EPIC FAIL ? ? ?

Last Thursday morning, I did a terribly crazy thing and woke up at 4am.  Why, you ask? Press play.

I made it to the Americana at Brand around 6 in the morning, wearing my favorite plaid trench and some comfortable oxfords.  I was ready to dawn the long lines and hopefully snag that whimsical flower necklace (honestly, the only piece in the collection I was coveting). 

When I reached Glendale, I anticipated lines around the building.  As I drove past, no lines in front of the store.  I parked and walked over.  I perked up when I saw the window display.  The shop girl was sprucing it up and glanced up at me with the most annoyed look on her face.  Again, no lines.  Odd and much too good to be true.  I was going to walk around and do some window shopping, when at the corner of my eye, there it was....the line.  Some people looked like they camped out, with sleeping bags, a mattress...a lot of people were still wearing pajamas.  I walked passed and checked out my competition.  I was glad to see that I wasn't that far behind (maybe 100 people in).  I snapped some polaroids, C O M I N G  S O O N, and made some friends. 

Jennifer, and I didn't catch the other woman's name, but I do know that she works at the Atwater Village farmer's market and sells soap? ?  As we got to the front of the line and could see people leaving with bags and bags full of stuff, we felt a little defeated.  This lady came out wearing a leopard print coat and little dainty heels. Her man was with her, in sweats and a baseball cap, carrying all her goodies. The peanut gallery was in full effect at that moment, and my new friends made me laugh with the commentary.  There was so much hype for this collection, as there should be, yet that just elevated everything to the worst level.  When it was finally our time (around 9:30am), I was part of a group of 30 that was able to enter the store. They only gave us 15 minutes to shop, and I had forgotten what my game plan was.  Well, frankly, I didn't really have a game plan. They also distract you with music, L O U D music.  Then this guy on a megaphone tells people when their time is up. 

"Only 5 seconds remaining ! ! !"  

So much pressure.  

My worst nightmares came true when I saw that there were no accessories in sight.  Just one necklace, similar to the one I wanted, on display.  The display area was off limits. What a tease. 

When I finally got to enter the section, women started to push their way through, and by that point I felt so unmotivated to grab anything.  It was a madhouse of cat fights, and grabby hands, and size 0s, and unlined parkas, with nothing left for me.  I had a chance to grab one of the tee shirts, but when I saw it up close, I felt underwhelmed. 

"meh" became my reaction for that morning.  I don't know if any collection is worth this kind of agony. I know that I need to spend at least two hours in a store, and that excludes trying things on (add 20 minutes, maybe).

You can find photos of the collection and the extended commercial by Sofia Coppola here.  Also on ebay, most likely. 

your friend,

ava

Golden Hour, Golden Day

I had the pleasure of hanging out with my friend, Ema Tunermann, from Ema and Her Lady Parts last Tuesday evening.  We met up around 4pm and managed to catch the "golden hour", which always makes photos look really ethereal, like images from a Terrence Malick film.  I know my shots will never be as epic, but I'm just happy to have had an awesome girl's day.  

Someone's gate in Echo Park

Lately, I've been really into 30s & 40s fashion.  This is my interpretation of a 40s look without being too costume-y.  I mention it in my post called, "Inspiring 40s Fashion".  These are those h&m palazzo pants I scored after a hunt for my size. They didn't have them at the Glendale store, so the next day I drove over to Pasadena. I was on a mission, and sometimes you just have to go that extra mile to get what you want. ;-)

Hello, golden hour flowers & check out the beautiful bougainvillea down below!  I would love to be surrounded by these plants every day.  Before I spotted the bougainvillea, we had a scrumptious late lunch at Masa. If you haven't checked out Masa, I suggest you head on over.  I am no food blogger, but this little place in Echo Park has the most amazing bread pudding that you will gladly put into your hungry mouth. I decided not to take a polaroid of this delicacy, for it would not have done it justice. Too beautiful & much too tasty, made with three different kinds of croissant, drizzled with a bit of chocolate and caramel sauce & a little sprinkling of powdered sugar.  Ema & I shared one because of it's decadence.  I believe it has been the only dessert that has made me giggle with great joy. Anyway, there's your review. Oh, by the way, they are known for their authentic Chicago Pizza!  I've been to Chicago & they aren't kidding.

On into the night, we decided to check out our friend & coworker's band, Arms That Work.  Go Tyler, go!  Is  that a dinosaur riding a bicycle?

There is a similar shot I took for Ema's performance at Pehrspace. Old habits die hard.

Salvation at the Silverlake Lounge.

Gold nail polish for a golden day.  Good night everybody! 

your friend,

ava

Color Blocking & Job Locking

These past few days have been a whirl wind of job searching for my lovely boyfriend.  Freelance isn't quite paying the bills, so it's time for something steady..with benefits no doubt!  I dream about it every day that something will turn up.  Times have been tough, and not just for us, but for the country.  I'm thankful because it's a fact that things could be worse.   Yesterday, we hit the local mall in stride for his interview with a pretty "hip" clothing chain. I'll give you a hint...it starts with U & ends with O & sounds like Schmurban Schmoutfitters. 

I like what a good friend of his said... "Just know that you're cooler than anything in there."

This is so true. 

Tiffany's always has some unique window displays. Who doesn't like diamonds with their ice cream

Killing time at the mall always reminds me of my high school days.  School and the local mall.  That was it, and it was everything.  Oh, youth and the joys of being irresponsible.  

We cruised Neiman Marcus which was delightful.  It is easier to look at clothes that I absolutely know I could never afford, even if I worked every single day without breaks.  No impulse buys!  Just walking around feeling a bit naughty because we were taking pictures in front of their art displays.  A shopgirl asked Jeaux if he was looking for anything in particular, and he answered, "no thanks, just came to see the art."  "Oh.." she replied. 

I absolutely loved the color blocking of the paintings and thought they went well with my outfit.  It was a trip to find out that some of the paintings were created by this woman.  A similar painting is on display and part of Neiman Marcus' permanent collection.  She is also the associate dean for CalArts School of Art.  Our alma mater. 

Pants & top, both H&M. Vintage bag from Mom. The necklace was a steal at Urban a long while ago. I think I only payed 9 bucks.  (Shhh..but it's a secret!) 

Iridescent butterflies hang from the ceiling at Neiman Marcus. This picture does not do it justice. 

Doesn't he look handsome? My Blue Boy. 




your friend,


ava

LOVE & Marriage

We clean up nice don't we? Top & pants are both from H&M. Clutch was a gift from my dear friend Stefani. To top it off, MAC lipstick in Russian Red!

This is the one and only image from the wonderful wedding of our two college friends, Jeff & Michelle.  It was taken with my fuji instax, which I brought intending to take way more "artsy" shots that you wouldn't normally see at a wedding.  However, upon arriving, I realized that I just wanted to take a deep breath and be in the moment.  Enjoying the love of friends is a truly magical experience. It really takes no effort at all to be happy at these kinds of gatherings, and seeing so many people from art school was just the icing on the cake. 

I have another wedding to attend in less than a week and that is the wedding of my lovely friends, Daniel Levitch & Amber Clark. This time I'm  in the wedding as her Maid of Honor. It's been a huge responsibility and I don't consider myself the most organized of people, but I've managed to pull it off some how. Phew! So happy I can do this for her. We have been through a lot of ups and downs together, which in turn has made our friendship very strong. I'm so happy I can be there for her. I love you Amber! 

Here's a teaser...THE DRESS!  I know it's in poor taste (not to mention bad luck) to reveal her wedding dress, so I blurred it out in photoshop. I will reveal the untouched photo soon after the wedding. It is beautiful and very Elizabeth Taylor circa "Father of the Bride". 

Mysterious no?

Our friend and fellow bridesmaid, Emylie, took this wonderful picture of us during the bachelorette party.

This has obviously been my "go to" outfit of the summer. Isn't she cute?!  :)

Still tried to be glamorous. Little did everyone know that I was coming down with a cold. I reserved a private Karaoke room later that night at Soop Sok Karaoke! ( If you haven't been, I recommend. I discovered this place after attending my pal, Michele's, epic birthday there. )  I think it was after performing "God Save The Queen", I shot my voice and now cannot speak without it hurting. I sound like a little boy during puberty. It's tragic.

Time for some hot tea with honey and a little R&R.

xo

your friend,

ava