We've been posting a new idea of home every Tuesday for the past few months. This one was submitted by our grandpa!
The "gathering" place where family spirit is developed and LOVE is introduced to the family.
Various items of clothing that remind me of events with family.
Celebrations when a newborn comes into the family (that was us!)
Today I finished three samples. After months in the studio I finally have three garments I can photograph and share. It seems like I've been working on these three pieces for forever -- moodboarding, designing, patternmaking, muslin-sewing, etc. and I've probably overdone the photos of the same exact London of Liberty print I'm using on our instagram, but it's been awesome and frustrating at the same time. I'm learning and relearning and practicing patience. I love creating and the time in the studio has really helped keep me sane and renew my sense of self. After moving from San Francisco to DC earlier this year, it took me a while to get set up and rebuild my confidence (I had a strange last year, which included leaving a job I loved, having a failed kickstarter and realizing I needed more structure in my life--which is why I now have a day job).
Luckily, upon moving to DC I met some awesome people. One of these people has recently moved away and while I miss her already, I'm so excited to have such amazing friends that are literally all over the world doing what they love.
This friend introduced me to Creative Mornings. CM is a monthly lecture series that happens in cities worldwide. It happens in SF, but I didn't know about it then. I have gone to the event in DC whenever I can and I absolutely love it. Everything about it is inspiring and really keeps me going. It's hard to keep your convictions and faith in what you are working on, especially when you have set backs and the odds of succeeding are so slim. Creative Mornings reminds me that anything is possible and that what I do really matters, even if I'm still figuring out the details.
Maggie O'Neill of Swatchroom spoke at last month's Creative Mornings DC. The theme was color. Maggie's talk brought me to tears. It reminded me that it's okay to be outside of the box, it's okay to not always know exactly what you are doing, and it's okay to get really excited about things that other people may not get excited about (like colors, textures, prints). Her path was windy and could not have been charted, but her passion, dedication to following her passion and openness are what led her to her work today. She spoke candidly about the difficulties of being a woman in a male-dominated industry. She inspired us all to do what we love and help others find their own creativity. We are the connecters, the dreamers, the doers, and this city needs that. All places need that. I can't think of a better role model for any woman (or any man) that wants to be a creative business person. Check the creative mornings site for the talk - the video isn't up yet but it should be soon!
And so, while it's hard working 9-5 and cramming my art, business and social life into the evenings and weekends, I know it's totally worth it and someday I'll be able to look back and chart all the stars. So keep following your light and have an amazing week! I'm getting myself a drink!
Doing some research. Getting back into pinterest. I used to spend lots of time on their and I haven't in a while.
Ordered a glue gun and some dried flowers for photo shoot prep!
Check out our pinboard: Follow etxe's board floral hair styles on Pinterest.
Each Tuesday we'll be posting a new perspective on ETXE : HOME. This piece is by photographer and friend, Betsy Law.
Home is where I want to be after a long drive.
Home is a place where I can hang up my coat, and leave it there for days.
My plastic box that contains handwritten letters and holiday cards from friends and family throughout the years
Laying on the hardwood floor on a summer afternoon with Skills (my dog) as we enjoy the warmth of the sun. Mom is preparing dumplings. Dad is reading a newspaper and eating fruit. We all chat about Angel (my sister) and hope she is doing well. This memory is a recurring scenario in my home -- enjoying each other's company regardless of what we're doing.
Nothing tangible -- just memories of home when I'm in unfamiliar places for long periods of time.
Read last week's ETXE : HOME with Emily.
Los Angeles is not a place.
It’s a feeling. A memory. A phase. A thought. A dream. A desire. A living history. A destination. A destiny.
It’s the sensation of driving down the 101 in no traffic and thinking about the intersections and the off ramps and the blood rushing in and out and the interconnected separation that makes it so perfectly juxtaposed.
It’s the ocean breeze that you can feel even under layers of smog on the rooftop of a downtown highrise.
It’s that smell of burning wood when you’re chilling in a hoodie after a day of baking on the beach.
It’s the sound and sight of car chases and sirens. The stairs and hills and lights that illuminate your favorite neighborhoods. The movie stars that are dead and the living screenwriters that are sleepwalking.
It’s the casual bliss of being -- comfortable, aspirational, convenient, but unattainable to everyone else.
It’s the art deco and the western and the overcrowded church with no air conditioning. It’s the glitz and the violence and the mosh pits on the boardwalk.
It’s the mountains and the canyons and the clubs and the beach and the asphalt and the sun and the tacos and the palm trees and the supermarkets and the drivethrus and the old movie theatres.
It’s the ability to drive anywhere and do anything and be anyone at anytime so long as there isn’t traffic.
It’s the expectation and the setting and the pleasure of knowing what you will find. It’s the surprise of the new and the constant reminder of the familiar.
It’s the landing strip and the luggage and that weightlessness that just never goes away.
It’s the way you think it was and will always be even when it’s moving a million miles a minute.
But it’s not a place.
Last night when Nick Waterhouse gave a shout out to that intersection on Echo Park and Sunset Boulevard it reminded of this. That place that isn’t a place. That memory that lives forever and keeps growing every time I return to it. To that thing that won’t stop pulling me back to something I can’t even really define.
I met Nick in San Francisco. I don't remember how much we used to talk about LA, but I'm sure we did. I'm sure we talked about how strange it is or was or will always be. He lives there now and I live in DC. It's pretty amazing to see how far he's gotten and incredibly inspirational. A true testament to sticking with it and doing what you absolutely love. I really do miss those walks through the mission, up Potrero hill, with a coffee from that weird coffee shop near that Bart station in hand...those walks to jobs that didn't really care so much when we showed up. Both of us terribly thoughtful about everything. One of the few people who understands why the world is so confusing and with whom I could talk for hours about the intricacies of things people don't normally take the time to ponder.
Anyhow, Nick and his band played an amazing show last night and he just came out with a new record, Holly, which you should definitely buy. If you have any interest in well-thought out melodies, precise rhythms that flow or historically rooted music that sounds familiar and innovative at the same time, then you will love it. Oh, and if you have any interest, desire, or memories of a non-place called Los Angeles, it's kind of essential.
