more where that came from...

a few more pics for the patient ( after all this has been a three month process )...

I heart our pink christmas trees...

I finished this dress yesterday...the crows are so romantic



A few leather cuffs in the window...

A new era begins...

I can now safely say that my life has changed ( for he better ) with the opening of Revolution Malibu. While our official grand opening will be in January ( what a great way to start the New Year ), we have had customers practically beating down our door - even with the colossal mess. Throw in a few sewage issues ( Malibu is mostly septic believe it or not ), other plumbing and city issues and you can pretty much understand why we have to bypass most of Christmas.

Here are some pics to enjoy...

Our beautiful peacock feather hair accessories and cashmere scarves...

Beautiful crystal and gold jewelry...

A signature Collage Couture and Thirsty 4 Souls skull dress. Hand screened with eco friendly inks right in our in house studio. Love the black mohair cardigan with it...

Close up of the skulls studded with 30 cm Swarovski crystals. Fab style for new Year's don't you think?

Part of our window display we will be finishing today...

One of our first customers, Bella, who is wearing a Thirsty 4 Souls recycled wool hat with recycled leather cross accent.

Tom wearing a CRIME one of a kind suit jacket.

More pics to come

Shame...

I was reluctant to use my 200th post to shame my neighbors...but after doing some holiday shopping at their shop CLOUT , I was leaning over their counter and was shocked to see MY PICTURE, ( duplicated what looked like a thousand times ) as their "wallpaper"on their 24 inch computer monitor....

So now I am their personal bullseye and they don't even respond to my tag?????

I think not boys - at least not without some cyber retaliation ;)

Let's start with the one who has dug the biggest hole ( in my opinion ).



Jeff - This kid is sooooo brilliant and creative but has some serious writer's block. He's the one in charge of the blog - what little bit of blog there is. However, we are grateful to him for enlightening us on the "tao of silk screening". At least he's good for something...



Ahhhhh, this is the boss, the guy in charge.This is Craig. I know I need to shame him for something...just not sure what yet.
The consequences for shaming the boss? I will most likely end up in the card aisle at CVS ( or Ralph's if it's before 7 a.m. ) and stick a Starbucks card inside that card. Usually it's an "I'm sorry" , or a "thank you". Nothing scandalous... - I do have to be very careful not to piss him off though because, the last time I did that I lost 6 lbs. and did not sleep for a week ( true story ).



Jonny is just a pretty boy - and that's plenty to be ashamed of - especially since he's about to be in a layout in Vogue magazine. I don't think I'll ever talk to him again after that comes out ;)

I'm finished for now. Tomorrow I may have to add a couple of others to this wall of shame.

Keep in mind, this is really all in good, naughty, unedited fun...

BTW - boys next door - please replace the wallpaper photo on your monitor with the unedited version.

A million thanks...

As if I don't already have enough to be thankful for this Thanksgiving Day, the universe, god ( and whatever higher power is out there ) blessed me with an email from another blogger that my work was posted on the Alabama Chanin blog and website.

For those of you who don't know Alabama Chanin, this company was founded by Natalie Chanin who is the pioneer of the process we use in our recycled couture pieces at Revolution Malibu.

Natalie has won many awards for her designing and was a 2005 CFDA Vogue Fashion Award finalist.

To have our work reviewed and actually posted on her blog is a huge honor.

Check out her post here. 

  

We're Agitated

Revolution Malibu recently received accolades from the trend forecasting blog Trend Agitator.

We have been so overwhelmed with construction and production it has been hard to see through our mess! Apparently our peers had tunnel vision and saw through the mayhem :) 

Just Asking...

Learning life lessons is hard sometimes. Especially when you are right smack in the middle of being "schooled".

Earlier this week I was having a conversation with some friends and we were discussing relationships and how people handle their respective partners/spouses.  

One of my friends asked me this question: "Do you give everything ( your spouse/partner needs ) in your relationship?"

Since I am a 110% girl with everything I do, I confidently responded " yes " without any reservation.

Then he asked me " Do you get everything ( you need ) in your relationship?"

I won't share the answer to that, but I will tell you that those two questions affected me profoundly.

Ask yourself the same question.

If the answer is yes - then you are truly blessed.

If the answer is no - then is that fair?

Six ( unimportant ) Things That Make Me Happy

Yesterday pretty.little.world. gave me the honor of being tagged. For those of you who don't know, tagging is a good thing. 

I was asked to do a post on "Six Unimportant Things That Make Me Happy". As I stated in my previous post, if it makes me happy, it must be important. 

So hang on, cause here I go...

1. Ma famille ( "My Family"  in french - which I am - full blooded ). I'm sure you saw that coming ;)

2. Malibu.  I have been a Zuma Beach rat since childhood, only taking a break here and there to be a mom and wife. I became a full time Malibu resident Sept. 6, 2006. I wouldn't live anywhere else in the world. I don't even like to leave here to run errands in the city - seriously.

3. Revolution Malibu. My baby, my shop - and my logo - beautifully designed by a brilliant kid named Craig who left this world too early. Everytime I walk into my store and look at that logo I think of him. It makes me happy and I know he'd be happy too. 

4. Making Stuff. I'm all D.I.Y., all the time. I don't care what it is, if it can be made, I will be making it. Especially if I want it - bad.

5. Mornings. I am a morning girl. When I drive down the hill in the morning, I see the sun rise over the Pacific Ocean. It's breathtaking everytime. It really makes you happy to be alive and around so much beauty.

6. Music. Food for the soul. Especially Incubus, Lifehouse, and John Mayer...throw in a little Audioslave and I am all yours!  ;)

Rules are rules - and in the blogging world "tagging" is serious business.

I am tagging my fave blogs to name their six unimportant things that make them happy.

CLOUT RIDESHOP ( my hot little neighbor boys and girls next door at Zuma Beach Plaza. If you want to see some surf and skate action check out their videos )
I*Heart*You  ( Funnier than s%#t! I love her! )

Design Nomad ( Great design blog - we are now friends outside blogging too. )

Ruby Press ( These guys are insanely creative - one of my all time fave blogs )

Brooke Ahana Daily ( us artists have to stick together !)

I will be tagging more blogs, but I want to find something really juicy to make them tag about first - throw in a little shame too maybe :0

Stay tuned!

Blush. Blush.

Update: 7:41 a.m.

My Mac at the shop is by far more capable than the one I have at home... Here are the links to the blogs I mentioned below... ENJOY!!!

Pretty.Little.World.

CLOUT RIDESHOP

Design Nomad

Pretty.Little.World. (http://prettylittlefashionworld.blogspot.com - I just converted to MAC and there is no hyperlink - WTF? )  just voted me one of her fave blogs...she was tagged and tagged me along with her asking me to post " six unimportant thing that make me happy "...
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

That's alot to think about...

If something makes me happy, doesn't that mean it's important?

Nevertheless, this makes me feel especially good since I have been exhausted getting the shop together for the grand opening in time for Christmas, and haven't had the time to post.
I am definitely motivated to post more now - especially by this very sweet jesture -  even though I may have to start posting at 4 a.m. !

Also - another shout out to Elisa over at Design Nomad ( http://designnomad.blogspot.com ) - she was worried about me since I hadn't posted since election day.
xoxoxoxoxox

Don't worry about me my little pretties - I am surrounded by beauty - check out the neighbor boys at www.cloutmalibu.com ( click on the blog link and go through all of the pages - there are only four but you don't want to miss anyone of these guys ;) - muy caliente - and will most certainly make my top six list!

it's on

Election day is here...so excited. I have my "Ba Rock it" t-shirt on ( spied it on A Cup Of Jo ) and I am voting this morning as soon as the doors open.

You best believe I will have my trusty camera with me in case of an inpromptu sightings.

Getting there...

Even with the minor hiccup ( permits that weren't filed by the landlord ), there is progress. I finally finished the logo on the wall and the cash desk. The cash desk was actually a bar made out of wood from an old fishing boat. I painted it light blue and stained it with a moss green color to give it the look of being taken out of the ocean. I called around looking for a fishnet but they are sooooo expensive ( $80 for the size I was looking for! ) I bought a bunch of cheesecloth to drape from the ceiling and so I used some of it ( dyed it with leftover coffee ) and used the "Stiffy" fabric stiffener to keep the "draping" in place. Then I glued a few sea shells and rhinestones to give it the full effect.












So glad I trusted my husband's instincts when he called me and described this bar he found because it is now the focal point in the store.

I will be posting regularly...

SOON. Taking more pics of the shop today. We hit a minor bump when we found out the landlord didn't file some of the permits for the work he did for the space to make it ready for us to move in. So  of course, I have to take care of it ( for him ). Until then I can't even drive a nail into the wall. Most of the work is finished except for moving in the display cases ( and building the others - which is being left for last - when the permits are filed this next week - hopefully ).

I am working on these...

Recycled wool hats with a leather skull...

and Project Ecoart coasters...

And lots of other goodies iwill be sharing with you soon!

You know you're doing a good job when...

...one of your fave actors ( on one of your fave shows ) compliments you on your work ;)

Kevin Dillon came by the shop the other day, gave me kudos on my floor - so intrigued was he that he asked if he could touch it. Kevin is quite the faux finish aficianado - comparing my texture to venetian plaster.

Needless to say...that made my day.

Joint pain and aching muscles

Never under estimate the value of joint pain and aching muscles. It signifies a job well done in my book.

Handpainting this logo took a good 10 hours.

The floors took three days, 4 mops and a workout for muscles I didn't even know existed.

I was so tired I fell asleep during my favorite show "The Rachel Zoe Project" - the season finale no less ( five episodes? What's up with that? ). Finally I get to seal them tomorrow. YAY ( said in a very tired manner ).

In case you thought I was avoiding you

Think again. Progress at the shop...here are pics of the floor so far.

Believe it or not, this finish was done with a mop.

Here is the entryway and the close -up of the logo I am handpainting on the floor as you walk in.

To see the Revolution Malibu click here.

Pics courtesy of The Surf Lodge

We're faux finishing our floors today. This pic from the Sports Lodge gives a similar vibe to what we're doing, but our "water" will look more magical and won't go up the wall as this one does.

I hope to be back on my daily blogging soon and share with you all of our experiences at the store! You guys are a true inspiration and very important to our success at the store. It's important to stay "ahead of the curve" and my blogging world keeps me on track ;)

I had a really fun lunch with Design Nomad on tues. at the restaurant above where our store is here in Malibu. It was really fun to meet one of my blogging friends in person!

Back to the beach

Sorry I have been MIA everyone. Duty calls so I have been working overtime to get the boutique finished.

During this experience. I have come back to my original thoughts on the decor of this place I will be spending so much time in.

Upon further examination and consultation, I have come to the realization that my concrete floors will have to be painted. Too many flaws that only a faux finish can hide. So we are going to finish it a turquoise. In other words, back to the original beach vibe.



















The lighting is IKEA Rimfrost chandeliers. I am painting the stainless steel rim white and adding a fabric ( white of course ) sleeve to the cord. The ceiling is also going to be draped with cheescloth to simulate clouds. This is to soften the vibe ( and the wires and pipes that are exposed in the ceiling. I was going to go for the industrial look - but decided not to since some things are just better not left exposed. This way we give the illusion of chandeliers hanging from "the sky". A pretty and relaxing environment.
Of course I will have the rock rock n roll vibe in the form of black and white photos of Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Robert Plant... you get the picture.



















Our jewelry displays will be mostly buddhas ( cement, from Mexico - I go down there a lot ).



















And my husband found a bar that was made out of old wood from a ship. I am going to paint that white and drape it with fish nets and swarovski covered starfish.
Lots of work still to come but as soon as the fun part starts I will clue you all in with lots of pics!!

uber-recycling - Gucci '08 style

The new Gucci line has given me a wealth of ideas for experimenting - especially with vintage Gucci purses. While I love the new '08 Gucci look, so me and so rock n roll, my fave style has rabbit patches all over it. The little creatures might be cute but I don't even drag those images out at Easter - let alone carry them around with me all day long, day after day!

Since my new store, Revolution Malibu is a green lifestyle store ( with a twist ), I thought I could snap up a bunch of those vintage Gucci purses and do my own collage of skull patches and adorn vintage studs. Uber-recycling - as I call it. I'll let you know how it turns out ;)

Skull patch

Vintage Gucci Purse

Harajuku Lovin'

Not the Gwen Stefani kind ( although she does have a great line ), but the all creative ways to use beautiful Japanese Kimono.

I lived in Japan for two years and going to Harajuku was one of my fave things to do. The flea markets are amazing...

Here are a few interesting and inspiring ways to use kimono. I can't wait to use these ideas in the store.

The pic above is probably my #1 fave so far. Twin beds adjoined together to make a king size bed upholstered with amazing vintage kimono. Photo via Domino Mag.

This is a Roberto Cavalli cape (photo via Vogue ). I don't think the fabric is kimono, but this inspires me to look for a thicker kimono fabric and line it in fur for the winter. I think that would be stunning...

Pillows are another obvious way to use this fabric. I never get tired of this idea.

Another one of my favorites is to display the kimono on the wall. A collection grouped on a large wall would be wonderful.


I found these bobbie pins at Puchimaiko. Too cute!
Lots of fun ways to use kimono... too many to count and I'll be searching for more ;)

Progress

I always take on more than I should. This time it's redecorating my house and my store.

When we first moved in two years ago, the kitchen although practically brand new was just too modern for my taste ( and my husband's thankfully ). So the first thing we did was tackle the cabinets and the island.















The "before" of the eat in kitchen island ( notice how we changed the hideous choice of tabletop to butcher block ). My husband added molding which I thought was a nice touch. See "blue " phase I went through before finally getting to the beautiful finished below? I lived with that for a year...Thank god it's gone.














Below is my "after" - my pretty Beaux Arts look. I'm in love :)

































The "before" look of the cabinets. I did a disteressed white and added wood medallions ( below ). I also used real wood veneer on top of the glass because the glass was already glued into the cabinet and couldn't be removed.



















Now I added a little gold and I am going to change the knobs to crystal ones.




















My 80's barstool chairs ( below ) I found on Craigslist are now a beautiful french "Beaux Arts" style.

More pics to come :)