whati… mused

a couple of weeks ago my roomie and i were lucky enough to be guests of an artist performing at the sfmoma - (san francisco museum of modern art if that wasn’t clear.)  the museum was handing out these stickers with printed directions requesting that you stick the little sucker to something that inspires you, snap a pic, and then post the image to the sfmoma facebook/flickr site.

never one to break the rules, thats just what i did.  exhibit a: pic of lake tahoe from aboard the m.s. dixie II.  

check out some of the other entries here! (don’t know how someone can find inspiration from a parking meter, but who am i to judge?) by the way, i absolutely love this idea.  what’s your muse? -gh

whati… INTERVIEW: Gold & Citrus

sara combs, co-founder/creative director of san francisco based jewelry line Gold & Citrus, recently took some time to meet up with me and answer a few question about her latest line, her inspirations, and what it means to be a young entrepreneur in san francisco:  

Where does the name Gold & Citrus come from?

I have always been fascinated by things that don’t seem as though they should go together. I wanted to carry this into my jewelry line, not only with materials but also the whole mood of the collection. Gold is a popular symbol for luxury as well as love, while a citrus fruit is fresh and fun. When something is luxurious, it can often be stuffy and serious. The combination of Gold & Citrus is a reminder that while the pieces are made with great materials, the designs are fresh.

What is your mission in creating this line?

Really, what’s the point of anything unless it makes you happy? I am a firm believer that if our environment is well designed, it greatly impacts our mood. This translates to fashion as well. If you love what you are wearing and think you look great, you will feel great. My mission is to design pieces that are handmade, unique, well designed, and at attainable prices. And when someone buys a piece that they absolutely love and feel great wearing, it makes me pretty happy too.

Do you work with a team on design and construction?

The team consists of myself and my husband Rich. I design and make everything, but I am always brainstorming with Rich. A lot of the time he suggests that one special touch that really makes the design. I could never just sit down and design the pieces myself without getting critiques from other people. We also occasionally have interns.

newlyweds! via erica m photography

What role does the city of San Francisco play in Gold & Citrus?

If every city had a word, San Francisco’s would be innovation. That has had a huge impact on the development of Gold & Citrus. We are always inspired by the amazing startups popping up all around us. Most would say that San Francisco is not particularly fashion savvy, but I’ll tell you it is definitely tech savvy. A huge aspect of Gold & Citrus is having a well designed environment to shop our pieces online. We put a lot of time into that experience in addition to the jewelry itself. I would definitely say that is fueled by being located in SF.

Do you have any suggestions for other young artists/entrepreneurs with dreams of starting a successful business?

My advice would be to do it for the journey. Even with certain goals in mind, you never really reach an ‘end point’, so you really have to make sure you will enjoy the process of getting the business going. Also, don’t be afraid to make lots of iterations to your business. If something isn’t quite right, fix it. Continuously make things better. Those constant updates also keep things feeling fresh for your customers.

What are three must have pieces from your new line & how can we pair
those with cute fall/holiday outfits?

First, the Sinai necklace woud be a must have, especially for the holidays. It can easily dress up any basic top and give it a little holiday flair with its green color and crystals. But the best thing about it is that it’s not too glitzy. The crystal chain is offset with an oxidized sterling silver chain, adding a sense of ease to the piece. This makes it so that you can also pair it with your best LBD and not feel overdressed. 

I would also steer you toward the Ray Bracelet. I have been wearing mine anywhere and with anything. It sounds weird, but I even throw it on with a sweatshirt sometimes and roll up the sleeves a little. But if you are more in the market for a necklace, you can easily do the same with the Ray Necklace. I just discovered it looks great with a plaid button-down. Again, it makes for great contrast!

And if you were to only own one pair of earrings, Torus earrings would always be there for you. Incredibly lightweight, I forget that I’m even wearing them! They also incorporate silver and gold tones, so go with anything. The length also gives you a little bit of dangle but is still short enough to feel like a stud. Plus the price is great. I would wear these with one of our necklaces to really make a statement, or a solid long sleeve top on a more relaxed day.

Where can we look for Gold & Citrus in the upcoming months?

If you live in San Francisco, you can find us these places on these days…

Nov. 12/13 - Bloomingdale’s (San Francisco Center)

Nov. 18 - Seams Boutique (Union St.)

Nov. 26 - Bloomingdale’s (Palo Alto)

Nov. 27- Bloomingdale’s (San Francisco Center)

Dec. 3/4 - Bloomingdale’s (San Francisco Center)

Dec. 4 - Chillin’ Productions (Mezzanine)

Dec. 10/11 - Bloomingdale’s (Palo Alto)

If you don’t live in the area, we are always online, and offering free shipping through the rest of the year!

What is your current go-to lipstick?

Chapstick. haha. I’ve always been more of an eyes girl with makeup, so I try to keep things pretty tame when it comes to lips. Although, I did wear some bright red lipstick for Halloween which was pretty fun. So who knows!

thank you sara!  don’t forget to shop the gold & citrus website and check out the zest - g&c’s very own blog!  great tips on pairing jewelery with outfits, seeking inspiration, and sf happenings.

(all images unless otherwise noted are via sara and the gold & citrus website.)

whati… am thinking about this morning

it’s friday morning and this is what is on my mind.

1. could i please have that neck muff? or anything from this brooklyn based shop pip-squeak chapeau etc.

2. i’m going to make this for dinner on sunday night.

3. feeling inspired by art.  in part because of my trip to the sf moma last night, in part because of the 1010 photography project.  10 photographers were asked to take 10 photographs on 10.10.10.  (see kbl- the world was celebrating with you.)

4.  i’m dressed like either a french man or a venetian gondolier today.  and why do these clogs always seem cuter at home than they do in the real world?  no offence mama, i’m sure when you got them in the 70’s they were totally groovy.

5. please send love, energy, kisses, burritos, and positivity to this guy.  he is a brave dude and is having a particularly hard day today.  he is the very cutest, very strongest teenage dream i know.  he still looks just like this, only 13 years older. 

i’d be lying if i said i don’t tear up when i see that pic of the little bebe.  after-all i did carry him in my womb for 9 months… hehe jk.  but i love you very much brozie-boy and i hope you feel better soon.

have a great weekend! -gh

GUEST POST: whati contemporary art special

the incredible aubrey levinthal is gracing whati with her exquisite taste in art.  i met aubrey at an art school in florence, italy many moons ago.  while i have turned to office work and rolling desk chairs- she has grabbed her passion (and gift) and totally taken flight.  while aubrey has been doing things like pursuing her mfa at the pennsylvania academy of fine arts, teaching multi level art classes, doing time as an artist in residence, showing her work at galleries all over philadelphia etc… she has somehow found time to develop an obvious confidence behind her paintbrush and a personal aesthetic that makes me drool.  in a good way.

i can’t help but look at all of aubrey’s paintings and feel in some part like i’ve experienced the moment. whether it be a delicately dressed table full of food or a brief emotion frozen in time, aubrey’s honest brush strokes and ability to give her work a raw, open feeling make her paintings feel accessible. 

i always feel a certain closeness to aubrey’s food paintings.  i want to eat them. (you’ll know just what i mean if you visit her esty shop tasty cake.)

anyway.  enough of un-shamelessly promoting my friend.  these are 5 contemporary artists she thinks that everyone should know.

chantal joffe:

clare grill:

humphrey ocean:

marianna sztyma:

mamma andersson:

and my addition to the conversation- aubrey levinthal:

check out aubrey’s website and keep track of her musings and other inspiring notes on her blog.  and while i’m in the habit of telling you what to do, beg her to put up more photos of her adorable house in philadelphia. -gh 

whati… wish was every weekend

wouldn’t every week be better if it ended (or started??) with a 3 day weekend?  i’m a girl thats alllll about balance- especially when it comes to work and play.  a 5:2 ratio just doesn’t cut it.  thats why this labor day i rewarded myself for all my labor- and made it a 4 day weekend. 

since i’ve only lived out west for a year, every weekend (especially long weekends) presents an opportunity to explore something new. for this one, i threw my bathing suits in a suitcase and hopped on a plane to LA.  

we kicked off the weekend with a hot, rigorous hike up runyon canyon.  though i didn’t complain, i casually mentioned (maybe more than once) that i was thirsty, and under the conditions, could probably drink an entire pool’s worth of water.  

we rode bikes to the beach on more than one occasion.  i sunburned my lips off.  literally- there is new skin on them this week.  i’m thinking about submitting it to a beauty mag as the ultimate guide to having extra soft lips.  1. sunburn lips 2. hold ice to lips for 2 nights straight 3. exfoliate lips 4. repeat 

and before the dull’s labored for ct’s labor day- they met us down here for some sunfun and fancy drinks.  what’s a SoCal beach without a dull life moment?

what compliments a super long weekend better than a super large fashion magazine?  is it fate that labor day aligns itself perfectly with the september issue? i think not.

and when the santa monica marine layer threatened our perfect beach weather? we drank super delicious coffee through our tears at intelligentsia.

we spent an entire day at the getty.  all we could talk about was how we loved the getty.  its still all we can talk about.  don’t talk to us unless you want to hear about how great the getty is.  want to see for yourself? 

we also ate the best. sushi. ever. oyako on main st. in santa monica. the spice factor was through the roof, and my aforementioned sunburned lips were crying as i drooled ice water into my soy sauce.  cute?  kbl’s solution was to sink them into some froyo.  you’ll never guess which one is his.  i like a man who likes his froyo to look like a 4 yr old’s birthday party- don’t you?

i’ll admit it.  i liked LA more than i thought i would.  will i move there?  never.  will i visit again?  yes, thank you.  a warm, beachy break from the chilly little peninsula i call home was the perfect way to spend my mini-vacation. 

oh, and hanging out with this guy wasn’t all bad either.

-gh