Wednesday, January 29, 2014

52 Pick-me-up: Short Over Long

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Proportion play! Find something short (maybe even TOO short) and wear something long under it.
Go grunge and wear long sleeves under a tee.
Or go crazy, like I did:
I didn't start out dressing to match my scarves (like last week), but I found the perfect matchy scarves.
Short scarf over long scarf pure accident!

This was one of those outfits that started out with totally different items over the striped top and red pants.
I ended up with the above for lack of time.

I felt like this (which I've posted before, but it bears repeating):
Sporting the drop-crotch trend at such an early age!
My red and white scarf has a special past:
Dolls of the World Kenya Barbie, 1994
photo source: Barbie Collector
I designed it for Kenya Barbie and purloined some sample fabric!
This is one of my early digital print designs, that I worked up in U4ia (expensive proprietary software which Lectra now calls something else). The printing on the polyester base cloth shows equally on both sides, and it works well for both Barbie's cape and my scarf.
[Apologies for the wretched photo. Will replace with a better one tomorrow.]
Here's another short over long idea:
At my art reception, 3/31/2013
I now have the distinction of being "that crazy girl on Facebook", as described by one of Severo's old pals.
Hahahaha!

Special shout-out to Megan Mae and Keely, 
who first gave me the idea for this prompt, from their Fashion Challenge series.

Link up, my friends:








Monday, January 27, 2014

Making Things Better

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The past week, I've been thinking about how to make 52 Pick-me-up a less stressful situation for myself. Trying to sketch on Tuesday mornings before work is not easy. As Greetje of No Fear of Fashion so kindly commented, "...remember... YOU made this list of tasks. So YOU can now: delegate, turn down (as in "sorry, won't be able after all to do this") or postpone (plan further in time). All of them options to make your life breathable again."

I've been mulling it over and here's what I've decided going forward:
The prompt for the week will last for a whole week and end at 5:30am Pacific.
The cycle is Wednesday to Wednesday.
The next prompt will go live at Wednesday mornings, as always.
The sketch will appear sometime between Thursday and Sunday.

Not too much adjustment for all that want to play along. A less rigorous sketching schedule for me. Phew!

I've had a fun time matching my scarves this week. I dug into a box of them and found a wonderful gold + brown diamond weave piece that I only vaguely remembered. I wore it last week, even though it was terribly wrinkled.

This one was in the same box, also still wrinkled:
It's hand painted silk chiffon. I can't remember who gave it to me.

Here's what I put together:
The sweater was bugging me -- too tight. I took some scissors to center front:
Aaaaah! So much better!
I wore this on Friday to qi gong class and to a scanning marathon at Otis.

Here is why I scanned at Otis:
home on the left | Otis on the right
Factor in Photoshop crashing every 3rd scan at home and you have no contest. (My scanner is so old that it only works with my feeble laptop).
I scanned 37 drawings, and I hope to slowly and steadily get them colored up.
So a week that started out badly, ended up very nicely. I found a fun new App too!
So excited!!!! Selfie from 2011 "painted" in Waterlogue
How was your week?


Linking up with Patti's Visible Monday and Seeker's Très Chic Style Bits
And YOU still can link up to 52 Pick-me-up here through Wednesday morning.





Wednesday, January 22, 2014

52 Pick-me-up: Match Your Scarf

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On to a new week! Do you like how I start the week on Wednesday? Or does it confuse you?
If you follow me at all, you know that I will have no problem rising to this week's challenge:
choose a scarf first, then match your outfit to it.

My scarf is a striped vintage silk rectangle that I bought from a boutique on a schoolbus in Portland.
This photo shows 1/2 of it:
Fortuitously, it matches my new plaid boyfriend shirt that I've been wearing a lot.
I tied it ala Diane Keaton-at-the-Golden-Globes:
Even got my outerwear to play along:
Looking forward to seeing your combos!





Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Digital Catwalk: Jan Wore Black in October

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Doing a bit of catch-up here -- couldn't cope with colors or 10s this morning.
AAARGH! Now I'm TWO WEEKS BEHIND!
I need to go on retreat or something...

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Cameron Silver on the Digital Catwalk

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I'm participating in a Surface Design blog hop over on Pattern Recognition. Over 40 artists and designers created print collections under the theme Tropical Fusion. The art all utilizes Pantone's Radiant Orchid. If you like prints, get yourself on over there -- there is a wonderful array of styles to see. You just might find a pillow or phone case that you can't live without!

As part of my presentation, I put my print designs onto a sketch. Cameron Silver, the owner of Decades in LA hovered in the back of my brain as my muse as I was putting my collection together. And I just happened to have sketched him last May before the Otis Benefit Show.

Here's how he looked last May:
And here he is for Spring 2014 in my Tropical Preppy collection:

To see the prints life size, click on over to Pattern Recognition.

Ah, it's Saturday night. Severo is playing a gig at B.B. King's in Times Square. I'm home blogging. Wish I were there and I don't mind being right where I am.

ps: See more (very small) pix of Cameron here on Patrick McMullan's photography site.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

52 Pick-me-up: 10s (1910s or 2010s)

"LINKS/

It's been a few months (September!) since a historical challenge on 52 Pick-me-up. This week, it's the 10s.
I've been so busy with my Sketchbook Project of maps that I have no inspired outfit to share. I did a quick Pinterest search today for "1910 fashion" and found some goodies. I put my finds on my "Reference for Posts" board.
This image gave me a smile:
Gloria Swanson and Teddy the dog, from 1917
Pinterest linked it to here, and with a little internet sleuthing,
I found that it's a publicity still from the film Teddy at the Throttle.
This post gives more details and provides a YouTube link.

My current bathing suit is very similar, but it's a rare day that you'll see me in it!
Perhaps the headgear doubles as a flotation device. The fur stole is especially useful!

Think first season of Downton Abbey and you'll be on the right track for the 1910s.

I guess for the 2010s, you could look back at a 2010 magazine and see what's in there. Probably not a long enough lapse of time to be meaningful, but maybe you'll find something that we all thought was so cool three years ago and now looks silly.

I'm sure you can all do better than me! Do share your historical adaptations!





Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Diane Keaton at the Golden Globes

CREATED/ 

We interrupt our regularly scheduled Digital Catwalk for a peek at what I live sketched from the Golden Globes telecast. There will be more, but gotta get back to work at the day job!


Monday, January 13, 2014

Fun With Art Cats

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My friend Miyoshi Barosh had an opening reception on Saturday night at Luis de Jesus Gallery in Culver City.
Severo and I made a date of it.
I stand in front of a large 3-D quilted piece with lots of little kitties.
The cat print has holes burned in the paper with vintage fabric behind.
Here's Miyoshi hidden in the office with her "merch": kitty scarves! WANT!
Glamor shot with disheveled hair,
taken later at the Farmers Market on 3rd x Fairfax
 Linking up with Patti's Visible Monday


Sunday, January 12, 2014

Peaches on the Digital Catwalk and Shining Stars

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Shining Star, by Earth, Wind & Fire, came up on my iPod the other day, during my morning commute. After replaying it about five times (or maybe more -- it got me from the 405 @ LAX to the 605 x 60), I thought about the SHINY 52 Pick-me-up sketch still in need of completion. I was also listening carefully to the lyrics (see below) and thought about all the Shining Stars in my universe.
Then I arrived at the day job, got slammed with a load of work, and was "forced" off the internet for days.
"What? You want me to WORK at work????"

Anyway.

Meet Peaches, the Queen of Diamonds!
Peaches of Peaches McGinty

I have SO many sketches in need of coloring. And instead, I'm in the midst of completing my Sketchbook Project 2014, which changed course and is now of maps of all my US road trips. That's due postmarked 1/15. Why do I always do this to myself? Ah well, pedal to the metal.

Wanted you all to know you're my shining stars!



Lyrics:

Yeah, hey
When you wish upon a star
Dreams will take you very far, yeah
When you wish upon a dream
Life ain't always what it seems, oh yeah
Once you see your light so clear
In the sky so very dear

You're a shining star, no matter who you are
Shining bright to see what you can truly be
That you can truly be

Shining star come into view
Shine is watchful light on you, yeah
Gives you strength to carry on
Make your body big and strong
Future roads for you to pass
Love to watch your mug past

The shining star, lucky you
The sinful redeeming shall be true
On an adventure of the sun, yeah
Yeah it's all awake and just begun
Yeah, thought I had to stir the mood
That's it now I got my own oh yeah

So if you find yourself in need
Why don't you listen to his words of heat
Be a child free of sin
Be some place, yes I can
Words of Wisdom: Yes I can

You're a shinig star, no matter who you are
Shining bright to see what you can truly be
You're a shinig star, no matter who you are
Shining bright to see what you can truly be

Shining star for you to see, what your life can truly be
Shining star for you to see, what your life can truly be
Shining star for you to see, what your life can truly be

[source: above YouTube video]

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

52 Pick-me-up: Pantone Party

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It's Pantone Color of the Year (COTY) week here at SpyGirl HQ. That doesn't mean I'm asking you to dress only in this year's Radiant Orchid. Pantone has been decreeing the COTY since 2000, which means you have 15 colors to choose from:
[source: Pantone]
Here is Radiant Orchid:
[source: Pantone]
This color looks very familiar!

But do I have any of it to wear now? I don't think so.
Instead, Here I am in my new plaid shirt. 

We'll pretend it is made up of 2007 Chile Pepper, 2008 Blue Iris, and 2013 Emerald.
Which COTY strikes your fancy? Do you have it in your closet?


 






Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Friday, January 3, 2014

Ode to Old Shoes

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These were last seen on Bella's Shoe Shine, 12/11/13.
I linked up from an Instagram post, as an experiment.
After I took the shot, I retired them to the trash.
I was thinking I'd sketch them one more time, but really it was time they were gone.

Let's take a moment to follow them back in time through sketches:
2012


2010
2008
Now, a haiku!
 
RIP, cow slides
2000, Sacramento
thirteen years and gone

I perused all three albums from the 2000 roadtrip to see if I had any shots of shoes. Nada.
Here I am with my sister, my niece, my mom, and the van that summer at my mom's house.
I MAY be wearing the slides, can't tell.

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

52 Pick-me-up: Closet Orphans | Ending 2013 at the Beach

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Happy 2014, everyone!
Start the new year with a 52 Pick-me-up challenge. It's a weekly series that I started last June.
You can see all the prompts if you click on the menu bar tab up top.

This week, it's time to wear something old, something that you haven't worn for a year (also known as a closet orphan). You know you have such items. I do, in spades. I've got the "too small but still like" box.
I've got the "needs repair or revamp it" boxes.
I KNOW those boxes are full of things I haven't worn for a while, if ever.
Here's the one I dug around in:
I threw the contenders in a pile (yes, on the floor):
Hmmmm, that floral-paisley skirt might work
I bought this skirt at Savers in Austin in March 2012.
It was too small, but I got it anyway for the print, which I adore.
Look! If I wear it under my extremely huge turtleneck, no one can tell that it's riding up on my ribs!
(Please ignore the fact that I didn't press it and it's a wrinkled mess.)
All ready for work.
*little pink tuft necklace c/o Capwell & Co.
Ah, work on New Year's Eve. We were let out early.
Co-workers rejoice. Me, on the time clock, not so happy.
2.5 days of working will NOT pay the rent. So I didn't clock out. Maybe they'll pay me for a full day.

ANYWAY

Through forces beyond my control (OK, in the wrong lane on the 605),
I ended up going a different way home (105 vs 60/10 through dtLA).
So I thought, why not go to the beach and do some sort of end-of-year ritual?

GOOD IDEA!

I always gravitate to the Playa Del Rey beach. Easy to park is reason #1.
I wanted to find a rock, write 2013 in Sharpie, and hurl it into the Pacific.
No rocks, but this piece of "beach plastic" served well:

My one-take video:


Beachy glamor shot:
*sunglasses frames c/o Ditto
Do you perform any year end rituals? (Aside from NYE parties) Do tell!

Now, back to my challenge. What can you find that you haven't worn for a year?