Hows about a lil' nostalgia anyone?

Seriously...what do I do that does not involve it? It's strange how we can have a connection to things that we have no cultural relation to. I never lived in the Victorian era or Europe, did you?? Why do I love it, why am I inspired by the horrors of it, not just the ruffly beauty? Maybe my past life? Who knows!
I will say that when I was small in school, our teacher introduced us to Lenore by Edgar Allen Poe and it put a chill in me. I couldn't have been more than nine...maybe ten, and this story, poem, took me to a dark, mysterious place that shocked me, yet inspired me to continue. I don't know what it is other than the genuine sentiment of Poe, his utter darkness, that translated to me so strong. I actually could feel the temptation of being somewhere that I likely shouldn't, that I wasn't supposed to. It was amazing, I was there in the house...or was it the Raven?? lol. Where was the first dark place you went?

Blogging, Patti Wilson and VOGUE....

Ya'know...really need to get with it...I've been one of those that kind of was a non-believer when it came to blogs...i mean c'mon blogs are not hard to come by, saturation of fashion blogs and "look what my kid can do" blogs...and political blogs, they're just everywhere from everyone. I started this blog because sometimes I come across cool things I wanna share...and I'd like to say I make cool things I wanna share...and this past week I realized that I'd better get with the blog program and submit to its mystical power.

I was cleaning my toilet the other day...seriously, when a request for some items came in from non other than stylist extraordinare, Patti Wilson. The email from her Enterprise read "Patti Wilson, a stylist here in New York"...and out loud I was like "like I didn't know THE Patti Wilson!" The picture above in the blog post is one that I had blogged of in my first attempt @ blogging that was styled by Patti! It's one of my favorite fashion photos in the wonderous world...
So, it gets better, the pics that John, one of stylist on the team and her had seen were my Militaria brooches, that I only ever showed through the BLOG...
Now what were they pulling them for? A shoot styled by Miss Patti for VOGUE Italia shot by non other than Emma Summerton!!! Trust when I tell you, you've seen Emma Summerton's photography before if you're into fashion, wiki her and links come up to her ridiculously beautiful work. Let's hope they get used, huh? You know how it goes!

I raise my glass...of sparkling water to Patti for supporting indie, handmade, local NYC (homegrown at that) designer and artist like me, it means a hella lot.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOOXOXXOXOXO

Happy Halloween Y Feliz Dia De Los Muertos

Someday, I vow to go to Mexico during Dia De Los Muertos. It's amazing to see this infusion of indigenous culture with Catholicism. I can't tell you the fascination I have with this day. The color...the color!! I love Halloween so much fro the surrealism it brings into the mind of a child, to pretend and imagine in possibility. Unfortunately here on the streets of New York City, while we have a fantastic yearly parade, Halloween has become the following equation: skank+stank+1 gallon vodka=you're best friend holding your hair back while you puke on one of 1,000 "sexy cops"
I am all about originality baby, and there is so much, your eyes and heart have to be one sometimes to see it. Last night my husband (who is not pictured lol) had a blast. Above in the picture is Samii, who is absolutely the best belly dancer of the night in all of New York. That costume is an original, handmade in Bahrain, watch out you mass produced factory belly dancer costumes...chock full of pink organza...
As for me, I am hoping you can guess who I am...I was honored that I was received so well. I love you Frida, Yo te adoro! My hubby was Diego...let's just say that he had our son's Thomas the Tank Engine Pillow in his shirt to try and get that bulky look, lol.
Here's to La Vida...

Sneak Peek II-Brooch Time...

A little somethin' somethin' of what I have conjured up with these new brooches to jazz up your lapel of wherever!

Sneak Peek I

From the Steam Secrets Collection.

New.New.New.Newness
It's almost ridiculous how many new things I have in the shop and coming! Feel free to tell me what you think of these new designs. I have about four brooches coming out, London is a total brooch town, so my visit there was the catalyst for the designs. So here are some pics of stuff that won't arrive to the shop until a bit later this week.

xo xo xo xo
From The Secret Society Trust Collection


From the Voodoo Collection

Sunday Love- 624 Grand st. Brooklyn, NY, 11121

We had a DOPE time @ the grand opening of Sunday Love. I was excited I baked a damn carrot cake and made my famous tabouli pizza in like four different hummus flavors!! lol.

Anyway if you're in Brooklyn, you need to get over to Sunday Love and check out this haven of nostalgia and awesomeness. The Hand of Fatima jewelry is one of the artisan goods you will find there! Greer and Scott rehabilitate furniture and decoupage pieces into amazing home editions! Ned Martin, the third owner is a painter extraordinaire, and his work is on display @ the shop. Sunday Love is like a parallel universe, it will stand out to you, my favorite part of its history is that it was the long time tarot card reader's place...oh, how perfect that THoF is there!

I have some of my apocrathy line in there, and there is just love all around, no love like Sunday Love! So, go eat some banging Thai food accross the street and walk over to Sunday Love and get lost in time.
xo
P.S.- I bought that camera on the right, you'll see it in some ne product photos!

London Town I- BUST Mag Craftacular

I was so, so lucky enough to be chosen to participate in the London BUST Mag Craftacular. I have to say, BUST Magazine is an amazing monument to women, it has given indie designers and crafters and musicians such exposure and mad LOVE.
When I heard about this opportunity, I just had to try to be a part of it. London plays a role in my family history, when my family's country went into revolution, they became somewhat "stuck" in London. They were visiting my aunt at university in England, and word came over the radio that homes of government workers had been seized and all kinds of stuff, so they never returned. For about two years they dwelled in an apartment with friends on Edgeware Rd. I went to this place and stood looking at the building. How strange and far it must have been to have to call this European city "home". Edgeware Rd. is beautiful, I have dubbed it the "Middle Eastern Upper East Side". Anyhow, my wonderful partner and husband stayed behind on this trip, and I was accompanied by two people that might as well be blood family, my Renee and Alejandro. Renee also left her husband (my brother from another mother) Ayman with the baby (who is 3! lol). It was a blast, but something about European cities makes you want your man (or woman), they are designed with romance.
(Me, Shadia, Renee and Alejandro smoking sheesh on Edgeware Rd.)

My family there, Shadia and Baba Mansour took care of us one day in a beautiful house in Wimbledon. Wimbledon itself is green, hilly and quiet, it has an overwhelming English charm, and this gorgeous creeky old house the Mansour's live in is overflowing with character, Baba Mansour collects antiques and grows everything in the garden which is abundant with green vines, apples and even figs! Figs in London!! I felt like I was in an British mystery show in that house, I loved it. We ate in the garden and he told us all jokes and stories about is childhood.

Well, I love London, I love, love, love it. I went all over from Camden to Brixton, I stayed in Limehouse and invented different characters and we did comedy skits on a double-decker, it inspired us to dare, as people are less stressed it seems, more willing to just chill.

I have some pics to share from the most curious museum, the Wellcome Museum. Renee and I were waiting for the red line @ Tower Bridge station, where I spotted the add for the museum exhibit with a Victorian wax anatomical figure cut open. "We're going!" I told her...Renee, a nurse, was just as equally curios. This place has everything from chastity belts to Darwin's walking stick. It is a GEM!!!

(these were designed to look Madonna-like to be more accepted by people, can you see it??)

(c.1890 tattooed human skin)

I will have more pics of ridiculously cool stuff in blog II of London! xoxox