† Electrolite

Crop top and pencil skirt by COREY.

I turned 25 out in the desert earlier this week. I had never been to Palm Springs before -- in fact, until last year I thought Palm Springs was a lush, watering hole (it sounds like it should be!!) -- so the acres of sand and quiet isolation caught me off guard. I can see why LA folk like to retreat there so often. It's a welcome change from the helicopters and car alarms I hear out my window every night.


Photography by shadeofcat.

† Futurescapes

(wearing x-ray shift dress by COREY, patent leather boots by dr martens)

Greetings from sunny LA! Coming from the snowy doom-filled depths of Utah, I had never imagined a world where I could lounge on the beach in a swimsuit in March, but it's happening. Actually, I had never even imagined a world where I liked the beach (all that sun eww) but these days I'm constantly pestering people to go with me. 

Though just like the dog that probably can't change its spots, I'll still be there in all black.

I've started watching Bates Motel and this mini dress totally reminds me of it: I love the electric blue against black. The composition book is actually a tablet case -- so cute.  I've been using the LG G Pad 7.0 tablet lately since it's much more purse-friendly than an iPad or laptop.

Photography by the ever lovely TAPPERINTO.

Getting Started in Fashion + Taking Shortcuts When Necessary: Amuze.com

As crazy and mindblowing as LA is, it keeps trying to set me up to lead a lifestyle that I can't really afford yet. People wear Yohji Yamamoto like sweats and spend $45+ on (unpasteurized!!! think of your health!!!) juice but I'm still counting out quarters to see when I can do a load of laundry. I've seen some casual, meet up for a cup of coffee to go over work, snack bills that reached into the triple digits.

The reality of working in fashion is this: you're not going to make a lot of money until you've earned your (hopefully well-coordinated and seasonally appropriate) stripes. In the meantime, you put in hard work, meet as many people as you can, learn to accept favors gracefully... and never pass up a discount. 

When I was intro'd to Amuze.com, I clicked around the site with progressively wider and wider anime eyes. The discount is strong with this one, you guys. It's a member's-only, flash sale website, a familiar concept at this point, but the difference is they have serious designer pieces -- not names that you haven't heard of but the price point makes you wonder if you should -- but names that you definitely know (and if not we can't be friends. sry.) Gucci. Valentino. Jimmy Choo. Saint Laurent. Amuze.com means serious business. 

Exhibit A: the perfect summer shoe, Leather & Polka Dot Wedge Sandal by Red Valentino, originally $425, now $90, on Amuze. 

Go check it out & don't forget to tell me what you score!

TRYING TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITY OF ANGELS

I've worn a ton of different hats in the last few weeks...

I learned this face from Manson.

I promise that bracelet is from a concert and not a hospital.

... Literally! Har, har. Everyone says "literally" in Los Angeles but actually uses it the right way: "I literally walked into the door" when their body made actual contact with the door, so while I've made a point never to use it in the hyperbolic sense, I don't know what to do about the literal sense. It keeps sneaking into my vocabulary.

Those are some truly frightening hat selfies but like I was going to keep the puffy gold turban all to myself.

But I really have been jumping around through a lot of different things. I've been lurking around the background of some tv shows, eating all of the food from craft services at Fox Studios, interning in PR showrooms, styling a handful of projects, and perpetually wondering how I'll pay next month's rent.

Did you see me on 2 Broke Girls or The Crazy Ones? I was in your living room and you didn't even know it. (Awkwaaaard.)

Bonus picture of Daniel Radcliffe's back because it's DANIEL RADCLIFFE.

This month holds an equal amount of uncertainty and promise, but hopefully with more pictures since I have my camera back in my little hands. While LA is occasionally an absurd place where your worth is measured by your bottle service, there's a lot to be said for the comfort of strangers, the grace of family, and "HOLLYWOOD" tossed up in white letters on the side of an unattractive, glorified hill right outside my apartment.

I basically still act like a tourist and I am at peace with this.

Check out some of these showrooms that people have not only let me voluntarily into, but also let me TOUCH OBJECTS inside. $4000 dress? Cool, no big deal, let me straighten that skirt. Oh, sorry, I just dropped your $700 cuff on the floor. It's fine, you have a whole cabinet of $700 cuffs. Those are paltry compared to the cabinet of $2000 cuffs, anyway.

Cow goes moo, frog goes croak, and the elephant goes...

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Too Ugly for LA

I saw Page Ruth (above, givin' her best Miley) modeling for this brand on Instagram and loved it immediately. They're called Too Ugly For LA, and their slogans work because they're (ironically) true. Probably because I just moved to Los Angeles, but I cracked up as soon as I saw the "You'd never make it in LA" oversized tank.  I love it, I want it, etc.

I suspect Amanda Bynes would be totally into the self-titled "Too Ugly" shirt if she wasn't, uh, locked up somewhere.

My second fav, definitely: "Stay in school or this could be you." What do you guys think? They're definitely appealing to a niche market, but would you put it on? 

On the web: http://shoptoouglyforla.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TooUglyForLa 

Join on the ruckus on Twitter.

† Silverlake Lounge

 

I had a killer time dancing it up to the tunes of John Flanagan while celebrating the birthday of one of my biffies. (Hi Raz! I am happy you were born!)

Since I've kinda been living out of a suitcase while I hop around Southern California, in preparation I tried to pack some of the more..... accessible pieces of clothing of I own 'cause I knew I'd be getting a lot of mileage out of it. This rad kapowwwww! dress is the only thing I own by Lazy Oaf but it's sooo comfy and everyone loves it and idk bury me in it, basically. Tights were a good call for this outfit; helped keep the bottom of the dress in place, and when I flopped face-first into the backseat of a car at the end of the night, people only had to deal with a surprise purple rump in their line of sight. It could've been worse!

We went to Silverlake Ramen before the show and it was A+++++ tasty. If anyone else came to the show, I was the one at the back with my face buried in a giant to-go cup of ramen. No regrets.

• clear heel lita by Jeffrey Campbell
• kapow bodycon by Lazy Oaf (ON SALE!!! GET IT!)
• godzilla robot necklace c/o Verameat
• ladders up bracelet c/o Verameat
  
  
  
  I leave you with this: