ReCircle Matter

Posted on 05/22/2013 by Brittany Sage

Darian & Chris of ReCircle Matter (and me!) at The Melrose Trading Post.

Meet Darian and Chris. They are artists, craftsman and all around creative peeps who I just adore. They operate under the name ReCircle Matter and their philosophy is,”Everything in the universe travels in circles, in circles, and in circles. Everything you put into the world, be it energy, creativity, hard work, suffering, and even simply thoughts and intentions… all circle through the universe and return. Each may return a bit different…. changed…. sometimes a bit hard to recognize but they always hold a part of their original matter. We believe the same about art.” They make awesome, affordable, handcrafted furniture and home goods and will work with you to custom make whatever you can dream up!

The ReCircle Matter booth at The Melrose Trading Post.

If you live in or around LA and have never been to the Melrose Trading Post you must plan a trip. It is the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Not only will you find artists like Darian and Chris, there are antiques, great food and amazing people watching. It’s a street style bloggers dream come true. It goes from 9-5 every Sunday. Check it out!

These fun, repurposed silverware hooks are great in the kitchen for hanging towels, aprons, or tools!

Supporting local artists is always a good thing!

Darian and Chris were commissioned by one of my favorite stores, Topshop, to make custom pieces for their grand opening at The Grove in LA!

I feel so fortunate to have such talented, creative friends and I love sharing their stories!

Congrats to the adorable couple who just got hitched in Vegas last weekend!

Congrats to the the happy couple! They just got hitched in Las Vegas last weekend!

You can find Darian and Chris at the Melrose Trading Post in LA every Sunday from 9-5, online at ReCircle Matter and on Etsy.

girls with glasses

Posted on 05/08/2013 by Brittany Sage

I recently discovered that the lasik eye surgery I had 9 years ago has slowly worn off and my distance vision is terrible! I am sorry if you have waved to me from across a room, bar or parking garage in the last few years and got no response. It’s that I couldn’t see you. So, I am being tested to see if I can get lasik again ( it was the best thing I ever did for myself) but in the meantime I got a prescription for glasses. My awesome friend Carrie of Four Eyed Girlie is always rocking a cool pair of frames and turned me onto Warby Parker. They have a huge selection of stylish, modern frames and sunnies and have a great concept. You pick 5 pairs online, they send them to you for 5 days to try, you send them back and tell them which ones you loved! The glasses are only $95 and the sunnies are $150 AND for every pair you buy they donate a pair to someone in need. These are the 5 I tried:

glassescomp
Which pair to you like the best?

I am excited to rock a pair of Warby Parker glasses with my new haircut!

*One tip when ordering, not only do they need your prescription but they also need your pupillary distance.

boutique babes

Posted on 04/30/2013 by Brittany Sage

I am so proud of my 2 friends Kristen Luna and Dayna Mance who recently opened boutiques in Long Beach. They are both awesome women with a great eye for fashion and trend spotting which is totally reflected in their shops. Check out what they had to say about the inspiration behind their endevors and then go shopping!!!

fox & moon

Fox & Moon boutique owner Kristen Luna. 2746 E. Broadway Long Beach, CA. (562) 206-7676

1) What is your history in the fashion industry?
I graduated college with a degree in fashion design and have been designing young women’s clothes in the fashion industry for 13 years.

2) When and why did you decide you wanted to open a boutique?
I decided about 3 years ago that opening a boutique was definitely the right path for me. I really love clothing and the way it makes a woman feel when she looks good. Designing for some pretty large clothing manufacturers really taught me a lot about this industry, but that side of it all just didn’t feel like enough. I almost felt like the “man behind the curtain” all of those years. I didn’t seem to know who was actually wearing the clothes I was designing since it was on such a large scale. I really want to know and become friends with the women who are wearing the clothes I’ve designed and also offer them the unique brands I’ve admired and been inspired by all these years. There is an un-describeable feeling that comes over me when I am able to help a woman look and feel beautiful. It’s just the best, really.

3) What is the inspiration behind what you are carrying?
Love is my inspiration. It might sound cheesy, but it’s the truth! If I look at a line of clothing and find pieces that make me feel love, I know somebody else will love them too. That’s what you’ll find in the boutique…a whole lot of clothes that I just love!

4) Can you virtually walk us through the store? What do we see? What should we expect?
As you walk through the red front door of the 4 story brick building built in 1912, the first thing noticed is probably the giant floral head dress hanging from the high ceiling, which gives off a very natural and feminine vibe in here. Both white walls have steel pipe racks draped with pretty, easy to wear garments with a subtle novelty to each of them. There is also a great display of locally designed jewelry and re-constructed vintage jewelry too.

5) What brands are you carrying? Is there a focus on local, LA based designers?
Currently, I am carrying Gentle Fawn, BB Dakota, Bobi, Ark Clothing, and Groceries Apparel. At the end of the month and in June I’ll be getting some styles in from a line called Knot Sisters and some denim pieces from Dear John. Groceries Apparel is very local…they design and manufacture their entire line of knits in downtown Los Angeles. I also carry my own hand made label fox & moon clothing. You can’t really get any more local than in your own shop! Not all of the brands in here are produced locally, but I’d like to say we are all neighbors here on this planet we all call home. We all need to make a living and survive, no matter what city, state, or country we live in.

6) What is the price range in the store?
I would consider the price range to be in between “better” and “contemporary” pricing. You can definitely walk out of here with an outfit under $100.

Prism Boutique

Prism Boutique is at 406 Termino Ave. in Long beach, CA. (562) 433-4341

1) What is your history in the fashion industry? Fashion has always been my passion. To me it is a form of art and expression. When I was young, playing dress up was my favorite. I have worked in retail since I was 14 years old. I love working with and talking to people, that is what gives me my energy. For the last ten years I worked for Urban Outfitters, inc. I worked my way up the management ladder and for the last five years managed the Anthropologie in Newport Beach. The company also sent be all over the country to manage store openings, which was an incredible learning experience. Mentoring and training, and working with inspiring people was one of my favorite parts of working for Anthropologie. And the clothes of course!

2) When and why did you decide you wanted to open a boutique? It has always been my dream and I finally felt I had the background and skills to bring it to life. If i didn’t take the risk and try it, I would look back my whole life and wonder “what if.” My husband and I want to have a family, and I felt that if I was going to take this kind of risk, the time was now. I also dreamed of working in my own community, after commuting for the last ten years. Now I can walk to the shop and I have loved getting to know more people in my community. People are craving shopping locally and buying things that are not mass produced and are more unique and special. I am thrilled to have contributed to Long Beach in this way.

3) What is the inspiration behind what you are carrying? Well, I am carrying the brands and styles in the store that inspire me and that I love to wear. There is nothing in the store that I wouldn’t wear myself. My style is very edgy, fashion forward, bohemian but also very wearable and comfortable for everyday. Sophisticated street style in a very Southern California way. I want every woman to leave with pieces that she can’t live without and that make her feel beautiful.

4) Can you virtually walk us through the store? What do we see? What should we expect? Big windows, high ceilings, clean white walls. My husband and I, along with a couple artist friends, renovated the run down space ourselves. It turned out beautifully. Everything in the store is handmade, ranging from the copper and wood fixtures to the 7ft tall macramé weaving that hangs from a piece of driftwood found on the beach. The space feels very light, airy, modern and clean. Large Moroccan rugs cover the cement floors and bring warmth to the space and beautiful cases are filled with artisan jewelry. We just finished hand painting a new display onto the windows for Summer, you must see it.

5) What brands are you carrying? Is there a focus on local, LA based designers? I have a large variety of designers, styles and brands. You may recognize Free People, Indah, Bless’ed are the Meek, TIgerlily, Lilya, LA Made, Jen’s Pirate Booty, Flynn Skye, Junim, Chaser to name a few. What also sets Prism apart is the wide array of local and worldly jewelry of all types. I have a lot handmade jewelry that is crafted in Long Beach, LA and OC. I love supporting women that are also trying to do what they love. I also have locally made stationary, terrariums, candles and accessories. There is a treasure for every woman in here.

6) What is the price range in the store? I try to provide a wide range of prices. There is jewelry ranging from $12-$130. Dresses range from $64-$184. There is a little something for everyone!

Congratulations to both of these lovely ladies for opening beautiful boutiques in Long Beach and living their dreams! They are so inspiring! Kristen and Dayna have put so much love, hard work, and passion into their stores and you can see and feel it! Check them out!

custom clothes in hoi an

Posted on 04/25/2013 by Brittany Sage

The beautiful city of Hoi An, Vn.

Wade and I getting measured for our custom clothes.

My custom outfit! I took a picture from a magazine, got measured, and it was ready 24 hrs later!

I also had this jacket made for just $35!!

Wade had a tuxedo made for $100!

The men got suits made at Gia Hung’s tailor shop. We all felt like royalty! It was such a fun experience. I would love to go back one day with $5000 and get an entire wardrobe made!

The charming streets of Hoi An.

Hoi An is so picturesque no matter what time of day it is.

We were lucky to have been there for a full moon lantern festival!

We had a cute little old man row us around the river in his boat during the lantern festival.

There were adorable little women selling lanterns during the festival. You lit the candle, made a wish or said a prayer for someone, then let it float into the river.

I loved the charming little city of Hoi An, VN. Not only did we get custom clothes made, we caught the full moon lantern festival and we had a great hotel, Thanh Binh II, with a balcony that overlooked the main street for only $35 a night. The city was full of tourists but I didn’t mind. We were in plenty of other rural areas on the trip that were off the beaten path. Getting custom clothes made was definitely a high light for all of us. We had so much fun doing it and felt like royalty. Before we left town we found out that they also make custom shoes in 24 hrs! Shoot, that would of really been the icing on the cake. Thats one more reason to go back one day!

hue

Posted on 04/23/2013 by Brittany Sage

This was at the entrance of an emperor's tomb in Hue, VN.

This was the entrance to the grounds of an emperor’s tomb in Hue, VN.

We were lucky to have such an amazing view as the fog rolled in at the Khai Dinh Tomb in Hue.

We caught this amazing view just as the fog rolled in at the Khai Dinh Tomb in Hue.

This was a spectacular painted ceiling in the Khai Thanh Temple.

This spectacular art covered the ceiling above the emperor’s tomb in the Khai Thanh Temple.

Wade and I took charge of The Imperial Palace!

Who needs cars or the gym? Wade got his workout for the day!

There were so many beautiful walls, colors and textures around the grounds of the Imperial Palace. It was hard to imagine that it was once a battleground.

There were so many beautiful walls, colors and textures around The Imperial Palace. It was hard to imagine that it was once a battleground.

I spotted this on our way out of the Imperial Palace and it spoke to me.

This spoke to me. I love the colors and textures.

I love these dragon stairs at The Imperial Palace. So beautiful even in shambles. I can't even imagine what they looked like originally.

The dragon stairs at The Imperial Palace were breathtaking. So beautiful even in shambles. I can’t even imagine what they must of looked like originally.

The grounds of The Imperial Palace in Hue, VN. Yes, I am eating an ice cream cone. They sold them everywhere and it was so refreshing in the heat. I must of had a dozen of them!