Les Essentiels: Trey Russell

(Trey at Versailles)

It's no mystery, September is my favorite month. Having grown up in the desert of Arizona, September signified the beginning of manageable weather. But more importantly it meant new outfits for the new school year. I could milk the new school clothes by combining every possible combination until the inspiration (or the clothes) wore itself out. Which usually happened just in time for Christmas... and a whole new batch of outfits and combinations.

So it delights me to no end to have had one of my oldest and dearest friends and fellow fashionista come visit me in Paris during the month of September. Trey Russell is the stylish owner and creative force behind Aris on the Coast in Laguna Beach. Over a bottle of Sancerre, I asked him to share  his 10 essentiels for the month of September.

Ten things Trey Russell can't live without in September: 

1. 2 cups of coffee with creme first thing in the morning.
2. Pizza. I seriously can't live without it. Any kind, but right now fig is my favorite topping thanks to Pink Flamingo Pizza in the Marais.

(Pink Flamingo pizza)

3. Swimming. The bigger the pool the better.
4. Flowers. Single arrangements, cut low. One variety, one color, tres chic.

(All white floral arrangements in the lobby at the George V, in Paris)

5. Diptyque cologne and candles. Right now I am obsessing over the Coriandre candle and the Eau de Lierre fragrance. They are both grass scents and perfect for the transition from summer nights into fall days.
6. Le cinema. Melancholia tops my list for a must see this month. Loved it!

(Melancholia by Lars Von Trier)

7. Aviator sunglasses. No brainer.
8. Eddie. (Trey's adorable pug who holds court at his boutique in Laguna Beach)

(Eddie aka Eduardo)

9. Texting. "There, I said it." I can live without Facebook, the phone, email, but I seriously can't live without texting.
10. My Porsche.

Nuages

Nuages (Fr.)/ Clouds (Eng.) noun: a mass as of dust, smoke, or steam, suspended in the atmosphere.

The more I learn, experience and grow, the more I realize that I really don't know life at all. I have always thought that the purpose of life was to be happy. Yet a very wise friend of mine challenged this theory with her own, "I am convinced that the only purpose in life is to grow" she said.

I have been capturing the life lessons, inspirations, bits of wisdom, and sharing my own life's compass on this blog for a few years now.  I have been spending a significant amount of time cruising through the archives and finding that the things I wrote about three years ago still apply to me now, yet in a different context. Last week, I naively thought, "I have shared all there is to share." And then very soon thereafter, I realized that life is never fully realized. Just when we think we are content and satiated, we are given the gift of a challenge or better yet, the opportunity to evaluate and enhance.

It is commonly theorized that the song Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell is about innocence and wisdom all at once. It is extremely moving to listen to her perform the song in 1970 with the outlook of innocence, and then again in 2000 with the maturity that comes from living life through all of its joys and pains.

Here is the original:




And again thirty years later:



I used to think that life was full of possibilities and that I could have and experience anything that I wanted to have or experience. And now? My older self and my younger self are realizing that this outlook still applies to me, albeit somewhat cloudier as I evaluate and redefine what it is that I want.

Le Divorce

(Jack White and Karen Elson, photo by Gareth Cattermole, Getty)

Creativity is defined as a new way of doing something. Based on this definition, I am finding that I am a lot more "creative" than I ever gave myself credit for.

I can draw. And I used to apply this talent in grade school through a variety of sketching projects. As an adult I scaled it back to blind contour portraits of friends and family. Creative? Well, perhaps.

I can style and edit. If you need to put together a complete look for an event, then I am your gal. Want some help editing your magazine, then call me. Creative? Um, okay.

But what about finding a new way to view something that is causing you upset, grief, struggle and discomfort. I can definitely offer some alternate ways to view the event from a perspective that it is actually the greatest thing that could possibly have occurred to you on the grounds of your own growth and ultimate happiness. The trouble is that when someone is experiencing their unfortunate situation, they may not be ready to check things out from a positive vantage point-- yet. In which case, offering them some alternate perspectives is really all I can do... well that and my total support while they process things.

Divorce and break ups are one of those things that seem to cause the most upset, and marinading in negative outlook. And while there are a myriad of alternate viewpoints on this unfortunate situation, here is one that I find very empowering and inspiring. Click here to read about the divorce party that Jack White and Karen Elson hosted earlier this summer.

Now, don't you dare go and label me as pro-divorce. Although I am not exactly sure how I feel about the institution of marriage, I am pretty solid with the concept of being one's word. Regardless, I do admire how Jack Black and Karen Elson chose to view and manage their own unfortunate divorce. Very creative, if you ask me.

Etre Coincé

(Monsieur Dries Van Noten)

être coincé (Fr.) Be stuck (Eng.): verb;  to be wedged in and unable to move further.

Ever find yourself stuck? Unable to find your inner voice in order to resolve an issue, define next steps, or manifest a lifelong dream?

Here's a quick and easy go-to for me when I find myself in this space...

I find that it helps to list out some people who inspire me. They can be role models, heros, or just people who I am admiring for whatever reason.

Then the next time I get stuck and am ready to let the Vampire of Despair kill my project I ask myself... “what would ___ do in this situation?” It also helps to write this down in a journal, notepad, or if you are like me, a blog. It makes it more real and therefore makes me more accountable.

I always seem to ask myself “What would Dr. Wayne Dyer say about this?” And he usually replies, "Ask Diana."

Here's my current admiration rotation:

• Dries Van Noten
• Madonna
• Dr. Wayne Dyer
• Diana Vreeland
• Oprah
• Scott Schuman
• Amanda F. Palmer

Who's in your rotation?

Vampires

Vampire (Eng.)/ Vampire (Fr.) noun: Any person, thought or feeling that stands between you and your creative expression.


Vampire is the same word in French as it is in English. I suppose this definition of vampire applies to everyone no matter what language, culture or profession. We are all plagued with vampires in our heads, although some of us have developed better slaying abilities than others.  Here are a few examples of the different vampire breeds, as described in this song:


Pygmee Vampire: They swarm around your head like gnats and say things like "your teeth need whitening", "you went to state school!?" "Shakespeare and Sedaris did it before you and better than you."

Air Freshener Vampire: She might look like your mama or your old fat ass Aunt Fanny, she wants you to clean it up and not write about anything "bad", which will leave your work toothless, gutless and crotchless.

Vampire of Despair: This is the mother of all vampires. It will wake you up at 4am to say things like "Who do you think you are kidding?", "you look like a fool", "no matter how hard you try, you will never be good enough"

"Why is it if some dude walked up to me on the subway platform and said these things I would think that he was a mentally ill asshole, but if the vampire inside my head says it, it is the voice of reason?"

La Créativité

(Installation by Spencer Tunick)

la créativité (Fr.)/ creativity (Eng): noun: Finding new ways of doing something, by tapping into the imagination to recognize and generate ideas to execute on.

My mom used to tell me that she didn't have "a creative bone in her body." And "I can't even draw a straight line to save my life" she would often say. I think that was because my father was a very talented artist and my mom thought creativity meant that you must have a certain skill set such as a talented illustrator, painter, writer, or musician.

What I realize now is that creativity is much more general than that. It is using your imagination to do something new regardless of whether there is a blueprint or something to model it after. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't. The important thing is to go for it and provide an opportunity for change and sometimes mistakes to occur. Because change is the breeding ground for more creativity, and therefore more possibilities.

 So doesn't that mean that all parents are "creative"?

Or better yet that every single one of us is "Creative"? God only knows, there is no blueprint or model for us to live our lives from... we are creating them from the moment we are born.