service & devotion

Like everyone else in Gen X, I’m sort of inexplicably moved by the death of Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Computer, Pixar, inventor of the i-Life and responsible for two of my five year old’s heroes, Buzz and Woody.

Why?  Did I know him? No.  Did I like him? In sort of a far off, appreciative way I guess.  The guy was certainly iconic, in his glasses and turtleneck.  He seemed cool, in his glasses and turtleneck, living in Silicon Valley making things we all wanted to buy.

I remember feeling this way about the death of Princess Diana.  I admired her style, admired her charity work.  She seemed like a good mother and certainly resilient after all she’d been through.  And I was deeply moved by her untimely death.

I guess it comes down to this: If the rich and famous and charitable can’t avoid death, then what chance do the rest of us suckers have?

Boy, that’s a punch in the gut.

None.  The answer is none.  We’re all dying, whether we have bajillions of dollars and a lovely tiara and the adoration of millions or…. not.

And if you think that’s depressing, well, yes, and no.

Lots of people are quoting Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford commencement speech today and I’m going to join the throng.  Because it’s good stuff.  It’s wisdom that all of us should get to hear now and again, not just recent 22 year olds with freshly minted Stanford diplomas (lucky bastards).

Here’s the part I want to share today:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

Are you crying?  Laughing?  Feeling vaguely uncomfortable?

Steve Jobs followed his inner voice and changed the world.  Close your eyes and listen to yours.  What is it saying today?

In December/ January The Mister and I set out on a four week trip – we stopped in Paris for New Years & to see close friends, embarked upon India for another friend’s wedding and toured the a lot of the country and then stopped in Amsterdam on the way home. (This all occurred in my 6 month blogging hiatus so I will probably write more about this from time to time!)

We try to go to Paris once a year, and we love to sit in cafe’s and drink endless cups of espresso and lots and lots of fois gras- and of course I do lots of shopping. Probably because I follow fashion voraciously online – the high street shopping never seems that exciting. Even though I always have high hopes (and yes there ARE amazing gems out there and amazing stores!) In general, there are few sales, and a lot of what I find I can also be ordered online from the US or ordered online from France (seriously though, Isabel Marant, APC, Commes des Garcon, Petite Bateau are all ubiquitous in American boutiquery) – and a lot of stuff is just out of my freaking price league and I am generally better off buying couture level items on ebay slightly pre-loved). I did end up with the cheeky orange clutch version of the canvas Longchamps “Ceci est un IT Bag”

And our only major purchase was an Evan Hecox painting from his Paris show at The Lazy Dog.  I Love it in our living room!!

So the real point of this post is that since Holland fashion is not so sought after and known about- I tended to find a lot of Amsterdam shopping to be very exciting! In my mind I had pictured a lot of  Orla Kiely-esque prints and color palletes, printed corduroy A-line skirts and knee socks and lots of cardigans. I found Dutch women are very chic, and they LOVE shopping! I researched and sought out a lot of vintage and consignment shops and “epic” is kind of an understatement!  It is possible to run across  Rick Owens or Dries Van Noten or Westwood pieces for under 100-150 euros. The vintage stores were still stuck in a lot of the polyester period of low end 60′s merch. I stumbled  across (and purchased) a stellar deal on a Bottega Veneta Large Veneta Hobo in Cerise that was a steal for E142 (about $250!!!) I authenticated it already (duh) and it was a hardly worn bag from 2007 Resort collection. wowza!

In general, one of my favorite discoveries was a Dutch boutique named after it’s sole designer Cora Kemperman. It was shockingly colorful inside, but with very few prints- mostly solids, The ranges of colors were restrained but on point contrasted with lots of black and some white. To my first glance- the line consisted of beautifully constructed, uniquely shaped knits- all for around $100/per piece.

The Cora Kemperman website describes her collection as “feminine and elegant, has ethnic elements, is comfortable and has been produced responsibly. Our customers are creative women who do not follow the mainstream trends.”

Maybe I still have FIFA Fever, but I love the way that wearing different colors looks athletic or nationalistic- ethnic, but also avant garde. ya know?

Here are some images from the 2010 collection:

And some images from her archive: A lot more black- but still very creative, wearable and European!

I think the reason why all of her images are so appealing is that the models seem to be very womanly- going places and doing things- I look at all the designs and though modeled on a slender woman- can imagine a curvier girl rocking almost all of it! So many times I stare at pictures of runway shows on my style.com iphone app- and though beautiful- a lot would not translate to real bodies with different size boobies or hips. Cora’s pieces are simple to wear but complex in design- comfortable yet celebrating the form.

Best of all- The 10 year old company believes in corporate social responsibility, using sustainable packaging, dying techniques and textiles- also supporting manufacturers in India through providing education facilities for families, decrying child labor and providing health care.

The saddest thing is I was in a rush when I stumbled into the boutique- and I left after a quick browse promising myself that I would return the next day alone to leisurely stock up on some dhoti pants, kimono sweaters and draped jersey madness. Unfortunately my watch was messed up from traveling in India and we had our departure date screwed up! We had to leave the next morning. Cora Kemperman has no online shop, and no shops outside of The Netherlands and Belgium. *sigh* I guess I will just have to go back!

all images from www.corakemperman.nl

I am totally a day dreamer- I lust about imaginary objects that I desire as much as the real thing. Pillows and cardigans and products that only exist in my mind. Lately I have been imagining the perfect shirt dress (it has to be out there somewhere). It looks a lot like this:

Except it would be a TAD bit longer (more appropriate for work) and a teensy bit less blousey- and it would have subtle belt holes on the front and back to lace/weave a skinny belt through if you wanted to give the illusion of a waist but not create a ton of poofy volume around the boobs. I would wear it everywhere in this stupid Houston summer heat.

The closest I have found to this style was a vintage Norma Kamali shirt dress that I stared at on my ebay watch list for weeks because the slowness of my contract work had me necessity bound to frugality. Now I regret it. BIG TIME.

I have a mental list of things I regret not buying. The natural canvas moto jacket from American Eagle (of all places- weird) seen below in one of my polyvores, a vintage miu miu draw string bag from a zillion seasons ago from ebay (a friend talked me out of it and I think about it all the time), a German educational poster featuring different types of dinosaurs, a beautiful wooden cow head (Nandi) from my recent trip to India, ( I have actually cried to the Mister about not having it in our house.) and about four – five other things. In retrospect most of them were around $70-$100. (see? Frugal.) (see also? stupid.)

I am proud not to have any credit card debt, but I also like to live without regrets. Is it stupid to regret Not purchasing something? I know they’re material objects- blah blah blah, but I am pretty darn frugal and thoughtful as a shopper- I rarely regret purchases because I don’t make impulsive decisions. I guess what I am realizing now as I am writing this; is that I MOST regret not listening to my own instincts enough to take the plunge, plop down the cash (or the card) and go for it, if I feel that strongly about something.  Do you have any regrets for something you DIDN’T BUY?

Note to self: listen to my inner instincts. Even if it means shipping a huge crated wooden cow head across an ocean. Even if it means, selling some other crap on ebay or buffalo exchange to pay for the golden needle in the haystack. Listen to your instincts.

P.S. if anyone ever sees an antique ceremonial Nandi like this with gentle huge Disney eyes- let me know- I will pay a premium. *sigh*

P.P.S. if anyone knows of a tent- like shirt dress a’la the one above- let a girl in on it! I need this!

I have a penchant for extravagant and sometimes weird shoes. Like little sculptures for the feet!! Heel height and comfort mean little to me (until I’m in pain!). Fortunately I live in a driving exclusive city where we auto everywhere and I even (guiltily) valet at the galleria! (No judgement please!)

Regardless- I have been lusting over a pair of shoes at Opening Ceremony for a while- and since I recently (yesterday) got a new job- the world is my oyster and my next years’ worth of paychecks are already virtually spent!!!!! (okay that includes paying off my student loans and an upcoming Proenza Schouler PS1 purchase)

So I love them because they have an internal elastic strap across the foot to hold it in place while the exterior leather is kinda like a tent pitched over your foot. Weird right? And totally totally cool.

Contemplating the purchase- I  made some outfits on polyvore on how I would wear these lil’ weirdos.

I installed my Christmas branch. Hastily found in my yard, handily installed by my friend Matt, and lovingly decorated by moi. I loved my almost tacky branch. It was festive and lovely. I am just not in the spirit to decorate this year. (Especially since I am leaving for a month long trip on Dec. 28th, I don’t want to be burdened with pre-flight packing and de-tinseling) Bah Humbug! So, even though I am throwing a party, can I just print this crappy iphone picture and tack it to my wall?

I would love some simple ideas- maybe just suspended balls on ribbon over the table? A lighted Ikea horizontal wreath? Trees are kinda out- my kitties are maniacal and preditcable knockers-of-things-off-tables, and real foliage gives them the urge to chew and puke.  Or maybe just some luminarias on the front walk and patio? Bah Humbug!

P.S. Cajun-jew boyfriend could really care less either way. My choice.

A few weeks ago I co-hosted an event succinctly called Pop-Up Shop! with a few other Houston gals. All handmade, vintage, and original goodies- the five of us hosted it at Brandi’s salon Sunchild. We totally transformed it into a one day retail dream experience!

I designed this little e-poster…

Gnomes, jewelry, and clothing by Bleubird Vintage (featured in the new Lucky Magazine! Congrats Ms. James!)

Brandi (one Bueno and owner of Sunchild Salon) of BuenoBueno sold key necklaces, vintage boots, and pompoms.

Hand-studded vintage leather bags by Service & Devotion (That’s me!)

and Service & Devotion freshly picked vintage clothing

Kelly (the other half of BuenoBueno) makes handmade note cards.

I don’t have any pics of myself in this batch- but you can check out more coverage about Pop-Up Shop! on one of my cohorts more prolific blogs. here or here.

We all had such a blast, sold stuff, drank vinho verde and voted to make it a semi-regular event!

P.S. If you are interested in purchasing any of the studded bags I have all of them available (admired but not purchased!) They are priced individually- but affordably!

P.P.S check out the website of one of the other co-hosts- Rannie Balias of ChrisRann jewelry. Her stuff is high at the top of my Christmas wish list!

B and I are hosting a holiday party. I love a white elephant- but it’s kinda a hassle to get everyone involved and especially when our holiday party will prolly start around 8- and then the guests will ebb and flow as first our friends with kids will show up and leave. Our older friends might fizzle out, and then our late night friends will stop by and stay and stay… Waves of visitors make it somewhat impossible to have an organized gift exchange.  I have decided that in lieu of picking numbers and stealing from one another, a White Elephant Doorprize is better.  I am hoping that this little guy is gonna be a hit!

My swarthy little gnome is shown lounging on one my dining chairs (personally reupholstered in a geometric Sunbrella fabric with a Maharam bolster in The Story of My Life fabric by Maira Kalman.)

side note: I found, fell in love with, and purchased this fabric on ebay. The seller had no idea about the maker- we both guessed maybe Kravet?  All I knew was the nap was exquisite and pattern unaffected and original. So when I recently discovered it’s origins here, I silently patted my own back for my own excellent taste.

So now you know. Multicultural gnomes are awesome doorprizes and I have great taste in fabric*. I am going to scour my house and maybe Fiesta to find some other great doorprizes!

*why isn’t there a  punctuation mark for sarcasm on keyboards?

Everyone loves some Jonathan Freakin’ Adler. His style is ubiquitous and has spawned a million copies. Yay!  The only JA thing I own is a needlepointed eyeglass case that says “SPECS” in a funky multicolored circus-y font. I have always kinda wanted a piece of white JA sculpture like the giraffe or the cat or the boob vase. I once cohorted with my  friend Jaime when she needed encouragement to buy the JA condom caddy for her husbands’ birthday. He was partially amused..  But I don’t really think about him all that often these days unless presented with a blog post (what was that stupid banana bud vase all about?)

I first remember seeing the JA needlepoint series when he did a capsule collection for the now-defunct Williams Sonoma company Hold Everything. (This was around 2004 and a little before a designer collaboration with a lower-cost line was the veritable retail gold mine it is today.) Does anyone else remember those catalogs? He did a whole Christmas line with lots of graphic needlepoint stockings, tree skirts and accessories everywhere! I remember this because I was already following him, and I worked for the WS company at the time and I could’ve ordered it all at 40% off! Permanently put in the “regret not buying” file- because cool Christmas stuff is stupid hard to find.

Anyway– I love Jonathan’s stupid lil’ sense of humor and his stupid lil’ outfits**. Even the goofy way he spells his name and his inane antics on Next Top Design Star (or whatever show that is)  (**And I’m not even saying this in mock love like someone refers to “Oral”.)  He’s kinda someone you almost love to hate like Rachel Zoe, Anna Wintour or Kelly Werstler.

I really do seem to gravitate towards animal figures in my house, and bold colors and sharp imagery- so the graphic nature of his stuff does kinda appeal to me – but I don’t chase after his brand’s bath accessories so my Kleenex  box has a chic shell, or a covet a $695 tortoise lamp “As Seen in May 09 Elle Décor Magazine and June 09 Metropolitan Home.” I get his style- but I think I love the era of quirky vintage things that inspire him more! In our ever-aware world of everyone’s a designer and in big ol’ bloglandia – he’s the King of quirk.

It now seems that the only way to effectively describe a certain aesthetic is to refer specifically to him.  I may already have things in my house that could easily be inspiration fodder for the man himself. I just came to realize that in the course of the last few weeks, everything that I have purchased is undeniably Jonathan Adler-esque.

[Side bar: I squawk about too much whimsy and cuteness in product design- am I full of shit because I think that the vintage items I acquire have more gravitas because they are old and not expensive? I justify it by thinking that whimsy and pricey is bullshit, and quirky, old and cheap is valid- whatever I probably am full of shit]

OK. Enough ass gazing – on to the goodies!!

First up- a pair of wonderful lion-esque sunny modernist mugs (Pictured here on my sunshine-y kitchen window with wind up godzilla and little succulent). I only found a pair and I snatched them up!

This set of espresso mugs caught my eye- they are a slightly larger size (which I love) and the textured white ceramic looks great with my classic white  french porcelain dishware.  I also love the lopsided angles of the handles. They make the cups look less mass produced- and though unmarked- I am pretty certain they are.

This next item is so exciting! I have wanted a set of poison glasses for SO LONG! I originally saw a set on ebay advertised as a vintage set of  Neiman Marcus barware from their eponymous and extravagant Holiday Catalog- selling for around $100. My friend Robin collects old glassware and has two sets of these puppies!  Recently, Robin & I went thrifting and her eagle eye found 5 of the glasses at one thrift store and then- as luck would have it- we found the 6th at the next thrift! The missing one! The only slight difference is the decal is positioned higher, but whoever drinks out of Arsenic probably will never  know the difference! They will look great in my new bar that I’m currently refinishing. Also- In the original set there was an ice bucket that just said POISON with the “pick your..” words above and some sort of really great skull and cross-bone metallic emblem on the lid. I am keeping my thriftin’ eyes peeled for that piece!

God bless Picasa!  I just found the original pic I saved off of ebay and filed in my “to find or die” folder.  Dreams *can* come true.

Next up! My Jonathan Adler inspired shopping spree continued when I found an interesting hand-rolled silk scarf with great typography. I collect silk scarves and as a designer- letters on anything is great. Don’t try to adjust your eyes. There are no distinguishable words, and the letter forms are all twisted reversed and generally scrambled. I would love to know who the designer was.

And lastly: this mint condition vintage needlepoint purse that one of my friends will be receiving as a holiday gift… I LOOOVE me some geometric needlepoint (reflected in my very first blog post ever!) The back has a monogram, the trim is a rich chocolatey ultra suede and the lining a silk rust moire. Lovely!

Is it just me or I am channeling Mr. Adler these days? Or maybe his “genius” is more derivative than I realized? I am thinking way too much about this.

My boyfriend B is a soul & funk DJ. He buys and sells and plays rare 45 RPM vinyl in mainly in Houston & Austin (and occasionally all over the country and world!) His monthly dance party in Houston is called Dirty Honey. I have been designing his gig posters for the last 15 months. (give or take?!) I kind of love the process and dread it at the same time- he kind of acts like a client and I have to respect his wishes. I don’t always get to choose the direction or imagery, and he is not a designer- which boils my blood when he can’t articulate why he doesn’t like something, he just says “I don’t like it”. We fight a lot during poster week. It’s really the only time we ever fight. Aside from Mr. Opinionated, designing a monthly poster for a soul & funk show is treacherous. The genre has many pitfalls- aside from the normal struggle of staying fresh and creative, I dislike falling into any traps of excessive use of black-sploitation imagery, bikini-ed chicks with afros, or overly vintage-y or predictable pictures.

B and I both search for imagery to scan or for me to work on- I dig through his records (we have an entire room in our 1200 square foot bungalow dedicated to records- it’s a big deal around here, and I’m not complaining; it’s B’s bread and butter!), I look through photo archives, books, and take pictures when I’m out and about with my iPhone.  (the flourish-y box and the tinting of the photo were inspired by a phone pic I took of a 1930′s or 40′s Grand Prize Beer poster at our neighborhood BBQ joint Pizzatolas. Then I recreated it in Illustrator, and made a little “DH” monogram. The giant man hovering over the skyline was an already-combined promotional image for an artist named Bobo Mr. Soul. B scanned it out of one his music history books. The tinting was further inspired by this great post. (If I had gotten My way I would’ve played with opaque pyramids and laser beams shooting out of his eyes and hovering cubes with bauhaus inspired fonts…) But I must keep my Client happy and this solution was much more uh… soulful.

Looking back at the last year or so worth of Dirty Honey posters, I see reoccurring patterns in usage of similar colors, my steadfast devotion to Helvetica and it’s inherent versatility. I see little things I learned in design school and have not abandoned, and things I have taught myself or learned from designer friends and online tutorials. I really like designing for myself- it used to be a lot more intimidating; until I started having more faith in my own abilities. Though I studied graphic design (amongst getting a few other degrees – Agriculture, Anthropology long story! ) I haven’t worked professionally as a designer for a long long time. Dirty Honey is my monthly way of keeping my chops sharp so-to-speak.

So without further ado- the current Dirty Honey poster and a mini archive of the last year or so…

inspiration pic

December 2009

November 2009

October 2009

September 2009

August 2009

July 2009

June 2009

April 2009

May 2009

March 2009

February 2009

January 2009

Christmas Show 2008

November 2009 - did this by hand, just like Mr. Fairey did it.

More DIY’s coming soon!