Realize Your Genius

So I've been making crap as long as I can remember.  I'm not one of those people who can sit and watch tv.  Idle hands they say...  Anyway, my illustrious career as a designer started in 2004 when I started making knitted accessories.  Mostly wrist cuffs and weird bandana-neck things.  I used all kinds of crazy materials from old plastic bags to found mix tapes to a ballet costume.  I've had little hits here and there where people decide they LOVE my pieces.  AND maybe I'm just lazy and don't advertise but I haven't quite hit it big yet (see ad below for etsy).  For the most part I have to wear the crazy things I make.  Or take em apart and do something else with them.

Recently I found these crazy fools called Wear and Tear.  Well it's really just one fool, and she's not a fool at all.  She's a super genius really.  Cheung Lik is basically making what I've been trying to for years:  successful knitted pieces using alternative materials.  See for yourself...

Wear and Tear was established in 2008 by Miss Lik herself.  She graduated from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Fashion Design. I think her big break came when she took part in the Paris Fair Trade in 2006 which lead to London Fashion Week.  She rules and I sort of love/hate her.

Anyway, you should buy her fabulous wears - I know I will.

Love you, mean it

Emily

inspired by formeforyou

Dear Barton:

I saw this and thought of you...

love you, MEAN it

Emily

Addictively Stupid

I can't get this song out of my head plus the video is the raddest thing since sliced bread.  Be inspired to tape your nose up today at work.  Bonus points if you work in a cubical.

Love you, mean it

Emily

Fresh Strawberries

So I was did a marketing event for work this past weekend where we sampled Swanton strawberries.  They are seriously the best strawberries I have ever had and they are just coming into season!  

Swanton Berry Farm is located in Davenport, CA near Santa Cruz.  I've heard they have U-Pick days?  You should check it out if you live near there!

Anywhozles, I came home with like 4 pints of strawberries?!  I didn't want to freeze them all so I scoured the interweb for some vegan recipes.  I found a great one on egglesscooking for some Strawberry "cupcakes."  Yeah folks, they're called muffins.

Fresh Strawberry Muffins

1 ¾ c Unbleached All Purpose Flour
¾ c Sugar
1 tsp Baking Soda
14-16 Fresh Strawberries
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
½ c Canola Oil
1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
soy milk
½ c walnuts (chopped)

Preheat the oven to 350.˚ Line a 12ct. muffin tin. In a large bowl combine together the flour, baking soda and sugar. In another bowl mix the oil, vinegar and vanilla. Cut the strawberries into small chunks and mash them in a separate bowl. Add the strawberry mash to the oil mixture and stir. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Stir together but do not overstir. Fold in walnuts with a bit a soy milk. Consistency should be chunky. Fill muffin tins evenly (should be 12 muffins).  Muffins should look like this:

Bake for about 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Eat one first before they are all gone! For Serious!

My boy and I ate all dozen of these in like 2 days!  I was going to bring some to work but the boy grabbed me squarely by the shoulders and shook his head NO, no you cannot give away our precious muffins.  Lulz.  But really they are that fab.  I'm going to try the Strawberry Coconut Scone recipe I found on postpunkkitchen next.  Pictures and recipe to follow!



Love you, mean it

Emily

Top picture taken from pinchmysalt, logo taken from swanton all other photos taken by me

Ensembly Challenged?

I went to see the movie Clueless when I was probably 13 or 14 with my stepmother.

One of my favorite things about it was her amazing closet.  Well, now you too can have the closet organization of Cher Horowitz.  Apple just came out with an application for the iPhone called "Closet."

A closet organizer?!  I want it so much it hurts my soul.  BUT.  I don’t have an iPhone let alone time to photograph everything in my wardrobe.  Summer project or shopping excuse?  You tell me.

Also Mr. Perez Hilton told me there was talk of a sequel?  As if !  What is Alicia Silverstone thinking?  Being a ditzy teenager is cute but a ditzy middle-aged rich lady well?

I don't know, maybe it's brilliant?  I know one thing.  

I'll probably end up seeing it.

Love you, mean it

Emily

inspired by cupcakesandcashmere

"If you want him, come and claim him"

I am well aware that the following statement makes me a freak.   But if I ever got plastic surgery I would get elf ears.  


They are so hot.  I'm sorry.  I watch the extras for Lord of the Rings over and over again (My boyfie and I are jonesing to get LOTR on Blueray by-the-by).


I'm so into them that I've looked repeatedly how to make them online. My favorite is this site.  Although they are a bit pointier than I'd want.  I figure I can adapt them to my taste.

Where would I wear these things to?  Would I have to come out to my friends and parents as a closeted elf?!


Maybe it's cause I'm a secret nerd.  I've been to Comic Con, Wonder Con and the Renaissance Fest more than I'd care to admit.  But half of the fun is talking shit about all the people freakier than you.  Right?   The other half is yelling Huzzah! and drinking Mead  ;)

Hope you still love me, mean it

Emily

O My! How Important!

School has been taking over my life. Lucky for me- Emily is amazing and has been taking over most of the posting (you rock, mean it.) I have been working on a fabulous facebook page and a twitter account. Watch out for those in the near future.

Most of my entertainment during my busy day to day life consists of browsing my favorite blogs...

Smitten Kitchen

Most her her stuff is not gluten free (although, she makes a shout out sometimes), and consists of meat, but, her recipes are inspiring, she loves to pickle things, has great advice about how to prepare various foods you wouldn't normally know how to cook.

I believe this was one of the first blogs that I ever started following religiously.

This woman works her blog like its her job (which, by the way, I think it is.)
She puts time and effort into her posts and is on the hunt for awesome clothing all the time. She gets help from her boyfriend to get some of her awesome pictures taken and always inspires me to challenge my day to day outfits. She sells her stuff on ebay and on etsy!


This is one of my newest lusts. I love her style- both for interior decorating and fashion.





I think about this outfit on the daily. I spent all of my clothing budget for the month...Oh! But May is around the corner! I will achieve the splendor!

And she posts cute illustrations...



Last but not least...and not the last:



Kate is great! Pretty things, fun art projects, fashion informant. And artist!

Its a really sweet look into her life- it looks like a way of living I aspire to.

love you, mean it.
barton

Missing Link

Vote for the Best Bike Shop in the Bay Area... 

Quite obviously it is the Missing Link, located at the corner of Shattuck and University in downtown Berkeley.  As a bicycle commuter I find their staff is super knowledgeable & always has my safety and best interests in mind.

I heart you Missing Link.

1988 Shattuck Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94704
Phone:
(510) 843-7471
Fax:
(510) 848-5322
Open 7 days a week!

Love you, mean it

Emily

SPAT on Your Grave

I don't know what it is about old timey accessories that makes my skin tingle.  But I love them.  I love them so much I want to take them behind the middle school and get them pregnant. From hats to gloves to parasols to SPATS.  I love spats.  They disguise any pair of shoes and make them new again.  AND when you get sick of looking like you have boots on you can take them off again!  A must-have accessory for your shoes.  They've been around forever but I was thinking about how cute they would be dressed up over some sandals this spring:  

Showin' a bit of skin but covering the ankle. Here are some recent Spatty fav's.  Let them inspire you to cover up those naughty ankles this spring...

Chanel's Spring 2006 line:





These lovelies are from Ashes and Empires on etsy:



Strumpets a British company brings us the cuter, rock-a-billy side of spats:



My personal favorite are these two ADORABLE girls who created a company called Posso - here is what they spat out:





Honorable mention to Official Tourist (friends of Barton's) who also make spats.  BUT I couldn't find any decent pictures so poo on that.

Love you, mean it

Emily

To Buy or Not To Buy

There are these really dope chanel earrings.  Totally fah-ache.  But Chanel doesn't make ones like this (number one tip-off that they're fake).  Am I a terrorist to pay $10 for fake-ass ghetto chanel earrings?

Sort of huh?

Here is something that inspired me today dealing with Chanel.

Enjoy!

Love you, mean it

Emily

p.s. posted stuff on my Etsy site! Hearts!

Illustrious Lentils

I tried out this LENTIL recipe earlier this week with rave reviews (my bf liked it).  Lentils "like other legumes, are low in fat and high in protein and fiber, they also have the added advantage of cooking quickly.  Lentils have a mild, often earthy flavor, and they're best if cooked with assertive flavorings.   The best, most delicate lentils are the peppery French green lentils" (The Cook's Thesaurus).

Here is the recipe.  Lemme know what you think and/or your adjustments to it - ENJOY!

Lentils with Sauteed Onion, Medjool Dates and Almonds
Serves 4

The key to this delicious recipe is caramelizing the onions to a deep golden brown. They should be soft enough where they fall apart easily.

6 tbsp olive oil
1 very large onion, sliced into rounds ¼ inch thick
1 ¼ c green lentils
½ lemon (juiced)
½ c fresh Italian parsley
4 medjool dates, soaked and chopped
½ cup slivered almonds, toasted

handful of dried cranberries

handful grape tomatoes sliced in half
Salt and freshly milled pepper

Pinch of sugar

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion with a pinch of salt & sugar and cook, stirring occasionally until they are rich and dark brown, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, put the lentils in a saucepan and cover with 2 inches of water.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for 25 minutes, or until lentils are tender.  Do not overcook or they get mushy.

In the meantime, place dates in a small bowl and cover them with warm water.  Let the dates sit for 2-3 minutes, until they are soft.  Drain and then chop the dates into small to medium sized pieces (careful there are pits).

When lentils are done cooking, drain the remaining water and place them back into the pot. Stir in the onions, lemon, parsley, grape tomatoes and top with dates, cranberries and toasted almonds.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Eat over Red Bhutanese Rice or Quinoa. 

ALSO - soaking the lentils the night before or even a few hours before cuts the cooking time WAY down.  Overnight soaked lentils take about 7 minutes to cook and hour soaked lentils check around 10-15 minutes.

Love you,  mean it

Emily

pictures taken from the Brooklynfarmhouse, foodmayhem and cafecyan.

Best Grain Ever

Quinoa pretty much rules. 

It is known as the “mother grain of the Incas.”  

Quinoa is a versatile, high fiber grain.  

It also contains a perfect balance of all eight amino acids, 

making it a complete protein, 

Even when served alone.

Here is one of my favorite quinoa recipes: 

Peruvian Vegan Stew

1 qrt. vegetable stock

1 lb. butternut or kabocha squash

1 can black beans

4 oz. quinoa

½ lb. potatoes

2 or more tbsp chopped garlic

1 tbsp each cilantro & mint – chopped

Start by simmering the quinoa with the stock in a soup pot.  While that’s going on cut the squash & potatoes into cubes – roughly 1 inch.  After a half hour add squash / potatoes to soup & simmer.  After 10-15 minutes add garlic & herbs.  Add rinsed beans.  You may add soy rizo for additional flavor.  Add salt & pepper to taste.  I sometimes throw some chopped kale on top at the end for good measure.

Love you, mean it

Emily

Why I Want To Take Up Smoking...

Here is a movie by Karl Lagerfeld about Chanel's Paris-Moscou "flirtation" in the 1910's & 20's.  It's sort of weird and disjointed but it looks rad and the music makes me want to be French in the 20's.   This movie also makes me want to smoke.  Real bad.  If only my designer clothing wouldn't smell like an ashtray afterwards.  Oh, and that cancer thing.   I would be ALL over it.

Read more about the always lovely Chanel here.

Love you, mean it

Emily

"The Best Costume for the Day"

If you've never heard of the documentary Grey Gardens then you are missing out.  It's a creepy yet sympathetic tale of a reclusive mother & daughter who happen to be related to one of the most beloved women ever: Jackie O.  The documentary was made in 1975 by Albert & David Maysles.  "The film depicts the everyday lives of two women who lived at Grey Gardens, a decrepit 28-room mansion at 3 West End Avenue in the wealthy Georgica Pond neighborhood of East Hampton, New York" (Wikipedia).

Little Edie is the real star of the film.  She is a balding woman pushing 60 with the disposition of a teenage girl.  The weird part is that for all of her foibles, Little Edie is STILL regarded as a fashion icon.  Tim Gunn mentions her in his book "A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style."  Todd Oldham can be seen on the extras of the film saying: "I love an alternative point of view... and none was more distinctive than hers."

Constantly donning a turban or head-wrap (sometimes made of a hand towel), she is seriously one of the most creative women I have ever seen.  Screw Scarlet O'Hara making a dress from the drapes.  This woman turns a burgeoning waistline into a blessing by literally wearing her skirts upside-down.  Her colors are impeccable and are still seen in modern runway shows. Even Little Edie’s accessories are always right on, from classic broaches to heels, even Madame Chanel would approve.

HBO is remaking this classic by showing their decent into squalor.  The show stars Drew Barrymore as "Little Edie" and Jessica Lange as "Big Edie."  Jeanne Tripplehorn guest stars as Jackie O.  Catch it on HBO this Saturday, April 18th at 8pm.

Love you, mean it

Emily

Tapiseria

Here is some jewelry I make.  Go buy it here in San Francisco.  Or on the interweb here whenever I decide not to be lazy and post more stuff (within the week - i promise).

It's all hand-drawn on shrinky-dink with archival ink & protectively coated.  And is all recession-priced between $20 - $30.  If you want custom pieces email me.

Love you, mean it

Emily

Capucci Not Gucci

I was rummaging through my local thrift store this morning aka the lost and found, and I found a frigging Roberto Capucci scarf?!  (Thanks April!)  It's smelled like someone took a bath in Chanel No. 5 (that stuff smells like grandma).  But who cares?  Italian Couture!

For those of you asking umm, who is Roberto Capucci?  Well, I'm glad you asked!

Roberto Capucci is an Italian couturier, sometimes known as the "the Givenchy of Rome."  Capucci was born in Rome in 1929.  He established his own fashion house in Italy in 1950 and opened a couture salon in Paris in 1962 (Wikipedia).

He basically bailed from the fashion world in 1980 - making a few things here and there for select clients.  His last collection (I could find record of) was in 2001 in Paris.

“He has approached design as a form of architecture, building structures the body can inhabit, and has rejected the arbitrary dictates of what might be momentarily fashionable. Instead he deals with elements of design such as line, color, texture, and volume in a more abstract sense but always as they relate to the human body.” – Jean Druesedow

“Nature is my mentor. In my garden, quietly watching with a childlike sense of fantasy, has helped to instill in me a sense of balance and a constant search for perfection, proportion, harmony, and colour.” – Roberto Capucci

Roberto Capucci has been featured in Vogue, London Sunday Times, Interview, Town & Country and Women’s Wear Daily.

Love you, mean it

Emily

Check out more info here.