Ohhh end of summer, how I used to love thee.  This year, however, the bloom is decidedly off the rose. It's just been a tad too hot and humid for my taste, and I suspect we are just getting started.  I hope you are finding ways to stay cool in this unusually steamy time in Los Angeles.  Of course there are things to love about this time of year, no matter the temperature.  The US Open is indeed one, and another thing I do always love about summer in general, is time spent in the swimming pool, floating away, and dreaming up new designs to bring to life.

This is exactly what I shall be doing this holiday weekend. We will be closed on Saturday, the 5th of September in observance of Labor Day... looking forward to seeing you next Wednesday, the 9th of September, when we re-open for the fall season.

Let's not forget how fun it is to wear a colorful earring in any season.  These are a few of my current favorites, featuring multicolored sapphires, and the coolest, deepest, most mesmerizing blue of one of my most favorite stones,  lapis lazuli. The history of the stone Is a fascinating one, dating back thousands of years, spanning across the globe to influence the artifacts and regalia of many elite societies.  One of my favorite things about lapis Is how It was prized by the ancient Egyptians, and employed In many ways to signify Its status as a divine symbol.  I can just imagine how dazzling it must have been to discover it in the mines back in those times, and how it must have seemed sent from heaven above with its saturated color and celestial glimmer.  I find it to be such a romantic and heavenly stone.

It is such a joy, creating new combinations of these vintage trade bead necklaces.  I find them to be an integral part of my summer wardrobe.  I tend to wear them all year round, but something about the summer really makes them shine.  They're easy to travel with, nothing too precious to worry about, and perfect for adding a pop of color or a little bit of a unique twist to whatever you're wearing.  The adjustable length makes them perfect companions for the other pieces in your collection.  They are fun to wear in groupings, or alone; long and loose, or short as more of a choker style.  We always enjoy helping people round out their collections, showing the best ways to layer, and taking custom ideas into account.  As we wind down the summer season and gear up for the fall ahead, feel free to swing by for a visit with us and our beads. 

 

Am I alone in the desire for a new bag every September?   I suspect not.  I think it ties into that age-old feeling of heading back to school, and needing a satchel of some kind to tote around whatever new things we might be required to have for the new term ahead.  I am long out of school, but that craving for newness remains every fall season.  Currently we have a lovely selection of LURA bags, handmade by skilled artisans in Italy, and in several shapes and sizes.  One will be perfect for whatever your fall bag needs might be.  I love the Nina bag photographed above, in a deep dark brown color they call Ebony, as well as the new mini Yve bags, which are the perfect small, crossbody or clutch companions to whatever your evening holds.  

During the heatwave we've been experiencing, I have counted on the pieces from our cotton collection to help keep me cool while still looking somewhat put together. I love these men's shirting cotton fabrics, and enjoy mixing them and adorning them with French lace details to soften the more geometric edges of the stripes, plaids, and checks.  I love the juxtaposition of the masculine and feminine, and particularly enjoy the shape of our Cordelia wrap skirt.  I have been alternating it with the Brigitte skirt and the Juno slip, which I wear with our long Maia duster, as well as our Lilia slip dress for what I have found to be the perfect summer wardrobe rotation.  

For the fall, which I hope will have many crisp and cool days in store for us, I am looking forward to wearing these gorgeous Liberty of London silk twill and silk satin pieces in heavy rotation.  I am not sure when that seasonal shift will occur, but I am ready with a plan!  If you're thinking ahead, or sorting out future fall travel to cooler climates, I can't think of a better dress to travel with than our Serafina dress in Liberty of London silk.  It packs into nothing, and gets you through the day or evening schedule with unique elegance.  Ditto for the Serafina blouse.  We have several print blocked versions to try, if you're around and feel like stopping by to try one on.

And if you do swing by, I might offer you a seed cracker to try with your iced tea or sparkling water.  I've been baking them on repeat for the past few weeks, and everyone keeps asking for the recipe, so here it is!  It's a nice, nourishing kind of snack to have around, especially when it feels too hot to eat much of anything at all.

Baked Seed Crackers

1 cup organic ground flax meal

1 cup boiling water

2 - 3 tbs. organic psyllium husk

2 cups organic raw mixed seeds, I use a combination of sprouted pumpkin, sprouted sunflower, sesame, and hemp hearts

Maldon or other flaky sea salt

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.  

Place ground flax meal in a mixing bowl, pour over the boiling water, and mix to form a paste.  Add the psyllium husk, and let sit for 5-10 minutes before mixing in the other seeds.   

Pour the rest of the mixed seeds into the bowl, and mix using a spatula, until thoroughly combined.  

Line a baking sheet with a large piece of parchment paper, and use a few drops of olive oil to grease the paper.  

Place the seed mixture in the center of the paper, and use a spatula to spread thinly and evenly to cover the entire surface area of the baking sheet.

Sprinkle as liberally as you like with Maldon sea salt. 

Place the tray in the oven and set a timer for 35 minutes.  When time is up, Take the baking sheet out of the oven, and using a knife or pizza cutter, score into cracker sized pieces.  I usually do a grid of rectangles.  Return the tray to the oven, rotate, and bake another 30-35 minutes until ready.

Allow to cool, and then snap apart along the score lines.  Can be stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks, but they never last that long in my house!  

Enjoy,