Postcard from CA

Hello from CA,

The weather has been cooler and windy this week.  But the surf has been spectacular and there is a hint of a “Superbloom” in the moist air.  

Miss you lots! XO

d.

(photos: dievca - Redondo Beach, CA 02/2023)

A quick get away: Options

dries-van-noten-printed-cotton-voile-pareo-pinkelse-else-mare-swim-scoop-bikiniAlberta Ferretti Te Queiro SwimsuitAlberta Ferretti Te Queiro Sweater

dievca is raiding her closet for a quick CA getaway in February. she will be two blocks from the beach, but she figures the temperature is going to be cooler – so she’s looking at swimsuits with options of cover. Her Else two piece is very flattering and the Dries van Noten Pareo is a large wrap. The Alberta Ferretti Swimsuit and Cashmere sweater can cut the chill. Looking at options!


What color is Blue Atoll?

Retrofete Blue Atoll Crochet Dress

Pantone Blue AtollThe Retrofete Mira Dress. This mini dress takes the textile a step further with light-catching sequin embellishments throughout and a dramatic open back. Layer it over your favorite bikini. Or over nothing for your Master or Mistress
  • 100% Viscose Knitted
  • Made in India
  • Blue Atoll
  • $485

Retrofete Blue Atoll Crochet Dress 2


The Start of Summer

Hilda Beach Tube

Warm summer sun,
    Shine kindly here,
Warm southern wind,
    Blow softly here.
Green sod above,
    Lie light, lie light.
Good night, dear heart,
    Good night, good night.

MARK TWAIN


Ready, Steady – Packing

Master flew out to Europe for Work this week.
dievca is going for Pleasure this weekend.
Both Master and His dievca will be gone for two weeks.
dievca packed for Master – easy peasy – He is in one place with laundry services.
dievca is having trouble with her packing as the climate will be warm and then cooler.

Her Plan (click on the photos for more detail):


A really low dew point


can make a Beach Holiday that much more enjoyable.
(dievca has been incredibly lucky with the weather this weekend).


Photo: dievca South Beach FL 03/2022


Dipping my tootsies!

20220323_170236

Completely appropriate for traveling to the Beach this weekend!

Photo: dievca Chelsea Sidewalk NYC 3/2022


Packing for the Beach

~First thoughts~

(Click on the photos for a closer look)


travel (elfje)

Simon Bolz Ibiza

Bright

sizzling heat

head down south

sand in strange places

Beach

Photo: Simon Bolz

Like everyone…

black-and-white image by Cecil Beaton was featured in the April 1949 issue of Vogue and depicts Mrs. John C. Wilson

dievca would like to drop everything and sit by a beach.  

There is a house to clear, a house to sell and work to complete. Money that was spent on a previous trips, so its not readily available.  Add COVID restrictions. And a body that is showing the ravages of no time for workouts, stress and perimenopause.  But, everyone has problems and everyone would like to disappear on Holiday – right?

dievca will just dream and push through~

Photo: black-and-white image by Cecil Beaton was featured in the April 1949 issue of Vogue and depicts Mrs. John C. Wilson in Jaimaca.

Beach Coffee – a bit dear…

20210821_05411020210821_06100220210821_062216

Photos: dievca Coronado, CA 08/2021


7 Bridges, Diner/Drive-In/Dive, and a Nap

San Diego 7 Bridges Walk

A lovely way to see some of the San Diego neighborhoods is to walk the 7 Bridges Urban Walk – passing the Zoo, Balboa Park,  the LGBT+ community, etc. dievca’s watch logged 5.68 miles.  With a short drive to Hob Knob Hill for brunch, the restaurant was featured on Diner, Drive-In and Dives with Guy Fieri. dievca just had a normal breakfast (eggs, bacon, waffle) and it was a like a normal diner in NYC.

San Diego 7 Bridges Walk

Afterward, dievca passed out on the Coronado Beach for two hours – sunscreen was applied!


BoomBoom Beach with Bembien

bemresbz5_01--IMG_1050_1200--JOLENEBAGLARGE--1665808001

Something of Use!

A bag with heart. A bag for the Beach! Entirely hand-woven with plastic recycled off the beaches of Bali and repurposed into a gorgeous tote to treasure forever. No stranger to sand and salt, the Jolene is perfect for beach days. Toss in your towel and book of Proust enjoy your day in the sun. 100% handwoven recycled plastic 14” x 10.5” . It’s $211 and available in Cherry, Pearl, Sky and Black. There is a medium size, too for $175

Click photo for link


Dog Friendly Del Mar and the Pineapple Whip

dievca finally got her Disney-style Dole Whip!


Might have to soak up some sun!

ava-gardner-vintage-beach-1551143297

Ava Gardner soaks up the sun while shooting Pandora and the Flying Dutchman in 1951.


Are you doing the last hurrah?


The City is even quieter.
New Yorkers are trying to squeeze in the last week at the beach.
Are you trying to fit in the last road trip before September?
Please have a coffee for dievca on the beach.
She’ll be having hers on the rooftop or by the Hudson River.
Gotta work with what you have on hand~
XO your dievča


Have you snuck off to the beach, yet?

Ava Gardner in a bikini

dievca hasn’t…yet.
If she can get there she would like to take this Clare V. Denim Tote:

Clare V. Giant Tropezienne washed denim bag

dievca regrets to tell you that she no longer looks like Ava — more like this sunbather:

 


Beach, Heat, Outdoors, Social Distancing~

Susan Hayward and Virginia Dale 4th of July

Happy 4th of July!
Looks like Susan Hayward had the same challenges as dievca with humidity and wild-a** hair!
Enjoy your Day!!


Fantasy VS. Reality


The Norma Kamali Sequin underwire top and bottoms are exclusive to Net-A-Porter and are something to dream about~ Can you see the suit poolside in Miami, FL?

dievca has a little over a month to work on her poolside presentation. The best full-body workout that will be easy on a torn hamstring/calf and back is swimming. Reality is that dievca will be wearing Stella McCartney for Adidas and Speedo. Let’s hope she can be disciplined for Master and her training.


Beach, options.

Beach Football – Los Angeles Public Library

Hmmm, the humidity has dropped. The first college football game has been played.
dievca is still interested in heading to the beach.
Maybe she can combine the summer and fall activities together?
Nah, after last night, she’d rather just sleep in the sun.

Getty Images – Sleeping on a Beach in Formal Wear

 


To support Gay Pride, yet

avoid the Dueling Parades….dievca will be heading to the beach on Sunday.

This year what will probably be the biggest queer celebration in New York City history will consist of dueling marches – the gigantic, official annual Pride march with all the celebratory floats, fueled by big business sponsors and a breakaway march designed to be a grassroots protest not only for the cause of civil rights but against the over-corporatization of the main parade. (click here for the Guardian Article)

Carrying her gear in:

Maison Kitsuné Exclusive ssense rainbow fox tote

 

And wearing:

RE/DONE. Rainbow Raw Hem Sweatshirt

If it gets cooler in the evening.

 


“If it swells, ride it!” Unknown author 🌊🏄‍♀️🏄‍♂️

dievca was listening to the A-side:

 

Then went to the B-side:


Swimsuit Coverup – lingerie

Myla London Vine Street jumpsuit

A swimsuit coverup is a lightweight garment which is designed to be worn over a swimsuit to protect the modesty of the wearer, provide shelter from the sun to limit exposure to harmful UV radiation, keep swimmers warm when they are out of the water and allow swimmers to transition from the beach/pool to the streets or a casual restaurant with ease. Swimsuit coverups are sold by most companies which make swimsuits, and they are often readily available in beach towns.

Old Navy Crocheted Gauze Cover up

Xhiliration Target Crochet Cover-up Black

The defining characteristic of a swimsuit coverup is that it is designed to be easily removed so that it can be taken off to swim. As a result, many coverups are loose, and they may be elasticized or tied for rapid removal. Buttons are unusual, as are zippers or snaps, which can rust if they are often exposed to water. Some swimsuit coverups are simply made from stretchy material like a jersey knit which is easy to pull on and off, with no straps or ties needed. (Myla London Swimsuits and Jersey Cover-ups below)

Sarongs and related wraps are commonly used as swimsuit coverups, as are caftans, loose flowing robes of Middle Eastern origin. (Melissa Odabash Pareo)

Camilla Caftan

Some companies make tunics which can be used as swimsuit coverups, and it is also possible to find sundresses which are designed to be worn over swimsuits, especially bikinis. Most swimsuit coverups are made for women; men usually wear board shorts and t-shirts if they want to cover up. (Loup Charmant Sundress)

 

Some women like to wear a swimsuit coverup for reasons of modesty, or because they do not want to attract attention at the beach; many women are self-conscious in public about areas of their body which are normally concealed, such as the stomach and upper thighs.

Others may use coverups which tend to show more than they hide – as a Fashion Statement. Though it’s not uncommon to view coverups as practical pieces, too. Some people use a swimsuit coverup to get warm up after a swim or to cut exposure to the sun.

ASCENO Boyfriend Shirt Cover Up

When selecting a swimsuit coverup, it can be a good idea to wear the swimsuit to make sure that the garments go well together. It’s also a good idea to find a garment which can breathe and be washed and dried in a machine, and a garment which will resist crumpling or look great with wrinkles (Cotton Gauze).

dievca finds coverups a fun piece of lingerie to purchase – they are comfortble, of nice fabrics and represent the Joy of hitting the beach or going swimming.

Can you tell dievca is desperate for the Sun?

A "Thank You" to WiseGeek.

A little gift that’s gone a long way: Πετσέτες

Πετσέτες : petseta-pestemali or makropetsa

Are the names for the towels woven on house-looms for housekeeping needs in Crete. Pesstemal for Turkish hamans, futah in France and Tunisia, sarong, kikoy, kangas, shukas…One towel for the World!

Master bought dievca a simply lovely one from the brand:

ΥΦΑΝΤΟΥΡΓΙΑ ΚΡΗΤΗΣ

Πετσέτα

The link above will get you to the same company in Crete — but it might be easier….

ShopBop is offering a lightweight, woven Beach Blanket, too:

click on photo to purchase $50.00

Las Bayadas beach blanket detailed with colorful stripes.

Fabric: Lightweight weave.
40% cotton/30% acrylic/30% polyester.
Wash cold.
Imported, Mexico.

Measurements
Width: 80.25in / 204cm
Length: 70.5in / 179cm


Finding a Beach: Operation Jubilee

The Dieppe Raid was an Allied assault on the German-occupied port of Dieppe, France on 19 August 1942, during the Second World War. The main assault lasted less than six hours until strong German defenses and mounting Allied losses forced its commanders to call a retreat.

Over 6,000 infantrymen, predominantly Canadian, were supported by The Calgary Regiment of the 1st Canadian Tank Brigade and a strong force of Royal Navy and smaller Royal Air Force landing contingents. It involved 5,000 Canadians, 1,000 British troops, and 50 United States Army Rangers.

The Allied air operations supporting Operation Jubilee resulted in some of the fiercest air battles since 1940.

And now, Sainte-Marguerite-sur-Mer:


rapture

Joan Crawford & Douglas Fairbanks Jr

Lay back
Absorb the Sun
Allow the beauty of Summer to seep into your Bones.


June Gloom… (and what is really happening)

June Gloom is a Southern California term for a weather pattern that results in cloudy, overcast skies with cool temperatures during the late spring and early summer. … On a strong June Gloom day, the clouds and fog may extend inland to the valleys and Inland Empire and may persist into the mid-afternoon or evening.

Weather pattern off of Monterey Bay

Go figure~ this is the time dievca can take a quick jaunt to visit friends in CA. she wanted to park it on the beach….but she’s been told it isn’t the best time.

This is quite annoying since the weather in NYC has been heavily gloomy, too. With dievca’s luck, NYC weather will be gorgeous and CA a mess.  Ah, well. At least she is out of the City.

HAH! dievca’s plane arrived 45 minutes early,
her luggage was the first off the plane
and the WEATHER IS AWESOME!

 

 


“Don’t be a Kook.” (but I am one….)

Kook, noun. Pronunciation: kük : An individual with no understanding of the social and sartorial norms of surfing. In the water, a kook’s cluelessness can aggravate or endanger other surfers; on occasion, kooks can even be recognized solely by the faux pas they commit out of the ocean.

That’s me!
The dievca who doesn’t know how to surf and is desperate to get out NYC and hit the beach.

The one following the advice: to avoid becoming old, you must try new things.
dievca wants to look good while being the “newbie”. As there are “snow bunnies” on the ski slopes — dievca wants to be a “Surf Bunny” on the beach.
Dressed well with not a clue~

Zodiac print Kookboard

Solid foam soft top, EPS core, two wooden stringers, printed fiberglass hard bottom with plastic fins. Solid black back.

Dimensions: 5’2” x 25” x 2.5″

Weight: 5.5kg each (about 12 lbs)

Includes: 3 fins and 1 leash

$495

GQ Article on Surfing etiquette

(click photo for link to other Cynthia Rowley wetsuits, swimsuits and Kookboards)

Do you Surf?


Exuberance at the Beach!

Channeling Marilyn’s Joy this weekend!


Take me to the Beach : Edward Weston

Edward Weston (American, Highland Park, Illinois 1886-1958 Carmel, California)
Nude on Sand, Oceano, 1936, printed ca. 1954
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 

Charis Wilson, the model for this series, admitted to being shocked upon seeing Weston’s nudes for the first time, as she had previously known only the romantically retouched photographs of  bodies then popular. In studying Weston’s work she found, “I couldn’t get past the simple amazement at how real they were. Then I began to see the rhythmic patterns, the intensely perceived sculptural forms, the subtle modulations of tone, of which these small, perfect images were composed. And I began to appreciate the originality of the viewpoint that had selected just these transitory moments and made them fast against the current of time.”