and this is coastal....

not okay.

Sunday on the trail

This morning, my friend Karen & I hit the trail. We call this 'the loop', but I think the real name is maybe Peacock Flats. It's actually a fire trail at the end of Crenshaw Boulevard, right at Del Cerro Park. We call it 'the loop' because a) it's fun, and b) if you take it all the way, the fire trail ends at the bottom of Portuguese Bend Road in the gated community of Rolling Hills. We usually walk up that to Crest Road, and take it back to Crenshaw and return where we started from. Although it feels like a half marathon, it's only about 3.5 miles roundtrip.

It's a great hike, much of it with scenery like this, but the hills are grueling. The expected high temperature today was 97, so we started out at 8 am. I think it was maybe only 87 at that point. Instead of taking the full loop, today we stopped at the gate and turned around. The thing about continuing through that gate is that you go up a long, windy drive that's really steep. Walking back on the trail is a little less steep, but it's a gradual hill that doesn't end. By the time we were almost done, I was seeing stars. But this is the reward:

Over ten thousand steps before 10 am! All that in an hour and forty five minutes. It's an exhausting way to start a Sunday, but worth it on so many other levels! I hope you are enjoying your weekend! XO

The week remixed: 9.24.10

And here I thought was hoping we were well into fall...it's not to be just yet (heatwave)

monday | tuesday | wednesday | thursday

and casual friday...

stay cool my friends....

Leather samples and me.

I made an interesting color observation today while perusing the Spinneybeck Leather sample book.

Interesting indeed. (I promise, I'm almost done with this.)

New on Etsy - Convertible Necklaces

I've spent the day photographing, photoshopping and listing - I'm trying to get all my remaining inventory uploaded to Etsy before laziness sets in and I talk myself out of it. I made these necklaces last spring for my last shows of the season (life) and there are only three left!

Convertible necklaces that can be worn two ways - doubled short, and undoubled long. Fun, right? Two looks in one. Very thrifty if you ask me.

...

...

One of a kind, and available only right here....

Bittersweet...

but mostly sweet :)

Just uploaded on my website...

I'm not even going to say it...

You know I'm going to say it. But before I do, let me tell you a story about a cardigan. I've been obsessing over a certain [color] cardigan from Nordstrom - the new Halogen Boyfriend. Looks cute, right? So last weekend, armed with a couple of Nordstrom Notes, I headed over there all pumped up to buy said cardigan. But when I tried it on, I was less than impressed. The color is not a real [blank], it's more of a goldish green. And the length was a little long on me (even though I'm nearly 5'6". Ok, 5'5" and three quarters, but we're going with 5'6"). I was so disappointed.

But of course, I couldn't let it go, no, I could not. I started combing online looking for a cute cardigan in a nameless color.

And then, on Sunday, in desperation, I succumbed to the Lands' End website. Where, low and behold, there is a YELLOW CARDIGAN AND IT'S ON SALE FOR $19.99.

Even with shipping it was only $25. And it's perfect. The sweater is totally lightweight (which is great for Southern California) and the tight vertical ribs are super slimming and keep their shape well. It was perfect with my GRAY TROUSERS.

My life is complete. Until the next obsession, of course.

Window Shopping: Again with the Yellow and Gray

Just keeping the theme alive here people...

completely swoon-worthy.

From left to right...
Row 1: beaded necklace | ruffle clutch | calla lily tee | vintage enamel flower pin
Row 2: fingerless gloves | vintage wool coat | keep calm poster | sunshine necklace
Row 3: ruffle coat |  kindle sleeve | ruffle wristlet | honey earrings
Row 4: cashmere chrysanthemum | doily stationery (!) | lace shrug | vintage lidded dish

Fall Style

It happens every year...I start to swoon over the same colors...gray and yellow. This year, the get-up is a little more professional. I already own the trousers and the buttondown, but I'm totally digging the cardi, and dammit, those shoes are killing me.

necklace | cardi | trousers | buttondown | shoes | ring

Hello fall.

Picking up [the] sticks

I keep my knitting in a bag next to the living room sofa, mainly in the hopes that while I am watching the nightly news I *might* pick it up and get myself through a few rows. I started these socks [Spring Forward] last March, and I chugged along quite well....down the leg, the heel flap, turning the heel, and then somewhere after the gusset, halfway through the foot, I put them down and and haven't done a thing.

I hate putting down knitting for so long. That knitting bag glares at me for weeks, that turn into months, and then when I pick it up again, I have to remember where I was. I was this close to ripping out the entire sock.

What stopped me? That pattern. I love that pattern. I must have picked it up and put it down 12 times yesterday. I, like many, was once again glued to the t.v. yesterday, as I am every year on the anniversary of September 11. [I refuse to blog on that day because I feel like anything I could possibly say is so insignificant to the event itself.] I didn't get much done yesterday in the way of knitting, there was just too much to think about. But today was a good day to pick it all up again and push myself through a few repeats.

So today, a beautiful fall day here in Southern California, I've picked up my sticks again. The sock lives on. There may even be a second one in my future.

Friday Flickr Favs: 9-10-10

I completely ignored my remix duties this week, mainly due to loaning my camera to friend last weekend and not getting it back until last night, but that's another story altogether....favorite inspirations from Flickrland. Click on the photo to see it larger, or visit the Flickr page for the links and credits here. Happy Friday!

Window Shopping: Mad for Plaid

Really, nothing says Autumn like plaid, right? I love plaid, and yet, I have very little of it in my wardrobe. I think I might have to change that this season. And the weather gods have blessed us with a respite from the heat, we will have glorious temperatures in the 70's this week. But, as any Southern Californian knows, it will be short lived.

Lately, I'm gushing on this type of thing....

From left to right ~
Row 1: Tartan Cupcake Liners (for reals); Mustard and Lace Wristlet; Vintage Dress; Plaid Cowl
Row 2: Vintage Shirt; Nano Case; Vintage Skirt; Plaid Earrings;
Row 3: Pumpkin Plaid Coat; Plaid Messenger Bag; Plaid Pea Coat; Vintage Tartan Dress
Row 4: Wool Felt Wallet; Plaid Purse; Kicky Flats; Vintage Plaid Apron

Sunday in Old Towne

Oy. I must be getting old. Yesterday one of my college boys had a late afternoon meeting at school, so we took the opportunity to deposit him there and then walk to the Orange International Street Fair a couple of blocks away.

Not so much of a street fair, but more of a giant beer garden...not that there's anything wrong with that, if that's your gig. It takes place in Old Towne Orange (known for it's cute antique and gift shops) and each street has tents down the middle selling food and beer from different countries. I think I was just more surprised that there wasn't a designated beer area, like there is at most street fairs.

Actually, it was one of most crowded events I've ever walked through (with the exception of the Strawberry Festival, which has it's own fenced in beer garden).

My husband was in beer heaven, and promptly acquired a mandatory wristband so he could continually hold a cold, frothy beverage. Thank goodness we met up with our friends, Ralph and Shari, or I don't think I could have lasted the 4 hours Colin was at his meeting! See? I am old!

Granted there was cool street music flowing everywhere, and it ranged from the amateur...

to the more professional set up....

to the kitschy (Lederhosen anyone?)

to the cute and fun (they grow up so fast people!)

I keep noticing, as I get older, I have a harder time dealing with huge, drunken crowds. It's sort of like sensory overload. And after we had made the rounds about 3 times, we headed back to Chapman to wait for Colin where we found a nice spot on the grass and an impromptu jazz concert.

This is totally more my style! It turned out that these musicians didn't know each other at all, but just brought their instruments and started playing, and other musicians came and went, and it was lovely.

A perfect jam session! ♥

Currently Reading: Freedom by Jonathan Franzen

There is nothing, and I mean nothing, like biting into a good, thick book during a long holiday weekend. And I'm so happy that my long weekends are no longer filled with producing as much inventory as possible for the upcoming holidays. No. Long weekends are for relaxing and reading (and laundry of course, but that's a given).

I've been waiting a long time for Jonathan Frazen to write another book. Eight years ago I devored The Corrections - a fantastic story about a wildly dysfunctional family. I love dysfunctional families. I love reading about dysfunctional families. Because I think everyone thinks their own family is wildly dysfunctional, but really, they aren't. All family's are strange and quirky and everyone has their own Uncle Buck hidden away somewhere.

So I've settled in for the three days of blissful laziness to read Franzen's latest dysfunctional family epic, Freedom. I'm not very far, and it took me a while to reacquaint myself with his writing style, but so far, I'm content, and cringing at the antics of yet another set of fictional characters going off the deep end. It's good. Really good.

On another note: Scott & I ran to theater yesterday afternoon to cool off and watch my boyfriend, George, in his newest movie, The American. Huge disappointment. Y A W N.

The week remixed: 9-3-10

The week in clothes - the working wardrobe, if you will. I'm waiting for the weather to change, but seriously, our summer just started. I have another 2 months before I will really be able to bring out the cozy sweaters, and even then, we'll have flashes of summer periodically.

Like the swinging hormonal internal temperatures of 40-something woman isn't enough.