I’m very happy that I was able to attend the opening night reception of the inaugural Art Los Angeles Contemporary- and get a VIP wristband. I didn’t take as many pictures as I wished.

I saw some very inspiring work and said excuse me like 100 times. My god, the place was so packed.

I only saw Devon Aoki while I was on my way to get a beverage. But, I heard that Neil Patrick Harris and Shannyn Sossamon were there.

You should check out the fair. Get tickets here.

Pacific Design Center
8687 Melrose Ave
West Hollywood, CA

I was scrolling through old pictures from last year on Yvan Rodic and found a posting shot in Abu Dhabi. I posted my favorite painting of the woman with the netted accessory. Then images of Gloria Swanson and Viktor & Rolf models came to mind.

I really love portraits of people with their faces covered or obstructed. I especially love paparazzi shots of celebs running, their arms and hands shielding their unmade faces.

Look! More people who wish to be exploited.

I was browsing LOOKBOOK.nu and quickly selected a few that me likee. I can only remember one title that was hilarious, but it’s from 6 months ago.

My father was sort of… eaten.

Here’s the most recent one I spotted: all the MAC black lipsticks are sold out, but i don’t see anyone wearing it

I have not yet seen a Lookbook posting that combined an exceptional picture with an exceptional title.

Looking at this picture makes me miss my tan.

I spent too many hours on the computer yesterday searching for the best deal on a ticket to LA. I haven’t done this in a while and realized that I am really out of touch with airline prices. I also realized that airline miles expire after a certain amount of time.

If you are planning to take a domestic flight very soon, the fares for most major airlines drop significantly for dates between January 29th to February 2nd.

And US Airways has a really good hit ratio of cheap cheap flights. I have had some bad experiences with US Air but I always go back to them because they have such low fares.

I have been collecting Coke points lately. It started around Thanksgiving when we were buying the tasty sugar water in bulk. Then we welcomed into our home another shipment around Christmas and the New Year. I collected enough to reward myself with a 1 year subscription to ReadyMade Magazine (133 points). Now, I have my sights set on W Magazine which will set me back 280 points.

Here are some other magazines you can earn just by registering the points that are most likely adding up in your pantry or fridge:

Teen Vogue – 165 points

Marie Claire – 168 points

Lucky – 200 points

Allure – 200 points

Everyday Food – 200 points

Town & Country – 200 points

Just register online already. You know your rum and Coke addiction can earn you a Coke race car.

I have spoken to several different people about mall shopping lately and have come up with the same conclusion. We have no idea what to buy at the mall anymore. I love the creative aspect of searching through miles and miles of junk before finding that lump of gold. I used to be obsessed with the whole idea of finding buried treasure when I was young. I’ve substituted the chisel and pick for a editing eye and my bare hands.

This brings me to LookBook.nu. I love the site. People of all ages creating quick mini-editorials in their bedroom and spots around their hometown. I mean, look at the gem above. I love the cut of the trousers. They are boxy at the top like Proenza Schouler slacks, and if you are feeling creative, you can do this on the cheap.

Grab a pair that fit a bit loose at the hips/waist. Originally wide-leg or boyfriend slouch should do the trick. Put the pants on inside out. In front of full length mirror, pin along the sides so that they are fitted but not too tight through out the thighs and calves. Chalk along the pins creating a continuous line. Remove pants carefully so that you do not jab yourself with pins. Now, sew. Check for fit. Finish hem and remove excess fabric. Voila!

Sunlight come and warm my bones, melt my ice cream, blind me on the road and add a spring to my step.

Here are some images from photographer Ellen von Unwerth for Lula, the magazine created for those in the industry.

Kirsten “Kiki” Dunst as the inspiration for 7 New Faces from Next RUSSH January/February 2010 issue.

I’ve been layering like crazy. Strategic piles of cotton, wool, or whatever that will sheath my skin from the chilly air.

Here’s a different take on layering conjured up by stylist Panos Yiapanis for Doll Parts featured in V Magazine #63.

Still cold in the south.

The beach would be quite brisk.

I watched a movie a while back and I forgot the name of it. The movie was one- French, two- had a carousel tin, and three- a boy and girl who played cruel games on one another. I Googled it and with compliments of the InterWeb, got it in a 14 hours.

The movie is called Jeux des’enfants or Love Me If You Dare (2003) and features Marion Cotillard. The colors are ultra-saturated, like in Amelie and typical of many French films, they die at the end.

Not many people can escape the cold. I mean it’s in the 30s in Orlando. Go rent this movie and watch it tonight. And if you have any other reason for leaving the house besides renting the recommended movie, please see Avatar in IMAX 3D.

IN IMAX 3D!

Splurge please, it is worth it and get there a bit early to score a center seat.

Let me put it this way. The trailers alone were worth the $14. THE TRAILERS WERE WORTH THE PRICE OF THE DAMN TICKET! And I am NOT getting paid to say that.

There are two times during the year where sales are mandated in Paris. You heard me right. Soldes, happen during the summer and well, ends around now. Imagine up to 70% off at Colette, Sonia Rykiel.

You Francophiles can take part in the soldes sales by visiting A.P.C. Check out the Madras collection. The navigation bar is nice nice.

Here is Abbey Lee Kershaw again. She is getting in touch with Opening Ceremony, taxidermy and all things wild and and untamed for a spread in Dazed and Confused.

It’s the time for wasting checks (you can’t change 2009 to 2010 very easily- I tried), covering your plants, making mountains of wadded tissues and wondering why people dropped like flies this past year.

I just read an article that is so relevant to the trip. Please read Broadband, Yes. Toilet, No in the New York Times.

It’s about a couple, Mr. Higman and Ms. McKittrick, who live in a yurt in Seldovia, Alaska with their infant son, Katmai. A yurt is Mongolian-style tent sometimes covered with fur, that looks to me like a short cyclo. The town is so remote that you can only access it by airplane or by boat.  The couple purchased it for $14,000. It is their primary home. They have no running water or a toilet, but they do have internet access. Amen.

I’m sure that everyone has entered the 200 or whatever square feet space furnished in every IKEA. We ooh and ahh and walk into the bathroom, crawl into the bed and play house. But these two, I mean three, are a little more hardcore than me or thee. They are living with extreme weather, ungodly isolation, and you know, there’s the whole baby thing.

Imagine walking around in the snow where everything is so pure and white and untinctured by any color, then entering this round refuge centered around a beating hearth, so inviting, saturated in color. So warm and cozy.

Ms. McKittrick offered the best quote that I have heard in a long time:

“I’m someone who doesn’t mind giving up some level of convenience for having an interesting experience.”

N S F W

I left an arctic wonderland to return to a record freeze back home.

Here are some images from Numero Magazine #109 featuring Abbey Lee Kershaw that will keep you warm.

Headdresses remind me of balmy summers and grass stains. Yes, I’ll hit the spiked cider to that.

I have officially returned from a week long vacation in a rustic Narnia-land (Boone, North Carolina), so please excuse the gap in postings. Also, please excuse the stock photography. I have not had a chance to sift through the hundreds upon hundreds of images and video footage from the group trip. Did I mention that it was a group trip? Uh-huh. Eight people.

I have always said that quickest way to get to know someone is to travel with them.

I learned that ski resorts (Boone NC’s equivalent to our Mouse Land) are cash cows especially around holiday time when lift tickets magically double in price. We went to Appalachian Ski Mountain and Ski Beech. I skied again this year and also picked up the basics of snowboarding with pointers from my friends.

You also learn a lot about a place when you eat the local food. In downtown Boone, there is this great place called Black Cat (127 South Depot St.). They take your order up front and give you a toy as your food marker. I finished my BBq burrito and became that German guy from the Snickers commercial with eternal hunger. I was literally cramming food into my feed hole so quickly, you couldn’t see my hands.

On New Year’s Day, we trekked out to Asheville which I learned is the “San Francisco of the east”. I picked up a cafe au lait at this great place called French Broad Chocolate Lounge (10 South Lexington Avenue). Then, we met some friends and bonded over amazing BBq and greens at this place called Stella’s. The waitress told us to mix the home sauce with the vinegar as topping for the meat. Now when I think of that pretty plate of pulled pork and condiments mixture, I crave it nightly.

Now I have been home and I am getting back into the swing of things. Getting back from vacation is always rough. I am a strong creature of habit and getting back into a flowing rhythm is difficult.

Good to be home. Pictures to come soon.