Dream a little Dream for me...

Life seems so ridunkulous lately, that I have started to believe that I'm really just stuck in a dream state.
( O.K, I kind of got this idea from Leonardo DiCaprio's new movie Inception, but whatever.)
Things keep revealing themselves to me, which warrant my exclamation " NO WAY! IS THIS FOR REAL?"...
Case in point:

#1
Lous Vuitton's trash bag "Rain Drop" purses


Which are priced at $1900.00. About them, Marc Jacobs actually said this...... "There's this huge cult following of almost crazy people at Vuitton who just want whatever they buy to be exclusive." We're eager to see who will be the first to tout this tote."

Almost crazy people?? eager to see who touts the first one?

I am not a Marc Jacobs fan AT ALL. Never have been. His shit is U.G.L.Y! For a while I used to think he was making fun of fashion and women in general with his hideous boxy unflattering frocks..... NOW, I know he is...
So is actually MJ my new hero?
He says FUCK YOU! you stupid rich people, I made you spend $2000.00 on a purse that looks like a hefty bag!


#2
Juggalos
I know you're thinking whats a Juggalo.....It's one of those phenomenons, that you have to see with your own eyes. and you still might not believe it.



I know, I know, you're kind of speechless right now, and wondering which country you are going to move to, and are there Juggalos there? Yes, that guy with the giant Ren & Stimpy style tooth, is borderline a mutant of some sorts and could only really exist in a bad dream or the woods of Indiana.
I was recently in Michigan, and had an elevator ride with some Juggalos, So I know first hand of their existence. and I think as a society we should be scared.

#3
Mikey Koffman's hair



For reals? As a gay female person I find The Real L Word reality show completely horrifying, BUT Mikey's hair is fascinating...part Leather Tuscadero, part 70's Elvis, part Nancy Grace. Every time I see it, I yell " is that for real?"

There are other things that make me feel like I'm stuck in a bad dream, like the gulf oil spill, Sara Palin, the fact that there's people starving ...in Ohio, Mayor Villaraigosa, Fox News, Justin Bieber, calling AT&T about my bill, the Kalamazoo oil spill, owning a store......
I could go on but the list would be GINORMOUS!!

Fear & loathing at the LA Gift Show

I'm a merchant...
merchants, like me go to "shows" where merchants gather and buy things from other merchants.
I can remember the first time I went to one these shows...It was like 1992 or something, after my illustrious career in building parade floats didn't really pan out, I found myself working for my boyfriends Mom, who owned a shabby chic kind of shop in Long Beach. She wrangled me in, when my need for a creative outlet was kind of desperate.....AND, of course I needed a paycheck.

I remember thinking Holy Shit, this is where all the crap in the world comes from!!
Then I quickly started trying to sort out which crap we were going to buy, and sell in our store.
I remember kind of feeling euphoric. I LOVED IT!
and the euphoria never waned..show after show, year after year.....

Until now....
July 2010, Los Angeles Gift Show.....
Interior - LA Convention Center

W- "what should we buy?"
Me- "I have no idea?"
W- "what do you mean yo don't know, you always know"
Me- "I know I always know, but this time I don't"
(tears welling up in my eyes)
Voice in my head- "OMG! you've lost your merchant mojo"

Here's the deal folks, owning a store in 2010 SUCKS ASS!
2008 was a TOTAL BUMMER!
2009 was worse, and 2010 is proving to be worse yet.........

It's not that I don't know what to buy, or see things I think are fantastic...
The pressure to find the right thing, at the right price is over whelming,
THERE IS NO ROOM FOR ERROR!

I went back the next day with my BFF, and confessed my apathy, or confusion, or fear....whatever the hell was making me feel like a total loser, visible from space.....

BFF gave me a hug, but refused to co-sign my self loathing. then pointed out how lucky we were to be surrounded by beautiful, amazing things, from all over the world. "lets get inspired" she said......and dragged me down an aisle.....
I had no choice but to leave my self loathing bad attitude outside.

I bought fualni earrings and a gorgeous leather Tuareg tent cushion, from my west African friend Oumar Cissé, of Farafina Tigne!!
"Bonjour my friend" he says in his funny French/West African accent





I bought Silver Beaded Hill Tribe necklaces from Northern China.



and some vintage Crucifix's from France.......



Not feeling quite so crazy, I took my loot back to the store, priced it all and put it out on display...cause thats what merchants do.



Leather tuareg cushion $385 . Fulani earrings $20 - $65.00 . Vintage Crucifix $95.00

Not only is July 4Th, Independence Day.....
But it's W and mines anniversary. 9Th to be exact
9 years.
In straight time that's 9 years, but in homo years it's more like 27.
WOW, right?

W and I and were acquaintances for many years, then 9 years ago, I had the mother of all 4Th of July parties.
Keeping my options open, I invited not only W but pretty much every person I thought was even remotely cute and single.....
(it was, by the way, later deemed 'The Summer Of Fun" for many reasons.....)

A few days later W and I ended up going on a date, we 'hung out" most of the summer, then by good gay standards, she moved in....

Someone told me a long time ago, that you should feel like you won a prize when thinking of your mate. Back then I wasn't really sure what they meant, but now I do.
I wake up everyday feeling like I won the LOTTERY OF LOVE!

Don't get me wrong, we fight, argue, roll our eyes at each other, take things out on each other, blame each other for lame shit..... etc.
But we laugh, smile, hug, kiss and support each other WAY more and somehow it works.

I ALWAYS feel like I won the best prize in the WORLD!!


Cheers to 9 years!

Happy 4Th of July!