DANGER STEPS ARE STEEP & SLIPPERY

Me looking at View Textile is like Charlie hanging on to his chocolate bar...

Then at last, when he could not stand it no longer, he would peel back a tiny bit of the paper wrapping at one corner to expose a tiny bit of chocolate, and then would take a tiny nibble - just enough to allow the lovely sweet taste to spread out slowly over his tongue. The next day, he would take another tiny nibble, and so on, and so on.  - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl

The color palette above with the stenciling is pure magic. Like listening to Vanilla Ice and passing eveyone on a pink bike.   May I tell you about the stencil movement?

This is Banksy, a British street artist with an international reputation.  His artwork is often satirical pieces of graffiti art based on politics, culture and ethics. Wiki said his identity is unknown... This is why I love View 2. You have to dig for these nuggets.   I can see how this influence is making it's way into fashion.  I see it tying into the militant vein of rough around the edges feelings. Who knows maybe everybody wants something more authentic.  Military font is not authentic though.  I think it is cool when you have strong rough edged text against a strong color palette like the "Danger Steps are Slippery and Steep".   What do you say?

Messy urban fabric seems to be this Banksy's canvas. The artist painted over all this grafitti. Clever! Do some mo!

I want to hang out with mysterious Banksy.  We could tag this really tough steel bridge on MC85. I have the perfect spot.

The could go on but you and I both know what I should be doing right now! 

Cool as a Cumberbun

Making plans for the sweetest blog ever. All the plans I am sharing here with Eva are in this here Composition book. I had the best dream last night. I met Tavi Gevinson of Style Rookie blog.  Her blonde hair was growing out from her platinum dye job and she and I started talking about cool clothes and hanging out. Then I woke up and realized that I have a trunk show this Friday.

I am cool as a ________? I am zoomed in pretty good but MEH I know it's just not tricky enough.

Check it out! Jeffrey is my right hand man. He has some down time so I reeled him in to my lair of clutchdom.

These here labels we custom made on our sewing machines. It's just tedious. 

I could intimidate a sailer when I am working on these clutches.  We refine one thing and then another problem spot pops it's little head.  I put on Vivaldi to calm me down.  I would love to say these clutches are easy, but they are not. They are very time consuming.  Sewing the decorative zippers on the outside used to be like trying to get dressed underwater, but now they are easier after Jeffrey refined the construction!  Woops, Jeffrey's genius is showing again!   He simplified it major! Thank you Jeffrey!  Right now, I am breaking for lunch. Honestly, I am ready for more clutches. I am in a groove.  I know the others will come together easier.  Lack of tennis is not helping either!

This is a hint of the upcoming blog.  This is Jeffrey and I drinking espresso in Rome, Italy in 1994 after we graduated Architecture college.  Not married yet.  Best way to drink espresso is standing and using tiny nickel spoons to put sugar in!

This the SANCTUARY RESORT AND SPA here in Paradise Valley Arizona where I will be a vendor for the Spa Girls event this coming Friday.  Members are paying $150 to be in attendance. I cannot wait!

Elements. This is where I will be Friday night when I am done with my show.  Elements is fine dining at the SANCTUARY.  Did I tell you that Mom is helping me sell my clutches. I love you Mom!

Cool as a cumberbun.

Summer Camp is Calling

I need snaps for putting on this much eyeliner. Can't even tell, can you!  This post is dedicated to the writers of South Park.  There are too many writers to list, so I won't.  I was inspired after listening to them on the Terry Gross Fresh Air radio show.  If I were on South Park I would look like this...

Jeffrey's socks, Joe's jeans cut offs, Clark's sandals, J Crew Painter T, Hollister plaid top, Burberry hat and shell necklace made by a nice Apache friend.

The whole look was inspired partly by this Jamboree photo below.  Rule No. I: Use whatever I had in my closet today.

I really want to go to Cabella's right now and buy a hunting hat. My floppy Burberry did nicely for this shoot.  This South Park inspiration is about weathered and worn denim and casuals.  The sexy girl scout above is taken from Textile View Magazine Issue 89, page 177. Yes, this look is forecasted for Summer 2011. Aren't you glad I have a View! I love the yellow die on the jeans.  You can't see it but she has a felt bird on her shoulder.  Summer camp is calling!

Kenny is calling too...

Striking resemblence to Kenny.  Which came first this polarized sprayed-on-futuristic-fantasy-man-boy or Kennalidge?  Page 74 Textile View Magazine Issue 89.  You are a man, I dare you to wear this.  I'll be your best friend!

Speed of Light is Rad

What do you say when a 3rd grader asks you what the 4th Dimension is?  Why are these nebulous questions always asked before going to bed?



"Just relax and don't worry over things that needn't trouble you," Mrs. Whatsit said.  "We made a nice, tidy little time tesser, and unless something goes terribly wrong we'll have you back about five minutes before you left, so there'll be time to spare and nobody'll ever need to know you were gone at all, though of course  you'll be telling your mother, dear lamb that she is. And if something goes terribly wrong it won't matter whether we ever get back at all." - Madeleine L'Engle, A Winkle in Time.



Dad made me watch this movie. After the scene you hopefully just watched, the guy travels faster and longer. The only point of reference of time is the changing fashions in the women's apparel shop. When he finally figures out how to get from the 1960's to Fall 2010 he will see this!

More from Stella McCartnery http://www.style.com/. Everbody, 1. 2. 3, S-T-E-L-L-A!

Fall 2010.  Perfect to wear in Arizona starting in May. Can I just say the shoes are monumental. I could bronze them.

See the super blob white sequins? I found it in my Textile View Magazine Issue 89.  Stella, is View sitting on you bedside table?  It is hard to see but the nude shimmery shift above has huge mega watt sequins.  I love how you think Stella!

For time travel you will need Airy and Vaporous musings.

 When I am co-pilot to Einstein or sitting beside the Victorian Englishman in the 1960's The Time Machine, I will be wearing this.  But I will add bright red lip stick, nails and a SAM HARVEY red tote.

You know it! Squared up, even in the 4th dimension!  If I went to the fifth dimension then I would wear something like protons with glittery orbs hanging like a chandelier from my skin.  No seams were harmed in this blog. 

Textile View Magazine Issue 89.

Anatomy Professor, Feathered Hair Lady and Gate Keeper

This is the coolest sign on MC85. This 4 lane main street will become a freeway some day but now it is a artery full of Mexican restraurants, auto repair, gas stations and small homes with a Virgin Mary shrine or two in the front lawn.  Sometimes I like to side step the I10 to cruise it.

I was on my way to a speaking engagement at Estrella Mountain Community College for collegiate entrepreneurs.  It is practically a spiritual awakening for me to talk about my business.  Extemperaneous do or die.

It is funny how about a year ago I was hitting this college up for annual architectural services, now I am appearing as industrious fashion scion.  My building was called Montezuma but I didn't have a room number. Next thing I know I am asking directions from a receptionist that needs the award for the biggest feathered hair. I felt like I was sitting next to Bill Dieke again in pottery class.  It looked like a mini frocked Christmas tree with a face growing out of it!  Yes, I have some pent up bitterness with feathered Dave Pratt hair.  I was just a little tween valley girl from Encinitas, CA transplanted to head banger middle school in Glendale, AZ.  I never succomed to the feathered hair to fit in either.  Actually, what I had was worse, a mullet hair cut bleached blonde from Sun In.  Little feathered wings on the sides. Uh, no.  I will not include a photo here.

As you can see the Anatomy professor kindly escorted me to where I was supposed to be.  I was part of a 4 woman panel. We were all entrepreneurs with a story to tell.  Listening to the women speak before me was very inspirational.   I told the story about when I was Eva's age, about 8.  I went from house to house asking if they had kids I could play with. At that time we lived in Oregon and we lived on a farm with about 5 acres.  It was rural and the neighbors were spread far and wide. When I finally found a house with kids, they asked me to come inside.  The mother was talking to someone on the phone saying "The weirdest thing just happened, this young girl just knocked on our door asking if we had kids she could play with!"  The comment made me feel different. That is the point.  I knew I was fearless.  When I go to places like Sanctuary with no appointment, I remind myself of that story. 

I just threw away an old lucite award a couple days ago thinking - "Who needs awards, just another thing to dust off."  Well now I have a replacement.  I really don't like these things.  It is just more crap.  The one thing that stays is my Architectural liscence certificate.   It is major.  Gorgeous black expensive frame sitting on the top shelve of my closet.  You will never know how hard I worked for that thing.  They can bury me with it.

I have been bitten with the public speaking bug. I want more and soon!  I rewarded myself with a strong iced tea and a tiny choco donut. 

As I was pulling out my membership card at my gate keeper friend at Costco, he recognized me and pulled my forearm into him.  "It is you again!"  This potatoe shaped man looked into my eyes with his pale pistachio eyes and asked me, "So how do you do it?"  It was weird, we were picking up on a conversation we had about 2 months ago.   Everytime I would see him in the past, I would come into the store laughing or smiling about something.  I told him that I reach for the positive threads, the ones that feel good to me.  I do the things that make me feel good.  I told him that over time it has snow balled into really great things in my life. He gave me the biggest bear hug.  He told me he would miss seeing people like me after retiring at the end of the week.  I will definitely miss his smiling face.  By gate keeper.

Meet Devon My Swap Pal

Stationary Swap Packages! This genius idea is a fellow blogger named Megan. Her blog is http://timeaftertea.blogspot.com/.  I started seeing pen pals swapping martha stewart like stationary bundles to one another and I wanted in on the fun.  I especially liked the idea because I knew my pen pal would be picked randomly for me by Megan.  She is super organized, this Megan from Australia!

Aren't the paper clips too much. Devon is my swap pal from Cental PA and we have just completed our first stationary swap!  I feel lucky to have Devon as a partner becuase she sews. She also sews handbags.  If you want to see what I sent Devon go to her blog at http://smalltowngal01.blogspot.com/.

Look at what Devon prepared for me. Some of us are so used to sending electronic messages that we have forgotten how wonderful it is to get a surprise in the mail. First off, everything Devon sent is wonderful and thoughtfully selected.  I do send hand written letters quite often.  I know that it stands out from the rest.  Recently I pulled the plug on hand writting the to and from addresses.  But the guts of the letter needs to be in ink Baby! 

Thank you Devon where ever you are.  You made me feel special!  I am pretty sure we are going to be swapping every month!  Wow!  I better start writing some notes!  If you want some, you need to send some.

Devon made flower hair clips for Eva and Lily.

Did I tell you that Devon lives on a farm with chickens. The other day she watched one lay an egg. For real!

Look at what Lily did with the Maui dolls that we made last week! Oh Lil! She loves to line things up.

This is how Skibu helped with cutting out clutch pieces today.  More on that later.  Rainbow dreams!  Skibu says Maaahhhh.

Hey Stella!

Hoot hoot, wawr, hoo hoo hahhhh. That's what my dry creek arroyo wash or whatever you want to call it sounds like at noon.  This is what it was like in my desert today.

The breeze on and around me comes in currents.  I smell green wood, blossoms, grass, earth, dirt and rocks all mixed together in sun that is gently baking everything on low heat.  A little voice in my head saying "inferno is on the way".  I close my eyes and hear a far off drone of production from insects, bees and birds calling one another.  The delicate vibration of a hummingbird darts past.

Inside my house is another drone, that of me working on producing 30 clutches for my Sanctuary Resort and Spa Trunk Show for April 2nd.  10 silver, 10 metallic blue and 10 metallic black.  It is turning out to take much longer than I had thought but you know I can ROCK IT! It is so great to have a date to prepare for.  All I can do at this point is think positive.

I promised myself I could work on my next tunic and mini skirt when I finish cutting all this clutch stuff out.  I think rewards are really important in life.  You have to let yourself have fun you know!

I had fun on http://www.style.com/ today.  This wonderful rasberry assemble above is from Stella McCartney.  This is Ready to Wear Fall 2010 but honestly, it looks like Spring to me!

You notice how I tied all this together with the cactus flower which by the way only blooms for a day. Aren't you glad you know me now?!  Another rad Stella McCartney above. I think Stella is my new favorite.  I love squared up things.  My hair is square, my nails are square. I like thinks to be crisp you know.  No frill crap.  Knowing me, once I got this dress home, I would cut the train off.

OK, now this is the goal for my tunic and mini skirt made from the silk that my Aunt Rita gifted me.  This model obviously doesn't play tennis.  Man she is pastey!  Again, Stella McCartney http://www.style.com/.  If I was Marlon Brando, I would end with saying STEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAA.

The Ghost Writer

I walk quickly, even when I am buying tickets at Camelview Theater in Scottsdale.  As I passed this elderly man on the sidewalk he ended up behind me to buy his lonely ticket.  Why did I need to pass him?  My friend and I were not alone. We had each other on a girls night out.  The Ghost Writer had just started as we settled into our seats.  As I sipped my soda I realized it was diet soda. I was so delighted to be out in Scottsdale for the night I didn't care.

I was a little lost in the beginning of the movie. Once Ewan McGregor as the "Ghost" got settled in the Prime Minister's ultra modern house on the beach I was cool with the movie.  I liked watching Pierce Brosnan, the Prime Minister, get all uptight and throw his cell phone on the beach deck and watch his body guard quickly pick it up. I want to do that. Somebody to pick up after me. Cool.

Kim Cattrall was not convincing as the Prime Minister's secretary.  Cattrall started with an English accent, lost it, and then tried to piece it back together.  It was a neat movie. Neat in terms of dry humor, fast moving suspense and cool WASP homes.  I never saw the Ghost actually write anything. Wasn't that the plot? All it showed him doing was crossing out big sections of manuscript that the prior Ghost Writer had written.  He wasn't the Ghost Writer, more like Sherlock with bed hair. In all the scenes Ewan looked like he had a hang over.  It was work for me to figure out what was going on. I liked this movie because it did make you think.  Most main stream movies out there are so predictable.    It all made sense in the end. Watch this movie with a Diet Coke and a red overcoat.  Or maybe with an elderly man all alone...

Behind The Curtain

This is  "Tricolor" Evening Dress made in 1939, page 120 from Chanel The Metropolitan Museum of Art book. My friend Khanh Le bought me this book.  He definitely knows what I like.  I know I posted this dress many moons ago which is precisely why I need to bring it out once more.  Karl Lagerfield as some of you know is the head of the house of Chanel since Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel croaked.  I think he is doing a pretty swell job.  Look at what I found in last Sunday's New York Times Sunday Styles Section.

He took the Tricolor and made it sexy and well AWESOME! I want this bad.  I love the chunky crotchet neck line and the brass crinkly buttons which you can't see, are perfect.  The skirt is right from grandma's coffee table. Perfect Chanel translation. Did you pick up on this or is it just me?

Speaking of brass.  Lisa Helfant from IAS International Advisory Service called today regarding pricing for the custom toggle, clip and grommet for SAM HARVEY.  Let's back up to the first call I ever had with her. Initially, I felt like some urchin off the street wanting some guidance for custom hardware. I felt like Dorothy going to meet the big OZ behind the curtain.  Well today, I found out that the big OZ is just a factory that thinks my hardware designs are like no other.  Today Lisa told me that she needs somebody in their company like me who can design and draft hardware.  Breath in deeply.  I was blown away.  I just assume that Alexander Wang and Coach knows how to design and draft in Autocad. I have been doing it for so long since *thinking* 1988. Honestly, I assume these competitor bag designers of mine know how to do this.  But guess what. They ask IAS for ideas.  I feel like I have something that they will never have. Knowledge is power.  No don't worry, I am not going to go work for IAS as their hardware designer. I gave Lisa the green light for the order today.  It will take 2 months. 

I was going to put the Autocad drawings on here of the hardware but well you know I can't do that.  Above is what I worked on today with Janet.  We perfected the pattern and instructions for the clutch. I want to be prepared for the Trunk Show April 2nd at the Sanctuary.  Time to make the clutchies.

This is the outdoor courtyard at The Sanctuary Resort in Paradise Valley. This is where Sam Harvey will be come April 2nd.  Kind of looks like Maui.  See how that works!

I love this book. I read this to Eva every night now. I do all the voices really good.  It is the best read I have had in a long time.  Rainbow dreams.

Rock a Hula Baby

I find bits and pieces of Maui everywhere.  These are dolls we made today out of clothes pins.  I know it's sick.  I can do it all.  It was Eva's big idea. Good thing because we needed an inside day.  Do you love the surf board Eva made? The wet suit trunks look sandy!

See the Aloha sticker on the right? See what I mean? Even in the Michael's parking lot you kind find Maui!   I can tell that Eva and Lily will be my favorite shopping buds.  Eva is dead on with telling me if something will fly or not.   Lily is like taking Wanda Sykes shopping with you. We were in the bathroom and it smelled like the end of the world as we know it. Seriously! They should have put a sign on the door saying "Don't Even Think About It!".  Once inside Lily starts saying how nasty it is. On and on. She will not shut up. There was someone in the stall.  I felt so bad with Lily carrying on.  I started to laugh. But silent, like laughing on my face but no sound coming out. Well Lily loved that.  Lily would not stop. Next thing I know the one in the stall is flushing and trying to get the hell out of there and Lily is now screaming with laughter. 

Wouldn't it be nice if this is all you needed to make you happy for a good 2-3 hours. Like Lily's blue nails.

Rock A Hula Baby always makes Filet o' Fish taste awesome too. Filet is so Maui! The kids loved their Omniscent Meatball Icarly toy at Md's too. They were asking it questions like: Should I eat ketsup? Will I get married? Should I put this seatbelt on?  Do you have a ...? Yes or No.

Juanito came over while we were making these.   He loved the meatball too.  He was disappointed when the meatball said NO to him getting married.  He is in first grade!

The cutest thing I can recall from today is Lily doing the photo shoot. I told her "Lily, go find a place that looks tropical for the dolls and then you can take their picture."   She sprinkled little flowers at the dolls feet.  Can you just imagine her sweet little hands with turquoise metallic nail polish lovingly doing this.  So sweet. So innocent.  I caught myself actually telling her when I first saw it that it wasn't green enough. I stopped and made myself stop analyzing everything.  I told her what she had done was just right.  I am glad I changed my thinking.  I know I don't want her to grow up thinking that Mommy always wants it different than what her brilliant mind can come up with.

I want to look like this when I wake up.  I know, totally random but great! I love the flat bed hair!  I love the heavy eyeliner. She does look like she has a pet hamster in the sling that she is petting. This was taken from Fashiontoast blog that I visited tonight. Made me jealous that I am not in Tokoyo or New York going to fashion shows.  But hey, my serves are getting better.