Riding (In Style) With Bonnie & Clyde

In an era where J Edgar Hoover ran the FBI, our government dealt with a very real public relations issue in that a large populous of Americans sympathized and even glamourized certain outlaws, notably Bonnie & Clyde. This was of course a time of much cynicism towards our government by its citizens. A time when good people were basically destroyed losing their homes and savings to the banks, massive unemployment, and to top it off, folks could not legally forget their sorrows in a cocktail. Prohibition was the icing on the cake which left many in our country seeing police and officials as a joke. (The government seeming a joke and out of touch with its citizens, people losing their homes, etc...... hmm, sound familiar? ;)

And then you have Bonnie & Clyde--young, stylish, and robbing banks. Perversely symbolizing a sort of freedom. Renegades out on the open road opposing the out of touch law men and oppressive government.

What do you think would have been the case in the past year if we would have had ourselves a modern version of these notoriously stylish young outlaws? I think they'd be on the cover of every paper in this country, as well as Us Weekly, Ok!, In Touch, and People Magazine and seen on PerezHilton.com. There would be people employed to know or at least speculate on what brand of shoes our modern Bonnie was wearing and who made this Clyde's suits. It would be a feature on E! and Entertainment Tonight. Would the Sartorialist shoot them? Heck, would fashion public relations people risk their lives to get Bonnie & Clyde their client's hats, shoes, and dresses? Very likely!

Below is an excerpt from Playboy magazine 1968 by W.D. Jones, a former member of Bonnie & Clyde's gang of outlaws, after the release of Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway's "Bonnie & Clyde" film (of which Beatty was a producer). Its no surprise to me that the pair of outlaws were so stylish, she was a little Libra lady afterall :)

Bonnie was always neat, even on the road. She kept on make-up and had her hair combed all the time. She wore long dresses and high heels and them little tams on her head. She was a tiny little thing. I reckon she never weighed more than 100 pounds, even after a big meal. But them big meals was usually bologna and cheese sandwiches and buttermilk on the side of the road. Run, run, run. At times, that seemed all we did.

She had light-colored hair, but she dyed it different shades. She seemed to like to do that, and Clyde approved. It made a good disguise. She even dyed his and my hair. Only once for me, though. In them days, dyeing hair took more than a little time. She had me all wrapped in towels and I had to sleep that way one night. It worked, though. My hair come out black as coal.

Its a great little read: Click here.

Whirlwind. Wild is the Wind.

Some pics from the whirlwind trip to Virginia.

January 2007 to January 2009. Thinking of the past two years. How they flew right by in the constant and crazy pace of this life. Of all that has changed. New city, new place, new things, new job, new pet. Ex love, malicious soul suckers, ex job, the devastating loss of dear family. New travels, new adventures, new people, new car, new likes, new ideas, new places, new haircuts, new outlook, new person? And the essentials that have thankfully remained the same. Dear friends, loving family, the core of my being, not jaded.
Spending time with family during the holidays can really make you hit your "reset" button and put so much into perspective if you allow it. Or I suppose quiet time alone can do that to a degree as well. The pause as things slow down now before the new year approaches. Have we been more patient, kind and fair than not? Have we also taken time to tend to the flowers of our own garden as much as we have tended to others? What has been learned from the good and the bad? The joy and the pain?
So very looking forward to the coming week. To bringing together those who have stood the test of time with those who are newly essential and dear. I am blessed and so very fortunate. Rich in love as the saying goes.

Thinking

of the sunsets through the forest across the street from home in Virginia.

Its beginning to look, smell, feel and sound a lot like Christmas :)

Smell: Baked some quite yummy, buttery, bite-sized chocolate chip cookies earlier this week to get in the mood. And the use of doilies these days is underrated! So pretty and proper to frame your baked goods. Like a lacy snowflake :) Next up, star and palm tree shaped sugar cookies (think Hollywood walk of fame and the palm tree lined streets of this fine city). And lets not forget that hot spiced apple cider. Its yummy to drink and lovely to scent the home as well.

Sound: Car stereo is tuned to 24 hour Christmas music station. I am serious. We only get to indulge once per year, so why not do it up, sing to the top of your lungs, and FEEL it?! At home, try this: http://music.aol.com/radioguide/christmas-music You can go from classic Christmas tunes, to Rock, Pop, and many more choices.

Look: Your own decorations or driving around looking at the lights in neighborhoods. Perfect for a Sunday evening.

Feel: Do you feel it in your heart? :) And may your every New Year dream come true this year.

Malibu & Hollywood Holiday Time

The bestttttttttttt. Malibu Seafood. Brought back memories of my family back East and eating fried clam strips and shrimp with my dad when I was a teeny little girl. Simply the best fried seafood I've had since I've lived in California I think. Fresh and yummy. And outside, look at the light here. Its like heaven itself. The majesty of this earth. Not retouched at all. Even more amazing to experience it live.....



A hammock of fun w/Shahla at a huge party on Sat. I might have looked a bit Gossip Girl?Jacket from Paris, very vintage broach from my mom. Olivia at Sgt. Recruiter in an amazing vintage sweater dress. Yumminess after hours with wine and cheese.


The El Capitan theater. So pretty. Makes you want to give all your money to the church of Mickey Mouse. They are realllllly good.

Filligree Car Bomb Me

Filligree car bomb by Cal Lane.

"The metaphor of lace further intrigued me by its associations of hiding and exposing at the same time; like a veil to cover, or lingerie to reveal."

I'd like to drive a car like this....an intact metal lace car. Can you imagine the photos? Perfect for a fashion shoot.....Don't go stealing my idea, or do. She seems like an incredibly cool woman. She is from Nova Scotia, where one of my great grandmother's lived.

BBC's Creature Comforts: Self Image

Across the United States hundreds of ordinary Americans were interviewed on a variety of subjects. This is what they had to say about self image....

"We talkin' about how purty you'd be if you'd put on some makeuuuuup."

Why ya'll always have to make fun of us Southern folk so much ;)

Don't You Cry No More

Viktor & Rolf. Happily making our way into winter here in la la land. One of those perfect designs of shoe art that turn anything into a magical dream--any season of the year ;)