The City Sage

Interview: Choose Your Own Path with Sseko Designs

Last summer I traveled to portland and met the visionary Liz Forkin Bohannan, founder of Sseko Designs (they make those sandals!). I listened to her speak on how she started her company, on her commitment to social justice and the empowerment of women, on her openhearted approach to business and to life. She captivated me with every word. Without question, Liz is one to watch.

So when Liz asked me to contribute to her 'Choose Your Own Path' column, I didn't skip a beat. This is a woman who dwells in risk, courage, and vulnerability on a daily basis, so I did my best to be open when I answered her questions. I hope you'll pop over to read the interview, and more importantly to learn more about what Liz is doing with Sseko Designs.

P.S. Photos by my partners in crime at Woodnote Photography, who themselves know a thing or two about vision and courage. We had such a great afternoon shooting these pics! 

Lately Loving: Leslie Tessler Capes

A cape is not, perhaps, the most practical item of clothing you will ever own. But it is one of the most enchanting. Especially if it's by Leslie Tessler. The New York and Buenos Aires-based designer has taken this already magical must-have and elevated it to something positively spellbinding. Prepare to twirl like a fairytale princess in her pieces.

Each one has thoughtful details like roomy inner pockets for your phone and keys. You can customize elements like button choice. The drape on these beauties has me thinking Grace Kelly herself would have been a loyal customer. The color options--basic navy, brights, herringbone, flame stitch, in materials like cashmere, wool, and silk--have me I'm feeling spoiled like royalty indeed.

The Leslie Tessler lookbook has my mind racing with styling options. From feminine with a skirt and boots, to casual in jeans and oxfords, I'm only slightly regretting letting the moths eat my old vintage cape. Because now I have an excuse to pick up one of Leslie's charming updates on this age-old favorite. And hmmm...I'll need some elbow length gloves too...

Style Guide: Best Fall Boots

Yesterday San Francisco saw blazing sun and soaring temperatures. Translation: Not boot weather. Meanwhile in the Northeast they're battening down the hatches for a raging hurricane. Translation: Boot weather, yes, but not stylish boot weather. Yet somewhere in this crazy weather-stricken world, someone's gotta be able to wear this season's fabulous footwear, right? 

I'm waiting (not very) patiently for my big boot debut this year. Boots for me are what heels are for many women. There's something sultry, sexy, smashing about them. I stride a little more confidently in my tall leather equestrian Fryes. I skip with an extra ounce of bounce in my suede Isabel Marants. I kick butt especially hard in my black Rag & Bone motos. 

This year's crop is particularly ripe for the plucking too. From knee-high statement makers to buckled and blanketed booties, it seems like anything goes, and I stand 100% in support of that. Just do me a favor and don't use the word 'shoeties', mmmkay? I cringed just typing it, so you can imagine what I'd do if I heard it spoken out loud. Now tell me: what's your boot style right now?  

Images: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 

Planet Blue Video Lookbook: Bonfire Nights

I'm fairly certain that each and every one of us—no matter how curmudgeonly we get about sand in our toes and wind in our eyes—has a soft spot deep in our soul for the beach. There's something magical about it in the autumn, especially. The crowds have gone home, a chill lingers in spite of the sun, and we have no choice but to build a bonfire and huddle with friends.

So the Planet Blue Fall video lookbook speaks directly to that part of me that cannot resist an October trip to the beach. It's set in Malibu, but for me it brings up fond memories of camping with my family along the Oregon coastline, or toasting marshmallows along the shores of Lake Superior in the Canadian north. Anywhere you have water, a good time is guaranteed, no?

And the clothes. Oh, the clothes! It's layering time, my friends! Planet Blue has perfected that Southern California bohemian beach vibe that I love to mix into my more reserved urban wardrobe. A leather jacket here, a drapey sweater there, then top it all off with some colorful bangles. Even if you don't have seaside fun in your future, the freedom of the surf is just an outfit away!

Shopping Guide: Wildfox Star Sweater, Vanessa Mooney Longhorn Necklace, Rebel Yell Nice Day Tee, Joe's Jeans The Skinny Jean, Cleobella Bangles, Lotta Stenson Skinny Thread Bangles, muubaa Biker Jacket. Images: 1. Courtesy of Planet Blue. 2. 3. 4. 

On the Lamps Plus Blog: How to Style a Bar Cart

I have a love-hate relationship with bar carts. On the one hand, they seem to be everywhere these days. But on the other hand, they can be a really fun way to inject personality into a small space, and I'm a big fan of anything that makes entertaining at home easier. So over on the Lamps Plus blog I'm talking about how to take this ubiquitous trend and make it your own. Check it out!

Images: 1. 2. 3. 

Wednesday Song: 'Never Go Back' by Grace Potter & The Nocturnals

I've been saving this tune in my back pocket since I first heard it last August, because the video is so perfect for this time of year. It's gothic and spooky, rich and textured, a stylist and art director's dream. Like the song itself, it taps into something dark and primal and channels the very essense of why kids and adults love the spirit of Halloween.

I have always been fascinated by our cultural rituals of masquerade and revelry (remember: I'm a nerd at heart). We love a chance to dress up and play a role outside our daily routines, to step through the door of adventure when the sun goes down and the candles are lit up. When life consists mostly of 'wake, work, eat, sleep, repeat', some sanctioned savagery is a necessity.

This song and its accompanying video so brilliantly depict that very human impulse to break free. From the little girl who follows her wild heart and leaves a trail of flames behind her, to children everywhere (me included) planning their costumes for next week with anticipatory glee, we all need to let go now and then--and in some cases never go back.

P.S. Are you dressing up? Going out? Staying in? What are your Halloween plans? Image credits: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 

Happy Birthday to My Girl Rebecca Buenik

This is a very special post for a very special friend of mine. Her name is Rebecca Buenik, but I just call her Bee. Her blog, Bee of Design, is a regular read of mine. Her rapidly growing portfolio (she styles, she crafts, she has a degree in interior design) is a constant source of inspiration. But what really matters most is that Bee knows enough about me to end my run for president before it begins.

She's one of those friends. One who has my back just as hard as I've got hers. One with whom I plan to complain about the lumpy applesauce in the nursing home. She's so talented, so tireless, and she tells the story about the time Max the Cat got shaved with such perfect timing. I can't wait to toast her tonight. We all deserve a girl like her in our lives. Happy Birthday Bee! 

Images: 1, 2. Styled by Rebecca Buenik and Shot by Angela + Ithyle. 3, 4. Bee of Design

Fall Spirits with Martha Stewart Living

The November issue of Martha Stewart Living arrived in my mailbox this week, and it's one of my favorites of the year. There's a sensibility to this issue that I can never quite put my finger on. A spirit of the pending holidays and family gatherings, yes, but a moodiness as well. The images are always a little darker, the colors more saturated. It's just what I crave this time of year.  

I especially enjoyed the feature on alternative centerpieces--arrangements not just of flowers but of fruits and leaves, grasses and even feathers--that will rival the turkey for attention and will last way beyond T-Day. It's always nice to have options beyond the standard bowl of pine cones, isn't it? And of course Martha never disappoints in the photography department.

Of course, the food in this issue is the real star. There are desserts and sides galore. I had the small misfortune to be thumbing through the pages on the plane, with only an energy bar in my bag to assuage my growing hunger pangs as I read recipes like 'Sage and Honey Skillet Cornbread' and 'Spiced Custard Mini Pies'. I can't wait to try new treats on the fam this year!

To top it all off, embroidery artist and writer Lisa Borgnes-Giramonti delivers a lovely article about the psychological and emotional benefits of crafting. As she says, "Creating something--whether a sweater, a cake, or a flower garden--is a time-proven way to get the good vibrations flowing." Which is good news. Because I'm going to be making a lot of those mini pies...

Images: Martha Stewart Living, November 2012

Flower Arranging on the Lamps Plus Blog

My apologies--I was AWOL yesterday here on this blog! After a whirlwind 36 hour trip to New York City, I hit a wall. But I did get my act together and talk inspiration for flower arranging and indoor gardnening over on the Lamps Plus blog. There are two boards completely different from the one above. Check 'em out! And I'll be back here later today with another post...see ya!

Shopping Guide: 1. Braided Ceramic Vase 2. Grass in Bark Wood Pot 3. Black and White Mosaic Vase 4. Orange Coral Lamp 5. Velvet Club Chair Images: Lamps Plus Guest Blogging Pinterest

Lately Loving: Textile Artist Melissa White

When I was a kid I devoured historical fiction novels: tales of kidnapped young princesses, warring dukedoms, traveling minstrels. And always my favorite passages were the detailed descriptions of castles, keeps, and ladies' chambers with their tapestries in rich embroidered hues. So when I saw the work of textile artist Melissa White, I was smitten.

Melissa lives in Sussex and has devoted the last fifteen years to studying rare Elizabethan wall paintings in Tudor houses across Britain. Now she designs for private clients, fabric companies, and public commissions like the Shakespeare Birthplace Museum. The little girl in me, the one who always had her nose in a book, has her heart all aflutter at the sight of these gorgeous creations!

I especially love the way this style of textile and wallpaper is being mixed with modern furnishings in a lot of British design. Colorful, elaborate elements like this create such a lush backdrop when teamed with a Saarinen table or Panton S chair. Or can you see a midcentury settee reupholstered in one of Melissa's exotic fabrics? That makes the grown-up in me all aflutter indeed! 

Images: Harpers Bazaar Interiors.