Lately…summer vibes

Posted on 05/01/2013 by Valerie

Although it’s just spring I am already planning for summer. We had a glimpse of summer weather just a week back and now it’s all I think about. I spent the entire weekend on vacation at the beach and didn’t feel a bit guilty about it. The moment I woke to sun beaming in through the window, I knew I was heading down to the beach and vegging out.  Since it was the end of April and not truly summer the beach was pretty quite, only a few others had the same idea which made it all the more peaceful and relaxing.  It was also Camilla’s birthday weekend so we had a chance to be together for a beach day and do a little celebrating.

Honestly, I got absolutely nothing done the entire weekend, no groceries or laundry was accomplished but, who cares I was on vacation.

It was the most amazing weekend… here’s hoping to another one.

The video below was made by Camilla, there is no sound just all the feeling, beauty and atmosphere of a weekend on the beach

Cheers!

 

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Currently Coveting…

Posted on 04/19/2013 by Valerie

My Newest Obsession?!

The Kimono

Lately this is all I have been obsessing over. While doing my usual cruising of the web last night I came across this beauty worn by the gorgeous fashion blogger Peony Lim.  Now I have a lot of drapey Kimono style pieces in my wardrobe, but this one is the real deal!

Since I can’t fly off to Asia anytime soon I’ve been consistently searching flea markets and thrift stores until I find what I’m coveting.  I always love a good challenge and anything that involves a worthy hunt is my favorite kind. Just last month I found a vintage men’s Kimono at the Rose Bowl flea market that is pretty amazing and I’ll have to share soon. Since it’s not nearly as beautiful as this one the hunt is still on and will be my obsession for a while.  Stay tuned…

Have a great weekend!

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Movie Fashion Icons of the Moment: Luke and Jason from The Place Beyond the Pines

Posted on 04/16/2013 by Cami

I think it’s safe to say at this point in my life that film is probably definitely my favorite source in which I can draw fashion inspiration from. When I see a movie that I love – that’s great, but when I see a movie that I love that not only has character’s that touch me but can also rock my little fashionista world – it’s pure ecstasy. Over the years I have found numerous girl characters through film that I have chosen emulate in the ways in which I dress but it wasn’t until I saw The Place Beyond the Pines (such a beautiful, powerful film that everyone should go see in theaters asap) that I realized I had been completely neglecting the guy’s side of what it means to be a movie fashion icon.

Enter Luke and Jason.

I don’t really know what it was about this movie in particular that struck me so much. Maybe it was because there was something so relatable and familiar, yet so effortlessly cool in the way they both dressed. Maybe it was how Luke stacked his red leather jacket on top of baggy skull printed pants while riding around on his motorcycle with his combat boots and shitty drug store sunglasses like a badass. Or maybe it was the way Jason casually rolled up to a high school party in a khaki boy scout shirt and blue jeans while everyone else looked like they had just come back from a goth concert. But whatever the reason, those paint splattered leather pants, jean jacket, washed out/inside out vintage tee wearing boys really had me vibin’ on their overall looks.

I can’t exactly say that this movie will go down in fashion history. I very well may be the only person in the world who even thought their style was worth mentioning, but I still found Luke and Jason’s average boyish outfits mixed with a punch of something different, unique. And if I were a guy I would definitely be taking some hints from their i-dont-care-what-you-think-of-what-I’m-wearing-I’m-still-cooler-than-you attitude…but hey, that’s just me.

 

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Sweet Escape

Posted on 04/14/2013 by Cami

Mini vacations are probably one of the underrated things on this planet.

Sure, a week or two long trip is much more appealing than that of 2 days, but who made the rule that vacations were meant to be lengthy in the first place?

The beauty behind a weekend getaway is just that. It’s a getaway; a getaway from the monotonous, typical everyday stresses caused by work, school – what have you and an invitation to clear your mind and forget that there’s anything else in the world aside from the drink in your hand and the sun on your face.

So we took that invitation and ran with it all the way to Palm Springs. Two hours later we had arrived in blissful paradise at La Quinta Resort. In the 20′s, the hotel was some what of a go to oasis for Hollywood’s most elite, from Greta Garbo to Frank Capra, making it the place to be when an escape was in need. Since then, it has continued to serve as one of the most relaxing of all retreats and a personal favorite of our own.

We spent our time lounging by the pool with good reads and margs, dipping in for a swim here and there, exploring different parts of the resort and just enjoying the beautiful weather and scenery.Though it was short it was also sweet and we couldn’t have asked for a better way to kick-off Spring Break. La Quinta we will be back again soon!

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Chasing Sunsets

Posted on 03/07/2013 by Valerie

This is our beach. We call it ours because even though it’s technically a public beach this is our spot. This is where we swim, sun, surf and watch the sun go down and have been doing so for years. It’s not as nice as some of the neighboring beaches but who cares, it’s ours and we can walk to it in 5 minutes.

One of the best parts of living so close to the ocean in Southern Cal is the Sunsets. It’s the best end to day watching the sun go down on the ocean. We are very fortunate and have the luxury of doing so from our house on the deck, but a sunset is best when sitting on the sand listening to the waves and watching the birds fly as if playing while intertwining with each other.  Sometimes the Dolphins are out and more often than not there is a sailboat on the horizon. It truly is a magical place to be during the golden hour. Both Camilla and I are a little obsessed with sunsets and have a tendency to think each one is more beautiful than the last. We always grab a camera and shoot like we will never see it again and that our life depends on it.  It makes the rest of the family a little crazy as one of us always declares  “Have you seen the SKY!!??”, as if it was our last day on earth.  Then one or both of us grab a camera and run up to the deck or try to get down to the beach in time to capture its amazing beauty.

We’re always chasing sunsets

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Find Adventure

Posted on 03/04/2013 by Valerie

When life gives you lemons go on an adventure!

I guess I wouldn’t say that life has been full of lemons lately but it hasn’t been all smooth sailing. The last few months have been a bit crazy full of little hiccups here and there keeping me on my toes as to where I am going and to what I want out of life right now.

I have found the best thing to do when feeling a little lost is to grab your family and take an adventure to somewhere new.  It will completely change your perspective and everything that seemed challenging will wash away.

WELCOME TO JOSHUA TREE!

A beautiful open sky high desert National Park that is named after the abundant Dr. Seuss like trees that cover the area.  The last time we were here Camilla and Emmett were just 5 and 6 and we camped, climbed and hiked. This time we decided to go only the night before just to get away and photograph its natural beauty. So we left with Cameras in hand and lots of layers to pile on if it got cold, which it DID! It actually snowed!

Three hours later we arrived to blue skies full of huge fluffy clouds and a landscape rich in colors only found in nature. We headed off the road to Jumbo Rock an area with lots of trails to loose yourself in the beauty or just go climb a large boulder.  Climbers were everywhere we turned, Joshua Tree is a great place to go with lots of different levels to learn. Having only “technical-climbed” twice in my life, I am always in awe of the danger and difficulty of the sport. My climbs were not that high but I still remember them and feel little impressed with myself that I actually did it and repelled off a cliff.

Not sure what this guy was doing but it was definitely interesting to watch him traverse his way between the boulders.  We called this maneuver: “The Floss!”

At the end of the day our blue skies turned grey, light snow fell and the temperature dropped as we continued on the last stretch of our hike. We were freezing and completely not prepared for 30 degree weather. When we got back to the car we cranked the heat and headed out with  fresh clear heads and plans to come back again sooner than the last time but when the weather is just a little warmer.Peace

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silver lining

Posted on 12/29/2012 by Cami

She was always anxious for more and ready for anything. Dancing with the wind as it blew through the palm tree’s leaves and rippled the chiffon of her dress, the rooftops were her home. The blackberry stain of her lips gave way that there was much more to her innocent eyes.

A mere sunset could fill her up with inspiration and joy like rarely anything else could. The way the sun lit the sky on fire in electric pinks and oranges, or how it could illuminate the clouds and wipe away her fears in an instant was something that she looked forward to at the end of every single day.It made everything beautiful for 10 heavenly minutes until the bright ball made its slow yet immediate drop back into the earth. Never disappointing, always breathtaking, she let it take her over and out beyond what she thought she knew and afterwards she was reborn again. It was the silver lining of her existence setting her free.

Days that have such glorious exits can’t be that dark after all.

Silver Lining
curated:a butterfly by day
written:camilla
photography:valerie
inspiration:socal

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S A C R E D – T ‘ S

Posted on 10/07/2012 by Valerie

A few weeks ago whilst cleaning out the garage I came across a big cardboard box titled Scared T’s. I knew exactly what they were, but I had long forgotten about them as they had been stuffed  in the back of our garage since we moved in 12 years ago.

They had traveled far from NYC to California, landing first on the beaches of SoCal back in 93′. They are the T shirts my husband couldn’t let go from his youth. He grew up in the Midwest skating at the tail end of the legendary Dogtown era. As a teen, his family had an arcade and a Skatepark which he ran and as he traveled coast to coast he would skate every park that was around. During this time he collected and wore only skate tees, with Vans that he custom made and Levis. When I met him he was a skater living in NYC working at Paper Magazine and had his own Skate Zine, which he wrote and produced himself out of our apartment in the Lower East Side. He skated the banks of the Brooklyn Bridge and took classes at FIT. As the tee’s withered away he still couldn’t rid himself of them, so with limited space in our shared closet he decided to pack them up and put them away hoping to one day hand them down to our kids.

“And so it goes.”

This was the day to hand them down, but only a few classics that were still in kind of decent condition. Both Camilla and Emmett were given a skateboard at birth and grew up skating with their dad.  Camilla sidewalk surfing and Emmett hitting the skate parks and finding empty pools. Today, they skated on our backyard mini ramp and in alley ways of our beach town on a few vintage boards my husband also still keeps.

Enjoy!

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Vagabond

Posted on 08/06/2012 by Valerie

Picture yourself on an uncharted island, there’s nothing around you but the sea. The air moves gracefully through your hair, the sun kisses your face, and you’re surrounded by radiant shades of blues greens and dusty browns everywhere you turn. No need for fancy clothes, a fun printed romper fits the environment perfectly. Easy to lounge in, explore in and gaze out into the serenity of the pacific ocean without a care in the world. It’s as if it was meant to be worn in paradise and indeed, it was. So get lost with in the beauty of it all and come join us on our adventure.

A few weeks back we were contacted by the company Ali and Kris out of NYC to try out some select pieces of their juniors clothing line and then give feed back on what we thought. We were sent this adorable little romper (above), a chiffon blouse and sweet little mini dress to style how we wanted and blog about. We instantly pictured the romper as a perfect little companion for a weekend at the beach or on a summery vacation far away. It serves as both, a cute cover up and a stylish post beach look that could be dressed up with a few accessories to go out dinner afterword. We belted the romper and then paired it with a chiffon blouse to serve as a light weight jacket and our Dolce Vita sandals served as a way to dash from a beach day to date night effortlessly.

Read more for another look styled by us from Ali and Kris…
 Continue reading →

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Stay Gold

Posted on 08/02/2012 by Valerie
Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
-Robert Frost


This amazing dress is a “Made in Kind” for Anthropologie designed by Byron Lars. We have posted about Byron before, he is our friend and a most talented designer. We have known Byron for years since Camilla’s birth and my school days in NYC.  When we heard  the news that he decided to do a line for Anthropologie we were ecstatic. The line is called BEGUILE and it is for Anthro’s new “Made in Kind” division. I fell in love with this beauty the moment I saw it, the color, cut and fit are impeccable. Camilla and I wear the same size dress so… double the use, and since it is such a show stopper it will be for more special occasions.  We took it to our roof one amazing summer night to document the beauty of the dress surrounded by just a late summer sky.

More about Byron?

Read the interview he did for Anthro’s Magazine

Dance like nobody’s watching;
Love like you’ve never been hurt.
Sing like nobody’s listening
Live like it’s heaven on earth.

~Mark Twain~

Have a lovely day!

Valerie and Camilla

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