Exhaling Life

It has been a crazy two months, but the exasperating days are now becoming the past from the present so I return to Exhaling Life with Style LookBook: April 2025. March's Style LookBook was skipped in the chaos. As I thought of April's Style LookBook, three words lingered: polished, fierce, and newfangled. I feel at times, I tumble with words triggered by frustration. I need to stop letting my frustrations block the polished and fierce me. I must stop my exhaustion of folks who live through their words rather than actions mute my newfangled perspectives. With those words on my mind, I curated pieces that are timeless individually yet brazen collectively. [TOP] HERNO Sequin-Embellished Knitted Top [SHORTS] SIMON MILLER Como Shorts [HEELS] AQUAZZURA 105mm Bow Tie Pumps [BLAZER] JACQUEMUS La Veste Tibau Double-Breasted Blazer [HANDBAG] TORY BURCH Kira East-West Shoulder Bag ps: While all items are curated by me, I earn commissions from retailers on qualified items. pss: Items show...

I'm returning with a renewed sense of lushness after days escaped me in a grey haze. Since lush can't happen without new growth, I'm doing something unusual for me by adding a splash of red in acknowledgment of Valentine's Day. While I cringe that folks need a commercialized day to show and show off their love, I'm embracing it as a motivation to add a splash of red to our style. [top] Liu Jo Puff-Sleeve Sweater [skirt] De Loreta Ariadna Skirt [boots] Stinaa.J Lily Orthopedic Pointed Toe Booties [bag] Teddy Blake Gigi Stampatto 13" previously curated for Style LookBook : November & December 2024 [trench coat] TwinSet Coated Trench Coat ps: While all items are curated by me, I earn commissions from retailers on qualified items. pss: Items shown are not shown in scale.

I encountered it at Trader Joe's and was immediately curious. What is it? Is it like shrimp? Is it like lobster? You know me with curiosity. A bag of Trader Joe's langostino tails made its way to my freezer. Curiosity always wins. According to Google AI, langostino in Spanish means little lobster but it is not the same species as the lobster.  They are actually considered prawns. So, there you have it. I was, however, left with what to cook with it. Unfamiliar with the ingredient, I thought about a safe dish to test out langostino tails and remembered a pack of frozen gnocchi I had picked up at the Hollywood Farmers' Market. I was hesitant to buy them because of their size. I prefer small gnocchi to larger ones, and these gnocchi were gigantic in my world. I was told to keep them frozen until they were about to enter the boiling water and thus I couldn't cut them to a smaller size. It is hard to get good gnocchi, so I threw caution to the wind and grabbed a pack. Armed ...

The word, culling, has been on my mind for several years now. Culling typically refers to how wildlife controls the population. In the broader definition, it is to select from a group, to reduce or control the size of (something, such as a herd) by removal (as by hunting or slaughter) of especially weak or sick individuals. The second definition by Merriam-Webster, to reduce or control the size of by removal of especially weak individuals, reminds me of MAGA's agenda and President Trump's Executive Orders on unlawful entry and unlawful residency, more commonly referred to as illegal immigrants. To pay for the culling, Congress is considering making cuts in Medicare and Medicaid programs. Is that to cull the poor and sick? There is a very clear option of taxing employers who sponsor H1B visas. Thousands of companies sponsor foreign employees because they claim that the knowledge and skills required for the jobs cannot be found among American citizens and Permanent Residents (gre...

There is unexplained serenity, a sense of haute while being unforgiving, among white dresses. From feminine to strikingly sexy, twelve white dresses have been mindfully curated with effortless and timeless on my mind: [01] Line & Dot Bendetta Maxi Dress [02] Aje Mariel Trapeze Midi Dress [03] Faithfull The Brand Aya String Midi Dress [04] Black Halo Kacie 2 Piece Maxi Dress [05] Sir. Tamara Knot Mini Dress [06] STAUD Jessica Knit Dress [07] Black Halo Madeline Sheath Dress [08] Black Halo Juma Two Piece Dress [09] Dur Doux Cruz Mini Dress [10] Proenza Schouler Cora Dress in Pleated Crepe Chiffon [11] Hill House Home Fleur Midi Dress [12] The Lulo Project Lilies Dress ps: While all items are curated by me, I receive commission from retailers on purchased items.

I have lived in Los Angeles for more than four decades now. I slept in a van the night following the 1994  Northridge earthquake, which killed 57, injured more than 9,000, and caused over $13 billion in property damages. Some have published economic losses as high as $50 billion. I was no different than many Angelenos. Wildfires and mudslides in our coastal and hillside neighborhoods were inconvenient with indifference. We saw it as a consequence of living with gorgeous views. Wildfires and mudslides must've not been much of a concern for those who bought and resided in high-risk communities. To claim that it was would be obtuse, especially for those who owned properties without homeowner's insurance. That is like driving a car without insurance, even if the state lawfully allowed drivers to drive without insurance.  View of Los Angeles from Runyon Canyon  before the fires. I live among Progressives, you know people who claim to care about the environment, inclusiveness, ...