A Hollywood Holiday Party Dress

I’ve only worn this dress a few times. Once I wore it to a swanky Hollywood birthday party and once to an evening wedding. But it has a story. I was walking down the back streets of Prague (this sounds like a J. Peterman catalog) and I stumbled upon a small boutique. Inside was a basket of clothes thrown together with a for sale sign over head. The clothes were from a runway show by a designer named Alice Abraham. The sales person quickly spied me and ran to help me find something interesting to wear. She sized me up and decided I was the right size for a great dress that was a one of a kind.  This dress had been made for a runway show. Short, cute, sassy and it fit! I can’t remember the price, but it was very reasonable, so I bought it. The only problem with this dress is that my lifestyle does not give me the opportunity to wear it. However it makes me feel great every time I see it and think that I have a one of a kind designer runway dress.

Chartreuse lining adds a great pop to the dress. It playfully peaks out underneath the skirt, so flirtatiously asking for accessories to match. The shoes have the same contrasting chartreuse color. But the shoes are another story and were not bought with the intention of matching the dress. Some times in life things come together and match from faraway places. That is why you should always be open for opportunities.

I was sitting in a café in Athens Greece eating Karidopita, a moist flavorful Greek walnut cake that is flavored with cinnamon and bathed in sweet syrup. Trust me this cake was worth every bite! Along the boardwalk and amongst the cafes the Greek women strolled by, everyone wearing silver strap sandals with various colors. I saw a green pair and they caught my eye. I quickly finished my cake and said to my husband, “I need to go shoe shopping.” He’s such a good guy. He took me to about five shoes stores before I found the right pair. I love these shoes. They are comfortable and cute, and to my surprise they match my dress!

The earrings are cheap costume bobbles that I bought one day because I liked the colors and knew they would go with anything. The green and the blue pop out and match the dress. The green crystal bracelet was bought in a shop in Beverly Hills for twenty dollars. The black and blue crystal necklaces were bought on sale. One day I passed a small boutique in West Hollywood as we were going to a small restaurant we like to frequent. He had a big for sale sign, so of course I had to go in the shop. He was having a closeout sale. The crystals were half price so a snagged four strands. To this day I regret I did not buy more as crystal have a way of working with any outfit.

The shawl is about thirty years old. I bought it one day on sale in a Marshal’s. It’s not warm and only serves as decoration, but sometimes a girl just has to have a little fringe and sparkle. So I will probably keep it another thirty or so years.

Every time I look at this dress I smile and see my husband and I wondering down the streets of Prague. You never know what you will find in life when you allow yourself to wander without a plan. It is the surprises that usually delight us the most. Alice Abraham is now my friend on Facebook. Check her out. She is edgy and creative. Boost an artist. Especially the ones who dare to be daring!   I hope Alice sees this…her dress made it all the way to Hollywood!

Happy New Year!

Doctor Lynn

The Red Coat

When I was about seven my mother made me a beautiful red wool coat. Every detail was hand stitched to perfection. It was both very warm against the harsh Maine winter and adorably feminine and cute. I remember wearing it to school and having the teacher ask me where I got such a beautiful coat. When I told her my mother made it she was amazed at my mother’s talent. I never forgot that red coat, so one day when fishing around on eBay, I came across a red coat.

This coat was made in China, synthetic material, but actually very cute and the price was right. It cost me about $40.00. I took the chance. For some reason I really wanted a red coat, but I did not want to invest a lot of money and time. So the coat arrived and to my surprise it is so cute, looks great and unless you really examine it, it does not look like fake wool. It’s a head turner. All the tags inside and attached are in Chinese. I haven’t a clue what this coat is made of or how to clean it. But the way I see it, if I get one season of fun wearing it and then it falls apart it was worth the price.

I paired it with my yellow boats with a red heel that came from Miss Sixty. Anybody remember Miss Sixty? I met her in Italy just before she came to the US. A store opened in LA and that is where I got the boots. Of course they were on sale. I’ve had them for years.

The earring came from Melbourne Australia. Easy, cute and lots of fun just like the Aussies. The hat I bought at an African Market that takes place in LA every summer. Oh and the scarf – I was with my friend Evlynne at the Discovery Store on Robertson. It is a fabulous second hand store and all the proceeds go to the Cancer Society. I saw the scarf, had no idea why I picked it up or how I would wear it, but I was draw to it. Plus the fact it only cost two dollars made it a keeper.

So my new red coat came alive with a little of this and a little of that. The truth be known the little red coat my mother made for me also came from a  little of this and a little of that. She used a piece of red wool, buttons from another coat and trim from a left over project. She lined it with satin from a dress she took apart. 

Life, if you think about it, is a little of this and a little of that and if you get creative enough with what you have (get) you might get something that turns a head, creates a smile and fills you with a great memory.

Happy Holidays and may every day be a red coat day filled with laughter, joy and fond memories!

Holiday Feathers!

I glanced through a magazine and noticed that feathers were in for the holiday season. I can do that! Here is a one of a kind handmade sweater from my closet. It has an interesting story.

My husband and I planned a trip to Eastern Europe. He wanted to go to Vilnius Lithuania because he thought his ancestors came from this unknown place. So we made a side trip. Vilnius is a small town, and at this time still somewhat suppressed. A little known fact about Vilnius is that it has the only statue of Frank Zappa, in the world. Why? No one seems to know. The statue sits in a park and is very unassuming.

There is only one main street where you find the restaurants and a few small boutiques; three to be exact.

However for me it was a shopper’s paradise. The boutiques where home to local artist so each item was a one of a kind work of art. The earring also came from the boutiques. Look carefully. They are small beads with chips of local amber on a simple piece of string. I bought several other pieces including a fantastic pair of shoes. (More on those items at a later date.) The necklace came from my step daughter Brooke who also has great artistic taste. The boots have a story of their own. I was a great      e-Bay shopper in the early days of e-Bay. The shoes are a line done by Judith Leiber the jeweled purse artist. I guess they didn’t sell so they found their way onto e-bay. And guess what? They really are comfortable!

Sometimes it pays to venture off the beaten path with an open mind and an eye for adventure. Oh and did I say that every women in Vilnius wore the most beautiful shoes? Their clothes were plain, but the shoes were to die for! And they all walked with style and grace the way I woman should walk in a pair of great shoes. And in case you are wondering, my husband’s ancestors did not come from Lithuania, but it sure was a fun side trip!

Doctor Lynn

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Comparison, Creativity and the Expression of Your Spiritual Passion

I am constantly asked two questions; are you an artist and are you in the fashion industry? The answer to both is yes I have been, and no I am not now. However my desire to creatively empress myself surfaces every day and so I try to express it through my clothes, my outfits and my style. Each day I am a blank palette with moods, passions, weather, temperature and sunlight to help me create the design of the day. It’s something I have done since I was a small child. I would spend hours in my room creating outfits for myself and for my dolls. I would get totally lost in the flow of the moment.

I was not very good at drawing. I was however naturally drawn to color, patterns, textures and blending combinations. But in a very structured and non abstract world I was told I did not have the talent to follow my passion for clothes and design. I was discouraged from seeking my passion and expressing my natural talents. This of course haunted me and frustrated me for many years.

In my undergraduate studies I receive a minor in design and then went on to secretly study design at a small community college. I went to work however into the corporate world because it paid the bills. I had two children to raise, as a single mother. The corporate world was not for me. So I set out to rehab houses as an attempt to allow me to express my passion for art and make money.

I had a vision – when my children were grown and safely on their own I would pursue my passions – to travel and see the world, express my artistic self and help others to find that burning desire that keeps a vision alive.

 I move to Los Angles where I met a man in the fashion industry. He told me I had a great talent and that together we could make a lot of money and be very successful. I created a line and we sold it to a few major department stores. We had a third partner who was placing the production of our goods in India. The two partners hated each other so began to fight and cheat each other. The business fell apart. I had no money so had to move on and find a job. I left the fashion industry. Envy, hate, greed and discouragement will kill creativity.

I followed my second passion – teaching yoga and yoga therapy, writing and lecturing as well as working as a Naturopathic Doctor. I spent many years going to school to receive my Ph.D., N.D. However…

I continued to have people stop me on the street, at shopping malls, in elevators and in restaurants and ask me the same two questions; are you an artist and are you in the fashion industry? I wanted to express myself through my art, but did not want to get back into an industry that was as tough and dirty as the “rag” business. So each day I carefully created outfits that expressed my art. I scoured stores, shops, boutiques, second hand stores and the internet for things that caught my eye.  I have had the good fortune to fall in love with a wonderful man (my husband Dan) who has traveled the world with me and helped me find unique things that I could add to my artistic endeavor.

 This leads me to comparisons, creativity and the expression of spiritual passion. In the world there is no room for comparison. Each person is unique with a unique sense of creativity. No two people will see the same thing the same way. Even a pair of jeans will take on a unique look when worn by different people. So comparing ourselves is futile. All it does it crush creativity. My drawings as a child were compared to other children who were much better at drawing. They could copy, but most of them were not very creative. It took me years to discover this. In a design class my teacher encouraged me. She showed me that although many girls could draw better than me, they would probably end up being illustrators and not designers. To copy can be creative. Their ability to draw was a sign of their creative talent to see and duplicate. To see and duplicate takes talent and an eye for details.  However the abstract notions of creating something comes from the soul. It moves beyond details and looks into the essence of things. It is something that grabs at the very fabric of your being. You could do it forever without regards to time, money or any other endeavor.

I have had many people tell me I should do something with my talent for design.  I did not want to be somebody’s stylist. I did not want to get back into producing a line. I needed a palette and a platform. The internet and a spark of inspiration gave me an idea.

I would buy a mannequin and dress her with my creations and then post them to a facebook page called F-La Mode. And www.pinterest.com/drlanderson

  ‘”la Mode’, in French means fashion. The word ‘f---‘ in Quebec French has a meaning something closer to ‘heck’. To heck with fashion it's about style. ”Style- not being a slave to fashion- individuality- finding your own individual style independent of the dictates of the current fashion trends. A stylist woman has style and class even when she doesn’t have any money to spend because she has found her own personal sense of style and she has the confidence to portray it.

Creativity – I cannot concern myself with what others might think or say. Any time you focus on judgment or comparison you will lose the flow of creativity. Some will think me mad and some will think me egotistical, but those are more than likely people who are frustrated by their own sense of creativity. Those who find joy in expressing themselves without hurting anyone else will appreciate the need inside of me to express my artistic side. Perhaps it will inspire them to also express their creativity.

So here is my palette. Her name is Francine. Creativity requires a leap of faith. It is the ability to expose the raw passionate side of you. You can’t be afraid to make mistakes, do retakes or take criticism. Art is defined as; the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power. Webber’s Dictionary

Find beauty, fuel it with emotional power and create! Aero*boga ™ - the way of the heart!

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Let me introduce you to my muse

To muse is to consider something thoughtfully. A muse is a source of inspiration. But every creation needs a palette or a form from which an idea becomes experienced by the senses. Here is my palette. Her name is Francine. She is a work in progress, subject to change, depending upon her mood, the day, the event, the weather or whatever she chooses. She is a woman and as such she has the power to choose. Whatever the expression of art, remember that a world without art, is just huh!

Reflection

Ever look into a mirror and ask yourself – who is that person, where has she been and what has she been doing or being? What has she done, and what is it she has not? As my birthday approaches all too soon (OMG they seem to come faster and faster as I get slower and slower), I’m not sure about this woman looking back at me. Seems last I saw her she was a bit younger.

In yoga we reflect, not to be seen, but to slip beneath the surface of everyday life and learn to glimpse each moment of life and the passage of time, as not depletion, but as a replenishing of that which is leaving, with that which is much wiser.

Time is relative. Einstein told us so… So as I look again at my reflection in the mirror, I smile, wink and nod to myself – Aging…it happens to all of us! So I better get busy and start doing the things I have not done yet!

Doctor Lynn

There is Always a Beginning

And if you are careful enough there is never an end...the beginning and the end become one and the circle completes itself. Welcome to F-La Mode! A project I started a
long time ago. This is about art and the expression of it through a medium. Inspired by many people I finally found my outlet and here it is.
 I invite you to follow the journey. There is no destination; no end game. It is  expression caught in the moment. And if you really think about it - that is all there really is...moments of expression.

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Doctor Lynn