Thursday, November 8, 2012

The Re.Generation of Happy…


The Re.Generation of Happy…



      It’s Funny how life puts you periodically on blast, causing reflection and wonder. Looking back on life, perhaps it is something we all do as time passes, reflect on our lives. Wishing maybe hoping we could of done things differently. Life needs to change over time...its how we evolve, by trial and error. Looking back I think of the many times I have said in conversation, I've always felt like we all start out as ordinary rocks and life is our weather.
    The chips and cracks from the weather of life are inevitable. Time and life eventually weathers us all into one of a kind creations of art. Life’s winds and weather will keep blowing, of that I’m sure. But how you interpret your own cracks and chips will define how you see the world. The interpretation of your own life will be the key to your world. Personal interpretation is key; a truthful heart is your biggest tool to owning your own life.
     Mistakes are a natural progression in life’s lessons. Never stand to judge anyone for wrong choices in life. So many people do… everyone’s choices are personal and unique. No one knows the path another has had in life. Judge your own life not another's. 
     Regret is a choice, never regret anything if you can learn from it, there can always be a positive reason for anything as long as you choose to truthfully view, understand and learn. Listen to your instincts…this may be quite possibly the best internal gage for your own life. Only you know what will make you feel at peace…learn to understand the feeling. Once you can understand this feeling, use it to fuel yourself and find what truly makes you happy. Just remember how it feels and always strive for that feeling. When you’re happy…life’s flows and ups and downs become a lot easier.
    Happy is contagious, energy is drawn to energy, good or bad. Try to remember to follow your heart and always pursue your dreams and happiness. Forget the haters and fight everyday for the things that create your happy world. Don’t try to be what the world portrays to be as the happiness of the moment…life is different things to different people and being different is never easy. But being a sheep makes for a herd mentality, do you really want to be part of a mindless groups of followers?  Stand out and be real…I would rather have a world full of strong individuals than a world of mindless sheep.
    I felt the need to speak my mind after all my years of fighting to be a good sheep in a world of corporate herders, and felt the need to scream it to the world. Ok maybe not scream…but blogging is kind of like screaming to the world isn’t it? If I can get one of my “kids” to read this and get even a fraction of what I’m saying then I am happy. 
Re-Generating Happy is kind of my goal….
     Start your own Re-Generation. Be Happy. 
        

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Holly Bra of Hollywood...


Holly bra of hollywood…




https://www.etsy.com/shop/ReGenerationAngeleno


My never ending work in process and as I am lovingly sorting, photographing and doing inventory of the vintage leotards and bathing suits from Holly Bra of Hollywood.  It has brought to life, one of the most memorable and uniquely wonderful memories of people that I am honored to share my life with. There are so many reasons to want to document my memories, I want to share the special memories that I hold in my mind and heart. Sometimes precious memories are meant to be shared. Knowing that the thoughts and wonderful pieces of life I have been so honored to have experienced, and enjoy will be left for my family and whoever else it is meant to reach.       

       Holly Bra of Hollywood, a lot of people have probably never heard of these truly Iconic Hollywood based Garmentos. I never really thought about how lucky I was to know the story of these Classic Garmento Icons until recently.

Holly Bra of Hollywood was a garment manufacturer of Bras, swimsuits and Lingerie. They were located from the start, in Hollywood on Santa Monica Blvd. Dave Young started this company in the 50’s and it reined a leader in lingerie until the 90’s.

Holly Bra of Hollywood grew to be a favorite Hollywood staple for Bras and Lingerie to the stars. Think of the I Love Lucy era during the 50’s and the ever loved pointy bullet bras. I love thinking back about all of the things I used to see, back then. Because I was a little kid, I guess I didn’t care to understand what made these bras and lingerie special. To me they were just underwear…What kid do you know that wants to marvel in the production of Underwear…ha!

       In the later years of Holly Bra of Hollywood they did a huge leotard business during the Leotard crazed Disco Era. They also did some manufacturing for bathing suit lines like Little Dippers, Sassafras and others. Super cute stuff some still brand new in some still in their original packages or new with tags, carefully tucked away saved and ready for the ReGenerationAngeleno debut. My connection with Holly Bra of Hollywood was because Dorothy Horwitz was a big part of who I am today. If you know me, or you’re recently following my blogs and or postings you may have heard a little about this very special person.

Dorothy Horwitz was born in the Bronx NY, and moved to Los Angeles in her early twenties. It was during this time that my Mother and Dorothy Horwitz met at a Sportswear company in Downtown Los Angeles, La Jolla Sportswear. It was there they formed a bond and became lifelong friends. The beauty of this friendship was the seamless interaction and adjustments to each other and their lives evolved and grew during so many times and changes. I can respect this friendship, watching them grow and evolve was a lesson that not many people have the privilege to watch and learn.

My life was blessed and I love them forever and know I am forever loved by knowing these special people. Dorothy Horwitz was part of a package deal along with her amazing husband Walter Horwitz. Dorothy was a Bronx, NY native and lived in L.A. most of her life and bless her heart, she never lost that Bronx flavor. Walter was a Boston, MA native and lived in L.A. most of his life too, and never lost any of his Boston roots. I think that knowing them makes me more than ever want to keep life real. This was the example they lived and showed all. I don’t think words ever expressed any of this emotion, but something tells me that words are sometimes not needed. People that are bonded know without saying. Their journey and examples are truly engrained in me as part of my life’s lessons.

Dorothy Horwitz was there from the day I was born, and after that she was present for every important day. The holidays will always be the most special memory we shared. Thanksgiving will forever be ingrained in my heart, to this day when Thanksgiving comes around we never miss a chance to comment about how the Drumstick’s Walters! Christmas tamales are another loved tradition; We always count in Dorothy’s batch to take home so she can stock her freezer too! The amazing thing about Walter Horwitz was his amazing hidden talent as a sculptor. This modest man was a burly mans man, and a veteran that served in the Navy, and he was a Santa Anita Track local. He never missed a day at Santa Anita since its opening. But he was an amazing Sculptor and the images that he created were always a wonder to me. When I was a young child we would go to their apartment in Hollywood that was located above the Paramount Studio and right up the street from the Formosa CafĂ©. I would hang out and peer out the apartment window staring down upon the studio lot, while the folks socialized, and occasionally we would end up at the Formosa, which is legendary in their own right. But it was the sculpting that came from the mind of Walter Horowitz will forever amaze me. Everything about Dorothy and Walter Horowitz is amazing.

Holly Bra of Hollywood was only a piece of history that Dorothy Horwitz shared with me. Dorothy and Walter are inspirational to me and I cherish the times of past and wish that everyone would take a moment to revere and appreciate the Dorothy and Walters in your own life. Iconic should be cherished forever and love is an unspoken bond that should be experienced in real life. Life’s not always what we wish for but it's always what it is…so live life and relish it all good, bad or indifferent…

Re-Generation-Angeleno.com is on its way….

Much love and respect
to all my Inspiration in life.

Peace, Love and Re.Generation…




4 Honored for Catching Suspect in Knifing, Slaying

November 26, 1998|CAITLIN LIU | TIMES STAFF WRITER

Fidel Elizarraraz, who makes a living stitching together bits of colorful fabric and snipping occasional loose threads with silver scissors, doesn't consider himself a hero.

But the sewing machine operator and three of his co-workers at a Hollywood swimsuit factory received a hero's welcome Wednesday from Los Angeles Police Chief Bernard C. Parks for catching the suspected murderer of a 9-year-old boy in a highly publicized case.

The four Mexican and Guatemalan immigrants, wearing forced smiles, shifted nervously as Parks commended their bravery under the glare of television camera lights and popping flashes.

None of them thought they had done anything out of the ordinary. "It was our duty to help," Elizarraraz said.

He, Rutilia Lopez, David Lopez (no relation) and Enrique Lool were on their way to work at

Holly Bra of California on Nov. 16 when they stopped a man as he repeatedly stabbed co-worker Maria Luisa Rosales.

The man they caught and turned over to the police--Brandon Wilson, a 20-year-old transient from Wisconsin--later confessed to killing the boy, Matthew Cecchi, in an Oceanside bathroom Nov. 14, according to police.

"They risked their lives," said LAPD Det. John Miller. "They went to the aid of someone without any hesitation, any concern for their own lives."

The four workers' story of how they managed to save Rosales and capture Wilson is one of quick thinking, daring and seamless teamwork.

Rutilia Lopez was hurrying toward the sewing plant about 6:20 a.m. last week when she saw a man attacking Rosales about three steps in front of her.

She screamed for the attention of Lool, who was walking nearby. Lool immediately approached the man, who was stabbing Rosales so furiously that bystanders at first thought he was hitting her with his hand.

Interrupted, the attacker abandoned Rosales and raised his bloody knife--at Lool.

David Lopez, who saw the commotion as he was parking his car, instinctively tossed Lool his Club, the anti-theft device used to lock steering wheels.

Lool caught it. Wilson began running away. Lool, wielding the big metal rod, chased him just as Elizarraraz was walking toward them a block away.

"Don't let him go!" Lool hollered in Spanish. "He harmed someone!"

As the two ran toward Wilson, Elizarraraz remembered something he always kept in his backpack: a pair of silver tailor's scissors. He whipped them out.

Wagging the small, sharp scissors menacingly at Wilson, Elizarraraz shouted what little English he knew, "Stop! Stop! You no stop, I kill you!"

Faced with scissors on one side and a Club on the other, Wilson--with a scared look--dropped his knife and dropped to the ground, the rescuers said.

"OK, OK! Don't touch me!" they recalled him pleading.

As Lool held him in a chokehold, Elizarraraz slid off his leather belt and bound Wilson's wrists together.

Meanwhile, David Lopez had never parked his car but drove on to the LAPD's Hollywood station to report the crime. When officers arrived moments later, they found Wilson sitting docilely on the ground, already "handcuffed" with Elizarraraz's belt.

"Not only did they save [Rosales'] life, I think they also saved the lives of potential victims" by stopping the suspect, Miller said.

The Hollywood Division presented each of the four with $50, donated by an anonymous citizen living near the crime scene who wanted to express her gratitude.

As TV cameras panned the four faces for a close-up, they clamped their jaws, looked down and turned away. Off camera, they said they would have done the same even for a stranger.

Rosales, who had been in critical condition, was released Tuesday from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. She is still confined to bed but recovering well from the stab wounds to her head, chest, abdomen and arms, police and co-workers said.

"The main thing," Rutilia Lopez said, "is that everyone is safe this Thanksgiving. Everyone's family is safe, thanks to God. We are a family."





Thursday, March 29, 2012

Chemin De Fer Jeans


Chemin de fer jeans…





 

  



Lately my days have been filled with Re-Generation-Angeleno.com and I’ve been engrossed in the endless research and cataloging of my inventory.
The Re-Generated memories and appreciation have been flooding in as fast as I can dust off the stuff to get closer to my goals.

Chemin De Fer Jeans  is just one of the highlights. Almost all teenage girls that grew up the 70's knew about Chemin De Fer. Teenage girls were begging for their very own Status pair of Sailor Pants or the groundbreaking Lace Up Hip hugger Pant. My father was the pattern maker for Chemin De Fer Jeans during their Heyday. I don't even think he knows how legendary that is. I never thought about it either back then, but now when I look back in a newborn appreciation for an era gone past. I can appreciate the footprints he left for so many to follow in. I am now so in aww and filled with a new respect of this era and all of the original Garmentos that created this LA fashion world we all live in.
What better luck for a young girl my age, free samples and a never ending fresh wardrobe. Every teenage girl’s dreams! I remember going with my father to the Chemin De Fer corporate building in Downtown LA, located on the corner of 6th Street & Bixby.
 I was a youngster and in retrospect I wish I would have had the foresight to pay better attention to more details in this exclusive world, but kids will be kids. As I got older I was privileged to hear bits and pieces of a time spent in this iconic place by my dad. Just the other day my dad was telling me stories about the people he remembered being around on a daily basis, He described it to me in a flippant kind of way….you know those Hollywood motorcycle Guys….ummm from the 70’s? What’s his name? They wore those American flag helmets? Uh Peter Fonda, Dad? Yeah that would be Jack Nicholson and Peter Fonda… a little movie called “Easy Rider” 
Close to the end of the Chemin De Fer Era, there were some pretty intense stories in the news about one of the owners sons having ties to the BBC…Billionaire Boys Club. It was a big deal bunch of rich kids caught up in a kidnapping/murder plot that went bad. It was pretty big news in the late 80’s.
It was the end of the 70’s and the beginning of the 80’s. Needless to say Chemin De Fer was an LA Icon for fashion denim. Its nice to be reminiscing about them and do the research and see how their Imprint to young girls my age was so strong that I can still find groups of Bloggers that are reminiscing about Chemin De Fer Jeans and this era. I have been enjoying talking to others about their memories of the Iconic Chemin De Fer Status Jeans. I guess this was the beginning of something to come here in LA. The time when trendy came to be…       
  I can remember going to their huge corporate offices and thinking how cool it was, yet not really having any idea about how lucky I was to be a part of the behind the scenes. I remember a gigantic pool table with ornately carved feet. Weird…I remember the creepy underground parking lot. And I remember loving to explore the tons of bolts of fabric and climbing on top of the tables while I watching my dad in his Denim Apron pushing around the pattern pieces with his long yardstick with rubber bands wrapped around the edge to help grip the pattern pieces so he could move them around on the 60” paper. After all the careful placement of the paper pieces, I used to help him trace each one, I would help write the info lovingly by hand.

It was all so fascinating to me, like a giant puzzle. It’s sad how this type of craftsmanship can become ancient history and eventually replaced by computers and “The New Ways.” Don’t get me wrong I love newer, better and faster just as much as the next guy. It’s just I have this empathy and can understand, appreciate and revere the Old School ways. Everyone should appreciate the past a little more. Without the past there would be no future to build on.


Respect is what Regeneration is about….
Find what moves you to Regenerate.



Re-Generation-Angeleno.com is dusting off the
Chemin De Fer Jeans  
and I’m about to start a Re-Generation of my own.


Coming soon...
















Monday, February 13, 2012

Soundtrack of our Lives...


The Soundtrack of our lives …


   

Music is the soundtrack to our lives…Look back at your own life in stages. Your entire life is a wonderful and personal soundtrack in the making. Music is there whether you’re listening at the time or not. Music will mark your momentous moments. Your happy times, your sad times; it’s funny that no matter what kind of a mood you’re in, you will always find a song that speaks to you.

I love that Music is for everyone and everyone makes the perfect choice in music no matter what your genre. There are no rights or wrongs in music. Music grows with us and changes as we change. Human nature can learn a lot from Music, all we have to do is listen with our hearts and really feel what we love, isn’t that what life is there for? The best music is created by really feeling something without Inhibition. So with music in my heart and in my life, I wish that everyone would take some time to reflect on their own soundtrack.
         Live your life like your making your soundtrack.

My life in the City of Angels has always been filled with so much music history, learning about music at an early age. Thanks to my father’s love of Jazz and Blues, I was privileged to have a father that invited me to share his music world and to share his love of music. It was a truly magical era. A time when their was a pureness to music and I met some colorful characters along the way, all of us with the same love for music. There are many moments in my own life soundtrack that become that much more vivid when I hear a song…you know what I mean. I’m thankful that music can make my memories that much more vivid and regenerate my memory.

I am comforted to know that music will be there even without my eyes…you can hear what Music is saying. Music has many voices and many things to say. Over the years music has evolved for me, just like my life. Regenerated…if you may. Musical Styles are regenerated, sampled and given new life. It’s all meant to be shared and recreated; to me it’s just adding more love, sharing your spin on things. It could be the new standard for life. We don’t have to be so quick with that old adage “Out with the old, in with the new”….Maybe we should re-generate the old and breathe new life into as much as we can.  
  
PEACE, LOVE AND REGENERATION...
                 ReGenerationAngeleno



Friday, January 27, 2012

Defining Regeneration…

Defining Regeneration…


re·gen·er·a·tion  (re -jen -er ayshun)
n.
1. The act or process of regenerating or the state of being regenerated.
2. Spiritual or moral revival or rebirth.
3. Biology Regrowth of lost or destroyed parts or organs.


REGENERATION is an interesting word and concept; The literal definition can be found in many a dictionary and defined in many a way. But currently my own definition of this word has a truly personal note. I believe that life has a way of moving full circle; this may be life’s way of allowing us to reflect and regenerate.
Signs from the universe can come from a lot of places and in the most random and unique ways. Coming Full circle is a beautiful thing. Life is only a matter of perception and one thing I have realized later in life is that we can only control our own perceptions. With that said, follow your signs and look back at life thoughtfully, lovingly and forgivingly. Always remember that life can be regenerated.
            ReGenerationAngeleno was created as a tool for my Full Circle moment and to begin the process of looking back and documenting my life thoughtfully, lovingly and forgivingly. What some of will learn about me is that I am an avid collector. I have spent my life collecting random things that catch my eye, and treasuring the gifts given to me by those that love and share or just things I've found along the way in my life that speak to me… if you will.  

I guess because of my age and time served…I can now be officially considered a Garmento. I love the word Garmento; to me it is a descriptive word and creates a mental picture of the people I grew up with in Los Angeles. Life in L.A. seemed so innocent back then. I remember being a baby and rolling around in my walker around the feet of my Dad and Uncle working together at the giant tables in our garage; creating First Patterns and Markers by hand. Later as a young child I became fascinated by the paper, the color pens and the Dress forms. In my teens it became a whole other fascination as I realized my own actual fashion sense. Once I was in my teens my dad finally consented to let me be his “assistant” I would go after school and spend my afternoons till dinner time working alongside my father. Sometimes this would prove a challenge a teenager working with Dad?! I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Another pivotal life lesson here…just because you are not sure what to expect doesn’t mean you should avoid what’s to come.
I didn’t and it proved to be one of my life’s greatest lessons. I learned a valuable work ethic, that can be taken with me and applied to life in general and probably learned the best lesson ever, and from a truly irreplaceable and  invaluable person in my life. I have since furthered my Fashion career in so many other avenues and challenges. But always refer to my earlier lessons from the original much loved and treasured Garmentos in my life.  
This is what Regeneration is for….If we don’t share an empathy and understanding of each other and most of all an understanding of ourselves how can we truly come full circle so life can regenerate in a positive way.  

Peace, Love and Regeneration...

ReGenerationAngeleno


Sunday, January 15, 2012

The Regeneration of an Angeleno...



Growing up in the City with a Mission, in the early 60’s was such a privilege. At the time being a young child, I was happy to innocently run and play in the streets with all the neighborhood kids. We were forever outside playing, only going home when you heard your parents call for dinner, because we all had to be home for dinner and we were, no qualms about it. Little things I grew up with that I never thought would go away with the passing of time. Things like childhood friends, favorite teachers, scout leaders, and team coaches. For me it was the stuff in my neighborhood like the neighborhood grocery stores, local parks and pools. During the later years, the things that would go away with time would be employers and relationships. Funny how such everyday things can become such relics, afterthoughts and well…history.
I have so many memories to document and am looking forward to taking each memory and putting the memories in writing. I know that my thoughts and experiences are uniquely mine and want to document my feelings and memories. Writing has always been a dream of mine and life’s dreams are meant for a reason. Life sends us on many paths in life…I am a willing participant in my life good or bad. So remember its only words, no one can ever change what you feel in your heart. Trust in your feelings and follow your dreams. Live life like you love life and all will be well.
 I guess everyone looks back at some point to reflect on their lives, it seems like human nature to me. We all have our memories to treasure. My memories will always be the one thing that are meant to always be with me, the one thing that is truly uniquely mine. I treasure mine with my every breath, they are a constant source of wonder. I wish for everyone to feed off their memories and to realize that every day is a source to create new memories. If you can stop one second to appreciate the everyday miracles in your day, you can keep the wonder alive. A lot of people love to use that clichĂ© “Life is a Journey”, I guess I can agree with that, But, it’s a really grey statement. I’ve been on quite a few “Journeys” you might say, and I can only speak from personal experience but not every journey I’ve taken, has been something I’d care to brag about. That’s just me being honest. Now don’t get me wrong…I always tell all my friends this…I wouldn’t change a thing about any life choices I’ve made. Everything or choice I’ve ever made has been done whole heartedly and dare I say it with Passion. No Regrets. But in looking back I really would have to say the Best lessons have been learned by my mistakes. At least I can honestly say that from every mistake I’ve been able to understand more and understanding is what will help me to truly find happiness. I joke about that a lot; I was so intrigued with a song I heard. Have my son to thank for that. LOL. But the song is about the Pursuit of Happiness, which really hit home with me. I have been told I’m too deep. That might insult some people but the reality is if I’m too deep then maybe you should stay in the shallow end of the pool. Only a few people can really swim in the deep end and it’s ok. Life is different things for different people.             

ReGenerationAngeleno

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Re.Generation Angeleno...

Re.generation Angeleno has been my lifetime in the making so to speak. A lifetime collected and a personal lifetime of memories. Creating this memorial, hasn't been an easy task. Releasing parts of my life and my families life hasn't been easy, but knowing that the Vintage pieces that I have held so dear to me will go out into the world to breathe New Life. Breathe new life, knowing that someone else now treasures what I have held so close. Isn't that what life's really about? I had always wanted to create my online biz, but being a single mother and working in the Apparel Industry, which my dad so affectionately calls "ShowBiz" has delayed my dream till the universe finally opened all its doors and the signs led me to my chance. So Here I am today, wondering if I have what it takes inside to relate to the world outside of Los Angeles..the city of angels. 

As I take a deep breath and put it all out there for the world to see. Please stay tuned for bigger endeavors, and more personal views on my time here in the City Of Angels.

Remember this is all a Work in process for me, but with every great lesson I've learned from life, nothing ventured nothing gained. I would rather learn from my mistakes than never have tried. So many well meaning people tried to advise me about my business venture, and yes I could of hired a Web designer and All the team I may need to get my thoughts out there, but the goal was to accomplish, fulfill my dreams and to learn from this entire process. So be kind with your critiques...your words mean alot. I really value people and their words and want to hear from anyone with something to add. Good, Bad or indifferent it all means something to me. So help me get the Re.Generation in effect...

Regeneration Angeleno

Peace, Love and Re.Generation...