fashion forward by going backward: Daughters of Simone

 

By the end of this year alone I will have attended 5 weddings. Being in my mid-20s I think that is probably the norm. What is NOT the norm, however, are these fantastic vintage wedding dresses by Daughters of Simone. This San Francisco based company was founded by two other 20 somethings with a huge sense of style. Tired of the typical wedding dress, these ladies fashion new wedding dresses from old ones, achieving a soft, sheik, vintage appeal.

While a wedding is not in my near future plans, I do know a few more blushing-brides-to-be that will be soon in the hunt for the perfect dress. Above are a few of my favorites from Daughters of Simone. Many are one-of-a-kind and already sold out. Their collection--which also includes vintage accessories--is available via their website daughtersofsimone.com or through their etsy shop.

Daughters of Simone is going backwards to push the limits of fashion creativity--and its working for me. I may have to get married soon, if only just to buy a dress!

she floats

she floats.
buoyant and breathtaking
like a petal wafting
both above the earth 
and deep below its surface.

she floats.
spirited and soulful
moving with the rhythm 
of the effortless
purposeful sea.

she laughs
radiant and real.
the sound of inside smiles.
and it is here 
you may drown
as nothing exists
before nor after 
that eternal bliss.
and it is why

she floats.


happy golden birthday to my soul sister. xo, liks

photo :: unknown 

i will follow the sun

i will follow the sun.
take me under,
blind me.
without cover,
you will find me.
burnt,
blistered,
baked,
in a blanket of heat.
my only relief will be
the sea.
and still
i find you there.
so i dive deep,
to follow the sun.

photo :: brandy-alia 
lyrics :: lika

on the road

 

san jose :: santa cruz :: san francisco :: humboldt/burnt ranch :: sonoma

i'm off.
solo mish.
nor-cal awaits.
hope to regain
some much needed
peace,
perspective, 
passion.



from great traveler/writer/poet/maniac jack kerouac, while he was on the road:

"what is that feeling when you're driving away from people and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? it's the too-huge world vaulting us, and it's good-bye. but we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies."

"there was nowhere to go but everywhere, so just keep on rolling under the stars."

"the best teacher is experience and not through someone's distorted point of view."



be back in 10...xo

wanderlust

anyway you slice it, travel remains a wander-ful, lust-ful necessity. 

i'll be heading out on a 10-day nor-cal road trip in a couple days #solomissions. i hope to get motivated to go even further. to all the homies floating around our humble planet, just keep swimming. to those stuck in limbo, let this move you. 

the further you go, the closer you get to understanding humanity and yourself. . .all the while growing creative inspiration.

SEVEN IMAGES TO INSPIRE WANDERLUST

lost and freedom found

fullness i seek is hidden by emptiness i carry.

when the load becomes heavy

i reach for more stones,

while the consciousness i require is on a path of light.

light as breath on a page;

permanent as scars etched in flesh;

necessary as silence is for spirit;

the noise quiets.

my cup fills.

art by kirstin nolte

the danger of the uninspired

My cursor has been blinking for four months now. A quarter-inch black line on a pale screen, haunting me. "WRITE SOMETHING," it silently screamed. And I, like so many uninspired souls, found it all to easy to ignore. I'd like to say it was something profound, breathtaking, or life shattering that finally got me writing again. But it was fear. 

Today I started thinking about a world full of people lacking inspiration, and the danger that would ensue. I reflected on the last four months of my life and all I could come up with was...Pilates. Pilates? After four months, the most profound thing in my life I could muster was a mat exercise?! Sure my core was getting stronger, but what about my core. When I lack inspiration my slate is blank, my spirit empty, and all I am is matter moving aimlessly through what I dare to call life. 

Can you imagine a society of souls, barely afloat, with no purpose, no energy? In today's world of sustainable living, creative inspiration is one energy source we can't afford to overlook. The minds of artists and innovators are boundless spheres of ideas and creations, but to cap one's potential is to put a limit on what humanity can achieve. To fall victim to life's mundane tasks only to forget the unique human ability to see the artistic beauty in everything around us, is to overlook one of life's greatest blessings. 

For months now I've wrongfully blamed my surroundings for being so uninspiring. By definition artists are creators, and are responsible for manifesting their own inspiration. Because without it, they seize to exist.

So for the sake of meaningful existence, take a lesson from my momentary lapse in motivation. Above all else don't just seek inspiration, BE inspired.

And if your "cursor" remains at a stand still, spend some time with like minded artists. I promise you, creativity is contagious. So while I while I muster the inspiration to pull new poem out of my pocket, in the mean time...