Inspired By: The Showgirl Next Door

I loved this feature on Dita Von Teese's home from the February 2011 issue of InStyle. There are many things to love about her and her place, but I think the thing I love the most is that she isn't afraid to let her freak flag fly. And when you do that, you give other people permission to do the same.

I dug this up recently because I'm working on a lot of personal projects and find myself second-guessing my decisions. But in the end, you've just gotta trust your gut and be true to who you are - that's what makes you unabashedly authentic and people are drawn to that originality. So raise your freak flag high.

photo credit: instyle

Miss Behavin'

Last fall, I took a class on licensing and created a home goods collection titled Miss Behavin', following the story of a sabotaging burlesque troupe. I created four plate designs, a fabric pattern, and a lampshade (you can see the rest here). It was exciting to see my illustrations on objects! I look forward to designing a collection for licensing in the future - just putting it out in the universe!

Sunday Style Section: Dapper Dogs

You might know that I have three dogs, and if you didn't, well, you do now. I love my dogs, and all canine-kind in general, so I'm dedicating this week's Sunday Style Section to a goddamn dapper dog shop.

I don't normally put my dogs in clothes, but if when I have the 80 bones (har har), Oliver is getting this damn sweet trench coat. And Lucy this peacoat. Annnnd maybe Bettie this dress.

Rover.

"Do A Lot Of Work"

"Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know it's normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through."

- Ira Glass

Good Eats

...is eating good food. This past weekend, we found a great new-to-us restaurant, Edendale. It was low-key and romantic, something we desperately needed after a busy weekend of cleaning and shooting, and even has a photo booth in the back!


Earlier in the day, we were at a farmer's market and I got this amazing rose peach pie. Wish I could remember the name of the bakery, which also made potato chip cookies, but I don't.

Sunday Style Section: Put A Bird On It

Super quirky photo of Anne Francis from the 50s sci-fi film Forbidden Planet - I can't even imagine what the plot of this movie is when parakeets sitting in her hoop earrings are part of the costume. I dig it.

And then some wings.

It's a fact. Things are better when you put a bird on it. Consider this blog now 10% better than before.

"Compete Against Yourself"

"Do your best and become as successful as you can because the more powerful you become, the smaller the other person gets, right? So it’s like the bigger you are, the better you become, the less power other people have over you. The best thing to do is to always compete with yourself and not to compete with others. The only thing you can control is your own performance and what you’re doing to yourself and with yourself. You also have to be careful about how you handle it, because you never know. That one cunt-y person could become the new editor-in-chief. Sometimes the nasty person wins. That’s why it’s always good to compete against yourself."

- Kelly Cutrone

Closet & Casa on Oh Joy!

Huge thanks to Bri and Joy for having me on Closet & Casa this week. You can read the feature here. (Though I think most of you are here because of it, so thanks for visiting!)

Café de Flore

Back to my What I Ate in Paris series (one and two). On our second day in Paris, Allison and I went to the famed Café de Flore and had ourselves the best Welsh rarebit and hot chocolate. Perhaps made especially good after a harrowing, windy morning climbing the Eiffel tower.

Rarebit, which is basically a bowl of grilled cheese on top of toast, is hard to paint appealingly. But trust me, you've got to order it if you're ever in Paris, and if you're ever at Café de Flore.

Scenes from a Vegas Vacation

Just got back from Vegas yesterday, and right back into work today. My right eye has been twitching all day in protest (I love my job, it just wants to still be on vacation). Read The Hunger Games in one day by the pool. So the good thing about coming home is that I get to start Catching Fire. Are you hooked on this series too?

Also, want to send lots of love to Miles to Style for this kind post about me + my work. Christine runs the best style blog for you and your dog - thanks, Christine and Miles!

Sunday Style Section: Vintage Vegas Showgirls

In honor of my mini-vacation this weekend to Las Vegas, this week's Sunday Style Section is of course, vintage Vegas showgirls.

Happy Sunday!

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Leaving (for) Las Vegas

This weekend I'm headed into the desert with Ryan, and we're spending a nice mini-vacation in Las Vegas. Given that the lifespan of this new blog is five months, and I'll already have gone to Vegas twice, you might think I'm a lush. And you would be right.

If a lush means a person who eats a lot, takes long naps, reads magazines by the pool, and eats again. I'm reeeeeeally looking forward to this weekend break. Hope you get one too.

"Love yourself first, and everything else falls into line."

Lucille Ball is one of my all-time favorite actors. I grew up watching I Love Lucy reruns with my grandfather on many afternoons, and still watch it now whenever it's on TV. I even named my first (red) dog Lucy, after her. The way her 100th birthday was celebrated on the internet recently was so magical, especially the tiny television set on Google's homepage.

One of the most unexpected roles I ever saw her in was in Ziegfeld Follies - she was every inch the glamour girl of Fanny Brice and Esther Williams, but still hammed it up better than the boys on her own show. I love a beautiful, smart and funny woman.

We Only Said Goodbye With Words

I've wanted to do an illustration of Amy Winehouse since I heard of her sad passing a couple weeks ago. Like many, I was a huge fan of her music and her irreplaceable voice that made you feel less alone when your heart's so broken you can't even find all the pieces. Thanks, Amy.

New Portfolio Site up!

I'm so excited! Took me a good amount of time to work out my new branding, including a detour with an almost right logo that resulted in 150 now-defunct business cards, but I'm super happy with what I have now. Clean serif and happy colorful flags that better represent my work and attitude, and a much easier to navigate site with larger images. The site itself took three rounds of redesign and reprogramming, and was made a reality thanks to my amazing and patient boyfriend.

Two things I learned in this redesign process: designing for yourself is always the hardest (might be stating the obvious here) and ALWAYS SLEEP ON YOUR IDEAS!

Now please take a gander, and let me know what you think!

Sunday Style Section: Pool Reading

I want to be doing this right now. For the rest of the summer.

P.S. Emma Stone is so pretty.

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Bad Girls Throughout History, Second Edition

It's happening. With 4 minty fresh new spreads. Making them for APE and to trade with artists I love. Let me know if you wanna trade!

Hello August!

Lately life has been a lot of working, and then brief breaks packed with indulging in really amazing food. Here's what I've been eating lately...


Lobster roll at Blue Plate Oysterette.


(L) Finally tried Din Tai Fung at the end of a marathon day of eating with my best friend, which included the aforementioned lobster roll. (R) Oysters at a celebration dinner Ryan took me out for after I wrapped up a huge project. (At one of my favorite restaurants, Figaro Cafe).


Really amazing pastries and coffee with a lovely friend at Proof Bakery.


(L) Ryan and I went down to San Diego last weekend for Comic Con, which really was an excuse for us to visit all our favorite places from when we lived there. Top on that list is our favorite rolled taco place. (R) Then my favorite dessert place in the world: Extraordinary Desserts. If you're ever in San Diego, you. must. try. this. place.