The High Line!

Today, my brilliant in all ways friend, Leila, took me to The High Line. It was stunning, and it is the perfect example of taking something that is out of use (an old delivery train line in the meat packing district), and re-purposing it. The space hosts a landscape that is indigenous and lush, public art, lovely views, and space for New Yorkers to convene.

While we were walking I got accosted by a fellow blogger who has a video component to his blog. He asked me what I thought about tax cuts and social security. I felt put on the spot, and his questions were a bit leading. I don't think I gave him the answer he wanted...

Once again it is 1:14 a.m. and HaHa just went to bed. I have to get up early again. so I am going to head to bed and keep this post short and sweet! I guess Bittersweet Melancholy will have to wait again!

Leila also took me through the West Village, where she showed me some choice buildings, and to the currently-being-renovated Washington Square Park. The weather was perfect summer weather, by the way. HaHa played in the fountain, and we headed downtown afterward to meet up with the lovely Beckman-Shapiro clan! We spent an absolutely wonderful day there, which turned into a lovely night where we all sang together as the kids (teenagers) played piano to accompany us. I love those Beckman kids! They are a talented bunch! The parents aren't too shabby neither!

Outfit:

The shirt I'm wearing today is the same shirt I wore yesterday, only I'm wearing it backwards! I really recommend that you play with your clothes people. You might be surprised by what you come up with!

Shirt: French Connection.

Skirt: Marshall's circa 1988.

Shoes: Fit Flops.

HaHa in Battery Park. She loves her some water!!!

Rain and Fit Flops!

I am trying desperately to get to bed before 1:00 a.m. today because I am meeting a friend in the morning. HaHa just went to bed at 12:40, so I have 20 minutes to get this thing did! So here goes! We woke up late because we went to bed in the wee hours of the morning. We went out to fetch some milk, then we came home to take photos, and went back out to Cental Park.

Now, when I left California I said I was bringing the cool weather with me. I guess I did, because it rained today, and it was cool enough to need a sweater! The evening turned into one of those incredible New York nights where your heart melts. My very dear friend Leila and I walked from Columbus Circle and passed The Dakota, The San Remo, and crossed through the park. We also  saw The Met and countless other architectural treasures! I do love this city... I really do.

I guess I will have to do part two of "Bittersweet Melancholy" tomorrow. Today, despite the gloomy weather, was just sweet! By the way, when I was in Central Park I passed a woman who was sobbing hysterically because she had lost her 8 year old boy. She had called the cops, but they were taking too long. She had a baby in a stroller with her, so she couldn't get around quickly, and she didn't want to leave so that she would miss the cops. She and her sons were visiting, so they didn't know the park well. About 25 people surrounded her and asked what the boy was wearing, what his name was, and we were all about to set out to look for him. As we were starting the search, a man came around the corner and said "We found him!" A scene ensued, and it filled me once again with the belief that most people are kind. Most people are willing to help out a stranger, and when we want to, we can help each other regardless of our varying backgrounds.

Outfit:

Shirt: Hand me down from cousin. Again. French Connection.

Pants: Salvation Army. Mossimo.

Sweater: Clothing swap. Express.

Shoes: Fit Flops (on account of the rain).

Throwin' In The Towel!

The last couple of times I've come to New York, I've had the same feeling: Bittersweet melancholy. And I don't mean melancholy as in "depressed", but rather melancholy as in "soberly thoughtful and pensive". Two of the people I was going to see had to cancel, so I decided it would be nice to go to Brooklyn to see my old stomping grounds. I don't know if nice is the right word. More like thought provoking...

Now, I had gone to bed at 4 a.m., so naturally, I rose at noon. It took awhile for me to get out of the house, and as I was walking to the train, it dawned on me that my top priority should be getting HaHa to some place with water. That was in the plan yesterday, but she feel asleep in the stroller before it could happen. I knew that Prospect Park would have water, and it was just blocks away from my old apartment, so it was perfect.

I got off at Union Street and headed to the park. Along the way I passed familiar and unfamiliar things and I was both happy and sad when I saw my ex-boyfriend's schizophrenic brother on a stoop. He looked the same, and he behaved the same, and this was all at once comforting and upsetting. Nearly ten years had passed since I'd left, and here he still was, smoking cigarettes on a stoop, and asking for food. At the same time, he helps neighbors out and everyone knows him, and he is a sweet guy. He let me and HaHa in the house to see "Grandma". It was extremely emotional and sweet. She is 97, and she is amazing! I am in awe of her generous spirit and sharp mind. She said that she feels well except for her knee, which started to bother her after my ex's dog, which she helped take care of, died. She makes 97 look very appealing, and I hope that I can age like her. She even cooks for the family still. Amazing! She had made escarole and beans and squash for dinner. She's Italian to the core!

Lest I write a small novel here, I will have to save part two of my bittersweet melancholy story for tomorrow. HaHa just put herself to sleep at 1:00 a.m. Heaven help me! The girl appears to be a night owl like her parents! Tonight, I will do everything I can to be in bed by 2:15 a.m.!

Outfit:

Shirt: Hand me down from cousin. Torrid.

Skirt: Thrift store. This skirt is definitely old, and I love it so! The color can't be beat!

Shoes: zoe & zac. I only brought these and my fit flops.

On Union street we passed this stroller which must have been a memorial to a child who died. A reminder to appreciate all my blessings.

HaHa enjoyed playing with other children for the first time in days. She really made a lot of friends. Young and old. She waled around the park saying "Hi!" to everyone. She's been doing that on the Subway too!

Palpable!

Well, it's two a.m. over here in the NYC, and guess who's boppin' all over Josh and Brady's apartment like a cray-cray bay-bay? Yeah, you guessed it. The number-one-stay-up-late-California-baby-girl: HaHa! I mean, in her defense, it's only 11:00 p.m in California. Why would any baby go to sleep so early?  Clearly, these other babies don't know what HaHa knows: All the fun stuff happens after bedtime!

HaHa and I had a lovely New York day. We walked around, got on the subway, and happened upon the Irish Hunger Memorial. I had never seen it before, nor heard of it, but all of sudden as I was walking to my friend's apartment, it appeared. Lush and green, and almost otherworldly. Apparently it is modeled after an Irish landscape and I thought it lovely. At first, I thought it was a monument to slavery, or the first nation, because it had some quotes that speak to those experiences. However, a flyer at the entrance set me straight...

Stumbling upon this installation perfectly exemplifies all that I love about New York.  There is always something to be discovered, and you will often be surprised. Another thing I love about New York is the close contact with all types of humans.

As I was waiting for the subway I saw a well-dressed woman crying as her mate was trying to console her. Three seconds later an apparent homeless person walked by cursing and asking for help. The humanity is palpable. Very, very, palpable. And with that, I shall head to bed!

Outfit:

Very early on in this project I wore this skirt with a black shirt. But it was NOT the black shirt I'm wearing today, so HA! Take that, wardrobe police!

Shirt: Gift from proprietors of The New York International Children's Film Festival. I used to be their nanny! They show some fine films and they make some fine shirts!!! 

Skirt: I got this the summer before I started 10th grade in Dallas, Texas! That was over 20 years ago! This skirt is perfect for travel because it doesn't wrinkle! I got it at Marshall's.

Shoes: zoe & zac.


A few pictures from the memorial.

Okay, its three a.m. I thought that being in New York would make me post early! HaHa finally put herself to sleep, and I'm about to do the same!

Jettin' Out!

Okay. By the time you read this I will be in New York! I will have hopefully had a smooth flight with my little HaHa bear, and will have made it uptown, to the Bronx, where I will be staying for the last time, at Josh and Brady's. It's like the end of an era. I can't believe it.

I haven't been to New York in two years. That is the longest I've gone without visiting since I moved back to L.A. in March, 2001. The last time I was here I was pregnant with HaHa. The first year after I moved I went back at least three times. The next few years I went back a couple of times. The more children I add to my brood, the less I manage to go. It just seems like so much work. One of the reasons I moved from New York is because I did NOT want to have a family there. It just seemed like so much work...

Now, of course, I realize that it's "so much work" to have children anywhere. However, at least here, in my hometown Cali, I don't have to put a snowsuit on the kids while I'm doing the work! Peace out Cali! Hello Big Apple!!!!

Outfit:

Shirt: Forever 21. Pregnancy top turned cozy tee...

Sweater: Clothing swap. Express. I hate being cold on planes.

Skirt: Goodwill. This skirt just got dry cleaned, but I found several stains on it. It may be going to the clothing graveyard after this trip!

Belt: This is from a handed down Ella Moss dress.

Shoes: FitFlops. I need easy on and off access for security!

Here is a picture of my clothes for the week. I packed 8 items! And one extra pair of shoes. That's 8 items for six days! Plus the clothes on my back. And unders, of course. I sure hope it works out! If I get stains on my bottoms, or something rips, it could be the end of my project... Or god forbid if my suitcase gets lost!

Inception!

Richard and I just got back from the movies. This is a rare occurrence for us, and it was fun to sit next to Richard and watch him get excited as Cristopher Nolan's crazy plot unfolded. If you could call it a plot. More like a labyrinth, I think. It actually made my mind hurt at points, but it was entertaining.

We rushed right back home because I have to finish packing for my journey to New York. I have to leave at  6 a.m., and I still have things to gather. Even though we got home at 10 something the boys were awake. I guess this is good because I got to give them extra hugs and kisses, and say a proper good-bye.

On account of all this, I'm keeping this post short. I am also about to write tomorrow's post because I will be in transit and don't want to miss a post if I can't find internet, and what not. I will also be working with no tripod, a broken camera, and sweltering hot temperatures. It should be awesome! Stay tuned!


Outfit:

I forced the kids out of the house to go meet the honorable and talented proprietress of I Heart Guts.
She was kind enough to bring me some gutsy stuff fro my New York peeps! We met at Griffith Park and we had a lovely time!

Shirt: In honor of I Heart Guts, I wore a tee!

Sweater: This was a hand me down from a friend. When I left the house this morning I actually had two sweaters, but as soon as I got to the park I took one off.

Jeans: Hand me down from cousin! Gap.

Shoes: Predictions.

Las Fuentes!

Today we had a mini-family reunion lunch at the yummy Las Fuentes in Reseda. I say mini-reunion because it was only two small branches of our very large family tree that got together. My mom is in town so we were going to have a BIG pow-wow/ get together. However, my very ambitious and generous aunt had surgery, so I thought that maybe we should save the big party for another time when she is up for a long day of festivities! Hopefully, soon!

At any rate, the food and the family was great, and it reminded me that I need to get up off my butt and make more time for family members that I don't see enough! I have such a funny and sweet family. They really are amazing.

On another note, It is my dad's and my aunt's birthday today!!! They are 59!!! Whoo-hoo!!! They are not twins. It's my mom's sister... Rock it lovely Lions! Happy Birthday to you!!!!!! Love to you both! And many more!!!

By the way, as I type this at 10:53 p.m., HaHa is jumping all over my mom on the futon and refusing to go to sleep. This little girl is sweet as the day is long, but she is cray-cray!

Outfit:

Grey shirt: Forever 21.

Skirt: Thrift store. This is a dress that the spaghetti straps broke off of, so I wear it as a skirt. I got it a long time ago, and I don't wear it that often. Maybe because it's white?

Shoes: Predictions. They are starting to crack. This will be the third pair of shoes to die this year. They are old. What can I say?

Rusty looking angry about the plant I moved outside!

218 Down, 147 to Go!

Okay... so every once and a while I have to remind myself of what I set out to do with this project, and that is: A - Not shop or collect more clothes, and B - Get out of my clothing rut.  When I say "not shop", it is not that I did not want to spend money, but rather, I wanted to limit my consumption of new (and used) materials, and challenge myself to use what is already in my possession. I also wanted to get out of my fashion rut, i.e.: jeans and shirt uniform.

So how have I done so far? Well, I have definitely worn hundreds of outfits that I have never worn before, and that, to me, is pretty cool. The introduction of the "no repeat" rule was enough to widen my wardrobe horizon, and make me get creative with my clothes. I promise you, if you want to feel like you have a new wardrobe, just vow to wear something different every day! It really works. You will see your old clothes with new eyes, and you will be surprised.

I have four months to go, so you will probably start recognizing more things as I wear them over and over... and over. I have recently started having major "Outfit DejaVu". I get out of the house and on my way to wherever I'm going, and I think "Oh no! I wore this already!" Blog death by default. However, every time that happens, when I get home and check my computer, I'm safe. My blog is still alive.

Outfit:

Lace shirt (under): Thrift store. Half of a dress that I cut on a whim.

Polka-dot skirt: My mom gave this to me at least 15 years ago. Express.

Denim dress: Goodwill. This was an eighties wonder that I de-constructed. It had big puffy sleeves that I tore off, and an extra tier that I took off.  Seen in: Attack of the Silverfish!


Shoes: Predictions.

The Groundlings!

I'm leaving to go to The Groundlings in mere moments to see a friend perform. The performance begins at 10 and tomorrow is the final day of summer school! I am a little worried that I will look bedraggled and busted in the morning, but I probably won't be seeing most of these parents ever again. So who cares if I look like yesterday's bread?

I guess the upside of aging is that you care less about how other people see you. At least I do. I feel sad that I wasted my youth feeling ugly and hating the way I looked. Now, I've accepted my flaws and imperfections, and I think I'm alright... But I'm old!...

Ah, the ironies of life!

Outfit:

Shirt: Hand me down from cousin. Forever 21.

Skirt: Thrift store. This used to be a dress and I cut it for some reason. Silly me!!!

Shoes: Predictions!

Again!

Once again I find myself in the ridiculous situation of starting my post way too late, for not a very great reason. Or at least, not a very satisfying one. Because I was spending too much time drafting an e-mail for work, I arrived on Blogger at 11:23 p.m. Oy!

It's a mess! I really need to get some shut-eye!

I guess I can write a super-short post reminiscent of my first days on blogger. At least as far as writing about the outfits is concerned...

Actually, I just checked my early posts, and I have only one that is "super- short". I simply can't avoid blabbing on about whatever topic happens to come to my mind on any particular day!

Outfit:

Print shirt/dress: This was a gift from a very sweet friend I am going to see in NYC next week!!! This outfit is very close to an outfit I've worn already, but I added the sweater vest to avoid repeat action!!!

Blue sweater: Bought around the corner from said friend's old pad. I don't remember the store, but it had really cool and unusual knit-wear. It's at least 12 years old! 

Jeans: Hand me down from friend. Express.

Shoes:Predictions

Downtown!

Today I took a little impromptu trip Downtown with Tay-Tay and HaHa. Tay-Tay had to get her newly re-sized engagement ring fixed, and I offered to accompany her. After we dropped off her ring, we strolled the streets and ended up in Pershing Square, the Metro station, the historic Alexandria Hotel, and a strange little shopping area complete with electronic fish tanks and velveteen dogs!

It was very fun to explore the city and see the interesting folk that roam the Downtown streets. For those of you who are interested, the Alexandria hosts free movie screenings on Wednesday nights. On August 4th they will be showing (500) Days of Summer in the Mezzanine for free! Refreshments are complimentary, and downstairs is the intriguing restaurant The Gorbals. I'm not one for chicken-skin sandwiches and haggis burgers, but I'd love to try the bacon-covered matzoh balls! Mmmm... bacon!

Outfit:

Shirt: Getting ready for my trip next week! I got this on the street in NYC several years ago.

Black shirt/dress: Forever 21. I bought this for a wedding when I was preggers with Leo.

Skirt: Salvation Army. I got this skirt in high school. That means it is SUPER old!

Shoes: Predictions.   HaHa in front of a rad sign!

Some creepy dolls at the bazaar.

Cray-Cray!

Okay. Still having camera issues. Got to posting late because, when I put HaHa down for bed she climbed out of her crib, disrupted the boys, and chaos ensued...

In what world does a two year old jump out of her crib to keep her older brothers from getting much needed shut-eye? Oh, my world, of course! Another snap shot from my cray-cray day? Richard tells me that Char-char put a metal car in the microwave and started a little fire. Luckily, it was caught in mere moments, and our nearly 100 year old house did not burn down. Not to mention the neighbors' 100 year old houses. I explained to Charlie that these houses are old and made entirely of wood and would go up like match boxes if there was a fire. He had to stay in his room the entire day, and write a note explaining his actions. He didn't really have a good reason for why he put the car in the microwave (he was aware of the dangers), but he did write: "I take full resposobillity of putting the car in the microwave. i'm sorry."
I guess I'll have to accept his apology and move on.

Outfit:

Tank: Hand me down from friend. Forever 21.

Blue sweater: Clothing swap. Express.

Pants: Hand me down from cousin. Gap.

Shoes: Mossimo.  When I was walking down Ocean Blvd carrying HaHa in the car seat today, I tripped in a little crater and fell down! Platforms be damned!

Change is Change!

Seeing that the new format of my ten-year-old Hotmail account is driving me batty, I realize that I am a gal that cannot stand change. At least certain kings of change. And now that I've just written that sentence, I am trying to figure out how I can explain the kinds of change I abhor. Visual change, perhaps. No, that's not quite it...

I hate it when something that works perfectly fine is swapped for something new, even if that new thing is "better". I dislike it when someone renovates my nearly one hundred year old kitchen and replaces the fully functional and lovely cabinets and counters with modern ones. I hate hair cuts most of the time... In thinking about it, I can say that it isn't life change that gets me down, it's more like aesthetic change. Like my husband cutting off his dreadlocks a week after our second child was born. Or Charlie getting his first haircut in a barber shop. I nearly cried. Seeing his youthful mass of hair fall to the floor made me mournful. And nostalgic. Maybe that's it. Maybe I hate changes that lead to nostalgia. That kind of sums it up, but not exactly.
Today I am hating the cameras I am having to use since my usual one is having problems. All of my pictures came out unfocused, so I resorted to using the broken one... Not a high point in my blogging career. I guess it's fitting, because my outfit was no prize either. I actually thought we might be going out tonight, so my plan was to throw a skirt and belt into the mix. However, Richard told me to "save" that incarnation of the outfit, as we were staying home. Too much work this week!

Outfit:

Under Sweater: I got this in NYC years ago at this really cool store that had all knit wear.

Over sweater: Same as last two days! Hand me down, Alfani.

Leggings: I have no idea how these came into my possession, but I've had them forever. I would never wear them out in the world without more coverage.

No shoes today! Yay!

HaHa bear in Da-Da's arms. You can see the wacky shadows on the photo from the broken shutter on the camera.