GET LOST



Over the weekend I had the chance to immerse myself in designing the next collection.

The best way for me to do this is to first set the mood - light candles, turn on some music, my space even needs to be straightened up. It sounds very romantic, I know - but that's how I feel about art I suppose.

A lot of times, especially when I have extended hours to myself to devote to whatever art I'm creating - I literally get a natural high off of it. Friday, I spent the whole night going through inspiration I've pulled and starting sketching away. The time flies and there's such a freedom to just putting an idea on paper knowing it could turn into real life someday (or not) and I'm to say. For obvious reasons, I won't be sharing those sketches, but I am really looking forward to putting the concepts that I chose, to life. After nailing down the sketch and idea, I spent some of the weekend draping fabric on my dress form and drafting patterns.

Anyway, back to the romanticism in art. When I'm in this mood, experiencing such liberation and the paper and sketch tools are out, sometimes I don't want to stop or I'm inspired (distracted) by something else. Hence, the skull sketch. My entire life, ever since I was a kid, I would find peace in listening to music and creating some type of art - whether it be sketching or painting. I got lost working on this skull and listening to Lorde's album 'Pure Heroine' on repeat. That's the other thing, a lot of times I'll find myself playing one album over and over - this usually aids in carrying on a consistent mood or feeling. And is probably why it's so easy to get lost and lose track of time. That's the best part and it's crazy to look back and think this has been a part of me since forever and I won't stop.

Here are a few of my favorites from Lorde:

I love the line, "Because I'm doing this for the thrill of it, killin' it. Never not chasing a million things I want."

LIVE FREE

Today's a reminder to live in the moment and take a deep breath.

I've noticed lately that between all that I'm doing with my clothing brand 16th Colony, Hanger Shortage and filming for other fashion brands, things get a bit hectic and stressful. So instead of drowning in the lists of demands and being self critical that I'm not getting 'enough' done - I've decided to step back take a look at everything from another perspective and remember that I am living exactly as I have intended.

Cleobella Crochet Dress



It's important to keep in mind that you have the freedom to create your own path in life. All the things you've always wanted to do - go do them.

Although there are the inevitable struggles, that's just part of the process. In the end, it's all worth it.

Free People textured slip dress



When I was in South Beach, you could say I felt very 'in the moment'. I'm definitely planning on carrying on with this mood.



Dress, Cleobella - Slip, Free People - Shoes, Shopsosie.com

16th COLONY: AMERICAN SONORAN COLLECTION

In case you haven't had a chance to browse the new collection on the 16th Colony site, I've brought the lookbook to you here on the blog.

American Sonoran is my third collection for 16th Colony and with each one I can see and feel the brand come to life more and more. As I've probably mentioned before, I think whatever you're creating speaks more loud and clear when you stay true to yourself and your vision. I'm super ecstatic with the way this collection turned out.



I really wanted to shoot in Joshua Tree. First of all, I haven't been there and really wanted to go, plus it was the perfect spot to shoot the new Fall ponchos. We shot at this perfectly weird motel off the side of the road and afterward in the desert - I wanted lots of Yuccas. Lots.



My beautiful model, Brittnei did such an amazing job and was able to easily understand the entire mood I was going for. The underlying statement in this collection is that 'not all who wander are lost, but rather free'. I love that when I scroll through the photos and watch the vid that it's conveyed just as I had hoped.



Anyway, on to the next - I've been thinking about Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter for 2014 and started to get concepts in place. I also, checked out the LA Textile market last week and have a lot of ideas with all the fabric inspiration I got out of it. Stay tuned :)

In the meantime, you can view the entire lookbook and shop on 16thColony.com

FLORIDA: PART II: KEY WEST

Whew, I almost forgot about Part II.

If you've in some way, some how, missed Part I, you could always check it out here. But anyway, after roaming around Miami for a few days I made my way down to Key West. This was my first time there and I was actually really looking forward to the long scenic drive.



To be completely honest, Key West wasn't exactly what I had expected. I've been to the Caribbean, so in my head I was imagining The Keys to be somewhat similar - fine sandy beaches and crystal clear blue-green waters. In fact it wasn't really like the Caribbean at all but it did have a unique charm of its own.

I rented a bicycle to cruise around the small town one afternoon. I really loved the cottage style homes and bed and breakfasts'. Riding around ended up being one of my fave parts of the whole trip - I felt very free during those moments.



Of course, I had to stop in at the infamous Glazed Donuts. I kind of forgot where I read about this place initially but it doesn't matter since I made it there. These donuts were so tasty and I should know since one of my top priorities in life is 'sweets'. So anyway, I got Cinnamon Sugar (duh) and it hit the spot.



Don't fret about Part II being over and done with - I'll be posting a bit more from this trip soon.

FALL INTO COMFY

Usually in October it's cold, hot, and in-between.

For instance, Monday I was swimming at the beach and yesterday it was pouring rain and cold. But somewhere around there was the perfect day when the temperature was ideal. And because Fall is starting to set in some, I found myself wanting to layer a bit, so I threw on a denim vest to pair with my outfit.



On this particular day I was in the mood to dress pretty comfy yet still put together. This Lira muscle tank and my all time favorite leggings did the trick. The Lira tank is so soft and because it has a cross-over detail in the back it gives it a little extra style and dimension - I feel comfortable and chic at the same time.



It wasn't a hard decision to throw on the Rebecca Michaels leggings - I've been wearing various pieces from this brand for about a year now and always find myself gravitating toward it when I'm in this comfy/cute mood. Besides fitting like a glove, the quality of the leggings is something that I'm super impressed by - the colors never fade and every piece I own, retains its shape.



Anyway, it's been a pretty fun and hectic week thus far with filming and some photoshoots in the books. I'm actually looking forward to keeping the momentum going through the weekend and knocking out more stuff. #nevernotworking :)

Muscle Tank - Lira, Leggings - Rebecca Michaels, Denim Vest - Lost, Hat - Nasty Gal

CHINA PEAK

Over the weekend I was up in Northern California.

I was doing some filming up in China Peak and had a few minutes of free time so of course some photos were snapped. It was sort of a last minute thing to go up North but I'm all about being spontaneous. The whole trip was pretty quick - we jumped in the car late Friday night and got up to China Peak around 3am, started shooting at 8am and got back super late Saturday. I'm a road trip lover though - it gives me an excuse to drink more coffee and eat more candy than normal (which is already a lot).



The air up there was so fresh - it smelled like pine or at least trees. It's kind of crazy that I could so easily tell the difference between the air there and down here in SoCal. Needless to say, I was taking about a billion deep breathes and loving it.



There were a bunch of bikes up there. I, of course, had to test out a few to see how they felt since I plan on learning to ride soon. I grew up riding on the back of my dad's bike and still, to this day, look forward to going home and hopping on for a ride through the Tonto Forest or wherever really.

THE ESSENTIALS

Ever since I got an iPhone I've used a black Incipio Feather Case.

It definitely fits my style since it's sleek and of course, black. After that I started habitually using their Performance Armband when I would workout. Anyway, I brought a few new faves with me to Miami.



I made it a point to be on the beach a lot - even though I didn't necessarily want to be on my phone checking emails and junk, I still wanted to have it with me to take random photos, etc. The Incipio Atlas was the perfect case to have since it's water-resistant, which meant I could be pretty careless. Some might say I'm already a bit reckless with my phone, so it worked out great.



Also, in tow was the iPad mini with its new case from the Printed Lexington collection. I personally like this because it's not super bulky but it still gets the job done. Plus, the interior has a soft and yummy microsuede - I'm a sucker for a really great lining.



When I wasn't frolicking around at the beach, I switched my phone back into a more day-to-day type of case. Recently, I've been trying out this super cute watercolor floral print and it's still ultra thin, so don't worry.



Anyway, thanks to Incipio for all the goodies - they're really coming in handy.

Ultra Thin Emmie Case, Printed Lexington iPad Mini Case, Atlas Water-Resistant Case

FLORIDA: PART 1: SOUTH BEACH

Recently I got back from a 'real' vacation.

What does that even mean? Basically just that most trips are at least somewhat work related in one way or another. So to be able to make my way down to Florida and turn off the work mode for a bit was pretty nice. I can't always turn it 'off' completely - I'm constantly listing out in my Moleskine what needs to be done or thinking about the next thing. So there was some of that goin' on but for the most part I ignored my phone and everything else.



Part One of vacay was South Beach and since I haven't been before I found the hotel architecture, and the signage especially, to be really interesting. It's not very similar to any other city that I've come across.



I got lucky and randomly came across this book store that is sort of tucked away from the heavy traffic area. I later found out that this place, Books And Books happens to be listed in '36 Hours in Miami'. So that was pretty cool - glad I'm not the only one that thought this was a 'must see' spot.

Local jewelry brand



I think one of my favorite parts of the trip was going to the Wynwood Arts District. Basically this place is made up of old abandoned warehouses that have been transformed into galleries, restaurants and creative spaces. Artists from all over are invited to come in and contribute. The Wynwood Kitchen + Bar had art from artists like Shepard Fairey, Futura and Invader right outside their doors on the 'Wynwood Walls'. Anyway, needless to say, if you're really into art and food then this is your spot.

Retna wall

AVENUE BOUTIQUE

Who doesn't like a good a road trip - I made my way down to Tucson, Arizona recently and stopped in at Avenue.

I had actually done some prior stalking a few days earlier and immediately fell for the boutique while scoping them online. I could tell right away that this store was legit. When I stepped foot in their brick + mortar, I noticed right away that owner Alexis DeMaio does such an incredible job curating the space in a super creative way. I could easily get a sense for her own personality since it was so obvious throughout the whole shop - that's when you know you're doing things right - when people can feel you in the branding and merchandising.



Alexis has been running her own boutique in Tucson since she was 18 and about 3 years ago she moved into her current space in a historic building that was built in 1939. To have the opportunity to do her own thing at such a young age is pretty cool - she's realistic about everything though. She mentioned that she has definitely learned a lot along the way but in some ways 'ignorance is bliss' in the sense that she maybe would have talked herself out of doing it if she knew some of the hard endeavors that she would encounter. She needed to learn to evolve with the times - creating a website that was able to capture the vibe that her physical storefront gives off. Alexis is super hands on with everything that goes on with Avenue - obviously with the buying and merchandising but she has also taken up photography and shoots all of her lookbooks herself. With all of these talents she's been running her store successfully for about 8 years now.



When I was at Avenue chatting up a storm with Alexis, I learned that she also makes her own jewelry and even creates art pieces that are sold in the store as well. I really love the enlarged prints of her and her fiance's thumbprints - such a cool idea. It then made even more sense as to why I could get a good idea of her personality etc. when visiting the store. Needless to say, if you find yourself in Tucson stop by and say hey to my girl - in the meantime, you can browse the Avenue site.



Lucky for you guys, Alexis and myself are giving away one of her original jewelry designs, so make sure to enter on Instagram. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, October 1st so good luck!