the gods

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Rachel

I’m sensing a Getty Villa theme going on here. We headed back last week. I wanted to show my son the Aphrodite exhibit, stroll the grounds for National Public Gardens Day and go over the gods he is learning about now in Social Studies. We are tackling the next chapter – Ancient Greece – and I couldn’t think of a better place than the Getty Villa to bring Greek mythology to life. And have you eaten at their cafe? May have been the best burger I’ve had in a long time.

Hope you have a fabulous weekend! I’m heading to Washington DC tomorrow for a Top Blogger Retreat. Seriously beyond excited about this. I will be tweeting away. Join me, and I’ll see you back here on Monday!

perfect sunday

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Rachel

My hubby and son tell me often how much they appreciate all I do. They’re very sweet that way, and I love the way they just say things randomly when I least expect it. But for Mother’s Day they wanted to make sure I felt extra special by taking me to the Langham for brunch. I wore a dress I bought at my “go to” boutique Jasleen and threw on my “goes with everything” pumps, and was ready for a day out with my favorite guys. It was just one of those flawless days when everything in the world seemed right. We had so much fun, and the food was really spectacular. And my son loves any place with a chocolate fountain.

After dessert and a few strolls around their beautiful grounds, we all decided it was time to go home, put on our comfy clothes, watch TV and play video games (Oh, I’m a total 80s gamer). And that’s exactly what we did. My kind of day.

(dress/trinity, belt/target, shoes/zara)

rebel

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Rachel

From yarn sushi to James Franco in drag – the art world never disappoints. Now, now if you’re an art critic (from NY) you can go ahead and express your anguish over this post. You’ve made your feelings about Deitch and Franco very clear – everywhere. Wait, if you’re an art critic you’re likely not reading my blog. It’s way too pretty and I like Deitch. But if you happen to pass by – Hello. I totally get what all the backlash is about. I do. However, I must be honest. I love it when feathers gets ruffled in the art world. It gets people into museums. And when this museum educator sees people line up to see a show, my heart gets all mushy inside.

If you’re in LA, REBEL is your opportunity to see the work of James Franco, Douglas Gordon, Harmony Korine, Damon McCarthy, Paul McMarthy, Terry Richardson, Ed Ruscha and Aaron Young’s work all in one space. The exhibit is an ode to the movie Rebel Without A Cause and includes photography, video installation, painting and sculpture all nestled in familiar Hollywood structures and avenues. Over all, I enjoyed the exhibit. But I strongly suggest you leave the kids at home.

children’s day

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Rachel

Between the yarn sushi rolls and multi-colored mochi, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Children’s Day. Oh, and add Sumo wrestling and Japanese drumming to the mix, and you’ve got yourself a pretty awesome festival celebrating all that is family, culture and DTLA. We attended the first-ever LA Bloom Festival hosted by the Japanese American Cultural Community Center, and had ourselves quite the afternoon of art, food and music. The highlight for my son was Byamba. We’d seen him perform a while back at The Torrance Art Museum (here) during their Gateway Japan exhibition. This time, we got to speak to him, check it out! (It’s a bit windy and noisy. I’m no George Lucas, that’s for sure.)

mother’s day

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Rachel

Zeus ready to attack the string and beads

This year we decided to make bracelets for the grandmas. We worked around our cat Zeus’ instinct to catch his moving prey and had ourselves a little afternoon of beading. Any kind of dangling string causes a feline uproar in this house. We went to Zinnia and scooped up a few bags of beads and string while talking about which colors we felt each grandmother would like. After my son finished beading, he created cards and hole punched the bottom to tie the bracelet on. And, done. But wait, there’s more – He made a little DIY video wishing you a Happy Mother’s Day! Check it out!

What is your favorite Mother Day’s memory?

the art of giving

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Rachel

Here’s a close up of the bracelet I wore in yesterday’s post. It was a gift given to me by my dear friend Ana. She’d gone to Haiti as part of the program #Bloggers4Haiti and came back with beautiful handmade items, as well in-depth accounts and photographs of her experience in Haiti. One of her posts took me into the world of the talented artisans she met, who are creating beautiful pieces like the one you see here. Mother’s Day is around the corner, and I can’t think of a better gift than one that gives back. To learn more about how you can give a gift with purpose this Mother’s Day check out Pathways Haiti – Artisan Business Network. The details up close are simply beautiful.

birthing you

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Rachel

My son is 12 years old so my pregnancy seems like forever ago (Y2K, Napster and Ricky Martin, anyone?) It was the most precious time of my life but, at the same time, I went through things many moms go through – Postpartum depression, drastic weight fluctuation, exhaustion and “me” time guilt. I poured every bit of myself into my son. I couldn’t help it, he was the light of my life. But I had no balance and put everything, including myself, at the bottom of the list. As a mother we should give our children all of ourselves however, we should never give up the other things that make us happy. Way deep down I knew that and still lectured & taught a few art workshops during the week in an attempt to stay connected to “grown up” dialogue. But all the changes happened so fast, in turn affecting the way I looked, my weight and perspective on – everthing. At that time, I didn’t use the internet as a resource to find communities, to reach out to other moms. I felt isolated and convinced myself that I was no longer allowed to indulge. Hello, mom jeans! This, coming from a woman who had been fashion obsessed most of her life. She now questioned her depth and priorities every time she entered a mall.

Fast forward to recent years – my life has evolved, and so has my thinking – my world. I’ve met so many mothers who’d felt this way too. I wasn’t alone, after all. When Candice and Kadi asked me to contribute to Birthing Hip, a site for moms who embrace their new bodies, love fashion and want to share their tips and Must-Haves, I immediately jumped on board. So please join me as I write about my passion for style, fashion history/icons – with an emphasis on silhouettes and clothes that tuck, hide, and elongate. For example, the Banana Republic wrap dress I’m wearing is my go-to look when it’s one of those days and I need to dress up. I have lots of tips to share. See you there!

(dress-banana republic, shoes-zara, purse-michael kors, bracelet-heart of haiti for macy’s)

the silver tour

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Rachel

Oh, hi again! Remember my Demons, Angels and Monsters from October 2011? My son was asked to be part of their audio tour for kids as one of the guides. The program is phenomenal, to say the least. I’m not just saying this as a mom – It won a Silver Muse Award for best Audio Tours & Podcasts by the American Association of Museums. Very excited and thankful to the Getty for having my son participate and for creating such a fun and innovative experience for their young visitors. Check out the video to hear a snippet of the tour and what my son has to say about Hercules. To see more, go to the Getty’s Pinterest board.

What are your thoughts about museums using technology to help spread the word about their collections?

The Art Muse