Greetings!! I know I’m not alone in thinking how the HECK is it already July 18th, but here we are! We’ve reached mid summer! It’s hot! Last week our family-level-friend Bec visited and we had the best time! It was like a staycation having them on our couch every night and morning, saying YES to more activities and less work than usual, staying up late gossiping, eating every meal together. If you are visiting LA or have friends visiting LA, here were some highlights for us:
(if you want to skip ahead to the new clothes, HERE’S THE SHOP LINK!!!!)
Karaoke at Honey’s at Star Love, a new queer nightlife spot in Hollywood that is so cute and lovely!! I’m a big fan. Picture gays singing Disney, millenials screaming/singing teenage anthems a la Michelle Branch, Gen Z singing Panic at the Disco (that one’s a ??? for me), niche queer TikTok celebrities doing Y2K R&B duets, and lots of cuties mingling in a non-judgmental environment.
Food!!!! We were all feeling budget-y so we did a lot of at-home cooking, which was so lovely and sweet, but had to take Bec to Guisados for tacos and quesadillas, and walk to get fish tacos from Mariscos Linda by our studio, and also tacos arabes + agua fresca from Tacos Arabes by our studio (yes…both of those trucks on the same day).
WNBGAY pick-up basketball in Highland Park, such a welcoming and fun community. We went on 4th of July and playing basketball with queers while the famously loud fireworks of northeast LA went off in the distance (or not so distance!!) was quite dramatic and unique.
Pony Sweat, of course! We’re dancing to We Found Love aka “we fell in love in a hopeless place” by Rihanna on the mixtape this month, which just so HAPPENS to have been released in 2011, the year I met Bec on our study abroad broad in Valparaise, Chile. And yes we did make out to it at a club in 2011. Queers connected across time and space forever!!!
We went to Crossroads in Silver Lake and did one of my favorite activities which is taking people I love and know their gender/style well to Crossroads and then going through all the racks to find clothes that I think might feel affirming for them. And then they’re there to try things on so we all get immediate gratification (or disappointment). Obviously this is a hit or miss activitity depending on the quantity and caliber of clothes offered at Crossroads that day. But we found Bec a very cute button down and some boots! Their prices are always unbeatable and you can truly find great stuff at that location (the one next to Trader Joe’s).
We did a photoshoot for Zoe’s paintings and all took pictures of one another and combinations of us together (i.e. me taking pics of Zoe and Bec posing together, Bec taking pics of me and Zo together, Zo taking pics of me and Bec together) and it was transcendent and so special and fun and one day y’all will see the fruits of this epic day!!!! I also made Bec try on play shorts (which they ended up taking back to Providence…just saying) and the new classifieds all over print tshirt and go on a walk around our neighborhood, which was sweaty.
We visited some dear mutual friends (queer & trans parents, represent!!) on our way to LAX and read books to 3 year olds and looked at their preschool art and ate pizza. Visits to Shan & Herbie are always so nourishing! Friends that feel like family is a theme here <3
Then Bec left to go back to saving lives and being a Real Doctor and we missed making oatmeal for them every morning so much. Begrudgingly we got back to our art grind!! I had a big painting week leading up to a pop-up in Highland Park, the pop-up was…very slow…so I have lots of special new pieces to offer y’all!! Mostly tanks and play shorts because that’s all I want to wear this summer!!
THANK YOU!! I also have new epic pics from Sunday of my friend Anna who I’ve known since we were ~14 years old (and also falls under the ~friends that feel like family~ category) SEVEN MONTHS PREGNANT in studio pants, play shorts, Tara tie tops, and the mesh long sleeve but I’m saving that for a separate email :)
Ok, one pic, please send along to any pregnant friends searching for comfortable stretchy clothes —
Have a great week!!! On my to-do list for a future drop, probably early August or maybe earlier if it’s just a small one — bike shorts, crop bras, more play shorts & tanks!
xoxoxo
Isabel