Look Out Hollywood, Here I Come

I'm starting this new thing. Instead of watching mindless television (read: ANTM, The Voice, Don't Mess with the B in Apt 23), I've decided to watch movies that I've never seen, but have always meant to. I've had enough with my lame excuses--I'm too tired to focus on something deep, I am too scared, it seems too heavy right now, blah blah blah. Enough's enough.

So last week, for three consecutive days, I watched (for the first time ever) Pulp Fiction, Shawshank Redemption, and No Country For Old Men.

All of these films are on IMDB's Top 250 Best Films of All Time list, and now I can see why! Instead of boring you with movie reviews, since you've most likely seen them all anyway, I am going to attempt to summarize my sentiments about each film in two sentences.

1. Pulp Fiction: Seeing someone's head blow up was not as bad as I thought it would be, but watching them pick up brain guts was just as bad as I thought it would be. Uma Thurman was not as involved as I had imagined.

2. Shawshank Redemption: I guess if I were falsely imprisoned, I'd try to make the best of it too. He is lucky that Morgan Freeman was his friend because I want Morgan Freeman to be my friend.

3. No Country For Old Men: I almost puked from constant anxiety. How can one man be so sexy in one movie and an absolute psychotic-demonic-homicidal-lunatic-freak in another?

Thank You

So I have received two thank you notes in the last week, and I was completely blown away upon receiving each of them. The fact that these two people took the time to sit down write a card by hand and mail it with a stamp made me realize how much they truly were thankful.

The first note I received was from a houseguest thanking me for my hospitality when she came to visit for the weekend. The other was a thank you for coming to her birthday party and bringing her a gift.

These notes prompted me to remember some old-fashioned manners that most of us have discarded in this digital age. Yes, when I receive a gift I always say "thank you!" but I haven't put it in writing since probably 2002-when my mother made me sit down and write my thank you notes after my birthday bash.

Has saying thank you in writing become completely obsolete?

With thank-yous on the mind, I found the cutest set of thank you notes at Target this weekend. I never would have known, but my friend Anna reintroduced me to the stationary section in Target and I found the cutest cards! It was hard to pick one, but I ended up with these:

Santa Monica Pier

I'd never been to the Santa Monica pier. Weird, right? I've lived in Southern California for my whole life, but for some reason, I'd never gotten around to visiting this particularly famous landmark.

So the other night after work, I had nothing to do. No plans, no back-up plans, nothing. I don't know very many people in Los Angeles yet, and everyone that I do know lives on the Eastside, so it can be a real pain in the you-know-what to get across town at 6 pm. Instead of going home and sprawling out on the couch to watch tv until I fell asleep (embarrassing) like I'd been doing almost every night (embarrassing)....I decided to take myself on a date.

It was like destiny had made it so that I would have the best time ever. I got a parking spot right next to the pier and it only cost me $2.00! A rarity that I greatly appreciated.  As I approached the pier, there was a HUGE group of homeless people who were being fed by some really lovely people. There was a guy singing with a large snake slithering around his arms and neck, and some people were painting seascapes. Police quietly milled about, but it was peaceful. Everyone seemed in harmony--there was a general feeling of goodwill in the air.

I walked onto the pier and immediately felt like I was in that show Rockett Power. Tito! The Squid!  Woogity woogity woogity. You know, that one.

There was a totally charming amusement park, complete with a roller coaster, ferris wheel, and fortune teller.

I meandered down the pier and stopped to breath in the salty air. I wasn't dressed very well for the outing, but for some reason, it didn't really matter. The air whipped my dress around and blew my hair into perfect beach waves. The water was a deep grey-blue, with an diaphanous sheen. As the sun set, it turned periwinkle and the sun blazed on the horizon. Waves lapped against the columns of the pier and seagulls cooed as they coasted across the horizon. A man sat at the edge of the pier and played California Dreaming.

I bought myself a hot dog with chili and fritos and sat on a bench to watch the sun set. I was in no hurry to be anywhere and I have never felt better. I highly recommend taking yourself on a date sometime soon.

A few of my favorite things

I just wanted to mention a few of my favorite blogs that I regularly follow.

I think Diana and I can both agree on our love for A Cup of Jo. It is compiled of Joanna Goddard's (a world famous blogger) inspiration and thoughts from fashion to motherhood to design.

(Joanna and her husband's engagement photos) 

Another one of my favorites is Modern Hepburn, a blog exclusively comprised of pictures. I am a very visual person, therefore I love just letting my mind relax as I admire the beautiful images presented one after another. She posts a variety of subjects: food, hairstyles, photographs, art, typography etc.

(one of the lovely photographs)

My favorite fashion blog has to be Atlantic-Pacific. Blair Eadie posts pictures of herself wearing the most wonderful outfits. She doesn't have much text, but she does mention where all of the clothing and accessories in the pictures may be bought (or something close) which is very helpful! She is a fashion consultant at Tory Burch (of course) but she used to work at Old Navy with Cindy Ann, my previous boss at my internship at Blu Penny, how crazy!

(the best pattern mixing!)

Lastly, Typography Daily is so wonderful for well, typography inspiration! For any design project where I need to get pretty creative with the typography this is the first place I go to rustle up some creativity.

(how creative! see the rest from this post here)

Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation

So, I recently got my mind blown.

My friend Morgan and I went to the Weisman Art Foundation in Bel Air. Previous to our visit, I had only heard bits of information about it from people, but they all said similar things like, "You just have to see it for yourself" and, "There are paintings on the ceiling! On the ceiling!"

I knew that the Weismans were collectors (and I know his wife is still actively collecting). I also knew that they specialized in fine master works by Modern and Contemporary artists.What I didn't know, was how serious they were. I mean, this was hands down, one of the (if not THE) best collections of modern and contemporary art I have ever seen in my life. I kept saying three phrases over and over again:

"What?! I can't believe this!"

"This is unreal."

"I just don't know what to say, I just don't know. I'm so overwhelmed."

That night, I went to bed dreaming about the art I'd seen. I haven't been this affected by a collection since my first visit to the Louvre. I had creepy nightmares of the hyperrealist human sculptures by Duane Hanson--especially the old sleepy man and Maria, the girl curled up on the couch in the guest bedroom.

Among my favorites were the Frankenthaler panel, the Rothko in the living room, the Magritte in the dining room, the Ruscha in the master bedroom, the large Stella in the annex, the Haring motorcycles,  the Christo in the guest room, the Ernst guest bed, the Paik tv-installation, the Hockney photocollages, the Rivers in the family room, and the Kleins throughout the home. Those are just a few, and it is almost hard to stop there because every single work of art in the home was a knockout.

We were only able to take pictures in the sculpture garden, so I am going to SERIOUSLY recommend you make an appointment to have a tour in this incredible home. They let you sit on the couches and really feel what it would be like to live with these works of art. They kept insisting that the Weismans wanted visitors to experience the home as they had lived in it. It's kind of up to you at this point--either you make an appointment and have a life-changing experience with art, or you don't.

Halloween: Let's Plan Those Costumes

What are you going to be for Halloween?

I'm starting to think about different things that I want to be. I've come up with a few fun ones so far, but it will all depend on how much time, money, and effort I want to spend on creating the perfect costume.

Also something to consider--do you care about being topical? Would you rather have people guessing who/what you are? Or do you love when people can look at you and instantly know?

Last year I was Sriracha. It was kind of perfect. I'm not really sure how to top it.

1. Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones

Should I be Dany as the Kahleesi?

Or the Stormborn Heir of the Iron Throne?

Although, it might be better to go the creepy route for Halloween and be Daenerys as she eats the heart in front of the Dothraki... Ewwww.

2. Lydia Deetz from Beetlejuice

I think I kind of have my heart set on this one.

3. The White Queen from Alice and Wonderland

If I got the white wig for this costume I could also be Daenerys on another night...something to consider.

Sofia, here! So last year for halloween I was Champagne, yes the drink. It looks like Diana and I both went for the more palatable costume last year.

do you see the bubbles ;)

Anyways, this year should I go in the darker, more sinister direction? I am usually all about the lovable characters and amusing concepts but maybe I should go for something with some fake blood oozing down my cheek?

What do you usually go for? The classic darker characters...witch, vampire, zombie or perhaps a character from a film or your favorite animal?

A few of my ideas brewing...

1. Melanie Daniels from Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds"

2. Perhaps Drew Barrymore in Scream? (It may work out well since apparently I look just like her)

3. Nina as the Black Swan. I know this costume was very popular last year, but I think it would be so fun to experiment with that makeup!

4. Adriana from "Midnight in Paris", one of my new favorite movies. She is so glamorous and beautiful, and I absolutely adore 20s fashion.

It seems I am sticking to a movie theme this year.

What have you all been thinking of for this all hallow's eve?

Oh, the places you'll go!

So I have had the itch to travel lately, and there are so many wonderful places to go! My friend Michelle and I are going to plan a trip to Europe in January, we are going to try to fit everything in!

There are a bunch of inspiring places around the world that I have found on Pinterest, but here are a few of my favorites.

Almalfi Coast, Italy

Athens, Greece

Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh, Scotland

Summum- Longsheng, Guangxi, China

Sunflower Valley, Valencia, Spain

Prague, Czech Republic

If you could go anywhere, where would it be!?

Good Morning/How do you get ready?

Everyone has their daily routine...some people start with a shower, others need a cup of coffee before they become human again. Here are a few of our must-haves--our go-to items that we just can't live without.

1. A cup of coffee. When Sofia and I lived together (and even when we didn't) we always started our day with a cup of coffee. Sometimes we would have some fried eggs and avocados, but no matter what, we always had a steaming cup of coffee in our hands. We really love collecting  pretty tea cups. We have a whole slew of the anthropologie mugs, like this one and this one. But one of my favorites is from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London!

2. Biosilk. This stuff is pure luxury. The smell is divine. We use it when we get out of the shower, or on dry hair to help tame flyaways. You will have to test it out a few times to use the right amount for your hair. Word of caution: err on the side of less is more. It's pretty potent.

3. Aveeno Skincare Products. It takes people years to find skincare products that really work for them. Like a best friend, once you find one, you can't let it go. Aveeno products have worked really well for us. We like the natural ingredients and find that the result leaves us with silky, touchable skin, but doesn't leave any oily residue. The Daily Moisturizing Lotion is pretty kick ass, too.

4. bareMinerals. There's no question about this. Hands down, this product is the BEST face make-up ever. All of our friends swear by bareMinerals. The foundations are easy to mix and match and the bronzers are epic. It's like the Sisterhood of the Traveling Powders. We can magically share the bronzer, because Warmth looks good on all skin colors--it just depends on how heavily you apply it. I wear Light and Sofia wears Fairly Light. Our super tan friend Sarah goes with Medium Beige. With so many options and combinations, you're bound to land on the perfect shade!

5. Dry Shampoo. For days when you "accidentally" hit the snooze one too many times. Spritz a little of this stuff into your roots, and you are good to go about your day with the guise of a freshly showered mane. Tresemme is an affordable one, but if you want to splurge, beauty stores have a wide range of really effective dry shampoos.

6. Diorshow Blackout vs. Bad Gal Lash. Mascara is super personal. I think every single one of our friends uses a different product. Although Sofia and I can agree on most everything, this is an area where we differ. Bad Gal Lash has worked for me because I have hyper-sensitive eyes, that are really big and prone to getting things in them. Bad Gal Lash doesn't flake and it goes on pretty light, really it just adds a darker color to my lashes. Sofia loves Diorshow because it really pumps up the volume and deeply intensifies the black lash that she wants.

Now that we've shared our favorite getting ready items, we'd love to hear from you! What are some products or rituals that you can't start your day without?

F*** Yeah Fest

Hi guys, sorry for the lag in posting. Things have been weird for both of us. We (for completely separate reasons) have been having trouble accessing the internet for a little over a week, but now we are back online and ready to post some cool things that have been going on.

Last weekend I went to FYF. Check out the cuties below.

The festival was SO fun, and I totally did a crazy thing.

I snuck in.

Yep, you heard it right. I totally snuck in, and it was AWESOME. I walked up and stared at the ticket lady's face, showed her a crumpled up piece of random paper, and just scurried right past her and another security guard, as my friends distracted her. I bolted into the venue and was swallowed by a sea of LA hipsters. Helllooooo. So rad.

The festival was pretty cool! As it often is in LA, it was really, really hot and sunny, and relatively grimy, but still plenty hip. The festival was held in Los Angeles State Historic Park, which is adjacent to Chinatown. It's more like a huge plot of dirt and some grass, but it made for a really easily navigable festival. The stages were lined up consecutively, which made the sound a bit muddled from the back, but if you were close enough to the stage you couldn't even hear the other bands playing.

Of course, Father John Misty was my favorite performance. He is so weird with those girly hips, but that's part of his rock star charm. King Khan and the Shrines were super fantastic--a little too much action in the crowd for my taste, but the music was totally funky! We saw glimpses of bands like Cursive, Atlas Sound, and watched Yeasayer and Beirut from the back of the crowds to finish off the evening. Over all it was a great all-day event! I recommend wearing flats, bringing lots of water, and wearing TONS of sunscreen if you go next year. Below is a funny picture of my boyfriend, the King of the Sneak. dork.