my favorite color palette

I want to spend my days dressed like a sunset over the ocean.

 Photo # 1 taken with my phone in Huntington Beach, California.
Photo # 2 Chanel, Fall 2014, Style.com

New in Shop: Primary Colors

Vintage 80s/90s ESPRIT Turtleneck Knit Slouchy 8-Ball Graphic Yellow Dress S/M

Happy 2014, friends! I know I’ve been neglecting this space (hopefully, ya’ll haven’t missed me too much), and instead been spending lots of blissful time over the holidays and on weekends in my vintage studio - dancing around, doing handstands, and most importantly, photography lots of amazing vintage for the shop. Here’s some vintage beauts of the primary color variety to brighten all your days. Wishing you many blessings for the new year!

Vintage 70s Rainbow Plaid Toggle Wool Coat Small

Vintage 1950s Red FOLKLORIC Blouse Skirt Two-Piece Set

Vintage 70s/80s Navy Blue Sheer Secretary Dress w/Lace Trim, Crochet Collar, S/M

Vintage 70s Red Oaxacan Embroidered Floral Tent Mini Dress w/Capped Sleeves. Small

Vintage 1970s Ox-Blood Red Tooled Leather Mexican Crossbody Purse Shoulder Bag

Inspiration: Michelle "EstroJen" Steilen

I’m sure ya’ll have seen these cute pastel roller skates all over the internet, prompting women everywhere to make mad dashes to Urban Outfitters to get a pair. These adorable skates were created by Long Beach badass, Michelle Steilen, of Moxi Rollerskates. But what makes Michelle, a.k.a. “EstroJen” or “Estro” in the roller derby community, really special and super inspiring is her raw, insanely talented roller skating ability. I always have hearts in my eyes for athletic women, and I'm crushing hard on EstroJen. Check out her gnarly roller skating skills in this video for Bones bearings. I hope it compels you to get rolling; I know I’ll be dusting off my old skates. 

shootin guns, eatin pie, gettin by.

Pie n' Burger in Pasadena has some mean burgers and delicious homemade pumpkin pie.

a favorite thrifted purse

fuzzy outfit

awesome old BBQ sign in Yarnell, AZ.

golden trees in Prescott, AZ

antique shopping in Prescott, AZ.

Pete's new baby

Hot dog, it's been a while since I’ve my an appearance on my blog! So here I am, stepping in for a twirl to say hello and let you know that I’ve thus far managed to avoid the winter blues by keeping busy with familiar past times (eating pie, playing dress up, antique/thrift store shopping) and engaging in some new experiences too.  A few weekends back, our friends took us to an outdoor shooting range and showed me how to shoot a .22 hand gun and rifle. Shooting guns was fun, but it made me realize I really need to get into martial arts or something because I’d rather count on my body for self defense than use a lethal weapon. I can leave the gun shooting to Pete, who, turns out, has amazing aim.

This past weekend, Pete & I drove out to Prescott, Arizona, where we experienced beautiful fall foliage and weather! (Maybe if we had a proper fall in Southern California, folks wouldn’t be trying to bring on Christmas so prematurely. God help me, the employees at Starbucks are dressed like elves!) We drove out to be with Ma for her birthday. But it was really more like my birthday because Ma took me to all the thrift stores around town, and accompanied me on my mad whirl through the many antique shops in the town square. Towards the end of our shopping spree, poor Ma got hit with some major allergies - her right eye swollen, gooey, and red. I guess Pete ain’t the only one to be allergic to my lifestyle, but he & his ma are both good sports. And I scored some really neat finds that I’ll have to show you another time. Oh, and it looks like I’m officially a motorcycle mama, as Pete bought himself a new ride (with a seat for me) while we were out in Arizona. Now, what in the heck am I gonna wear?

Well friends, I hope you are enjoying yourselves.  If you live in Southern California and like roots music, be sure to check out the Long Beach Folk Revival Festival this Saturday, where I will be selling vintage, and which is sure to be a rollicking good time. 

“Choose to be optimistic, it feels better.”
-- Dalai Lama XIV

Franklin Canyon with Kafka

“By believing passionately in something that still does not exist, we create it. The nonexistent is whatever we have not sufficiently desired.”
― Franz Kafka

“Youth is happy because it has the capacity to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.”
― Franz Kafka

All pieces from this photo shoot are in the shop now. Photography & Styling by me. Model: Avalon Lopez 

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

Thank you for letting me be myself, SF

beautiful light streaming through Golden Gate Park

Prayerbook Cross in Golden Gate Park, erected in 1894, as a tribute to the "first English language sermon and use of the Book of Common Prayer in California."

Dancing at the Legion of Honor

Pete and the crowd at the closing of the HSB Fest.

We spotted these expressive foil men all over Golden Gate Park.

Can you believe it was over 80 degrees the whole 4 days I was in San Francisco?  I was unable to believe the weather forecast for SF, and thus packed my finest cold weather clothing. Despite being a little warm for my wardrobe, San Francisco could not have been more ideal, move giving, more welcoming. The bands that performed at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Fest, (which we try to attend every year), held in Golden Gate Park, were phenomenal. I most enjoyed listening to Mark Lanegan sing in his haunting baritone voice, as we sat on a tree stump on the hillside (he did an all acoustic set), dancing to Emmylou Harris (who is still the reigning honky tonk queen), and getting all teary eyed and tender hearted when Ralph Stanley took the the stage and belted out his songs in his highly distinctive high-lonesome voice (he’s 86 years old!). When we weren’t at the HSB Fest, we were walking all over town, eating yummy food, hamming it up, thrift store shopping. The thrift stores were so generous; I was giddy as can be. Gosh, I feel so free in SF. I can dance around town in fancy duds, and noone seems to give me a second look. What a town! Now if only it were always 80 degrees, and had affordable housing.

All of these photos were taken with my Iphone. I’ll admit I was pretty self-conscious about pulling out my phone every 10 minutes to snap photos. It just doesn’t have the same appeal as a 35 mm camera, and I suspect it never will (at least for me).

Outfits: 60s wool plaid shirt dress (Vets Flea Market, LB), 50s powder blue coat (antique mall in the Orange Circle), nude 60s chiffon dress (Vets Flea Market, LB), 60s knit white mini dress (thrifted)