I love Autumn. Autumn for me means, baking, crafting and holiday decorating. Usually when Fall rolls around I'm so over summer and the oppressive SoCal heat that I'm actually excited to turn my oven on again. This year's Hotumn lasted way longer than most would have liked. It was 103 last week but I'm thrilled to say that it's beginning to feel like fall with a slight chill in the air the past two days. I even was able to put on a sweater! (With my shorts 😝)
Being the hip parents that we are, we've been dressing up the past few years for Halloween. Last year I was Princess Leia, the year before that, a teenage mutant ninja turtle. We're usually the only parents dressed up so I can't say that I'm that disappointed that my son forgot to include us in his Halloween costume plans this year. I'll still be in the spirit of Halloween of course. I'll be wearing my favorite skull print sweatshirt along with my Halloween nails! And I may do skull face makeup, tbd.
I used Nars in Venomous and Sally Hansen Dream Sequins to do a coppery glittery fade effect. With all this Halloween flair, it's best to keep the accessories subtle so I paired it with my rose gold Sidwell ring stacks and my Zig Zag ear crawlers.
Since Halloween falls on a Tuesday this year we had all weekend prior to celebrate fun Halloween themed events. We took our mini dachshund Junior to a Dog Costume Contest. I thought we had it in the bag for the small dog category with Jr's jockey costume and then I saw Einstein, the ghost buster dog. His owner had constructed a full ghost buster mobile with flashing lights, ghosts and projectile silly string.
After the dog contest we walked down the street to One Colorado for their annual pumpkin decorating. One Colorado has the best kids activities. They're never overly crowded, they're easy to park and walk to and best of all they're free and rotate seasonally. They've had face painting and pumpkin decorating, to interactive performances such as Bob Baker's Marionette, balloon art and magic shows. This year inspired me to decorate my pumpkin instead of carving. That way the pumpkin doesn't deteriorate as quickly and can be enjoyed for longer. Plus, I don't have to clean up all that gooey mess.
I took a leaf stamp, stamped it on and then painted it in with white acrylic paint. When I made a mistake I could just clean up uneven edges with the side of my nail. It took a while but it was enjoyable, sort in the same vein as coloring books for adults. If I had planned ahead I would have used a stencil and a stamping tool with paint to make it go faster. Maybe next year!
My first memories of opera, take me back to grammar school. My mother had briefly trained to be an opera singer before abandoning it in pursuit of becoming a doctor. Of the two, she found medicine to be the lesser difficult discipline even though she was one of only three women in her USC medical school class. Whenever she picked me up from school I was greeted with Die Zauberflüte or another one of her favorites blasting out of her car, announcing her arrival in the carpool lane. Despite enjoying opera, I'd actually never been to see one before. Truth be told I think I was a little intimidated. Going to the opera was for aficionados, people who knew every aria and composer by heart. Nevertheless, I was excited when my mom asked me to join her to see Carmen at the LA Opera.
Above illustration of Carmen by Luc for Journal Amusant 1875, a french satirical weekly magazine.
Before every performance, the conductor, James Conlon, gives an hour long introduction. He is also the music director and has quite an impressive career, conducting at La Scala in Milan and over 270 times at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in addition to serving as the director of the Paris National Opera. He's a great speaker, very informative and I appreciated the backstory of Carmen that he gave while dropping little fun facts and juicy tidbits about its inception. The orchestra is below the stage so you can't see the musicians during the performance but you can see Conlon with his hair whipping back and forth as he waves his baton energetically. Mozart in the Jungle was in the back of my mind as I watched him conduct.
I had always thought of Carmen as a Spanish opera. I was partially right, it takes place in Spain, but is sung in French (Bizet was French). Since I speak French, it was fun trying to decipher some of the arias as they were sung and not solely relying on the subtitle teleprompter that hangs above the stage. It was adapted from the novella by Prosper Mérimée, that came out in 1845. Georges Bizet adapted the story of Carmen into his opera and died three months after it debuted in march of 1875, at the age of only 36! Similar to Mozart who died at 35. It's remarkable to think what both of them could have achieved if they had only lived longer.
In the 19th century, Spain seemed like an exotic and distant backdrop for the story of a Romafemme fatale whose magnetic charisma and sultriness captivated every man she encountered. Carmen is on her work break from the local factory when she meets Don José, a naive soldier who is the only man in the square oblivious to her charms. She is intrigued by this challenge and sets her sights on acquiring his affections. After a factory dispute ensues, Don José is ordered to question and imprison her but she escapes with his help, he is then put in jail and reconnects with her upon his release. After a scuffle with his commanding officer, Don José is forced to desert the military and his mother and her wishes for him to marry the girl next door. He joins Carmen's gang of smugglers but becomes jealous that meanwhile Carmen's feelings have shifted to a well known matador named Escamillo. Incensed, Don José kills Carmen in a fit of rage outside the arena.
With all this melodrama, I was surprised to learn that Carmen is considered Opéra Comique. Essentially that means to separate musical numbers with dialogue. Carmen is a feminist prototype, she is unapologetically in control of her own destiny. She is completely transparent about her motives both to do what she wants and to love freely. "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" She does what she wants when she wants, sometimes rather capriciously. The opera's depiction of lawlessness, immorality, and the murder of the main character made for a bold subject matter both at the time of its writing and even today. Carmen has become one of the most popular operas thanks in part to its many well known arias such as Habanera and Toreador.
Flamenco in Carmen. Photo by Ken Howard / LA Opera
Not only are there wonderful singers in Carmen, there are also talented flamenco dancers. They give a physical expression to Bizet's dialogue and assist in the telling of Carmen's story. They are led by Spanish choreographer Nuria Castejón, a dancer with the Ballet Nacional de España and choreographer for Pénelope Cruz in Pedro Almadovor's Volver. Their costumes are magical as they stomp, heels clicking with fringe flying. The toreador's costumes were also fantastic with satisfying detail all the way down to the pink socks!
Such a revered opera calls for an impressive setting and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of the Los Angeles Music Center does not disappoint. It's hard to believe that once upon a time, this center did not exist. In fact, it's only 53 years old. Dorothy, the wife of the former LA Times publisher Norman Chandler, spearheaded the fundraising efforts to get the center made. At the time, the Philharmonic was sharing a performance space with a local church since the early 20's, and Dorothy Buffum Chandler thought that Los Angeles deserved something a little more dignified in stature. The center was built by Seattle transplant architect Welton Becket and Associates, responsible for iconic Angeleno buildings such as the Capitol Building, the Beverly Hilton (the home of the Golden Globes), Pan Pacific Auditorium, Cinerama dome and LAX Theme building to name a few. Built from 1964-1967, becoming at the time the nation's second biggest music center after Lincoln Center in New York.
Photos from Top to Bottom, Dorothy Chandler at the opening in 1964. Zubin Mehta, left, Dorothy Buffum Chandler and architect Welton Becket. Eva and Marc Stern Grand Hall with lattice windows. One of many chandeliers in the grand staircase.
Gustavo Dudamel isn't the only young music director that the Los Angeles Philharmonic has had. Bombay, India born Zubin Mehta, was only 28 when he became the music director at the time of the opening! He was known as Zubie Baby and the Swinging Symphonist. The ushers were dressed in raspberry and orange red Nehru collared jackets in tribute to his heritage.
Architectural drawing of the orchestra foyer by Welton Becket and Associates. The foyer today.
The philharmonic played at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion until 2003 when it moved down the street to Disney Hall. The building while not overly impressive from the outside is quite grand on the inside. It houses large lattice like windows and countless chandeliers from the sixties. Upstairs where the talk is given prior to the opera, there is a bar with a large Frank Stella painting and an adjoining nook with Chinese wood screens that make you want to curl up with a whisky cocktail and a cozy conversation. It's like entering a time warp but in the very best way. All the decor appears to be original, from the pea green carpet and dark paneled walls to the ornate chandeliers. This is an impressive feat in a city like Los Angeles that loves to tear down or remodel anything that is remotely past its prime.
Frank Stella Irregular Polygons, 1966. Champs baby! One must have champers at the Opera. Pictured in front of one of many gold mosaic tiled columns. Gilded swallows swoop around the mezzanine bar, Chinoiserie in the mezzanine.
You can see Carmen this Saturday, September 23rd as it's simulcast live in Santa Monica (for more SM info click here) and Exposition Park. Admission is free, doors open at 5 pm and show starts at 7 with a running time of 3 hours 25 minutes with 2 intermissions. Bring your chairs and blankets and picnic under the stars. Los Angeles magazine is even hosting a Wine Terrace on the pier. Sadly, no alcohol is permitted at Exposition Park. For more info on Exposition Park, click here.
A campus-wide day of design celebrating the Japanese tradition of wabi-sabi, the art of recognizing beauty in imperfection. There will be workshops, demonstrations, tastings, sweepstakes and tasty bites.
Music by KCRW
Free Valet Parking by the Rejuvenation showroom at Helms and Venice.
It's Memorial Day Weekend! Where has the time gone? I can't believe we're already on the cusp of summer. Now that the Pasadena Showcase House of Design is over (more on this in an upcoming post), things are slowly returning to normal chez JC. Looking forward to some R&R with friends this weekend... got a birthday and a few BBQ's on tap. Nothing fancy just relaxed fun but that doesn't have to mean jean shorts and thongs. Here are some of my current faves that have been on heavy rotation. Enjoy!
I go to Paris almost every year to visit family, when I'm there one of my favorite places to shop is Monoprix. In case you are unfamiliar, it's the french version of Target. I started shopping there when I had my son 5 years ago because their kids clothing is so cute and well priced. The kids designer used to be the designer for Bonpoint, a brand that I love but don't love the price point so much! Dries is so rough on his clothing that Bonpoint is only for special occasions, or a gift from grandma. But Monoprix, on the other hand, is for every day. One stop shopping with really good clothes at amazing price points. This cotton dress is only $50 and I can guarantee nobody else will have it! Since we're saving money on the dress, we can splurge on the accessories. Sticking with the neutral palette, are my Adeline earrings in Natural mother of pearl, mother of pearl and howlite. They make a statement without being too overpowering. Très chic!
I'm crazy about sun protection as you all know. I am always shielding my face from dangerous rays with a hat, sunscreen and sunglasses. No early crow's feet for me! Since it's hotter out now, I've made the switch to a straw hat which keeps my head cool. I like this Panama from Scala because it goes with everything and it can even be packed or crushed. (Very necessary with a 5 year old in the house) Since I often have pink hair, I like to keep my sunglasses neutral and let my hair and jewelry be the star of the show. I chose these Le Specs No Smirking sunglasses because they pair well with gold, my preferred metal of choice. I've been lusting after these flats by Loeffler Randall since last summer, Jessie Randall's shoes are well made and last forever. I have several pairs and they're comfortable and stylish at the same time and look great season after season. After becoming a parent, I decided it was better for my lifestyle to splurge on cute flats as opposed to heels because that's what I wear about 99.9% of the time. No more heels for me! And lastly, with all these neutrals I love a pop of color. This Essie nail polish in Fifth Avenue, is a bright and cheery orangey red, while still being elegant and sophisticated. It looks great for a pedicure when paired with the gold sandal. Pro tip: Use the Essie Gel Setter top coat with it and it will last chip free one week! It makes such a difference, I'm really hard on my nails, using wire and pliers and it prolongs the wear considerably.
I've been looking for a good one piece for a while and when Shopbop had their recent 20% off sale, I splurged on this striped one by Solid & Striped. I love the unique colors in the stripe pattern and wanted something more fun than my old black one piece. It's a bold pattern yet slimming since they're vertical stripes and it could be cute worn as a bodysuit with shorts or a skirt even. I typically gravitate towards blues and greens but since having my hair pastel pink for the past few years I've been finding myself wearing a lot more corals and pink hues.
For sun protection, I always love Supergoop because it's cruelty free of parabens, pthlates etc and immediately absorbs without any sticky residue. Sunscreen is a pain so I like to make it as enjoyable a process as possible and Supergoop Body Butter definitely fits the bill. You can even reapply throughout the day without it pilling on your skin or getting gummy. If you are an avid sunscreener, you know what I'm talking about!
Now for jewels, this summer I'm re-launching a classic style, my lace filigree earrings. They're on the large side but they're lightweight so you can wear them all day. The lacy filigree gives it that boho feeling perfect for summer. Pair that with a chunky dome bangle and hat and sunnies and you're good to go!
Now, one of the things I look forward to most about the weekend, is relaxing with a drink in hand. I drink mostly white wine and rosé but have been lately trying to cut down on my alcohol intake as a way of reducing sugar and calories. I just can't get behind pouring soda water in my wine, it seems criminal to me to ruin a good glass of wine. I just try to alternate between each glass of wine with one glass of sparking water. However, I am always looking to liven up my non alcoholic libations so I'm excited to try this Rosemary, Honey and Grapefruit Spritzer recipe, courtesy of Tending the Table. It's refreshingly tart, not too sweet yet herbacious, what more can you ask for?! Cheers!
1 1/4 cups freshly squeezed grapefruit juice (from about 5 grapefruit)
crushed ice
soda water
rosemary sprigs and grapefruit wedges to garnish
PROCEDURE
Combine the honey and rosemary in a small pot and gently heat over medium-low until the honey just begins to bubble around the edges, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let steep for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile fill 4 glasses with crushed ice. Once the honey has cooled slightly, remove the sprigs of rosemary and transfer 1/4 cup of the infused honey to a jar with a tight fitting lid, add the grapefruit juice and shake vigorously until combined and frothy. Divide the mixture between the glasses and top with soda water. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and grapefruit wedges.
Last weekend I visited A Current Affair, Pop Up Vintage Marketplace in the Cooper building in downtown Los Angeles. What a great idea, tons of vintage clothing and jewelry shops under one roof! This event takes place triennially in Los Angeles and biannually New York. This particular one was hosted by Jane Aldridge of Sea of Shoes and jewelry blogger extraordinaire Danielle Miele of Gem Gossip. Some of the stores featured were Desert Vintage in Tuscon, Arizona, Charm School Vintage in Austin, Texas, and Arrow and Anchor in Nashville, Tennessee. For future events, visit A Current Affair.
Browsing through some great pieces. Some dating back to 1860! Vintage is a major source of inspiration for most designers. Decades that inspire me are the 70s and 80s for the heavy use of yellow gold and over the top opulence. I grew up with an affinity for French brands like Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, and Charles Jourdan from spending afternoons shopping with my mom. I remember after school outings at Chanel in Beverly Hills sipping mini glass bottles of Coca-Cola while my mom tried on suits paired with jewelry. I definitely gained my love of fashion from my mother; she even wore Chanel haute couture to my wedding in Paris!
Shot of the Cooper Building in downtown LA. What a great space! The open floor plan and high ceilings allow for a unique viewing experience. With over sixty vendors, it was a nice way to incorporate so many boutiques under one roof.
Danielle Miele and I have been Instagram friends for so long, it was so great to finally meet her in person! She runs the jewelry blog Gem Gossip which is based in Nashville, Tennessee. Check out the interview we did at gemgossip.com
I can see my office from the window of the Cooper Building! I love all the historic buildings of downtown la. My office building is definitely a quirky style of architecturewith turrets on top, dating back to 1924.
Since Danielle is famous for her tagline #showmeyourrings, I was excited at the opportunity to pose with her! She specializes in blogging about jewelry trends, vintage and period jewelry and also has a fine jewelry line of her own. I love the large opal ring she is wearing with its ombré hues. I am wearing the Pearl Corrie Ring, the Diamond Bar Ring, and the Petite Cubist Ring in white topaz.
