Monday, February 28, 2011

work, work, work

  I had a wonderful and productive weekend. I finished another one of my Heirloom Dresses. These dresses are made of vintage doilies. I pin them onto my dress form and then tediously hand sew them together. I have to confess, I'm kind of obsessed. I wholeheartedly enjoy making them and love the end result. I do think you need to see them in person to really appreciate their beauty (o.k., I'm done patting myself on the back now).
  Now the time comes to list a few in my etsy store and put a few in the 360 Ecotique. I just wanted to share them before I distribute them. It is also the first time using "my new friend" as a model. I think it turned out nice, but these dresses in particular, truly shine when they are on a person.  A photoshoot soon!




                                                                 

Jane Birkin inspired spring look

Cheap Monday ribbed tee
$18 - idontlikemondays.us

Paprika crop top
23 GBP - rarefashion.co.uk

J brand jean
$219 - singer22.com

T strap heel
$250 - modcloth.com

Straw Studios sporty handbag
$36 - endless.com

ASOS beaded jewelry
$47 - asos.com






My Jane Birkin look for spring. Actually, it is what I would wear while thinking of Jane Birkin. I must have those jeans!

Thursday, February 24, 2011

I know, I know

Everyone loves Jane Birkin. She is a fashion icon (one of my favorites), she can sing and she can act. At least she did in the 60s. I often google her to pull up some images and refresh my memory of why I love her so. She has such a laid back vibe while really pushing some fashion boundaries. She always looks amazing, and I find her style to be so inspiring. Beautiful, talented and with great style.
 I know, I know,  you'll hear it from every other person you meet: Jane Birkin is a fashion icon. You might as well jump on board, she's just got it.






                                                                       

DIY yard art

 I am working on turning my outdoor patio into a gypsy/bohemian paradise. It is a work in progress, and I get what I find, when I find it. So the end date is unknown. I know to accomplish the look I am hoping to acheive, it is going to take layers. Art, plants, tapestries, fabric, candles etc.
 This morning I was at my favorite thrift store, (it happened to be 1/2 off day), and I snagged these 2 painted canvas'. They definitely went together, and I loved the colors of the paintings, but there were some blemishes and scratches. I grabbed them (at $1 a piece how could I not?), and I brought them home. then I painted a few feathers over the blemishes, and now I have 2 painting to hang under my patio. I think they turned out cute!





                                                        

dome homes

dome homes


snagged and re-blogged from  Free People Blog




Tuesday, February 22, 2011

inspiration

I am a "newbie" to this whole blog thing, new to looking at them in general, and absolutely new to having one. It has been fun to poke around online and follow thread after thread to some pretty neat things. I will occasionally look at cooking blogs, or music blogs, but mostly, I want fashion! I crave inspiration, ideas, trends and motivation. I am a big fan of the freepeople blog, (probably one of my favorites!), and through them I found my newest favorite, I Love Wildfox. It is a blog to serve as "inspiration for artists". I love it and find it truly inspiring. In fact, I can't stop looking at it. In particular are these pictures for Wildfox Couture the clothing line (which I also adore). Can this model be any more beautiful? The styling is completely my vibe. I am inspired!





                                                                

Monday, February 21, 2011

mismatched

Although it is a trend I have always been a fan of, and that I have worn since I can remember,  we are seeing a lot of mismatched prints/textures/colors all over the place. I am pleased. I have always believed that things didn't have to "match", as long as the fit was right. I remember wearing turquoise/plaid/hip-hugger bellbottoms with an army green/camouflage crop top. I loved that outfit. The proportions were spot on, and even though the prints and colors were far from matching, it just seemed to go. This was in the late 90's, and many 20 somethings can pull of quite a bit. Needless to say, I still mix things up, but in a less tummy-revealing way.
  This trend might be hard to adopt for some people, and that's okay. A great place to start is with florals. They are everywhere, from Urban Outfitters to Anthroplogie, to your closest thrift store or your local boutiques. You can draw from a color in that print and bring it out with other prints or solids in the same color pallet. A small floral print works well with just about anything; stripes, plaids, ginghams, other florals, etc. Just put things on, take a look and take a risk. It is one of those things that you'll know when you see it. You'll know when it really just isn't working. Don't try too hard. Start small and work your way to more bold choices. And if you are still too shy to mix prints, a good default is to pair whatever you have on with a pair of red shoes.
 You can also look at websites like Freepeople.com or Anthropologie.com for inspiration and a more visual guideline.
 Here is a little outfit, (pretty safe for me!), that I have put together to demonstrate my take on this trend.
                  
                                                                               

 Here are a couple looks from Freepeople.com



This spring will be the perfect time to try this trend out for yourself. Over-the-knee socks in funky colors, prints, or stripes will add just enough "funk" to that little floral dress with a slouchy cardigan. Happy spring transition! xoxox

Friday, February 18, 2011

my new friend

  I was thrifting the other day with my daughter, looking for some new materials. I found myself low on doilies and have a couple custom orders pending, so I told myself, "only look for doilies!"  This is nearly an impossible task for me,  since I love to sift through every rack  for hidden treasures. None the less, it was a successful trip, and with my arm loaded  with way more than I came for, I spotted this dress form in the front of the store. I was shocked that I missed it walking in, and when I came closer to it, I was almost in a state of panic. Canvas body, metal cage hem, and rod iron base with wheels. I have a fully functioning dress form that has been so good to me for years, but it is ugly. Just a work-horse. I have always dreamed of having a cool canvas one for pictures and aesthetics. And here she was, in all her rustic beauty. I was in love! The trouble started when I saw her price tag $45. I am frugal, but more than anything, I am broke. So I called my husband, hoping he'd approve of this "big" purchase, but couldn't reach him. I put back half the stuff in my arms and decided that I would regret it if I didn't buy her. You should have seen me stuffing her into the back of my car.
  Later that night i looked up the maker and model and to my amazement, these retail for $775. It was a good buy. I have to laugh that I was deliberating for so long about buying her. My husband completely approves and to top it off, I immediately started working on a new dress which I finished 10 hours later. Not only is this dress form beautiful, it is fully functional and inspiring. I can now work on two dresses at the same time! I am in LOVE!
       
                                                                  
                                                                 

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

I want a puppy

 As already posted, I am a dog lover. I love my two dogs like my children and for some crazy reason, I want to add another furry friend to the mix. We have adopted both dogs from shelters and I couldn't be happier. But, this last Sunday we were at the park with the kids and it happened to be "dachshund day at the park". They were all so cute, and of course there were puppies for sale. I fell in love with a little dapple pup. I wanted to take her home so bad I could cry. My husband said "no" despite my shoving the puppy in his face, repeatedly.
 After we got home I realized I didn't really want a new puppy. At least not right now. They are a ton of work and I am so busy! I snapped a pic of this pup, and every time I look at the picture, I am a little sad she is not curled up on my lap as I type. But the reality is, she' be chewing up my favorite shoes and  I'd be cleaning up a lot of doggy doo-doo. She sure was cute though...
                                   


                                                                 

Monday, February 14, 2011

The Big Event

 This past Friday was The Delta of Venus. A local  fashion social  in the incredible little town of Chico, CA. I was a participant in this event, held at the beautiful 360 Ecotique. The night was a success with a great turnout, (Chico is a very cool place, with very cool people who love to support their community), great music and TONS of AMAZING treasures for sale. We served wine and my friend baked Russian tea cakes and passed them around on a sliver platter (i have the sweetest friends!).  At a few points in the night, the place was shoulder to shoulder with hipsters admiring, trying on and purchasing their finds. The whole night had a constant stream of folks and it was so wonderful to meet the people trying on my items, and it gave me a great opportunity to talk about my designs and the creative process behind them. I was so overwhelmed with compliments and in depth discussions pertaining to my designs. What a great night. I would say, for myself, that my Heirloom dresses overshadowed all of my other items. That is not to say people didn't love the others (or purchase them!), but it was the first time the dresses were displayed in a group with access to trying them on. I was also wearing my newest creation, (I custom made for myself, for this event), and another sweetie-pie girlfriend was selling raffle tickets while wearing a dress from the collection. It really helps to have someone modeling their beauty.
The other vendors were my dear friend Sadie Rose of  Lost boys and Lovers , Adorn by Mari, Kodo fragrances and my newest girl crush, Cabrina Channing Jewelry designs. What an inspiring group of women! There were so many things i wanted, but had to show some restraint. I purchased a great necklace from Adorn by Mari and I have teamed up with Cabrina Channing to do a trade for her insane body jewelry. She will get a custom heirloom dress I have just begun to work on. We also had a dear friend of mine read Tarot cards, which she had a line for all night! Thanks Monica!






Here are some pics of the event including set up and some local hipsters. As well as my GORGEOUS friends and fellow artists.

























The night was a lot of fun, but I was so tired after the set up, event then breakdown, I completely took the next couple days off.  I woke up this morning hungry for more. There is no taming this beast. My poor husband. The house has been, a-hem...neglected, and he has so sweetly defended it by saying, " When it is fashion week around here, this is just the way it is going to look." Thank you sweetie! Happy Valentine's Day. I love you!


*** a special thanks to Crystina Hemmingway and Lorna Hillman of the 360ecotique, Sadie rose and Erin Lizardo.