More Is More

For many years I worked in teen magazines and our motto was always "more is more" when it came to laying out a page or coming up with a good story idea. I'd write stories like "87 ways to ditch your zits!" and "352 Things to do this summer!" or "58 Ways To Know If A Guy Is Crushing On You!" (note: ample use of exclamation marks is key to driving home a point!!!!!!) See, nobody wants TWO options when you can have EIGHTY SEVEN right?

I now realize that this thinking is probably what has made me the scatterbrained, where-are-my-carkeys type of person that I am today. It has also made me fairly adept at cramming a store full of color and fun. Lots of times I'll go into other retail stores and think, "Good Lord, there's nothing in here!" Perhaps they are smarter than me when it comes to things like, uh, budgeting but they don't get to drool over things like this fab poster by Happy Farmers or place a huge order of fabulous bags from Brit chick Mimi Berry.

I am a colombophile

I started to write a post about pigeons because there is a great french word that is colombophile (it means "pigeon fancier") but sadly, apart from loving the word, I am not really a fancier of pigeons at all. I am, however, a huge fancier of stripes and after I found a print by Wayne Pate of a seagull in a stripey sweater I felt that pigeon-ish enough. After that my mind bounced over to the new Orla Kiely line Olive and Orange and the amazing Breton Dress that we have in Yolk. AFTER THAT, I thought about how these blue and white stripes are little french inspired so it made this whole thought process make complete sense...to me.

Some Things Aren't So Great

Usually I'm fairly cheery--I save my pouty outbursts for the privacy of my home so only my husband is really privy to what a miserable git I can be. During the day I am a lover fast cracks, trivia tidbits, neighborhood gossip and general silliness. Yolk can sometimes feel the epicenter of a very small part of the LA universe and for that I am thankful.

And then, someone thinks it's a good idea to shoplift. What the #%$^#&#* people? After a Saturday night full of fun friends, way too much food and endless chortling (a step above giggling) I come to find that some lay-moh thought it a good idea to take a pricey dress from my store and whisk it out the door. I usually don't hold grudges but I hope said person gets hit by a bus and then eaten by squirrels.

Thankfully looking at Italian Vogue always make me feel better. If I had the guts I would dye my hair this bubblegum shade parce que c'est tres jolie!

why dogs are better than cats

I know people dress up their cats in all sorts of goofy outfits but has anyone ever dressed up a series of cats as the various wardrobe malfunctions of Lady Gaga? I think not! I am a massive dog fan...at Yolk we always take pics of people's pooches when they bring them into the store and post them on our Facebook page. If I lived in San Francisco I would set up a session with Jesse Friedin with my two canines lickety split! Even though I can't tell if all the dogs in these get-ups look dignified or mortified I love the insanity of it all.

Merci very much all you crafty buggers

Gah! I have stopped being one of those people who looks at things and says "gurgh, I could make that!" because the reality is, I can't AND even if I could, I wouldn't. While others are busy crafting, I am busy watching "16 And Pregnant" on MTV. Before I opened Yolk, I had convinced myself that I was a "maker of things" and had signed up for a Lighting Design class at Art Center in Pasadena. I designed this very elaborate kids light which was a big bubble with crazy tenticles that sprouted out and lit up. I was so psyched by my own genius but by the time it came to "making" it was basically my husband doing all the labor (with me looking on with a critical eye). We got a B in the class and I have relegated myself to the status of someone who "appreciates" things that OTHERS make.

These lights at the Merci store in Paris took my breath away, I want them hanging like beautiful big balloons in my backyard.

On your marks.....

So I am the last person in existence to jump on the blog bandwagon, perhaps it was all those years of waxing poetic in magazines that has subconsciously stopped me.