Electric Ladyland - Update on my life!

All photos from the Miracle Eye May lookbook: ELECTRIC LADYLAND

Oh hey, blog! Haven't written on here in a little over a year now... Kind of nuts to think about considering how dedicated I was to this blog about 2 years ago, posting every other day or twice a week. So for the past year, not much has changed in my life... I'm still a feminist and dig those who consider women people and not objects, still not into homophobia, racism, slut-shaming. Just a lot less in your face about it than I used to be. I've mellowed out in general quite a bit. My personal style is ever-evolving, but it's always been that way (I feel like it is for everyone, though, right?). I've designed every single garment you see in this lookbook, so all these outfits I'm wearing are where I'm currently at in this here ol' brain. Miracle Eye is still just my mom and I, crafting everything ourselves to dropping the packaged handmade goods at our local post office and everything else in between, and loving every minute of it. I still have our half retail store/half production studio in Chinatown, Los Angeles... Love it more and more everyday. Working hard or hardly working is the question... 

 But, the biggest and by far the most beautiful change that has come into fruition since I last published on here has been my refreshingly positive outlook and attitude towards life. Looking back and re-reading some of my posts, I realize I was pretty honest about my depression which morphed into general unhappiness and then back into depression. I finally dealt with an endless amount of personal/internal conflicts I'd been living with for some time and couldn't be any happier these days... Part of growing up, I guess. It also helps that I've chosen to surround myself with really positive, intelligent, and unreal-talented friends who influence and subconsciously encourage me to be the same way. Speaking of unreal/ridiculously talented friends, I was able to put this lookbook out with the help of my special friends Sierra Delgado and Matt Adams. They shot the entire lookbook and I couldn't ask for a better dream team trio. We shot at a palm oasis in Joshua Tree, a desert farm, and a sacred folk art masterpiece at the edge of the Salton Sea. Such beautiful scenery and I could feel the good vibrations bouncing everywhere.

Whenever I make these posts after taking a longer-than-intended hiatus, I can't help but feel terrible that I let this blog go unattended for so long, especially considering there are still people following this blog. I would love to say that I'm going to be updating a lot more frequently, and that is ultimately the goal because keeping this blog up to date and making friends through here was always such a blast. I definitely still put lots of thought and care into each look I curate and wear everyday even if its just for my eyes, I guess it's more of getting someone to take photos of me in my looks on my nicer camera that I don't carry with me anymore (blame Instagram). Certainly if any one of my followers reading this have any questions, please feel free to shoot me an email at velvetcodeine[[at]]yahoo[[dot]]com. I am more than happy to answer any questions or whatever else you may have on your mind that you want to share. I should also mention that I update my Instagram (@larissablintz) quite frequently and make sure to only share pretty and happy things on there. We can never have enough friends! URL = IRL :)

Stoned Immaculate

tie-dye dress - Downtown LA // perfect vintage vest - Etsy // sunglasses - c/o ZeroUV // shoes - JC // jewelry - flea markets + Etsy

An update! AT LAST! Hi, friends! Man, blogging is hard for people who are alone 95% of the time when outdoors (for me: outside my store + home). I've actually been puttin' together outfits I'm proud of but didn't have anyone to shoot me (with their gun). I've been living at my store, practically. I only go home to shower and sleep, cause that's what homes are for, right???? The interior decoration at my shop is pretty kickass, but I don't want to take share any photos yet until it's absolutely perfect. Because OCD, or something. Soon, though! I'm pretty stoked on the fact that it looks like a colorful drug haven full'a equally colorful vintage + Miracle Eye pieces. My family and I have never been able to afford a house, and we've only lived in small apartments, usually in the cheap + kinda dangerous parts of town. So of course, now that I have what I consider my second home, I've gone bat-shit crazy with the colors and paints and posters, etc. Yay for having your own space! And I am of course aware that it's a huge privilege to have, one that I've never had, until now. Thanx to the internet. So, thanx, internet. U rool. (oh yeah, I also dyed my hair "dark-brown-its-basically-black")

Spanish Castle Magic

tee - vintage // sunglasses - c/o ZeroUV // leggings - Miracle Eye // jacket - vintage (similar coming soon to Miracle Eye) // elephant cuff - Miracle Eye // all other jewelry - vintage // boots - TBA

As of late, I have been heavily inspired by Jimi Hendrix (if ya can't have 'em, dress like 'em????) and forking out designs inspired by him and the Experience gang... These mariachi/matador pants are an ode to those very well-dressed dudes! In other very cool news, I'm happy to announce on the blog that Miracle Eye will be officially opening a brick and mortar store in Los Angeles, California! We signed the lease at the beginning of Feb. and have been renovating the place with my parents since then... Never had I imagined how much work it would take to open a retail location/half production studio. Broken backs all over the place and soreness is a normal thing at this point for us everyday. I have never been so proud to put my blood and sweat into something! We will be announcing the grand opening on our Instagram and Facebook and I really can't wait for it be finished. We're a little over halfway done and it's lookin so good! My life now completely revolves around my business, and everything I do is in relation to it. Due to all this time spent renovating, I've had no time to update this blog, but I will always try and snap shots of my more interesting outfits!

An Ode, a Toast, and a Round of Applause to Passion

sunglasses - c/o ZeroUV // The Clash tee - vintage // leggings - Miracle Eye // coat - vintage (similar at Miracle Eye) // boots - vintage Harley-Davidson

It's felt like ages since I have even remotely thought about "blogging" or anything of the like. For the past month I have been wearing variations of this or just wearing my own creations. I have been working my butt off designing insanely gorgeous pieces for the past month, hunting for vintage, all for my little lovechild Miracle Eye. In fact, we're currently looking for some studio space (very exciting) since I'm an adult now or something. 

This update is by far my favorite one, and I finally feel like I am publishing things I am 110% proud of and are very "me". For a while I felt like I was putting out pieces that weren't totally me, and I never felt too comfortable with it. That's when I began to think, "well, what's the fucking point of being my own boss if I still feel like I have this huge weight on my shoulders to sell things because I have to?" -- there was no fun in that. The most painful part of it all: I was very uninspired for months. It was like a really bad nightmare had become reality and it took a huge toll on me. My depression arose, again, and as the days passed I felt as if all my strength was being sucked out. Eventually, on a lucky day, I buckled down my seatbelt and finally made the very difficult decision I was going to get out of this "un-inspired" slump I was living in a month and a half ago. And now for the first time in a really, really long time, I can truly say that I am proud of every single one of these pieces. There are 29 in total, and I remember feeling my heart race out of my chest, my palms getting sweaty while sketching each design out as "neatly" as I could without letting my joy take over. Each and every one is very unique and to have been able to make all of these within the timespan of a little under a month and half truly shows what you can accomplish if you set your mind to things, focus, and work HARD. You are your own worst enemy and if you realize the potential you hold, you are infinite (as the wonderful lady, Bebe Zeva, says). Nothing else matters. 

Feel free to check out the new arrivals over at Miracle Eye here if any of the above may have interested you. Otherwise, here are photos of each new Miracle Eye piece, handmade as always by my incredible mother. In addition to our own original Miracle Eye designs, we have over 70+ new vintage pieces. Check our vintage here.

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