Lisa Says Gah Pop-up at Øgaard


Lisa Says Gah Pop-up Øgaard


It’s always cool to see things in person that you’ve only seen online. Since I’m pretty busy, I do most of my shopping (and window shopping) online. Combine that with reading, looking at images and even keeping up with friends you only see through a screen, and things can start to take on this almost mythic online-only feel. So it was great to check out the IRL Oakland pop-up shop that Lisa Says Gah did at Øgaard gallery this weekend. I love what they’re doing, from their thoughtfully curated selection of ethically made slow fashion to the really great content and interviews on the site.

At the pop-up, you could see the Karen Walker sunglasses, touch the Sonia Rykiel knits, feel the Martiniano glove shoes (my favorite, I wrote a bit about the designer here). You could also talk to the friendly, cool ladies behind the brand — the namesake Lisa and Content Editor Olivia. As I sipped a small plastic cup of white wine, they chatted and Instagrammed and I took in the physical presence of their lovely online offerings. If you’re in the Bay Area, don’t miss the next one — they’ll be doing it again in August at Loving Cup in SF.

Lisa Says Gah Pop-up Øgaard

Lisa Says Gah Pop-up Øgaard


Lisa Says Gah Pop-up Øgaard

Lisa Says Gah Pop-up Øgaard

Lisa Says Gah Pop-up ØgaardLisa Says Gah Pop-up Øgaard

Lisa Says Gah Pop-up Øgaard

Lisa Says Gah Pop-up Øgaard


Lisa Says Gah Pop-up Øgaard

Lisa Says Gah Pop-up Øgaard

Strong Week Links 19



Spotify debuted its new Discover Weekly feature last week — have you been using it? So far, it's not half bad. It's about a quarter bad, which in my experience with tune preference predictors is more successful than usual.

I love Reformation's commitment to sustainable fashion and their feminine, minimalist designs, but most of them are made for ladies who have little need for bras, i.e. not me. Which is why I'm excited about their new I'm Up Here collection. #forboobs

dreamy summertime hammock.

Everlane announced the appointment of Rebekka Bay as their new Head of Product and Design. Known as the mastermind behind Cos and for her recent (short) stint at Gap, perhaps this is where her vision will find its fit. I've loved Everlane from the beginning — their basics are well-made, affordable and transparently produced with sustainability in mind — so I'm excited to see what she brings to the brand.

Interesting article about how Michael Heizer's epic land art project "City" could play into the 2016 Presidential campaign. We recently watched the documentary about the making of Levitated Mass and I highly recommend it. I've been thinking for the past couple of years that I would love to go on a land art road trip ... maybe when "City" opens.

Image via Terrain

Cardamom Rose Cocktail

Cardamom Rose CocktailLast weekend was the latest installment of Ladies' Supper Club (this month marked our 9th anniversary!!) and the theme was Middle Eastern food. I chose a cocktail because it's what I always do (it's either that or dessert — I'm a better bartender and baker than I am a cook). I immediately thought of making something with Rose Water and the cardamom was an added spice bonus. 
In Oakland, we're lucky to have Oaktown Spice Shop, but they also ship their vast array of spices, herbs, salts and kits for making things like homemade tonic water. Before it opened, I was always looking for ingredients like organic rose petals to no avail; now I can breeze in and pick them up along with cardamom pods. It's the best.


Cardamom Rose CocktailThe thing that really makes this cocktail is the Rose syrup. It adds sweetness and folds the rose flavor into the cocktail in a way that's subtle instead of overpowering. 

Cardamom Rose Cocktail
recipe from Design Sponge

Ingredients
  • 1.5 oz Hendrick's Gin
  • .75 oz Rose syrup
  • .25 oz fresh lemon juice
  • .75 oz fresh grapefruit juice
  • 2 dashes Peychaud's bitters
  • 1 cardamom pod
  • organic rose petals for garnish
Directions
Lightly muddle cardamom pod in the bottom of a glass, then combine with the rest of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake until chilled and strain over fresh ice. Garnish with rose petals. 

Cardamom Rose Cocktail
Cardamom Rose Cocktail
Cardamom Rose Cocktail

Strong Week Links 18


Bay Area-ites: Lisa Says Gah is having a pop-up shop at Ogaard next weekend. I'm excited to see their wares in person! Check out the deets: #oaklandsaysgah

The stories behind non-French French-y brands. 

Tame Impala's new album just came out. I've only listened to it once so far, but it's different and I'm liking it. Looking forward to giving it more listens this summer.

Feeling this lace-up style.

Lena Dunham is launching a newsletter with Jenni Konner, her bff and the showrunner for Girls. It's called Lenny and Dunham says it will be a place “to remember that the internet has the power to take you into quiet places — something we don’t usually use it for.” I'm all for it.

Image of Alice Wiese embroidery via Ogaard

Strong Week Links 17



I discovered this jewelry designer's cool, rough-hewn pieces when I asked a chic coworker about the necklace she was wearing. Chokers are making a comeback and I'd wear this one.

This amazing post on the Jardín Etnobotánico of Oaxaca makes we want to go there more than ever. It's home to a cactus that's over 1,000 years old!

"Asking women to modify their speech is just another way we are asked to internalize and compensate for sexist bias in the world." I was glad to see these articles on the problems with pathologizing women's speech.

Is it just me or do the shoes from the casino-themed Chanel Fall 2015 couture collection look like '90s shoes you'd be stoked to find at a thrift store?

Have you seen the new Nina Simone documentary? There was so much to it; beautiful, powerful performances, inspiring activism, serious style and the sad realities of depression and abuse. Definitely worth watching.

Hello fall knits wardrobe?

This article on two sets of identical twins switched at birth in Bogotá, Colombia was fascinating.

Photo by Georgie Hawk for The Planthunter

Test Fest: Blackbird Ballard


It’s been a bit since the last test fest, but finally the perfect opportunity came up. My friend Alice recently bought a set of eight testers from Blackbird Ballard. Based out of Seattle, Blackbird’s line of perfumes, incense and other apothecary-type items are an offshoot of their (now defunct) menswear shop. Their scents are nontraditional, unique and often unisex, which is right up my alley. I decided to take a break from Byredo's Mojave Ghost for the day and test them out with Alice to see what they conjured up. Aside from Moto Oud, which was the first to pique her interest and how she found Blackbird, we didn’t read any of the descriptions until after we’d tested them out. From a rich hippie's house to juniper and money, read on for our impressions and hop over to their site where they are having a factory seconds sale (word has it these sell out fast).

Strong Week Links 16


Summer decor inspo: these cool Modernhaus chairs.

Cute cacti from the Creatures of Comfort cactus contest.


More interesting LA neighborhood history from my sister-in-law, this time on her own neighborhood, Angelino Heights. My brother has lived there for years, and it's been interesting to watch it change. It feels like there are a lot of parallels with Oakland, and now there are a couple Oakland-south outposts with Blue Bottle and Esqueleto opening locations in Echo Park. It's a great place to live or visit!

Another DIY project I wish I had time to do.

Did you see the NYT profile on Parker Posey? Love her. I knew I loved her Cannes look, and now I know it was by Electric Feathers. Would so totally dance to Gerry Rafferty with her.

Adding this memoir to my reading list. If there is ever water in California again, this is definitely going to be my houseboating read.

" ... if I can make space for the idea that the goal is not to be perfect, but the goal is to be me, then I get to revel in the mixed bag of what it is to be a human." Just one of many ideas that rang true from a favorite from The Cut's advice week series