A Single Pink Drop

In the home I'm temporarily staying in, the shower-head has a lovely pink scrubbing towel draped over the back of it. Every 6 seconds, a single pink drop falls between the steams of water. After it falls past the scrub towel it's impossible to see. As fascinated as I was with it today, I told myself that it was completely impossible to follow it after that point. 

I said that to myself while crying. As it turns out, my temporary home was supposed to be my permanent home. Some details, that were out of my room mate's and my control, state that I have a limited number of days I can stay... And then? Then what? No idea. Hence the tears. 

Flashback to my previous location. I wasn't pleased to have to withdraw from classes. I wasn't pleased to have to talk about the finances of departing from school with a woman who I was sure didn't care about me, either way. As I got up to leave, I thanked her out of principle, and then told her I liked the poster on her wall, full of positive thoughts. 

Her manner changed. She smiled and agreed with me. Then she spoke a blessing over my life. 

"You will find a path in a place where you think there is none."

As I thought  back to that moment, I didn't realize that I had extended my hand. Within 6 seconds, I felt a single drop fall into my palm. If felt so different from the pressurized streams of water. And yet I had just said to myself that following the path of that drop was something that could not be done. 

That's the "impossible" for you. Effortlessly proving us all wrong.

So what has been impossible for me, lately?


For years, I've wanted to record albums, give recitals and do live events. I've wanted to learn all about French art songs (I love the way Debussy flirts with the jazzy and a-tonal, and it suits my voice), and all kinds of styles. I've wanted to share my art with friends, and make more friends that way. But getting started is a challenge. And asking for help is akin to begging, at least for me. 

But what if I asked anyway?

...The Capsule, If You Dare...

Hello my dear readers! 

It has been a little bit since I last wrote. As projected, this year has not had regular posting like last year. Hopefully I'll still get a few more posts for you guys in the second half of the year.

At some point this summer, my sister told me about a concept called a Capsule Wardrobe. She explained to me that it would be 30 items that you would use for the entire season. My immediate thought was "Oh no! I cannot do that." The idea of having all of the items I would wear, limited to 30 for the next 90 days was more than I can fathom. 

This summer, though, I was up in Oregon with my parents just about that long. We ended up taking a flight rather than driving. I had to put all of the things that I was going to use for the summer (including journals, books, sheet music, etc.) into a single bag. 

When I got up to Oregon, I realized that I had about 17 items of clothing. 

The lovely little closet nook

So with this little nook of the closet, I found that I somewhat was already in a capsule closet situation. I decided to see how it would work. I didn't even have the 30 items, so I made use of my sister's and my mom's clothing. So maybe that was capsule cheating- I'm not sure!

Looking back on it, I was so sure that I was going to have too few clothes. But arriving home yesterday I looked in my closet, and saw things that I knew I wasn't going to use on a regular basis. That turned out to be more frustrating. Why couldn't everything in my closet be what I was going to use every day? So I'm actually finding that having a limited amount of clothes is helping me cut past say, the option of wearing a bright red party dress. That's really only for special occasions, anyway.

An important bonus: When you have fewer items, you can afford to have higher-quality items. As I'm trying to find more sustainable fashion, higher-quality items means they break less often. Then I'm less tempted replace those things with fast fashion. I specifically want steer clear of fast fashion because it can be unfair to its workers (using things like sweatshops) and harsh on the environment (having unsustainable cotton harvesting), for example.

My sister also points out: "If you have a few, carefully curated items that call match each other, you're always going to look chic. And won't have to spend a lot of time coordinating them. Have less, have better!"

So there you have it. I tried something I thought I wasn't going to like. But having less actually benefitted me in a few great ways. Yay for Positive Change! 

Thanks for stopping by, and happy Thursday, guys! :)

Summer Jazz

When I first started this blog, I promised there would be music. And since then, I've done it... but rarely.

This winter I met an enchanting person who said "Metal is just classical music with distortion and jazz is just blues-done by geniuses!"

Summer has come, and that statement has stuck with me. So today I'm offering three jazz pieces that I've caught myself humming time and again.

My Foolish Heart by Shina Ringo and Soil and P. Sessions completely different from Beware My Foolish Heart by Victor Young. It features those key-defying melodic lines that you usually find in brass, rather than vocals. The daring Ringo makes it sound both familiar and like completely new territory. The music video is also fresh and oh-so-posh!



Summer Goddess is an exuberant romp of a piece, by the same band. One has to embrace the loud, atonal passages to fully enjoy this one, but once I did, I caught myself dancing around my apartment! I was reminded of some of the music I used to come across when I lived in the northern part of the east coast as a kid.



Juan Tizol's Caravan has been featured in films from Whiplash to Chocolat after it's first performance by Duke Elington, but my favorite is a version featured in Ocean's 13 (it also shows up in Ocean's 11, but with a completely different feel.) I like the suspicious-sounding bass-line as well as the sense of tremulous echo placed on the melody. :) Enjoy!



(Yep, just a picture of a house...)

I hope everyone is having a wonderful midsummer, and that this adds to everyone's summer soundtrack. I will be updating from time to time.

Thanks for reading!

Hey Girl, I Like Them Jeans...[Rec. Reading]

Just kidding, this post is for all genders, as well a people with good grammar.

First of all, let me welcome my first readers from Ireland and India! Thank you to my growing/continued readership in the United States, as well! (Even though I don't see subscriptions, I know some of you are my personal friends because you tell me you checked out my blog-- Hi!)

Once again, Refinery 29 comes out with a great little piece about fashion, jeans in particular! I had a sneaky suspicion about the subject matter because of the title: All the Differences Between $200 & $20 Ones, but reading their flow sheet from top dollar to bottom confirmed it; R29 is talking my language. In finding a good pair of classics, author Alden Wicker asks us to consider workers' wages, environmental impacts, and how to find a quality finished product.

Ironically in this case, the "Buy it to last" option (pictured below) and the "Fair Trade/Sustainable" route may be one in the same. I think it should be stated, however, that this isn't always  the case. In the United States, we don't have certain trade regulations, so someone can sell $20-quality for $500, and if you choose to pay for it, that's what makes them $500 jeans. So looking out for physical signs of high quality helps immensely, as does a little research.

As for me, I usually only own two pair at the most. (A trend I've noticed in myself since I was in the 7th grade.) My eye has been on the lookout for the boyfriend style forever and ever. Among the handy options on the flow sheet my sister shared with me was the question "Does it need to be new?"

No, it does not! They're boyfriend jeans; they'd be great even with a hole in the knee! So I scored mine from the men's section of a secondhand shop. I also got two great chambray tops. Who knows what you'll find if you give it a shot. The layers of "Win" also pile up because my local secondhand shop donates regularly to local charities.

Whichever way you choose to go about it, happy hunting, and thanks for reading!

Something New & Elegantees

Hello, my darlings! I am so excited to announce that I have teamed up with Elegantees.com to bring you beautiful and classic shirts with a great cause!

My last few posts have been about ethical and fair-trade aspects of fashion. Since then I've been on the hunt for all things fashion (and lifestyle) that happens to benefit those who produce the items, as well as the purchaser. 

This one's on my "To Purchase" list!

One of the first sites I found was Elegantees. Their shirts and dresses are designed in the United States and are sewn in Nepal by seamstresses that were formerly victims of human trafficking.

As an ambassador of Elegantees, I'm so pleased to share with you the code Something New which will get you free shipping on these classic and affordable T-shirts!

Thanks for stopping by, and happy shopping!

Things I like right now- Summer Trends

Hello my lovely readers (both regular and casual)! I'm so glad to see my first reader from Nigeria, and nearly as many readers from ... as from the United States. Welcome!

For the past several weeks I've been noticing little patterns and trends popping up here and there. Some of this list might just be my personal preferences, and others a larger movement.

Tassels:

Metallic tassel on a chartreuse linen blouse!

I met this ever so Char-ming dance instructor/financial planner who agreed to let me photograph her neon tasseled work blouse. (And what a wonderful personality, too!)

a small tassel on a necklace

A vintage tassel of pearls!

Turbans and headwraps:

I've been reading about Madame Germaine de Stael lately, and I'm jazzed by this 18th Century political babe. She had men eating from the palm of her hands, and wore turbans even though it wasn't trendy in Paris; she simply liked a painting of a girl wearing one when she traveled to Italy, and wore them until she died. 

My sister called this look Rocka'Marla

Purple and Burgundies: 

Perhaps this is just a personal preference; for a long time I was afraid to wear my favorite color out, lest I become pigeonholed in that one color, but now I feel like it's safe to step out with it a little bit more.

Sky and Navy Blue:

Some months ago, you might recall that I predicted that Sky blue was going to be more prevalent. 

I didn't quite expect for it to be almost entirely and quite suddenly overshadowed by navy. But I do like navy, and I feel that it's been overlooked for a very long time, so I'm glad to see the color making a comeback.

Navy Stripes: 

One of my lovely aunts rocking navy and stripes!

I hear a lot of people talking about navy blue sailor stripe shirts lately. I guess I'm a little nerdy because I didn't realize that they weren't center stage before, so I just wore them all the time because I like the look.

I'm also really liking chambray on ladies (and gents!), but if I keep stalling this post to add more looks that I like for summer, it'll be fall in no time! 

Thanks so much, as always, for stopping by! 

REVO 2015!

This weekend, I was honored to be a part La Sierra University's 2015 REVO event. Along with pop-up shops, food, and live entertainment, there was a fashion show. 

This fashion show featured nine different student designers who each dressed a handful of (mostly) student models. The wonderful Klarissa Kurtz was our fearless leader and with the help of her boyfriend Nick, as well as two make up artists, everything fell into place for both  the Ubuntu event on Saturday night and the REVO event on Sunday night.

Racing through Facebook last night, I found some photos of the line Voyager by Klarissa. There are some detail shots (photo credits to Nick) and there are a few runway shots as well (photo credits to Nathan, one of the school's resident photographers). 

(I got to walk with this dapper prince!)

(We walked to Shakira's La La- the 2014 World Cup Song!)

(The modern huntress Diana)

If you were unable to make it to the event but would like to donate, check out notforsalecampaign.org

There are many more photos of this and 8 other lines. I'll be posting links as they become available.

Thanks so much to everyone who came out on Saturday night, and thank you, all my readers, for stopping by the blog!

I Am Because We Are- Charity Fashion Show Events

Hi, everyone! Hope all are doing well! 

I have some exciting news (at least it is for me)! Some months ago I asked to be a model for a charity event. Business student, designer and Modish Iconoclast blogger Klarissa Kurtz designed a line of clothing for last year's REVO Event, and this year, I'm so pleased to say that I'll be modeling one ensemble for her line. This REVO event will be working towards ending slavery and human trafficking on behalf of the Not for Sale Campaign, and will be held at La Sierra University. 

Doubly exciting, we get to walk the runway twice. Loma Linda University is having a charity event called Ubuntu, which will send it's proceeds to orphanages and gardening projects in Swaziland. Having heard the word  ubuntu a few times before, my favorite definition of it is "I am because we are", a sort of community-based approach to being and existing. This event has been planned by AfriNet LLU.

I've been asked to keep mum as the word on theme and details of this line, but all will be unveiled on the 16th and 17th. If you'd like to see the big reveal as it happens and are in the area, reserve your tickets for the Loma Linda event here, or the the La Sierra one here! 

These causes are mind-blowing and exciting to me, and I'm quite antsy to be a part of my first runway modeling gig! I'm so grateful for every last person who will be there, cheering us on. If you can't make it, but would still like to donate to Not for Sale, you can do that HERE!

I'd love to see everyone who can stop by either of these, and as always, I'm so glad you stopped by my blog page, as well! :)

(more pictures and info about Unique LA to come)

What're you doing this weekend?: Unique USA Los Angeles

Hi, All!

Just wanted to say thanks to all my new readers, as well as those that would drop by from before. I've been getting a lot more of you guys checking this blog out, which is great.

Sometime during January or February, I started looking at the world a little differently, which has led slight shift in direction for the blog. Three weeks ago I was content to say "I'm done blogging indefinitely."

But lately, I've seen this little blog as a platform for seeking out either classic, quality or fair trade items for myself, as well as my friends and readers. If I could find all three in one... I guess that's what Giselle Koy would call a "Windom."

Taking a look at the participants page of Unique USA, I see those words and others like them peppered everywhere!

Which leads me to ask: What are you doing this weekend? Because this is what I'm doing this weekend, and I'd love it if you'd join me!

Here's a little more information, don't worry; I wouldn't leave you hangin' like that!

There are also events in New York and San Fransisco (the two US cities I dream about)!


Anyway, take a look and I'm sure you'll be as excited as I am! I would love it if anyone in the LA area would drop by this event, check out the good vibes and free food, and of course say hi if you see me!

Exciting News: the Tesla Powerwall!

The possible applications of Elon Musk's key note talk on April 30th in Los Angeles are far-reaching and astounding. Last summer a statement was released said "Tesla Motors was created to accelerate the advent of sustainable transport." It seems that Tesla now aims to lock arms with any willing person or company, in order to give electricity to remote areas (a particular dream of Nikola Tesla himself), and  prevent further global warming. 

On June 12, 2014 Tesla Motors announced their decision to open source all of their patents, and that still stands, including with the Powerwall. Basically, if you believe in solar power at all, or want to be convinced, he's asking you to take this technology. 

People have told me that solar power isn't a viable option because of the inefficiency of the panels themselves, the batteries, and because the need for electricity exceeds what solar power can offer. Musk has addressed the last two (better batteries for storage, and increasing amounts of panels going up). As for the design of the panels themselves, like the Tesla Model S and now X, early adopters might see much left to be desired, but using solar and electric will encourage innovations. 

Elon's designs are almost as elegant as Nikola Tesla's, and a little less seemingly sci-fi, which means we're more likely to feel safe using them, will have little trouble comprehending how it functions. And, at least in my opinion, thanks to the curved T and the font created for the motor company, Tesla remains impeccably dressed. And yes, I think that rap battle made an excellent point on behalf of my favorite Serbian-Croation-American of history. ;)

Recommended Reading: Vivienne Westwood and the Gentlewoman

Vivienne Westwood talks with Deborah Orr of the Gentlewoman Magazine, and it is magnificent! To read about how Westwood talks of clothing with have you fall in love with fashion all over again, and perhaps for different reasons.

I would really love to hear more designers talk about planned (and avoided) obsolescence, globalization and environmental topics. Globalization is something of a new topic for me; I'm just starting to read up on it. And yet it's related to a slew of other topics. It's shocking to me how many people dislike certain aspects of globalization going wrong, without getting to heart of the matter, or being able to name it. But I suppose that will have to be for another blog post, on another day.

This article, though, doesn't merely talk about avoiding obsolescence and fast fashion. It seduces you with the permanence fashion can offer. "Investment" is a word used in this article, and perhaps it's doubly as correct: the "vestment" part referred to clothing, like a coat, at one point. Maybe that's why I feel warm and safe while I am reading it.

Perhaps it's just me, but I was reminded of something funny when she brought up chickens. In my last post, I recommended John Oliver's talk on fast fashion. He closes with the phrase "Eat this wagon of mystery chicken!" Upon watching it, my room mate and I looked at each other in bewilderment, and then repeated the line to one another, and burst out laughing.

In the 5 days since we watched that video, the phrase has become our code for "get up and do something that's difficult, but that will make things better for yourself in the future" (... and I hope you can see why it's easier to just borrow Oliver's phrase...)

With voices like Westwood's leading the way, we may be able to do just that.

Recommended Viewing or "Fashion... Turn to the Left... Turn to the Right"

Alright, so it happened! John Oliver is talking about fashion! Or rather the creepy Yeti of an industry behind it. After watching this video I have to front load and say: I was formerly unaware, but now am ashamed of some of my aloof posts. I thought I was cool for not purchasing Nike…

If you just laugh along to some of the jokes that he tells, you can miss a couple of details that are rather alarming. But if you look carefully you'll see a couple of compounding / snowballing patterns that I'd like to point out. It must be difficult to point out some of the nuanced details while trying to also cover of breadth of knowledge on the topic.

So here are the downward rolling snowballs that I saw: 

1. We're putting ourselves into a low-price trap. (We can't say it only hurts those making the clothing, honestly.) We outsource so that the item will be less expensive, which means we will have fewer jobs in whichever country ours may be, which means our next items will need to be more inexpensive. I don't care to see how far downhill that snowball will roll. Although I imagine it would and somewhere along the lines of: "This 1 dollar bill would be more expensive than that dress, if only we could afford the scotch tape!" (Don’t believe me? Check this mess out!!)

2. Subcontracting is don't-be-mad code for "We outsourced these outsourced items", and with that comes human rights abuses that no one is directly accountable for. Hey Walmart, you sent your work to someone else, and then lost track of where they were? Really? Because at least one Old Navy subcontractor has figured out how to keep track his workers (unethical though tying children together indeed is). What could possibly be next for the people who get mixed up with the subcontractors’ subcontractors? I can't bring myself to make something light about how things could get any worse. But maybe next time a manager looses track of a subcontractor, they should be tied together until some answers are produced... But I'll leave it at that; this snowball is too cold to handle.

3. Lastly, the dazzle and dodge techniques used by these companies are rivaled only by Richard Genre's character in Chicago. Each glittering snowflake of lovely garments, the joy of shopping and cool advertisements are all compacting together to blind us. Each time it comes up in the media, I think it's going to be handled, and then it's not. As soon as we turn 3/4 away from the problem, companies seem to try even harder to make buying clothing into a moral mine field. It's like we can't take our eyes off of them!

"So what are we supposed to do about this, Marla?" is the question my sister asks me each time I make her watch an episode of Last Week Tonight, and hope you're thinking the same thing. I say "We can't take our eyes off them!" Keep an eye on fashion companies/suppliers. They have shown us that they're willing to not so much bend morals distastefully, as do obscene back-flip after obscene back-flip in order to get our money. So can we make an effort to use our money to... encourage… (read force) these acrobats to stand upright, and be ready to keep in step with the march of progress.

If we take that laser-focused critical eye and point it at the business practices of a fashion company, rather than merely at the details of the garment, the above patterns won’t have a snowball’s chance.

Below are some resources my sister has collected along the way in order to 

help her become a more thoughtful shopper. Thanks so much for collaborating with me, Sis!

Thank you to Elizabeth S., The Notepasser, for her list of 7 Ethical Fashion Resources: http://thenotepasser.com/blog/2013/9/13/ethical-fashion-resources

Cheer on these NYC-based underdogs as they push back against those that would push them out of business. They’ll point out who to shop with, Where you can get the hook-up if you’re a designer, and even who to bother if you want to contact elected officials!: http://savethegarmentcenter.org/about/

Sara Laughed has a list of ethical brands both in the US and abroad, which creates plus sized clothing for women: http://saralaughed.com/index.php/ethical-fashion-plus-sized-ethical-clothing/

Busy Mommy must have been very busy listing 150 companies that are sustainable, fair trade, or have charitable donations built into the budget. Not just clothes: Coffee, soap, futbols, hats!: http://busy-mommy.com/2014/12/150-social-good-companies-with-fair-trade-buy-one-give-one-products-or-who-donate-a-portion-of-proceeds.html

I’m not sure how Good Guides works, but you can type in clothing brands and other items and get a rating based on how healthy the item is, the environmental impact and it’s effect on society. You can also get the app for your mobile devices. http://www.goodguide.com/

There's also this handy flowsheet!