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.