ladies, ladies

Something really grabs me about this photo Rony snapped of two young-'n'-pretties at Drai's recently.  Both girls have a distinctive style, yet don't look awkwardly, overly styled; they both look cool yet still organic. Not organic-organic -- ain't nothin' natural about acetate or a Beefy-T -- but organically thrown together.

Actually, though, the real magic of this shot is that the girls look like twins separated at birth, who in the intervening  20something years have grown into complete opposites, both equally comfortable in their skins.

dilemma solved: i haz bookshelves!

I know my last post made it seem dubious that I'd ever manage to stack my books, drill shelves into my walls and still die in peace, but JUST YOU LOOKEE HERE.  Turns out that looking at all those photos really did help me figure out what would work, and I got so sick of tiptoeing around my piles of paperbacks that around 10:00 last night, I enlisted the help of my very patient (and also fantastically well-equipped, toolkit-wise) roommate, and Did It.  It's still not exactly design*sponge-worthy, and the visuals could be a little better, but that would necessitate buying books for their color and size rather than their content. Will have to try that next lifetime. 

In any case, here's how this lovely, charming, pretty (ahem) blank wall

 turned into this magical non-bookcase bookcase!

* * * 

not even going to pretend this is some fancy, artfully photographed design blog post. 

this is my bedroom, and this is my hasty design process. whee!

* * *

First I had to sort the books. Ended up stacking by category: short stories, nonfiction, fiction, different fiction, things-to-read-soon. Then just organized by size so they'd look like nice little towers.

Tools of the trade (including the stereo. Soundtrack clearly necessary for home construction.).

The shelves that started the whole thing. They fit inside the book cover and look all invisible! And they were (obviously) on sale! I bought 3 small and 2 large, not realizing that the large ones require Very Large Books.  Had to actually take one off the wall when I saw that the stack I wanted there wouldn't fit over the giant ledge of a shelf.

 The bed soon became a mess of tools and plaster-covered screws, since I had to break through the SHEET OF METAL that apparently was protecting each stud from violators such as myself. The Roommate helped figure out how to bust through the metal layer with a screw and then drill the shelves in. Hardcore, you guys, hardcore. Like that stud finder I used? [insert awful joke about trying to find a different kind of stud _here_.]

Lewis helped a lot.

This stack came out the best. Apparently, all short story compilations are required to use a color scheme based on black, brown, rust and mustard yellow.

 

Also pretty happy with my last-minute decision to put a stack next to my bed for whatever I'm in the middle of. After I took this photo I had the brilliant idea to put the picture on top of the book pile so it doesn't look as crowded. Someday I'll frame it and hang it properly... riiight.

interior design: shelving dilemma

There are several things you need to know about me in order to contextualize this post.

1. I have a lot of books.
2. I am incapable of putting things away or reorganizing until I've found THE PERFECT SOLUTION. Naturally, this leads to certain things staying un-put-away or disorganized for rather a while until I've determined THE PERFECT SOLUTION. Yes, I realize this is absurd. Couldn't you just put things away any old how, Rachel, and fix it later? Uh... no. I can't.
3. I recently condensed much of the stuff in my house into one room (my room), meaning that I'm faced with the dire necessity of finding THE PERFECT SOLUTION for all the books, papers, school records, old W & Vogue & Art and Architecture & god knows which other magazines are currently stacked in tall, perilous piles on the Nelson bench at the foot of my bed. As a kid, I always shelved my books alphabetically, but it's not so obvious how to do it now that I'll be stacking all my printed matter on...
4. these "Conceal" bookshelves by Umbra. I bought them thinking that this is the perfect chance to do the floating-stack-of-book thing I've always admired. I have a big blank wall to the right of my bedroom door, and it'll be perfect. But now comes the million-dollar question: How To Organize The Stacks?  First I was going to do stacks by color, until I realized that I have about 10 times more black, white and beige books than I do orange, pink or blue books. Hmmph. I can't do pure alphabetization, because those won't necessarily look good together. I'm considering just sorting by my own weird system of mental associations with books, but I'm not sure yet. 
5. So, since I like to make decisions based on second, third and fifteenth opinions, I did some research....

 [all images from this fabulous design*sponge post on shelving]

 

color sorting!

 even better color sorting!! usually i don't like mixing books & stuff, but this works.

this, on the other hand, would drive me BONKERS.

i love how i'm posting all these shelves that have nothing to do with my shelving situation. but this one is SO FANTASTIC! perfectly fit-together books by color, with the pack deer up above!!

 

THIS is what my little invisible floating shelves are like. 

really like how these stacks are done so neatly by size. maybe i'll just try for that.

Conclusion? Still don't know. I think it might just have to be by category and then by size. We'll see tomorrow, when I actually take the plunge, haul out the drill and start stacking.

unnerving / lovely

My favorite aspirational humans, Sam and Jared of Topsy Design, reecently styled a lookbook for arty men's shirt brand Sidian, Ersatz & Vanes. Little surprise that it's thoughtfully and unconventionally done; the resulting images are slightly bizarre, yet somber and also abstractly beautiful.  Oh yah, and that's Ferraby Lionheart looking all doll-like and otherwordly in there.

highlights:

 

faves:
 

i love: inspiration from mr brainwash

credit: highsnobiety

from july but today i decided it deserved an encore.

all my favies: R29 LAFW party photos

Loved the look of the Refinery29 / LA Vintage Exchange party at Space15Twenty last night, and it was such a top-notch gathering of indie designers, vintage mavens and just high quality people. Totally worth the Venice to Hollywood drive, and that's not something I say lightly, believe you me buddy.

 1. I love chalkboards 2. Lovely display of new & vintage Zodiac boots (have you seen the tiny metal toecaps? My favorite part!) 3. Only Melissa can rock a poncho and a hat covered in feathers. She hosted the LXRY LTD pop-up shop with me in the spring and she is a force to be reckoned with, kids. 4. My crapster camera + my shaky hand 5. Partners in high-velocity browsing Nikoleta and Alicia <3 6. Go-getter-in-a-sweetheart-suit Courtney of LA Vintage Exchange (in the long dress) whom I just adore 7. The stunning table where A. and I conducted a meeting of our fawning Rossmore admiration society 8. I Heart Pies table (apple crumb pie = lifesaver for dinnerless me) 10. Maxine with her new bag line made from reclaimed vintage jackets (kind of loved that trashy lipstick red one) 11. Sooo shinyyyyy.

Love affairs of the evening:

1. HOLY SHITTTTTT bedazzled gold pumps by Haus of Price!

2. Under-finger "3Cap" rings that look like the big thumbtacks from elementary school! (by Valou)

3. SECRET FLASHBACK FIND that will be saved for another post dedicated to anyone who frequented the mall in the late 90s... just you wait.

the gap's new label: to and fro, fro and to

[pic: huff post]

So, at this point, if you have half an ear open to the fashion world or design world or perhaps just the mall world (or all three, in which case you only have one-half ear left), you know that a couple days ago The Gap announced they were changing their logo (to the one on the right, above, which I think looks like the logo for a pharmaceutical company or perhaps a company that prints chemistry textbooks). The resulting storm of vengeful bile spewed at The Gap by fashion bloggers and design bloggers (meaning that obviously MY Twitter feed was a freakin' hurricane of self-righteously tasteful hatred) was so strong that Gap gulped, hung their heads and sent out a big J/K about the whole idea.

Fashionista quotes Gap's statement that they would return to the “iconic blue box logo.”

“Ok. We’ve heard loud and clear that you don’t like the new logo. We’ve learned a lot from the feedback. We only want what’s best for the brand and our customers. So instead of crowd sourcing, we’re bringing back the Blue Box tonight,” Gap posted on their Facebook page [Monday] night.

So here's where I come in. I think, at this point, that I may have to agree with innanet rumors that the whole thing was a PR stunt. I mean, the new logo is just SO bad. It uses the ever-beloved Helvetica font, but other than that, it just doesn't make sense. Gap has been doing a  GREAT job (OK, relatively great, anyway, at least compared to the Dark Days of 2000 - 2008) at going back to creating trendy twists on classics and evoking that friendly, trustworthy, kinda-preppy kinda-hippie wear-everywhere feel. New creative director Patrick Whatshisface has done really well at the rebranding effort, and considering his considerable skills, this totally dissonant medicine-bottle logo just does not fly. I almost want to think it was a hoax (though I don't understand that either - why would they want a hoax that made trendsters only see them in a more negative light??), just because if it was for real, it does NOT bode well for Gap's marketing dept. If so, expect to see a flurry of new resumes start circulating in San Fran marketing circles....

*Side note: Gap does have some really nice fine-gauge colored cardigans right now. Just saying.

everything and everyone i like, together

Q. Hey Rachel, where will you be Thursday night?

A. -->

Got this invite from the lovely Maxine, and turns out that it's pretty much an insanely well-curated roundup of some of my favorite brands / people / food. Super excited about this one, not just because I'll know people and not be all bored and awkward, but because all those people RULE. Maxine Dillon (remember this?), darling Mixed Hearts & Rossmore & LA Vintage Exchange from my April pop-up shop at AK1511, and the Zodiac crew hosted by my PR diva buddy & partner-in-popup-crime Melissa!

And did I mention the food? Umami Burger + Honest Tea + PIES?!

see.
you.
there.

vintage nailcolor, two ways

[image: R29]

1. On Friday, NARS "premiered" their new limited-edition Vintage Nail Polish Collection, inspired by box-office hits of the 90s. Yep, we've all heard people pooh-poohing the call-everything-vintage trend and guffawing, "I mean, soon the NINETIES are going to be called vintage! ahahaha!"  Well, folks, you were right. The 5 old-school shades - Full Metal Jacket, Zulu, Midnight Express, King Kong, and MASH - are vintage, yet totally on-trend (because, uh, the 90s are trendy) and I already want the FMJ shade.

2. Last night, Dieu and I dragged out my most vintage nail polish: "Chanel's Ciel de Nuit," circa, oh, 1998? It was the first polish in Chanel's short-lived customer contest series, and I think a Seventeen Magazine reader created it (which is, naturally, how I learned about it and quickly became obsessed). It cost an unspeakable $14 and made me feel like the absolute ultimate in awesome. Which, let's be frank, it still does. (I'm not the only one! Check out this chick's ode to CdN!)

What about you kids? Any vintage shades you just can't quit?

last post + post before that = this post

So you know how I was going to the (No Subject) LA event, and then  I was wearing R29's trend of the day?  A + B = C here: Fairfax by Night's blog has the photo-documented evidence.

[thanks jonathan!]

LOVED the DIY photobooth... jeez, those girls are so creative. And I really, truly do love Downtown L.A. Loved working there in the old fashion buildings, running around all day to the various sewers' and patternmakers' studios, grabbing fashionista lunches at the Cal Mart with my coworkers at Mon Petit Oiseau, browsing the lowest of the low in Santee Alley and the nicest of the nice at the swank showrooms... I miss it, especially now that I live so close yet work so far away!

At least lovely events like the Garage Sale happen so I can visit :)

Check out the event's items now up on PortalMRKT - I am OBSESSED with #49, the Science Poster!