When I got married years ago, I remember being at city hall in Beverly Hills (because we thought it'd be nicer than LA, but it really wasn't) filling out the paperwork for the marriage license. They ask for your occupation. Le mari wrote journalist and, while I had been working as a journalist up until that point, I didn't want that to define me on an official document. I wrote Bag Maker. It wasn't my occupation yet, but I knew that's what I wanted to be. I didn't write
designer that as that was a little exaggerated, but maker, well, I did
make bags...Very funny to write it - a little bit like writing candle stick maker, and I almost put Bag Lady instead, but thought I had to be serious. When the marriage license arrived, there it was in official print on fancy rainbow hued, impossible to counterfeit paper, in the Bride Personal Data section: Clare Guerrero - Bag Maker. I thought, now I really have to do it or it'd just really be weird to have this certificate reminding me of the dream unfulfilled.
Last night my friend Snow had a very satisfying dinner party (where she made
this delish scallop dish, pictured above from epicurious.com.) Amid lively conversations about the sex scandals du jour Polanski & Letterman, and the great Los Angeles rat population, I learned of some of the dinner guests' exciting new projects like Jenny Meier's new meal go-to blog
The Modern Busy Girls' Cookbook, and writer Sarah Bynum's book,
Ms. Hempel Chronicles - which I loved, just out in paperback.
At the end of the night while helping Snow clean up the kitchen, I was informed very nonchalantly from my friend David that he'd seen me in the LA Weekly. I thought he'd misspoken and I said, "say what?" He said "you were 'Best Bag Lady' in the LAWeekly's "best of" issue, don't pretend like you didn't know that." I really didn't.
So excited that on the way home, I literally parked in 5 illegal spaces to run into businesses where I thought there'd be a Weekly - to no avail. Finally, parking in red in front of
Casbah Cafe, was the spot. They had it. I didn't get a ticket.
That's it then, according the one source at least, I'm officially a Bag Lady.
And what a nice little write up, as well! Thanks LA Weekly.
"Are you kidding? Yes and Yesser!! That looks so sick. I love!!" she responded, it'd be amazing with the YSL dress she was going to wear. We decided that if I bought it and Fed Exed it to her on Wednesday, she'd happily help pay for it and the shipping. Also, on Tuesday, she Fed Exed me her YSL tributes so I could cut them off as I did to mine. While this may sound crazy to some people, it sounded completely normal to me. To get the right outfit, I have been known to call upon my styly friends, no matter where they are...
Only problem is that I've been extremely busy lately, shipping bags, running business, being mama. So at 4:55 p.m. on Wednesday when I finally open the Fed Ex box from Simone with the Tributes, I panic and think, wait a minute, I cut my own $900 boots, it's quite another thing to cut someone else's. I call Simone to give her a last chance to change her mind. "Do it," she says, "Worse comes to worse, I already got two good seasons out of them."
Done. And so much cuter, no?! I love them. At literally 5:59, Oscar and I arrive at Fed Ex in Hollywood, to ship feathers and boots to NYC.
Thursday 4 p.m. I receive this picture of Simone in the feathers and boots. They look amazing with what she had on - jeans and Marni top.
At 2 p.m. on Saturday in Los Angeles, Simone is at the wedding in CT in feathers, YSL dress and cut off boots and I received a package in the mail from Amazon.
This book, with a note from Simone which says, "I do love your style, and thank you for making so much effort for mine this week." J'adore mes amis.
