In that short time, she also left the confines of corporate life and now has a booming INTERNATIONAL business as a wedding and boudoir photographer extraordinaire. Oh and she also helps her husband remodel their home...like knocking out walls...herself.
So it's pretty much official now: I heart her talented Superwoman fearless heart.
She recently asked me to pull together a blog post. She needed help advising her clients on the difficult task of dressing for engagement photo shoots. Tall order.
So I pulled together a magical look book much like I used to for my styling clients. Lots of pretty eye candy like what's below and good styling tips even if you're not even thinking about a wedding. Check it out at Hazelnut Photography now.
I spent 12 years in a Catholic school uniform. That means I quickly learned jewelry, hair accessories, shoes, tights, book bags, lunch pails, frames for my Coke-bottle glasses were the only ways to stand out, to express personality, to feel unique. Ironically, it was the nuns that created this accessorizing monster.
Today I firmly believe that one of the only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize. I think truly stylish women don't necessarily dress better than the rest of us. They just know how to dress differently from the rest of us. And that usually comes down to devoting a bit more attention to the details of a look.
Here's some eye candy to inspire you to have fun with fashion and embrace unique, stand out accessories. Remember it's not just about getting attention, it's about expressing your indiividuality.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
he SceneAlot going on. TOO MUCH! Trying to deal with one thing at a time, breathe and not get overwhelmed. So glad I have hilarious deliciousness to look forward to tonight.
Taking my two loves to see Julio Iglesias. YAYAYA!
My mom is a huge (read: lusty) fan of his. She and my Dad took me to see him in Vegas when I was little. I was mesmerized. The man is a straight up rico suave pimp. Huge fan.
As soon as I found out he was touring, I snapped up tickets. Knew it'd be the perfect treat for my mama. Knew it would score me major good daughter points!
Got a ticket for Mr. Diabolina too since he loves being with his ladies and we have a running joke that he gets super romantic whenever he hears Spanish music. Awwww yeah!
My mom wears her cute new little shoes, the scarf I bought her on Sunday and her wedding ring. She's been a widow for nearly 2 decads now but will bust out the beautiful sparkler for special occasions, when she wants to feel close to my Dad. I love that kind of accessorizing ;)
All night I feel like he's with us. Like we are on some cosmic double date. He and Mr. Diabolina would have loved each other. Missed meeting each other by a couple of years. That kills me!
Back to the concert. So a comedian opens for Julio. A really, really bad comedian. To add insult to injury, he's not even Latino.
For about 10 minutes of his set, it's dead silent. Crickets. Ugh. I am not a big fan of stand up precisely because of horror scenes like this. Mr. Diabolina gets up to get drinks. My mom takes this as an opportunity to become a total and utter PROBLEM.
She starts chanting JULIO JULIO JULIO. Everyone around us joins in. UGH! WHO IS SHE???? I mean I know her loins are on fire but GOOD LORD.
I tell her to pipe down, that the man on the stage is someone's child. That gets her. The chant dies down for a few minutes but then some other banana starts it again. The poor guy hustles off the stage incensed. EEKS!
Then for 2 bilssful hours it's magic time. It's Julio time! Can I just say yes he's practically 80 years old but GOD IS HE AN AMAZING PERFORMER!!!
He is like no American artist. His voice is so powerful. His lyrics so gut wrenching. His style so raw and emotional. He practically yelps certain break up songs. Please watch this - it's beautiful and yes, cheesy:
Just love it. Reminds me of my childhood. It reminds me that though I now exist primarily in English, Spanish was my first language. That the blood in my veins is Latin no matter where I live. That my passion and fire and bawdiness are all products of my upbringing, my culture, my people.
All wonderful reminders as I'm on the brink of big changes...
The Outfit
Banana Republic leopard print dress
Black wrap sweater
The Accessories
Chanel art deco earrings
Chanel black chain tote
Narcisco Rodriquez red sandals
The Grade
A-
The Commentary
So I actually wore this little (legging) ditty to work.
Got the Pucci inspired top and DIVINE white jacket at Forever last year. Cute nuff outfit but not particularly special. Had so much on my mind this a.m. that I just threw it together.
Now the concert outfit had ALOT of thought put into it.
Since Julio provokes a very primal response (he's a notorious ladies man - has chillins in every area code) I figured an animal print would be PURRfect.
Mr. Diabolina also suggested I flash a bit of cleav for the old man. Done and done with this great chiffony Nana dress.
It's very DVF flowy sex kitten, no? Fab party dress. Very versatile. Can dress up or down easily.
The red heels provide a nice bit of pop. Also designed by a Latino - thank you very much! My mom warns me not to ruin the night and break them. UGH!
The outfits at the concert were lots of fun to spy. I feel like Latin women are notorious for : 1) having a real gaudy gene 2) often loving tight when it's not a good idea 3) flashing lots of skin at night. And day. And even at kids' birthday parties and funerals.
Think in a lot of ways my style was influenced by mom's distaste for all of the above. By her desire again to assimilate and not be stereotyped. It's almost like my style is a reaction against the cha cha stereotypes of Latin women.
I ultimately try to opt for classy not tacky. I rarely wear tight sausage outfits. I do flash quite a bit of skin but hope it's age and situation appropriate. I mean I'm only this cute once - gotta flaunt it :)
Found it very interesting that I noticed quite a few really high end designer purses on the women tonight - Chanel, Burberry, Gucci. My tiny mom wore her tiny Tod's.
I would have to say the majority of the purses however were Coach ;)
Friday, February 15, 2008
The Scene Rush rush rushing all day at work to catch our flight to Portland in time. Didn't even take a photo of the equally rushed, non-entity of a work outfit. But here it is in all it's non-glory: Blue Cult trouser jeans, turquoise cowl necked sweater, tweed Banana coat with my MJ bag and shoes. Snore!
Get to Oregon around 10 p.m. The hotel where the college crew is staying resembles The Standard - hip, no frills, modern kitschy, useless staff. Totally cool though since its location is convenient and the rate is more than reasonable.
From what I saw on the plane and the airport and the hotel lobby, I realized Diabolina/Dorothy is no longer in L.A./Oz. And that I should keep the weekend's outfits casual - UBER CASUAL. No flash here :(
Don't change a thing about the function-over-form plane outfit when we go out for late night drinkies with The Beav, an old friend, and That Girl, a new friend who is quickly becoming a fave.
Did you know that Portland has the most strip clubs per capita of any other U.S. city? Me either. Hit one establishment called Union Jack's and then headed back to the hotel to the Doug Fir, a cool log cabin-y bar/restaurant that's a top music venue in P-town.
Too many drinks and laughs. Great catching up and reminiscing. Perfection of a start to the weekend.
The Outfit Forever 21 black skinny jeans James Pearse white thermal Vintage camel coat
The Accessories Ugg boots Purple pashmina Faux Chanel earrings Diamond celtic necklace Louis Vuitton speedy
The Grade C
The Commentary Feel really self-conscious when I dress down. We're talking REALLY self conscious. Know lots of friends who have the opposite problem. We're all so funny with our neuroses.
For me, not dressing up makes me feel bland, unattractive, not special. I like feeling unique. Enjoy the attention that comes with standing out in a crowd.
Only very recently have I started owning alot of my personal insecurities and fears. Alot of intense writing last year helped. So lately I've been trying to really understand what's behind personality traits I have always just taken for granted. Have been trying to assess what's healthy and what's not. I think for me alot of who I am goes back to my childhood. Fashion was a large part of how I was raised. My mom always had me pristinely dressed up from head to toe as a child. I think as an immigrant she was really conscious of not being looked down upon, of being accepted. That and she inherently appreciates beautiful things.
I remember waking in the middle of the night several times when I was little to find her up and tirelessly sewing. She'd create these impeccable outfits for me that got complemented everywhere we'd go. I still marvel at how hard she worked to make me feel like I had everything I could ever want. She is such a gift of a parent.
My stepdad was also a big influence. His life was fashion. He had a glamorous chain of stores that he'd built from nothing. His women's clothing stores were all over Southern California - in the Beverly Hills Hotel and South Coast Plaza and the Beverly Center.
In the 50s and 60s, he dressed all kinds of stars including Diana Ross and Marilyn Monroe. He was all about bringing out the theatrical in me, making me less shy and book-wormish, more creative and expressive. What a gift he was too.
I think another part of my personal fashion puzzle is that for 12 years I went to Catholic school. Which means in addition to wearing alot of guilt, I also wore a uniform. An uncomfortable plaid uniform.
I didn't really resent it though. Didn't really understand that there was any other option. But I do remember feeling a real sense of urgency to accessorize, to make myself look different from the other little Good Shepherds. My book bag and shoes and hair accessories and jewelery were always big priorities. I saw them as ways to express my individuality. So funny to remember all that now in the context of this blog.
It's so interesting to me how fashion can represent such vastly different things to different people. It can seem so frivolous to some, so loaded with meaning to others. It can be aspirational or it can be intimidating. It can be a shield we use to protect ourselves. It can be a security blanket.
It can be about re-defining ourselves, trying on new identities for size. It can be about feeling lazy one day and feeling creative the next. It can be about the lessons we were taught or the lessons we still have to learn.
In the end, fashion is just such an integral part of who I am and how I see the world. I guess I just have to embrace it in all its neurotic glory!
I'd love to know what influences how you dress - sharing is caring ;)
MissJordyPants was one of my first blog readers that I ever met in person---stranger danger be damned. I fell in love pretty much instantly. 
