VIDAL SASSOON

I did it! Got a call on Friday about being a hair model and I went for it. It wasn't for a show, so the style wasn't as crazy as it could have been.

It was just like a regular visit to the Santa Monica school, except the director was cutting my hair. Also, I was sitting in front of thirty hair stylists instead of in front of a mirror, so I had no idea what it really looked like until the very end. Which was scary yes, but I loved it!

The hair completely inspired this outfit. I was feeling very hardcore so it was a great reason to bust out these shoes. Bought them about a month ago from Forever and loved them on sight.

Top & Shoes - Forever
Jeans - Uniqlo

LOOK MA, NO BLACK

I finally got a haircut after almost four months. It's definitely the fastest way to feel like a brand new person. I highly recommend it after a fight, break up, or if you just want to feel fresh again.

Anyway, so something both unusual and remarkable happened today. The Creative Director of Vidal Sassoon asked if I wanted to be a hair model. I looked like a mess when he came up to me (strands of wet hair were shooting out from every direction), so I was like, seriously? The first thing he asked me was, "How tall are you?" so he must've been distracted by my hugeness. haha. Needless to say, I was completely floored and extremely flattered when I realized it wasn't a joke.

I have his card and am supposed to email him. My 9-5 would kill me if I walked in with shaved purple hair, but I'm tempted to go for it anyway. Has anyone ever done this before? Any advice would be much appreciated!

All Zara today, except for my dad's bracelet.

LA RECOMMENDATIONS PART I

Have you heard of Yelp?  Well, I'm a member and I get so offended when people trash my favorite restaurants. It's pretty ridiculous how angry I get. And funny.

As mentioned in a previous post, a good friend from the UK came for a visit en route to Costa Rica last weekend. We only had Saturday night, all day Sunday, and Monday night together. It was her first time ever in LA, so I really wanted to show her the best of the best, but at the same time, I didn't want to overwhelm her.

Being borderline OCD when it comes to organizing things, I made a list (and organized it by area):

Downtown/Silverlake/Melrose/Hollywood

Sushi Gen - My all time favorite. I actually went to Sushi Gen (pronounced like the g in gun) the day my boyfriend took these pictures. While doing research for my friend's visit, I looked up Sushi Gen on Yelp to see how everyone else liked it. Every negative comment was like a stab to the heart. It hurts guys. It's fine and I understand if you don't like it because the service or the quality of food was poor the one time you went. I get it, I've had a couple of bad experiences there too. A rude waitress, a not so fresh slab of maguro, or even a long wait. Trust me, I've been there. But just like a relationship, you shouldn't write it off so easily. It's delicious, filling, authentic, and great value for your money. Is there a better sushi restaurant in LA? Absolutely, if you want to spend a lot more. But, Sushi Gen is definitely the top of the line for its price range. It's damn good.

The Standard Rooftop Bar - Pretentious? A little. It's got a good view of the city though and in a strange European-ish way, it's very LA.

American Apparel (The Warehouse) - Only open from Monday through Friday, but more fun than your typical American Apparel shop. Made in Downtown LA.

Pho Siam - Best Thai massage place in the city! $40 for a full hour. Remember to turn off your cell phone!

Edison - This venue is so badass. Used to be the old Edison power plant, but has now been transformed into a lounge. Watch the steps.

Seven Grand - "There is definitely a bookish, masculine vibe to the place...the kind of joint you'd find in a Fitzgerald, Hemingway, or Miller (Henry, not Arthur)...a great place to drink boubon, puff on a cigar and pretend to be in an imaginary boys club. Even if you're a girl." - LA Weekly, June 2007

Intelligentsia - Cute cafe with seasonal coffees.

The Village Idiot - Chill and unpretentious restaurant/bar with very HIGH ceilings.

The Kitchen - Good ol' no frills homestyle American food. The drinks are huge and there are free refills! Wee!

Amoeba - I love Amoeba. Though the LA store doesn't have a good $4 section like its Haight St. counterpart and (from what my boyfriend claims) the general selection is better up north, I still love it. My Jazz, Hip Hop and World sections are always stocked with what I want. Plus, they have some pretty neat acts from time to time. I could spend hours in there.

Alright, this is to be continued. It's getting too long and I haven't even started on the Westside, the beaches, or the best thing about travel (besides learning and experiencing other cultures), shopping.

Top: Purchased in HK
Shorts: Forever
Shoes: Gap

BELTS

Looks can be deceiving.  This dress is definitely a lot shorter than it looks in these photos. I'm talking dangerously (almost booty-exposed) short. Luckily, I was armed with boyshorts, a boyfriend, and a heavy bag to weigh down the back.

Built-in belts I enjoy, when made from the same spool of fabric as the dress. It gives so much more versatility to whatever piece it's attached to.

In the first three photos, I tied it tightly around my waist. In the last one I made it looser, giving the dress a subtle yet totally different feel. You could also cinch it up top to give it an empire waist. There are many possibilities.

Dress: Sample sale frock
Sandals: Capri
Bag: Gryson

BOYS DON'T CRY

I had a lovely weekend. It started with a trip to the movies (Sex & The City) on Saturday, continued with a relaxing Sunday afternoon at Manhattan Beach, and finally ended with a concert at The Shrine Auditorium for The Cure. I've been to a good number of concerts, but three half-hour encores is something I've never experienced. I'm definitely not a hardcore fan - though I do really like them. I wasn't old enough to enjoy them in their prime, so there's a bit of a disconnection there for me.

With that said, I've gotta give 'em props for two things: longevity and being able to back up the goods live. Their lead singer was belting out the songs as clearly as the studio recorded album versions. I LOVED it!!!

Earrings - vintage
Top - Forever 21
Jeans - Uniqlo
Bag - Purchased in Japan
Shoes - Zara

MEMOIRS OF A WANNABE GEISHA

Kimono for the unwed

The kimono for the wedded. Note the blaring difference?
Single = flashy
Married = boring
Take away from it what you will.

A traditional wedding kimono.

The kimono master with Rina-san

Mikami-sensei tying an obi

Tada! The finished product. This was the longest kimono they had. And sadly no, it was not mine to keep.

Kimono teacher, Rina-san, and me

I was fortunate enough to try on an INSANELY gorgeous kimono during my year in Japan. The photos above are from a kimono class that my Japanese tutor, Mikami-sensei took me to.

Everything about this way of Japanese dress is amazing, from the stunning fabrics to the obi. There's even a specific way to fold your kimono, when putting it back into the box. No detail is overlooked.

My experience below is retold in layman's terms and it was at least a year ago so bear with me if some details are incorrect:

1) You put on this cotton-filled, almost blanket-like first layer to smooth out the natural curves on a woman's body. The padding goes around the waist to give the effect of a long, cylindric shape. Since my hips are ginormous by Japanese standards, they used a lot.

2) The next layers on the body are a white cotton piece, the collar, and finally the colorful outer garment. Putting the outer garment on took forever because precision is everything. There was a lot of tucking and folding to make it appear tailor-made to my exact proportions.

3) Next was the obi. This was by far the most time-consuming. I had trouble breathing because I was vain, and didn't want to look like a giant mass of silk fabrics, so I sucked in more than I should have. They gave me the choice of oxygen or looking thin and delicate. I chose the latter.

This next thing was un-ladylike to bring up, but it is just where my mind often goes, so I asked, "How do you pee in this?" I think they all politely (and rightfully) ignored me, so I came to my own conclusion that, that's why squatters were invented.

Definitely one of the best dressing experiences to date.