sweet gesture as I told her I always wanted a circle pendant which would be an "O" for me - for my boy, Oscar. And she also remembered that I was really into her black items. They are white gold dipped in a black rhodium coating. I haven't taken it off since I received it.
Up close cuteness!
The ring on top is from Grace. It is a black diamond band also dipped in the black rhodium. I like how it looks with my wedding ring + band and the vintage platinum diamond band Oscar (and his papa) got me for mother's day last year.

These are her whisper rings. An amazing deal, she sells them individually or in sets of 5, so I got two sets.
But not only did I get the Grace pieces, I also got a Kathyrn Bentley ring! Oh my god, I'm a huge fan of this designer's work and I've always coveted her snake ring. She happens to live across the street from us, so it is very handy shopping for le mari when he needs to find a gift. This year for Christmas and birthday I sent him to KB. And for birthday, I got the yellow gold snake ring set with baby diamonds! Yay. I love love love it.
And I wear it stacked with Oli + Me whispers. OK. I'm set on rings for a bit.

p.s. I finally figured out how to spell "loveliest." I'm having a spaz spelling day.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Another thing happened at the secret vintage store...

As my sister and I are walking out of the store, after I've purchased my two shearling hats and she's purchased her mink vest and little, fitted red riding jacket, we stop inside the store to get our gear on - you know the gloves, the hats, scarves - all the stuff you currently cannot go outside in MN without or you will DIE instantly, and as we're standing there, I look over and say, "Um, check out those boots." She concurs that upon first sight they are amazing, possibly the best thing we've seen today. I try them on and, as fate would have it, they fit - like a glove, only it's a boot.
Are they the most gorgeous thing? I've worn them two days straight and they're the most comfortable boot I've ever owned. I still have them on and it's almost midnight, that's saying something. The heel in this pic is a little muddy, as I wore them to Oscar's soccer game yesterday and that damn field couldn't support a heel properly. Hmph! (Soccer moms in hot boots unite!)
When you get a good vintage item, it counts double if you can marvel at the interior, the lining and the construction. These are beautifully crafted with scallop-shaped leather and suede on the exterior and they're lined with white kid leather on the inside. Nothing more to say except, I'm in LOVE.

Target Sold Out

On the 3rd Day!! Yay! That's so exciting!

Monday, January 4, 2010

2010! Here we come!

Okay, the new year officially starts today, no? Everyone's back to school and work. Well, I'm officially ending my vacation and flying back to LA in a few hours and I'm soooo ready to begin operation CLARE VIVIER 2010 tomorrow at the Elsinore St HQ with Jocelyn. And, I'm double thrilled to be starting the new year on Target's Red Hot Shop! Pretty amazing deal for a remnant, taupe/light grey leather embossed clutch, too. I'd like for them to sell out, they only have a limited quantity, so please tell your friends and let's all carry the same clutch this winter!!
This may be what you think of when you think of winter wardrobe: Coat, purchased for this trip at the recommendation of one of my most stylish friends - DKap - an adorable puffy number, with stitching which makes it quasi-chic and avant garde, no? ClareVivier Messenger bag in Black; North Face boots, purchased in Aspen for the Viceroy photo shoot which are incredible! (Why didn't they make boots like this when I was growing up?) This was my uniform while I was here and it may be yours wherever you are in this coldwave we are having throughout the country and it may not scream: CLUTCH. But wait! While I shall pack all this garb away when I return to 80 degree LA, I assure you, there are clutches filled with essentials inside that messenger bag that get taken out upon reaching destination and soon, you will see a taupe and grey clutch sitting on the table with me at the Chateau (or some other favorite gathering spot, in MN it's W.A. Frost, which has been around forever and is exactly the comfy, intellectual-chic vibe that the Chateau in LA and the Bowery or Greenwich Hotel, etc in NYC are going for, anyway, I digress!) Set your clutch on the table and I'll recognize you or you'll recognize each other and we can clink glasses and toast to an amazing 2010 to come! ;)

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Chapeaux d'hiver

I'm still in MN, returning to the pretend cold of Los Angeles winter tomorrow, but for now I get to indulge in the best of winter head gear courtesy of my favorite vintage store in St. Paul. The location of which I will not divulge - there were already a few unwelcome hipsters there yesterday, much to my chagrin. I bought two of these hats, I will get scarce use of them back home, but I wanted to buy all of them, so I did okay. Aren't they amazing?! Almost makes me wish for below zero weather in L.A. (Nah.)
I did not buy this one, but it was also furry which you cannot tell from the photo.
And this one is a Stetson - for a steal! That feather work is incredible and I really really wanted to buy it, but it was a tad small for my head and sat kinda high so I resisted. However, I've been known to have some things shipped upon second thought.