Get the Look - Exodus

Hello lovelies! This is Jordan from theartofjordan all the way over in Sydney, Aus. Kate has asked me to be a guest blogger today while she's living it up large in Mexico. I write about all sorts of things over on my blog and one of the all-time favorites are the 'How-to' fashion posts. I think it's fair to say we all love to indulge our street fashion cravings - so what a nice way to begin the working week!

I totally dig this outfit by Zoe Cullie (aka Haiku Ambulance). It's such a lovely blend of eras and influences that you can't pigeonhole as any one particular style. The rolled-hem shorts with a hi-waist do a killer job of showing off her amazing legs - as do the platform heels (I'm slowly replacing all my regular heels with platforms, I don't know what it is but they just look 10 times sexier and weirdly enough, are more comfortable).

Get the Look by Jordan Clarke

Her loose, light-weight blouse is perfect for the warm weather - and the cropped, 3/4 length cardi adds a punch of colour and coverage when the wind blows cold. And of course the sweet scarf wrapped around her hair adds the perfect retro, casual and lady-like edge. Overall a super chic, feminine and fashion-forward ensemble.

I hope you enjoyed that little post. Thank you for having me Kate and LPC readers!
Till next time... xx

Happy Birthday, La Petite Choue!

La Petite Choue turns one-year-old today! WOWZA! I can't believe it's been a full year of bloggin'! Thank you all for reading and supporting this creative endeavor over the past year! Cheers to another year chock' full of joyful tidbits and sweet things to come!

P.S. As a special birthday treat to YOU all, I'm going to give away a *special* birthday mix tape! Leave a comment below with your favorite birthday memory by Thursday, June 3rd and I'll choose a random winner then! Good luck!

so much to tell you

Hello, this is Natalie from So Much To Tell You. I thought that for my guest post while Kate's in Mexico (lucky thing) that I could share a few New Zealand favourites of mine that you might not be familiar with, since we're based here.

MUSIC

I think this mixtape, from Australian record label Modular is a beautiful introduction to a mixture of new and old music from here. I love it all, from the post-punk Flying Nun stuff through to the releases from bands I see every weekend, like Popstrangers.

You can download it from here.

FASHION

One of Zoe and I's favourite local labels is Lonely Hearts. Here are a few images from their summer collection - they're good friends of ours and they are super lovely. Their new collection is based on tennis - all pleats and prep. Their website is here if you'd like to see more!

when the living is easy...

Hello friends! This is Suzanne from the House of Milk and I'm so happy to be guest blogging for Kate while she's vacationing in Mexico!  I can't wait to do some traveling of my own this summer, as well as many other things that I love about the warmer months.  The upcoming months are my favorite time of year and I always look forward to a few things that aren't quite the same during winter...

Road Trips

There's something especially fun about taking a road trip during the summer.  It's all about leaving the windows down, letting the wind whip your hair in your face and blasting good music (singing along to the good parts: mandatory).  Refinery 29 even has a good list of essential road trip goodies, so grab your best friend, your GPS and hit the road, friends!

The Beach

The ocean is even more amazing when you can actually get in it.  Swimming in the salty water is so relaxing and does wonders for your skin.  Laying on the beach, reading, taking pictures, dozing off... it's all part of your beach experience!  Essential: camera, sunscreen, blankets, and your favorite sunnies.

Catching up on reading

The longer days and warmer nights always make me want to spend a little time alone curled up with some good reading material.  Whether it's catching up on magazines or reading a great novel, there's nothing better than lounging by an open window (picture a nice breeze coming through, if you will), and letting the story take you away.

Naps

The concept of "sleep when you're dead" is completely lost on me. I love to sleep.  I can fall asleep anywhere, under any circumstance and I take full advantage of this ability during lazy summer afternoons.  Taking an hour out of your day to recharge is very calming, and crucial when you want to hit the town later that night.  Which leads me to...

Dance parties

Invite your girls over, put on some Michael Jackson/Madonna/Gaga/whatever, turn up the A/C and dance.  Have some champagne and make it all the more fabulous.  And again, make sure to have your camera close at hand.

I'm going to stop here, because I could honestly go on and on about everything I love in the summer time, like the ice cream truck, the fair, biking everywhere... you get the idea.  Thanks for reading and of course a big thanks to Kate for having me over!  Have a wonderful summer everyone!

Hola, Mexico!

Tomorrow morning at 9:45am I will be en route to the beautiful teeny-tiny town of Sayulita, Mexico which is located an hour north of Puerto Vallarta. I haven't splurged on a real vacation in over two years, and this girl needs it! B and I are taking a girls trip and plan to only participate in sleeping in till noon in our twin queen canopy beds at the Playa Escondida, drinking unfathomable amounts of strawberry margaritas, horseback riding on the beach, zip-lining through the lush jungle, and gorging ourselves on Sayulita's speciality; home-made mango and lime Popsicles.

What's in it for you, you say? I have a series of guest bloggers who will be posting throughout the week so please continue to check back in for some *special surprise guests!

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend, everyone! I'll bring back pictures and popsicles for all!

Pop-Up Silverlake Art Show - You're Invited!

I'm so excited! I'm hosting my very first pop-up art show in early June for my two incredibly talented friends. Ms. Lily Stockman of Joshua Tree and Ms. Anne Jordan of Los Angeles will cover the white walls of my apartment with their new work! If you are around, please join us for art, summer cocktails in the courtyard and a little bit of magic!

Pop-Up Silverlake Presents:

New Paintings by the Cherimoya Girls

Anne Jordan & Lily Stockman

Opening Reception at my home in Silverlake: Sunday June 6th, 3-6 pm

Plus summer cocktails and hors d'oeuvres in the Starlite Courtyard!

756 N. Parkman Ave.

Apartment # 3

Los Angeles, CA 90026

lilystockman.com

annejordan.com

For more information, please visit the Cherimoya Girls website.

Up Up and Away!

I hope by now all of you have had the chance to view Pixar's latest movie; Up. If you haven't - the story follows Carl Fredricksen, a 78 year old balloon salesman who finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America, all of course, for love.


Up was one of my favorite movies from 2009 and when I stumbled upon this adorable Up inspired engagement shoot by Wildflowers Photography, I had to share!

What to do this weekend!

To do: Grab your roller-skates, your bell bottoms and your friends and head over to 70s disco rollerskating night at World on Wheels! (instructions: get there early if you need to rent skates. bring quarters to play old school video games. don't forget to sample the punch at the bar upstairs!)

To eat: AOC Wine Bar on Third Street in West Hollywood. (instructions: sample the bacon wrapped dates(best I've ever had), duck confit and leek salad. and don't forget the hazelnut french toast for desert!)

To listen to: Dixie Chick's Super Sister duo Emily Robinson and Martie Maguires' side project; The Court Yard Hounds. (instructions: grab your banjo and cowgirl boots and rock out!)

To attend: Silverlake Jubilee
(instructions:listen to indie rock band The Like and watch the Derby Dolls beat on one another!)

Oh, Joy's Favorite Things

As you may remember, I did a little interview piece with one of my favorite bloggers here a few months back. This week, I had the pleasure to chat with another blog crush of mine, Ms. Joy Deangdeelert Cho. Joy is a graphic designer, blogger, and foodie who worked with numerous fashion clients in New York before launching her own business, Oh Joy in 2005. She now spends her days designing and consulting for clients in the fashion and food industries, designs her own line of stationery and wallpaper, and authors the Oh Joy design blog as well as a chronicle of her foodie adventures, Oh Joy Eats. Joy recently co-wrote Creative, Inc. – a book about becoming a freelance creative talent to be published by Chronicle Books and released in Fall 2010.

Oh Joy! is my numero uno blog check every morning, and I had the best time quizzing her on her favorite things! Check out her list below and enjoy!

Favorite Film... One of my favorites, visually, has always been the modern adaptation of Great Expectations from 1998. Green is my favorite color so I love the shade of green throughout the film as well as the portraits by Francesco Clemente.


Favorite Book... I actually mostly read business books these days and have a hard time reading fiction books. I don't really have a favorite, but I'm currently reading "Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard" because I am terrible with the idea of change but I know change is good for me.

Favorite Food... Thai food... I was born in the States but grew up with Thai parents who owned Thai restaurants for a living so I was inundated with Thai food all the time. I have some great food memories from my past trips to Thailand. I only wish I could cook it as well as I enjoy eating it!


Favorite Libation... The Silician Lemonade at Osteria in Philly. It's house made limoncello, some type of soda, and fresh mint....so tasty!

Favorite Album... I can't say that there is one album that is the be all and end all for me. But I LOVE myself some old school hip hop and R&B. Give me some Bell Biv Devoe, Boyz II Men, A Tribe Called Quest, or De La Soul and I'm a happy girl.

Favorite Day... probably the day I met my husband. I was only 17 at the time, and I had no idea that guy would be the person I'd spend the rest of my life with. But that's why I think it's so fun to think about and that I would have stumbled upon him at such a young age. (And of course, our wedding day was wonderful too! ;)

Favorite Designer... I am a serious Kate Spade fan. While it's definitely more of a splurge-worthy brand for me, I am slowly working on adding great signature pieces to my wardrobe, and pieces from Kate Spade are perfect for that.

Favorite Band... in contrast to my old school hip hop answer above, my current faves are singer-songwriter type guys like Gavin Degraw, beachy feel-good music from Little Joy, and girly French music from Coeur de Pirate.

Favorite Blogs... I wish I had time to read more cause there really are so many great ones out there. A few newer ones that I love...
Mrs. Lilien, Ban.do, and Kris Atomic.

Favorite Place... home. I'm a big homebody, so nothing makes me feel more at peace than the comfort of my own house.

Favorite Person...my husband for sure. He just makes me a better person, and we find ourselves laughing at each other all the time. That's the best part of marriage...having a blast with someone who totally knows you and love you...flaws and all.

Favorite Smell... a bakery with fresh bread, cookies, scones, or cinnamon buns coming out of the piping hot oven. My nasal passages can't get enough! my two favorite bakeries are Con Pane in San Diego and Tartine in San Francisco.

Thanks so much, Joy!

One song. One Take. One Cab.

Hi! Have you heard of the Black Cab Confessions? Well, ya should. BCC is the brainchild of five friends, all driven by their love for music, film and doing something a little bit different with their time. In short, musicians sit in the back of a black cab and are driven around their city while they preform live in the backseat and are videotaped for our enjoyment. The coolest part? The videos are only one take so they have that super personal gritty concert feel. Some of my favorite recent confessions include Au Revoir Simone, Little Boots, and Peter Bjorn and John.

Below is my most recent favorite confession; Holly Miranda covering Lauryn Hill's Ex-Factor (and quite well, I may add!)

Hello, Tuesday.

Hello sweet Tuesday, how are you?

I am excited to see this tonight. (Thanks LauMac!)

I can't wait to try out this recipe this weekend.

And I really want to splurge on this (but probably shouldn't)

Hope everyone is having a marvelous day filled with joyful things to look forward to.

xo,

l.p.c.

The Summer Camp Blues

Dear Camp Huckins,

I miss you. I miss skinny dipping in Lake Ossippe at midnight. I miss splash boating to the island and sun-tanning for hours. I miss Indian Council Fire and waking our campers up in the middle of the night for a surprise New Year's Eve Party. I miss celebrating Valentines day in the Summer. I miss falling asleep to the loon calls at night. I miss being forced to take a nap every single day. I miss the pine needles crunching beneath my flip flops. I miss adding blueberries to the blueberry muffin fund. I miss going to breakfast in my pajamas. I miss pancakes for dinner. I miss making home-made rock salt ice cream with 8-year-old's in paper bags. I miss impromptu Madonna themed dance parties. I miss cheering for what state I'm from just because. I miss wearing yellow so maybe, just maybe the sun will come out. I miss trust falls and pontoon boat rides and cake decorating contests on the fourth of July. I miss singing the I-Love-You song just because someone made someone else a craft-shop bracelet. I miss games of round robin tennis and capture the flag. I miss chocolate chip pudding and bug juice. I miss giving your friend a hug because they helped you make your bunk bed. I miss smoky camp fire hair must and sticky smored-fingers. I miss standing on the beach and thinking If Heaven is anything like this place, than I can't wait to go.


Huckins is both the most real and the most magical place I have ever been. On day's like today - when I'm stuck in a corporate office wearing panty hose and lipstick I am gazing out the window longing for bare feet and summer rain storms and trips to bobby sue's ice cream shack and no make up and tangled hair. I am aware that I will never have a better job than working there, but I do think wherever I am my heart and spirit will forever remain on the shores of Lake Ossippe. And for that, I am eternally grateful.

Lots of Nellie love (in the Huckins spirit),
Kate

L'Amour

Ahhh, Love. What can I say? I love these love signs collected from around the web this week and how such a simple sentence can be displayed so creatively! Also I can't reiterate how adorable this website is when it comes to these love-type-thangs. Check it out!

A corner of your world - part deux!

As you may recall, I posted this little ditty last week! It was such a delight to receive your adorable emails and pictures over the past few days. Thanks to everyone who participated and hoepfully this will give others the creative inspiration it has given me!

Ms. Aubrey's Corner: Brooklyn, NY.


This is my favorite bookshelf (notice actual books on shelf above) The light is a clip on work lamp I bought at home depot. They're an inexpensive great way to light shelves and pictures and I like the way their almost industrial design feels in contrasts to more cottage-y pieces. The old window I found at an architectural salvage store while I was living in San Diego. The Van Gough print my Dad picked up at the museum in Montreal. The Swedish Horse I bought in Sweden. (Suddenly realizing this shelf is kind of an homage to travels which is maybe why it makes me so happy) The little blue book is an out of print book of Bukowski letters and poetry I paid way too much for at a used book store in the West Village, but I love it. Each page is typed on an old typewriter and someone has written notes in the margins..... The little bell and Buddha were presents from my Mom. The bell is actually meant to go on a motorcycle to ward off evil spirits as you pass. Alas. The pictures are from a trip my boyfriend and I took to Grenada. We hiked to a waterfall and had no one with us to take pictures so there are two. It was beautiful but really cold. Electronic drumsticks are leaning against the window. Those are fun and freak out my cat. The angel was a gift from my grandma. The Ganesha I picked up in Jackson Heights, Queen's awesome Little India neighborhood; the little blue bunny was my toy when I was a baby. The bubbles and paintbrush are there because I can't throw things like that away just in case the occasion arises when I need to blow bubbles or paint something in my one bedroom apartment..... The little elephant butts I think are Buddhist, you're supposed to make their butts face the door and it wards off negativity or something. I just like them. And the wooden stick is a maraca that bears the name of some obscure rum brand I picked up at a party.

Ms. Lulu's Corner: Silverlake, CA.


My favorite corner: the black chest of drawers is a flea market find from 3 years ago. I love doing art and collages and painting on old abandoned windows, so this is one of my favorites, complete with a picture of my grandfather picking me up in the ocean and a picture of my parents together when they were my age. My mom knows how much I love birds and she sent me the big black one as a surprise. Buddha represents in just about every corner of my house, along with my dollar store Virgin Mary candles. A friend of mine found the painting of the girl at a flea market and she bought it because she said it looked like me. I love it because upon closer inspection you can see that she is made up of flowers. There is a bunch of sea shells and sea glass from my trips to the beaches in Hawaii and my home state of north Carolina, A big shell for my sage wand. And last but not least, one of my absolute favorite pictures in the world of my sisters and I--taken of our backs when we were sitting on the beach together as little girls.

Ms.Whitney's Corner: Washington D.C.


The "table" is an old "chest" of sorts that I bought at a yard sale on Capitol Hill about 3 years ago for $5 and lugged home 8 blocks. The lamp is a random purchase; the matching blue glass bottle was a gift from my mother; the clock is from L.L. Bean (which makes me think of my home state and smile); the jar of change is a habit I have had since I was a child. The reading material: Vanity Fair and David Foster Wallace. The framed card is a note from my husband-to-be Adam from before he left for a business trip:

("I THINK YOU ARE WONDERFUL
I WANT TO WED YOU")

Ms. Bree's Corner: Los Angeles, CA.


This is my little music corner. The piano was my great-grandmother's. It lived at my grandma's house for many years until I grew up and had a place of my own and then she gave it to me. The record collection is a combo of mine (Jenny Lewis, Bruce Springsteen), my husband's (Guns N Roses, Neil Diamond), and my father-in-law's (Leonard Cohen, Memphis Minnie). Last Christmas, he let us rummage around the basement and take any of his records we wanted. Score! The birch bark vases I made as centerpieces for my husband's 30th birthday dinner party, the painting is my own, and the candleholder is a vintage find from the Rose Bowl flea that we used to hold a memory candle at our wedding last year (I believe Mlle. Petite Choue was my most excellent shopping companion the day I found that beaut). The doubleneck guitar is my hair metal-loving husband's and the acoustic belongs to folk-rock, singer-songwriter-loving me. In my 5th life, I hope to come back as a bonafide musician, but for now, I'm content to just plink and strum and squawk whenever fancy strikes, in my happy music corner.

Mon Petit Chou

Just a small little post today; I saw this bag on etsy this morning and wish I had a bizillioin dollars so I could buy one of these for each of my readers!



Perhaps a $12 hump-day treat? I think so.

Happy Wednesday!