All posts by Alix

Retro Rainbow // This Week’s Color is PURPLE!

Retro Rainbow

Howdy Friends!

It’s the second to last week of the Retro Rainbow and here it is: the color that totally stumped this color lover, PURPLE. Oh my gosh, purple is a crack up. I was worried I wouldn’t find a single thing. I’ve honestly never really been a fan of purple, I prefer the purples on the bluesy side of the spectrum if anything. So when I started poking around for purple, all my finds were purple and SOMETHING—no straight up purples. So you’ll be seeing purple + green, purple + yellow, purple + pink and so on. Also, apologies for the photo quality on some of these… we’ve had the busiest stretch of days getting all our ducks in a row for a new school year and cramming in every last bit of fun into these last days of summer. Of course I waited until the 11th hour to snap the photos and of course I was battling a big ol’ cloudy sky.

Next week is our last week friends! What do you think the color will be?? Do you have a favorite so far? I think my answer would be… everything but purple!! HAHA! But that would be an awful thing to say, since it’s PURPLE WEEK! ACK, I take that back… on with ze purples!!!!!!

xoxo Jenny

ps — as always, get your fannies over to Frecklewonder to see what amazing + lovely treasures Miss Alix was able to scare up!

Mmm hmmmm…..Alix here. I love how Jenny is all, “ooooh purple, I don’t have ANY purple” and then LOOK what she busts out!! That incredible embroidery….the suitcase….the sheets….the sun romper….that little box of flashcards with the amazing illustration on front?  It’s all so fun! You know what I’m realizing Miss Jenny? I think you have more 50s/60s stuff and I have more 60s/70s stuff, which is why aqua was a dream for you (it’s such a classic 50s shade!) and a little trickier for me! And with my smooth 70s stylings, I had more purple to scare up (because avocado and marigold aren’t the only 70s colors!) and it was a tad trickier for you.

Soooooo, ok. We only have one more week left of our Summer Project. ONE MORE WEEK friends! I don’t think I want this to end! I feel like we need to do Phase 2! What say you people? Should Retro Rainbow go Autumn???

As an aside, it’s my birthday today, so perhaps I can use this as leverage with Ms. Freckle to CARRY ON!!!! Be sure to pop by frecklewonder to see my purple finds!

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Psst! Are you new to the Retro Rainbow? It’s Jenny and my special summer “Correspondence in Color”.  So far we’ve covered Green (Alix & Jenny), Yellow (Alix & Jenny), Brown (Alix & Jenny), Aqua (Alix & Jenny), Tangerine (Alix & Jenny), Pink (Alix & Jenny), and of course Red/White/Blue (Alix & Jenny). You can also check out our colorful Retro Rainbow pinboards if you wanna follow along! Mine is here, Jenny’s is here. See ya next Wednesday!

This time last year // TIKI OASIS!

Real Life : Alix

When I was younger, we always looked forward to our annual summer roadtrip from Michigan to California. It was long but tons of fun—we were just reminiscing about it last week at the lake house! Does your family have any fun vacation traditions? Do you go camping? Or visiting family? Do you have an annual staycation? Or visit friends? In addition to visiting family, we have a fun family tradition we’ve been doing for the past three years. You see, August 22 is my birthday. And lucky for me that end of the summer weekend is always the same weekend as the awesomeness known as Tiki Oasis. It’s become a family tradition to head on down there, and Greg and Wolfie and I just love it. So what the heck is Tiki Oasis, you may ask? It’s a kooky, awesome sun & fun filled weekender down in San Diego celebrating the magic of classic 50s/60s Tiki culture! The whole shebang is hosted by premier Tiki expert Otto von Stroheim and his ultra fab wife Doe (who happens to be one of my bestest pals!). It’s truly a super cool experience. Basically they take over the historic Hanalei hotel and fill it with amazing bands, DJs, dancers, loads of tiki mugs brimming with tasty cocktails and unique symposiums on the history of tiki. The atmosphere is festive and totally family friendly! Wolfie just loves it—and there are always tons of kiddos running around. Each year there is a special theme—last year it was Tiki goes South of the Boarder, and the air was filled with Herb Albert and hip mariachi mania. I never posted the photos, so here’s a little peek at the colorful antics we’ll be gettin’ into this weekend!

BY DAY!

The hotel itself is really lovely. Palm trees, little waterfalls, a huge pool and, of course,  lots of cool Tikis all over the property. Everyone lounges poolside to the soothing tunes of a retro, exotica band and amazing DJs spinning vintage vinyl. The mamas always manage to sneak off to the vintage retro bazaar to check out the piles of vintage clothing, records, artwork, tiki mugs and tiki necklaces for sale.

BY NIGHT!

Around dusk, the party kicks into high gear with bands and other live performances. Due to a sound ordinance, the festivities are over around 10:00—but then the crazy crowd parties the night away at room parties with special “themed” drinks. I rarely make it to the room parties and like to just sit in the warm summer night air by the pool, reviewing the day with pals.

We let Wolfie stay up a little later this weekend so he can hear some of the early bands….and there is a “Tiki Tweens” room where the kiddos can munch on pizza & popcorn, do crafts and watch retro movies or old Batman episodes. Lots of people dress up (which I love!) but the best part is that it’s a super happy fun crowd and if you don’t feel like sportin’ a kooky outfit, you’ll still fit right in!

In honor of the retro latin theme, I was workin’ some Frida style hair-dos!

THE NEXT DAY.

More pool side lounging! Also, there is always an adorable Tiki Tour for the little kids.

Last year my friends Shone and Doe and I all realized we had matching 60s “sunglasses” hats! It was so awesome. This year several of our other Dames pals (including Dottie) got similar hats, so you can bet we’ll be taking a fun group photo at some point!


Greg looks so serious….is he sad to leave or sad that I packed WAY TOO MANY SHOES AND THOSE BAGS ARE HEAVY!!????? hee.

So that brings us to this weekend! This year the theme is SPY! Which should be tons of fun….although I have to confess I was at a bit of a loss for what to wear. Winter spy? No problem! Furry hats, trenchcoats, sleek black dresses and berets….easy peasy! But SUMMER SPY?? Hmmm. I’m eager to see what people come up with! This year is going to be extra fun because so many more friends are coming down—including Dottie and her family! She hasn’t been since 2007, when we both performed with the Devil-Ettes. I just know she’s gonna love seeing how it’s grown even bigger and even more fabulous—and i can’t wait to see Little Miss Peach in her hawaiiana finest!

Wolfie is excited as well because he’s become good friend’s with Doe’s two boys AND three of his other close friends will be there this year, so I’m sure they will be a gang of tiki shirt wearing awesomeness racing around!

We leave today and if you are an Instagrammer, please feel free to follow along on all the fun! I’m @galexina and I can promise you that there will be some very colorful photos and sassy antics this entire weekend! (be sure to check out @missdottie too, of course!) Seeeeee you on Monday everyone!!!

 

Medal Head {I Loved These Olympics!}

Things We Like


Michael Regan/Getty Images

We loved the Olympics this year! I think I’ve already told you this already a bunch of times. Were you watching?? I’m kind of bummed they are over. There were so many AMAZING “Gold Medal” moments! Like the women’s gymnastics, and the track & field mega runners. The volleyball, the basketball and our incredible swimmers. How adorable was Missy Franklin??


Clive Rose/Getty Images

But what made this Olympics even more special to me was the spirit! In the past few Olympics, I feel like there has been this “all or nothing” attitude. If they were the favorite (or a top contender) going in and they didn’t win the gold, then the athletes were bitterly disappointed. Even pouting over not being first. And I was always so bummed, because to me, it’s a PHENOMENAL accomplishment to just make the Olympic team! To walk away with ANY medal should mean so sooo much. And this year I really felt that they understood what an honor this whole thing is! Maybe it was the magic of London. Maybe it was a shift in thinking amongst the athletes themselves, but I like to think that this was the Year of the Silver Medal—and I LOVED that!


Did you see Carmelita Jeter after she placed second in the women’s 100m? She was PSYCHED! It was so adorable and had me grinning from ear to ear!

And how about the incredible 1,500 meter race of Leo Manzano! This guy pulled out a power sprint to come from behind (like, waaaay behind…..6th place!) to finish second and claim that silver medal! He was BUSTIN’!!!! It was such a triumph!

The United States hadn’t medaled in synchronized diving since its inception at the same games. Well when Kelci Bryant and Abigail Johnston took home the silver medal in the Synchronized 3 m Springboard, there were smiles all around.

Super swimmer Cullen Jones won gold in the swimming 4×100 relay, but he seemed every bit as thrilled to get that silver for the 50m freestyle individual event!

And let’s not forget the BRONZE!


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BRAVO to all the athletes!!! Oh and I had to share this one last photo. It was sent in by Ceri, a sweet reader from Great Britain (who teased me for poking fun at the GB Olympic uniforms). It’s her daughter Gwen and best pal Penny all dolled up for the Games. Ceri even made them a little torch! How adorable are they??

Were you obsessively watching the Olympics too? What were your favorite events/moments?? I am not ashamed to say, BRING IT RIO!!!!

Our Favorite Summer Pants Ever! {plus free shipping from Polarn O. Pyret!}

Boys, Kiddo Style: Modern, Sponsored Post

Are these pants? Or are they shorts? I guess they’re a little bit of both! As you guys know, one of our favorites around here is Polarn O. Pyret. They are one of our go-to spots for funky basics that are stylish on and off the playground! When we received these cool 3/4 shorts in the mail, Wolfie promptly put them on—and has barely taken them off! The super slouchy fit is fantastic for our San Francisco weather—you can push them up so they hit around the knee or pull ’em down a little lower if it’s cooler out. I think they are the perfect pant (short?) to help you transition into fall!

We also love PoP’s cardigans. They’re thick enough to be warm but not scratchy and bulky. And the elbow patches are totally grandpa-licious!

Three Quarter Shorts c/o Polarn O. Pyret.  Wolfie is also sportin’ the Professor Patch Cardigan Sweater, c/o ME!

Right now Polarn O. Pyret is having a mega summer sale—up to 50-70% off! The thing I love is that it’s not JUST summer shorts and tees, there are so many transitional pieces too. Be sure to check out the skinny jeans and the outerwear. PoP’s speciality is outer wear and there are some incredible deals on jackets and coats.

Our pals at Polarn O. Pyret have a special bonus for our readers! Just use the  code:  MODERNPOP for free shipping over $50 from now until Sunday midnight!

Head on over to the Polarn O. Pyret  Summer Sale and get yer shop on!

Retro Rainbow // This Week’s Color is GREEN

Retro Rainbow

HEY HEY HEY, my peeps! Jenny here and it’s time for the Retro Rainbow and this week it’s GREEN!!!!! I woke up yesterday morning with 3 different deadlines and time sensitive issues on my plate so suffice it to say, my morning and afternoon was pret-tee jam packed! As I knocked back my morning coffee, I made one loop around the living room for my treasure hunt I totally started to L-O-L to myself because folks? I found most of the items ON ONE SHELF. I am not kidding you. Who knew I was such a green gal?!?! I didn’t even need to hit the basement this week.

So I’m totally not going to talk about the Retro Rainbow wrapping up — yes, we only have two weeks left after this — I will only to say that I am slightly panicked about next week’s color. I won’t tell you what it is (though it might not be hard for you to figure it out, especially if you’ve been following along every week… and um, HELLO! YOU’VE TOTALLY BEEN FOLLOWING ALONG, YES?!) but let’s just say… I’m not feeling as confident as I was with AQUA week. 😉

Alix knocked it out of the park this week with her greens. Get on over to Frecklewonder and see what I’m talking about.
Nothin’ but love, y’all!!!!! Jenny

“Gooooooooooooooooooooal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”  {say a la soccer announcer} So, okay. This MIGHT be my favorite Color Collection yet!! I mean, did you see THAT RADIO?????  That rhinestone purse? The font on the S&P shakers??? And of course I have a soft spot in my heart for the sweet “Jenny” “Freckle” books. It’s too perfect! We only have a couple of more weeks left my friends, can you guess what the final colors will be?? I think they’re both gonna be good ones. Whooo hooo!

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Psst! Are you new to the Retro Rainbow? It’s Jenny and my special summer “Correspondence in Color”.  So far we’ve covered Yellow (Alix & Jenny), Brown (Alix & Jenny), Aqua (Alix & Jenny), Tangerine (Alix & Jenny), Pink (Alix & Jenny), and of course Red/White/Blue (Alix & Jenny). You can also check out our colorful Retro Rainbow pinboards if you wanna follow along! Mine is here, Jenny’s is here. See ya next Wednesday!