Stuyvesant Town

 When I complimented this lady's glasses, she quickly said, "I am so happy I got the last pair!"

Golden Girl

Dolores wearing one of her own necklace designs

A few weeks ago Dolores Forsythe threw me a wonderful book signing event at her jewelry boutique in Coronado. Dolores was such an incredible host and it was great to meet so many new people and catch up with some of my childhood friends. Dolores' shop is literally a hidden gem on the beautiful island of Coronado. If you are in the San Diego make sure to stop in and say hello for me! To see more of Dolores' wonderful shop and work CLICK HERE.

All In The Details

Every detail of this woman's outfit is stunning, from the gorgeous pleated sleeve to her elegant black tie and wonderful earrings.

Winter Travels

Confession.. I am kind of running out of ideas on how to look cute in the cold. I'm always on the go.. walking through the city, exploring new places, and traveling. I tend to stick to a uniform of my favorite black swing coat, a chunky knit scarf, and hat of some kind.

I try to keep it as chic as possible, and avoid the Uggs (even though, let's be honest, they are pretty practical traveling through the winter.) 

The rest of the photos are scenic shots of my travels through Zagreb, Croatia, and Ljubljana, Slovenia, this past weekend. I had an amazing trip and I want to travel much more throughout Eastern Europe... what a magnificent and beautiful area of the world!

I can't believe I'll be leaving Europe next week.. Time has truly flown by.

Hat: Vans

Scarf & Coat: Zara

Boots: Doc Martens

Bisous

xoxo

Olivia 

Ilona's Eyelash Cabaret

My dear friend Ilona Royce Smithkin never ceases to amaze me. She is 93-years-old and has more energy and zest for life than most people half her age. Ilona has been performing her cabaret act all around town and is planning some exciting new shows. If you have never had the chance to see her performance in person, check out the wonderful video below.

Eyelash Cabaret with Ilona Royce-Smithkin and Zoe Lewis - video by Alain Furcajg from LIPTV 2 on Vimeo.

Jersey Comic Con Dec 13-15

There’s a brand spanking new comic con on the calendar and it’s actually in New Jersey! The Garden State, while home to many creators, has never had a great comic convention. There was an attempt made earlier this year for the Asbury Park Comic Con but honestly, I wasn’t impressed and look forward to seeing the new changes those organizers have for 2014. However, right now, there is the Hammonton show on December 13-15 called the JERSEY COMIC CON. 

I have some trepidations right off the bat about this show and I hope that despite my concerns, the show will be very successful because this state is desperate for a comic con. I’m concerned about launching as a three-day show. This is ballsy. You should start with one day, maybe two and see how well things go. I love a good one-day show. I makes traveling a whole lot easier and more affordable. With a small show, you can cover the floor in a day without a problem and have one night for after parties. Nothing wrong with that. But JCC is launching with 3 DAYS. More power to them but to me that’s a rookie mistake.

This is not a “comic” con. It’s definitely a “pop culture” con. Half the slated guests are actors and entertainers who are not comic book creators. The great thing is that the comic creators they do have booked are amazingly talented people that love the medium, support each other’s work, and are happy to meet fans. So if Philadelphia and New York shows have been off your schedule because of the cost or difficulty in traveling to them, JCC will have a fair amount of the same people and you won’t have the insane crowds to deal with in order to meet those creators. Speaking of the comic creators, here’s just a sampling: Neal Adams, Arthur Suydam, Neil Vokes, The Living Corpse crew, Jay Fife, Primo Cardinalli, Jim Kuhoric, Jeff Zornow and Mark Texeira. I will be assisting my dear friend Primo and booth hopping from time to time as I normally do so you might catch me at the Living Corpse booth which is my favorite booth at every show. Since one of my best mates in the world, Jay Fife will be there, he'll have prints of the piece where I modeled as a steampunk Bride of Frankenstein in one of his exceptionally illustrated pieces. I'd be thrilled to sign it for anyone that picks it up.

I don’t know if the organizer gave any thought to diversifying the guest list to include some female blood but there aren’t any comic book women slated as guests only vendors. People, it’s almost 2014. Get your shit together and invite other women besides actresses and models, such as both prominent and up-and-coming comic creators to your shows. Hey, I certainly love seeing my fellow models out there but I'm also a writer and would love to see other women in the industry get some support by having them as guests not only vendors. It's not exclusively a problem with this new show; in fact, because it's new I'm more forgiving. Shows like Baltimore and Philly need to fix this problem in 2014. Baltimore has one female guest slated so far out of 35 guests announced.

Hammonton, New Jersey? I’ve lived in this state my entire life (minus one year) and have no idea where the hell Hammonton is. The convention will be in a catering hall. The lodging is only motels in this area and they are half a mile or more away. There’s not a single hotel on Google Maps which means no hotel bar for people to hit after hours. It reminds me of the Pittsburgh con which is not in Pittsburgh; it’s in Monroeville and you have to leave the expo center and drive to be anywhere for food but at least there’s one hotel everyone stays in and it has a good bar. So far, the best con cities for me have been Baltimore and Philadelphia though I hear Chicago is outstanding. According to Wikipedia, Hammonton is smack in between Atlantic City and Philadelphia so if you are a day tripper and want to venture out after seeing the con, that is something to consider. If you’re tabling at the con, however, the hours are too long to really venture out and enjoy other cities.

Finally, has anyone heard of this show? No. They have not done a thing to promote it. The social media is not active nor engaging. I haven’t seen any podcast bloggers mention it on their feeds which means it’s not being mentioned on their shows. It’s 20 degrees in New Jersey in December. People need to know there is something to do, where it is, and what to expect. I’m not seeing any of that in terms of PR for this con. There is a Drink & Draw scheduled to be hosted by the talented Tommy Castillo. On Saturday night they have a costume party planned for an additional ticket price. There’s no information on the website clarifying where those events are being held so I can only assume they are in the same catering hall as the con itself.

Incidentally, “First Annual” anything is really bad grammar. It’s first or inaugural but it’s not an annual anything until you have it again.

Help me and all these great creators make this Jersey show a huge success! Come out this weekend and pick up some original art, prints, get drawn as a zombie by the Corpse boys, and have fun.

Suzi Click and The Power of Print Mixing

 

I have been mixing prints ever since I was a little kid. It's always fun to get up in the morning and play with items of clothing that usually wouldn't go together and then finding the harmony and balance in colors and patterns. Artist and designer Suzi Click is definitely a master at mixing prints. I met her outside  Koi , in Pasadena , dressed in one of her own incredible designs. You can't help but smile at her awesome assemblage of colors and textures.To check out more of her inspiring work CLICK HERE.

Black and Turquoise

To yesterday's point, black can be a great base for adding wonderful, colorful accessories. On this grey Friday morning I leave you with the always gorgeous and extravagant Lynn Dell Cohen.

Are You Afraid Of Wearing Color?

I often wonder why so many people are afraid to wear color. Walking around New York it's a challenge to find brightly hued clothing in the crowds of people wearing all black. Yes black is safe and elegant and all that, but putting on a bit of color in the morning definitely brightens up my day. I love how the woman above plays with proportion and texture to make a stunning and bold fashion statement. If you are going to wear all black, why not wear it with pizazz? Are any of you out there afraid of wearing color?

The Best Accessory

When it comes to style, your  attitude is just as important as the clothes you choose to put on in the morning. This woman's confident stance and gorgeous smile are a perfect match to her bold accessories.

Maureen at Koi, South Pasadena

Maureen is another one of the incredibly creative and stylish women that I met at my book signing at Koi in South Pasadena. This store is a most for anyone looking for something special and original. I can't wait to visit again soon!

Polished

I have so many coats that it's becoming a problem.. but I just can't help it.. I hate wearing the same one everyday! I found this vintage (faux-fur, of course) jacket in Chicago right before I left for Paris. I happen to think it fits the aesthetic of the city perfectly, and it dresses up a pair of casual blue jeans and leather booties quite nicely.

I'm very excited because this weekend I'll be jetting off to Croatia to visit a friend. We'll also be visiting Vienna, too.. for some much needed Christmas spirit. My family is originally from both Croatia and Austria, so it will be amazing to see my heritage up close and personal. I cannot wait!! Look forward to some amazing photos, because I'll be doing outfit posts/ and scenic ones while I'm there!

Faux Fur Coat: Vintage

Jeans: BDG

Blouse: Zara

Boots: Minelli

XOXO

Bisous

Olivia

Re-Deux

Colleen is one of my favorite ladies to photograph. Not only is she absolutely stunning, but she is one of the kindest and most intelligent women I have ever met. Make sure and visit her consignment store, Re-Deux if you are near Palm Springs, and if you have a copy of Advanced Style, she would be happy to sign her page.

Re-Deux
71598 California 111, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
(760) 776- 9662