It's Donut Friday

I attempt to moderate my downfall eating, you know those spiral days of I'll just have a little...then it leads to a little more...
then the whole day is blown to hell and you might as well eat the whole pint of ben & jerry's since you've already consumed your body weight in chocolate any how.

A treat I give myself is one donut on Friday mornings which I've tagged as "Donut Friday".

Sprinkles are pretty but I'm an old fashioned glazed girl myself. So,I'm off to get my little lump of lard love!

happy friday

photo via chipmonk/flickr

7 things

Franki darling over on Life in a Venti Cup ping'd me for the blogger trail of "7 things" that's been going around. I decided to oblige her because it's fun, even though I did it a couple months ago on another round. So 7 things you may not know about me:

ONE
In my early to late 20's I worked in hair salons, and later ended up managing two salons with a staff of close to 50 people. I was known as a tough-ass-bitch while I worked there Ok, I was... but imagine managing that many adults [who mostly ran their own businesses] who partied like rock stars and wanted you to pick up the pieces of their aftermath.

One of my best friends now, who I worked with then, was one of the party'rs. She always likes to tell the tale of how she on many occasions would attempt to call in sick on a Saturday morning because she was hung over and I refused to call her clients. I told her to pull her car over, barf, get something to eat and be on time. She did usually, and always made money because of it. My best story though is from a straight, male hair dresser who was a hard party'r. He once called me after being 2 hrs late on a Saturday morning and didn't know where he was, or where his car was.

TWO
On my 30th bday my divorce to my ex-husband was final...that year sucked. But I'm so much happier now.

THREE
I lived abroad when I was 20 for an exchange program. It was the greatest experience of my college life, the first time I was away from home and my first panic attack as well. I had it while getting on the Tube [subway] while I was there. Nothin' like a bit of control issues to set you off in a foreign land.

FOUR
I am a quiet person, I sort of fake being out-going and do a decent job at it as I've gotten older. Conversation is a huge effort for me. In my job I am sometimes required to travel and produce photoshoots which is difficult in it's own right but I am also sort of forced into continual conversation with clients, photographers and talent. I generally like all of the people I work with so we have a great time but I am so tired from thinking about conversation that by the time we're done I want to hole myself up in a hotel room order room service and not speak to anyone for days after.

FIVE
One of my favorite things to do is to watch TV in bed, second eating peanut M&M's. I do a lot of the first, but refrain from the second for fear of puffin' up like a tick.

SIX
I met my boyfriend in a fly fishing shop while buying wardrobe for a photoshoot I was styling. He must have seen past my bitchy demenor that day : I was a tad crabby. He was mister calm-manager-guy helping me pick out gear. He had my business card for the studio loan I had arranged with them and later he emailed me the sweetest note. It was the way he phrased his note and the fact that he practiced yoga that made me go out with him. Ya just never know where you'll find love.


SEVEN
I took a handful of tango lessons a few years ago and I'd really like to do it again. The men that I've dated since my tango partner haven't been as down with "dancing with the stars" as I have and I haven't gone back. I want to be one of those old ballroom dancers with the crazy outfits--just doing tango is all.

Beautiful and inspiring photographs: Tim Walker

I think I gasped when I saw these photos. Brilliant lighting with the disco balls. Apparently Tim Walker is in the recent issue of Fotographie [is it a book or a mag I'm not sure?] His portfolio is quite impressive.

via Love Made Visable

So Tired

I think my 10 jobs may be catching up with me. I'm tired, really tired and I'm getting sick. My 9-5 has gone into full chaos at the moment [expect light posting through August]. I don't have any juice left for Apartment Therapy, or my own personal endevors my baby clothes or my personal art.

When do we stop pushing ourselves to exhaustion? When do we say it's too much?

I might be raising my hand right now .... I can't do it. I don't have enough left for me any more.

I feel chubby, out of shape, sick and broken down. I've always had issues with saying goodbye to something or letting it go. I just keep thinking that it will work itself out or turn a corner of something [what I expect I have no idea]. It's especially bad when those things are fun and interesting [work related]

I don't feel like I'm heading in the direction I want my life to feel like anymore.

--photo credit Ming Chai from Flickr

The margarita incident

So I was so excited about my mini vacation with the guy that I had been doing the snoopy dance for about 5 days prior.

I of course, in Palm Springs mode, had my palm springs outfit on - a fabulous faux Pucci scarf from H&M tied around my head, big sunglasses [honey, I've been wearing em big for years now], little sundress over my jeans and sandals ...anyway I digress...Saturday we got up and went to our favorite breakfast place across town to start the day off right and hit the road.

We got to Palm Springs about 1:00pm and checked into our place. Heat was a lot 105ish at that point and I ditched the polyester scarf - F* it - the polyester was making my head feel like it would explode. I would pass out if I had to wear it in the sun. So much for fashion.

We walked to the main drag about 4 blocks or so from our place and found a lovely little mexican restaurant to have lunch. I am dripping on my red pleather Target bag by this time. The boyfriend orders a beer and in celebratory mood I order a margarita. Now I must explain here that I'm a bad drinker, I don't even pretend to be able to handle my liquor and generally 1-2 drinks and I'm done. So I suck down my adult slushy in the 105ish heat with nothing to eat and when the server comes by to inquire about another beer for him, I say sure I'll have another too! I'm determined to have a party-ol-time. Food comes and I finish my second margarita [did I mention they were large???] and some of my meal and I'm so bombed out of my mind that I'm slurring my words and my boyfriend is laughing at me. Of course, I promptly start slurring "dooon'tttt lauuuugh atttt meee I'mmmm drunnnnkkk". He laughs more. With nothing to do but go back to our place we do and I pass out and wake up at 5pm with a hangover.

Such a class act.

Palm Springs -Movie Colony Hotel

Palm Springs was hot as heck 106 on Saturday! but the pool was nice in the AM and PM when we could enjoy the sun without the mid day direct heat. Our hotel The Movie Colony Hotel was fantastic and can't say enough nice things about it. I'll write a bit more about the trip later as there are a couple of funny tales...but off to work now!

If you feel like a good cry

I watched this on Good Morning America this morning and had to reapply my makeup after. Pay attention to his interview where he talks about not believing in himself and struggling with having enough confidence in his skill - but that his dream is to do what 'he believes he was born to do'.

What were you put here to do that you're not sharing?

Sharing the art of living well

I couldn't resist leaving for the weekend without posting this photo of the Elrod Lautner House in Palm Springs in ode for my trip this weekend. I must beg you to go visit this siteI found called Luxury Culture.com today and spend some time clicking around.

I haven't quite figured out the architecture to the site [there is information tucked in every nook and cranny] but the site is a treasure chest of all things beautiful. The site was developed by luxury art, fashion, and design publishers Assouline, who have taken every pretty little nugget and left it out for the world to see.

By the way the Lautner house is available for rent through the ultra exclusive villa rental agency called Private Villas it's part of their Rad Pad series of homes. Wouldn't it be so fantastic to rent this place out and get married in it? You could have the swellest, swankiest wedding ever in a place like that.

A year of posting

It's my blog birthday this month! It's officially a year old. I feel like this little adventure has been a tad dyslexic in that the blog started as a design blog and has slowly moved on to a online journal and all things girl. I feel bad about it sometimes like I don't have a pure direction and it's not true to my blogger name but then I just think F*ck IT, it's mine... I can do what I want. I'm tired of beating myself up for not being perfect. So here it is random thoughts, bad spelling and worse grammar. *If the blogger folks could add a spell check I would be so grateful!

The truth of how it evolved is that my writing for Apartment Therapy forces me to think about home and design pretty much all the time, so in order for my mind to have some fun and another element of creativity I've turned to writing about fashion and my humorous tales of daily living. I still haven't decided how much of myself I want to reveal with this writing but I'm just taking it as it comes.

Here's to another year of friendships [I've met people all over the world by writing here], great shoes, perfect shades of lipstick, great fashion, creativity and photography. Thanks for stopping in don't be shy to leave a note I love getting them.

-Richele

good living

Out on a Duffy Boat last night with some girlfriends. We had champagne, great wine, chocolate [ok and some dinner too] it's so much fun to break the routine of a week with a treat like that.

Oh and that's Amelie in that last photo with Monica our fearless leader [and Amelie's mom]. Amelie is our mascot doggie she got some treats too and comes with us every time we go out.

JT in Paris

I just discovered JT in Paris's blog thru my new BFF Franki as she had him listed on her blog roll. I'm enamoured with this newly graduated fashion student who is in love with Paris, fashion [and currently looking for a full time gig to remain there] and his cross dressing ways. He's living his most fashionable dream life out in living color.

I do hope that someone at one of the big houses Marc?, Karl? Bueller?....Bueller? [tap tap tap on the microphone] is this thing on...Anyone there is listening? We need to see more of JT in Paris and all of the fabulousness he has to offer.

Fathers Day project

So I've been thinking about this project for a few months but of course I leave it till the last minute. My Dad is a farmer so I thought it would be cute/funny to take photos in front of this LA hotel called Farmer's Daughter. I didn't plan it out very well. I should have scouted out the location a bit better. The mid morning sun was way too bright, I looked like total poo in most all the photos, my outfit sucked... the same old drill. Now it's too late to reshoot so Dad gets the sucky photos for Fathers Day. Sorry Dad!! Here's the best of the bunch without me in them. UGG!!

The case for comfortable shoes

As I mentioned a couple entries ago I went shoe shopping. Actually it was crazy shoe shopping. Here's the thing: I have metal in my spine from a scolosis surgery when I was 21 and for the past 16+ years it has been pretty good, very few major problems and a crazy scar to show off at parties after a few cocktails. But, a year + ago I started in on a new workout plan. I was going to yoga 2-3 times a week and going to the gym 2 times a week but I decided I was going to conquer my ass once and for all. Part of that new plan upped my elliptical machine time from 15 min to 45 and that's when it all went down hill.

I could go into the gorey details of my vicoden haze but I'll spare you the details. What I can tell you is that my back has never been the same. It's a tempermental asshole really, it thumbs it's nose at me just when I think i've beat it into submission. It's holding me hostage and these are it's demands:

• a heel but not too high
• a wedge heel as well
• preferably something with a rubber sole
• great arch support
• no standing for long periods of time
• and no sitting on hard wooden surfaces
and then to add insult to injury I have a crazy foot anyway, one that requires either a AAAA width or something with a slingback or no back for that matter if it can help it.

Taking those elements into consideration with footware choices and once I meet all of it's requirements there are 5 pairs of shoes left in the store and two of them are clogs. The chic woman in me cries.

I've given away all of my pretty kitten heels. I pressed my luck one too many times and it's just too expensive for me to do it any more. It takes a minimum of 3 chiropractic visits for me to repair myself after episodes of fashion [not covered by my insurance]. I know the term "suffering for fashion" physically and financially.

Back to the story at hand....
So I decided that I was going shoe shopping for great shoes that fit me, that I liked, and that wouldn't hurt my back. Easy enough it would seem. By the way did I mention I was willing to spend whatever it took to get them? If they were Chanel or Prada I didn't care. I was ready to spend the cash. 2+ hours into my mall walk and NOTHING. Things that I liked didn't have enough arch support [flat feet too], they didn't fit my narrow feet well or I just didn't like them. After going to every shoe store in South Coast Plaza I did buy 4 pairs. One pair of Via Spiga sling backs [very pretty not a wedge heel but figured I could deal for a meeting or two] but I ended up returning because they just didn't fit as well as I would have liked, 2 pair of Cole Haan [one of which is pictured above] and one pair of Clark's Artisan which have the most amazing arch support ever. I started at 1pm and left the mall at 6:30. It was like Vegas, I had no idea what time it was.

Fast forward again to my fashion show for the guy...and we get to the shoes pictured above. A hybrid sneaker/ballet slipper with a little retro Chanel wanna-be quilting. Not horrible - not my ideal shoe but decent. He loved the slingbacks, nice on the rest and he saw this pair and said. "Hummm" I said, "What does that mean?" He said, "what are those dresses that Grandma's wear with the flowers all over them?" "You mean a house coat?" "Yah!" he said, "it looks like they should go with a house coat."

No, No, No... I tried to reason with him with thoughts of Audrey Hepburn and ballet slippers and he just couldn't see it. This is a man who also owned more plaid than I've ever seen when we first met [notice past tense]. Anyway, he hates them but doesn't say it that directly [smart man], and I kept them and don't care. We did have a good laugh the other day when he came over to take me out to dinner and I was wearing them just walking around the house. He said with a little laugh in his voice. "Honey, why don't you change into those pretty heels you just bought". Nice one smoothy!...I will, I will.

So Pretty

prettiness all around Hoss Intropia

Yes, sir we're going on holiday

Most adult folk go out of town on a regular basis. I do not. I'm in love with a student [2nd career guy] so timing and cash become issues when the thoughts of a weekend away happens. But the dude is done with finals as of Wed evening and so we're hitting the trails soon after that. We tried for Santa Barbara but apparently everyone and their dog are going the weekend we want [ok, had I thought about it more Fathers Day and graduation...] so off to palm springs to a charming little place called the Movie Colony Hotel which sounds LAME...but the beds look super comfy [my no. one pre req] and stylish [no. 2] + a friend recommended it. I plan on laying by the pool and doing NOTHING. No flipping computers or anything but me, a drink, and my dude.

I need a halter dress and lord help me, a bikini.

Here is my rule about bathing suits...girls listen up...when trying on said suit....

If it fits in the front and feels ok in the back... I beg of you DO NOT TURN AROUND to look at your ass. Nothing good can come from this. You know it and I know it so lets all agree WHAT WE CAN'T SEE - WON'T HURT US. Granted everyone else has to suffer with the view but ignorance is bliss. This is the only way I can agree to do this that and my no carb plan for the next 14 days [which I laugh as I write because it won't happen]

Life In a Venti Cup

I wanted to give a shout out to my new BFF Franki who has a lovely little blog called Life In a Venti Cup which you should all check out.

A little travel, a little fashion, a little home style, and mostly a damn good cup of coffee ...All things dear to my heart.

in other words total chick-ville.

Speaking of Chanel...

I went to South Coast Plaza last weekend to go on the hunt for shoes that match my spine's requirements...more on that later

While doing so I did venture into the new Bloomingdales that just opened a few weeks ago. Now I'm not a Bloomie's shopper probably due to cost and due to there wasn't a store near by. Wow what a store! South Coast Plaza in general has money oozing from it's doors and walls.

What I love about department stores of that category is that I can look and touch things I can't in the boutique stores. I have never dared walk into Chanel. I dream of shopping there but saving my pennies just may not be enough. I'm not talking a shopping spree just perhaps a handbag, a pair of shoes and a pair of sunnies. Oh that would set me back probably 4-5k. Nothing big right? probably the Gross Domestic Product of some far away country, but who's counting.

I strolled into the Chanel department [high brands get their own boutiques within the stores] and was able to fondle a ballet slipper, and a quilted bag all in the same 15 minutes. My saving grace is that there were so many people shopping [actually purchasing] that the sales folks didn't have time to ask me if I needed help. Those poor folks were so slammed that most of the shelves were empty as they pulled quilted bags down and began the wrapping proceedure [every bag gets wrapped in their glossie box with tissue paper]. Women were purchasing multi-thousand dollar bags without thought every few seconds. It was a sight to see.

Next door at the Louis Vuitton boutique even more people were present. LV isn't my thing [besides their luggage] so passed it up but I can say that the actual boutique in the mall is so busy I'm sure LV'ers were at Bloomies because they couldn't get into the actual store. I'm not lying about this. As I was walking through the mall I heard the security guard at LV say to a couple I'm sorry I can't allow any more people into the store at the moment. I turned to look at the store and it was FULL. Not only that there were multiple security guards standing on high rise pedestals throughout the store. Holy shit is all I have to say and also, what do these people do for a living? And lastly, do they have a need to adopt a 38 yr old woman?

Why am I telling you all this? because someone out there reading knows the pain of fondling a bag or shoe they want and setting it back down. That, and my boyfriend is sick of me talking about it - and partly doesn't understand as he looks at me all glassie eyed when I talk about Chanel ballet slippers.

My only chance in hell at owning double CC's

I'd love to say this is from Chanel but it's not it is a spoof from a company who presses the boundries with iconic labels.

From: Charles & Marie
Our dear friends at Citizen:Citizen have fabulous products – that's nothing new. And until today you could easily get them. Recently though they received a cease and desist from the company with the Golden Arches for their Coke Spon #2, which in turn caused the eponymous product to skyrocket in price – if you can get it at all. Well today we have been told, the company's famed Playboy Swizzlestick was struck by the same fate.

Yup, no more gold dipped Swizzlesticks. Now we brought you the Coke Spoon #1 pendant a couple days back, that's just another item waiting to disappear, so we thought that we would give you the opportunity to purchase the only item left that hasn't been scrutinized – yet. The Chanel Pirate matches, Tobi Wong and Ju$t Another Rich Kid have cooperated yet again on a fab idea which comes in a pack of 10 and we have made sure that we have enough in stock to get them out to you before those too disappear from the face of this world...

So hurry, run, get to the computer and get them before they are forever gone...

Chanel Pirate Matches

$30 for ten

which in terms of Double CC's is pennies.

Are you as freaked out as I am?

It's the 30-Something television show's 20 year reunion...and they're selling arthritis medicine.

I don't know why I'm surprised, my 20 year high school reunion is this summer [not going]. I always wanted to be "Hope Davis" she looks just as good!