fall fashion
taking cues from proenza schouler and isabel marant, my beast is dominating the fashion category in this household.
she's been rockin' the south by southwest look like nobody's business; putting her owner's paltry attempts at A/W 2011 trends to shame.
once again: match to priscilla.
how are you embracing fashionable fall m'loves?
weekend happy
well new york fashion week has officially ended. i've been so out of the loop these last seven days, i'll hopefully be catching up on the shows this weekend.
from the snippets i've seen mr. lauren {always a favorite} did not disappoint.
jason wu's design's looked dazzling as well.
and i'm gaga for rag & bone. casual and colorful. adjectives i don't normally gravitate toward with my apparel, even though it's the uniform of choice here in southern california. but marcus wainwright and david neville created a collection even this stuffy, i-love-my-black-on-black-on-black girl could shimmy 'round the rodeo in.
what were your favorites of last week?
and thank you so much for your kind words yesterday. i savored every single word!!
see you on the other side of sunday m'loves.
weekend happy
farewell my endless, carefree as a whisper, summer. i will miss you much.
i will miss the smell of your backyard barbecue. the silent, but potent neighborhood bell which beckoned the sunburnt, beach-cruiser riding puppies home each day from the sand.
how sad i'll be to bid adieu to my summer scents. one for day, a breezy, light, swing in a seaside hammock kind of fragrance; sweet and soft, not too strong, yuzu mixed with the pacific ocean. the other for night, a strong, night-blooming jasmine blended with a stronger honeysuckle, make this a true southern california scent; melissa flagg's oils conjure memories of late night, top-down drives, through the hot santa ana's.... trisha yearwood on the radio, young boys on the brain.
goodbye mr. panama hat. it's back to wooly bowler standby's for fall.
come tuesday that orange blossom love which has floated throughout the house for the last 3 months will morph into a spicier, less petal-like waft. i know i'll long for my dark, warm mornings where the gentle aroma of white flowers waltzing against a cobalt, blue sea guide me into my day.
so long to summer's fresh, off the vine tomatoes and california avocados. i'm wet duck lucky to have such delicious local candy at my fingertips.
an afternoon nap, just my beast and i, under the serenading whirl of ceiling fan. we keep cool, talk girl, and steal away from the silly outside summer antics. this ritual i may have to keep year-long.
so m'loves, did you have a nice summer too? what will you miss?
a weekend happy to you.
see you on the other side of sunday!
bellicose beguiles me
so here it is, after a hilarious and rife response to words that give us the ick, i give you:
~words that make me capsize with happy~
words when uttered or heard, wrap me 'round like a soft blanket of baby, mewing kittens.
like my earlier post, these words aren't necessarily about what they denote or depict.
for instance, as delicious as the confection is, fudge and brownie aren't terribly ambrosial words.
and, as pretty as it looks in a bouquet, an aster, feels rather artless rolling off the tongue.
fortunately our language pot brims full and redolent.
for example, i'm not a giant fan of popcorn, but i'll order it just for the opportunity to say it.
i'm not exactly sure what an apothecary is, but i love to work it into conversation:
"your honor, i believe the weapon was purchased at THE a-poth-e-ca-ree."
not certain we do it properly, but the beast and i prefer to frolic rather than promenade when out on our evening walks.
balls. love the word balls. always have, always will. a great replacement to my too oft' used f-word.
and just like sneezing with your eyes open, it's impossible to say fancy without smiling.
try it.
meadow, cotton, dulcet*, scamp, tomfoolery, noose, rabbit, bush, vestment, bandage, bongo, piglet, all words i wish i could bake a potpie {another favorite} out of and scarf down, no sharing.
and dap. dap is an all-timer for me. so cool. so classic. stand alone--no accessories needed; often the subject of scott schuman's shutter.
so here's your turn. tell me your favorite words....again, doesn't matter what they connote or define. they just feel good to say.
and don't you know how much i love hearing from you? maybe just tell me "hello".
monday happy m'loves.
*love that mrs burns uses this too.
and scene.....
i have a commercial audition today. they're calling for an upscale, asian professional girl.
okay?
well, i'm sure my competition {let's not kid ourselves that's what they are} will show up in smiles, skirts, kitten heels, hips matchstick slim; pretty and polite.
i could go my normal route: a witty {in my version}, freckle-faced, overly caffeinated, overly sweet, overly-hipped, half-jap. typically attired in jeans, a strappy sandal, stripey tank, and yummy, blankety sweater. more a fresh from the coast rather than straight from soho house.
but last week's acting class emphasized playing the opposites. working your unexpected.
i'm thinking liu wen fierce. nothing is more diametric or not in the cards. 
if i choose this detour, i'd wear my girliest man-suit and stilts for heels.
my attitude: aloof.
arms: akimbo.
mouth: vapidly ajar.
deeply digging into my mako shark japanese ancestry i'll tiger lily my competition out of said "disney hotel" spot.
yes. i said "disney".
maybe a quick mulan run through before my drive up might be more advantageous.
crushed berry velvet works so well in southern california june.
especially sitting in 405 traffic. 
who am i kidding?
i'll go into casting, like i typically do, a buffoonery of manners and a smothering of courtesy, wearing something utterly appropriate and identical to my fellow starlets.
asian cool, i don't have....but this little fantasy you obliged me was fun.
wednesday happy m'loves.
who wore it best?
last week, one of my favorite blogs, the red carpet-fashion awards, paired abigail breslin up against annalynne mccord wearing the the alice + olivia dawn jumpsuit.
who do you think wore it best?
well, not to sound like a puffy peacock, i think i wore it best...and here's why...
i thought the belt was terrible {snake-skin looked cheap}; i flipped it around, and took it to a tailor to make sure it didn't droop á la abigail.
the neckline was the prettiest part of the ensemble, i hate when necklaces/accessories detract from outfit. i limited my fancies to a woven gold cuff and geode earrings {i was in santa fe}. a vintage 70's taupe clutch rounded out the party. and my extremely flat, concave chest {the ultimate in vintage accessorizing} gave it that 1930's kate hepburn look i love.
regardless of whether i'd have received red carpet's nod of approval, hunkiest gave me a double thumbs up: giant win in this girl's dear diary.
weekend happy
what's in your pocket for the weekend m'loves?
between fancy naps and bingeing on berries, i'll be working on my funding for marc jacobs' most recent resort collection for louis vuitton.
have you seen it?
mindblowing.
i jest not. the contents of my brain have literally been blown to bits from frocks o'fabulous.
hunkiest still needs more convincing on the necessity of a leather track suit, but i will get him there. smooches help.
see ya on the other side of sunday dolls.
happy birthday to me {a day early}
or rather as they say in norse ..."til hammó með ammó".
yippee skippy!!
i am the recipient of fashionista's leifsdottir summer outfit.
i've always been a giant fan of the unique, creative, scandinavian line, leifsdottir.
i first spied them in anthropologie in what i thought was a vintage, 50's house coat.
swoon overload.
i've been dazzled ever since.
françoise hardy and jane birkin inspired, fashionista pulled together cool, effortless warm-weather chic.
a sunwashed denim skirt, a floral embroidery blouse, and chic arched wedge shoes.
if you need me i'll left banking it with les artistes and les rebelles clad in mes větements fabuleux.
and because it is my birthday à demain....a favorite from mademoiselle hardy.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQGNpRnFNgM]
wednesday happy to you m'loves.
mop chop
taming the bonsai plant that has become my head of hair.
color blocking so popular this spring.
thinking of translating that fun into my tresses.
sandy toes
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/18667898 w =720 &h=1476]
this short, for pret-a-surf's resort line, has even this sun-fearing hermit crab scouring her cabinets, searching for beach towels and sand pails.
lather the SPF kittens! load your kindle, and leave your phone in the car.
old man sea needs to see your smile.
wednesday happy to you m'loves.
more fall fashion
as promised here are some more of mary jo matsumoto's stunning pieces from her 2011 fall line.
yes, that is me who got to place dress up in the pretty frocks.
fall fashion favorites
l.a. fashion week has officially started.
i am beyond honored to be a part of mary jo matsumoto's fall collection.
here are just a few shots of her amazing line.
more to follow tomorrow.
leopard ruffled shirt dress in silk charmeuse
gray/pink reversible wool cape + bowling bag
pink reversible wool cape + south sea starfish earrings.
gray wool jacket + pants + pink charmeuse top + doctor's bag
all will be available to purchase on mary jo's website www.maryjomatsumoto.com very soon.
i must say as beautiful as these look in pictures; to wear them and see them ON is to truly appreciate their allure.
i'm not exaggerating; EVERY single piece i put on i fell in love with.
girl: it
my style conveys my inability to grow up -alexa chung
a darling of editors and street photographers for years now, british tv personality alexa chung has yet to tire me with her quirky mix of ladylike charm and downtown edge.
never one to follow trends, miss chung blends vintage with designer duds better than most salaried stylists and richie rich, front row socials in the know.
without ever looking silly, alexa bubbles a playful wardrobe that is never inappropriate or even worse.....cute.
she also imbibes a smart, sharp london street element that renders teeth, tart and tongue.
never in get ups or worn by the clothing she's wearing, alexa is also not one to binge on accessories;
she keeps things simple with a small handbag or tiny locket.
citing françoise hardy as her fashion inspiration, alexa manages to look relaxed and effortless {comfortable} in her choices; overt and obvious are not items in her closet.
here's to hoping she never grows up.
glam-ER
i was working last night, thus was able to watch the recorded oscars upon returning home.
i'm still trying to q-tip anne hathaway's shrieking woo's out of my ears.
i've never been so grateful for the tivo fast forward button in my life.
was anyone else hoping billy crystal would stay on stage for the rest of the evening?
thank god for fancy frocks to distract from the disaster.
here are my favorite of the evening:
camila alves in kaufman franco
mila kunis in elie saab
mandy moore in monique lhuiller.
sunrise coigney in jean paul gaultier. {best accessory of the evening: husband mark ruffalo}
michelle williams in chanel.
gwyneth paltrow in calvin klein
and cate. aaaah. my absolute favorite fancy of the party.
it's all over the place this morning with fashionistas as a hit and a miss.
but this lilac, pearl encrusted givenchy is pure perfection in my book.
the only show stopper of the of a {mostly} boring night.
thoughts?
tell me loves.....
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxnEz6qUuT4]
what tickles you most from jenna's italian jaunt?
marissa's coral magic lippies?
those mouth-watering bowls of pasta?
shiny and squared, perfectly lacquered nails every sixth frame?
tension easing gelato breaks?
or afternoon espresso in the piazza?
buon giorno italia!!!
*thank you mrs burns for the 'nudge'.