I had so much fun in this outfit when I wore it to the AIGA/NY Winter Bash that I decided to wear it again to celebrate New Year’s Eve!
I believe I was officially the sparkliest person in my hometown of Starkville, Mississippi on this particular evening, and while my outfit may have temporarily blinded some unsuspecting party-goers, it was really my insides that felt like they’d been coated with glitter. Surrounded by my mom, stepdad, sister, brother-in-law, three of my best friends since childhood and their fellas (one all the way from where he’s currently stationed in South Korea), I spent the evening beaming. It was a pretty decent way to start 2012, which I predict will go down in the books as “The Year of The Sparkle.”
- green sequin shirt - $55 (+$9 shipping) Etsy: BambieJonesVintage
- pink tule skirt - $18 East Village Buffalo Exchange
- embellishments - $12 Guvnor’s and Downtown Brooklyn Goodwill
- red tights and silver Rockette shoes - in my closet 5+ years
- TOTAL - $94
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Something about working around all these digital masterminds at Studiomates has me going analog, as in cutting and pasting using actual scissors and glue. Of course I scan it all back into the computer so it really is digital in the end, but the process of pushing paper with my fingers instead of a mouse is fun! It feels like recess!
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LOOK OUT! Cat wearing giant plaid pants alert! (Giant as in the size of the plaid, not the size of the pants, although by cat standards, I guess these pants would be kinda large.)
Of course I love mixing super bright colors, but lately I’m deriving great satisfaction from mixing textures and patterns as well. Finding things that seem like they shouldn’t go together and putting them together anyway is oddly thrilling.
There’s geometry to it: the angular embroidery of this top next to the stripes of the sweater and plaid of the pants. I think it works, and the best part is, that’s all that really matters! Yeehaw.
- cat hat - gift from friends at MailChimp
- striped cardigan - $22 Side Show in Hudson, NY
- embroidered button-down shirt - $18 Side Show in Hudson, NY
- plaid pants - $22 Side Show in Hudson, NY
- two-tone cowboy boots - $22 Side Show in Hudson, NY
- TOTAL - $107
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Studiomates + Muppets = Studiomuppets (or S’muppets for short).
It’s one of my fondest hopes to one day be walking down the street and pass a Muppet… on his way to work, or band practice, or where ever Muppets like to go. And upon seeing this Muppet, I simply smile and nod because passing a Muppet is NO BIG DEAL. They’re just here, among us. I believe with Muppets around, we would never run out of friendship, acceptance, music, laughter, or color. That’s the kind of world I want to live in.
The closest I’ve come to this, thus far, is to encourage my friends to dress as if they were Muppets. These are photos from the Friday before Halloween (or “Halloween Beer Friday” in Studiomates terms). The fact that I’m friends with people willing to so readily pretend to be Muppets means I must already live in a world where some pretty serious awesomeness abounds.
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As I work my way toward this Winter’s wardrobe, I’m finding myself drawn to chunky textures, like the embroidery on this felted vest. Also in this category, I’ve picked up a pair of multi-colored woven trousers (dubbed “serious pants” by my Studiomate Rob), some thick wooly sweaters, and a truly MAGICAL poncho that I have not been able to stop wearing (it’s like walking around inside a hug).
I like this textural look because A.) it suits the chilly weather and B.) something about the irregularities of these handmade textures has me resembling a high school art teacher from the 70s, which of course I REALLY dig.
- embroidered vest - $20, Olive’s Very Vintage, Brooklyn NY
- ruffled dress with shell - $9, Downtown Brooklyn Goodwill
- red beads - $2 Brimfield Antiques Market
- red tights - $10, The Sock Man on St. Marks
- lucky cowboy boots - $40, Brooklyn Flea
- TOTAL - $81
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Holy Rainbow, I sure had fun painting (or more accurately dipping in paint and then swinging on) this skateboard deck for Bordo Bello. So much fun, in fact, that I had to make a silly little video!
Bordo Bello is a skateboard art fundraiser designed to support AIGA Colorado’s mentorship opportunities.
If you feel like your home or office could do with a skateboard deck turned rainbow turned swing, you can place a bid on ebay over the next 24 hours!
And now, some behind the scene stuffs…
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Almost as if someone flipped a switch, Brooklyn woke up this past Friday to fall! I decided to celebrate with a BIG splash of color.
- striped satin dress - $24, Sweet Lorain in Cleveland
- purple cropped jacket - $13, East Village Buffalo Exchange
- purple belt - $4, My Sisters’ Closet in Minneapolis
- orange metal flower broach - $10, The Sundial of Starkville, MS
- buckle pumps - $25, Alameda Swap Meet
- TOTAL - $76
The story behind the stripes…
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The second half of this article contains a DIY guide to low-fi shirt printing, but first, I’ll set the scene…
I love a good birthday party. This summer we had a couple of great ones over here at Studiomates, and the first I’ll share is for our beloved S’mate Jason Santa Maria. In my book, the #1 requirement for successful event planning is gathering a group of friends around a common mission, and if you’re lucky enough to have friends as fun-loving as ours, you’ve got it made. Add an authentic Brooklyn venue, pizza, beer and cake, and you’ve got a party worthy of not only our bestest bud Jason but also an 80’s movie montage. Fair warning, for this type of party you might also want a Megan. Megan is Jason’s lovely girlfriend, and she did all the heavy lifting: booking the restaurant, ordering the food, requesting the cake have blue and yellow sprinkles. My job was really only 1.) getting people there for the surprise and 2.) decor.
I flubbed big time on the first one, so I may have gone a tad overboard on the second. Here’s how that went down.
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Vroom vroom.
I’ve been married for five years. Officially. As of yesterday. To commemorate the occasion, I purchased a poster of this image. It’s super heros of design Charles and Ray Eames. On a motorcycle.
Like Charles and Ray, Creighton and I both live and work together, yet the most fulfilling and intimate thing we do is create together. We are currently working on a new project. A side project, if you will. A personal one about our biggest passions. And it’s one of the most exciting endeavors I’ve embarked upon. Ever. (Yep, I drank bourbon at dinner. And yep, I’m pretty in love.)
You can read more about our relationship in this interview with iDsgn.
Happy Anniversary to Creighton! Happy Anniversary to me! I try not to take a single day for granted.
