I have this friend name Lise.

Lise is easily one of the most interesting women I’ve ever known. Interesting is an understatement, but even more than that, Lise sparks inspiration in a very lonely part of me that’s just so rarely sparked. We first met back in the early 2000s, like 2002? I think? She was managing the coffee shop where I worked, and she was also the baker, and I was an opener, which meant we would have these strange few hours together in the very earliest morning, before dawn, smack dab in the middle of a dark and deserted downtown, and that sort of eerie setting makes for some really cool conversation.

Lise baked confections and named them for dead writers. “If Bukowski Were A Cupcake!“, the sign would read. She once told the entire story of my first true love, which she was watching unfold in real time, through an elaborate series of angel food cakes. Over the course of months and months. Glorious start to grisly, miserable finish – all captured in cake (those Ooh-La-La Cakes were legendary, man I should tell that story sometime).

Anyway, why is Lise so inspiring? Because, well, she is basically Bohemia incarnate. She is my proof that you don’t have to “grow out of it”, or at least that you don’t have to grow into that place that almost everyone seems to grow into. That you don’t have to become muted. Because Lise is so fiercely authentic, so living-breathing-being her creative self, all the time, and that is a rare, rare thing indeed.

So Lise wears many artistic hats, and one of them is as seamstress. Costume designer for local theaters, and dressmaker for any occasion, Lise is amazing behind the spinning wheel of a sewing machine. And a few years back, she was working on a series of “art dresses” to show in a local gallery.

Right around that time, Lady Gaga wore a meat dress to the VMAs.

Lise was appalled and more than that, driven to action. And thus was the birth of this dress – officially titled “Shame on Lady Gaga the Anti-Meat Dress“. In Lise’s own words:

For me the reason for my “Shame on Lady Gaga the Anti-Meat Dress” comes down to this: until we acknowledge that we have caused and are causing every moment tremendous and undeniable pain and suffering to millions of animals, we will never be free of worry, we will never be happy, we will never sleep in peace. The very thing that enables us to turn away from our cruelty and continue, the very attitude that allows us to look away and justify our actions, the very ability we have to blindly pursue our own lusts over other animals lives-allows us to live unkindly as people, unfairly as citizens, and inhumanely as fellow passengers. And this dress is my VERY SMALL, tragically insignificant attempt to be a STRONG AND LOUD voice in this world moving too fast for its own good and too selfishly for its own survival.

But did you notice the material it’s made out of? Silk.

This story has many layers. Because Lise poured her heart and soul into an animal rights dress, and she constructed this incredible piece of art out of silk. And when she was done she offered the dress to PETA, to auction or keep or do with as they wished. And they . . .

. . . said no thanks. Because the dress, you see, is not vegan.

What I love about this story is that in the end, Lise learned something new too. She learned about silk production and when I had coffee with her last week, I asked her, “So do you still use silk in your sewing?”

She cocked her head as she paused and thought, and then with a sort of surprised half-smile she said, “You know? No, I haven’t bought silk since then.”




I was so honored to be able to wear this incredible piece of art. And I’m happy to announce that Shame on Lady Gaga the Anti-Meat Dress is currently for sale, with ALL proceeds going to animal rights charities.

Bidding starts at $300, please email me at info AT bonzaiaphrodite DOT com to make an offer.

Thanks so much to the amazing Lise, for allowing me to wear your dress and share your story. Read Lise’s blog here.

And special thanks to Clovis IV for the incredible photos!





♥

So, my hair has been dry. Like really really dry. I forgot how bad it gets during winter here in SoCal, which is weird because in Portland I always felt like my skin dried out in winter. But here it’s the hair. Don’t know what that’s about . . .

Anyway! Maybe you’re dealing with end-of-winter dry hair too? If so, I’ve got just the super-magic, super-simple, super-potent hair treatment for you!

To make your hair repair treatment, simply melt 1 cup organic virgin coconut oil, and then add 1/2 teaspoon of whichever essential oil will be best for your hair. This could be anything from lavender to tea tree to ylang ylang – it all depends on what you need it to do.




Here are some common hair issues, with their corresponding essential oil remedies:

To Stimulate Growth:
Basil, Lavender, Peppermint (I can vouch for this!), Rosemary, Ylang Ylang

For Oily Hair:
Basil, Lemon, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Tea Tree, Ylang Ylang

For Dry Hair:
Myrrh, Peppermint

For Dry Itchy Scalp/Dandruff:
Bay, Cedarwood, Chamomile, Clary Sage, Eucalyptus, Frankincense, Lavender, Lemon, Myrrh, Rose, Sage, Sandalwood, Tea Tree

For Hair Loss:
Burdock, Cedarwood, Jojoba, Thyme

For Lots Of Shine/Extra Conditioning:
Chamomile, Lavender




Add your essential oil to your melted coconut oil, stir, and then pour into a container (use something with a wide-enough mouth so that you can get your fingers in there). It will harden as it dries but that’s fine – you just need to scoop some out and rub it between your fingers to melt it, see?





Apply a few tablespoons of the hair repair treatment to dry hair and comb it through. You want it well distributed, but not dripping. Wrap your head in a wet towel or a shower cap to keep the oil off your clothes. Leave it on for at least half an hour, but a few hours is best. Then, wash it out and shampoo/condition (or no-poo/ACV, haha) as normal.

♥

Last week I posted a tutorial for baby knee pads, but what about us big kids?! A couple of readers requested my method for homemade leg and arm warmers, and I’m more than happy to oblige.

Here’s the thing: It’s so easy! To make leg warmers, you start with an old sweater (thrift store!), like this:



And then you cut off the sleeves, like this:



Aaaand, that’s it! As you can see in the top picture, the way you wear them will depend on the original sweater. You can even use a jacket, like I did with the camo, but you’ll need to use safety pins to keep them up (pin them tight over the top of your calf). The ones I made for this tutorial ended up very long – ooh la la!

~ ~ ~

Hand warmers are just as easy! Start with a pair of socks. For longies, cut off just the toes and then snip a *small* hole in the heal.



And it looks like this:



For shorties, snip below the heel instead, like this:



Then it’s just a matter of making a thumb hole in the right spot (use your hand as a guide). These are the type I tend to wear all winter:



If you want to get really fancy, you can take a pair of longies and turn them into actual gloves. Just slit down and sew up a tube for each finger. I did this with the pair I made for Damian!




Sometimes, it really just is that simple. Hope you enjoy!

Breastfeeding while touring a farm, ’cause that’s just how I roll. What’s that got to do with fashion? Well . . . a lot!

Truth: I adore fashion. And though I don’t really shop a whole lot, I do replenish my cool-weather clothes each fall, and my warm-weather clothes in the spring. In between excursions I’ll pore over blogs and editorials. I’ll amass great collections of inspiration, selecting the styles that speak to me aesthetically. Then I’ll hit the thrift with these in mind, hunting for treasures to take my fashion forward into the next season. And then . . .

And then, these wonderful pieces will slowly wilt in the deep dark depths of my dresser. Invariably, I’ll have chosen a look that doesn’t flatter my body type, or that isn’t physically comfortable, or that, most importantly, just doesn’t lend itself to my lifestyle. I’ll have a closet full of great clothes, yet I’ll hide in the comfort of hoodies all winter.

No more, I say! This year I’m determined. This year I have a plan. A thoughtful, practical approach: “What clothes will work for me?” Highly complex scientific analysis involving algorithms and lots of calculus revealed three intrinsic factors that affect my fashion choices this fall:

1. My post-baby body! Woah, time to re-examine everything I knew about dressing myself. Goodbye, ribcage-to-thigh-with-nary-a-curve slim hips! Hello, nipped waist and a proud badonk! w00t! Also, um, 32E. Seriously.
2. My post-baby schedule! I’m over-worked, under-slept, and usually sporting spit-up. I need clothes that stand strong on their own, ’cause I just don’t have the time to coordinate.
3. Breastfeeding! More than anything else, my outfits are founded on access access access. Especially once it get’s really cold! No lifting up or pulling down; I need to get in there with as little skin exposure as possible.

Shooting Outfit Photos With Munchkin – 1) Yeah, gettin’ my pose on. Feelin’ fly . . . 2) Oh shit! Don’t touch that! 3) Here, come hang out with Mommy. [trouser jeans are secondhand & asymmetrical reconstructed top by a local designer]

The above three criteria work in conjunction to make dressing myself damn near impossible. Ha! I’m kidding of course, but I’m willing to bet that each of you has some similar issue – an idiosyncrasy that makes it difficult to just. get. dressed. Maybe it’s an atypical body type. Or perhaps you can’t stand the feel of most fabrics. Maybe your job requires you to wear unrestrictive clothing. Whatever it is, if you can identify it like I’ve done here, then you can work out how to work around it. For me that means:

1. Finding the styles that suit my new body – which are pretty much the opposite of those that worked with my old body!
2. Finding pieces that are: a) awesome all on their own (not basics!), b) comfy enough that I’ll actually want to wear them while toting around a toddler, and c) easily cleaned.
3. Breastfeeding friendly means a zip front or a button front or super stretchy. No solid fronts or high necklines means I can’t wear most of my old winter wardrobe. Oh darn. Guess I’ll need to do some more shopping . . .

Two Transitional Looks – At left, I love love love this funky cut aqua creation. Living in it already! (and look at it, it’s just *made* for breastfeeding!). At right, I never liked navy + black until very recently. I think the red makes all the difference! [everything secondhand]

And For When It Really Cools Down – At left, this ‘motorcycle’ jacket is hoodie material. No leather here! And the skirt has pockets, yes! At right, I’m such a child of the grunge 90s, I will forever love flannel. So, what’s the consensus on leggings-as-pants? [everything secondhand except scarf, which is Damian's]

I’ve had so much fun plotting and planning my Super-Styley Mommy Ensembles. Now it just needs to get cold enough so I can wear them . . . naw, I can wait!

What about you, my dears? What are your wardrobe hang-ups? How will you combat them this season?

My style is in transition right now, changing to suit this post-pregnancy body. I am awed and amazed at how the female frame adapts and alters in order to bear a child. How our skin stretches and then shrinks back, that our entire internal anatomy rearranges itself, how our very bones are spread apart. It’s all so impressive, so beautiful.

I’ve lost the majority of my baby weight, but my body’s been left a completely different shape. Which means I’m re-learning how to dress myself. I curve in ways I never curved before, and it’s an exciting challenge figuring out how to flatter this whole new form!





I wore :

• ”40 Watt Club” T-Shirt: DIY, and if anyone catches the reference you are the shiznit
• Floral Skirt: secondhand, by f21
• Black Cropped Leggings: secondhand, by AA
• Black Vegan Ballet Flats: secondhand
• Yellow Canvas and Wood Purse: secondhand
• Charm Bracelet and Faux Pearls (worn around my ankle): both gifts

Waits wore :

• ”I’m Vegan and I <3 You" T-Shirt: by Herbivore
• Cargo Shorts (which crack me up – because infants NEED pockets, right?): secondhand
• Explorer Hat: secondhand

That is, unless you know you look good!

Riding in style may be just the motivation you need. However, looking ‘good’ means something different to everyone. To me it meant painting my helmet matte black and fitting it with kitty ears. To you, it may mean . . . adding a shiny red racing stripe! . . . or attaching a silver tiara! . . . or a hot pink leopard print paint job! I think I’ll bedazzle my next helmet with glitter and rhinestones, oh yes.

Whatever your pleasure, you have to wear a helmet for safety’s sake, so it might as well be fun or fabulous. Why not!? I recently saw a gentleman with a helmet painted up like a watermelon. So get creative – and have fun with it!

1 * 2 * 3 * 4

If DIY isn’t your thing, there’s plenty of pre-made creations out there (as evidenced above). So check around the interwebs or scout your local bike shop for inspiration.

But most importantly, be safe guys!

It was a gorgeous afternoon, sunny and warm with a mild ocean breeze. An easy evening full of friends and laughter, and music late into the night. Thank you Tommy and Kelly. And mazel tov!








I wore :

• Vintage Minidress: secondhand, and it’s handmade!
• White Cotton Tights: from the amazing Sock Dreams
• Black Cardigan: from Nordstrom, ages and ages ago
• Red Flats: also from Nordstrom, also ages ago

Waits wore his own little wedding number. In case you can’t tell, that’s an ‘All Dressed Up’ tux onesie. He also had matching black booties, not pictured. He’s already got mad style, eh?

Photo booth!

That is, until I got pregnant. And suddenly I was much more interested in keeping things completely natural (no way was I going to stop dying my hair all together, the horror!) It seemed the perfect time to play with henna, that strange plant powder I’d always eyed but never tried. And so I began experimenting.

‘Henna’ refers to the ground leaves of the plant Lawsonia inermis. These leaves contain the lawsone molecule, which is responsible for imparting that classic dark red dye. To be clear: there is only one color of henna. Anything claiming to be ‘black henna’, ‘brown henna’, ‘blonde henna’, etc, is a compound containing more than the actual plant. Be wary!

In order for the dye to be effective, the lawsone must be liberated. The leaves are purchased dried and ground, and then mixed with acid to coax out the pigment. Common acids are lemon juice, tea, or vinegar. The wet mix is then set aside overnight (6+ hours) while the lawsone renders.

Henna paste after mixing with lemon juice and refrigerating overnight.

Looks like just the kind of thing you’d want to rub into your head, right? Let me tell you, the first time I tried it I was pretty skeptical. It smells funky! And I was sure it was going to turn my hair some horrible shade of green. Just look at that stuff!

But I slopped it on and rubbed it in. They say to let it sit for an hour or so, but I left it for over five (I always do with hair dye). It smelled like earth and dried in crusty brown clumps. My skepticism continued.

This is what my hair looked like prior to the treatment, faded reddish with dirty blonde roots (the shame!):

And after many many hours of musty odored and mud clumpy head, I rinsed it out – certain that it hadn’t done a thing. But I was wrong!

It’s pretty, no? It’s definitely red! And I gotta say, I’m impressed!

So I’m a henna convert now. I used it all throughout my pregnancy (I find that lemon juice acts as a better acid than, say, vinegar). It has great lasting power and barely fades; you need to fix your roots before you ever need a color boost. And of course the best part – it’s completely natural, just a single ingredient!

We even used it to decorate my belly at my baby ‘sprinkle’! (henna dyes skin as well, lasting 1-3 weeks depending on the quality)

That said, I gotta be honest . . . I lasted about 7 weeks postpartum before going back to the old stuff. What can I say, I’m a sucker for bright colors!

So what about you guys? Have you ever henna-ed? What do you think?

• Black Flowered Dress: Ancient. A relic.
• Black Long-Sleeved Maternity Shirt: secondhand by Gap Maternity
• Maternity Jeans: secondhand by Old Navy, dyed darker by me
• Red Faux-Patent Heels: secondhand
• Necklace: my wedding rings on a rope
• Bracelet: a cheap chain necklace
• Black Cardigan: secondhand by Banana Republic
• Scarf: handmade by my wifey
• Gloves: I got these at Urban Outfitters like 5 years ago for $2
• Purse: from Herbivore

Seriously, I hadn’t left my house in 2 weeks. I hadn’t gone outside in 2 weeks! So naturally, even a trip to the doctors office was terribly exciting for me. I had to take the opportunity to gussy up a bit, and show off my swelling belly.

• T-shirt Dress: from Herbivore (they are AWESOME! go there! support them!)
• Long Black Cardigan: secondhand by Banana Rebublic
• Grey Leggings: secondhand
• Multi Blue Knee Highs: Sock Dreams, who have my everlasting stripey devotion
• Combat Boots: many years old, by Gripfast
• White Canvas belt: so very very old
• Blue Stars Children’s Umbrella: secondhand

And I’ve got some good news! This trip was specifically for a test, a test that came back NEGATIVE, which means my chances of preterm labor have gone back down to ‘slim to none’. YAY YAY YAY! So thank you so much to everyone out there who sent your love and support – it worked guys!

Also, I don’t have gestational diabetes (yay vegan!). We celebrated with donuts. =)