Monthly Obsession: Pompom Sandals

June 27, 2016

It must be the thick of summer because I'm starting to obsess over Gray Malin beach photos, iced coffee, and the smell of sunscreen. I got my first sunburn of the season last weekend, and I can still feel a tiny crinkling burn whenever I shrug my shoulders. (Shame on me, no sunscreen! Eep!) To be honest, summer kind of snuck up on me. What is it about entering the workforce that totally messes with your brain and the seasons? I mean, srsly. June just slips on by as yet another month, and it's not until 4th ofJuly that the "ah! It's summer!" smacks you upside the head. (#adulting)

So, my newest obsession for the summer is the pompom sandal. I passed by them at Anthro and it was like my head was yanked away from my body when I spotted them. Laying on the shelf, they looked kinda like a pathetic deflated party balloon... or like the inside of Cheech's Love Machine had been put through a neon-colored blender, and I was fascinated. I kinda hate myself for it, but I'm strangely attracted to them. They're like a wacky Carmen Miranda fiesta for your feet. Did I buy them? No. But, they are still haunting me. For two months. They've been haunting me.

I've started seeing them pop up all over the place. In stores, on Instagram... I don't think I've actually seen anyone wearing them out in public, but then again I did not go to Cochella, so they could be EVERYWHERE and I don't know it. I've been living in a little bubble for about 6 months, so there. A quick insta-search reveals that with 5,800+ tags, yes, #pompomsandals, they are everywhere. The more I scroll, the more people start to look something like utterly ludicrous Decorator Crabs grabbing bright, shiny balls and sticking them onto their feet.

I know, I keep talking about how ridiculous they are, but that's just it, I keep talking about them. *cue big sigh* Lets be honest here, I LOVE how ridiculous they are. I'd love to wear them with white jeans and a linen top. No jewelry. Why bother, because you know everyone's just going to be staring at your feet. So I may just have to give in to the absurd and snap them up before summer is gone. Here are a few that I've found:

1: WhatFrankieDidNext Pompom sandals,. 2: Elina Linardaki Penny Lane Sandals, 3: Good Night Macaroon pom pom lace-ups, 4: Greek Sundals Small pom pom lace-ups, 5: TrendyTopUk Haldidi tufted sandals.

Monthly Obsession: Eau de Summer

September 19, 2014

September is almost over and summer is winding down. Here in LA we're still getting steamy 100 degree days, so it doesn't really feel like fall. At all. As a result, I still have summer on the brain and one of my favorite things is the smell of summer. I love the smell of sandy salt air, jasmine and plumeria hot from the afternoon sun, and the tinge of fresh coconut. Surfers' Sex Wax and Sticky Bumps, and getting slathered up with Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat. It's that smell when you've just come out of the ocean and you're laying face-down on a towel, the wind brushes over your shoulder while you examine the microscopic kernels of sand inches from your face. You smell all of that, minutes before you fall asleep with the sun on your back.

When I was living in New York, I kind of made it my mission to find this smell... if only to remember the California summers of my childhood. I was extremely picky because, like my mother, I have an extremely sensitive sense of smell. I'm the type of person who sneezes in the detergent aisle or the perfume department because of the general onslaught of odors, good or bad. I have an aversion to any sort of artificial smell, like fake coconut or scratch-n-sniff stickers. To replicate my summer smell, I wanted the "real" thing, or as close to it as I could get.

From my searchings, here are a few of my favorite items that, to this day, I am totally obsessed with:

clockwise from top left:

Kai perfume Oil; White Sand body lotion, Finn & Co; Monoï Body Glow, NARS; At The Beach 1966, CB I Hate Perfume; Aloha Orchid, Capri Blue.

Monthly Obsession: Navajo rugs/blankets

March 19, 2014

This issue of Monthly Obsession is brought to you by Navajo rugs in all their fabulous geometric glory.

As I continue to furnish & decorate my home, I've become increasingly obsessed with Navajo textiles. I mean, come on. They're just incredible. Geometric, colorful (usually) so bold and graphic. I'm just sad that my pocketbook can't afford most of the really unique vintage ones! Sigh.

Traditionally, they are hand loomed by women and take a really long time to create, hence the hefty price tag. Mostly the readily available vintage ones were made around the 1930-1960's. You can find ones from as far back as the mid 1800's! If you're into this style, there are also really amazing Navajo Chief's blankets with really bold stripes and patterns. Horse/Saddle blankets are another, smaller size option. Luckily for those of us who can't spend a bundle on the vintage originals, there are more affordable rug makers that are jumping onto the geometric bandwagon. Here's a few of my recent new and vintage favorites:

Above rug: 1930's Eye Dazzler

Below, clockwise from top:

1940's Carpet; 1880's Germantown Eyedazzler; Two Grey Hills Runner; Surya "Frontier";
New Moon "Mesa" collection; 1930's Teec Nos Pos rug.

Monthly Obsession: Rattan Chairs

January 31, 2014

This monthly obsession is brought to you by those fabulous rattan chairs that seem to be popping up everywhere these days. I mean... everywhere. I saw Ikea's version about a year ago. I was on my way to the registers - hell bent on getting out of the weekend crush ASAP {weekend Ikea = worst nightmare ever!}.

When I saw the display they had set up, it was like a cartoon scene - my body kept walking while my head stayed to savor the awesomeness that was that rattan chair. At the time, I was still in the thick of demo-ing my house & trying to figure out what fixtures to order. Decor, let alone patio furniture, was the last thing on my list. So, I left Ikea and kept that chair in the back of my head. I figured if it was out of store by the time I was ready, then it wasn't meant to be. Fast forward to now, and violá! Chairs. It just so happened that I snagged the last 2 on the shelf that morning. Score!

{I'm sure they had a billion more waiting in the back, but I felt lucky at the time}

I'll share pictures of my actual chairs a little later.

top photo via Apartment Therapy

1. bamboo & rattan chair, 1stDibs
2. round chair, The Family Love Tree
3. hanging chair, Serena & Lily
4. Storsele chair, Ikea
5. rattan chair w/ cushion, One Kings Lane
6. red armchair, Meg Braff Designs

Monthly Obsession: Moravian Star

October 3, 2013

This edition of

Monthly Obsession

is brought to you by the fabulously versatile

moravian star

pendant light. After ripping apart my little Spanish Revival house, I wanted to keep the interior looking relatively close to what you may have found in it when it was built in 1924... with a few classic updates, of course. When I looked up at my living room ceiling after all the

whipped cream

had been removed, I pictured awesome

moravian star

pendant lights. Those things have been around for so long, they're a classic. They can be found is so many variations, the star lights can be applied to pretty much any european-style house {spanish, moorish, german, english cottage, etc}. In true obsessive style, I scoured lighting stores and the interwebs for the perfect ones. Originally, I found really great ones from Rejuvenation that were the right size and in my budget. Unfortunately, by the time I went to buy them, they were discontinued. Sadness.

{something about the shade randomly falling off the light. Not good}

Just as I was getting disheartened, I somehow found lights from Ballard Designs. That catalog store isn't at all on my radar, like

ever

... but they had some nice ones that were also on super sale! Yessss! Done!

{see my bro & sis-in-law helping with the install below. I have amazingly

awesome family

}