Blogger Meetup at Poshmark Live LA

On Thursday, March 22, I met up with Rena of Fine-Whatever.
We attended the Poshmark Live party at the SLS Hotel. It was a low admission fee ($10) and we went hoping to learn some new tips for selling out of our Poshmark Closets.

Small bites were offered on trays, we made a toast with these guacamole-filled trumpets:

There was going to be a pep talk with Poshmark's founder, Manish Chandra, in one of the ballrooms.
I planted myself in a chair (still freshly gimpy from my vacation fall) and passed the time sketching.

Most of my muses are in the blurry background!

[photo by Rena]

The talk was very, um, peppy. (Yes, I'm a jaded ex-corporate worker bee).
Was it worth it? Well, I guess it was worth $10.

Spending time chatting with Rena was, of course, priceless.
We both admitted guilt of impulse buying off the site -- there are flash sales that encourage this sort of thing.
Here are some of my failures (mostly fit issues) that I'm now reselling:

Don't ask about the Brown Shoe Obsession. I have no explanation for you!

It's not all bad buys, I HAVE found some great items on Poshmark --
shoes (Fluevogs even), scarves, Lularoe items.

Links to our Closets (sorry, US purchasers only) (you may have to sign up to see items):
I sell lots of weird vintage garments and accessories, many that I got from friend Larry's stash.
I also have a boatload of earrings and necklaces yet to list that I made in the '80s, from vintage glass beads.
Rena's Closet (Finewhatev) is more practical (like Rena herself!).

Linking up with Patti's Visible Monday.

Are you on Poshmark? Leave your Closet Name in the comments!

What to Wear To an Art Show

If you are the artist, instead of tried and true black, how about matching the art?

[in-phone collage with screen capture from video] 

This is me, "wafting":

This is the art, wafting:

#mycommute
July 11 - August 5, 2017

TAG Gallery
5458 Wilshire Blvd, LA, CA 90036

Reception: Saturday, July 15, 5-8pm
Artist Panel Discussion: Saturday, August 5, 4pm
Closing Reception: Saturday, August 5, 6-9pm

Linking up with
Patti's Visible Monday
Catherine's #iwillwearwhatilike
Shelbee's On the Edge of the Week
Rena's In Real Life

Fierce 50 Fun In the June Gloom

It was fun despite the lack of sun. 

Day after simulation of my attire, including the hat and goodie bag c/o Chico's.
The "Matadors" muumuu has a good back story that I told in this old post.

About 30 women from the Fierce 50 Facebook group convened under the Hermosa Pier on Saturday.

There was a drone, and lots of InstaHusbands taking photos.

We didn't let the gloomy marine layer get us down.

Can you tell we all got into the 4th of July spirit with our red, white, and blue attire?

Rena's and my red toes in the cold, cold sand

What came in the goodie bag?

"Hello Beautiful" pouch with Madison Reed hair care samples

Arctic Cool cooling towel -- so awesome!

Mom Energy, by Ashley Koff and Kathy Kaehler

Dermalogica lip treatment -- LOVE!

Belt from Manna Dabholkar [hidden]

Lylo [Love Yourself Love Others] rubber bracelet

Tote (similar) and hat from Chico's

Big shoutout to Catherine Grace O'Conner and Jodie Filogomo for organizing this weekend series of events.
It was a super fun time, meeting all these fellow over-fifty Fiercies.

Ladies, are you 50+ and interested in joining the revolution? 
Find us on Facebook and Instagram @the fierce50revolution

Linking up with
Patti's Visible Monday
Catherine's #iwillwearwhatilike
Shelbee's Spread the Kindness
Judith's Hat Attack (finally wearing a hat in a post!)
Cherie's Shoe and Tell
Rena's Fine-Whatever

A Shoe Is Born #otisshoeworkshop

I MADE MY OWN SHOES!!!!!!! (In case you hadn't heard).

The right shoe is still on the last. The left one is more or less finished. 

I took an amazing week-long shoemaking workshop with Chris Francis at Otis, through the auspices of the Continuing Ed department. [Thank you CE, for underwriting my participation].
Seven of us worked 9-5, Mon-Fri, and 8-11 Sat and all made at least one shoe.
I'll post more about some of the amazing women that participated in subsequent posts --
this one is all about the process!

I'll show you some highlights -- get comfortable, kick your feet up, shoemaking has a lot of steps (harhar).
[I'll keep the images small, for easier scrolling. You can click on an image to see it bigger].

Day One: measuring

the last is first

foot tracing and measuring

comparing the tracing to the last, marking areas to extend

Day 2: Midsole

creating midsoles from scratch
leather is sandwiched between layers of a paper product called redboard

phase 1 of midsole nailed to last

adding steel shanks

adding more redboard to bottom of midsole

 Day Three: uppers - designing, patterns, painting

last covered with masking tape, design worked out

masking tape carefully peeled off last

truing up paper pattern

cutting the uppers from raw vegetan cowhide

folding the topline

stitched dart shapes back of heel

paint it RED!

adding leopard pattern

cutting pigskin liner

Day Four: sewing upper, lasting

attaching upper to liner at topline

covering the edges of midsole with vintage Thai silk

ready to begin lasting

first nails

oops, heel dart not in center. oh well.

prep for gluing in toe box

the pair is lasted

Day Five: heels, soles

prep for gluing upper to midsole and adding cork

next the nails will be replaced with tacks, which stay in the shoe

bottom is smoothed with sander and dremmel

we used plastic heels

plastic covered with pigskin, then dyed black

heel glued, it stands!

[Chris didn't want us sharing his method of making the soles.]

here, I'm waiting for glue to dry to stick the sole to the heel

I wrote a secret message inside the right sole

Day Six: delasting, insole, done

lining trimmed from topline
ready to delast!

tada!

after sinking screws into the heel and nailing in tap, the insole pattern is refined
I didn't catch what kind of leather we cut the insole from
I painted mine purple

it's a shoe!

Did you have any idea that all this went into the making of a shoe?

Linking up with
Patti's Visible Monday
Shelbee's On the Edge of the Week
Catherine's #SaturdayShareLinkup
Rena's Fine-Whatever
Cherie's Shoe and Tell