Aloha!

Nice to meet you! I’ve been shying away from posting my mug on my blog for the longest time, but the moment has arrived to come out of hiding! And what better place to do that while I’m in paradise? Went to Maui for my youngest aunt’s wedding and for some much needed R&R. We spent 9 days at the Aston Maui Lu and I took up the challenge of being able to pack 9 days’ worth of clothing for 2 people in one suitcase which resulted in setting aside one day for laundry (1st pic). I’ve actually been traveling to Hawaii since I was a little girl –family, y’know– but I was seeing the island through different lenses. Everywhere I went, I wished I had packed more so I can use the tropical backdrop for impromptu photo shoots. If you noticed, I used a scarf both as a slouchy, one-shoulder top and as a wrap skirt –fun stuff, riiight? I love the challenge of packing minimally and coming up with creative ways to use them. Then I uploaded the pics and attacked them with online photo editing tools. Can you tell I dig the retro look?

Anyway, hope to do more of these! I’m currently working on my publication and am excited for the photo shoot coming up!! Look for the publication’s website/blog for the behind-the-scenes pics!

1: Guest laundry at the Aston Maui Lu/ 2: The Aston Maui Lu/ 3: At Ono Gelato in Paia/ 4: My beloved bling catching rays in the crook of a tree in Paia Bay/ 5: Playing with my necklace, coral and dried flowers at Baldwin Park/ 6: My R&R tools while reading on the beach at Baldwin Park/ 7: This hula chick I brought home from an ABC Store at Front Street in Lahaina/ 8: Strolling at the Lavendar Farms in Kula/ 9: Bird cage at Lavendar Farms/ 10: Portrait at the Sacred Garden in Makawao

Prints Forever

Been MIA because I’ve switched to a four 10-hour day work week so I can study on Fridays for my license exam; diggin’ the 3-day weekends (especially this past Memorial Day weekend when we also had Monday off!) but exhausted just the same. I’ve begun working on the publication project I’ve been dreaming about since a year ago, so when ever I have time, I’m sending emails, researching, scheduling appointments and brainstorming for the publication.

I recently read this article comparing design online magazine with their print counterparts. It generated quite a bit of feedback about the credibility of e-zines, technology and the joys of holding a print magazine as compared to the convenience and economical value of an online version. As I’m in the process of developing a cover for the first issue, I’m thinking more and more about how to stay true to my voice. After inundating myself with so many glossy and high tech magazines and blogs, I hate to admit their influence over my creative endeavors. I long for the days of simple cut ‘n’ paste techniques. I’m still trying to understand the appeal of that style.

Above are images from the inside of No Mag zine, lifted from GPPR’s blog. It’s like being greeted by an old friend. I’ve even looked back to my old zine for inspiration and to ground myself in a more humble and modest creative piece. I pay a lot of attention to the Power of Print campaign, especially this particular ad suggesting that the increase in magazine readership can be attributed to the engagement print magazine provides.

As I was thinking about that today at work instead of…working, I take that theory a step further and suggest that the engagement the campaign is referring to is an appeal to our senses…

…the sight of the physical magazine;

…the smell of the magazine whether it’s of the paper or of the perfume samples inserted between the pages;

…the touch of the magazine, it’s smooth glossy surface or rough textured ones;

…the sound of the pages turning;

…only taste is missing…unless you lick the pages. 😉

The concept of touch is really interesting to me in this context as I ponder how I would print the publication. The type of paper used really contributes a lot to the vibe of the magazine. In the case of my publication, I’m hoping to convey groundedness and authenticity as readers flip through. I spent some time looking for newsprint, like the pages of No Mag. I’m also considering the benefits of full color versus black and white. I want readers to take the publication seriously yet still be set apart from glossies. Hmmm, it’s definitely a work in progress, one that I absolutely love.

Something Wicca This Way Comes

I used to party a lot with hippies back in college. It made sense, seeing as I was deep in the forests of Santa Cruz, the land of surfers, dreadlocks and co-ops. My days were filled with tapestries, incense, bongos, alcohol and weird dancing without a care in the world. It was a far cry from the tense conformity of my high school days. And in Santa Cruz, I discovered a kinship with things that are natural, down-to-earth and to this day, I always seek comfort in an environment that reminds me of those care-free moments.

I’ve come across quite a few online interior design magazines, and Rue magazine is, by far, my favorite, particularly for portraying diverse styles and including quirky, off-beat stories and editorials such as “Dark Light Shining.” Aesthetically speaking, this is my dream party! Of course, I’d thrown on some Hepcat or The Roots in the background cuz hip-hop’s how I roll. But keep the rest; fur, feathers, dreamcatchers, turquoise-bling –it’s all me.

Sources: Dark Light Shining; Table Top; Bedroom with skylights; Hippie room; Hippie boat

Empress

As I’m writing, I’m hacking up a lung and battling congestion of the nose, eyes and head. Lovely! I’m able to muster up just enough energy to make me a pot of high mountain tea and flip through my tarot cards. I got them years ago while I was still in grad school from a new age-y bookstore directly in front of my therapist’s office. I had just started attending monthly Wiccan circles in the kitchen of a local bakery in Concord which was headed up by a Hawaiian priestess –so hip and rebellious for a grad school student who was raised in a Catholic family (I told you about the cousin who wanted to pray for me, right?). Because I was so new to The Craft, I asked the owner of the bookstore for help on how to choose the right set of tarot cards and she said, “Honestly? Choose the one with pictures you’d like to look at.”

Source

Read on for the accompanying reading.

Breathe In Japan, Breathe Out Hermes

Been a week since I returned to LA from the Bay Area and I freakin’ hit the ground running. Work is kickin’ my ass! I started working out, too…playing Wii tennis and Wii yoga. Fun! But now I’m sore all over. I left work today in a complete frenzy, heart racing, hella amped. While I was driving, I had to remind myself to breathe. It was only a year ago that Hermes made waves with their Tokyo display.

Just breeeathe.

Resurrected

It’s amazing how my September mini-vacays got me so exhausted! I would stare longingly at my blog, willing myself to write but never mustering up enough energy to do so. Then I spent the bulk of October resting. And although recordings of my sartorial musings have been on hiatus, I never stopped trolling the fashion, underground entertainment, socially conscious, etc. scene. Day in and day out, in between clients and during my two-hour lunch breaks, I’d be visiting my usual haunts online and adding to my ever-expanding library of topics I want to blog about. In other words: so many things to say, so little time.

But now I’m back with renewed vigor in the hopes of picking up where I left off. First thing’s first; I scored the amazing Green With Envy dress by Attila Design!! I was so juiced when I got it. My first indie couture purchase.

I love it when orders are packages as gifts. Makes it so much more personal!

One of the most awesome things are wooden greeting cards and Tiina’s is no exception.

I spent about an hour after ripping into the package playing dress-up and imagining all sorts of ways I could wear the dress: industrial, steam punk, hippie, country, Halloween, all other holidays, etc. The only place I haven’t been able to think of a way to wear the dress was in the workplace. I added a black blazer and ended up looking Victorian. All I needed was a top hat. I haven’t figured out where to wear it first, but Halloween is just around the corner so I’m trying to decide between costumes which are all really fashionable goth ensembles.

  

THEN…i recently scored these two DIY tomes just to ignite the creative juices. I’ve been craving to do something creative and I had Amazon coupons at my disposable, so I thought, why not? Besides, the holidays are around the corner and the idea of making gifts is an exciting prospect. I was later reminded that Erica Domesek, mastermind behind P.S. I Made This, has a whole blog dedicated to DIY fashion projects which means *swoon*! DIY projects comes in a close second to shopping on Etsy in terms of my fashion addictions. My hope is to actually do one of these projects instead of sittin’ on my ass all day and hopefully make up some of my own!

I had gone shopping with a friend yesterday and she told me, “I totally appreciate you going shopping with me yesterday!” Apparently, she feels she is completely clueless when it comes to shopping and deciding what looks good and what looks bad. And when she said that, I had a lightbulb moment and thought, What if I advertise myself as a personal shopper/fashion consultant?? Seeing as I have a background in therapy, I could advertise it as Fashion Therapy and presto! I got me a hustle! Definitely gonna be marinating on this for awhile…

Hot Summer Nights

I’m a Vintage Fan No. 2, Old Crow Farm

Last night, KFK and I stowed our comforters away and brought out the electric fans.

“It was almost a hundred degrees yesterday,” KFK said with amazement. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was. He had started to stockpile ice cubes in the freezer and our plastic pitchers are always filled with iced tea. My days lounging out on the patio at Zephyr have been numbered, thanks to the Valley’s rising temps.

But those warm summer nights are pure bliss. Last night, I sat in front of a coffee shop and relished in the balmy air. Wearing nothing but a loose black dress sans brassiere, I lost myself in The Time Traveller’s Wife.

I just realized, when it’s so hot, it can be a challenge to bring interest to the clothes you wear because, well, you’re not wearing much of anything! At the office, I toe the line between professional and fortune teller, I wear so many flowy things! A simple trick I use to class up my beach wear is by switching those sandals to simple black pointy flats and adding a black blazer (with three quarter sleeves so I’m not too stuffy).

At night, it’s simple. Vintage slips with satin folds that glide over my body like a second skin. And while we slumber, those electric fans are whirring me to sleep.

Only Where The Sun Shines

Four walls. A desk. A bookcase and file cabinet. I was understandably excited when work bestowed me with my own office. But over time, I’ve grown restless with the endless hours cooped up in a room, never to see the light of day, especially in the winter time. I sigh with relief as my analog clock strikes 12:00, releasing me from my little cave and into the open air. Now that summer has settled in, I just want to play (and work) in it.

While I understand the practical nature of working inside an office, I feel more creative and free with my thoughts, literally thinking outside the box. Outdoors, my inhibitions are lowered, I’m released from the pressures of others’ expectations. I can imagine the setting: A balcony made of white stucco, lined with soft, plush Moroccan pillows where my body can lounge but my mind can think. I’m flanked by stacks of books; academic journals mixed in with magazines and summer reading. My laptop is the only form of technology, necessary only to record my thoughts. A flowing caftan covered in exotic prints complements the ideas surging forth while the sun supplies a blazing furnace for the imagination.

Perhaps it’s because I’m a Libra that I’m so concerned with my surroundings. It sets the tone for how well I perform. Luxurious comfort, earth tones and ethnic patterns ground me the way gentle breezes and vegetation breathe life into my surroundings. And who is the epitome of luxury than Elizabeth Taylor circa Cleopatra with her kohl-lined eyes and overabundance of gold accessories? I’m a firm believer that work can be fun and still appropriate to dress up like the Queen of Egypt. Whatever gets the job done.

I still feel like I’m a ways away from living the dream. It’s not impossible, though. Confidentiality would be easy to mask and my current favorite outdoor hangout carries all the necessary ingredients, not to mention a hookah bar for those smoky cravings! (Heh, I don’t smoke, but the scent is delightful! Much better than incense or cigarettes.) And now that summer has rolled around and the office is much more lenient about wardrobe standards, my swingy skirts and see-through blouses are seeing the light of day. Now, I only have to figure out how and when to implement said dream, then it’s hasta la vista, baby! when paperwork comes a callin’. Stayed tuned for that episode of Cleopatra and Talitha Gone Rogue…

“Speak Easy”

“Why don’t we go around and say our name and a metaphor for Filipino art?”

I bounced. As interesting as the ice-breaker was, I was looking foward to cruising the art scene, soaking up some Filipino culture and grooving to some tumes; not spending my Thursday evening falling asleep at a lecture!

I own a copy of the framed picture on the right.

I don’t know if this is common, but a lot of Filipino art I’ve come across seem to portray images of women. In general, Filipino culture seems to place an emphasis on the feminine. I’ve read that Filipino women are “keepers” of the culture and are the ones who “pass on” their heritage from generation to generation. Not sure how strong this theory holds but it’s be interesting to explore.

Haha! One exhibit that portrayed Filipino masculinity were modern interpretations of the famed Barrel Man which actually contrasts nicely with the more “organic” images of Filipino femininity. There’s an interesting juxtaposition of modern-day symbolism with the traditional aesthetic of the Barrel Man that speaks to how Filipino culture has been Americanized.

After we left the exhibit, KFK and I cruised through Gallery Row, checking out the scene and trying our hand at being LA peeps. It was a lovely evening to be out, surrounded by art, food and good vibes. I took a picture of this double-decker bus cuz I wanted to ride it; never been on a double-decker! When got closer, I noticed that it was a restaurant! Like a taco truck only it was a bus. They served food on the lower deck and the top deck was like a lounge/eating area. So cool! It is one of my goals to buy something from this place and eat on it before the wind takes me elsewhere. Holla!

Breathe In Matohu, Breathe Out Oribe

In the name of R&R, I had KFK hightail me over to Hsi Lai Temple for some much needed zen time. I had spent Saturday afternoon slaving painfully over paperwork and my brain felt like it was going to explode all over my desk. Burning some incense, some time in the meditation room, walks through the gardens…I was so in need of some buddha lovin’.

Perhaps it was the recent release of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, but I’ve been slowly nurturing a growing obsession with tea and tea sets. My mother-in-law has a neat collection of them, one of which comes in the form of seashells.

 

Love! I wonder if she’d let me have it…

Anyway, it reminded me of Japanese design duo Matohu’s Spring/Summer collection titled Oribe, after Futura Oribe, a samurai and “principal pupil of the great tea-ceremony master, Sen no Rikyu.”

Oribe broke through the boundaries of the aesthetics of his master, which were stoic and minimalist. He aimed at creating a bright, playful atmosphere amidst the stillness and equilibrium of the tea ceremony. It was in order to create a moment of memorable play, of sharing the joy of life with the guests.

Matohu’s first and last themes at “Beauty in the Keicho Period” were both “Oribe”. This is because we believe this pottery embodies not only a 400-year-old Japanese sense of beauty, but also our brand concept.

In this collection, rather than focusing on the pottery itself as in the first collection, we strived to recreate the essence of Oribe – an expression of the joy of life, using bright colors, unique cutting and asymmetric shapes.”

 

The clothing is totally not my style, but I’m intrigued by the clearly Asian aesthetic as well as the intelligence behind the clothing. While the garments definitely reflect a playful side, the clean lines indicate a deliberate thoughtfulness. It’s through this collection that I see fashion as a wearable art, but with a contemporary, “2.0-ish” flavor. I almost see digital matrices that one would find on desktop wallpapers (Tetris anyone?) combined with Ikea furniture displays.

 

In contrast to other designers I’ve been watching whose collections are saturated with Old World influences, the simplicity of Matohu’s line is refreshing. I can almost feel my head clear of the day’s worries and tribulations. Who knew clothing could be described as “zen?”

Regardless of the collection’s obvious appeal, I’m sticking to those Old World-gypsy-hippie clothing because my personal zen comes from clothing that evokes feelings of escape, vacation getaways and freedom with a shot of inner peace by strolling through a meditation garden…or sipping on my rose oolong tea from a seashell cup.