Greer's OC

We just discovered The Original Lounge Skirt, a line of versatile, soft, eco-friendly, basic skirts made locally by designer Lauren Blankenship. Think the perfect t-shirt, that you can dress up or down, only this is a basic, ultra-comfortable skirt that can be a favorite wardrobe staple.

As with most great ideas, this one was born from the fact that Blankenship couldn't find what she was looking for, so she designed her own. She ran Bodyhints in SoHo, NY, a large swimwear, loungewear and lingerie boutique and couldn't find a fabulous basic, unadorned skirt to pair with beautiful tops or to wear as an alternative to sweatpants.

“I looked for these to offer to my customers year after year,” Blankenship says. “This is why once I found the time to create the perfect go-to skirt in lush, luxurious, eco-friendly fabrics, I launched Lounge Skirts, LLC.

The Original Lounge Skirt comes in two easy-to-wear lengths: a tea-length version, which is long; and a slightly longer-than-usual mini, which at 16.5" is like mini skirt hybrid. Both lengths are full and flouncy, but A-line enough to be chic and stylish.

“My lounge skirts reflect my social values as well as my style. In addition to sourcing premium fabrics and trims exclusively through resources in Southern California, my skirts are all manufactured in Stanton, less than 20 miles from my office,” says Blankenship. “I also strive for sustainability in fabric sourcing, and thus I only use 100% organic cotton and other eco-friendly fabrics purchased from American mills and producers."

Original Lounge Skirts are available online and at Johnny Jeans in Tustin. 403 El Camino Real. 714.665.2408.

One Classic Cocktail at MESA for Jack & Milly

Our longtime readers already know by now about our pursuit to educate Jack & Milly, two young adults Greer Wylder met three years ago in a small village in Western Kenya. She's been determined to give them a university education with the help of generous friends, family, and local businesses like RA Sushi, Peter Blake Gallery, Bungalow in Corona del Mar, LuLu Too, The District Art Gallery in Tustin, The Deck on Laguna Beach, and Blackmarket Bakery.

Today, Jack and Milly are in their third year of college in Nairobi. Milly, 23, is studying marketing and is working towards a degree in Business Management at Kenya Polytechnic University in Nairobi. Jack, 25, is studying mass communications at Jomo Kenyatta University in Nairobi. He wants to go into broadcast journalism or investigative reporting in Nairobi.

Now, our friends at MESA at the Camp in Costa Mesa are generously donation a portion of sales to Jack & Milly's education fund if you order a classic 1910 cocktail, the Negroni. The man behind the craft cocktails at MESA, Eliott Montero, creates the best Negroni, with Citadelle Gin, Campari, Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth, and orange rind. We tried it last night, and it's fantastic, aromatic and it's life changing--for Jack & Milly.

Thank you very much and cheers.

MESA is at 725 Baker Street in Costa Mesa. 714.557.6700.