I like signs for public safety, but I’m not sure I like the image of the person running from the tsunami wave.
Sign: Tsunami Hazard Zone
Gatsby Green Light
Love the green light on this neighborhood house, which reminds me of “The Great Gatsby.”
Seasonal White
It feels like a summer day today and I want a white sundress just like Lucy’s new one.
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Opening day for baseball means summer’s right around the corner. I grew up a Yankees fan and still love ‘em (still have all my old baseball cards, too). But now I’m also a Dodgers fan. (What can I say? I love LA and am happy to call it home—but when you grow up in New York, well, you learn to make your own rules. Besides, the Dodgers started out as a NY team.) I don’t know any woman who likes to wear a big boxy T-shirt (except maybe for working out or sleeping) and I’ve found that the sports shirts I upcycle are among my best-sellers. The remade Yankees shirt pictured was already sold, but the Dodgers one is available from my Etsy shop, along with one-of-a-kind shirts for the Angels and Mets. (Other team shirts coming soon.)
Jury Duty Lunch Break Photos
Lunch break during jury duty, playing with the Hipstamatic app.
Juror Style: To Serve, To Party
One of the things I miss about living in New York is riding the subway and walking on the sidewalks with strangers. People-watching is a pastime that never gets old for me. It’s simply not as easy to have that everyday exposure to the masses in LA, but walking on the Venice boardwalk and shopping in thrift stores provides a similar opportunity for observation of so many different types of people in one place. Add to that: jury duty.
I spent the first hour in the juror waiting room yesterday looking around, pretending to read my book while discretely spying on the strangers around me—checking out what they brought with them, what they were doing to pass the time, and what they were wearing. I liked how the woman who gave us instructions wore a body-hugging leopard dress that matched her tough demeanor. When she was giving us instructions and a juror picked up a cell phone call, Ms. Leopard announced that she was going to pause until there was no interference in the room and then she glared at the juror, waiting for her to finish. Oh yeah, she had attitude.
Most people were dressed business casual, which is what Ms. Leopard told us was expected of jurors selected to serve on cases. I saw one man and one woman dressed in buttoned-up suits (she worked on her laptop all morning, he napped). A woman with a cute bob wore plaid Converse Chuck Taylors with her skinny jeans and pullover sweater, and a woman sitting a seat away from me had pointy black high-heeled boots and big Carmela Soprano hair I was tempted to reach out and touch. Then there was the guy I recognized as a soap actor who wore denim on denim (button-down shirt and jeans) and almost as much hair product as Mrs. Soprano.
All day, I was on the lookout to see if there were any covetable articles of clothing or accessories, but I only spotted a cute pair of black ballet flats with bows and a Marc Jacobs bag I’d consider for myself. And maybe a tuxedo T-shirt; my favorite look was from the guy on the security line in jeans, sneakers, and a black and white tuxedo-print tee. I could tell from his age that he wasn’t around for the shirt’s trendy heyday in the ’80s. But if he’d been in the same room with me, I might have asked him if he remembered the hilarious line from the John C. Reilly character in “Talladega Nights” about Jesus in the tuxedo T-shirt (clip here). Now I’m keen on the shirt and will keep an eye out for one when I’m on my next thrift store mission in search of shirts to upcycle.
Bag Lunch
Lunch break during jury duty.
Overheard While Shopping: If You Keep Living…
Overheard while shopping at a thrift store. He was buying her a hat.
She: “Don’t forget to tell them about the senior citizen discount. Even though I don’t want to say I’m that old.”
He: “If you keep living, you get there.”
Swim Inspiration
Kitchen Sources for Beauty: Olive Oil
I saw a post on a style blog yesterday about a new product available: an anti-frizz comb infused with olive oil. Infused with olive oil! To that, I say this: Ain’t nothing like the real thing, baby. There’s no need to buy a new comb or product—simply use olive oil. I keep olive oil in a vintage glass bottle in the bathroom. Usually I take a few drops and rub it between my palms and then gently run my hands through my hair, away from the scalp. When hair is very dry, I use olive oil as a deep conditioner, soaking the strands with the oil and twisting it into a ponytail knot for an hour before shampooing it out in the shower. Hair is softened and frizz-free—and I take great comfort in using a product that’s safe enough to eat (and already in the house). Photo note: I keep the olive oil away from the light to keep it fresh, but it’s photographed in the window here to catch the pretty morning light.
Hats and Hoops
I like hats. Spike Lee also likes hats. Turns out he’s been wearing some notable ones to Knicks games lately. But this headline is ridiculous! Don’t blame the hats.
Liz
Obits are pointing out that Elizabeth Taylor’s attributes included her beauty (I can think of no one who looked more stunning on screen in a slip!), talent, and passion. How amazing that her later years were spent helping to raise more than $100 million to fight AIDS.
Crocodile Love: Making it Work
Photo: Courtesy of Lacoste/Catherine Malandrino
Photos of Catherine Malandrino’s collection for Lacoste were released today (on sale next month) and I’m looking to it for inspiration on how I can up-style the Lacoste polo shirt already hanging in my closet. It’s been worn only a handful of times and I want to love it; the fit is great, the crocodile is adorable, it’s can’t-go-wrong-black, but it’s so…. preppy. I like preppy on other people, but it doesn’t feel quite right on me. So up-styling here for me means de-prepping. Because I always try to shop my closet before acquiring anything else, accessorizing with jewelry is my best and easiest option. I’m most likely to wear the shirt with denim cut-offs or jeans and black Chuck Taylors or strappy sandals, but I might try to pair the shirt with a long maxi skirt and Obi belt. Shown with DIY bleached Levi’s, two vintage black beaded necklaces with a clear one made from a yard sale chandelier’s crystal beads; also shown, a black beaded necklace layered with a vintage cameo on a leather cord and an upcycled vintage rosary bead necklace (I replaced the cross with a mermaid charm)… Music in my head: Elton John’s “Crocodile Love.”
Beauty Treat: New Lipstick
I thought of my grandmother when I picked up a new lipstick recently. “You could use a little lipstick” was how she often greeted me during my young adult years. She also told me often that I was sweet and smart and talented and, yes, beautiful. Like countless grandparents before and after her time, she would occasionally express befuddlement about the fashions worn by “kids these days,” and she had a habit of pushing my bangs to the side while telling me that these were the only eyes God was going to give me. But I never had any doubt that she loved me just the way I was, so I never felt bad about the lipstick line.
She was from a different era and believed that ladies ought to wear lipstick. I recall her pulling out her own tube of lipstick from her handbag and applying it—either a pinkish coral or red color—every time she left the house. She might be wearing a shapeless house dress or no-nonsense slacks with an elastic waistband and a button-down shirt, but she always finished the look with her diamonds and lipstick. My grandmother’s words sunk in and I credit her with making me the lipstick lover I am today. I don’t leave the house without a little something on my lips—tinted balm, gloss, or lipstick.
Over the years, I’ve used a lot of colors from more cosmetic lines than I can recall, but I became a wiser consumer and limited my choices upon learning about the damaging chemicals hiding inside most of those lipstick tubes. (If she were still alive, I would replace my grandmother’s lipstick with a safer version. If you’re not aware of what’s in your personal care products, please visit the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and EWG’s Skin Deep database, which evaluates products and ranks them for safety.) When I felt I could use a little pick-me-up a few weeks ago, treating myself to a new lipstick sounded like a good idea. I went with a shiny gold tube of Brett lip colour by Jane Iredale (pictured), one of the cosmetic lines I count on for making high-quality makeup without the harmful chemicals found in so many other brands. It’s creamy and the color works on me as an everyday shade. It feels like the perfect “you could use a little lipstick” choice.
Spring Flowers
Wonder Woman: Classic Beats New
My amazing mom educated me early on the evils of sexism and frowned upon TV shows in which she felt women were objectifed. “Wonder Woman” was one of these shows. I liked to see a girl superhero in action and thought the gold lasso and red boots were cool, but I can see her point about the costume being impractical. NBC revealed the look of the new “Wonder Woman” today and this doesn’t look like progress or an improvement. Boobs still popping out and ribs still too constrained by the corset (come on, girl’s gotta move to fight evil and there’s no time to worry about popping out). And blue boots? With latex leggings? What happened to the stars? I’d like to see her spin and change into something better.
Irish Pride: Upcycled Accessories
Showing my pride on St. Patrick’s Day today with these accessories, modeled on Buttons, my childhood teddy bear. The headband is a stip of fabric from a men’s necktie with shamrocks; the Claddagh charm is hanging on a strip of fabric from a recycled T-shirt. 
Ad Note: Rafael Nadal in Jeans
Two questions about this Rafael Nadal ad for Armani Jeans (I had to look at the photo again to remind myself what the ad is for…): Are we supposed to be looking at the jeans in this ad? And are we supposed to be paying attention to the road?
Style Soundbite: Too Old for That
Overheard in Venice, CA.
Girl: “Dad, are you going to pierce your nipples?”
Father: “No, sweetie. That’s not going to happen. I’m 46 years old and if I haven’t done it yet, I’m not going to do it.”
Glee Look: Red Flower in the Hair
Red Flower hair clip from Kocajo on Etsy
Red flower from Hot Pink and Sequins on Etsy
Flower headband from Rockstarlette on Etsy
Last week’s “Glee” featured a tango version of “Kiss,” with Matthew Morrison dancing with guest star Gwyneth Paltrow. Good song, good dance (and good show), and all I could think about was how I loved the red flower in Paltrow’s hair. Flower clenched between the teeth? Not practical in everyday life, but a flower in your hair can be either sweet (flower child) or sexy (tango dancer). A halter top or dress with a red flower in your hair and dainty earrings and you’re good to go. The flowers above come from Etsy sellers who use recycled materials for their handiwork; the real hibiscus flower on top was spotted in the neighborhood.
Stef McDonald 