Urbanite of the month: Corissa Pacillas-Smith

Here's my next lovely Urbanite for the month of June, Corissa Pacillas-Smith!  Corissa has amazing fashion sense, and she's a lover of thrift and vintage, too!  She also has a heart for South LA so she's a perfect fit as my next Urbanite.

Corissa is one of the most creative people that I know!  We've known each other for years, but we also recently did The Artist's Way curriculum together last year, and it was an amazing experience in growing creatively together.  Corissa is very inspirational!  In the interview below, she shares about her passion for acting, along with her love for urban life, and vintage and thrift.  Check out more about Corissa and her theater company, Theater Elysium here!

All of these photos were taken in South LA in front of a couple of murals right around the corner from my house.  Urban street art never ceases to amaze me!

Corissa's entire ensemble here is from Sonshine Shop Vintage and will be featured on our Etsy site very soon.  She is wearing a vintage faux fur jacket by Beeline Fashions, vintage leather pants by Michael Hoban North Beach, vintage New York Transit shoes, and a vintage Puma purse.  I love how it all goes together so well.  It looks tough but feminine.

Don't you love these buttons on the vintage Beeline jacket?  They have cool texture!

And...she is wearing the most amazing vintage beaded top that will also be sold on our Etsy site.  All of these items are being sold as is, and they are in GREAT condition.

Did you know that Corissa loves octopuses (or octopi)?  When she saw this piece of street art, she told me so.  :-) 

 Corissa is wearing her very own vintage dress, and a Sonshine Shop vintage Givenchy Nouvelle Boutique blazer jacket.

I really love this vintage dress on Corissa, the silhoutte and fit are perfect for her.  Didn't I tell you that she has lovely taste in vintage?

 Doing her octopus arms impersonation.  :-P

Shapeofagirlinla:  What do you love most about South LA?  (living here, etc).

Corissa:  My answer to this question is twofold (I can't just pick one!!!). The first thing is the reason I live here, which is both difficult and rewarding - the Kingdom justice work I do with Church of the Redeemer. I am blessed with an incredible community who is seeking peace for our area in South LA, and strives to love one another and our neighbors as Jesus loves us. This includes everything from jumping in a bounce house with the kid next door for his birthday party (and feeling loved like part of the family even though I'm so different than he is) to protesting oil drilling in the midst of our neighborhood (occurring 20 feet away from residents' homes), to singing on the worship team at Church of the Redeemer. This feels like home.

The second thing I love is being close to so many types of AMAZING food! I love being a few miles from Korea Town, Little Tokyo, China Town, and living in the middle of authentic pupuserias, food trucks, etc. I love asking Nathan (my husband) "what do you feel like eating today?" and having access to so many options. YUMMY.

Shapeofagirlinla sidebar:  I COMPLETE AGREE.  More Gems of South LA/LA in general to come!!!

Shapeofagirlinla:  What do you love most about acting?

Corissa:  I love being able to access different parts of humanity! Human nature is a complex beast, and there are parts of ourselves we all try to pretend don't exist, or are resistant to facing for various reasons. I love being able to tap into the truth of who we are in ways that are terrifying, shameful, radiant, and mundane. It's so important to face who we truly are - the darkness and the light - and to accept our weaknesses and ask for help in the midst of them. This is the only way we can change and grow, as individuals and communities, and I believe my work as an actor inspires this self reflection, growth, and pursuit of truth. I love feeling alive as I tell a story that's not my own.

Shapeofagirlinla:  What do you love most about vintage and thrift store clothes/items?

Corissa:  I have never thought about this before. I guess it would be the history and legacy of each piece. Each piece has a story, and in most cases has been on this earth longer than I have! Even if I don't know the specifics of the stories that go along with each piece, I know it has one, and I feel connected to a life, person, time, and community beyond myself. I also love not being limited to the current trends and styles, but having access to past and differing styles. So much beauty in God's world!

Shapeofagirlinla:  Share an interesting story about life in South LA.

Corissa:  Every year Church of the Redeemer has a Retreat, where we go up to a camp somewhere in the mountains to get away, connect, and do some intensive learning and growing together as a church. Each person who attends is part of a small group of 3-6 people. The small groups are comprised of people of the same gender but varying backgrounds in terms of race, ethnicity, socio-economic standing, etc. During small group times, we share and reflect on the weekend's teaching and how it's impacting us as individuals. These times can get very vulnerable. 

One year I was placed in a group where there were 2 strong, outspoken, seemingly tough women who had grown up in South LA. They were both different ages and ethnicities than I am. They grew up in poverty and in the midst of addiction and abuse that was very far from my own childhood and adult experiences. Although I can be loud on stage, I am actually highly sensitive, highly emotional, and super concerned with how others see me. I was honestly intimidated by these incredible women, who had overcome and were still overcoming some crazy intense experiences that made my heart ache and my stomach turn when they shared. I was blown away by their honesty and vulnerability with our group - what courage, what transparency, what trust they have after almost every experience and relationship in their lives told them not to trust, not to be vulnerable. I felt completely unworthy of their friendship and time, of their vulnerability and honesty with me. I had little to nothing in common with these women apart from being a woman myself and being a beloved daughter of God and follower of Jesus. And yet that was enough - Jesus' deep love and transformative power brought us together that weekend, and by the end of the camp I had 2 new friends, women I would not befriend or feel comfortable sharing with in other circumstances. I am so grateful for God's reconciliation and redemption work in South LA and beyond!

Mini pilgrimage: South Pasadena

May was a crazy month, friends.  It was just one of those full months!  I'm hopeful that June will be a bit slower, with the hope of implementing some different rhythms in my life that include ongoing daily creativity.  I have many blog post drafts yet to be born, but for now I present you with a little one about one of my favorite neighborhoods in So Cal--South Pasadena.  

My very first home/apartment in Southern California was right at the border of LA, and South Pasadena. I love South Pas' beauty, and the quaint, adorable shops and boutiques on main streets like Fair Oaks Blvd and Mission Blvd.  South Pasadena will always have a special place in my heart as it was my first home in Southern California after college.

One of my very favorite areas in South Pasadena is a square where the South Pas Library sits--between El Centro St., Fairview Ave., Oxley St., and Diamond Avenue.  The South Pas Library itself is a gorgeous, old building with beautiful architecture.  While the square is small, it houses a lovely little green quiet space, ideal for hanging out for a Sabbath day for me!

My vintage Doc Marten boots have had a lot of play time these days especially since they've been repaired.  I happily kicked them off while I spread out my blanket on the grounds of the South Pas Library.  I still can't believe that I've had these boots since high school, that they still fit me, and they are still in such good shape.  

And right across the street of this square is a little cafe called Kaldi.  It's a perfect spot to grab a cuppa something delicious, and then lay on the grass or sit on one of the benches to rest, read, picnic, or simply be and waste time.

I don't get to come out to South Pasadena very often, but whenever I find myself having time and being in that area, I always try to make it a point to spend time at my favorite square by the South Pasadena library.  Enjoy this beautiful spot, there's plenty of parking nearby, and the South Pasadena Library is a lovely place to wander as well if you're a book lover (btw, their movie collection is amazing, too!).  Peace.

Urbanite of the month: Lorraina Armenta

I am excited to introduce this series featuring urban folks that I admire.  My very first Urbanite of the Month is my housemate, Lorraina Armenta.  I asked Lorraina to be the first because she came to mind immediately when I thought about others who love the same things that I love--fashion, thrift store/vintage clothes, South LA urban life, community, and a shared spirituality.  

Lorraina's style is so fun, colorful and bold, just like her personality.  Living with her, I can't help but be influenced by her style so I think that my style has become more bold and colorful in some ways.

Lorraina has put into words in an essay that she wrote in college what I also hope to in my work, writing, blogging, photography, etc. to promote thrift store and vintage clothes and urban life.  That someone else's "trash" is another person's treasure.  That what was once considered worthless is found to be worth much and cherished.  Lorraina has given me permission to share quotes from her college essay called "This I Believe."

"I believe in thrift-store shopping because of what it represents. I believe in thrift-store shopping because it is a vivid example of something I am still trying to figure out: Redemption...I believe in thrift-store shopping because I feel alive when I experience the joy and beauty of redemption."-Lorraina

Lorraina is wearing a vintage tailor made dress from the 1950's/1960's from Sonshine Shop Vintage.  Isn't it gorgeous?  As soon as I saw it, it made me think of her.  I told her that it looks like a water color painting.  

This street art graffiti walls featured in this blog post are right around the corner from our house.

Lorraina accessorized the look herself.  I love this purse that she got in Mexico with her name on it (spelled differently) Lorena.

"I think that’s why I love urban ministry as well.  I feel alive when I watch God redeem those that the rest of society has given up on."-Lorraina

The vintage dress that Lorraina is wearing is one her own.  Love it!

"There is something so powerful about watching something spring to life against all odds...the process of thrift-store shopping exemplify the beauty and power of the concept that is at the core of what happened on the Cross.  And that’s why I believe in spending time in thrift-stores and walking alongside teens [in the city]..."-Lorraina

Lorrainna graciously answered some questions to tell us more about herself in this interview below.  

Shapeofagirlinla:  What do you love most about South LA?

Lorraina:  My favorite part of living in South LA is the people. Some of the most warm, generous, hospitable, creative, and resilient people I know live here in the neighborhoods of South Los Angeles. 

Shapeofagirlinla:   What do you love most about working for World Impact?

Lorraina:  World Impact's commitment to incarnational ministry and spiritual community is what drew me to World Impact over five years ago. I love that we live where we work, and that for us church can happen every day of the week because most of us live within walking distance of one another. 

I love that both the people I work with and my students/neighbors are truly family to me. We engage in intentional, shared spirituality around here while seeing the Kingdom of God advance in one another's lives, homes, and churches--and that makes work something to get excited about.

Shapeofagirlinla:  What do you love most about vintage and thrift store clothes/items?

Lorraina:  For me, vintage and thrift store clothes are about redeeming that which someone gave up on.  The statistics on the fashion industry's current affect on the environment are pretty staggering, especially with the rise of a "fast fashion" movement that forces clothing companies to use earth's limited resources in order to produce enough clothing for the trends that come and go every couple months.  I shop in thrift stores as a way to show that we can physically slow down enough to find the little "treasures" that find their way in thrift stores while reminding people that clothes can be timeless if we have enough creativity and imagination. And of course, shopping second-hand is way cheaper!

Shapeofagirlinla:  Share an interesting story about life in South LA/World Impact. 

Lorraina:  Life in South LA is always an adventure. I never know quite what to expect when I go to Bible study or walk into the classroom each day. This much I can expect, though:  God never ceases to show up, even in the ordinary moments of life where I almost forget that He's there. Some of my favorite moments from living here came during the unexpected moments, like the time the neighborhood kids looked at me with startled faces as we felt the earth and our very-old house shake during an earthquake--then the beautiful peace wash over their faces as we held hands and prayed that God would protect us. Or the time we had a free Sunday night and invited some friends over for yummy pan dulce from the local bakery/panaderia and sat around the table for hours talking about life and loss, and where God is moving in it. Or the time I walked down the street and saw my middle school students convincing the neighbors to "just give a dollar--come on, there are children in the world that won't EAT today!" Each day I keep my eyes open for moments like these that remind me that He is here ​and that He's always moving. 

If you are interested in learning more about Lorraina and supporting the work that Lorraina is involved in, check her out HERE!  

Peace.

Mini pilgrimage on Good Friday--Roaming around San Gabriel Valley (LOVE Sierra Madre!)

Good Friday was a very GOOD FRIDAY this year.  I had the day off and decided to step out of South LA, and spend the day out in the San Gabriel Valley area.  

On the agenda was:

1)  Get hair cut.

2)  Get best boba at Half and Half Boba Tea House.

3)  Get best pho at Golden Deli Pho.

And then because I had time to kill before my evening activity in Pasadena, I decided to have an impromptu visit to a beautiful spot that I hadn't been to in a long time called Mater Dolorosa monastery.  I thought, "What better way to spend Good Friday than at this beautiful Passionist priests monastery?"  Since Good Friday is a day to reflect on The Passion, I knew that this Catholic order was founded upon the power and beauty of The Passion.  

Sadly, denied upon my arrival as there was a friendly guard at the gate, and he let me know that the brothers were in seclusion until later that afternoon.  So I decided to return when the gates would open again, and asked if there was a park nearby to rest and be still.  The guard very kindly pointed me to a park nearby which happened to be in the middle of old town Sierra Madre.

I didn't feel like settling down just yet and was curious about this quaint little old village area.  So I wandered a bit and was delighted to see all of this!

Old City Hall is pale pink!  :-)

All of the park benches looked like this, a big beautiful leaf across the back!

It was a beautiful day on top of finding beautiful buildings and spots throughout the town.  I finally did settle down for a bit on one of those beautiful benches, and had some lovely quiet sacred time and did some journaling.  I stopped by some of the shops and boutiques to look around, and also found this lovely bakery that had some gluten free items, which of course made me very happy.  I bought a green Easter meringue cookie and it was delicious!

The time came soon enough for the gates to open at the monastery, so I headed out there to find that every Catholic in the San Gabriel Valley area was there waiting to get inside as well!  I didn't know that Catholics come to do the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday!

I don't know if you can see this very clearly but there was a VERY long line of cars all the way down the street into the driveway of the monastery.  I ended up pulling over about a block down, and parking on the street and just walking up to the entrance.

I had a really beautiful time reflecting in the the garden of The Seven Sorrows of Mary.  It was a Good Friday, indeed.  

Peace.