Oopsie...

I went to the Grove today to finally pick up a little food processor and a crab cracker to make this evening's grilling a bit less messy (summer has meant lots of little crab shells flying all over the apartment) and made the mistake of walking into Anthropologie while Mark checked out Barnes & Noble. I only ever go in there for home goods; you can pick up some beautiful cracked glass coasters, a rainbow of latte bowls, or an owl-print apron without breaking the bank, whereas the clothes...let's just say I'm not shelling out a Benji for a basic grandpa sweater or doily skirt. And I don't have the scratch to buy the things they carry that are seriously gorgeous. Still, the home goods left much to be desired so I quickly walked towards the back to see if they had a nice soap dish since I've been on the lookout for one since we moved into the apartment a year and a half ago. I never made it to the bathroom stuff-I took one glance at the sale rack and-shit- immediately saw the Gryphon dress I had been admiring not two days earlier, on two different gals. I told myself it was fine to go over and look at the price, they never have my size on sale anyway. Shit, again. It they had a small and extra-small and the price was doable. I spent more time trying to find the dressing room than it took me to decide to try on the dress (which in my world means if it fits and looks good, I'm buying it no matter how much I know I'm not supposed to). It fit. It's adorable. The only time I have ever been thankful to have a ridiculously tiny chest because the cut is crazy and wouldn't work on most of the female population.

Cutie Dianna Agron first caught my eye with her pink hair, but my gaze quickly moved south.

Perk Up Even the Blandest of Meals

I found this awesome cutlery DIY here, but like this funkier version even better:

It's the perfect way to display some beautiful antique flatware if you no longer have a complete set or punch up that cheap IKEA stuff-I'd spray a fork and spoon in different colors that pop off each other, like aqua and mustard or turquoise and tomato red, set them in a simple white shadowbox and hang them in the kitchen. Or if you want to get all Kelly Wearstler on the project, spray different full sets different shades, glue them onto fabric, find some ornate frames that will fit them, and use them to fill a wall in the dining room. You could go crazy with all the color combos, experiment with color gradients, who knows? They'd be great for a garden party if you were willing to go to the trouble of getting food safe spray or sealer, too.

Fall Forward

This has been a weird summer in LA. June gloom spilled over into mid-July and while it's hot out during the day, by nightfall you need a jacket. So perhaps it's unsurprising I'm ready for "summer" to pack it in and for fall to make its official appearance. While it might not exactly be cool by October, I'm so excited for tights, lightweight maxi skirts, motorcycle boots, punches of jewel tones, and leather-and for the opportunity to throw them into the mix if not cover up completely. My cool weather wish list is already off to a great start with these items:

Suno Estrella platform wedges available here.

Gorgeous colored silk blouse by Funktional, sold out at Pixie Market (like every awesome piece they sell).

Nishe fur-trimmed coat, already sold out from ASOS.

T by Alexander Wang panne velvet maxi skirt available here. I'm hoping they offer the silver color that's available in dress form in this version too.

Feisty leopard print shift dress available at Topshop.

This retro colorblock coat that would make a nice alternative to the rather dark vibe of my current ones, another Topshop find.

Staring at Stars ombre loose knit top available here.

I love the burnt orange color of this sold out Shakuhachi dress and the way the thick ruching looks soft rather than the heavy it easily could have. Plus, anything that keeps arms warm while highlighting the clavicle is okay in my book!

Window Into Ourselves

I love portrait and street photography; those images of everyday people that give us a glimpse into a world that may be wildly unlike our own, and which have the capacity to inspire, depress, or otherwise move us as much as those using carefully crafted sets, makeup, or set lighting. The way the camera, person, and environment can combine to turn the mundane into a powerful image that conveys facets of a personality or human condition, imagined or real, fascinates me. Relating to the humanity in people, who may be wildly different from me or exist with wholly alternative realities, is a beautiful reminder of what exactly it is to be human. Working at the Getty was when I first learned to appreciate photography as a medium; I would spend hours poking through art books and the photography ones tended to be those that blew my mind and contain images that continue to stay with me. Here are a few of my favorite portrait photographs, which incidentally happened to all be in black and white:

Blue Cloud Wright, a slaughterhouse worker photographed by Richard Avedon for In the American West.

From Milton Rogovin's The Mining Photographs, which shows miners from around the world at work and at home. The contrasts and surprises make this an amazing study.

Qahatika Child by Edward Curtis, whose photos of Native Americans helped to preserve images of a shrinking race but also bring up issues of doctoring photos to create a desired look that may not mirror reality.

Weegee's photos are as whimsical as his pseudonym.

Underwater Swimmer by Andre Kertesz.