I found these vintage rosary beads — with shamrocks on the wood beads! — at a thrift store last year and pulled ‘em out for St. Patrick’s Day.
Sign for Cirque
A real street sign for Cirque du Soleil’s Santa Monica Pier engagement.
Growing by the Gate
Pretty and purple by the gate.
Hot Dog Day
Feels like summer is here and it was a day for a hot dog in Venice Beach at Jody Maroni’s. Check out that great first line of Maroni’s bio.
Hello, Poppies
I love seeing poppies poke out from fences. Photo taken in Santa Monica.
Zen Place on a Chain
My favorite vintage items are the ones that I’ve had before they were vintage. I’ve had this beach scene charm since I was a kid. Closing my eyes and picturing the beach is the trick I use to calm myself. This is like wearing my zen place around my neck.
Flowers and Bubbles
Spotted on the kitchen counter at a friend’s new home, on the day she got the keys.
Almond Milk Hot Chocolate
For a friend’s barbecue on a cool Los Angeles evening, I brought ingredients for almond milk hot chocolate for us to sip by the fire pit. I make my chocolate milk with dark chocolate, cocoa powder, and almond milk. Preparing it couldn’t be easier: I add pieces of a chocolate bar (70%), unsweetened cocoa powder, and a dash of salt to unsweetened almond milk in a saucepan, then stir occasionally with a whisk on medium heat until blended and hot (but not boiling). Measurements? I usually make one or two cups at a time and use 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder and a few pieces of chocolate. Honey, agave nectar, or sugar can be added for sweetness. Our friends Kristine and Dan had marshmallows for toasting by the fire and a few of us added one (or two) to our hot chocolate milk mugs. Yum.
Wind, Sand, Winter
Windy day in LA.
Better Red Lips for the Red Carpet (or Right Now)
Watching the red carpet arrivals for the Oscars tonight, a friend commented on the red lips of an actress, wondering aloud about the chemicals in her lipstick. I was quick to point out that there are plenty of red lip products available that are safer to wear — those made without ingredients that are harmful to you (because, come on, you know you end up eating a lot of that lip color….). My favorite green beauty choice for red lips is RMS Beauty’s Lip2Cheek in Rapture — good as a barely-there light stain or for a full-on deep and dramatic red. Either way, it can be perked up when topped with a tiny bit of Jane Iredale’s PureGloss in tourmaline (it looks pink in the tube but goes on clear with a bit of shimmer). If I want a full red lip that’s softer and on the tomato side of the spectrum, I go with Jane Iredale’s LipColour (lipstick) in Nicole, which is super-moist and made with SPF 18. Best of all, these products are from companies committed to making makeup more responsibly — better for you and the environment. (For more on these products and others, check EWG’s Skin Deep for ingredients and safety ratings.)
My Lin Shirt is Cuter Than Yours
I gave my NY Knicks Lin shirt — with “Linsanity” printed on the back! — the Miss Stefanie upcycling treatment. I cut out the neck to make it scoop, added a braided denim neckline from a recycled pair of jeans, and cut and rolled sleeves.
Heart-Shaped Steak: Early Valentine’s Day Dinner
Our early Valentine’s Day dinner show-stopper: a Spencer rib eye steak. (The heart? It came that way from the butcher.) Salt and paprika on one side, spice rub from our friend Mike on the other.
J’Taime Shirt
Je T’aime Shirt: a recent vintage find.
Recipe: Kale, Tangerine, Toasted Pumpkin Seed Salad
This kale salad is so simple to make and good to eat. Blanched kale, tangerines, and toasted pumpkin seeds are dressed with a fresh Meyer lemon juice and olive oil vinaigrette. Salt and pepper to taste. Yum.
The Good Kind of Fat
Photo taken at Baby Blues BBQ in Venice, CA.
Game Day Look: True Blue
My Super Bowl look: Something old, something new, something upcycled, something blue. I took a NY Giants shirt and recreated it by cutting off the sleeves and adding details to the neckline with a strip of denim from a thrift store pair of jeans and fabric from the cut-off sleeves. The necklace is was made with a string of glass beads from a broken chandelier purchased from a yard sale.
Forever in Love
I encountered this on a beach walk in Santa Monica. A stranger loves me forever — or someone else with my initials (or maybe Santa Monica?).
Groundhog Day: New Day for the Vest
It’s Groundhog Day and the movie of the same name has been airing on cable TV. Andie Macdowell’s character wears a pink baggy sweater over a blue button-down shirt for most of the movie (not appealing), but I like the white shirt and vest she wears in the dinner scene with Bill Murray’s character. In the ’80s and ’90s, this look would be paired with high-waisted and pleated (gasp) jeans or trousers, but I would like it with skinny jeans and booties.
In the Air: Jasmine in Bloom
Photo taken in Venice Beach, CA.
Clowning Around: Marion Davies House
Photo taken at the Marion Davies guest house at the Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica, CA. She appears to be dressed as a clown in this photo and was known for throwing lavish costume parties. Good old days, indeed.
Stef McDonald 