Nijinsky's Ghost

ca velvet jacket, cropped and fringed, covered in pearls, just what any madman would want! one of my new costumes to grace the Edison stage (wish I had clear pictures.)

This one is sexy in a quirky vintage way...

Like a Romanian Gypsy, showing off her legs on the tightrope,

shocking for 1905!

Vegetation

I'm trying to eak by on what odds and ends I have left in the fridge before flying back home on Tuesday. Last night's prospects looked pretty meager with only a bunch of uncooked potatoes, carrots, and an onion left over from thanksgiving. But necessity is truly the mother of invention for a starving bohemian. I pooled resources with my roommates, to make a roast veggie feast fit for kings. We all agreed it looked more like a design project than food, and tasted like a vegan hippie festival in our mouths.
Who needs protein when you have pretty colors.

Kristin's bohemian roast veggie recipe:

left over veggies, in your favorite pallet of colors and shapes

this incarnation includes new potatoes, carrots, purple onion, beats and radishes, but just about any thing will do.

cover in olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and whatever herbs are on hand.

roast in the oven for approx 30 min, but keep an eye on it.

It's ready when the veggies are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, like fancyfrenchfries.

We then served it with left over brown rice and tahini dressing.

Fantastical Theatriacal

When the days grow darker, imagination kicks into full effect, while the outer world sleeps, the inner world unleashes it's dreams. Crazed with introspection and pent up energy, I indulge my fantastical theatrical side and throw myself into making the most outlandish exotic pseudo-ethnic circus costumes I can. Flights of fancy harking back to the Ballets Russes.

I am blessed to have the perfect outlet for such creation, Lucent Dossier Vaudeville Cirque, directed by visionary artist Dream Rockwell. Such inspiring creative force surrounds this woman, I'm grateful to be able to put my little imaginings into the mix. My new collection of costume will debut at the Edison this coming month.

taking inspiration from...

Ballet Russes, Nijinsky and Anna Pavlova, Paul Poiret, Rimsky-Korsakov 1001 Arabian Nights, Gustav Klimt, ilustrater Kay Neilson, and Renoir's vintage circus girls


So here is the beginnings of what's brewing on the sewing machine...

funny little party hats,

high waistd circus bottoms


whimsical croped vests

and lots more magic to come

Temescal Canyon Panorama

Hiking the Temescal Canyon ridge trail my friend and photographer Mat McCarthy took this magical picture.

To find this woodland wonderland just drive up Temescal Canyon rd, of the PCH, go to the very end and explore to your hearts content.

Thankfull

Living far from home, my rag tag band of California pilgrims came together to celebrate our second annual thanksgiving in Venice. It hard to believe it has been almost two years since I landed on the plimoth rock known as Venice Beach where so many east cost strays have come in search of freedom.

Bright and early Heidi and headed for the hills, collecting autumnal flowers, marveling at the strange grace of nature to create such an infinity of fascinating life forms, growing wild, so often overlooked as weeds. We hiked along old Topanga road working up an appetite for the feast to come and created little bouquets as we took in all the beauty.



Then came the cooking. Heidi made a delicious butternut squash soup, real mac and cheese, and an amassing pumpkin and ginger pie. I took responsibility for the stuffing (with all my favorite ingredients fresh sage, mushrooms, carrots, celery, apple and onion,) brussel sprouts, and the mashed potatoes (my secret recipe, garlic, herb and mashed apple for a hint of sweetness.) Nick's turkey took the prize for the best I’ve ever eaten, not surprising since he grew up on a turkey farm. Dinner was attended by eight of our beloved friend family, and for their amusement and to prove our eternal dorkieness, we dressed up as pilgrim and indian .

The following morning we piled the car to the brim with leftovers, worm clothes and the tools of our respective trades and drove to Lake Arrowhead for three days of quiet focus in front of the fire place. The cabin was a quaint bohemian place, the perfect local for Heidi to write her script and I to sew to my little hearts content.
My sewing sprawled out in front of a glowing fire, how am I so lucky!

I want my own uneven cabin floor to paint. These folks must have lost there straight edge
eclectic touches, and house plants, I felt right at home.

I'm so grateful for my creative friends. There is so much to be learned from the struggles and triumphs of a soul on a mirrored path to your own, different disciplines but similar processes.

Photographic Romance

Yesterday I had the pleasure to work with the most amazing photographer. Her style is so sweet and natural, congruent with my own. Jacqueline Veissid is accomplished in her vision.

I could not have asked for a happier shoot, climbing trees, swinging on swings, playing with chickens. hoping on fences, wheelbarrow rides, and a good role in the hay!
check out her beautiful website...

http://www.jacquelineveissid.com/

Look under portfolio, then lifestyle to see a sneak peek of yesterdays shoot, only further confirming my farm girl nature.

On Location

Autumn in Napa Vally is breathtaking. So beautiful, it's worth selling your soul to a film crew for this to be your office...

Wine Country October. For one month I lived, breathed and worked wardrobe on a remake of the film Sideways for the Japanese market. My first feature film shot on location. The experience was priceless, trial by fire so to speak, long hours and high stress. But the leaves were turning the air was crisp and the view from the trailer, positively picturesque.

willow banded oak casks (Frogs Leap Winery)


round red barns

rural oddities

extravagant winery landscaping (Newton Vineyard)

my little office on wheels...

and the most delisous grapes right off the vine

and the wine, of course. What more could one wish for a work day.

Classic

I'm so inspired to make some deliciously simple cotton and silk dresses. Nothing more than what needs to be. I've started in on my first modern classical inspirations and I'm looking to style a Maxfield Parrish "girls on rocks" shoot. My broken camera was still under warranty, thankfully!! So soon I can fill you in with visual details.

Sew Darling

Look at this little super model baby! I couldn't resist sewing her this little dress.
I patterned it from one I baught for my self, from her mothers store, and scavenged fabric from an ill-fitting vintage garment of my own. The results, too cute for words...
Perfect outfit for Amelia's morning at the farmers market!

Thanks to Sandy for the pictures and thanks to Amelia for being such a good little model.

falls'a comin...

Too bad it was 95 degrees in LA today. I'm yearning for crisp mornings and bright leaves, sigh.