This week, Richard Wayne and I purchased our first piece of furniture, an adorable mid century inspired couch.  This means you can now come visit us and not have to sit on the floor!

Mandie Bee was a darling and sent me a new super spy dress, which I have already worn and love as well as a polka dotted purse, which is all I am using to carry treats to work.

If you’re looking for some visual stimulation, my favorite online rag, N.E.E.T. magazine, has their new winter issue online now!  Also, Modcloth has a cute holiday gift guide for every type of person on your list!

Every day I come across many different artists, designers, and illustrators, and one in particular I’ve developed a design crush on is Tori Higa and her lovely greeting card work.

We decided that one of us should join the fabulous wardrobe_remix and that one will be the ever so stylish Richard Wayne, who Tricia Royal posted as a remixer of the week!

Some new blogs I’m adoring are the art, design, and music thoughts of my dear friend Erica and a great design blog, FormFiftyFive, that just posted a cool website all about designing with the grid system.

I love this image from FFFFound! so much.

The always charming, Nubbytwiglet, posted a great article on learning more about graphic design, as well as a link to free type desktop wallpapers! Also, if you visit the Urban Outfitters homepage, for a limited time they are giving away a free year subscription to NYLON magazine, wow!

The folks at Veer have created an application called, “The Face Builder”, where you can insert your face and instantly have a new haircut,  a mustache, or even an eye patch! And this fun list from Poppytalk, 101 Reasons to Buy Handmade.

This weekend Richard Wayne and I are heading up to Sacramento to photograph a fashion show with new designs by my friend Trisha from Pretty Trashy.  Saturday is haircut therapy, and then Sunday is a 70s glam inspired photo shoot with my talented hair and make-up friend, Amithyst.

What is currently inspiring you? Do you like or loathe the holiday season?

Hugs and Hisses,
Kristin

Since this is primarily a fashion blog, though, I’d like to speak to Dylan’s personal style. Much as he’s been able to crescendo his craft, he’s also been making progressively cooler fashion decisions. The unassuming fuzzy-haired folkie has gradually evolved into the present-day sartorially elegant old-west gamblin’ ramblin’ cowboy oultlaw, complete with an impeccably groomed Gable-esque moustache.

Behold:

Mr. Dylan, you are one SUAVE motherf-er!

-Richard Wayne, founder of the Men’s Organization for the Utilization of Style and Taste in the Advancement of Countenancial Hair Enhancements (MOUSTACHE)

dreaming of film and bare branches.
hair and make-up by jonathan
face that launched a thousand ships by dee larsen

treasury pro, has anyone used this beautiful typeface in a design?

1. Coming together after being thousands of miles apart.
2. blue bottle coffee, which is how we start off our mornings together.
3. Fun, crafty and artistic people who inspire us with their wares, writings, music, and all other endeavors, such as Heartbreaker Fashion, Sweetie Pie Press, the Misanthrope Specialty Co., our friend and hairmaster Amithyst, the outlaw Americana music of Hang Jones, the vintage savvy of our dear Olivia at Bows & Arrows Vintage, and so many others.
4. The invention of the camera.
5. Online streaming of NFL games so that Richard Wayne can still watch his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers when the west coast stations aren’t showing their games.
6. Amazing family and friends on both coasts and several points in between.
7. New shoes.
8. Puppies.
9. New adventures in southern California sight-seeing.
10. Having rejuvenated hope for our country under the compassionate, calm, and intelligent leadership of our next President of the United States, Barack Obama.

What are you thankful for today?

oh yes it is a 15% off coupon for cute dresses, skirts, tops and more- and please read all about the adorable lady behind heartbreaker fashion, mandie bee here.

“I do not associate myself with any one social scene.”

Name: Mandie Bee
Occupation: Business Owner/ Designer, Heartbreaker Fashion
Location: The adorable and hip Downtown of Fullerton, California

What is the history behind Heartbreaker fashion?
Through high school and the start of my college years, I was very much into vintage fashion- new reproduction and true vintage. If I ever came across a great find, I would often copy the basic design idea or even buy it to copy the pattern so that I could make my own rendition of that dress.
During my sophomore year in college in 2004, I would make myself a custom dress, wear it out on the weekend and then sell it on Ebay. Occasionally, my friends would take orders of the dress right off my body! I was able to sell each dress for about $50-75 on average, which for a poor college student was fantastic.

My mother, Teresa, is actually the one with the real background in fashion. She went to FIDM in 1974 and has worked in the fashion industry for more than 25 years. She has designed for lines carried in high end department stores, designed and manufactured her own clothing line in the mid 80’s, and has taught fashion at a number of trade schools in the area as well. As a skilled pattern maker and dress maker, she knows what’s up. My mother saw what I was up to and suggested that we try to turn it into an actual business.

Over the years, we have found that my greatest skill is in marketing and promotion. My mother takes care of making the patterns and the production end of it all. Together we design and cover all other aspects of the business. We call ourselves a well-oiled machine. I need her just as much as she needs me in order for Heartbreaker to be a success.

Favorite Heartbreaker pieces?
My favorite Heartbreaker pieces are: The Super Spy Dress, The Betty Bolero, The Trixie Top, and The Sabrina Dress.  All of our other pieces are great, too- I love the fit- but I wear these particular items out the most.

What inspires you?
My favorite thing to do is peruse old Vogue fashion magazines from the 1940’s-1960’s. We also flip through current fashion magazines to get ideas. We want to be able to sell a product that’s retro-looking enough for the rockabilly girl, but also hip enough for the modern girl.

Is it your full time job?
Yes it is! and I love it. My mom and I goof around a lot. I’ve always wanted to be my own boss since I was a kid, so I’m living my dream.

Tell me about your love of music and your band, the automatic year- It seems the sounds you create musically are very different than the mid century inspired fashions on Heartbreaker-

I am into all sorts of music. I grew up with the oldies station, in high school I got into jamaican ska and jazz standards, in college I fell in love with 60’s soul. I had a group of friends growing up that were and very much still are into the indie music scene and while I got hints of it here and there, I didn’t really involve myself until I joined my current band.

I’m a singer and I really don’t have much preference of what TYPE of music I’m involved with as long as I’m doing it. I’ve sung with a reggae band, I’ve jumped in on jazz jam sessions, I was in the gospel choir in high school, and I was the music director for our community theatre group for one production.

Writing songs and playing with my indie band (The Automatic Year) is my favorite thing to do. It’s all I ever want to do. And while I love my job, I really do look at Heartbreaker as my job, and music as my passion. I do not associate myself with any one social scene.

What are you listening to right now?
I’m listening to Ella Fitzgerald- Live at Newport. I love Ella.

Ten favorite things (anything)
In no real particular order:

1. Music
2. Pear Martinis from Table Ten in Fullerton
3. Astrology
4. Yogurt Land
5. Fondue
6. Riding bikes
7. My new forest green Peacoat
8. Shopping in Antique Stores and Vintage Clothing stores
9. Dancing
10. Playing with my band

Any favorite fashion/shoe/retail websites or blogs?
I have a few staples in what I like to call my “Beauty-is-your-duty” regimine.

E.C. Star is my favorite clothing line. Very hip and unique. Wonderful quality, too! Made in the USA.

Lush makes soaps and other cosmetics from natural ingredients. Here’s to the green movement!

Benefit Cosmetics. This is the only line of make up that will not make my skin break out. I LOVE all of their products and I swear by it. The packaging is adorable, too.

I am also a fan of Kaboodle.com- this helps me with my internet shopping.

Any advice to others pursuing the dream of having their own fashion line?
DREAM BIG! But take baby steps getting there and be realistic with your spending- you will not blow up over night!

Heartbreaker started in my parents back patio. We worked out of their home for 3 years before moving into our current work space. We started with 2 designs and a $50 investment- Now we have over 50 different patterns for dresses, tops and skirts.

I had to keep my other job for a long time- I could not expect Heartbreaker to take care of me, but we realized how much potential it had. My mother was not in a position to worry about money. Fashion and being a business owner is her passion, so this is ideal for her. They say that if you can make it past your first year without losing any money, you’re doing it right.

You can see all of her beautiful fashions at heartbreakerfashion.com (my current fashion crush is the Molly Dress) and listen to her band, The Automatic Year here!

Photo shoots photo shoots photo shoots, can’t stop thinking about photo shoots! Some other things consuming this brain are, the ladies of Twin Peaks- I caught a terrible virus and for four days all I did was watch this television show, I finally know who killed Laura Palmer! Now that I am back at work, not only is the theme song stuck in my head, but I have a crush on Agent Cooper and the fashions of the Twin Peaks ladies.

“For all the musicians crafting grimy, lo-fi electro-rock, the man behind Blank Dogs takes it to another level, because it feels like he means it.” [The Wire] Another Brooklyn band from Mark, he sure knows my musical tastes, The Blank Dogs. Download two of my favorites, “Freezing Styles” and “Leaving the Light On”.

Other visual treats include the styling, photography and fashion design of Bea Szenfeld. The way bardot charming dresses on a daily basis, a model and a crocodile, Roald Dahl-themed photoshoot by Tim Walker for British Vogue December 2008, found via galadarling.

These shoes are my current favorites, as well as this femme fatale trench from modcloth- The search for inspiration continues- new fall days, moments, potential creations brimming inside these fingers and lens.

But before I begin today’s topic, it has been brought to my attention that I neglected to include a key style of facial adornment in last week’s entry: the leather daddy moustache (known to some as the “Zapata”). Behold perhaps the most recognizable example:

(Thanks, Dee!)

Now, moving along…in light of our nation’s recent presidential election, I thought I’d dedicate this entry to the presidential moustache, and in particular to Howard Taft, who held the position from 1909-1913 and was the last U.S. president to wear facial hair.

Taft also has the dubious distinction of being the heaviest president ever, weighing in at 300+ pounds. However, as would seem evident from his staunch advocacy of world peace, Mr. Taft was a gentle giant. I like to think, then, that President Taft was a jolly fellow and that his upturned handlebar moustache was simply an extension of his smile.

And to all of you presidents since–what gives? What’s your beef with facial hair? You know, I think Mr. President-to-be Obama wouldn’t look too shabby with maybe a little pencil ’stache. What do you think?

Come on, Mr. Obama, bring the change that this country really needs!

-Richard Wayne, founder of the Men’s Organization for the Utilization of Style and Taste in the Advancement of Countenancial Hair Enhancements (MOUSTACHE)