Friday, October 31, 2014

Thriller Night!

Do you recognize the house below? Neither did I until I took pictures of it and then the next day I checked my Instagram account and found that a bunch of other people took pictures of this exact house and labeled it #thrillerhouse. What! So yes, this is the Micheal Jackson "Thriller" house where the music video for the song that today will be played a million times was shot. Why didn't anyone let me know? I have no shame and I would have busted out my best zombie Thriller dance move right in the front yard had I been privy to the information at the time. (Now that I think about it, perhaps my lack of knowledge saved me from some major embarrassment!)






I was on an architecture and crime tour of Echo Park and Los Angeles when I happened upon the house. It is situated on Carroll Avenue, which is considered one of the first suburbs of the city. With its grand and majestic Victorian houses, a few sadly in a state of disrepair, it is easy to see why this would be a prime location to film an eerie and ghoulish music video like "Thriller" here.

Perhaps I must have subconsciously been drawn to the house, because "Thriller" was one of my favorite songs when I was 5. I also had a small crush on Micheal Jackson at this time. (Oh, how naive and oblivious I was!) My mom had an audio cassette of the Thriller album that I would listen to it in the car over and over to no end. I was truly a devoted fan.


Micheal Jackson aside, here are some of the other "ghastly" Victorian houses, in honor of Halloween, to be seen on Carroll Avenue . I took pictures of every house on the block, but after looking them over, these are the ones I found to be most appropriate for the occasion of Halloween.




The gargoyle detail on the porch of this house is so beautiful and unique, in my opinion. I wish houses were made with this much attention to detail today!


We visited Carroll Avenue the first week of October and I was thrilled to see that many of the inhabitants decorated early for Halloween. If I had one of these lovely homes I too would go all out for Halloween.


Miss. Havisham? Is that you? 



Is it just me or does this horse have a very sinister expression cast on his face?


Above is the house they used in the TV show Charmed, which I never watched, but I guess is in keeping with my spooky theme because it was about witches, among other supernatural things, and featured Alyssa Milano, Rose McGowan and Shannen Doherty.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!


Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Almost Clover Canyon

I'm a big fan of Clover Canyon which is known for their graphic prints splashed across neoprene fabric. I love the aesthetics of the brand, plus they make everything here in the USA which is another plus in my book. When I came across this dress at the Neiman Marcus outlet my mind instantly registered it as Clover Canyon, but when I looked at the price I knew it wasn't because the price point was too low. The dress I am wearing today is not Clover Canyon, but Romeo and Juliet Couture. With all discounts it came to about $41. Plus, just like Clover Canyon it's made right here in the USA. It kind of makes you wonder if they aren't making these in the same factory.

I was drawn to the print of this dress because it looks very reminiscent of New York and if you look closely you can even see trees that evoke a view of Central Park. Since New York is my old "stomping ground" and my favorite city (sorry Los Angeles!), I was instantly hooked. The print, the price, and the style of this dress made it a quick "yes, this is coming home with me" moment at the Neiman Marcus outlet. I love when decisions are just that easy!










Linking Up With:

Dress: Romeo and Juliet Couture similar here and same print here
Shoes: Christian Louboutin "Simple" pump in nude
Bag: Vince Camuto "Louise" clutch
Watch: Breguet 
Sunglasses: Prada 

Monday, October 27, 2014

Views of Venice and Santa Monica

If you don't like buildings and sunshine, this might be a post to skip. Yesterday was my first time in Venice, although not Venice, Italy, but, rather, Venice Beach, California. We also visited Santa Monica, which is adjacent to Venice. I've been to Santa Monica a handful of times and was even offered a job in Santa Monica, but due to the traffic I declined the job and I decline to visit the city on most occasions on account of the traffic as well.

However, my to do list beckons me to visit distant locals, including the West Side of Los Angeles. You see, my "to do list" has been lost on several occasions and it has also gone through many revisions, but I am pretty sure a visit to Venice, California was somewhere on my list, which is where we ventured...in my Taxi flats. (Sadly I didn't picture my taxi flats in any of these pictures, but you can just imagine them in each local!)



Santa Monica Pier and umbrellas on the beach.




Casa del Mar Hotel, Santa Monica


Shutters on the Beach, Santa Monica. A place for a five star dinning and hotel experience.



Since I am an English teacher, I had to take a picture of the Deus Ex Machina Cafe, which in Latin translates to: God from the Machine. In Greek tragedy the actors playing gods for theatrical performances were literally lifted down from the sky and placed on stage using machines. The phrase has now come to refer to any plot ending with a contrived, sudden ending, in which the characters are saved from an unsolvable dilemma through a sudden introduction of a new character, power or event that inexplicably saves them from the aforementioned, unsolvable problem. I could go on, but I have already rambled enough!



Abbot Kinney, a developer and conservationist, looms large over the streets of Venice. He wanted to make Venice a cultural mecca, but instead resigned to turning it into the "Coney Island" of the West. (Is it weird that I thought he was Freud at first? What would Freud have to say about that?)


This is just a gallery I wanted to visit over the summer. They had a David Hockney show last summer, but I missed out. They are only open on the weekdays, so maybe I'll visit some other time, in my taxi flats I am sure!





The pictures above are the Cadillac Hotel. I love the colors. Below are some of the treasures I found inside including this Andy Warhol print and a tile lobster. 



Below is a random building which I just thought looked cool. Hey, I am not a scholar when it comes to architecture. I just snap and shoot at things that catch my fancy!


Well, this is the end of my Odyssean journey through a few places in Santa Monica and Venice. I know I didn't photograph the canals of Venice, but maybe next time. I still have many roads left in my shoes to travel!



Linking Up With:

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Taxi Flats and Polka Dots on the Go

Last year, around this time, I wrote a post entitled Where Will My Taxi Flats Take Me? and the purpose of this entry was two fold. First, it was a review of my new kate spade taxi flats, but second, and most importantly, it was an unveiling of my odd, quirky list of things to do.

Today I wore my taxi flats out on a Los Angeles adventure and in doing so I will be able to cross one more thing off of my list, which is constantly growing. Tomorrow I will "unveil" some pictures of my destination, but for today you can see what I wore, as taxi flats are the perfect "vehicle" to go anywhere about town.









On a random note, we came across this fallen tree right near where we parked our car in the morning and took these pictures. It's sort of jarring to see an uprooted tree in the midst of the city. It looks oddly out of place and surreal in an urban environment. I thought it would make for some interesting pictures, some of which you will see below. I guess it just goes to show that you never know what you'll discover in Los Angeles!





However, this tree was definitely not enough to stand in the way of my journey. Stay tuned to see where I ventured for my "journey of the taxi shoes" in my next post!


Shirt: Old Navy here
Jeans: J. Crew 
Bag: J. Crew little "Edie" 
Shoes: kate spade "Go Taxi" flats here
Watch: kate spade "Carlyle" 
Sunglasses: Prada "Baroque"