Groovy-

Milly & Melancholy

California Dreaming+MidCentury+Moving Is Hell+D&G Sequined Perfection & Monetary Purgatory

Whew! Such a title is exhausting to barely contemplate, let alone actually produce! It's my sad little effort to slide some sneaky little key words in there somewhere to reel you all in, muahahahaha! Oh, wait...I probably wasn't supposed to blatantly give myself away and refer to you, my divine readers, as fish. Since I'm still in North Cackalacky (Carolina, and no, I did NOT make that up, that's really a home grown nick name they've given themselves here. I've no idea why. But allow me to point out that the game "cornhole" is also extremely popular here.), I think if you killers had to be a fish, you'd be something beautiful like the pretty bluegills that I catch like crazy over at University Lake. You'd certainly not be like, boring common bass (not that I don't love them and adore fishing for them, I do) because those little bluegills are colorful and they fight insanely hard for their size. I could be a total A-hole and call you guys catfish, the garbage disposals of freshwater, but we'll reserve that stellar title for those enemies we've all got and whom we'd secretly like to sink a hook into. Please...those of you thinking, Oh-I'd never, that's terrible! Such violence! How could she think I'd enjoy that?!, you're obviously a)deluded beyond belief since let's face it, everyone has those American Psycho days; all I do is comfortably embrace my madness, and b)how the hell did you make it this far into the post without your eyes beginning to bleed? Anyway...speaking of my madness, right? I guess I've missed you all. Lately things have been such an surreal clusterf*ck that I seriously, no joke, for the first time in my life (honestly I've had an email address for waaaaaay too long, from a very tender age) have gone about 3-4 weeks without even miming opening my email. I just haven't been able to cope with the anxiety inspiring glare of the outside world. It's been pretty much like an emotional, financial (absurdly so on the financial front), physical, and intellectual (I've seen that word somewhere and it made me think the person using it was smart! Let's try that trick here!) shitstorm in my personal galaxy for entirely too long. People around me (not necessarily physically, since the majority of my road dogs are scattered internationally, with a healthy, scratch that, unhealthy, chunk in California, naturally) still insist on saying trite slogans like: it can't last forever, or-it'll get better soon, there's nowhere to go but up, or my personal favorite-how much worse could it get? YOU a-holes who actually talk like that (naturally none of those people are my readers, you guys are better than that, and would at least come up with personally hurtful and original insults, right?)? You're the same people who said shit like, "it could be worse, it could be raining", or "is it hot enough for ya?" in Phoenix, AZ when it was literally 120 degrees!!! No, you didn't read that wrong, I said ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY DEGREES FAHRENHEIT!!! Who does that dude???
And the answer?
IT CAN USUALLY (see; basically always) GET FREAKING EXPONENTIALLY WORSE!
At least, that's been my rather obnoxiously vexing experience. I don't go into tremendous detail on here (for various reasons, but honestly the most compelling is that it's just not that entertaining!) about my disabilities/illnesses, but let's just say that I've really been having a tough go of it for the last few months. That naturally exacerbates every other issue as well...and to tell you guys the truth sometimes I can't concentrate long enough to post, sometimes even photos. Sorry. But I've re-re-re-dedicated myself to All Of Us In The Gutter, because I truly do care about this little freak baby of mine, and damn it, you and me are going places! Heh. So, without further ado, I have some amazingly covetable clothes and such to share with you, and I wanted to also put up some photographs of a few houses in California; both Northern and Southern, that are pretty indicative of what Rod and I are really looking to settle into. It's appearing that Northern is becoming more of a possibility, which would be amazing for me since that's where my big brother (who's a gorgeous, talented, brilliant, awesome, insanely badass track/road bike riding DJ/producer in SF) and my Pops are. Plus, San Francisco/Oakland/Bay Area is where I was born and I feel totally at ease there. I miss living there, in a completely different way than I miss Los Angeles. Rod's actually into the idea too so I'm currently fantasizing about Oakland Hills/Lake Merritt Victorian houses that are in disrepair for me to renovate, or Mid Century Modern ranches, bungalows...maybe an old industrial building or compound...I'm dying to get back home, as long as I can not die before I get there! Okay, bad joke, sorry. Plus as soon as we get home I can get back into college. You guys should help me decide on some choices, would ya? Both for my programs/specific universities. As long as it's actually state and not private, I can go for FREE!!! Woohoo dudes!!! MAJOR amazing-ness!!! So I'm going to finish up my design/art/comp sci. BFA and then either get another BFA or BSA, or start grad school. Toss out those thoughts on that, please!! So check out these dorky pics of me, (the dorkiness only extends to me, it doesn't contaminate the other stuff) homes, duds, bling, and music that I've been cracking out on lately, k? Mad love. Emphasis on the mad...on that note, jump to the next post for the gorgeous Dolce & Gabbana sequined goodness. I decided that it's all too perfect not to merit it's own post entirely.

Oakland Hills/Mills sweet fixer-upper Victorian house...a bit more precious than my usual fare, but I've loved the Vics in NorCal my whole life. Naturally SF has the sickest, most intensely enviable examples (there's one in particular near Lower Haight that's BLACK with gold gingerbread trim!!! I've wanted to see the inside my whole freaking life!)

Rad open floor plan and in a really interesting transitional area of LA...

One of the many gorgeous Craftsman homes in my old stomping ground of Long Beach...I love these so much, and there are awesome details in each one.

 

sweet Obey hoodie/denim jacket

I don't know why, but I'm really feeling these Roberto Cavalli jeans...

Interesting Drug, The One That You Took, Tell The Truth, It Really Helped You

I know for a flaming fact that I've mentioned a ton of times that Bona Drag is my favorite e-boutique, but considering that Heather has relatively recently unveiled a truly masterful overhaul of the look and feel of the site, coupled with a seriously INSANE offering of sick, sick wares, I figured it was time to talk about them again. And mark my words, this will most certainly not be the last time by any means. Bona Drag is about as close to perfect as it gets, for me. It's run entirely by women, and these are some über badass ladies; wildly smart, talented, funny as hell, hard-working, and possessing of extraordinarily excellent taste. They seem a close knit crew, which I totally respect, as I happen to be pretty (or absurdly, depending on who you talk to) old-school when it comes to loyalty. I've been digging them for as long as I can remember now, pretty close to their inception, actually. There's been more than one holiday at my place that consisted entirely of gifts from Bona Drag to me...(hint hint!!!) Add to this the fact that their name is the title of one of my favorite Morrissey records, and the unreal and uncanny talent and instincts of Hannah Bartie; the designer behind the fantastic label With Hearts In My Eyes, along with seriously like the best hand-picked selection of excellent wares available, and you've got me as a die-hard customer for life. Really. You couldn't shake me from them for love or money, they're THAT good. They were some of the first retailers to showcase Pamela Love's jewelry, champion Sophomore, carry more Obesity & Speed than almost anyone else (three of my *absolute* faves, of course), and they've never, ever, ever let me down stylistically. I can't actually think of another shop that I can say that about, come to think of it. And no, in case you're wondering, I have no reason to write this post except the real and earned love of a truly stoked customer.
Wandering through a few days ago, to check out the newest offerings, and I seriously about fell out of my chair with devilish glee! I don't know how many of you ladies (and gents who read but this is specifically a chick problem, you guys have mad choices for what I'm about to share about) have bemoaned the distinctly depressing lack of REAL, SICK, PERFECTLY FITTED & FLARED, black bell bottom jeans. This Christmas I bought my guitarist the gorgeous Kill City men's rocker flares (which I just tried to find so I could post a picture of and they appear to be GONE! Shit! Good thing I got Chris his pair when I did, he'd have been devastated!) and I have to say that I was seriously kind of resentful when he joyfully ran to the bathroom to try them on and emerged looking like Keith Richards circa Exile On Main St good. Really. To get to the point, I search high and low for the perfect, true blacker than black over-dyed, super tight in the thighs all the way to the knees, flaring out huge through the calves chick version and you know what??? They didn't exist. Not in denim, anyway. Mind you, they DO exist in the form of burgundy, lilac, and black lace and crushed velvet, because in her aforementioned uncanny knack for feeding me exactly what I want and need (she's like fashion's version of "The Man"), Hannah Bartie of With Hearts In My Eyes made the sickest flares EVER. I have every color in the lace except the lilac, and I need the velvet ones still, it's been a little monetarily tight around my place as of late. Ok, so back to the black hole where there was supposed to be the perfect black denim flares-if you could find something close, they were designer duds and cost upwards of $200+, which as a freaking writer, musician, and artist, has umm, better things to go to, shall we say? Fast forward to the normal pulse checking of Bona Drag a few days ago...what do I see? I had to rub my eyes, pinch my arm, smack myself around a little to make sure that what I was looking at was not some pathetic hallucination brought on by frustration and desire. But no-THEY'RE REAL!!
Bona Drag has again answered my unsaid prayers. I give you, the COURT HIGH WAIST BLACK BELLS!!! And oh yeah, did I mention that these babies were made EXCLUSIVELY for BONA DRAG!!!???? Dude. Dude. DUDE! Finally!!!!! I'm SO stoked it's kind of ridiculous. Ok, really ridiculous, but I've never had a problem making an ass of myself before, just watch any of the live concert footage of me if you need proof. Ha! They're, well, perfect. They're the flares of my dreams, come to life in glorious, deep, black and a lovely indigo blue for good measure. Add to that the fact that they're a mere $127.00 bucks and I'm stoked beyond belief. Plus, the latest With Hearts In My Eyes crushed black velvet flares are insanely perfect as well, and I pretty much have the next major purchases for my wardrobe well and truly set. I have to include pics of some of the other fabulousness as well, because it's all just too good and I'll end up standing on this rickety proverbial soapbox until I can't type because my fingertips have gone numb with overuse. Just take my word for it, I'm damned hard to impress, and I thank the powers that be that Bona Drag exists. They're the ultimate boutique badasses. It's just the way it is, kids. Head on over there and prepare yourself for a life-long love affair, or addiction. Whichever phrase you prefer. I like both equally, myself, heheheh...OH! Lest I forget, a couple of other details: they include a mix cd with every order, all the packaging is gorgeous and awesome, and they're really, really, super nice people. 

(a smattering of labels Bona Drag carries: With Hearts In My Eyes, All For The Mountain, Obesity + Speed, Lindsey Thornburg, Lover, Lonely Hearts, Pamela Love, Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons, Bodkin, Society For Rational Dress, Erica Weiner, Lorick, Made Her Think, Shakuhachi, The Reformation, Sophomore...)