New in Shop: White Lace/Black Glitter

Just added these two amazing pieces to the shop: Vintage Betsey Johnson Punk Label White Lace Skirt and 50s Black Gold Lurex Glitter Jumpsuit. Get em" while they're hot.

Photography and Styling by me. Model: Avalon Lopez

Former Luddite Attempts to Embrace Technology

Heya buddies,

After much prompting from friends, I've finally joined the rest of the world on instagram (after purchasing my first smart phone!). Watch me as I clumsily attempt to navigate the modern technological world.  I'll be posting some never before seen (at least on this blog) film photos, snaps of my new work studio, daily outfits, shop updates, etc.,. You can also find me on Facebook, where I kind of half-ass post updates. Follow me here: Instagram, Facebook.

Joshua Tree

 Can you believe these colors?!

Last weekend, I went to Joshua Tree to attend my friend Jodi's wedding. It was the best kind of wedding - under a bed of stars, a short, tender, and humorous ceremony reflecting the bride and groom’s distinct personalities, a dirt dance floor plus really good tunes, and a table filled with all sorts of yummy desserts. I had so much fun, I forgot to take any photos. The off-road adventure to attend the wedding in my friend Ji’s Prius was equally memorable.

While in Joshua Tree, I played the tourist along with Pete and some of my favorite gals. We went to Desert Christ Park in neighboring Yucca Valley and visited the tiniest museum ever - the Crochet Museum in Joshua Tree. We drank beers at Pappy and Harriott's and put quarters in the juke box. There, I also ate a crazy amount of chili. In the car, I sang loudly along with a new friend to Loretta's "Coal Miner's daughter" while Pete drove us through the long, quiet, undulating desert streets. We hiked a little in the Joshua Tree National Park, and visited Cap Rock where Phil Kaufman set the corpse and coffin of Gram Parson ablaze. The desert is an interesting, serene, weird, sacred place, and I feel lucky to live only a few hours away.

California dreamin'

Eichler neighborhood, Orange, CA.

vintage LB police car, Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Fest 2012

The Theme Building, Los Angeles International Airport

Moonlight Roller rink in Glendale. A total blast from the past. Go on Tuesday night for Old Time Live Organ Music.

the American Dream. Eichler neighborhood, Orange, CA.

Happy Friday, buckaroos. Do you have any exciting plans this weekend? I'm going to try and pick up my room, which I've been working on rather unsteadily for like 6 months. Other than that, I’m going dancing at Secret Affair (until it gets too crowded) tonight, to a baby shower tomorrow (this is the year of the baby), and I hope to run on the beach (my new Nike Free running shoes are the best!) and/or go to yoga this weekend. I also want to sketch out some of my cowgirl outlaw design ideas. Talk to you soon.

Outfit: vintage 60s olive shift dress w/turquoise collar and ascot tie (Elsewhere Vintage, Orange Circle), Cole Haan loafers (thrifted).

photos by Pete (top photo) and the rest by me.

Santa Catalina

wearing a goofy grin in a wooden phone booth.

Wrigley Memorial, built in the 1930s

 Old Man cactus

the birthday boy and his cacti crew

Even though I’m a California native, I had never before been to Catalina, an island only twenty-six miles across the sea, so when Pete suggested the destination for his birthday, I easily got on board. We brought our bikes along, and though there are not too many bicycle routes, we rode uphill to the Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Gardens, where we beheld a ton of cool cacti, most notably the Old Man Cactus. The Wrigley Memorial, which oversees the gardens, is constructed from materials found or made on the island, including the blue flagstone rocks found in the stairs, and the colorful intricate tiles made in the Catalina Pottery plant, which was in operation from 1927-1937. This was probably the most beautiful and least expensive part of our short trip.

Being a popular tourist destination, most activities on Catalina can be pretty expensive, which I somewhat expected. We really wanted to do a tour of the Catalina Casino, which houses the art deco Avalon Theatre and upstairs ballroom, but didn’t want to pay the nearly $40 each for a ticket. Instead, we paid $11 each to hear an hour-long performance of the old fashioned pipe organ, viewed from velvet seats in the back of the Avalon theater, where Pete and I discussed and admired the astonishing murals by John Gabriel Beckman.

I always have a swell time with Pete so I dare not complain, but I do think that Catalina is a little too touristy and much to expensive for my taste.

In other news, SUMMER IS HERE. I hung out at the pool with my niece and nephew for 5 hours yesterday. I’m quickly morphing into summer’s child, a giddy idealist sprite, who loathes the 9-5 work day and longs only for outdoor adventures. Hope ya'll are feeling fine!

Outfit: vintage tapestry coat (Long Beach Veteran's Flea Market), vintage wool green shorts, (thrifted), lavender loafers (Cole Haan), socks (Asos).

Blackstar Canyon

Maybe more than playing dress up, I like getting dirty and being barefoot in the great outdoors. Last weekend, Pete and I drove to Black Star Canyon, a region shrouded in mystery. Urban legends always kept me away as a teen. My friends and I were far too scared to set foot in Blackstar Canyon lest a Satan worshiper kidnap us and sacrifice our “virgin” bodies to the devil. Nowadays, mountain bikers and hikers flock to the canyon in abundance, but we found a peaceful place far from the maddening crowd where I could carry out my odd little fantasies of resting in hollowed out trees. We also took some photos for the shop, so you can expect a mini shop update soon. I'll also be selling at the Veteran's Stadium Flea Market (Booth # D-558) in Long Beach if you're in the area.

xoxo,

Crystal Lee

my baby takes good pictures, ya.

Sometimes Pete goes out of town for work to these tiny little back road towns that one would otherwise not have the occasion to visit. When he is away on these trips, I stay home and become a total bachelor sloth. Piles of clothes everywhere. Daily hygienic routines ignored. an unmade bed. bad television marathons. Pete, on the other hand, is far more productive. When not working a 12 hour shift, he somehow finds the time to hit the thrift stores, explore the town, and take some pretty neat photos. Check out a few of his photos from a recent trip to Anniston, Alabama. The clouds are really were it's at.

light leaks are a blessing

beautiful light leaks in Pete's photograph taken with his Sear's SLR.

into the South

Oh hi. I'm home and I'm beat, but I wanted to share with you some of the scenery of the South, and I promise you stories when I'm feeling more alert.

overgrown pretty weeds and abandoned buildings are a staple of the South.

a kudzu goldmine

old knocked knee'd cypress trees found on the Magnolia Plantation, Charleston, SC

a statue in the Magnolia Garden

swampy green

Congaree River, SC

Congaree National Park. I'll show you more photos of this mystical place in a future post.

a real Southern dog, Daisy, with denim on denim dad, and sidekick, long distance driver and boyfriend extraordinaire, Pete.

Cherryville, SC

My dad has been going to Tony's Ice Cream since he was a kid, and I always go there when I come for a visit. It's been around since the 1920s and has the most delicious homemade ice cream.

Check out them Southern clouds.

Good night folks .... Crystal Lee has left the building.