Once When I Was

Last week I took a mid-day break to visit with co-creative director Anna Corinna of the handbag line Foley + Corinna. Besides being a long time fan of the New York City edgy rocker girl IT-Bag collection I knew the visit would allow me the chance to reminisce about one of my old stomping grounds. I spent five years living around the corner from F+C’s vintage boutique in the Lower East Side. As soon as I re-introduced myself to Anna we got into a “remember when” about a neighborhood that New Yorker’s are unable to control when they realize they have an old ‘hood buddy’ in their midst.

After a NY vs. LA vintage-sourcing discussion I quickly fell into handbag heaven. In addition to the classic Mid-City and FC Lady Tote there is a baby sister bag to contend with: the new Tiny-City Tote. It is a mini-me version of the cross-body Disco-City. It comes in an array of color ways and fabrics but I fell hard for the abstract floral print that will be available next season.

Can’t wait? Click link to purchase my current favorites:

Embellished Mid City Tote in Nude. Natural leather with gold leather detail and metal tassel.

FC Lady Tote in Mineral Canvas. Greyish gold canvas body with grey leather trim.

Disco City in Whiskey. Super soft leather in a versatile sized cross-body bag.

Tiny City in Sahara. A dose of glam packs a punch in this mini bag. Perfect for nights out.

I couldn’t resist including this embellished hobo bag as a wild card.

I think this laid back bohemian lifestyle may be rubbing off on me a bit.

Follow Foley and Corinna’s tumblr here for all their latest pieces and inspirations.

Yay! Spring is here. Although I live in LA which is pretty much nice weather all year round. No, I am not bragging. I am not a lover of winter but I am huge fan of appreciating the changing of seasons. I grew up in Florida where it is one long endless summer.

In that tropical climate of South Florida and the urban jungles of NYC I learned a thing or two about rain. Rule 1: Never be without an umbrella. Rule 2: Think of the umbrella as any other accessory; it must add to your outfit not detract.

But enough about me, back the freshest of seasons, Spring-time. Starts off a bit sloppy in March with all those sudden showers but that is what I am here to tell you about.  I discovered these incredibly gorgeous  umbrellas from Marisol.

Each limited edition African wax-cotton print is cut, sewn, and assembled by hand in Brooklyn, New York. The prints are the reason I fell in love with the Marisol umbrella but what is really special about them is that a portion of profits goes to help women survivors of sexual violence in The Democratic Republic of Congo to rebuild their lives at The City of Joy. 

City of Joy is a revolutionary healing and training center created by women on the ground and sustained by V-Day, a worldwide activists’ movement to end violence against women.

To learn more about V-Day and The City of Joy go to http://drc.vday.org.

To purchase one of these beautiful umbrellas visit the Marisol website.

(Source: oncewheniwas)