So I decided to wear Heels...

Metaphorically speaking.

It feels as if I've abandoned my creative writing outlet here at No Heels Maven. But in fact, I have been busy writing AND creating over at Fashion Backwards. It has been a very exciting (and stressful) time these last couple of months, as any new start-up would experience. Tracey and I have been trying to get the word out about our business venture, Fashion Backwards, most recently attending the RAWards in Downtown LA. We also just shot our first video tour with The Mighty Squirm last weekend and can't wait to have it edited and up on our site, and YouTube channel.

Working on our social media strategies has not been as simple as one might think, but the reception we have gotten so far has been awesome, and we keep plugging away. For those that don't know, Fashion Backwards is virtual fashion tour company, bringing attention to local fashion brands and designers, both vintage and new. We started first as a fashion blog, while we worked on (and continue to work on) business development. In October, we officially got our Trademark, woo hoo!

And so, as we continue to build and grow our business, the question that comes to mind...heels or no heels? Because mentally I am standing taller, wearing internal heels so to speak. So does that mean my inner and outer self should match accordingly? I am beginning to play around with a new type of moniker, that might perhaps work better to tie in my noheelsmaven self, and my fashion backwards self, with a dash of my wifey self, and my Emily Oberman, formerly known as Emily Dvoskin self. Emily Fanny Dvoskin if you will. Yep, it's out there. I don't care =). Great Grandma's name was Fania...newly immigrated parents were spelling mislead...and there you have it.

But I digress. And so I have been toying around with a new name falling somewhere in between the moodiness of a Gemini, which I happen to just make the cut for, lucky me. We Gemini's get a bad rep, but I think it's all those June Gemini's that give us awesome May Gemini's a bad name.

Perhaps that is more me. Hmmm.

Ta ta for now 8).

...Back to the Coffee Shop!

As mentioned in my previous post, The Coffee Shop Mission, a few months back, I now have a couple of more places to add to the list!

One new favorite spot my sister-in-law Tracey and I recently visited, was the Harvest Moon Kitchen & Marketplace. Very mom and pop like, this place opened it's doors last year and is a great addition to our quaint, little Valley Village neighborhood. They serve gourmet coffee, plenty of healthy and organic food dishes, as well as some pretty tasty pastries. Oh, and did I mention they also have pastry happy hour on Fridays?

Harvest Moon

Another coffee shop I would also like to mention is M Street Coffee Bar & Art Gallery in Sherman Oaks, who were named best coffee shop in Los Angeles by LA's Hot List for 2013. M Street boasts some awesome artwork by local artists, making the vibe so pleasant and inspiring, and exuding a sense of community. Watching all of the patrons sip their coffee and clickety clack away on their laptops, gives the impression of some serious creative juices flowing by. I just imagine a new movie script being developed, or some unique business venture being created. Hopefully these thoughts are not terribly misguided. That would be awkward.

M Street Latte Art

-Emily

Spring 2014

'nuff said.

San Jose Del Cabo

This last weekend, Brian and I decided to be spontaneous; we booked a flight out to Los Cabos, Mexico on Friday afternoon, and jetsetted there Saturday morning, arriving just in time for a glistening sunset at Hotel El Ganzo Design Boutique in San Jose del Cabo. Being my first time in Cabo, I expected cheesy clubs, inebriated folks yelling out "cabo wabo!" on the street corners, and colorful umbrella's in every cocktail. Boy was I wrong! Or perhaps I was right, and we just happened to avoid that region, known as Cabo San Lucas. Because let me tell you, San Jose del Cabo is so adorably artsy and modern and not cheesy at all! My parents had chosen Hotel El Ganzo to celebrate my dad's 70th jubilee. And being all spontaneous, we decided to go surprise them. It worked.

Our 3 day adventure included: a private beach (private because we happened to be the only people there) accessed via water taxi across the marina, dips into the Sea of Cortez, an organic farm on deserted sand dunes, strolls through the downtown arts district, tamarind cocktails (the hotel's welcome drink, choice of tequila or rum...welcome indeed), underground recording studios, lots of tequila, and so much inspiring design (and not because of said tequila). I spent the last morning wandering the hotel with my ipad, making sure I documented every single artsy crevice for a serious pinterest-a-thon, coming soon. (I really need a new camera).

Los Cabos Marina and Hotel El Ganzo. Images found on Pinterest.

El Ganzo Resident Artists. Photoshop Altering and Collaging by Me. 

El Ganzo Library. Photoshop Altering and Collaging by Me.

Vintage Bikes, etc. Photos by Me. 

Various Art Installations. Photos by Me.

Macchiato Love. The Infamous Bird. And, The End.

-Emily

Tight Legged Layering

The Layering of the Tights - My all time FAVORITE Fall fashion tradition is about to commence. Living in Los Angeles, this usually comes a bit late. But better late than never right?

Many people have their staples, and God knows I've experimented with many different looks, every time wondering, "Is this going to be 'The Emily?'" From my couple year stint with the hot pink highlights, nicely mixing in with my naturally brown hair (sexual chocolate, we called it), to black nail polish on my toes for what seemed like a decade. I have definitely tried many things. But my layered tights' look just keeps me coming back for more.

Upon perusing my childhood photo albums a few years back, I noticed that I was almost always wearing tights. So I asked my mom, "Mom, why did you dress me in tights ALL the time?" Her answer: "...Because you refused to go outside any other way." Seems logical.

Now a days, I like to push it a step further. Why not layer up some tights and create your own unique design? With the southern california weather turning a bit more permissible, here are my favorite combinations.

Left: Magenta tights, layered under floral black lace tights.
Right: Opaque bright blue tights, layered under white fishnet bow tights.

Left: Opaque floral tights, layered under black small scaled fishnets.
Right: Black sweater tights, layered under lacy nude tights.

Left: Grey knit tights, layered under thigh high pale pink socks.
Right: Mini black, white and grey chevron patterned tights, layered under lacy brown fishnets. 

All Hallow's Eve

The bewitching hour is approaching and the year long question remains...WHAT in the world am I going to be for Halloween THIS year?

Last year, my friends and I dressed up as the Saved By The Bell gang. Other memorable costumes include - 2005, the year I was "Trouble"; 2007, when my costume was "Risky Business" to some, a la Tom Cruise; and 1989, when I was dutifully collecting candy (that my parents would then not allow me to eat since they were of course laced with poison...), as none other than "Punky Brewster." Of course, I also can't forget 2004, the year I discovered the real definition of A Slutty Halloween (I was a late bloomer), and went as a "Bondage Girl." James Bond girls needn't have applied.

Different as can be, what these costumes did have in common though were one very important thing: The craft of the handmade! As fun as it is to go to all of the Halloween stores, it's usually just for collecting ideas. But after an incident a few years ago, where an amazing idea was not recorded and then forgotten forever, I began recording any and all costume ideas that came to mind throughout the year, and now I have too many to choose from. I stand by my handmade costume philosophy, but I now cannot decide which one to go with!

Help?

Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds"

An escaped mental patient, or 10

A Matryoshka Doll

Blah-zay, Blah-zay

Upon starting this blog, I made a promise to myself that I would post something worthy at the very least once a week. Since then I have (pretty much) held myself to that promise. Until, I failed. You see, between working on my reschooling career, upholding a small business venture I call my brainchild, AND maintaining a social life along with family cuddle time, I have just fallen waaay behind and it is unacceptable! I couldn't even imagine trying to raise a real child amidst all this (sorry mom). Other excitements that have kept this blog idle include, but are not limited to: a new baby niece, a stop over in my lovely hometown of San Francisco last weekend, a few side gigs (can't have the hubby do all the work now, although he does do a great job), and well, just life. 

Fast forward to this afternoon, and a nasty feeling of the blah-zay's suddenly came over me. Sure, lack of sleep and a certain monthly visitor weren't helping. But I realized the real culprit was really my lack of writing! So, here I am back in full force. And I've decided I should finally address why this blog is titled what it is: No Heels (Maven).

Ok so I've been around now for 30 years, and for about a good 15-16 of them I was uuusually the shortest one amongst my peers. For some reason however, I seldom felt the need or want to wear heels. Then I grew slightly taller, and I turned the ripe 'ol age of party, drinking and the sought after "adult" going out. Yet still, no sign of heels. My (tall) sisters made fun of me, my mom told me to get a pair (of heels), and my going out friends always gave my choice of "clubbing" shoes, that juuust-a-little-too-long-of-a-stare, with not-enough-dialogue look. And I just didn't understand it. My shoes were definitely cute AND fashion forward, so just because they lacked that extra block of hardware in the back, they were all of a sudden not good enough?

A few years later, when the next big wardrobe decision would be for that coveted job interview, I had a discussion with my bestie and found what she had to say quite interesting. She felt that when she wore heels, especially in the work place, she was taken more seriously. Outside of the work place, she felt doors opened for her, quite literally. I decided to test this theory, hoping to gain clarity. What I found was, how could I be taken seriously while when wearing these alleged heels, I found myself wobbling around, and thus less focused and less confident? It's definitely no secret that I am not the most agile of people, often times falling UP the stairs. But really, how could a single piece of accessory meant solely for the soles, the last place ones eyes fall after they meet yours, and originally designed to protect and comfort your main mode of transportation (your feet), be THAT significant in the way others perceived you? I mean it's not like I was wearing Crocs or Birkenstocks *shudders*. These were well thought out, stylish pieces of wearable art for the feet.

Although I find plenty of amazingly gorgeous heels quite often, and on occasion I will wear them (i.e. my wedding, though I seriously contemplated wearing some ballet flats and "had some sense talked into me" by my mom), I find just as many amazingly gorgeous flats. And as I continue to push the "boundaries" of the flat, I refuse to believe that wearing heels is going to make someone notice me more. After all, my husband fell for me as I tripped my way across a cliff in the middle east in the ugliest of sneakers, which were properly disposed of shortly after.

Lucky for me, these days we have celebrities like Zooey Deschanel, whose character on "New Girl" is always wearing the most adorable flats. If it were me, I'de wear those babies to the most glamorous red carpet event, and still look awesome. Just sayin.

Alexa Chung, Reese Witherspoon and Zooey Deschanel

My favorite Jeffrey Campbell's

RIP white leather boots