it's not right, but it's now or never

Big things are coming.

Autorretrato by Rocio Montoya

Big,

fat,

scary,

AMAZING THINGS.

I don't know if I am ready or not, but I don't care because it just feels like I am.

Even if it is a faux feeling I don't care… it is enough. 

Finally.

  

Me. In more ways than one. (Try three)

"In LA all you need is a little ingenuity and a lot of nerve."
-Mario in Smog (1962)

[Great, yet widely unknown and difficult to track down Italian film by 
Franco Rossi set in LA of the early 60s. Worth a view for the cityscapes 
alone, but the Chet Baker soundtrack and funny dialogue, not to mention
requisite Italian charm only add to its appeal. If you ever come across 
it or a screening, WATCH IT!]

The king of all fruits

Have you guys noticed how pineapples are totally having a moment this summer?

Me

It's not hard to see why. They look good, smell good, taste good and are aesthetically perhaps the most interesting of the sexy fruits. Not to mention the humble pineapple is THE KING OF ALL FRUITS.

Me

Me

Me

Historically, pineapples in design symbolized hospitality. In the past century or so I'd say they got a kitsch value association thanks to surf and tiki culture. This new wave of pineapple love seems earnestly inspired by the cool aesthetics of the fruit and the digital print trend in fashion only lends itself to interesting motifs.

Here are some of my favorite pineapple design iterations --

This pineapple wallpaper in ebony by Rifle Paper Co.

I would love this in a powder room or on a single feature wall in larger room.

This pineapple lamp found on Horchow.

Nice and clean- I'd love this on a small table in a foyer. 

 A sweet set of these brass pineapples. The larger ones can be used as ice buckets on a bar cart!

via Etsy

via Etsy

Can't beat anything with a glint finish! 

These adorable prints by Kendra Dandy from Bouffants and Broken Hearts, most available on her Society6 page.  

Kendra Dandy

Kendra Dandy

Kendra Dandy

Kendra Dandy

All hail the king of fruits!

via

hey guys...

we still like it when you bring us flowers on dates.

Just sayin'. Just so you know.

Some traditions should be kept.

But thanks for wearing clean shirts and paying for dinners and not smelling gross.

God dating sucks. Down the rabbit-hole I go again.

dead heat

It has been nice and hot lately. Extremely hot. These last legs of summer and August always bring a nice sense of nostalgia of being a kid, playing with my sister and cousins, being outdoors all day and night, and just general fun and warmth of having a good time with people you love and love you back. 

When I was 20 I visited Guatemala for the last time. It is a heartbreakingly beautiful country in an even more heartbreaking state of poverty, corruption, and crime with yet the kindest, warmest people you'll ever meet. My father is Guatemalan and from as long as I can remember being conscious I have been extremely proud of my background and Mayan roots- as in being the obnoxious third grader who writes every report about the Maya and won't STFU about the time she visited Tikal last summer. 

Early 20th century photo from the National Geographic blog

I have anxious to visit again. For several months now, even heading back to last year I have been trying to make it happen but unfortunately always seem to be thwarted by some circumstance out of my control. My calendar is looking busy for the next couple of months, but I am officially planning to head down in November. I just decided about 10 minutes ago that I will make this happen no matter how hard it is, so you heard it hear first. 

from La Selva blog 

 from La Selva blog 

The culture in Guatemala is so rich. Textiles especially seem to be an artesian speciality and a national treasure. Each small village and indigenous clan has its own pattern that is weaved into the textiles produced by said clan using colors specific to the area. Indigenous women weave everything by hand, and more amazing and awe-inspiring, they do it all by memory or freehand; they do not work from pre-designed guides or instruction booklets. The process is long, a weaver can take up to 3 months to produce a blouse known as a huipil, but the results are stunning.   

I cannot wait to visit some weaving workshops when I am next in Guatemala. I should start a Guatemalan textile collection!

I recently discovered a beautiful line of contemporary clothing made using traditional Guatemalan textiles resulting in gorgeous pieces I cannot wait to get my paws on! La Selva is based in New York but sources all their textiles from indigenous weavers in Guatemala and even donates a portion of each sale to Guatemala's  National Textile Museum! Can this brand be any cooler? Check out some of my favorite pieces, the first of which is an example of an huipil in my favorite color palate. I am seriously head over heels!    

 from La Selva site

 from La Selva site

Through La Selva I also discovered Molantico, an Australian brand that makes shoes using textiles from Guatemala among other countries. I am partial to their Guate boots, but I may be biased. Check out their amazing work-

 from the Molantico site

everyone has their sack of rocks

...and everyone should remember it.

-Elaine Stritch

Great words from a great lady.

All images taken from Just Shoot Me

Check out Just Shoot Me, a documentary about her life and career on Netflix. Really great!

and storefronts rarely change...

at least I'm on my own again,

instead of-

anywhere with you.


I'm tired of the silence. I'm tried of a ship not coming in. I read recently that when we try and things don't turn out how we wished/truly worked for it is our past negative selves/bullshit trying to keep us down.

My bullshit is extra potent and on point! Ironically, I should take advice from it as to how to succeed.

Looking at job posts at night is never a good idea. It just bums me out. What would the longest sigh in the world sound like...

Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

It's all my fault isn't it? It is me. Not my CV, not my cover letter.
It is the fact that I know what I want to do and am just to scared and full of shit to do, to even just start.
I've known; I've known for a long time and I just keep running. I wonder what would happen if I just stopped trying to leave and tried focusing on making shit happen here? God I really hate it here. And I sincerely wish I did not.

Everything's just great, oh I just can't remember...

weekend bits and bobs: the dream bar edition

I'm still slightly hangover so I'll let some snaps I took this weekend do most of the talkin'. It was a busy, but fun weekend. Some disconnected activities led to rando adventures and I unfortunately couldn't photograph it all, but here's some bits. 

In short a very therapeutic carwash heightened by correspondence with a crush; catching up with busy friends and scooping their bountiful, babely tomatoes; drinks downtown in the heat as we endured rolling blackouts, God bless Aperol Spritzes!; an art walk/festival in SouthEast LA which included great people watching including a sad, lonely mariachi.

Perhaps the most amazing part, however, was an event at least 25 years in the making! A journey to the dream bar. The.Dream.Bar. Whose dream? Mine of course. And the bar isn't called the Dream Bar, but that is what we dubbed it as I told my friends the story of this tiny A-Frame bar in a part of town I grew up in with amazing murals on its exterior walls that I always wanted to check out. More pictures to come along with the entire story, but rest assured the dream bar did not disappoint (ashtrays on the tables? check.) and I do believe I have the location for my next birthday party blowout! 

It also finally rained this weekend. It felt amazing to be in such humidity, it felt a bit like NY in the summer. Nothing like walking around slightly buzzed in light rain with you friends on balmy nights.