Moms Gone Surfin'

I've never been a big fan of surfing alone, and now with two small children I find it even harder to get to the beach with my board. Low and behold, I came across the perfect solution - a surf Moms group on the Westside. I'm not a big believer in organized play dates and Mommy & Me groups (boring...), but I am all for a play date for Mommy! What's better than meeting up with fellow Mom surfers on the beach with your kids? I have no interest in sitting around chatting about spit up, poopy diapers, and baby music classes. I want to get out in those waves and bond with my fellow Moms on another level. Junior can stay on the beach and play with his buddies, while Mommy plays in the surf. I was so fortunate to come across an article in our local Santa Monica Daily Press paper about a group of Moms that have been getting together in Santa Monica at local beaches to surf. Just what I've been looking for! So yesterday, I ventured out with my daughter, Kai, in the Baby Bjorn and my board under my arm to Bay St. (Tower 22) - armed and ready to have fun. The other Moms ranged from advanced to beginner surfers so I felt comfortable fitting in (I'm neither good nor bad, just extremely rusty!) We all got pummeled in the dumping waves, but ended up having a blast in the whitewater practicing our wave riding. All the while our kids frolicked in the sand (the rule is you take turns surfing and watching each other's kids.) What a work out! In no time that baby weight will be off and Mommy will finally be getting her weekly surfin' fix. Can't wait till next week for another outing with the Westside Surf Moms!

Moms Gone Surfin'

I've never been a big fan of surfing alone, and now with two small children I find it even harder to get to the beach with my board. Low and behold, I came across the perfect solution - a surf Moms group on the Westside. I'm not a big believer in organized play dates and Mommy & Me groups (boring...), but I am all for a play date for Mommy! What's better than meeting up with fellow Mom surfers on the beach with your kids? I have no interest in sitting around chatting about spit up, poopy diapers, and baby music classes. I want to get out in those waves and bond with my fellow Moms on another level. Junior can stay on the beach and play with his buddies, while Mommy plays in the surf. I was so fortunate to come across an article in our local Santa Monica Daily Press paper about a group of Moms that have been getting together in Santa Monica at local beaches to surf. Just what I've been looking for! So yesterday, I ventured out with my daughter, Kai, in the Baby Bjorn and my board under my arm to Bay St. (Tower 22) - armed and ready to have fun. The other Moms ranged from advanced to beginner surfers so I felt comfortable fitting in (I'm neither good nor bad, just extremely rusty!) We all got pummeled in the dumping waves, but ended up having a blast in the whitewater practicing our wave riding. All the while our kids frolicked in the sand (the rule is you take turns surfing and watching each other's kids.) What a work out! In no time that baby weight will be off and Mommy will finally be getting her weekly surfin' fix. Can't wait till next week for another outing with the Westside Surf Moms!

Reusable Bags are All the Rage

I recently made a personal commitment to myself, my children, and my environment to forgo the plastic bags and start toting my reusable shopping bags at Ralphs, Riteaid, etc. No more trips to Ralphs taking home 16 plastic bags with only 3 contents of groceries per bag (God forbid if they should fill them up!) And no more trips to Riteaid for one tube of toothpaste in a plastic bag that will end up in either the ocean or a landfill for the next 25 years. I'm jumping on the reusable shopping bag bandwagon and going full force to do so in style. I just came across the most stylish reusable bags that even my husband might be seen toting - it's the Envirosax bags which come in an assorted set of 5 retro prints; easy to roll up and keep in the car for those spontaneous trips to CVS. Another fave and classic is the mesh shopper that you can just throw in your everyday bag and always have on hand. They're a staple for a true organic farmer's market kind of gal, but I remember my Mom using these back in the 70's so they're a classic. Unless you've been under a rock the last few months, we've all heard of the Anya Hindmarch "This is Not a Plastic Bag" bag phenomenon - sold out in seconds at Whole Foods in NYC for $15 and future promotions in Asia canceled for fear of trampling. Crazy! My model even bought one on Ebay recently where they're fetching for up to $300 (nice markup!) I actually just snagged one myself on Ebay for 50 bucks (my first time bidding on Ebay- yippee!) I think the hype is less about helping the environment and more about snagging a designer bag for under $500. I know that's why I bought it. I have no intentions of ruining my new designer tote bag by putting raw food in it! I'd much rather tote it on my next beach excursion or trip to yoga. I'll save the grocery hauling for my $1.99 reusable Green Whole Foods bags - just bought 6 for my next trip to Ralphs!

Reusable Bags are All the Rage

I recently made a personal commitment to myself, my children, and my environment to forgo the plastic bags and start toting my reusable shopping bags at Ralphs, Riteaid, etc. No more trips to Ralphs taking home 16 plastic bags with only 3 contents of groceries per bag (God forbid if they should fill them up!) And no more trips to Riteaid for one tube of toothpaste in a plastic bag that will end up in either the ocean or a landfill for the next 25 years. I'm jumping on the reusable shopping bag bandwagon and going full force to do so in style. I just came across the most stylish reusable bags that even my husband might be seen toting - it's the Envirosax bags which come in an assorted set of 5 retro prints; easy to roll up and keep in the car for those spontaneous trips to CVS. Another fave and classic is the mesh shopper that you can just throw in your everyday bag and always have on hand. They're a staple for a true organic farmer's market kind of gal, but I remember my Mom using these back in the 70's so they're a classic. Unless you've been under a rock the last few months, we've all heard of the Anya Hindmarch "This is Not a Plastic Bag" bag phenomenon - sold out in seconds at Whole Foods in NYC for $15 and future promotions in Asia canceled for fear of trampling. Crazy! My model even bought one on Ebay recently where they're fetching for up to $300 (nice markup!) I actually just snagged one myself on Ebay for 50 bucks (my first time bidding on Ebay- yippee!) I think the hype is less about helping the environment and more about snagging a designer bag for under $500. I know that's why I bought it. I have no intentions of ruining my new designer tote bag by putting raw food in it! I'd much rather tote it on my next beach excursion or trip to yoga. I'll save the grocery hauling for my $1.99 reusable Green Whole Foods bags - just bought 6 for my next trip to Ralphs!

There's Something in the Air at Topanga

One of my fave spots in LA is Topanga Beach. It's easy to access and a great place to plop down and watch the waves and sunset. This afternoon I took my son and daughter down there for a pleasant beach dinner picnic and to enjoy the last days of Summer. The perfect spot perched on a mini dune right at the foot of the water with waveriders right out in front - aaahh, what bliss! The light just right, the sun going down behind Malibu mountains, and long riding 'rights' for those lucky surfers (dang, didn't bring my board!)

Now that I've set the mood, I can begin my rant. What is up with Los Angeles County beaches? Could the bathrooms at this beach be anymore disgusting? Could I possibly smell more human stench in the air? I was completely appalled to take my newly potty-trained son to the restrooms at Topanga. One out of four toilets were functioning. One was non-stop flushing and I could see the trail of polluting water trickling down to the water - lovely! How hard is it for the county of LA to get it's (excuse my French!) shit together and maintain these beach restrooms so that our ocean doesn't get polluted in the process? I know for a fact that this tiny beach does not get nearly as much traffic as Will Rodgers (with its sparkling new bathrooms), yet the restrooms look like they haven't seen a janitor in months. Why did I pay $7 for parking? You'd think that and my tax dollars would help pay for some toilet paper and a mop. And that's not the end of it. When we got back to our car in the parking lot, the stench in the air was almost toxic. There was a huge pool of raw waste water sewage sitting in the center of the parking lot. I have no idea where it came from and it wasn't there an hour earlier. I'm so happy I paid 7 bucks to smell that.

Yes, I know this blog is suppose to be about fashion and other frivolous things, but I also like to include my favorite causes, one being our Oceans. Enough of my ranting, it's time to get to my final point. I want to remind everybody that Heal the Bay's Coastal Cleanup Day is just around the corner - Saturday, September 15th to be exact. I plan to be down at Topanga with my family to help clean up one of our favorite beach spots. We all can't count on the city or our politicians to maintain our beaches so I guess it's up to us - all the beachgoers, surfers, and sunset watchers, we all need to pitch in and keep our beaches clean so our oceans have a fighting chance. Let's hope the city will send out a crew to clean up those non-functioning toilets too! Learn more about Heal the Bay's Coastal Cleanup Day at their web site, www.healthebay.org.

Now back to more light-hearted fashion-related topics...

There's Something in the Air at Topanga

One of my fave spots in LA is Topanga Beach. It's easy to access and a great place to plop down and watch the waves and sunset. This afternoon I took my son and daughter down there for a pleasant beach dinner picnic and to enjoy the last days of Summer. The perfect spot perched on a mini dune right at the foot of the water with waveriders right out in front - aaahh, what bliss! The light just right, the sun going down behind Malibu mountains, and long riding 'rights' for those lucky surfers (dang, didn't bring my board!)

Now that I've set the mood, I can begin my rant. What is up with Los Angeles County beaches? Could the bathrooms at this beach be anymore disgusting? Could I possibly smell more human stench in the air? I was completely appalled to take my newly potty-trained son to the restrooms at Topanga. One out of four toilets were functioning. One was non-stop flushing and I could see the trail of polluting water trickling down to the water - lovely! How hard is it for the county of LA to get it's (excuse my French!) shit together and maintain these beach restrooms so that our ocean doesn't get polluted in the process? I know for a fact that this tiny beach does not get nearly as much traffic as Will Rodgers (with its sparkling new bathrooms), yet the restrooms look like they haven't seen a janitor in months. Why did I pay $7 for parking? You'd think that and my tax dollars would help pay for some toilet paper and a mop. And that's not the end of it. When we got back to our car in the parking lot, the stench in the air was almost toxic. There was a huge pool of raw waste water sewage sitting in the center of the parking lot. I have no idea where it came from and it wasn't there an hour earlier. I'm so happy I paid 7 bucks to smell that.

Yes, I know this blog is suppose to be about fashion and other frivolous things, but I also like to include my favorite causes, one being our Oceans. Enough of my ranting, it's time to get to my final point. I want to remind everybody that Heal the Bay's Coastal Cleanup Day is just around the corner - Saturday, September 15th to be exact. I plan to be down at Topanga with my family to help clean up one of our favorite beach spots. We all can't count on the city or our politicians to maintain our beaches so I guess it's up to us - all the beachgoers, surfers, and sunset watchers, we all need to pitch in and keep our beaches clean so our oceans have a fighting chance. Let's hope the city will send out a crew to clean up those non-functioning toilets too! Learn more about Heal the Bay's Coastal Cleanup Day at their web site, www.healthebay.org.

Now back to more light-hearted fashion-related topics...

Vegas Here We Come

Stacia (the Collection, not me) are off to Vegas tomorrow for the big Project trade show. My fabulous West Coast rep (aka road warrior) is off to the races with my new Spring 2008 collection of goodies. We're hoping for a big turnout this time with buyers ready to pencil in those orders. The show runs from August 27-29 and is at the Sands Expo and we're in the first booth on 5th Ave. - 5001 5th Ave to be exact. Not only will we be previewing Spring, but buyers will also be able to nab some immediates for Fall and our new hot Holiday collection - Boudoir. The 'Boudoir' group features our signature spacedye fabric in a shimmery rayon backed with solid cotton for a cool iridescent look, perfect for those Holiday bashes. The drawstring dress with plunging neckline and demure leg slit in Copper has been a big seller so far. I also brought back a best-seller, the Caftan, which is to die for in the color Jewel. My favorite color in the Collection has to be Fiesta, accented with black, makes for the perfect party top with some jeans. I look forward to checking out this Vegas show (and the town!) next time. My new babe at 9 months is just too young to be toting to Vegas just yet. But good luck to Lori and the gang out there, hoping it's a busy, crazy show!