think good thoughts

Some people may aspire to win one of these [a Clio is the Academy Award of advertising] and I'm sure it would be nice. I'll take one if it works out that way. Right now I'm more concerned about keeping my job.

I love my job which sounds sort of odd but I love the people I work with [on occasion we have off days like anyone], I love the work we produce, I love most all of what I do. Some people will [and have said] that the work we do is small, that it's the bastard stepchild of what really happens in our industry but it doesn't matter to me. I still like our little brochures. I like paper if you didn't know.

Our biggest account is up for review as I've mentioned. Our presentation is on Thursday and Friday. If you might, put a little thought out into the world for me/us sending design mojo and good luck our way. We have some lovely work, I'm really excited for our clients to see it. I think they will agree. But if you could, still.... think that little thought, I would be so appreciative.

-r

something cute to distract me

happy, fuzzy, cute. I thought Doris would be a good antidote for my evil below

I have Turrets and other ways I'm paving my way to hell

I think I might be losing it. This was me this morning. I went to work without brushing my hair. It looked fine in a pony tail, it's just weird to think I didn't brush my hair.



Do you ever have those days where you think, oh jeez I totally did it today? There's no going back after this.



I traveled 100 miles between the hours of about 11:00 and about 2:30 today. I hit every corner of Los Angeles that there is because I couldn't read a straight line on my mapquest print out. I got myself lost, oh, maybe 3 times before I got to my destination. It's difficult to read and drive I might say in my defense but I was so pissed at myself. I finally get to the place I'm to be and it's in a dirty, skeezy basement, of a dirty, skeezy office building. After they had told me in broken English that yes, they were in fact a storefront. I might mention the lovely security guard who after waiting patiently for 2 minutes in front of her, I had to interrupt her very important text messaging that was occurring. Lets say that she and I were equally annoyed.

Did I also mention that I'm there to pick up the only roll of very special paper in all of Los Angeles? And also, that it happens to be for the pitch to save our jobs that happens on Thursday? Um...yah, it might be important to know this fact before I tell you what happened next.



skeezy basement. Me, totally annoyed and disgusted, irritated from getting lost, and hungry I might add.
girl: yes?
me: I have an order of paper I'm to pick up, I called a little bit ago they said they were going to put it on hold.
girl: I don't know about paper.
me: already annoyed, well, I just called an hour ago.
girl: do you know who it was?
me: a guy
girl: Asking the 3 men in the room. All look at me completely retarded.... no, we not know of paper on hold.
and this is where I lost it
me: Listen, SOMEBODY FU*CKING ANSWERED YOUR PHONE THIS MORNING AND TOLD ME YOU HAVE THIS ROLL OF PAPER. The guy gave me your ADDRESS. I am not making this shit up!
them: talk amongst themselves I'm sure saying this woman is a f*ing bitch don't help her. I continue to wait more while they all continue to take calls and not help me - growning more and more irritated.
me: can someone, ANYONE look for this code number? Finally a woman in the corner asks me for it but we're having a hard time communicating she looks at the number I have written down and goes off. 2 min, 5 min, 8 min...I'm out of my mind.

me: thinking... OMG they don't have it. This piece of shit totally lied to me I'm going to freak out right now.
girl: one roll.
me: yes, [relieved] the one roll. He said you only had one? hoping for two.
girl: one roll. [ok, obviously we're not communicating here]
girl: this is price. She points to her paper
me: the guy on the phone said this though I point to my book
girl: you paying cash or credit card?
me: credit card
girl: we charge 3% on credit card
me: boiling mad...you know that's illegal right? Me throwing up my hands...You know what... whatever just charge the f*ing thing.
I'm a total scene at this point
girl: she says something to the guy ahead of her [probably like this woman is such a whore, you totally owe me lunch]

but you know what? she came back without the 3% on the bill and I got my paper.

I was much better once I crammed in a burrito in at 3pm. Isn't it amazing how food can change your outlook and add in some regret? I was so horrible today. I think I have Turrets. I think something is wrong with me.

I hope it's just stress. I don't like this side of me it's not very Richie-Like at all. I miss the old me. The nice, sweet me.

images by the funny Flickr person Dadadreams

I am eating Haagen Dazs right now...

and reading about Tracy Anderson, the super trainer to Madonna and Gwyneth. Her method involves using little muscles to make bodies "teeny-tiny". I like it, I like the idea of being teeny tiny don't you? I can't say I've ever been teeny-tiny. Well there was that one time...with my back surgery, I was unconscious for nearly 2 weeks and didn't eat solid food. I was teeny-tiny then, but alas I couldn't walk. Hey, minor details right? at least I looked fabulous in that body cast.

According to Tracy, "Madonna will never run again, the 50's year old's muscles want to become enormous" and that "All I care about is how good Madonna's butt looks in her fishnets". I. Love. This. Woman.

You can read the full article here

and now I'm ordering her dvd...as I gulp down another spoonful of HD before it's exiled.

Smell My Finger

No Really...smell it.
Revlon is coming out with new scented nail polish a la Mr. Sketch Markers.

You can read all about it here

via fashionista

Quick like a bunny

I'm still in production chaos but I can't wait to see this movie



I love beauty. Is not my fault -Valentino

opens in LA April 3rd, it has opened in NY already as the most successful documentary - sold out shows
click here to see if you're city is included

I think Pug owners should take their doggies with them to see it as a nod to his entourage of pugs ;)

Buried be back soon

wish I could say I was buried at the beach like my nephew here a couple summers ago, but alas I'm buried with a kamakazi invite job. A last minute bride, everything due in two weeks. I'm so behind already.

The Rodarte Project

Do you remember this image?





So....here's my big project I've been working on for the past three months. I wish I was more excited about it at this moment but I've had a rough day and on top of it I'm bummed that I haven't got an email from them telling me they can't live without me [making they're next invite that is] Of course, I'm also expecting people with jet lag from Paris to be making me a top priority over returning phone calls and emails so maybe in a couple of weeks I'll hear from them.



I decided back in November that I wanted to make a faux-invite, to get the girls, that are the designers of Rodarte, attention [Laura and Kate Mulleavy if you're interested]. I decided the best way to do that was this faux invite based on the information from September's show and a shoe that was part of their collection. Once I began the project though I decided that in addition to the invite, I would use the image to make them a set of stationery. I figured an old invite is the equivalent to fridge art and at some point is only so interesting or functional.



Thinking about this project overall, I must have been out of my mind. I've spent so much time and money developing something for a company that doesn't know I exist. I'm not sure why or what possessed me to do it really, but each time I thought about how crazy it was to be doing it, I felt like it was crazier not to see if it would work. All I have to lose is the money and time, but I could gain a great story, an interesting client and fulfill a dream to be a part of a fashion show [even if it was only on paper]. Today in my downtrodden Monday, I feel like a total chump. I really hope I'm wrong.



Anyway, I guess they're kinda cool. I mean I've been staring at them for so long now they kinda look like poo but that's just me. The printing didn't turn out quiet as I had imagined it [metallic inks are a giant buzz kill should you be interested] and I ran out of $ to try a reversed image of the plate.




So there you have it. If you happen to know of anyone that works at their offices here in LA. tell em to look for the gift I left them. It's buried under the important bills and stuff they're weeding through.

MAKE SURE TO CLICK ON THE IMAGES, THE LITTLE PICTURES DON'T SHOW A WHOLE LOT - I LEFT THEM LARGE SO YOU COULD SEE THE DETAIL.

I have to thank again David Guettler for photographing it quickly before I schlepped it down to an office with no one in it.

I totally want one of these

Do you wax? Do you know about threading? [it's the ancient version of waxing] previously, I would have to travel to a section in town called Little India to get this technique done - schleping that takes some time. This little gizmo duplicates the intricate schematic with the threads they use. You should click here and watch the video of the woman doing the traditional treatment.

$150 includes the chalk and numbing cream as well

maybe I can fire my waxer? and I like her so much too.

Buy Handmade

I haven't mentioned it, but you may have noticed that I finally got my Etsy store up. It's been a new button on the left. My stuff might not be your thing but I wanted to encourage you to buy handmade regardless. Have a great weekend.

See it all here: Richie Design Etsy

kate spade stripes

I'm not so sure how the horizontal stripes would work out in real life but on these women who weigh 100 lbs they're awesome.
big 25% off sale too.


hag point mona coat


plaza esti skirt with bow



easton stripe jillian dress I might need to have the blue back drop to come with the dress on this one, follow me around each time I wore it.

My next Halloween costume

This is so awesome I can barely stand it.


photo credit> I don't know who you are, please email me and I'll credit you!

I didn't wear the right kind of jeans

I've been pondering the age twelve through fifteen a lot lately. It started with the poster I did posted to the left [new in the studio] for the birthday girl. I began thinking about what I was doing at twelve. Twelve was the year that changed me forever I would say. My mom remarried and we moved from Northern California to Southern California in the middle of sixth grade.



The second thing that made me think about this time was I was "friended" on a networking site by someone who at first I didn't recognize. You know those sites, people friend you, they're linked to other people you know [this one was all highschool people I knew and loved] but I couldn't place her but I added her anyway. This has happened to me before and I generally dismiss them. But this one stuck... the name... how do I know her? I racked my brain for days trying to place her in my life via school. A week later she posted old photos of herself.



Instantly I knew who she was, this wonderful girl from sixth grade, someone who I hadn't thought of in a very, very long time. But it all came flooding back when I clicked over to her page.

The year that we moved, it was the middle of the school year and I entered my class not knowing a soul and in my own time warp. See I was still playing with dolls, I liked boys but wasn't prepared to do anything about it I wore clothes from Mervyn's and I got straight A's and I. didn't. wear. the. right. kind. of. jeans.



I entered this school and girls were talking about smoking pot, designer jeans, second base, string bikinis and all of the trouble that goes along with said list. I was lost from the very beginning and to be honest, I never really caught up.

The mean girls in class instantly took a dislike to me. They formed a "club" against me. At recess, they met behind the back stop and plotted things to do to me. Like sending the cutest boy in class to follow me home and "ask me to go around" which I really didn't know much about. My reply? "but I don't even know you" I was suppose to be the class joke the next day had I said yes. I survived that test. Generally, the torture was making fun of what I was wearing, or not wearing in my case. I felt like a leaper.

But this woman who just friended me? she was one of the only girls in class who would talk to me. I invited her to chucky cheese that year on my birthday because she was my only friend I could invite. So I sent a "wall" note to my new "friend" OMG it's YOU and I thanked her for being my friend when no one else would.



She said "wow I remember that now...I can't believe you remember it"

but see...when it's happening to you, you don't forget. The mean girl ring-leader...she was on the nice girl's friend list when I clicked over. It all came flooding back.

With all the therapy, all the good things that I have now...I still can't forgive that woman. I'm sure she's different now - maybe she's even a nice. But that mean girl...continued the torture of me through 7,8, and 9th grade until I nearly ended up in a fist fight with her in the hall one day. We have never spoke since even at the 20 year reunion.

If I was a Freudian, I think I would say that my obsession with fashion and beauty is linked to this wouldn't you say? I guess you never forget [and in my case forgive] that stuff but it has shaped me to who I am which is a kinder person [and stylish].

And the mean girl? I know I should be a bigger person than this but...
She's an average blonde from the OC with sun damage, a fake rack and a low cut top like the rest of the "housewives".

and I don't feel one ounce of bad for saying that



great poster via Chocosaur / Flickr
chucky cheese feet pretty n punk

Hello pt 2

So this project that I told you I could tell you about finally? No such luck. It has a funny story behind it though.



I sent my package via messenger on Friday to my client, who by the way... doesn't know they're my client [this project was completely on spec/ they have no idea that I've been working on it]. These folks work in fashion [I know you're surprised by this right?] and I thought they would be back and working after the NY shows that happened the second week of Feb.

I get a messenger call at lunch: no one is here to deliver the package, but the security person says he can sign for it do you want me to leave it? uh, yes...uh ok.



Fast forward 2 hours and this is what I'm thinking about:
This stationery project that has taken me three months to complete? I just know the security guy has his soda sitting on top of it, he's thrown it in a closet or worse. I can't stop thinking about it. I want to cry. So at 5pm in Los Angeles traffic I drive like a bullet to downtown LA.

The security guy is there, he has no idea what package I'm talking about. OMG OMG OMG. Did you work this afternoon about 1pm? No? Ok... can you check to see if it is behind the desk? Nowhere to be found, not in a closet. OK was it sent upstairs? He calls upstairs, no answer. He calls a second number and in his broken english begins to say that "there is woman here, she says she here to pick up a package, but I no see anything."

NO, NO, NO....I say... I dropped a package off for them. Ask them if they already received it. He tries to tell her this and then just hands me the phone.

Me: Calming my voice down "I'm so sorry to bother you. I just wanted to check on a package that was messengered over did you receive it?
Her: sweetest voice ever..."oh well, actually we're not there right now, we're in Paris we won't be back till next week"
Me: "oh, of course" I THINK TO MYSELF HELLO??? PARIS SHOWS YOU DUMB ASS
Her: still the sweetest voice EVER..." The management holds on to everything for us though in the main office - so it should be fine.
Me: "yes, wonderful" as I stare at a roll of fabric shipped late in the afternoon sitting behind the desk set to go up to that main office - of course, why would I expect that they didn't have a secure holding area for them?
Her: "Would you like us to call you when we get back to let you know we've received it?"
Me: "Oh, um...well... it's a gift, so it would be lovely if you did, but if you don't I totally understand"
Her: Seriously sweet I mean what time is it in Paris right now? "Ok, great is your contact information in it?"
Me: "Yes"
Her: Wonderful, ok then.
Me: Thank you so much.

And that is the story of why you won't be seeing it just yet. Girlfriends have to get back from Paris because had I been THINKING...I would have known this.

More Fall 09 via Paris

Lanvin I always wish I could wear this sort of color. Maybe it's the bold lip that makes it work. I always feel like I'm ready for a body bag.

Lanvin - Just really pretty silhouettes.



Christian Dior finally, someone thinking about the history of fashion. Flapper girl revamped - sign me up.

i die

Would you say it's strange to weep over a dress? I want to be buried in this, or married, which ever comes first. [maybe not in black for the latter]

Olivier Theyskens last show for Nina Ricci
from Style.com, Hot off the Paris runway from yesterdays show

Hello

I've been up to something for the past three months...I'll give you the full skinny next week but here is a little teaser.

photo by the talented : David Guettler Photography

Is it just me or do these people freak you out?

18 and Counting...do you watch this ever? I have switched it off a number of times because it's just so incredibly freaky to me to have 18 kids but It's like a train wreck I can't look away from. I suppose it could be said that there is a lot to be learned by this family and watching them, their structure, their morals. But I can't get past some things, lets discuss:

Dad's name is Jim-Bob. Not Jim or Bob but Jim-Bob it seems like it's just inviting your teeth to fall out don't you think?

All of the kids names start with the letter J. My mom's family all has their names starting with L, so it's not that odd to me but 18 of them? That's just a lot of pressure to get through the J section. That last kid, man... bottom of the barrel.

Let's talk hair. Mom has the longest mullet I've ever seen : The girls all have matching hair. Not sure if there is a religious thing behind this but I think the Discovery Channel Producers should host an episode donating all their hair to Locks of Love. [if it won't send them to hell of course]

The girls all wear skirts to their ankles, even when "learning to change oil in the car" I know it's a religious thing but still, I wanted to make note of this.

The eldest just got married [21] to another home-schooled girl [20] that I think he had met 3 times or something. Their promise to each other? not to save sex for marriage but even their first kiss until they were pronounced man and wife. Good lord...can you imagine unleashing all of that on one night? I watched that episode, the wedding episode. Dad gave son a pep talk and a video to watch. I was disturbed. Hey, hats off to them, I guess? I hope if I ever have son or daughter that they test the machinery out first.

In case you would like to know more The Duggars have their own website, and it's optimized. They show up number one, even over the Discovery show title on my google search. hummm interesting. This is not their first time at this rodeo kids.

But here's the thing...as odd as it all is? The kids are all exceptionally behaved, are all leading productive lives and all have independent goals they're working toward. More than a lot of families can say these days about their kids. Perhaps prairie skirts are the answer...I just couldn't do it.

If you close your eyes ....

doesn't this song make you feel like a warm summer day? windows down, hot air, hair blowing.

I don't know what the heck is going on with me and this vintage music lately. This just played on my favorite morning radio show and I lost my sh*t over it.

swoon.

The clock ticks down...

Since hitting 30 I've been doing something extravagant for my birthday each year. A couple of years it involved building pieces of jewelry for myself, sometimes a trip to New York, a personal trainer for a few weeks, one year I couldn't think of anything so I bought someone else a present who wanted it more.

This year I was suppose to go to Paris. The city I have romantic fantasies about. Not as in, being romantic with someone else, though that would be nice, but rather the city itself for being glamourous ect. It doesn't seem to be the right time though with the whole "I may or may not be out of a job rather soon" factor.



Last week I decided after discussing it with a few girlfriends that I'll be having a party for myself. I don't throw parties for myself if I have never mentioned. Call it party fear, call it self confidence issues I'm not sure but it just seems really self indulgent to me [I am happy to attend other's parties though which is the odd part] I've had friends attempt at throwing them for me [one a sad surprise party] and without going into details I'll just say that they were disasterous. I think it comes down to that my friends are scattered and diverse and that no one really has the list of folks to contact.

I might add the tale of the worse party had to be the one that a couple, who were having marriage problems, insisted on hosting my event at their home and the day of, the husband essentially broke the news that he wanted out. Oddly, they wanted to carry on with it though my friend couldn't stop crying. I put my foot down at that point, I called it off, phoned as many as I could and posted a note on their door saying it was cancelled.



This may explain some of my hesitation with birthday parties. I'm gonna give it one last try though on my own turf, of my own design, of my own attendant list so if this one is a giant failure then I'll just know that B-day events are not for me. Of course I'll be traumatized for the next ten years but who's counting.

So it's March which sounds like I have a lot of time [May is the event] but I don't if you think about it. Because it's me, and I have to letterpress an invite and I have to find someone to do food, and I have to replant the rooftop, and I have to loose 10 lbs or a size whichever comes first, I have to spruce up the house.... Kids, I've only got 10-12 weeks. This is not good.

So I'm off to torture myself with obsessions. Mostly, about the tire that seems to have landed around my midsection the past 3 weeks. It may require professional help [pilates] wish me luck in my endeavor.

Motel 40 > Lounge Listener
Ruta 40 via > Leo Regnier

BTW: This is my 601 posting. Which just seems like a whole lot to me.