Oh, You Know…

Just Margherita Missoni at home being perfect and relaxed and stuff…You know? 

Love her…

When You Laugh, I Laugh…

My sister is the love of my life. The pea to my pod, the moon to my sun, the yin to my yang. One of my absolute favorite activities to engage in with her is laughing. I love laughing with her. More than I love many, many things.

Last time we were together, I told her that I loved it when she laughed, that when she laughed it made my heart smile and therefore I simply had to laugh, too. She looked at me and said, “I can’t believe you said that because I feel exactly the same way. When you laugh, I feel so warm! I love it when you laugh! Everything is ok when you laugh! Isn’t that amazing? Aw, we love each other’s laughs!”

I think this is maybe one of the sweetest conversations I have ever had in my life. It’s another way to describe the most natural bond between two siblings. It’s funny, when you’re little, you want your younger sister to leave you alone/get out of your room/stay out of your closet/stop touching and stealing your shit. But then you age, as we all are meant to do, withstanding life’s curve balls and blessings…As I move into adulthood and into my “own,” I crave my sister’s company, I need to hear her laugh. It’s a sweet reminder of how pure and simple love can be.

I love my sister and I love my sister’s laugh. 

So, The Other Day, I Cried During Yoga…

I know, right? Really Eat, Pray, Love of me…I know. Let me explain, alright?

At the start of class, the instructor said to everyone, “This is YOUR practice. I want you to set your intention for today.” So there I sat in agnistambhasana pose (you know, kinda like indian style or whatever) with my eyes closed and genuinely thought. And as I thought, I decided that my intention for the next hour and a half would be simply to not think at all, to focus all of my energy and strength on myself and my body, breath deeply, to embrace the discomfort and push through it, knowing that at the end I will feel that much more incredible.

At the end of class, everyone lays down and closes their eyes. I was still breathing heavily, my face still hot and sticky, blood pulsing…In this moment of blissful exhaustion, laying there, listening to the soothing lullaby voice of the instructor, tears began to roll down my face. There I was, laying in a yoga class, quietly letting myself have a good solid cry. Not because I was sad, but because I was happy and exhausted and because I have come so far, not just in yoga per say, but in my life within this past year.

I realized that this life is a practice. It is our own personal practice that we must set an intention for. And as I laid there in this space, I thought how almost a year ago this summer, I set an intention for my life. I picked myself up in the midst of one of my most low points, in heartbreak, in confusion and pain. I told myself that I needed to move forward with my life and my plan, that it’s going to hurt like hell but I must be my primary focus, my happiness must be my focus, the betterment of my personal self must be my focus because at the end, I will feel that much more incredible.

In yoga, you stretch and hold yourself in positions that push your limits, you want to give up and let your muscles give out but then you repeat your intention in your head, take a deep breath and keep going. The lesson here is that you are the master of your own strength. You choose your intention. You make the choice to follow through and be there for yourself, to conquer your demons and slay your dragons, to do what makes you laugh and love deeply, you make the choice to nourish your soul with goodness. Because one day, you will be laying there, with your eyes closed and realize how fearless you really are, how resilient your heart truly is, and how strong you’ve become. 

We are blessed with this new week and blessed with the ability to make choices. This is your practice for today and everyday for the rest of your life. Set your intention. 

Namaste for real, you guys. 

And We Are Reminded Again That Life Is Short…

Sadness. 

the812:

The Beastie Boys.

RIP Adam Yauch a.k.a. MCA

This Is Everything…

I don’t know exactly what is going on in the new Dior ad, but I really, really, really dig it. Running around Versailles? Love it. Depeche Mode? Always. Dior’s new collection? Gorgeous. 

It has been a lifelong dream of mine to run around Versailles dressed entirely in couture with a surprised “Who, me? There’s an emergency in the garden or something!” look on my face. So as far as I am concerned, Inez van Lamsweerde & Vindoodh Matadin hit the nail on the head with this here ad campaign. If you beg to differ, you’re probably boring. 

For Olivia…

Because this is our jam. 

FarandolesByDjedjotronic

Dita Von Teese’s Boyfriend Is A Babe’O’Roonie

Louis-Marie de Castelbajac, you are a FOX. You are a seriously tall glass of water. Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate. You are immaculately polished with the spirit of a hustler and the swagger of a college kid. Basically, what I’m trying to tell you is that I love you and that I want to hold your hand while I purrrrrrr like a kitten. WHATEVER, OK?!  

Coco And Spencer

Were transported from Heaven to Earth upon a cloud made entirely of cotton balls. When I look at their faces, two four-letter-words come to mind…

                          P-U-R-E    L-O-V-E

You People Make Me Feel So Un-Chic

In LA (and now apparently new locations all over, I guess), there is a really great second-hand/vintage store on Melrose called Wasteland. They have an awesome selection of used, or let’s say “vintage,” clothing. Trendy spoiled people from all over Los Angeles venture to Wasteland to buy and sell their clothing, so often times, you are able to find someone’s discarded one-of-a-kind half cute Missoni dress…Or whatever. So, when you are broke and want to make a quick buck, your lil’ Los Angeleno tush will scamper over to Wasteland to sell clothing that you think, or thought, was TOTALLY CUTE. But guess what? The uber-well-dressed-oddly-attractive-tattooed-Philip Lim-and-vintage-army-surplus-wearing employees will prove you WRONG. And then you leave doubting your inner Anna Wintour whilst shuffling toward the nearest Pink Berry to sulk. 

Above is a sketch from one of my favorite shows, Portlandia. This skit embodies the average experience at Wasteland a.k.a. Doubt Your Personal Style Land. 

Enjoy! And to shop Wasteland online, visit www.shopwasteland.com

The Life And Times Of A 20-Something-Year-Old Samurai

When I was about thirteen years old, my dad gave me a book. He looked at me and said, “I want you to read this because it’s important.” If my father tells me something is important, it’s important…And so without hesitation, I looked at the book and read its title out loud, “Bushido: The Japanese Art of War.” And that was the day that I became a samurai.

Just kidding…Well, sort of kidding. By taking a fast glance at the title, one would be under the impression that my father had made a weird and irresponsible choice by giving me some sort of manual on how to be a tough ass puta, that he had given me the ultimate how-to guide on beating the living shit out of my enemies, on how to WIN. However, this book is absolutely nothing of the sort. Instead, my dad chose to give me a book that would impart upon me centuries worth of wisdom. This art of Bushido is not simply “the art of war,” it is the art of being human. 

Sometimes, I lose my way. Recently, I lost my way for a brief moment and in this moment, I decided to rummage through my books and pull out the book my dad gave me years ago. In Bushido: The Japanese Art of War there are The Seven Virtues: 1. Rectitude, 2. Courage, 3. Benevolence, 4. Respect, 5. Honesty, 6. Honor and 7. Loyalty. 

These Seven Virtues are sobering, real, relevant and above all else, they are IMPORTANT: These are the seven rules to live by in regards to others and YOURSELF. If you cannot possess virtues within yourself, if you cannot possess rectitude, cannot be courageous, if you struggle to show kindness unto yourself, do not respect yourself, are dishonest with yourself, dishonor yourself or are disloyal to yourself, how can you expect to be all-seven-kinds-of-virtuous to others? The way we treat others is a reflection of how we treat and feel about ourselves and BOTH are essential in the quest to leading a beautiful life; a beautiful life we are all capable of living.  

May we all be our own private samurai. May we all learn what is important, and may we all live by the virtues of seven for others AND for ourselves.

Happy Monday, everyone. (And thank you, my beloved Daddy).