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!

OOTD: Vintage Myrjord Veveri Bo Telemark wool woven jacket

Check out this gorgeous vintage woven wool jacket from Norway that I am tempted to buy myself.  Photos shot in front of the World Impact Teen Center.  Posting this on SonshineShopVintage on Etsy so get shopping before I buy this myself!

Like I said, I'm a month behind so this is pre-bangs hair in March.

I would say that YOU NEED THIS JACKET.  It's gorgeous.  

Like our Sonshine Shop Vintage on facebook, instagram, or comment below. 

Buy it on Sonshine Shop Vintage on Etsy directly, or if you're local in Southern California, you can e-mail me at shapeofagirlinla@gmail.com to buy and pick up directly from us!

Peace.

Food For Thought: The Perils of the Fashion Industry

As much as I love fashion as a form of creative self-expression, I am aware that the fashion industry definitely has a dark side at many levels.  I heard an interesting story about the perils of the fashion industry for fashion designers, specifically high fashion designers.  The report on NPR featured a book by Dana Thomas called Gods and Kings:  The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano.  Thomas describes the shift of the fashion industry from family owned fashion houses that were bought by big conglomorates.  As a result, the demand and pace of the high fashion industry increased rapidly, and has led to some of the top fashion designers falling, some due addiction and depression.

While I think that there is still creative inspiration from high fashion, when any institution becomes a part of big conglomerates, greed consumes and results in injustice and loss.

Learning these things about the fashion industry deepens my conviction that sustainable, eco-friendly fashion, thrift stores, and vintage clothing and items are the way to go.  Some people feel uncomfortable wearing used clothes.  When I find any item that someone decided to give away to a thrift store, I feel a sense of delight, like I'm finding treasure.  When I research vintage items for the Sonshine Shop, I delight in finding that these old items are worth something, worth quite a lot.  And the older something is, the more it is worth.  Someone else's trash is another person's treasure.  I hope that the world can come to see it more this way...and I hope to help with that!
Peace.

OOTD: St. Patty's Day, Easy Being Green

I guess it was inevitable.  I was bound to be the first customer for Sonshine Shop Vintage.  That's the tough part of having first dibs on all of these amazing items.  When you're the first to get your hands on them, it's hard to not want to buy them all for yourself!!

When I saw these green silk pants, I knew that I would eventually buy them.  And when I did, I wore them for three days in a row practically.  They are so light and comfortable.

Of course, I wore these lovely green pants on St. Patrick's day!

This amazing beaded purse was...my mother's!  If you couldn't tell by my outfits, I've been really into the style and fashion from the era of Downtown Abbey.  The long beaded necklaces, loose sparkly tops, and delicate, fancy hairstyles.

Aside from wearing green on that day, I've learned some about St. Patrick and his life and have a huge amount of respect and admiration for it.  This article tells you a little more about the patron saint of Ireland, and the movement through Celtic Christianity that changed the world.  Celtic values and love for nature, community, and hospitality were the heart of their spirituality, which is so inspiring.  

I had the privilege of visiting Ireland at a very young age, and I really sensed these values.  Everyone I met smiled at me, and I felt so welcomed.  I fell in love with their culture and people.  Maybe because Irish culture and history feels so close to home, to Korean culture.  A friend posted this article on Facebook which is hilarious, but is completely true!  Koreans and the Irish have much in common that we are called the Irish of the east!  Peace!

Welcome to Sonshine Shop Vintage on Etsy!

Friends!  Sonshine Shop Vintage Etsy has opened as of last month!  The 5th garment has been posted today, and it was fun to take photos outside of World Impact.  Here are the photos (below), and the link for Sonshine Shop Vintage.  

Please circulate far and wide to people who love all things vintage.  

We received a very large donation of antique and vintage items last week, and I LOVE every single garment.  It's taking every ounce of will power to not buy them all and keep them for myself.  Can't wait to post them for you guys to see.  

I thought this last photo was funny because it reminds me of how I once called myself an Italian trapped in a Korean American body.  I really do talk with my hands.  I was telling my photographer (Thank you, Sara!) about what I wanted to capture in the photos of each garment.  She did a great job, didn't she?  Love this dress!  Someone go buy it!

Peace.

OOTD: Biker chick or Equestrian?

Blogging on the side is not an easy task.  Life has been a bit crazy lately, I'll be honest, but I'm hoping to have better rhythms with blogging, working on these upcoming projects for the Sonshine Shop soon, as well as my own little projects here on the side.  

A while back I had the time to do a quick, fun set of photos on my balcony as the sun was going down.  I got so many compliments on this outfit that day that I thought it'd be fun to post this look and promote thrift store clothes.  

I realized after I put together this outfit that I sort of looked like a cross between a biker chick, and an equestrian/horse back rider person.  

You'll have to excuse the mess of my balcony in these photos.  The balcony is now clean, thankfully, but at the time, it hadn't swept much since the weather has been colder, and been unoccupied and neglected some.  Now that I think about it, it was very warm that day that I took these photos.

I think my favorite parts of this outfit are the shirt, and the red bandana.  How patriotic is this shirt??  I dig that it says "Freedom Forever."  :-)

I will openly admit that I absolutely adore these socks that I got for free.  First of all, they are incredibly thick and warm because the brand that donated these clothes to us is a base layer brand for outdoorsey campers and skier/snow boarder types.  Which I am sort of not, although I love a good camping trip now and then.  Anyway, besides being so warm and comfy, I love that these socks have colorful cocks fighting.  It makes this outfit feel even more bada$$.  Haha.

And of course, an outfit post would not be complete without some accessories.  

I have this thing for heart jewelry, especially these days.  These bracelets look like they would match because the different shades of metal (silver, bronze, gold) but that was unintentional as I bought them all separately.  I often wear them together anyway because they match, and I love a good reminder of love.  The silver Celtic heart is my favorite I think, and I bought it at a monastery I went to recently for a retreat.  I've learned a bit about Celtic spirituality and I've come to really identify with, and love the emphasis of experiencing God in nature.  

Red bandana (old) + Freedom Forever shirt (thrifted) + Jean jacket (old) + pants (free donated) + cocks fighting socks (free donated) + black boots (thrifted) = very cheap, fun outfit of less than $10!  Go shop at the Sonshine Shop!

Some of you may be asking, "How does this girl get so much free stuff?"  I will answer that question soon.  :-)

My balcony was revived this summer, and is still in process as one of my projects.  Soon and very soon, I will post about it!  I know, so mysterious, I am.  Peace.

OOTD: Walk Like a Man?

I love having a little masculinity in outfits sometimes.  In the winter, I actually prefer to wear pants most of the time, simply to stay warm and it just feels more comfortable.

I wanted to take some photos while I still had my my Christmas decorations up in my office.  They will be coming down since tomorrow is the Day of Epiphany, the last day of Christmas, I believe.  Ever since I looked to celebrate Advent and Christmas in terms of their genuine meaning, I decided to celebrate the 12 days of Christmas until Epiphany to remind me of the joy of the season, and in a way, to prolong it.  

The cute framed Snoopy cross-stitch was a gift from my cousin from when I was very little.  I can't believe that I still have it, but I decided to pull it out and decorate my office.  

When I saw this turqoise velvet blazer at the Sonshine Shop, I couldn't resist.  It was in such great condition, and the color is lovely.  Plus, velvet is so soft and warm, although we certainly didn't need it today in Southern CA!  So sunny and warm today, and very much welcomed by me compared to last week's temperatures in the 30's and 40's (at night, that is).  Apparently, it's going to be 80 tomorrow!  The pants are so comfortable and make me think of men's trousers.  You can't tell by the photo but they are herringbone pattern, which I've always loved for formal work pants.  

I love this necklace.  It was my mom's.  She bought a set of three of these ivory necklaces a long time ago when she was single, and she gave me two of them.  Lovely, isn't it?  I will definitely be wearing the other one sometime soon.

I will never be a minimalist in terms of style.  I just love to accessorize too much, especially with jewelry.  The chunky flower bracelet, the peacock hairclip, and one of the rings is from one of my favorite jewelry vendors called Love MM Couture.  Their costume jewelry style is so gorgeous, I never thought I would love chunky, sparkly jewelry like theirs so much.  I will definitely be featuring more of their jewelry that I own.

Lastly, these amazing shoes are SSS finds as well and they were completely brand new, even still in the box.  Again, the whole outfit came together as slightly masculine, but with a few feminine jewelry pieces.  By the way, the white ceramic birds were also from the SSS, I love them as office decorations, and you will soon see that I have a thing for flowers and birds in my style! 

It appears that the SSS is closed for maintenance so I'm not sure when they'll open again this week, but I'm excited to give you all a preview of some of the items we'll be selling from Sonshine Vintage very soon!  Peace.

OOTD: Outfit of the day

Happy New Year, ya'll!  I'm happy to post my first OOTD (outfit of the day) blog post, as I'm finding that every day practically, I am wearing something from the Sonshine Shop (SSS) thrift store.

The white cable knit sweater and the heart sweater are from the SSS, both under $5.00, in great condition, and super cute, no?

Every time I wear this skirt, I get compliments.  I call this skirt my "peacock skirt" because as you can see, it's so full of colors that remind me of bright peacock feather coloring.  If you can tell by the photo, there are some strands of iridescent silver/gold thread throughout the skirt as well.  Plus, I love that it has thin pleats all throughout.  And guess who gave it to me?!  My mom!  My mom has incredible fashion sense, and she has given me many clothes and items since she is so generous, and she just doesn't wear them anymore, she says.  I plan to showcase these clothes and jewelry in a blog series, so stay tuned.

Can you believe that I've had these adorable gloves for over 20 years?  Talk about vintage!  They were a gift from a good friend from overseas.  They are not only still in great condition but they are so cute with the seasons represented on them--spring, summer, fall, and winter.  I will be wearing them quite a bit this winter, that's for sure.

Lastly, my boots that I've worn a TON this winter so far.  They are super comfortable and go with everything.  These were also a thrift store find, practically brand new, and only $6.  I am usually wary of buying used shoes, but as I checked them out, I saw that they were hardly worn and didn't smell, which is always a plus with shoes, isn't it?  

The outfit total = free scarf (a gift) + SSS heart sweater (about $5) + SSS sweater vest (about $5) + my mom's skirt (a gift) + four season gloves (a gift) + thrifted boots (about $6) = less than $20!  This is why thrift store shopping is the way to go, people.  I'm excited to share more about the good finds that are possible.  In the meantime, go shop at the SSS located at 1971 S. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90007, at the corner of Vermont Avenue and 20th Street directly north of the 10 freeway!  Peace.