A day in the death.

Where to start?

I just ate a really nasty salad. bleh.

I guess this post is a buffer. It really has no purpose but for me to get a few things out of my system. I've been inconsistent in my focuses, drifting between mainstream dance tunes, Thai food, and Pokemon. (just to name a few)

There has also been Star Wars, Twitter, the occasional fashion magazine, Taoism, and Tim Gunn.

Put these elements together, drastically lower the temperature, and you've got: my life.

It's really hard to weather the elements when you constantly buy clothes that barely provide protection. And I really don't think Taoism will play a huge role in my life. Unfortunately, according to the Tao Teh Ching, (paraphrased, of course) in order to be happy and satisfied with life, you should never have any goals. Simple minded people lead simple lives, which equals bliss. As ideal as this is, it's really not my style. So I'll weather the elements of life with my oversized T-shirts and Simply Vera wedge boots.

On another note. Rihanna. She wears a lot of hot pants.

They are stylishly bold, and they definitely give her that curvy-woman appeal. I am slightly obsessed with her look. Not to mention her exotic beauty.

Has anyone noticed that Enrique Iglesias' "Tonight" video is practically softcore porn?

Well, thank you buzzkill. Goodnight.

A-Dore Me.

Garance Dore Illustrations

My first reaction was awe. My second was, "I need to do this."

Bottom line: Garance Dore is an illustrative genius.

It truly inspired me to create a finished drawing. Her illustrations are so clean and effortless, these girls embody current fashion without being overbearing or complicated.

These particular illustrations stood out to me. I like the nerdy/hippie folk-ness about them, and the touches of color make them eye-catching. The simplicity is incredibly impressive.

I did a few illustrations using a pencil and paintbrush, one of which I was happy with. I hope to continue using this new technique, and eventually, one day, I will post some of my work on here. I may have to borrow a scanner...

Fashion Clip

Discovered this cool fashion show for Thierry Mugler, a cosmetics and accessory line.



I enjoyed the "ethereal-ness" of the show. The demonic makeup and chiffon veils made a cool combination. I was intrigued enough to explore the official online Thierry Mugler site.
www.thierrymugler.com

The brand is represented by a unique star signature, which is featured on accessories and as perfume bottles. So now that I've broadened my fashion horizons, I thought I would share.

Blast from the Past!

Probably the coolest 80's music video EVAR.
And it's so gross how he comes out at the end all sweaty. #love.

Too much coffee = Spaztastic fashion!

One word. Heatherette.

How I came to this conclusion is due to one factor. That factor is caffeine.
Why, you ask?
Because I just drank a medium iced coffee with cream and sugar. But the coffee people obviously didn't know what they were doing, because my coffee wasn't sweet, and the sugar was all settled at the bottom. Apparently New England-ers haven't caught on to the whole sugar-dissolves-in-hot-liquids, which means that you put the sugar in before the cream. DUH. But I digress.
Upon ingesting copious amounts of this caffeinated beverage, it got me to thinking about spontaneity, freedom, and spasticity. (That is a word, I looked it up! Nyehh) And what better label best represents these qualities?

Ladies and Gentlemen... Heatherette.

So yes. Drink so much coffee you want to puke. Paint your face with glitter and bedeck your body with Hello Kitty. Run around in a fluffy dress and combat boots. It's what Heatherette would do.

Kim Jong-il, say whaa?

This post is completely random and unrelated to anything, but I had this really weird dream last night, and I felt the need to record it. I don't remember a lot of specifics, but it started out a pretty normal dream about a pretty normal life.

It was New Year's, and my amazing friend Jessie and I were planning on going to the beach. As usual, our plans never seem to follow any kind of schedule, so it was a lot of pissing around and getting last minute things done 4 hours before we had intended to arrive at our destination. Next thing I know, my lovely fiance has joined the dream, and we are summoning an ancient Egyptian warrior to protect us. Unfortunately, in order for the entity to be a successful body guard, (meaning that we are impervious to harm) we somehow need to acquire authentic armor. We soon find ourselves in some kind of enormous indoor market, almost like one of those trading companies that has everything. I remember wanting to purchase a lot of really interesting pieces. But apparently shopping isn't on the agenda, because once we located some authentic armor pieces, we stole it. (Note: the armor looked like an old barrel with arm holes in it.) We plopped that armor on our Egyptian friend with a "Here ya go, buddy" and got the hell outta Dodge. It was a rather unusual affair after that, almost running over people in the parking lot in a car that was much too small and full of stuff for us to properly fit inside. Some 3 seconds later, we had arrived at the beach to mingle among the thick and perilous holiday crowds. Here is where the dream takes another dramatic turn. North Korea is attacking us. I know it was North Korea, because the dear prime minister launched a rocket at me. In my haste to escape my tiny vehicle, the rocket missed my body, but snagged on my shirt. I'm thinking, "Hell, I just got blown up", but luckily my Egyptian warrior was in the car too, so I didn't explode after all.

I don't remember much after that, but I didn't die or anything, which is good. Moral of the story is, if you think you're going to get attacked by a communist country, scope out an ancient Egyptian warrior spirit. You'll be fine.

(photo courtesy of someone else)

Winter is here!

And you know what that means. IT'S EFFIN' COLD. But there are perks to cold weather. For example, epic snowball fights, hot chocolate, and a warm fireplace. And then there are miserable things about cold weather, such as blizzards. Like the day-after-Christmas blizzard of 2010. The one I got stuck in while driving through New Jersey (which is the pits). But I'm going to use my winter experience as an excuse to share this cute illustration by Lauren Bishop. I discovered her years ago, and often find myself wandering to her website to check out new fabulous works of art.

(disclaimer: the snowstorm I got stuck in looked nothing like this. But we can pretend.)

I love checking out independent fashion illustrators. Seeing the different styles and techniques of the individual artist really inspires me. Lauren Bishop definitely exhibits a certain grace with a somewhat retro flair in her work that I am drawn to, and her use of colors, prints, and space is exquisite and consistent. Each drawing has such an intense personality. I especially like the elegant lady shown above, and she was the perfect image of the romantic winter. The coat print kinda reminds me of a winter storm, but it's contained within the silhouette, and therefore becomes elegant and beautiful. Perhaps I am merely overanalyzing... but Lauren Bishop is definitely worth checking out. You can view her website here: www.laurenbishopillustration.co.uk

PS- anytime you're feeling down, think about a box of kittens~

Goodbye to autumn...

The warm weather has LONG since gone, and winter is already announcing its arrival. Up here in the good 'ole northeast, it feels like fall lasted an entire 2 weeks before it skipped town. But don't let the cold keep you from having a good time! All over the city, shops and markets are preparing for the holiday season. I've already found some neat places to go and exciting things to do for some old fashioned winter fun!

1. FREE-ICE SKATING!
You remember Bryant park? The Southwest porch, the fountain, and a huge field of grass for picnics, movie showings, and massive yoga sessions? Since chilly weather rolled in, the park has been completely transformed into a holiday wonderland! A huge ice-skating rink has been set up and the entire facility has been set up as a picturesque winter getaway, with spruce trees, a bar and lounge, gift shops, and old-school holiday music. A relaxing, yet fun experience.


2. HOT CHOCOLATE!
Nothing beats hot chocolate when its cold outside. It'll warm your hands and your insides as soon as you take the first sip. But you can't just drink any old swiss miss this season. Hop over to Chocolate by the Bald Man and sample Max Brenner's version of the perfect hot chocolate, chocolate shots, or any kind of chocolate, because it's all DELICIOUS. You can get a cup of their creamy, real hot chocolate at their restaurant in Union square, or at their booth at Bryant park.


3. Holiday Markets!
You know you need to get that Christmas shopping done, but you don't want to get your family and friends any old gift. Check out some of the Holiday Markets that have popped up around New York City. There are the shops littered around the skating rink at Bryant park, as well as a in a few other well known places, such as Union square, Columbus circle, even Grand Central Station! So no matter what part of Manhattan you're in, some good shopping is right around the corner! Check one out!



images courtesy of google

Nick and Norma's Infinite Wellness!

When you push yourself to write every day, it starts to become difficult to think of good topics. So my writing yesterday consisted of notebook thoughts/word vomit. How Romantic...
But yesterday I discovered the delights of Norma Kamali's Wellness Cafe, located in her retail store in Midtown Manhattan. My purpose there was not to experience the cafe, but during my wait I was offered a warm sample of her organic green tea. I have to say, it was QUITE delicious.

The idea behind Norma Kamali's Wellness Cafe is based on the health properties of olive oil.

Olive oil is a healthy unsaturated fat that contains high amounts of antioxidants and vitamins. I'm not an expert on nutrition, so you can view a more detailed description of olive oil's health benefits here. --> http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/olive-oil.htm

So anyways. Back to the tea. Lucky for me it was a free sample, because a pack of the tea herbs costs about $15. It might be financially better to go to the drugstore and pick up a box of Celestial Seasonings Herbal tea for 2 bucks. MMMMM tea! <3
Next week will be the arrival of a new type of organic tea for the Wellness Cafe... Oolong! I might actually have to splurge and get some, because oolong tea is amazing. And, you know, the weather is getting colder, and a cup of hot tea is perfect for staying warm and healthy.

Letter to my Notebook

Dearest Notebook,

Your crisp pages have seduced me. Lined paper can be so ruggedly pure, so painfully innocent. May you never abandon me, for your tangible existence drives my heart to lusting. You are the best listener, the warmest comfort, and the most compromised entity I know. For you were once a thing so strong and immovable, and now you've been reduced to being malleable and thin, forced to bear the burden of knowledge and emotions. Notebook, though you may be brittle, you are under no circumstance unloved.


photo by photographer Nicolas Henri http://nicolashenri.ch/blog/

Lanvin for H&M

Watched this video on Anna Dello Russo's blog. It made me happy, so I decided to share.

Chicken Fingers!

So it's Day 3 of my 'write every day' promise, and I have already failed! It's true, I didn't write a darn thing yesterday. BUT, I did spend some time in the city with an awesome friend of mine. :)

A Regular Adventure with Shantay:
1. FOOD. Preferrably with lots of grease. Like Chinese. Or McDonald's.
2. People-watching. Such as rating each wipe-out on the ice skating rink.
3. Loitering at every Duane Reade/Walgreens/CVS or Rite Aid we happen to come across.
4. "Shopping" -As in going into stores and shops and thinking about buying things but usually not. Or if we do buy something, its always awesome. Like Hot Chocolate and new notebooks!
5. Hand to Forehead.
6. Dr. Pepper pit stops.
7. Hoakie New York souvenir shops and laughing at misspelled T-shirts and inappropriate gag gifts.
8. Getting mistaken for lesbian lovers? What?
9. Random picture taking/Photo Booths/Disposable Cameras ARE THE BEST.
10. Making friends in unsuspecting places. :)

But I digress. I really wanted to share my fantastic find at a local street festival the other day.


Yes, that is me, hardcore cheesin'. BE HAPPY!

Chicken Gloves! They are super wonderful wool-knit mittens with a polyester fleece interior to keep my digits toasty warm! And they look like chickens. YES.
Also featured in this photo: I got new specs! Lucky for me, my mom works for my eye doctor, so I scored myself a pair of Armani eye glasses for wholesale price. THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' 'BOUT. I've had glasses since 6th grade, but I never actually wore them on a regular basis. But these glasses are sexy designer goodness, so I think that should be considered incentive.

Well, since I didn't write anything yesterday, I think I'll write twice as much today. Oh, sweet paper notebook, how I've missed thee~

10 Things

As I was browsing through some other blogs, I saw that Flashes of Style had created this list, and was challenging others to do the same. So I thought, why not?

10 Things that make me happy.

1. Getting flirty sweet text messages from the one I love.

2. Shopping for the cutest shoes and finding the last pair in my size.

3. Splashing through puddles without my feet getting wet.

4. Turning on the radio in time to hear my favorite song starting.

5. Random things. Like pineapples.

6. Sketching to some awesome music.

7. Eclectic yet beautiful fashion editorials.

8. Falling in love with something that I created.

9. Doing something to make the person dearest to me happy.

10. This incredibly adorable dragon ring on Etsy.com! MUST HAVE.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/59171545/steampunk-dragon-ring-dragon-body-wrap

What makes you happy? =]

A Coming-of-Age Tale

Foxfire (1996)
Cast: Angelina Jolie, Hedy Burress, Jenny Shimizu, etc.

I decided to watch this movie on a whim. I wasn't sure what to expect, but despite a few moments of predictability, I was blown away. It's a classic depiction of 90's teenage angst and a world before cell phones and parental paranoia. The characters gain a sense of freedom, confidence, and audacity through the strength of their friendship.

One of my favorite things about the movie is Angelina Jolie's character, 'Legs', and her complete lack of inhibition. She's the ultimate badass. I found this screencap (via Google) of her tattooing Hedy Burress, an incredibly intimate scene, and probably one of my favorites.



As each girl is branded with the symbol of fire to "commemorate" their adventures, Mazzy Star's "Into Dust" makes the perfect musical accompaniment.

Goldie: "Wow, this is great! Buttinger is such a Fuck!"

LV >>Droolworthy

I'm going to try to make a point to write every day. It might not be on a public blogging site, but writing is a good way to keep the mind fresh and the creative juices flowing. I actually started this post weeks ago, but never got around to completing it, not being able to find the words to say to describe the basic feelings in my head. So, in short, I wanted to say that Marc Jacobs is my hero and the Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2011 collection is beautiful. Instead of struggling to go into painstaking detail on all of the individual elements that make it whole, I'm just going to say I love it. The colors, the textiles, the silhouettes, they are all ingeniously styled and constructed. Here is where I have compiled a few of my favorite looks.





The open tops with the frog clasps are my favorite things about the collection. They have completely seduced me. They just look so easy, and I don't mean in a vulgar way. It's the simplest of garments, yet worn in a way that really flatters these lovely ladies. I'm in love.

The hot pants, on the other hand, I'm not too crazy about, but I can acknowledge their importance to the collection. Of course, the last look posted here has a rather awkward "tuft" in a rather suggestive place. Need I say more? >_>

Continuing on. I'm going to try to write every day. May it be a blog post, a poem, or a collection of my thoughts, words shall be my muse. And maybe I'll share a bit of it, too.

Fashion Week 2010. A few thoughts...

I decided to share Vassilios Kostetsos' Spring/Summer 2011 collection for a few reasons. One, that I was privileged enough to be present, Two, that I honestly didn't care too much for the collection at first, which leads me to reason Three: it surprised me. I realized that even though this collection is in now way at all wearable, (I mean, it's fashion week, how many actually are?) it is definitely full of drama and glamor. After watching it backstage and then seeing it on the bigscreen a few more times, I came to see an underlying notion I hadn't noticed before. Of course, I could be way off base here, but this collection, even the designer, is very focused on the glamorous idea of fashion. The idea of fashion being fabulous and beautiful and dramatic all the time is purely fantasy. Many people fail to acknowledge the less-than-wonderful aspects of fashion: Haute Couture is disappearing, and WalMart and Forever21 are banking on private label designs. This was not a million dollar collection. It may have cost that much, but that money is not coming back. Hopefully Kostetsos has a perfume or accessory line to fund his over the top line, but I will say that as a show, this collection was a success.

Well, Kostetsos could either be brilliant, or delirious. Maybe this is the only fashion he sees, and everyone who disagrees can suck it!

P.S. You can totally see me in the background at precisely 29seconds. WHAT. xD

:quote: Well this is me :unquote:

The secret of life is to appreciate the pleasure of being terribly, terribly deceived.
- Oscar Wilde

A little bit of boredom + a closet full of accessories = my little shoe ensemble here.


Here I paired my strappy little Calvin Kleins with a stripey pair of socks, and topped them off with cozy brown legwarmers. It was actually quite comfortable. And you can also see a display of my disgusting ugly wallpaper from the year 1963. (Maybe that's exaggerating) But I like this ensemble because of the variety of hues and textures. It's playful and eccentric.

This might be an interesting photo story. A cacophony of feet.

Networking is Notworking.

Hello to all who happen to stumble across this blog. There has been a serious lack of posting as of late. It depresses me. Which it should. Because my life was so exciting that I had no time to write! Alas... my internships and freelance work have all ended, so I'm back to the drawing board.

In short: I need a job.

But I can't complain! New York Fashion Week turned out to be one of the most amazing experiences I've had since coming to New York. I was given the opportunity to work backstage at Alexander Berardi, and I was able to get backstage on several other shows just because I was escorting a young teenage model. Words cannot describe the amazingness. Here I am, some nobody, breathing the same air as Christian Siriano, Vivienne Tam, Victoria Beckham (who even said hi to me)... THESE THINGS DON'T HAPPEN TO PEOPLE LIKE ME. And yet they did. So maybe... just maybe I'm meant for bigger things. I refuse to accept that my moment is over. This is the beginning.

A teaser from Christian Siriano

ooooh SHINY!

What are you inspired by?

I love walking the streets of New York and window-shopping. There's a lot of ideas lurking behind polished glass, twinkling at you in all its glory. I especially enjoy fabric and trim stores. The funny displays in the windows, some of them where they just drape funky textiles over a mannequin, set my creative juices flowing. (haha)

But there are so many things to get inspired by. Magazines, catalogues, advertisements, blogs, and of course the ever-so-wonderful internetz. One of my favorite things is street-style. If you pay attention to what people are wearing, you'll see some really interesting things. (And sometimes, that means interesting in a bad way. But not always!)

I just try to absorb everything I see. I rely on visuals so much, but a picture can be enhanced with sound. The runway is enhanced with music. A dress enhanced with texture... All of these sensations! Sigh.

<3

Sidewalk Catwalk #1 Donna Karan

This summer, strutting down Broadway is a series of artistic displays created by many well-known New York designers and artists. As much as I would LOVE to share them all, there are quite a few of them, and that would take a considerable amount of time. xD

But today I decided to snap a quick pic of Donna Karan's piece, a nifty little ensemble that I would wear in a heartbeat if it weren't already occupied... sigh.





There are several HUGE designers among Donna Karan who contributed to the art, including Nanette Lepore, Diane Von Furstenburg, Tommy Hilfiger, Betsey Johnson, (AHH SO MANY) just to name a few! Not to mention how amazing it is to walk down Broadway, enjoying the sights of New York and these unique and sometimes unusual creations.

Love <3