Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome -- Keneth Anger -- [1954] part 1

Happy Halloween

xx

Feeling Fall

I'm starting to feel that magical feeling I get every October, when the weather starts to cool down and I wake up to grey skies (that turn blue after 8am, but there you have it, Los Angeles).  The pit of my stomach gets all fluttery. This feeling that I'm about to open xmas presents or take a trip to an unknown destination. I just love this time of year. The air feels crisp and I go fix myself a cup of Turkish coffee - my aunt, Violet, just showed me how to make it and I'm still a bit rusty, though it looks beautiful doesn't it? 

The weather hasn't been the only thing to lift my spirits. I've been productive for the first time in a little while. I met some women recently, who do different things, and have inspired me plenty. One is a musician and life coach of sorts, the other is a tattoo artist. Another beauty is a fellow photographer…all these ladies have given me a boost of confidence. I have this new found creative energy. Here are some photos I took during a lovely afternoon picnic with my new friends. 

Ladies of the Lake

all images © Ava Alamshah 

This was one of the last days of summer and is embedded in my memory as one of the best times I've had this year. It's been a roller coaster, and will continue to be, but this time I'm going to go down with my arms raised all the way up. Stepping out a little bit at a time - out of that comfortable place I always put myself in.

Also, there's Halloween. My costume inspiration? 

xxx

your friend,

ava

Happy Halloween!

©Ava Alamshah

Halloween Tour, 2012

  Remember when I wrote how I couldn't wait to tell you about our plans for actual Halloween (which fell on a Wednesday)?  Well, this is what we ended up doing!  Above, Jeaux is wearing his fancy diy Halloween tee.  This is before we went on our walk down Meridian, so we could see the old Myer's house.  Still looking ominous, even with the blue paint and red trimmings.

  The film's location is set in the fictitious Haddonfield, Illinois.  It was cool to find out that all the filming was done in the beautiful South Pasadena and Hollywood.  Nerding out!

 

  Below, are the stairs inside the Myer's house.  It's a chiropractic office now, and we weren't really suppose to go inside, but....

  The door creaked as I let myself in.  Gave me the chilly willies.  The building is a historical landmark, along with the hardware store, which use to be a hotel.  Jeaux also talks about our day here.

The hardware store, once an old hotel (now a restaurant)

A walk down Meridian Ave.  The trees are amazing there.  It doesn't feel like Los Angeles.

These tracks were right by the old Myer's house and the hardware store, in South Pasadena.

  I stopped to capture this rose.  Very American Beauty.

Vintage amber reminds me of fall.

  Finding the hedge was probably my favorite part of our adventure.  Who is that creep and why is he just standing there?

  The last three photos is where all this took place.  You can see why I am so scared!

  We are so fascinated by this low budget, independent film, and how everyone who made it were so young at the time, including John Carpenter.  After our tour, we ended up watching it twice.  The second time with commentary.  Happy Halloween!

your friend,


ava


© 2012 Ava Alamshah

Halloween 2012, Part One

H A P P Y   H A L L O W E E N

   The other night, Jeaux and I were invited to a Halloween party by my friend, Sasha, pictured above as Enid!  She also provided these sweet polaroids.  You should check out her blog, The Holy Nail.  This lovely woman knows her nail art and she is such a bad ass.  Looking forward to spending more time with her. 

   I really LOVE Halloween and try to go all out every year.  Last year, I was Sally Bowles.  This year, Jeaux and I were channeling In The Realms of the Unreal.  More on that later!  

  Jeaux and I have something fun coming up on actual Halloween that I cannot wait to tell you all about!  Until then....

your friend,

ava

  

  

End of Summer Picnic

 D E B S   P A R K  

  Last Sunday, I was invited to a picnic in the park to celebrate the end of summer, and the beginning of blustery fall.  Bring on the sweater weather, Los Angeles!  I was so happy in my chunky knit cardigan, hanging out with good friends, munching on yummy treats, and getting crafty. 

  This is the second time I got to hang out at Debs Park, located in the hills of Highland Park. I recommend taking a stroll because there is so much to look at.  There are great views to gaze upon our smoggy, LA sunsets.  Pink and purple sky is the best, right?!  There is a lake at Debs that I have not yet seen, but I vow to the next time I am there.  Beautiful place all around.

  

paper flowers + pumpkins covered in glitter = ! ! !

  Check out Serge's handiwork!  We were all kind of jealous.

* M A G I C   H O U R  *

I really do love shiny things

All images © Ava Alamshah

your friend,

ava

The Shining

I am obsessed with Shelley Duvall's yellow jacket and moccasins

LINK

LINK

  This just means that I am excited for Halloween and fall clothing.  I wonder if I can find a southwestern pattern similar to this one?   

  Just FYI, try not to fall asleep while watching The Shining.  You may wake up the same way Wendy Torrance wakes up; to a disturbed child shrieking, "REDRUM!  REDRUM!!"  ***shudder***

  The colors and patterns in this film are visual candy.  Kubrick was a master.

L O O K

Behind the scene continuity polaroid
LINK

um...

your friend,

ava

  

Our Hallow's Eve

thank you X

I hope everyone had an exciting Halloween weekend!  I had to work on the actual day since it was a Monday, but luckily I got to dress up. Sometimes I day dream about the ideal job and wonder if I will ever have one where I can use my art degree to it's full potential. However, I'm lucky to have a job period and really blessed that I can work in an environment that allows me to express myself creatively one day out of the year. My favorite day!  

A couple of posts ago, I expressed how much I love to dress up for Halloween.  It has always been my favorite time of year.  Coming up with costume ideas always takes valuable time and consideration.  Last year my costume was kind of thrown together in a flash and was a little disappointing.  This year, I promised myself that I would put in more effort and come up with something fabulous. Down below is my interpretation of Liza. Complete with freshly painted teal green nails!

I didn't get the hair quite right (she has that amazing Vulcan/widow's peak point), but I'm really happy about my curls. It's been fun playing around with my pixie cut now that it's grown in a little. I think I may start doing pin curls more often.

 

This was Friday night. We decided to head downtown for a massive, MASSIVE party thrown by a fellow artist, Jay Lopez. I met Jay at Synchronicity Space gallery where my friend, Gilda use to host potlucks. This was also his birthday party and somehow he knows a lot of people because there were probably well over 500, I'm estimating.  Jeaux went as a 1992 "Dead Head".  A family friend gave him that amazingly bad (he begs to differ) Grateful Dead tee and I must say, it was a show stopper. He was so proud to get many compliments, but nobody got his costume. Tons of people yelled out "Cheech!", although we both thought he looked more like Tommy Chong with the beard, bandanna and glasses. He just "rolled" with it. 

While trying to find parking, we spotted this crazy, awesome van.  I am always drawn to graffiti and I love how busy this photo is. I think that eye is looking at me.  Love at first sight. 

I also really love brick buildings.  This one houses loft spaces. Oh, to afford one of those would be magical. This shot was taken after deciding not to stand in line anymore. The party had reached full capacity and the hired help were starting to turn people away.  It was exciting to see all the costumes, so being turned away wasn't so bad. It had also been a long while since Jeaux and I have had an actual date. Money has been tight and we have been forced to spend many nights at home, which can turn really monotonous.  It felt good to be together and to bring a little spark and adventure back into our relationship.

Cheers to Halloween, nighttime photo adventures and love! 

your friend,

ava

Life is a Cabaret

Anyone who knows me, knows that I enjoy dressing up.  I take pride in putting together the perfect outfit, so imagine how excited I must feel that Halloween is fast approaching?  This time of year has always been a joy for me.  That chance to be someone else for a night.  Times have been tough this year with having to move back under my mother's roof, to my recent car accident.  I'm definitely on a tight budget, & probably not the only one, considering our country's economic status.   

It's funny that I chose to be Sally Bowles this year because behind her decadent facade, are her struggles to make it & that vulnerability that ever so slightly rises to the surface.  I have to quote my mother here in reference to my father; "..he may be poor, but he looks like a million bucks."  That is something that has been passed down to me, which gives me great pride.  It's all about utilizing what is already around you.  Luckily, being Liza won't be too tough.  I already have the short hair &  have managed to accumulate a sweet collection of unmentionables over the years (blush).  The icing on the cake is this nail polish I bought a while back at Sephora.  When I saw it, I immediately thought Cabaret.  It's almost the exact wild, dark teal blue polish she had in the film.  That same amazing color I have seen in Kenneth Anger's Puce Moment.  If you look closely, the starlet  has her toe nails painted that blue/green.  I'm not sure if they even had colors like that back in the 30s & 40s.  It seems so progressive. By the way, if you haven't seen Cabaret, I suggest you Netflix it immediately.  Liza Minnelli is perfection, not to mention Fosse!

Have a rad & safe Halloween everybody!

your friend,

ava