miss chriss

2012-01-08T22:03:00.000-08:00

SF or bust.

san francisco, 2011

hitched a ride there, hitched a ride back.

made it out alive.

thank you gina, for housing us in your inspiring apartment. xo

2011-12-23T14:04:00.000-08:00

sand circles.

christmas came early.

lower earring, by kathleen whitaker.

2011-12-23T13:26:00.000-08:00

rewind.

hello new friend. tetris can rope just about anyone in, i think.

2011-12-15T08:33:00.000-08:00

belly button lint.

my new favorite pullover, by a.p.c.

2011-12-07T08:41:00.000-08:00

the can man can.

my boyfriend, the professional russian beach dancer.

2011-12-04T11:18:00.000-08:00

dyno-mite.

sparkle & fade sweater, vintage army thermals from american rag, allsaints boots, h&m dino tote.

2011-12-04T11:07:00.000-08:00

unknown cycle.

a prada bike shop in silver lake, that has nothing to do with prada. talk about good pull to get the curious ones lured in.

they ultimately repair vintage bikes, new bikes, sell parts and random little trinkets, gadgets and books.

2011-11-25T19:26:00.000-08:00

oh. kay.

comme des garçons top, club monaco jacket, levi's jeans

"$103 sure is a high price to pay to touch the hollywood sign." - worry wart / passer-by / mom

2011-11-14T12:56:00.000-08:00

come on, let's go.

joshua tree, ca.

2011-11-14T12:49:00.000-08:00

wake up call.

Love, Adorned engraved vintage spoon, from my lovely jaimee.

2011-11-14T11:54:00.000-08:00

drift.

2011-10-31T21:12:00.000-07:00

zoo kid.

coolest 16 yr old i can think of, right now.

2011-10-27T13:36:00.000-07:00

hairy scary.

jessica wohl, 2011. "hairy staircase" - synthetic hair, fabric and steel. located in the abandoned mountainaire hotel, hot springs, arkansas.

if i had a staircase in my apartment, this would be it.

2011-10-27T13:12:00.000-07:00

stack.

maison martin margiela sweater, levi's jeans, jeffrey campbell boots, vintage sunglasses, biria bicycle.

a quick stop at the local library left me puzzled on how to get the books i accumulated back home. solution: my belt.

2011-10-25T16:10:00.000-07:00

winnie cooper.

vintage top, tracy reese skirt, adrienne landau mongolian lamb vest, aldo heels, vintage glasses, kodak brownie super 27 camera.

2011-10-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

cover up.

"go beyond the skin"

Dermablend demonstrated their product on a fully tattooed body, which belongs to Rick Genest, or Rico the Zombie Boy, muse to Nicola Formichetti. He maintains the same, rather angry expression through the whole transformation, proving that he is the same person when he’s not disguised by the ink.

It’s a paradox: he is covered with make-up to look natural, and once the make-up is removed, he looks rather, well, unnatural.

2011-10-24T19:02:00.000-07:00

HL.

Hervé Léger rings, made by a HL pattern maker of sample remnants.

2011-10-17T22:29:00.000-07:00

big in japan.

saving for japan starts.....now.

2011-10-17T22:17:00.000-07:00

start to finish.

sunday at the getty.

2011-09-27T23:09:00.000-07:00

waffle legs.

american apparel pullover, aviu smocked knit dress, happy feet socks, nina z. sandals.

2011-09-27T22:59:00.000-07:00

sasquatch for dinner.

curried butternut squash soup:

2 halves of butternut squash

2 cups veg. broth

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp curry powder

lime zest / lime juice

salt

ground black pepper

- scoop out butternut squash flesh w/a spoon.

- add squash, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, curry powder & broth to a saucepan. let simmer for 10 minutes or until squash is soft.

- mix into a puree in blender

- add a dollop of lime crema ( 1/3 cup sour cream, 1/4 tsp lime zest, 1 tbsp lime juice)

2011-09-26T21:12:00.000-07:00

waiting game.

BCBG max azria f/10 bag.

just enough pockets, just enough cobalt blue, just enough structure combined with just enough slouch.

2011-09-26T20:43:00.000-07:00

nah-nah-na-nah-nah.

chocolate covered bananas.

2011-09-24T19:04:00.000-07:00

steady.

a few snaps during a night ride around downtown LA last week.

when i tell you that you will without a doubt encounter some of the oddest things, you will encounter some of the oddest things.

and people...doing things.

2011-09-23T20:54:00.000-07:00

utter suspension.

simone rocha f/w 2012.

the thought of being suspended, it clears the mind.

why hasn't anyone out there thought of this simple concept yet? i mean, it certainly hasn't crossed my mind.

it's friday night. i have low energy, yet simultaneously have energy seeping out of every pore in my body. my boyfriend lays on my feet and i suspend him into the air right above our couch. crowd surfing simulation, if you will. gravity takes hold, his face meets a macbook pro keyboard and the point of a worn wooden table to the crotch. "good thing i had this red helmet ,"(referring to his red wool beanie)...barely gets a breath between laughs and continues..."you should have been there."

followed with an inhaler hit.

tanoshi.

2011-09-20T22:59:00.000-07:00

drab.

blayde sweater, levi's jeans, jeffrey campbell boots.

i recently discovered blayde knitwear, and i'm crazy about it all.

2011-09-18T20:15:00.000-07:00

new reads.

"It sounds like some form of meditation, and in a way it is. Performing a familiar task, like driving a car or riding a bicycle, puts one into a zone that is not too deep or involving. The activity is repetitive, mechanical, and it distracts and occupies the conscious mind, or at least part of it, in a way that is just engaging enough but not too much - it doesn't cause you to be caught off guard." - David Byrne

2011-09-18T19:59:00.000-07:00

wabbit season.

our cat-crazy neighbor, teresa, thinks she's feeding the slew of stray cats that hang around our apartment, but not quite.

every time we heard munching, my boyfriend and i crawled over to our mail slot, giggling like little girls, to see what was strolling by next.

we even got to the point of luring possums to our door with a ham trail.

not to mention the use of a bubble gun to scare passing neighbors.

this is our saturday night.

2011-09-17T08:27:00.000-07:00

new york minute.

rika leather top, sparkle + fade skirt, ralph lauren jacket, jeffrey campbell boots, friendship bracelets from jaimee dormer.

2011-09-07T21:38:00.000-07:00

what office supplies?

the result of wine and griffith park.

you know you take home office supplies from work...

2011-09-03T19:58:00.000-07:00

quicksand.

california has me feeling....relaxed. i've never been so in love with the nature around me.

2011-09-01T21:58:00.000-07:00

layer cake.

a tribute to one of my favorite skirts of all time, found at a thrift store.

all of the guatemalan sewers at work automatically put me on their "i like" list with this one.

2011-09-01T21:46:00.000-07:00

spaghetti shapes.

when the sun is warm, and my legs begin to get lazy...i start walking like shaggy from scooby doo.

seriously...

2011-08-27T08:35:00.000-07:00

rolodex spin.

various images pulled from my inspiration folder, found all over, under, above, next to, in between, on top of...all different sources.

2011-08-25T07:20:00.000-07:00

inverse.

sari gueron dress, belmondo mesh sneakers, vintage clutch with DIY leather & hair tassel, DIY studded iphone case, vintage ring.

i've been vibing on girls in knee length (or longer) dresses with sneakers lately. thought i'd never appeal to such a thing after lily allen.

2011-08-19T23:38:00.000-07:00

box trot.

f21 organza dress, jeffrey campbell boots.

i think i'll always be terrified of coffee sucking the life out of my white teeth.

2011-08-16T23:17:00.000-07:00

waking to wave break.

a few experimental photos created with a flashlight and a tripod at 2am on the beach at a thousand steps.

waking up to crashing waves and silhouettes of men fishing isn't something i do every so often, but i'm starting to consider.

2011-08-12T21:01:00.000-07:00

MTWTFSS.

i'm slowly starting to depend of my phone for photos, and passing on lugging my camera around. i hate it.

2011-08-11T23:04:00.000-07:00

leisure dive.

jeffrey campbell ankle boots.

i've finally found an everyday boot that looks and feels like the 'breaking in' work has already been done.

2011-08-08T00:03:00.000-07:00

handstand.

i came home in the wee hours of an evening to find my boyfriend sketching and creating this.

simplicity and functionality.

2011-08-06T11:33:00.000-07:00

headshoulderskneesand

sometimes things like this happen.

2011-08-04T23:47:00.000-07:00

sunday sweets.

homemade peach pie.

4 - 5 peaches

1/2 cup of unsalted butter

3 tbsp of flour

1/4 cup of water

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

- melt butter & stir flour in saucepan to create a "paste."

- add water & sugar (2 types).

- create pie crust in pan and pour cut peaches inside.

- pour "paste" on top.

- cover pie with crumbled crust (of choice). here i used a graham cracker crust.

- bake 15 - 20 minutes @ 425 degrees (this may vary. our oven is ancient.)

2011-08-04T23:26:00.000-07:00

reset.

gap tee, h&m leather leggings, colonial madness heels, vintage clutch with DIY leather/hair tassel.

minimalism is hardly minimal enough lately.

2011-07-27T23:56:00.000-07:00

smells like green spirit.

your mind is directed and focused completely out of the systematic format of everyday routine once you're 5 hours north of los angeles.

i came across an interesting weaving technique, made of pine needles and a lot of brain power. i decided i wasn't going to give up until i tried one myself.

2011-07-22T22:16:00.000-07:00

equal and opposite extractions.

a blank wall in our apartment sprouted this 1 am project idea last night. i ripped a stack of muslin rectangles and began soaking them in all types of natural mediums. pictured above: coffee, basil & mulberries.

the finalized idea is to gather enough swatches, and simply tack them up in order from light to dark, each labeled in sharpie what each dye was extracted from.

progress photos coming soon.

2011-07-22T22:11:00.000-07:00

it was a wednesday.

xx1 metallic knit top, odille skirt, marc jacobs heels.

i sold my squeaky bike...now what?

2011-07-19T21:09:00.000-07:00

rollin' in dough.

homemade margarita pizza with fresh prosciutto and home-grown basil.

this is just one of the lucky pizzas that actually got photographed before getting to our mouths. my boyfriend and i are getting pretty good at this, it's probably a good idea to start casually inviting yourself over.

2011-07-18T01:08:00.000-07:00

go - to.

unknown bracelet, spike bracelets from ten foot single, chrome hearts necklace worn as bracelet, ring from st. marks st. ny.

my everyday pieces, kind of like some sort of security blanket.

2011-07-18T00:50:00.000-07:00

up and over.

bronson canyon, ca.

the cave above is the bat cave. yeah, i'm talkin' batman.

2011-07-14T23:12:00.000-07:00

outline.

while my boyfriend and i tried to purge clothes from our wardrobes, we came across this hanger. we tried to research this exhibit (?) and ended up finding out zip. was this hanger the actual exhibit piece? maybe.

2011-07-08T00:21:00.000-07:00

drift.

rodarte x target dress, vintage sweater, american apparel socks, nina z. sandals, marc jacobs bracelet.

2011-06-28T20:31:00.000-07:00

things in their places.

my boyfriend and i made two trips to a reclaimed wood warehouse, piled with barn wood 50 - 100 years old to find what we had in mind for our bookshelf. i brought along my tiny notebook filled with bookshelf sketches, specs and little notes to make sure we got it just right. our original sketch had "bear feet" that we pried off of a tacky printed fainting couch on the side of the road in silver lake, but we decided to keep it simple. those things looked crazy paired with this type of wood.

this is its current state, mainly records, but i'm certain these shelves won't stay bare for long. i'm going to try and treat myself to one mind-feeding book every two weeks.

2011-06-22T22:24:00.000-07:00

brainwash dots.

vintage silk shirt, sparkle & fade skirt, hue polka dot socks, via spiga wedges, chrome hearts necklace.

i think i've been polka dot brainwashed by the resort 2012 collections. i mean, i don't even (really) recall intentionally looking for polka dot socks yesterday morning. although, this print will forever be in my closet. my first born, boy or girl, is going to have polka dots incorporated into their weekly wardrobe whether the kids at school will want to pick them for their kickball team or not.

2011-06-22T21:42:00.000-07:00

art in the streets.

f21 sweater, ecote dress, nina z. sandals, alexander wang bag.

a few weeks ago, i was finally able to make a stop at the "art in the streets" exhibit downtown. the structure made entirely out of paper cut outs (photo #9) kept my mind distracted the longest. the time, my god, the time.

2011-06-22T21:20:00.000-07:00

last.

banana republic wool/cashmere t-shirt.

these photos were shot the weekend before i started my new job (i'm the new design associate for BCBG max azria's cocktail dresses!). the freedom of sleeping in, any day of the week, and waking up to a completely open schedule was bound to come to an end eventually.

2011-06-10T14:08:00.000-07:00

deteriorate.

memory tapes - "yes i know"

2011-06-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

doo-wop surprise.

and the themes of the second photo strip: snoop dogg, booty, jaques cousteau & love.

2011-06-10T11:43:00.000-07:00

plumber's crack.

home depot's plumbing aisle has pulled me in since i was 18, and i've been browsing for embellishment pieces since. this piece is supposed to connect two pipes together, but i instantly saw it as a perfect margiela inspired ring.

2011-06-09T11:12:00.000-07:00

new york's in town.

los angeles, 2011.

photos by theladeethecat.tumblr.com

2011-06-07T20:08:00.000-07:00

straggler.

vintage hand embroidered silk blouse.

i know they say not to jump at the first thing you see, so i hid this one under what looked like a mighty ducks jersey at the very first vintage booth at the rose bowl flea market. it turned out to be the only good garment find of the day and i was lucky enough to find it still buried where i had hid it. i didn't say my mama never taught me anything...

2011-06-01T19:57:00.000-07:00

summer cable (tv).

lucky brand slip, thrifted skirt, jessica simpson heels, unknown jewelery & sunglasses.

a chunky cable knit skirt that in reality is lightweight and a perfect summer staple? uhhuh.

i was convinced that i had slipped it on the wrong way, or that it was accidentally in the skirts section but was supposed to be with the ponchos. i'm still questioning it's purpose. either way, i'm letting myself believe that it is a perfectly draped summer staple.

2011-06-01T11:06:00.000-07:00

swim skate surf.

cynthia rowley x roxy wetsuit dress, vince camuto ankle boots, unknown bracelet.

when this collaboration collection was released in spring 2010, it slipped by me. i happened to find this dress at a random thrift store last summer for an incredibly reasonable price, i couldn't even buy yardage of neoprene for the price. it's still one of my favorites, for functionality and for fun.

the idea came about when iconic american designer cynthia rowley met roxy executive vice president of marketing randy hild on the beach in montauk. an

avid surfer, rowley spends her weekends on the waves with her family during the summers. “the most important thing as a designer is to tell a story, and everything we do contributes to the story,” says rowley. “this is an authentic and genuine expression of my passion for the surf lifestyle.” (empireave.com)

2011-06-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

no bbq in sight.

DIY textured leather/wood chair with pipe detail & handmade rivets.

a few days ago my boyfriend and i spotted this 7 ft. long, extremely heavy, unidentifiable piece of wood on the side of the road and decided to haul it away on a skateboard during sunset. we must have asked each other what this thing was actually used for over and over again. after a few sketches and attempted construction with teeny tiny hand saws, we upgraded to "real" tools and spent our entire memorial day building this chair. we may have missed the bbqs, but the satisfaction of creating something exactly as you envisioned it is far greater. and we biked to in-n-out after anyway.

2011-05-23T18:51:00.000-07:00

casually speaking.

dkny washed silk jumpsuit.

one of my favorite, lazy go-to pieces. jumpsuits save so much getting ready time.

2011-05-21T01:09:00.000-07:00

which way does the wind blow?

our cross country road trip.

2011-05-20T13:01:00.001-07:00

my little pony.

vintage clutch, DIY leather/hair tassel, unknown bracelet, ring from st. marks street in ny.

two nights ago i had a staring contest with this newly adopted clutch, and decided it needed something. this idea kept me up until 4 am, but now i feel that it will get much more use with two of my favorite details as of right now: leather fringe and hair.

here's what you'll need:

leather rectangle (desired width and length), ruler, chalk, scissors, a small piece of leather for the loop to attach the tassel, a leather puncher, hair.

- mark desired fringe width & cut leather piece

- sew hair to fringed leather piece

- punch two holes on the top (see top right corner)

- roll up leather and hair into a tassel, leaving the end with the two holes on the outside

- hand sew loop on the inside of the top of the tassel (to connect to clutch)

- use a thick needle and upholstery thread to sew through the two holes to hold the tassel together

2011-05-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

come in.

it's amusing when the slightest movement of furniture or new lighting can make an apartment really feel like home. we're getting there. a housewarming party should be in order some time soon.

yesterday i looked up at two specific palm trees at the beginning of sunset, and i realized i live in los angeles. weird.

2011-05-17T10:59:00.000-07:00

i'd like to buy a vowel, please.

australian brand, friend of mine.

the 90s underwear peek, the sloppy beanie, the alternate footwear & the no-bra option that doesn't apply to everyday life (but we still dream of it)...it's perfection, aint it?

2011-05-17T10:51:00.000-07:00

the kolors duke, the kolors!

ksubi.

2011-05-13T11:13:00.000-07:00

there is a road, there is a way.

a is for audrey dress, h&m bike shorts, allsaints boots, vintage necklace & rings, glasses from american vintage.

as much as a car is almost essential in los angeles, i have been forcing myself to stay with my ways of walking. my mom has been in town this week and we haven't let the west coast's unfriendly pedestrian terrain stop us. we walked ten hours the day before yesterday. maybe my mind still thinks we're in new york. we discovered the best place for homemade pizza and soup, where to grab a quick ice coffee and saw so many beautiful details that are easily passed by when you're in a car. i'm going to continue to appreciate walking for as long as i have two working legs.

2011-05-05T11:10:00.000-07:00

which way does the wind blow?

between settling in and finding my way in this new city/my new home, los angeles to be exact, i've finally gotten around to sharing this photo diary of the cross country road trip my boyfriend and i ventured on about three weeks ago.

it took us a total of six days. we drove an average of seven to eight hours a day, crossing through ten states while getting comfortable peeing on the side of the road, picking up fried chicken and fireworks, petting squirrels, trying astronaut ice cream sandwiches, playing dress up at truck stops, leaving arizona with a pair of longhorns and a turquoise pocket knife, getting caught in a lady gaga fan crowd, coming across a row of cadillacs buried nose down in the desert, realizing one night in nashville is more than enough, counting how many different accents could possibly exist in the US, channeling ghosts in arkansas, making guinness floats, talking our way into a free nauseating carnival ride, entertaining ourselves with "would you rather" and meeting quite interesting people. that uhaul became our home.

it breaks my heart to find that the day after we woke up in our new apartment, we seemed to misplace...ok, lose, our map of the entire trip. marking the path on a new one just wouldn't be the same.

2011-04-08T17:50:00.000-07:00

stolen girlfriends club.

model invasion at your local grocery store.

2011-04-06T18:11:00.000-07:00

not tomorrow, not the next day, now.

i never thought i'd like pink this much, ever again. i still can't convince myself to give in and welcome pink into my wardrobe...even if a monochromatic pink look would hurt so good. i mean, that is how i earned the nickname "pink panther" when i was a freshman in high school.

i suppose it's scarred me for life.

2011-04-04T16:19:00.000-07:00

pit stop.

maeve denim dress, chan luu tulle top, topshop ankle boots, collected rings.

2011-04-01T21:45:00.000-07:00

1966.

'60s music is part of my every day. i figured i'd at least give the make-up a shot.

2011-04-01T16:57:00.000-07:00

shape shifter.

photo: 35(mm)inutes

the silhouette of my favorite gucci coat at food parc in chelsea, ny.

2011-03-31T21:27:00.000-07:00

love, love is strange.

los angeles 2011.

2011-03-31T20:12:00.000-07:00

comfortably uncomfortable.

"badlands" 1973.

2011-03-29T17:34:00.000-07:00

get to the point.

come on, it's easy:

DIY studded iphone case.

supplies: leather hole puncher, 1/2" screw back spikes, 2-3 hours & patience.

this thing weighs a ton. i definitely skipped past the practical side of this idea, but it serves as a reliable self defense tool and it's pretty hard to misplace.

2011-03-28T16:03:00.000-07:00

(not so) mellowyellow.

i've come to the conclusion that yellow lipstick is so, so odd.

2011-03-27T21:36:00.000-07:00

bill cunningham new york.

such a sweet little man that hasn't gotten stripped of simple joy or rough around the edges by new york. that has been my biggest fear since i moved here almost five years ago.

my mom and i saw this film today. if you haven't gotten the chance to catch it yet, i suggest that you do...and that you hurry. it's only playing until tuesday!

2011-03-27T21:22:00.000-07:00

breggzfast.

ashish x topshop sweatshirt, american apparel shorts, tights from japan, aldo heels, chrome hearts bracelet, collected rings, DIY studded iphone case.

i need this sweatshirt like a hole in the head. the fit is pretty awful, and i can already predict the graphics cracking after a few washes. plan b: resort to my middle school iron-on skills, and scan this baby in to re-create my own smiling breakfast. yeah? yeah!

2011-03-26T19:51:00.000-07:00

somewhere else.

part VI.

2011-03-16T21:21:00.000-07:00

land of the los.

i'm coming for you.

2011-03-14T19:18:00.000-07:00

x marks the spot.

still thinking about basing a collection around animal bones and hair piercings.

oh where, oh where can i find a place with more than 24 hours in a day and a less lazy schedule? i'm finding tortilla chips on my keyboard for christ's sake.

i need a good kick in the ass, and a ball and chain to my sewing table.

2011-03-14T15:29:00.000-07:00

all of you.

"tout va bien" (1972)

2011-03-13T18:14:00.000-07:00

spring air.

2011-03-13T13:59:00.000-07:00

ce matin la.

h&m jacket & tank, topshop brocade pants, alexander wang x linda farrow sunglasses, jeffrey campbell wedges, vintage charm necklace from hollywood, ca.

spent the morning watching "the virgin suicides," driving to the middle of nowhere to pick up a schwinn bike from the '50s that i won on ebay, following signs to a shack with homemade fresh pies and wandering into a shop that was complete with a stripper pole, disco lights, and a looney owner that gave me the tie dye turban of my dreams. we also discovered that the car outside in front, the one with the dressed up dummy seat belted in the passenger seat, and the license plate "nuts4you" belonged to him. sometimes it's the people that are a little off that make your day.

2011-03-11T06:28:00.000-08:00

star-crossed.

childhood heart charm, vintage cross & pocket knife found in hollywood, ca.

being forced to watch this film in high school and watching it now that i am twenty-four years old and in love, is like experiencing life with the same heart in two completely incomparable bodies.

2011-03-06T19:13:00.000-08:00

addition.

new finds this weekend: dracula tank & '50s lucite confetti cuff.

2011-03-05T20:11:00.000-08:00

the black forest.

f21 sweater, h&m skirt, allsaints boots, chrome hearts bracelet.

2011-03-05T15:40:00.000-08:00

crème de la crème.

ann demeulemeester.

balmain.

gareth pugh.

damir doma.

i know i'm late to post paris fashion week favorites, slow and steady...but here they are.

the damir doma creepers win my heart.

2011-03-02T16:36:00.000-08:00

i likey.

her voice...

2011-02-27T19:13:00.000-08:00

home sweet.

my living quarters.

2011-02-26T22:48:00.000-08:00

true blue.

club monaco jacket, max azria top, sparkle & fade skirt, no. 6 boots, vintage sunglasses.

first attempt at trying out a colored part, inspired by l'wren scott spring '11.

i also discovered a waffle truck that makes fresh bacon-filled belgian waffles topped with syrup and powdered sugar. good thing i don't run into it often.

2011-02-25T17:05:00.000-08:00

eyesmissyou.

the last time i was in l.a. my boyfriend and i worked on a mural, but we never got a chance to finish it together...or to sign it.

i'd say this is a good alternative.

2011-02-25T16:51:00.000-08:00

message in a bottle.

from east to west.

2011-02-25T15:54:00.000-08:00

plasticfantastic.

(cheap monday clear rain boots.)

another practical/impractical pair of shoes i would give a kidney for.

2011-02-22T21:38:00.000-08:00

pony hair day 2.

2011-02-22T21:32:00.000-08:00

last weekend.