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Check it out - Complex Magazine did an interview with my sister and the fresh.i.am crew about their show at NYFW.  That's right - fresh.i.am had a show at New York Fashion Week!
While it was pretty fast and kinda last-minute, only the NYC family could represent.  I'm happy they were able to go on my behalf because that's kind of a BIG deal!


   



Check out some photos of the show from our step-sister, Vee, who had a cameo in the Complex Mag video!

Watch the video!

That Katniss Wrap - My sketch

So...I had some ideas forming in my head about the "Katniss Wrap" (that's what I'm calling it) and the more I broke it down, the more I realized that it's not really knit - it looks more of like a woven or braided piece.  Not to worry because I deconstructed it in the best way that I could: I talked it out on my car ride on my way home from work last night and on my way to work this morning.  As soon as I got in, I printed out the loveliest photo of Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss (from Captiol Couture) and another that featured a front-on shot of the "Katniss Wrap" and sketched out my version.
Keep in mind that I'm a terrible illustrator


Do you like how I'm wearing Peeta's locket today?

I decided it would have to be constructed in two parts: the cowl neck and the arm piece.  I love knitting in the round!  I think it's a fun way to knit things up quickly and efficiently but because I felt like the neck piece needed some texture, I can't knit this one in the round because the texture I want is a able (or possibly two) and I'm not that confident in my cabling skills in the round just yet.  I barely have enough patience for a single cable and here I am designing two flat pieces, each with cables.  Go big or go hime, right?!
In case you can't see on my terrible illustration, the cable is pretty basic with the straight line representing a knit stitch all the way down on each side of the cable - which is the way I feel comfortable doing cables.  So, the arm piece will be done in the same way - even though that's clearly NOT how it is in the photos.
In the photos, it looks like a very intense braided piece - which it very well could be since District 12-ers are pretty resourceful.  I think I might be able to recreate the "weight" of it with a really chunky yarn and some large needles but I want there to be some play room for the cowl to be more relaxed than the arm piece.  We'll see what comes off the needles since I don't ever swatch anything - I kinda just go.
The more I look at it, the more I think the neck piece could be the only cable part and maybe the arm piece could have some light ribbing on the sides and it could be two strands of yarn held together for a thick, basic knit, maybe?  That'll give the arm piece the "tight braided" look and the cowl a more relaxed feel.  And then the whole thing could be crocheted together with a basic chain from the inside or I could sew it with a large yarn needle?  We'll see how I'm feeling when I get there - if I get there, that is.  Sometimes, knit pieces get boring and I abandon them (like the countless scarves in my knitting bag) BUT this project seems short enough that I can make it during my time off during the holidays next week!  Fingers crossed!

I'll be sure to post progress photos and *try* to write the best directions I can (if it works out the way I want it to!)

THG:Catching Fire

Image source 

 I FINALLY saw The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and let me tell you, I was a big ball of emotions.

*SPOILERS AHEAD* in case you haven't seen the first movie or read any of the books...

Bloggers that Inspire

I'm constantly trying to tap into my inner fashionista and I feel like I'm failing most of the time!  When I started my weight loss journey in January, I felt like once I was comfortable enough in my new body, I should buy clothes that reflected my new found confidence.

I tried doing an outfit photo-a-day when I started my *Smash Book adventure and it helped me get in tune with my fashion sense...but only for a little bit.  I know myself - I am NOT a fashion blogger.  

Especially not with this hastily put together arrangement.  Yikes!

Every time I try and do a "What I Wore" post, I start to feel really, really self-conscious.  And it sucks!  When I was doing the photo-a-day thing for a week, I enjoyed it!  It was a bit of a challenge.  I tried to take inspiration from my favorite fashion bloggers:

Scathingly Brilliant - whose retro vibe is ultra cute and feminine.  One of my favorite outfits is Periwinkle and Sea Foam Green.  I LOVE her take on colors and how she successfully mixes and matches them perfectly!  I'm going to try my hand at styling this Mint Dress that she listed (and I was lucky enough to snag!) and see how well I stack up!
Bonus Look: Snow White styling With a Smile and a Song.  So cute!

The Dainty Squid - whose mix of retro and unusual curiosities works every time!  One of my favorite outfits is Covered in Cameras - which inspired me to take the plunge and *finally* order the ASOS Lunar Flats!  This blog also turned me toward BloodMilk - such great jewelry!
Bonus Look: Hunting for Bigfoot.  Yes, I know it features the Lunar flats as well but I just love how she mixes a casual tee with a cute skirt - something that has been eluding me for a while now.  I went on a large-ish buying spree with dresses and skirts for my "new body" and I've been desperately trying to mix my tees with skirts so that I can have more outfit choices.

Keiko Lynn - has just the right amount of cutesy with a touch of retro and wild and it looks great every time!  One of my favorite outfits is It's All Fun and Flamingos.  Those tights!  That dress!  Such a great mix of neons!  Not gonna lie - those tights inspired me to get some hot pink tights to experiment with.  Not bad for the first attempt, eh?
Bonus Look: Boy Meets Girl.  I LOVE bow ties with anything and everything so this look speaks to me on so many levels!

Mermaidens - dresses the way I wish I could dress most of the time.  I say that because I think I'm getting to an age where it might not be the best for me to dress as such but I should just go ahead and say it: YOLO, right?  One of my favorite looks is Wishery.  That skirt with the harness on it?!  LOVE!!  I love all these great "caged" and "harnessed" skirts and dresses so much!  I don't think I could pull it off right now but after I take off a few pounds, who knows?!
Bonus Look: Queen of Hearts.  The jumper+lady tie combo takes me back to my Brownie days and I love that it's getting to be popular.

All that being said, I've been buying with a different, more thoughtful eye when I purchase items.  Sometimes I find myself thinking "What would  < insert fashion blogger here > do with this particular choice?" and either I purchase it or I don't.  Other times, I let my impulsiveness guide me.  Yes, I'm a terrible implosive shopper.  I have dresses that I've purchased forever ago that I still haven't worn!  That will change, though.  I'm hoping that once the rest of this sickness has left my body, I'll be ready to start challenging my fashion sense once again!

It's just the big, looming project that's freaking me out: the cleaning and purging of my drawers and closet.  I HATE doing that!  My mom told me she'd help me alter pieces that I just can't let go of (like shirts and skirts) so we'll see when I'm feeling brave enough to tackle that.  I think I'm just waiting to start majorly purging for when I hit my goal weight.  Cop out?  Probably.  It's just a HUGE task that I'm trying to avoid...for now...

Who are your favorite bloggers?

Fantasy Friday with Ulyana Sergeenko

After spending parts of the week daydreaming about elegant times gone by and my dream home adventures, I was delighted to see WWD post about the Ulyana Sergeenko show at Paris Couture Week.  Those dresses!  Those tears!  I loved every single thing about it!  It reminded me of my dream home diversion when I ended up on a Google search about the Neuschwanstein Castle.
My love for the Neuschwanstein goes way back to when my family visited when I was a child.  Granted, I have no memories of it but something draws me to that place.  I feel like there's an energy there that I have to get back to.  I also feel like it's the main reason I love Disney's Sleeping Beauty.  Yes, specifically, the Disney version.  Why?  Because the Neuschwanstein was the model for the Sleeping Beauty castle - what's NOT to love!
So when I saw the lovely Maud Welzen in that pretty gold dress with tears streaming down her face on the WWD Tumblr, I was instantly in love.  After perusing through the collection pictured below, I had to look at her other collections and let me tell you - they're all magnificent.  I will say - I have to disagree with Style.com and this line from their review on her Fall 2012 Couture show:
"Sergeenko is a storyteller, but if she wants to break through to a wider audience, she'll eventually need to curb the fairy tale."

The fairy tale makes it.  Maybe I'm just a kid at heart who still longs for those fairy tale days but I think the fairy tale aspect makes her designs BETTER.  They're all relatable.  You can see certain looks and identify with them right away.  Some remind you of Little Red Riding Hood or those old European toy soldiers or old-world style Nutcrackers or Bavarians in lederhosen or intricate tapestries that were painstakingly crafted by hand by a hearth or any other kind of Russian / German Medieval fantasy world.  Maybe because I grew up with a little of that, I feel extremely connected to it on a spiritual level.  Yes, a spiritual level.  I mean, don't these looks take you to snowy trails in a horse drawn carriage to the Neuschwanstein or any other castle in the countryside?

 

I leave you with this imagery and photos from the Fall 2013 Ulyana Sergeenko Couture Show.  The last one is the designer herself.  Even she looks like a woodland sprite ready to guide you to your next fantasy realm.  Love her!  I can't wait to see more from her!

     
     
     


Photo source

Provocations Campaign - Yes, please!

Happy Super Bowl Sunday everyone!  I, personally, don't watch the Super Bowl but I can appreciate the commercials shown.  Speaking of commercials - this sexy little number popped up more times than I could count on my Tumblr dash and you know what?  I ain't even mad.



The film is by Fabien Baron for Calvin Klein starring my favourite Swede: Alexander Skarsgård.  There are some elements that remind me of Matthew Barney and his Cremaster Cycle and some parts that reminded me of the work of Lars Von Trier but the more I tried to break each element down and analyze it, the more I got distracted by the allure of The Skarsgård.
Visually, this piece is stunning and everything about it: Skarsgård, Suvi Koponen, explosions and mirrors, is quite breathtaking and the whole thing is a delight to watch.  I love these wonderful fashion art films!



Enjoy and Happy Sunday!

Project Runway: The Finale Part 2 - The Recap!

Okay - so I TOTALLY called Dmitry's win!  Damn, I'm good.  Err - damn, Dmitry is good.  But dammit - Fabio took my breath away!  His collection was EVERYTHING to me.  I loved everything about it!  I loved everyone else's too, don't get me wrong, but when it came down to it, Fabio and Dmitry definitely deserved those Final 2 spots.

But - before I get into my Fabio / Dmitry love-fest, let's talk about mah boo Christopher and his super beautiful pattern.


Personally, I loved this collection. Like I said, I love the print and I think it was a strong statement but I feel like it could've been more.  Either way, I thought it was a wonderful collection - even though he was being Queen Bitch talking shit about Melissa, ripping the tulle out from under the finale gown and pouting the entire time.  Don't worry Christopher, I would be like that too.  That's a lot of pressure and you should be proud of this collection!  Personally, I want looks 2,3,5,6,8,9, and 10.  Actually, you can give me ALL the looks!

On to Melissa's.  First off, I'd like you all to know that she styled her models with MY MOndo Fantasy Hair style and I'm totally jealous!!  The hair is FABS.  Okay, on to the looks.



You could definitely tell she was designing for women like herself and she killed it! Everything was wonderful here - especially that Blood Orange / Red dress. Christopher was cracking us up with, "Blood orange? How pretentious, it's RED". Calm down and put the cat claws away, Christopher. It'll be okay. I think the bathing suit would've worked better if it had been shown next to the shorts but overall, this collection was great. Definitely very commercial. Another one that I would love to own all the looks!  Especially the blood orange / red dress.  That thing is lovely.

On to my Final 2.  Seriously - Fabio KILLED IT.  I LOVED EVERYTHING in his collections.  EVERYTHING.



I remember saying to Lauren that the looks Fabio presented last week were "effortlessly chic" and I almost freaked out when MK said the same thing.  It's true, though.  And Heidi loved everything here as well.  The colours were so light and airy and just the total opposite from what everyone else did.  The hair was on point with those double french braids that turned into a single one down the back and the makeup made the ladies look like beautiful fairy princesses floating on a plane different from our own.  Personally, this was my favourite.  Sorry Dmitry!

Speaking of Dmitry, here's his winning collection.



I thought Heidi was going to jump up and make out with him after she announced he won! Damn! I wonder when we'll be seeing her wearing his clothes on the red carpet somewhere...
Okay - so here's my thing with this collection - I hated that fringe jacket. It looks like a weird flamenco / matador jacket to me and the weirdest part about it is that the judges loved it so much, the all wanted to have babies with it.  The styling with those crazy eyebrows was horrible.  They chatted with him about making his models look too old and those crazy eyebrows certainly did that.  I mean, look at them!  Those poor models look like the evil witch from Hansel and Gretel or something. Or someone from another TV show...
 

Okay, okay, that might be a little harsh but...I hated those eyebrows. I love me a strong brow and all but DAMMIT those were insane.  The last dress was tight and right though.  I'll give it that.  Even though it was borderline costume, it was still gorgeous.   And the dress before it was lovely too.

Congratulations Dmitry!

I don't think I've ever wanted anyone to win this more since my beloved Mondo.  I hope to be seeing WAY more from you and Fabio and Christopher and Melissa and Gunnar and pretty much everyone from this season in the near future!