Produce and Fashion - of course!

summer produce - fall colors

fab transitional pieces

                 

I love this time of year. We are still in the midst of summer and enjoying the fact that school zones are not enforced and that long weekends still make lots of sense because, well, it's summer. Fewer people at work on a reg basis. Trees full of leaves, flowers in bloom. Yadda Yadda Yadda. But a piece of me starts to consider that a change in season is coming. That soon the light will change, the evenings will cool off, and our food & fashion will transition. We will use richer colors we can layer on top of summer dresses to transition, and in a few weeks we will all be within a new season - autumn.

Ben shot the tomatoes and mushrooms at a market while wandering around in San Francisco a few weeks ago. Aren't they beautiful? They represent summer but the colors are oh-so fall and to me the fashion illustrates the market pics so perfectly. The fabulous dress, tie-dye shirt, and scarves are from a favorite online shop called Beklina

I hope it makes you think of all the fun with fashion and. . . eh. . . produce. . . we will be having come fall. 

Remember your Roots

We love our families and the roots upon which we were raised and still stand. Our pasts, how we were raised, and the pasts of those who came before us inform so much of who we are and more importantly who we want to be. . . as a reminder of this, and more, and because we miss home so much sometimes, we decided to make "art" of old stationary we have from both of our towns - mine from Baird TX (where my family has been for over 100 years as teachers, merchants, and civil servants) and Ben's from Weatherford OK (where his parents & grandparents on both sides have been integral parts of the community for 3 generations). We have taken the mastheads from the stationary and are blowing it up to hang on the wall - see the Baird piece that is completed at top - still working on how to mount it. . . and the stationary we are using for Weatherford, and specifically from Ben's grandfather's drugstore. It is still in production. Will update you on the final installation. . . will take finding just the perfect spot eventually to show off why we believe in roots and reach.

Inspired by: Journey of Action

Smmidge supports people doing what they do in hopes that we can be exposed to and inspired by others who are living more deliberately and more meaningfully - whether you create things that just make yourself and others happy, or if you are involved in a movement that may effect thousands - we want to know (and tell) the story and get the word out. Ryan and Kassidy Brown of Journey of Action are inspiring me with their ambitious project - see this kick-off webisode and be sure and follow them as they embark on their journey of action.

My Summer Reading List

I'm enjoying and have enjoyed some wonderful books this summer. Ben and I make it a point to keep a book going between us - one that we read together - and this summer that is Einstein by Water Isaacson. On my own I have thoroughly enjoyed escaping to Jackson Mississippi in the 1950s in The Help; diving into the Elizabeth Gilbert's life once again (I loved Eat Pray Love and am anticipating a fabulous movie coming out next month) in Committed; and currently I'm two-timing some fabulous male authors in Jonathon Tropper and Anthony Bourdain. I can't stop talking about their books, that is when I'm not inhaling each page. Finally, I'm saving my dive into the phenomenon that is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I hear wonderful things and am excited to start but am saving for August in hopes I'll have finished either This is Where I Leave You or Medium Raw - I want to really give it all my attention and can't wait. Happy Summer!

Pole Posters in Portland OR

I guess I'm anticipating a weekend trip to Chicago starting Friday because this week has really been focused on favorite destinations. I'll be out at a sponsorship event for my company, but am looking forward to the trip and to Chi town in the summer. I hope you enjoy the gorgeous posters we found on a magical trip to Portland last year. Aren't they amazing? The colors, the typography, the band names. . . LOVE that town too, and have more fave spots to share from that trip. . .

Erwin's Groove - Venice CA

I had the pleasure of visiting Venice CA last spring and stayed at the super cool Hotel Erwin at Venice Beach. What a fun, fun place. . .

Such a funky, unsuspecting place - love the graffiti wall in the entry.

From my balcony I had a beautiful view of the Pacific, but was even more enchanted by this sign. Only in California.

Lovely!

Things are clearer. . .

when I hear this song. . . but oh to start the week with this Wilco video. . . sublime.

Wilco - Country Disappeared | A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Stripe Tease

Hope you love stripes as much as I do! These beautiful examples are from Anthropologie (where else?!?) and a darling little site called Milk & Paper. The paper and fashion stripes add pizzazz to outfits, gifts, parties, drinks and invites. Love love love it. Click the title to check Milk & Paper out. We know you know where to find Anthro. Happy Friday!

Cardboard Lion, King of the Jungle

Doss and Cardboard Lion, Christmas 09

Dinks and Dado

Look at this lion! Isn't he the cutest most loveable cardboard lion you have ever seen? I think he is so expressive. . . I mentioned before how much I love paper and anything created out of paper, and how I came by it naturally. My Baba (maternal grandmother) and my Mom could cut things (freehand most of the time) out of paper (usually construction paper but often many different paper mediums), perhaps out or necessity, but more importantly out of, I think, a viewpoint that needs to be expressed playfully and in 3D. The lion above was cut out by hand by my Mom and Dad - Steve and Suzee Odom or, to Lola, Doss, and "Geronimo" (the soon to be latest addition to the family & cousins and Lola's little brother) Dinks and Dado.

Cardboard Lion came to stay with us over Christmas. My Mom and Dad received an Anthropologie catalog and were so inspired they just whipped this up - no doubt with some yells, laughs, and I don't know. . . a curse word or two. Hard to say - I wasn't there. Mr. Lion was just there in the living room at Dinks and Dado's when we arrived for Christmas. What a magical treat it was to have him! I'm still super impressed with his broad mane full of movement and rope tail that seems so real.

Cardy the Lion inspires me to continue on my ever present quest to create. Create something that inspires someone the way this lion, and the very fact that my parents were inspired to create him, spurs me onward. That they took the time to make this artwork for their grandchildren out of a box and some rope and some paper - poof, we were transported to the jungle - is well. . . Magical.

Creativity is on my mind this week after my brother forwarded an article on creativity and it's decline perhaps because of the modern, digital world we live in. . . and how really making something, producing actual things, helps foster true creativity or the ability to create solutions as well as things. . . and how maybe the anxiousness and discontent I sometimes struggle with might just be that piece of me craving scissors, colors, paper, glue, thread, fabric, paint, playdo, pipecleaners and ribbon to just Make. Create. Speak out. Express. Inspire. Foster. Capture. Live. On.

Gentlemen, man

Forage Bow Tie

Inspiring Men's fashion found on www.oncewed.com

The very dapper Mr. Sidney Foy, my Grandfather in the early 50s

More groovy guys from a featured wedding on www.oncewed.com

My husband's great-grandfather, in the 1930s

I'm always on the lookout for inspiring men's fashion. Men who know and express a personal style are so very interesting... My husband is in the middle of a time in his life full of change. He is changing, growing a great deal both as a husband and father, but also and almost in the forefront, as a professional. He figured out his path over the last year, and it's changed him. He is different in some ways, but also still the same guy. . . the same singer, songwriter, musician, writer, voracious reader, lover of the quiet and of loud live music. . . it's just that now he goes into an office everyday and actually loves that too. So we are in the midst of evolving his expression of style, and well. . . it isn't easy. He is cool and he has longish hair and a beard. . . so he wants to express that he isn't your average 8-5er, while still expressing his seriousness. One thing he has tossed around is the idea of bow ties. . . I LOVE them, and he is really considering them as a part of his wardrobe too. The one shown above is from the lovely folks blogging at SomethingsHidingInHere - and they call their bow tie line Forage. Genius. They linked me to another blog called OnceWed that highlights weddings. . . what a beautiful marriage of vintage/modern. For me, that is where it's at! Nodding to the past with your modern expression of style. Maybe sometimes even winking to those who came before you. Love the suspenders and vests. Finally I had to throw in some men in our familial past who were just so chic in their own right. The 30s and 40s were such a wonderful time of effortless style for men. No matter your station, your job, your lifestyle all the men were just so cool. It's very inspiring. We'll keep you posted on Ben's evolution in style. . . Such a fun thing. . . Cheers!

Whoo Hoo

So two things that bring me calm and thrills at the same time - things that make me take a breath and want to holler "whoo hoo" like my Baba used to -- are accessories, and furniture. Particularly distinctive shoes and bags from one of the loves of my life: www.anthropologie.com; and vintage furniture brought back to life with fabulous fabrics. I have several pieces in my own house that are found or passed down or cast away only to be put into the back of Ben's truck and brought home to us. I'll share our pieces one of these days, but until then here are some favorites from the lovely folks at www.chairloom.com (great name btw) that would just love to be in the same room with the shoes and bags from Anthro. Ahhh. yes.

Paper circles make me happy

Look at these paper circle garlands! I have an affinity for handmade paper items that was ingrained in me at a very early age - my mother and grandmother could make almost anything out of paper; costumes, palm trees, every letter of the alphabet. As teachers, they produced programs with elaborate sets they made by hand, and halloween costumes from the store? I think not. Fully cut out of construction paper. And detailed and beautful, at that! Alas, I came across these garland on Wren Handmade's Etsy store and they make me so happy - can't you just see a happy children and birthday cakes below? Or twinkle lights all around and people celebrating, well, anything with these around. I read recently that no matter your profession, you will get further in your career and against any goals you have if you make something. MAKE something. Apparently it helps you expand creatively (shocker, right?) AND create better solutions problems, answers to needs. . . I'm sure these darling garlands led to plently of creative solutions.

Speaking out and. . . through

Smmidge is all about showcasing people doing what they love. I love finding people hard at work in their daily lives and behind the scenes, they are creating, speaking out, changing themselves and others. It is even more wonderful when I have the chance to know them or work with them - and then find this out! Lisa Wicka and I spent many days together in the JCPenney Manhattan store branding and managing consumer events - she and her team always did a terrific job supporting our initiatives and keeping things moving and on track both with consumers and within store functions. So when Lisa sent us her farewell email as she departed for grad school, and along with her message, her blog links about her art, I was blown away by her voice - what she says and makes us think about art, fashion and media (something I work in everyday) is, eh-hem, well, eye-opening. . . but she says in the most beautiful way. Truly. Beautiful. Best of luck Lisa!