Victoria's 10 Favorite Fall Fashions

I'm loving these trends this fall and I'm having fun incorporating each of them into my wardrobe. ;)

1. Colored Denim

2. Neon Nails

3. Polka Dots

4. Sparkle

5. Veronica Lake Waves

6. Lace

 

7. Bows

8. Layering

9. Pleats

10. Stripes

Happy Shopping!!

xoxo

music mondays: Christmas with the Royal Sons and Mariah McManus

This music post brought to you by... the flu. Yes. Awesome. All day of epic sickness yesterday and at least 7 good friends have it too. Whoever started this mess is in real trouble.

Anyways,

its Christmas. 

My house looks like a magazine, the stockings are hung on the bookshelf with care and the puppy has a ribbon on. I hold back my Christmas music listening until the first of December. 

And this year, She & Him put out a Christmas album 

and Michael Buble swayed in with a new Christmas record too.

But, the song you should be listening to is this one

The Royal Sons Featuring Mariah McManus

Enjoy some Christmassy goodness and try to stay away from whoever is sharing the flu out there.

-L

Here at Lace & Leaf we are incredibly excited to announce that as of today the 

Lace & Leaf ETSY Store is now up and running!!  

www.LaceandLeaf.etsy.com

Don't forget that part of the proceeds of every item sold go towards stopping human trafficking via our friends at She Dances!

www.SheDances.org

xoxo

Pretend

The truth is...I'm in a bit of a funk.

I'm sitting in front of the fire watching a Lifetime movie about Santa Claus and I've written and erased every draft of this blog so far.  Funny how when I get down to it I would rather pretend that life is always happy and wonderful and exciting instead of what it is, a rollercoster of good times and low times.  This time is a low time. 
I'm in a funk and I hate it.  I hate admitting it, I hate subjecting others to it and I hate that I can't always fix it.  The last month(s) or so has felt off, maybe it's because I turned another year older without some major life changes happening, maybe it's because I cut off my hair and haven't felt like myself since, maybe it's because a lot of my friends have been complaining to me about their lives and I've picked up on their sour attitudes.  Whatever the reason is it stinks and I feel like I'm wadding about in waist high mud about to drown in the swamp of sadness (Neverending Story reference).
 
So there it is.  My life is in a rut, i feel out of it and exasperated. 

BUT (yes here is the but part)  BUT I follow a loving and faithful God and I know that even when I feel down and out he has enough love to pick me up and comfort me.  That even when I don't understand things or feel ugly, fat, lonely or discouraged and am missing people whose word is good and whose intentions are pure ... HE is there. 
God is ALWAYS good, ALWAYS faithful, ALWAYS loving, ALWAYS just, ALWAYS compassionate, and ALWAYS there to listen.

So, i will tell him how I'm in a rut and how some days I feel fat and ugly and as of late incredibly discouraged, and HE will listen and love on me and I will be OK.

I believe 100% in that.

-V

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

To all our friends, family and readers

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

So so so thankful for you!

p.s. official thanksgiving movie moment:

happy thanksgiving back.

you've got mail

music mondays: bernhoft

this post is brought to you by NORWAY!

oh how i wish this man and i were friends. just so he could sprinkle some of his incredible creativity upon me. 

oh how i wish that he would come sing in LA so i could watch his ridiculous ways in person. 

bernhoft is the new definition of a one-man-band.

put your headphones on and WATCH this video. 

Jarle Berhoft

C'mon Talk

p.s. side note... i just had to put soy creamer into my americano. my heart is heavy. my soul is sad. my body does not like the hormones in milk. my americano has been altered. my americano has been wronged. my life will never be the same.

She Dances FUNDRAISER

She Dances held an event this past Saturday to raise finances and awareness and to have some fun tasting wine and bidding on items in a silent auction. So, after sewing like mad-women all day, we gussied up and drove downtown to attend. It was amazing to meet some of the people that run She Dances and learn more about the girls in Honduras and hear some encouraging stories about the growth of the organization and plans for the future.

It was so good, in fact, that we made a little video right after the event.... so you could feel like you were there with us. 

Victoria wrote a post last month about our little project to help support She Dances (read it here). That post and the info on their website will give you more than enough reason to give this holiday season.
Support She Dances by donating or buying one of their very cool shirts and by checking in our Etsy shop which will be up and running for black friday shopping madness . There. We've just given you 2 Christmas gift ideas. Go. Do.

love you. mean it. chow.

-v&l

music ...days: supplimental: TERRI WALKER

i love this girl. she's one of the most fun people on the planet.

terri walker is a fabulously beautiful, incredibly talented, smoulderingly soulful singer.

say that 3 times fast.

she collaborates with just about everybody and here is a stripped down, fun performance with Donae'o that i just love. she's just so good. and he's just so good. and fun. they just havin' fun. i love.

her newest project is due out December 5th - Twilight, a collaboration with jozif. if you know whats good for you, you'll find a way to get it.

jozif feat. terri walker  : twilight

music mondays: JASON JOSEPH

this music mondays post is brought to you by...

wednesday.

sorry about that.

however, it is a good thing because its mid-week, trudge-day, hoodies and coffee, just need a little groove machine to get the afternoon kicked off for a fantastic evening putting you in the mood to RULE the rest of the week.

Jason Joseph & the Spectacular

Don't Let Go

&

Electric Eel

here's the thing: a fantastically smooth yet textured vocal, tight rhythms, incredibly complex yet perfectly layered sections, always in the pocket... COMPLETE.
just good.
and live?
yes.
do i dare say better?
yes, yes i do.

los angelenos: you can sway to the smooth sounds every Monday at the Libertine and every Thursday at the Wellesbourne.

I mean, COME ON. the horns? ridiculous. 

here's to an amazing wednesday. oh, and see you tomorrow night.

-l

music mondays: HBIM

i'm a seattle girl. i love seattle music. i love seattle music culture. and thusly i have another seattle act to showcase.

imagine Ray LaMontagne meets the Black Keys. 

soul meets funk meets rock.

listen.

Hot Bodies In Motion

Old Habits

the official video isn't my favorite thing ever, so i present you with this one:

Old Habits - Hot Bodies In Motion - The Crocodile, Seattle from Streamlight Motion Media Co. on Vimeo.

i once had a theory about white guys getting their soulful voices from their beards but that has now been proven incorrect. 

-l


p.s. i know it says music mondays, but technically i start to write this on a monday and then by the time i get to post it... its tuesday. and "music tuesday in the wee hours" just isn't the same. i suppose i could change it to midnight music.....

babble: excuse the expression

excuse the expression if you would, but my husband is a badass.

this is not a costume.

this is real life.

a "weekend project" 

of completely disassembling all things brake related on our Range Rover and replacing rotors and linkages and wirey things... much more complicated than I can explain. While I was working with Victoria on Friday, he took his lunch hour and installed a new exhaust. Saturday afternoon he updated our olde timey Mercedes. I've witnessed him - no joke - laying underneath the wheel well - again, not kidding - lift the front end of the truck using only his finger-tips. Yah. I know.

Beyond his fixing everything and building me a table and camping in the snow and the rock climbing and other manly things, his badassness goes to a level that is beyond my verbal limit. Little things like watching cartoons with his ridiculous wife (may I suggest Phineas and Ferb?) and washing dishes while simultaneously playing with the dog, to bigger things like serving his friends and sponsoring a few kids so they can get an education. 

I mentioned a few months ago that you shouldn't waste time with someone who doesn't make you greater by being with them. The expression "my better half" very much applies in my life. And  he wants a partner - not someone who can change the brake pads and climb Everest - thats what he wants to do - but someone who helps bring the tools while he's under the car and runs the miles with him while he conditions for his climb to the peak. 

What I'm saying here is that whether you're awaiting that better half to come along or you already have your better half for always, work at being the best of yourself. Its not just about fairy tales and fulfilling your dreams of having someone there for you etc etc etc... you get to be the fulfillment of someone's dream, and honestly, that takes work. Being selfish is easy. Being a partner is about serving. 

So, whip your butt into shape: Be a better friend. Achieve those goals you've been wishing for. Wake up earlier. Stop negative talk. 

I'm saying all this to myself here.

I've been a part of a few conversations on this topic over the past week and its on my mind. Especially when I have someone who is so wonderful living in my house doing his best every day. Why should I do anything less?

-l

music mondays: victoria clemmons

this is a no-brainer.

not only is she an amazing person and one of my best friends and ridiculously wonderful.....


she's an incredibly talented writer, the kind that puts words to the pictures in your mind. pair that with the sweet melodies she sings and you are simply swept away.

oh and this chorus will get stuck in your head and you'll be singing it all day long and you'll catch yourself with a giant smile on your face because of it.

victoria clemmons

under the old oak tree

p.s. buy her album on itunes. its good.

-l

VIDEO

Hi my loves!

I released my first video yesterday which was shot by the incredibly talented Nick Borges.

You can watch it here if you like!!

;)
-V

music mondays: liam bailey

its been one of my favorite songs since i heard it early this year.

gorgeous music video that completely fits the sound

go ahead and try to hold your head steady listening to this.

Liam Bailey

You Better Leave Me

british invasion, i know. but how can i resist?

-l

San Gorgonio High School!!

 Yesterday I had the awesome pleasure of speaking at San Gorgonio High School in San Bernadino CA.  I was asked by their theater teacher (who is a friend) if I'd come and speak to her students about life as a musician in LA.  I teamed up with my awesome, talented and beautiful friend Stevie Scott and we headed out bright and early to speak to the kiddos.  Let me tell you they were awesome!  They were super respectful and asked some really cool questions, we played a few songs for them and opened up the rest of the class time for some Q & A.  And since yesterday was the big SHAKEOUT drill for California we even practiced a little earthquake prevention...drop.cover.and hold. ;)  So a huge thanks to all the kids at San Gorgonio...You guys rock, thanks for making our day at your school so memorable!!!  We Love You!

Q&A

Some of the awesome students!

A group picture with the kids who came to say goodbye and sing for us...UM you guys are amazing!!!!

xoxo -V

music mondays: olly murs

confession time:

i am a closet singing competition watcher.

there. i said it. 

i catch up via youtube, just watch the singing parts and then make the appropriate "ouch" faces and state my opinions like they matter and walk away.

that being said, x factor uk brought the cutiest cutie patootie to my youtube addiction and now... oh joy of joys!! ... olly has a catchy, toe tappin', just havin a great time, doo-woppin' fun song that you should listen to. 

Olly Murs

Dance With Me Tonight

i know that this might throw your opinion of my musical tastes into a blender and you may never trust me again. but... i'm ok with it. maybe i'll find you some underground, indie rock, grungy and unknown amazing talent for you later this week... but for now, last week was a long one for me and i just want to have a little fun. and my cutie patootie olly is the answer.

don't judge.

-l

Partners

A few posts earlier Laura had mentioned that we are teaming up with SHE DANCES, a non profit that we both care deeply about that works towards rescuing and rehabilitating girls that have been sold into sex trafficking.  While I won't tell you just yet what this partnership looks like I did want to give you some hints (pictures below) and a few facts about why we think this is important in today's environment.  First. the facts.

Up to 800,000 CHILDREN, women and men are trafficked across international borders annually.

250,000-500,000 CHILDREN live as prostitutes in Brazil.  Some sources place this number as high as 2 million.

6,000 Thai CHILDREN are abused each year, and most suffer sexual abuse.

3, 500 CHILDREN are trapped in brothels and clubs for commercial sexual exploitation on the borders between Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina.

40,000 annual births in Thailand go unregistered.  Without a birth certificate, these children are denied health care and education, and are more vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.

80% of human trafficking victims are women and girls

50% of human trafficking victims are MINORS.

30% of sex workers in India are CHILDREN.

14 MILLION adolescent girls give birth each year and are five times more likely to die during pregnancy.

1/5 One in Five women worldwide becomes a victim of rape or attempted rape in her lifetime.

2 CHILDREN are old into the human sex trade EVERY MINUTE.

Sobering isn't it. The facts are so horrible that they make my skin crawl!  That's why we are incredibly honored to partner with organizations like SHE DANCES that help make a difference!!!  In my mind helping others should be as natural and easy as breathing, generosity should NEVER be difficult.  And here are some pictures of what the beginning stages look like for the expansion of LACE & LEAF!!! We can't wait for reveal day!! xoxo

Laura is wonderful at the details, like measuring, she's invaluable. ;)

Laura is a master seamstress! Just look at that, coffee in one hand, fabric in another. ;)

 

 

 Love, love, love!  -V

music mondays: feist

bought. listened. loved.

finally FEIST 

new album

METALS

released last week. 

if you want to be my friend, you must buy this album

Feist
How Come You Never Go There

what is good about this album, you ask?

each song is a series of individual parts and movements coming together to create a really beautiful theme. its just......... goodness.

buy it.

-l

babble: its not just life

i've only ever been been more affected by the death of one other person, and its especially strange that i'm so affected by the death of someone that i've never met.

steve jobs passed yesterday, and even knowing it was coming i was still surprised.

i believe the reason its sticking with me is that he effectively transformed the lives of society - worldwide. not just the american population of computer users or "simply" influencing one generation; it was my grandma with her iMac, born on the east coast of america at the start of the depression to the young student in the third world with their iBook.

good and bad, one person took to heart that its not just life, its LIFE. 

there have been a few people that took that to heart and changed the world forever. not just locally. they took on the world... globally... forever. good and bad, there have been people who took it upon themselves to change the world.

humble beginnings

just don't stop some people

some start small and become... mother theresa. she wanted to serve the hurting. she is now synonymous with humble service. desmond tutu. started as a teacher. he wanted to bring restoration to south africa. he is now a model for peace.

i wont mention the bad ones.

i will mention you. me. us. we. 

one person, doing life to the best of themselves

plus another person doing the same thing

plus you

plus me

becomes an amazing group

that changes the world forever.

the thing is, i've decided i'm not going to wait for you so we can make a group to sweep the nation and then the world. and i'm not going to expect my life to become something so huge that it marks world history. 

what i am going to do is live ... greatly. be the best of myself. 

and fall down a lot

and learn to be humble because of it

and then dust off my skinned and bruised knees

and then get up and live my greatest life.

day to day. 

because, i'll say it again. its not just life, its LIFE. and you make it however you want it. 

so, i'll see you on the side of the world changers.

-l

a few world changers to inspire you:
SheDances
           Victoria and I have a project coming to Etsy soon to help support this wonderful organization. keep an eye out for that!
Invisible Children
World Vision
Compassion International

music mondays: ryan adams

soooooooo much good good music coming out in october, but this album i am more than a little excited about

ashes & fire

lucky now

you can get a first listen to the full album, with love from NPR, that will remind you of why you love ryan adams and make you wonder what you did without him while you "innocently" tried out new bands while pondering over their inability to write lyrics that are exactly what they mean to say without over doing historical and metaphysical references.

welcome back to the fold, all you wanderers. ryan is here.

-l

VC's Fashion Steal of the Week!

I did it. I bought it.  I'm now the proud owner of this Calvin Klein shirt, originally $80!  Thanks to the awesome people at Nordstrom Rack it fell into my hot little hands for only $29!  And yes,  even though $29 might not be as big of a bargain as I may have wanted how can you pass up puffy sleeves??? I don't think you can people, i don't think you can.

 Other things I'm loving this fall...

1. Sheer floor length maxi skirts

2. Turbines

3. Lavender hair

4. Native American themed prints

 5. Puppies (year round)

6.. And of course... Puffy Sleeves ummm say perhaps holding a puppy. ;)

Instyle is my favorite magazine, it's not gossipy in the least bit and it has the best beauty/fashion/home section out of all of them!!

xoxo -V

music mondays: jomar jay

new music from one of my favorite boys

Jomar Jay

"Gone for Good"

featuring the grooviest man i know - Andrew Perusi on bass

and those fabulous background vocals.

this song is just a good time havin'. 

-L

music mondays: Priscilla Ahn

but first - accidental matching by us:

and now:

Priscilla Ahn
Dream

Victoria wants to walk down her future wedding aisle to this song.

Laura likes to fall asleep to the pretty dreams she has when listening to this song.

gorgeous.

-V & L

creation station

i had a few days off last week 

so I did a few upgrades to the decor in my life. 

Quick, cheap and pretty. 

Don't read into that. 

Remember that fabric I found at the thrift store? Well, I love it. Just as it is.

So much so that I made up a few throw pillows inspired by the fabric.

Gorgeous, GORGEOUS storm grey-blue LINEN. 

$19 a yard.

or, what I paid for it:

50 cents for the yard.

Tip: Go straight to the odds and ends scrap box in the back of the fabric store. 

This bit of beauty had 4 scissor cuts running down the middle. Sad.

Not really sad. More inspirational. 

Enter the pleat. Nothing wrong with some textured throw pillows.

What else did I find? Beautiful, natural white linen: another 50 cents. 

Part of what I loved about the natural linen was that it was the last part of the roll where the fabric makers mark size, weight and eventually sign off on their creation. I love it.
You can buy inexpensive pre-made pillows at the fabric store, in pretty much any size. Or, if you just happen to have some batting laying around and want some special sizes and squish-factor, which I just happen to, that takes the cost down to, yes, $1.00 for 4 pillows. That is something I very much like.

I'm searching for the right bed-side lamp for myself. I like to read at night. I also don't like to shine a giant overhead light... pretty much ever. After living in this house for about 2 years, I still don't have a bedside lamp. What I have been using is a battery powered camping lantern that might be the ugliest and most awkward late-night reading situation ever.
So, day off + kid movies + minor/temporary/frustrated creativity =

A temporary fix.

And, I might say, not an ugly one.

Yes, yes, those are coffee filters (just one of the millions of ways people use them) and those are battery-powered LED's left-over from christmas and its hanging from a ribbon I happened to have.
that makes this cost... lets seeee... free. $0. Which, for a temporary fix, you just don't get any better.

Well, that was Friday afternoon. 

Tuesday was a bucket of die, a leftover can of spray paint and voila:

Sad, old door mat is now a stripey and inviting one. Easy.

A no-longer-bland curtain

and a hanging bottle planter with a sprouting spider plant

(eventually this is going into the office

when I get around to moving that giant furniture... more on that later)

and this is Dani... helping... or just sitting in the shade, being cute.

and this is a quick, super-secret look into future projects:

because what is the best use for a giant mirrored closet door?

outlining new ideas with the man. He's pretty creative too.

go do something!!

-L

music mondays: ALLEN STONE

He's a freakin' groove cat from my hometown of Seattle. 

Allen Stone

This hook will get locked in your head and the lyrics will get you where it counts.

big fan.

-L

say something nice

you've probably already seen this, but even still, you should watch it. and then wonder how we can incorporate the grand scheme of this into the little, everyday-type moments of our life.

-L

who's who?

So Victoria and I, separately and unbeknownst to the other, went onto instyle.com and did a little Fall Fashion designing - future wardrobe wishes and inspiration. 

Its fun and truth-telling.

who's who? answer below

a:

 b:

What I found is I'll dress pretty much the same, fashion trends or not, for as long as I'll get away with it. I can't help myself. Victoria, in her amazing way of putting clothes on and looking amazing, will pull anything from her closet and make a creative and inspirational look that could walk the runway each season. I'm a huge fan of hers.

As if you couldn't guess: Victoria's fall fashion is first, mine is second.

I love jeans, always have, always will. Can't help it. Started as a kid wearing the hand-me-downs of my older BROTHER and I loved it. Tom-boy to the core, trying to make it more feminine, classic, loving the 50's and 60's.

Victoria, borrowing from her mother's closet, classic, loving fashions from the 70's.

She loves the Mary Tyler Moore show:

I love Mary Tyler Moore in the Dick Van Dyke Show:

And thats what makes us Lace & Leaf. She's Lace - pretty, fabulous, feminine and classic.
I'm Leaf - pretty, fabulous, feminine and classic. Alike but different.

-L

One of the BEST days.

Last week Laura and I had one of the best days that we can remember.  We met up in the early afternoon to explore some of my favorite thrift stores in the neighborhood, and ended up finding so many treasures at my local American Way that is was hard not to get back to the house immediately to decorate.  The wheels had started turning and we decided that my bedroom would get it's 2nd makeover! ;)  Yes, I know that I had just posted a blog about redecorating my bedroom but hey i'm a girl and we like change (that might be why i don't remember my natural hair color).  ;)

And the day begins... 

Laura found this great piece of fabric, I can't wait to see what she decides to do with it.  There were talks of making an ipad cover for her husband, but knowing her she will use every last scrap of that fabric to create some of the most wonderful homemade treasures. 

You know me and lace, I just couldn't pass this up at only 4.99.  This would be the design project of the day!

Pretty sure she has something in mind with this piece of fabric!  She also snatched an AWESOME hammock that I can't wait for her to show you!

Well once again this is the before picture of my bedroom... and yes it definitely looks lived in. ;)

And the AFTER! Whoohoo for lace headboards!  This was Laura's brilliant idea to make a headboard out of that lace curtain we found and i must say it adds the perfect amount of feminine to my room. I'm in love. 

We switched around the frames and tacked up a space for my hats on the  wall adjacent to the windows. 

We picked up these cute succulents at Ikea for only 1.99 and that silver pot was .79 cents, I thought they went perfect with my family photos!

We found this lovely Aloe plant also at Ikea for only 2.99, and the plant pot for only 1.99!

;)

This monster of a scarf man was in the corner of my room making it feel very small.  So I decided to give him a new home in my closet where he would be at home with the winter coats.

Now the corner is free to be a work space/desk.  I loove how open it makes my room feel!

I had been wanting to use this rug since I picked it up last christmas and it was Laura's great idea to put it at the end of my bed. i love it!   Hope this has inspired you to seek out some fun vintage finds of your own!  -V xoxo