Adventures in Santa Monica

"Papillon" Ring and Brooch set    Spring '08

                   

"Cloud 9" Hairclip     Spring '08

       
I was asked to participate in an art show at my alma mater, Northern Illinois University, but one of the pieces requested I had sold to a lovely woman that lives in Santa Monica.  She loaned it back to me for the show called "On the Body and in the Hand" that will be going on at NIU's art museum from August 23-October 29th.  So today I went with my roommate to Santa Monica, picked up the ring and sent my pieces to Illinois, then had a couple hours to kill.  It was too cold and breezy to go to the beach, so I walked around and got inspiration from some lovely shops I found.  My favorite was one called 'beau and aero.'  I met one of the owners, her name is Jessica Seaton and she also designs jewelry.  Her work is chunky, eclectic, and wearable.  Among my favorites were the ring that she cast to look like an arrowhead, and a pair of earrings that appeared to be branches on chain.  They also carried some extremely well-made feather headdresses from feathersmith: I want one!!  I then went to a natural foods store called One Life, they have jars and jars of herbs and powders.  I recently discovered henna for hair dye and I am scarily obsessed.  I want to keep dyeing my hair until I get the perfect shade of red for me.  I ended my journey in Santa Monica on the third street promenade at a store called Brandy Melville.  It's California's answer to Forever 21, which in my opinion is very cool and trendy, but a little too east coast for the laid back Cali vibe.  In Brandy Melville, everything is loose and flowing and one size fits all. The colors are pastel and neutral and the fabrics are soft and pretty.  I can not wait to make a skirt that I happened to see at a couple of shops today, it's short in the front and long in the back and flowy with an elastic waist, and I just so happen to have the perfect fabric sitting around to make it with!