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 :)

Fave jewels I'm Fall-in for

Tom Binns Jewelry

Loree Rodkin


McTega

Chanel

Digging my new decor

I love my new decorating theme I spied at Euro Trash
Can't wait to show you all the pics when I am done!



Look at this bed!


Cannot wait to paint my side table this color! It's sooo pretty!

The color combo is my fave. Light blue, gold and white...very calming.

This bedskirt is made from burlap! Doesn't it look fantastic combined with the other materials?

Mood: somber

I have been just sick over the news about DJ AM and Travis Barker. Equally devastated over the death of the others on that flight.

I dreamt about these guys last night - all night. That's how much it's affected me.

Boho Beauty

Boho Magazine is a fab new website to checkout. They posted this picture that I am completely enamored with ( for fall especially ).

I found them via Ruby Press which is now one of my go-to design blogs. A must see/read.

Are you with me on this one?

Isn't she pretty?

My new Highlander Hybrid. She's a beautiful pearl color. Not a boring white. Wish you could see it...
I L-O-V-E it.

Channeling Stevie Nicks

I'm feeling the Stevie vibe as I am finally on the verge of the decorating phase at the store. They should be hauling the scrap today ( the landlord tore out the 70's gawd awful metal and plaster board ceiling ) and I can hopefully start on the windows and walls tomorrow. YAY!


I definitely want to mix a little Nanette Lepore ( her living room courtesy of Elle Decor )...



It's very Hollywood glam...it just needs a little beachy thrown in.


Digging the Kimono...I bet Stevie would hav done this back in the day.
Loving the shawl...you go girl!

Add a little Lyell look in the windows...

Hoping for this hybrid

I am very seriously thinking of trading in my Prius for this Toyota Highlander Hybrid.

Although I love filling up my tank for practically nothing, and fitting into even the most smallest and inconvenient of parking spaces, my bigger concern is the natural disasters we have already made it through.

It just seems so much more practical for someone who doesn't have to commute.
Not to mention all the product I am going to have to haul. Don't ya think?

Sign-age

Mark Hobley has vision. An artist I knew during my old school days in Venice, his technique is now the inspiration behind the Revolution Malibu sign I am currently creating.

Store-d in my memory

A few months back Nanette Lepore's home was featured in Elle Decor. "I die" for her dressing room.

I can see a dash of rock n roll added to this to create a girlie vignette at Revolution Malibu.

This is Glamourous

had two other super fabulous pics that spoke to me :) Loudly!

Lovin Lyell

Thanks to Please Sir I have a little more inspiration. She posted some pics from Lyell's catalog and it snt my juices flowing...
Deep, dark, luscious colors. Very Sunset Blvd. meets beach bohemian. I love it!

More where that came from

Remember this pic from the John Varvatos store in NYC?

Well, now my head is spinning with ideas.

I want this "stage" to be girlie, yet tough. Pretty, yet punk.

A few years back, Lucky mag had the idea of combining vintage wall paper and old rock posters.

I loooove this idea.

At JV in the Fred Segal santa Monica store they had a vintage drum made into a side table. I would especially love it in gold...