My Dreams of Bohemian Country Life Were A Bit Off

I had romantic notions that life near a forest would look like this:

But since moving to the South I have been apart of such activities and they actually look like this:

P.S. This is the county photo

And this photo is for the city-folk who might get upset when they saw a children so close to him:

(I really did re-take it for that reason.)

Anyway, comfy, not form fitting clothes that allow for maximum movement with nothing on your heads is actually how you do proper archery.  You'd think that a hat would be a useful item that everyone wears.  But unless it's a baseball hat, you will be teased.  I was shocked at all the comments from my new family-in-law when I wore this hat.

Totally pragmatic, right?

It was a hot and sunny day!

They reacted as if I was wearing this:

Yeah, I wish.

Anyway, so lesson learned.

What you see in magazines about country life does not translate to real life.  In Mississippi.  And you'd think this would be obvious but life in LA or NY really does look like editorials. 

But I haven't given up completely.  There are plenty of other rural photos I can try and recreate.  

Like basically everything from Vogue's 2008 Fashion Rocks issue staring Dhani Harrison and Sasha Pivovarova.

I'm almost positive my Mississippi Husband would wear a flower crown while playing chess in the woods.  Just as long we weren't in his father's camp (if you're Southern or a hunter you might know what this means).

As I Continue to Dream About Beachwear...

Remember when I was dreaming of wearing Vintage-Inspired Maillots for my everyday clothes?


You should it was only a few days ago.


Well, I want to take that one step further -- and wear hats that match my swimwear.

APC first gave me the idea last summer with this:

I have become quite obsessed with this actually because I bought this two-piece but passed on the hat.  It seemed like a silly extravagance and a bit much.  I must have been in a bad place at the time because normally 'silly' and 'too much' describe most of my ensembles.  The hat has since sold out and I've turned into a bit of a maniac every few weeks checking to see if someone is selling it online.  Such a sad story.  I'm weeping as I recount it.


Moving on. . . 

I did buy a sewing pattern 

for a bathing suit and hat -- maybe I can find a madras plaid in a similar enough color to Look like it matches?


I know, I know, call me Ahab.  I need to stop before I drown in my own obsessive manner.


In the meantime I will just soothe myself with images of suits and matching hats:

Plus maybe this visualization will help the plaid sun hat find its way into my life.  

The Dreamiest Wee Lass

My goddaughter lives in Wales 

and her birthday is fast approaching. 

All I want to do is play in a field with her.

In a dress.

And an oversized hat.

Dreaming of a Street Life

My favorite thing to do in NY (other than wear a hat) 

is to walk around and take photos.

 People in NY are so clever it warms my heart.

I want this ad to be my Christmas wrapping paper.

A little kid was fascinated by all these pigeons 

but I was just angered.

This guy had such a nasty look on his face, 

yet he was inviting me to lunch. 

Oh, those French.

It looks like this car lost a fight with the streets of NY.

Pop-up stores are the Christmas bonus the city gives you for surviving another year there.

This bunny just looked like he was having the best time ever.

I made a special trip out of my way (6 blocks) to take this photo during the day after I drove past it at night.  

Basically I'll do anything for Bryan Ferry.

What I Wore . . .

I had a Perfect Day once.

And I wore my favorite Target hat

that I ruined in the jungles of Panama.

If you ever find yourself in Los Angeles and would like to recreate this perfect day, I'll write the instructions below:

12:oo PM: An Estate Sale in the flatlands of Beverly Hills.

I love touring inside historic homes. Estate sales let you see how people really lived, everything is frozen -- it's like touring Pompeii without the ash and pornographic graffiti.

Plus they usually have amazing antique finds, like this gem:

1:oo PM: Lunch at Lemonade in West Hollywood.

Which you might remember is one of my Dream Lunch recommendations.

And did I mention I wore my Gigantic plastic sun glasses that don't match anything and at the same time go with everything? (At least that's what I tell myself when I wear them.)

2:3o PM: Amoeba Music to buy two CDs (Interpol and Spoon)

3:15 PM: Space 15 Twenty to peruse the books at Hennessey + Ingalls and look at an art exhibit.

4:oo PM: Barnsdall Art Park in Hollywood to take photos . . .

. . .and look at the views.

I also wore my subtle 3-inch, brown wedges which would guarantee 8-plus hours of comfortable use.

And my white Panasonic Lumix LX5 which is also guaranteed for 8-plus hours of use.

5:45 PM: Drive past Frank Lloyd Wright's Ennis House.

Just drive past as it's not open for tours at the moment. But it'll be nice just driving up the winding streets in the hills of Los Feliz and seeing glimpses of old homes.

6:15 PM: Attempt to visit Griffith Observatory but decide to just drive past due to parking limitations, approaching hunger and laziness.

6:30 PM: Eat a hearty, delicious vegetarian dinner at Trails, sitting on a picnic bench under a canopy of trees. I recommend everything.

The End.

So what triggered this walk down memory lane?

My September issue of Martha Stewart Living arrived yesterday, the day before the December issue (?) and in it was a lovely Article on Hollyhock House in Barnsdall Park.

I never actually toured The House because it was closed by the time we got there. But that just leaves one more historic Los Angeles home I get to tour one day.

Little Dream House on the Prairie

I want to live here,

surrounded by these,

wearing this.

Collection of my Dreams

I've been thinking of Frida and Diego a lot recently.

I hate to be so predictable but,

when I saw this photo (at Casa Azul) I teared up:

Contrary to popular belief or what I write on this blog, I don't normally cry at photos but this one really had a hold on me. You could see how tightly they were holding each other - like if they let go one would disappear (most likely Diego).

You know Frida would dress up in traditional Mexican costumes for Diego? I feel like she would have done anything to engross him, using her feminine and artistic wiles to keep his attention focused on her. It worked but only for a while.

I don't have a Diego Rivera but I do appreciate wearing traditional clothing of Spanish and Mexican decent. I wear my peineta,

my shawls

and Lucha Libre masks to honor the women of my family and also because they're pretty.

I cannot wait to see Moschino's collection next spring. It has all the trappings of a perfect Spanish wardrobe - whether I want to be muy masculino o muy feminina. Plus all the accessories for head and hair are making me weak in the knees.

This would be the perfect way to pay tribute to the matriarchs of my family and maybe Frida as well.