Thursday, April 28, 2011

off to the races

heya friends,

Tomorrow morning, I'm off to Vegas for the weekend to attend the top fuel nostalgic drag races (where Pete leads the pit crew for the Circuit Breaker) and along the way I'll be cruising the desert & soaking in hot Springs with my gal Mikey. I'll also be hitting up all the sweet thrift stores in town. Film photos upon my return. Have a great weekend.

some pretty perfect race track wear:

despite constant pestering on my part, the job of flag gal will not be resurrected.

the gal with the blond beehive and covetable hot pink & nude outfit really sends me.

Images from tumblr & Rodder's Journal.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

a birthday hangout sesh

It's my birthday today (same day as Carol Burnett) but I've been having little birthday hanging out sessions since Saturday, and I've still got more to come. On Saturday, I spent the day with my very good pals, Jesse, Stacy, Hector & Elliott (Pete was out of town on work) and we made out way to Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro to skip stones, pose on the rocks, explore, and celebrate me! Thank goodness Jesse & Elliott brought their cameras, cause I took a bunch of pictures, even though my film was not advancing properly. There were many signs that my camera wasn't working right, but I was blinded by wishful thinking, as I so often am. Nevertheless, I had a blissful time with my buds, and I am quite happy to be alive. These photos are from Jesse's camera & taken by Jesse & Stacey. Elliott has yet to develop his film.















I also went to Cirque du Soleil's "Quidam" on Sunday with Pete, Desi, Keenan, and Mikey, which was most inspiring, and I left the convention center half believing I could contort my body like that when I got home, but no such luck. Again, regret over not joining the circus as a child. but still happy to be alive.

Outfit: vintage floral western top, 50s skirt, 60s coat (thrifted), vintage western bow tie (etsy), ballet flats (Nordstrom rack)

untamed flowers

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In a one woman act, I photographed, modeled for, processed, and printed this photo. I just love being in the darkroom -- it's a very meditative experience for me. If I had any space in my house, I'd set up my own darkroom -- maybe one day. 

wishing you a wild heart and a placid mind,

Crystal Lee

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Spring

Harvey Dunn
Artist: HARVEY T. DUNN
crystin moritz
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Syzanthus Butterfly Orchid


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Two women seated on bench, interior
Plant with blue-violet flowers
Autochrome of A Nude
tumblr_ljykq2MQFA1qaz6u3o1_500under the influence
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Most photos from flickr, so click on link for source. I love the autochrome photos; I wonder if blogger is gonna get mad at me for posting these nudies. that would be lame. I'm at home today, feeling under the weather. Saw this J-Crew outfit on tumblr the other day & decided to give it a try.

love to you,

Crystal Lee

Outfit - everything thrifted

Monday, April 18, 2011

my film might be ruined, but my memories remain intact

Introducing some photos from last weekend when Pete & I took my niece hiking at the Oak Canyon Nature Center in Anaheim Hills. Anna had a great time chasing lizards & bunnies through the forest. She only tripped about 3 times, which is a record for her. We played on the stage, introducing each other before our respective performances, and attaching many superlatives to our names. Anna sang “Hard Knock Life” and “Tomorrow” from Annie. I did a hand stand. Pete did some yoga moves. We are very good at entertaining ourselves. Anna dressed herself, which is why she’s not wearing vintage. I somehow looked like a massive Laker’s fan in my purple & yellow clothes. My dress is covered in a splatter paint print, but it’s kind of hard to see.

teaching Anna about Narcissus
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making Oak tree shapes
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This past weekend was beautiful, despite the fact that the film chronically it was somehow ruined. It’s a wonder that the photos from last weekend turn out when they were from the same roll of film, but I can’t dwell on it. On Saturday, Pete & I went to a musical called Rock of the Ages” featuring actresses & actors ages 60 and older. We went primarily to see the guest star “grandma” (Pete’s sister-in-law’s grandma), who is 81 years old, and who brought tears to my eyes with her rendition of Patsy Cline’s “Sweet Dreams of You.” Grandma used to perform as a country duo with her husband, and they even performed at the Grand Old Opry. Rock of the Ages was super fun to watch & very inspiring; I just love the elderly. I wore a white 60s lace mini dress (hacked haphazardly by me) that features a large mint bow at the empire waist. The old folks seemed to love it because I received tons of compliments.

On Sunday, we spent the day in Lancaster to witness the blooming of the poppies, attend the annual Poppy Festival, and hang with family, including Pete’s lovable one-year old nephew. The poppies were not as bountiful as last year, but still they were a sight to behold. I wore two outfits. My first outfit (which I had saved specifically for this event) was a 1930s yellow dress with orange poppies & wildflowers with a straw 50s sunhat. My second outfit was a 1950s pouf dress featuring teal flowers & turquoise bow at the waist. I purposefully ripped out all the crinoline underneath, and I’m not sure why I hadn’t thought of that earlier, as it always itched me like crazy. I suppose I will have to recreate and show you these quintessential Spring outfits another time.

This weekend I was also blessed with a dream that my siblings and I were riding around in my mom’s big old Dodge Van. My mother was swerving all over the road as usual. My youngest brother unwisely brought a glass of milk into the van & it spilled everywhere. Meanwhile, I was half hanging out the window, trying to jump onboard a moving vehicle. My mother was grinning widely, happy to have all her children together, while we were all crying, both from laughter & actual fear. When I awoke from this dream, I recalled our cross country trip from California to Windsor, Canada, and back. We were in Wyoming and I was jostled from my sleep to find my mother swerving into the night, lighting flashing across the sky, and rain pouring wildly. She was eating a slice of watermelon. “Mom, I think you should stop driving, and let David (my then boyfriend) drive. “Oh I’m fine, I’ve got this watermelon to give me energy.” We convinced her to let my boyfriend drive & she climbed to the back of the van into the pulled out bed and instantly fell asleep. The Dodge Van was far too big for her, but she wanted a vehicle that we could travel in as a family. She had the van for a long time, and it became a moving pig sty that embarrassed us immensely, even though we were the ones who destroyed it. In retrospect, it was fuckin comical. No matter how big or awful a situation became, my mother never admitted defeated; she just sailed into the night, oblivious to the thunder storm.

wishing you beautiful dreams,

Crystal Lee

Outfit: vintage splatter paint dress, Oh Deer shoes, (thrifted).

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Fall colors, summer dress.

talk to the armpit. haha. sorry for the in yo face arm pit action all the time.
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there’s some bananas on my lapel, a recent purchase from Etsy.

a Long Beach sunset and it matches my dress.
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More film photos (Portra 400) taken after work the other day. I am so happy about Spring and the longer daylight hours! Now, if I can just be more productive after work. This Spring, I need to do lots of Spring cleaning, get some of my finds up on Etsy, practice more yoga, dance a lot more, and start meditating on a regular basis. I also wanna go on a long bicycle ride. What are your Spring goals?

love to you,

Crystal Lee

Outfit: vintage swimsuit dress, tweed blazer, Bass oxfords (thrifted), banana brooch (Etsy)

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Isadora Duncan (1878-1927)






Isadora Duncan, mother of modern dance, free spirit of American origin, but really belonging to eternity, moves me. She didn't give a rat's tail about schools, systems, and professionalism when it came to dance. To her, dance was a biological function, a natural way of being, a universal endowment. I too believe that the dance exists in everyone, just like I believe there is a song in everyone. Her movements expressed the noble ideals of human kind, her true self. Her unifying message can likewise be found in Deepak Chopra’s "the Seven Spiritual Laws of Success", which I am currently reading. (I read a lot of self-help books and/or spiritual guides.) Chopra contends“our essential nature is one of pure potentiality." I have such a desire to fearlessly sing my life. I haven’t been quite as successful as I would like in bringing my essential nature to the surface, but it’s so refreshing to think that in each of us there is an unlimited surplus of pure potentiality, which can be tapped into with just a little effort.

Dance is the movement of the universe concentrated in an individual.
– Isadora Duncan

Dancing must express humankind’s most moral, beautiful, and healthful ideals.
– Isadora Duncan

Place your hands on your heart, listen to your soul. There is the true revolution. Let the people place their hands in this way on their hearts, and in listening to their souls they will know how to conduct themselves.
– Isadora Duncan

My motto - sans limites.
– Isadora Duncan

When your actions are motivated by love, there is no waste of energy.
– Deepak Chopra

You must learn to get in touch with the inner most essence of your being. This true essence is beyond the ego. It is fearless; it is free; it is immune to criticism; it does not fear any challenge. It is beneath no one, superior to no one, and full of magic, mystery, and enchantment.
– Deepak Chopra

We are divinity in disguise, and the gods and goddesses in embryo that are contained within us seek to be fully materialized. True success is therefore the experience of the miraculous. It is the unfolding of the divinity within us.
– Deepak Chopra

For further reading – Deepak Chopra’s “The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success”, and Isadora Duncan’s “My Life”

all images from the NYPL Digital Gallery.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

we match the clouds

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Note to self: I really need to find a white 50s wiggle dress like Stacy's. I'm wearing a hacked moo-moo dress that has been waiting patiently in my closet for a day when fluffy friendly clouds fill the sky. Voila! the day has come. it's been after the rain weather around here all weekend, though there hasn't been any rain. the air is crisp and invigorating. it's beautiful.

My weekend thus far has been lazy, but fun. On Friday night, I sang "If I had a Hammer" by Peter, Paul, and Mary, at karaoke. Even though I sing it at the top of my lungs while driving or in the shower, I thought it was kind of hard to sing at karaoke. I definitely botched some of the higher notes. But I was proud of myself for staying out passed 10:00 p.m. Jesse sang "Cupid" by Sam Cooke. He is so mind blowingly good at karaoke. He's known throughout all of long beach for his karaoke skills. Yesterday, I went to photography class and developed stop action shots of Stacy jumping in the air like Ann Margaret does on the cover of Life magazine 1965. I'll show you some of my photography assignments when my teacher gives them back to me. I am enjoying my photography class so much. I especially enjoy being in the dark room.

In a little bit, I'm gonna pick up my little niece Anna, and we're gonna go for a little hike, and I'm sure I'll dress the poor thing up in vintage clothing and take tons of pictures of her. She's such a good sport.

I hope ya'll are having a wonderful weekend.

much love,

crystal lee

Outfit: 60s ocean & clouds dress w/eyelet yoke (thrifted & shortened by me)
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