VisualBasic

Weeko Mika Designs

2011-12-12T00:05:00.001-06:00

[leather jacket: Hollister. black tank, black leggings: Target. parka: Kohls. white tshirt: Forever21. boots: Charlotte Russe. all jewelry: Weeko Mika Designs]

A week or so ago, a friend in studio launched her own handmade jewelry line as her final project. She needed someone asap to pose for a few pictures wearing some of the jewelry for her catalog. While clearly I'm not the most professional model, it was still a fun shoot. We conquered the undeveloped patch of woods across from a park in town. It was a little treacherous at first, but we braved forward!
For her project, Alyssa not only handmade each necklace, but created the logo for the etsy site, designed the print catalog, built a window display, printed business cards, and put together the cute packaging for the necklaces. The inspiration for her line was inspired by southwestern native american motifs. Each piece is made of birch-wood or plexiglass that has been laser cut and features details like glitter, skull beads, or natural stones.
I like that each piece is unique. I think my favorite necklaces are the gold glitter plexiglass triangle or the birch-wood triangle with the white skull. And how could you not fall love with the little cute faces of the raccoon and fox? Take a look at the designs below and come check out her etsy shop: Weeko Mika Designs
Thanks for reading! Rach:]

***NOTE: If you can't find one of the necklaces you want above on the etsy shop, message her because it probably hasn't been uploaded yet. Or it might be sold out, so ask her if she can make an order for you!***

Christmas List [2011]

2011-12-02T23:27:00.001-06:00

[1] Macbook Photoshop hotkeys laptop keyboard cover @Photojojo

[2] Soot (from Spirited Away) plushie cell phone holder @FocalPrice

[3] Yellow gemstone cocktail ring @Ebay

[4] Wonder Woman travel coffee cup @Amazon

[5] Cat Eye vintage eyeglasses @Etsy

[6] Fashion history book @Amazon

[7] Typography Workbook @Amazon

[8] Star Wars long-sleeve tee (s) @Forever21

[9] Grey/Yellow reversible comforter (full/queen) @Target

[10] Striped sweater (s) @Target

[11] Suede ankle boots (6) @Charlotte Russe

Its that time of year! I've just ransacked the holiday aisle at Target leaving with 3 sparkly gift bags and an R2D2 Christmas bobble head. I'm excited about the DIY gifts I have planned to make for friends and family. And currently I'm drowning in end of the semester schoolwork, drinking hot chocolate, and listening to christmas carols on pandora. Yep. Its December.

Are you ever too old to make a christmas wishlist? I think not.

This year, only simple fun things make the list!

Hope you're having a great start of December and if you're in college, good luck on finals and have a safe trip home for the holidays!

Rach:]

Blogger Sketch Sunday [eat.sleep.wear]

2011-11-13T17:15:00.000-06:00

Hey blogger! Its the Fifty-second edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday! Thats right, I've been doing this for a full 52 weeks totaling 1 full year! This week's post features Kimberly of eat.sleep.wear. whose blog hails from Philadelphia.
3 Reasons I love this blog:
-Kimberly is a graphic designer, whose eye for aesthetics translates clearly into her blog. I always enjoy coming across blogs that are created by very visually inclined people. This blogger has this clean, sleek, bold feel to her website. From the theme of continuous lines running through the titles and bordering her links to the sharpness of her photos in the ordered posts column, there is a simple beauty to all of it.
-I would definitely say that this simplicity also transcends into her style. While her look isn'tminimalistic, it has this juxtaposition of polish and rustic. Kimberly has a uniform of skinny jeans, wedges, layers of tops, and dramatic glasses or hats. She rocks the silhouette that works every time for her, but keeps it interesting by picking basic pieces that have appealing patterns or tactile textures. Her style maintains the clean line her aesthetic keeps to.
-Fall colors are huge in trends right now and I think Kimberly works these colors into her wardrobe effortlessly. Desaturated brown or olive pants, silky sienna tops, mustard cable knit cardigans, maroon wool floppy hats and beige desert boots. All finished off with leopard print accents, tortoise frames, fur vests, and sherpa collars. Completed with a perfect warmly lit city backdrop behind her.
If you haven't come across her blog, I'd recommend going to check it out! I've posted the link to it where I first named her blog above.
I have mixed feelings about reaching the completion of my 52 week goal. On one hand I feel proud to have gone out and achieved something on my own that wasn't a part of school or work. On the other hand I still have a few bloggers I'd like to feature, so you might see a few more editions of Blogger Sketch Sunday coming up! I would like to keep my weekly tradition for a little longer.
When I finish, I plan to post a huge edition with 52 of my favorite sketches from Blogger Sketch Sunday, so look out for it soon!
Rach:]____________________
I also need to announce that I am no longer accepting commissions as of right now. I still have a few I am wrapping up on, but I have decided that I need these next few weeks to focus on finishing up school for my December graduation. If I return to taking freelance work, I will put up a notice here on my blog. Thank you!

Recent Commissions [Oct 2011]

2011-10-21T21:22:00.000-05:00

Its been a busy month commission wise for me! So you'll have to excuse my lack of posting. Hopefully these illustrations I was hired to create will make up for my absence. I've started using a tablet for all of my work and its opened up a whole new world of possibilities. I'm currently borrowing my generous roommate's tablet, but I feel really inspired to buy my own and really get adept to using one.
Thanks goes out to these 3 bloggers, Amanda of Emerald Heels, Candyce of *Right-click Save*, and Inna of SkippySays for commissioning me to make their blog headers! It was so fun working with each of them to create their own vision. If you'd like to commission me, shoot me and email at vizbasix@gmail.com and we'll talk about rates and bounce back and forth a few ideas!
Thanks for reading! Rach:]

Blogger Sketch Sunday [The Blonde Salad]

2011-10-16T18:48:00.000-05:00

Holy moly! Its the Fifty-first edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday! This week's post features Chiara, of The Blonde Salad whose blog is located in Italy.
3 Reasons I love this blog:-You can't help but be a little star-struck looking through this blog, Chiara has racked up quite a list of modeling gigs, style awards, and numerous collaborations with big name labels. Her blog highlights how successful and fashion blog can become and it kind of blows my mind.-There is a reason she was named the biggest breakout street style star of the year by the New York Times. Her style is effortlessly chic. No outfit she puts together would look like any hum-drum 'trendy' display at the mall. Style like this is impeccable and seems impossible to immulate. She is just one of those girls who always looks so put together without looking like she's trying at all.-What would a street style star be without a super skilled photographer behind the lens? All of her photos are amazing. They are such high quality pictures with beautiful outdoor lighting, great use of DOF, and such candid energy.
If you haven't come across this blogger, which I highly doubt, you need to go check out what all the fuss is about. I've placed the link where I first named her blog above.
ALRIGHT. So I've been completely MIA since like August. Pretty much since school began. It being my last semester of college and taking 17 hours, you'll have to be a little patient with me for being such an inconsistent blogger for a bit. Good news though, I only have one week of Blogger Sketch Sunday left! I am somewhat relieved my challenge almost complete, but a little sad as well. I appreciate all of the comments and messages I've received over the last year supporting my little endeavor. And I've had so much fun, I think I might continue for a few weeks more. We will see.
Thanks for reading!Rach:]

Karen O

2011-09-08T21:24:00.001-05:00

About a month ago, I finished this painting of Karen O, the female lead singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. She did an ad campaign for a line of matte-black nail polishes and I was drawn to the photo of her from it. The painting was done in watercolor paint and is roughly about 22"by 22" in size. This is the second piece in my series of portraits of inspiring females. Audrey Hepburn was the first. I'm gravitating towards painting Adele for the third portrait.

Rach:]

Blogger Sketch Sunday [The Hourglass]

2011-09-04T13:52:00.000-05:00

Hello bloggers! Welcome to the Fiftieth edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday! This week's post features Jacqueline of The Hourglass, whose blog is located in San Francisco, CA.

3 Reasons I love this blog:

-This blog is called the hourglass for a reason. I love Jackie's feminine shape and how she dresses to flatter her figure. Most fashion bloggers tend to fall on one of the 2 sides, model-skinny or plus-size. But the reality is that most of us females don't fall perfectly in either category. I like seeing bloggers like Jackie who have relatable body types and dress fashionably chic.
-Jackie's style isn't your typical Californian hipster brand. Its all about showing off that hourglass silhouette with high-waisted skirts, waist cinching belts, and tailored trousers. This blogger likes to mix it up with fun vintage finds. Floral prints from the past in her skirts, shirts, and dresses give her closet a unique feel. Retro touches like polka-dots, heart shaped sunglasses, leopard print, pearls, or short gloves add a flair to her closet that really suits her. Jackie is just one of those girls who has found her niche in fashion history and works it so well.
-Ah Lydia Hudgens. As you can tell from my feature of Jennie from Going West, I am a huge fan of this photographer. Jackie's outfits have always been amazing, but these new gorgeous photos really do her justice. Jackie looks like a cross between a wood-nymph and a retro-diva. The misty bare-branch forest backdrop, rustic beach setting, and gorgeous magenta flowers always catch my eye. This photographer has a great mastery of depth of field, striking composition, and use of color.

If you haven't seen her blog, go check it out right now! I've put the link where I first named it above.

Sorry this week's post is actually a little late. I've been sick for the past week and just got around to scanning these drawings. Btw, yes College Station Office Depot employees, I have been coming in week after week to scan in 3 sketches for a while now. Yes, I know my total is 81 cents. And YES, I will probably pay in pennies every single time. You should be used to me by now, only 2 more weeks!

Rach:]

Sweet Tooth

2011-08-30T11:34:00.004-05:00

School just started up this week so please excuse the lack of Blogger Sketch Sunday this past Sunday. My weekly tradition will be back on regular schedule next Sunday. To make up for it, I'm posting a few more paintings that I have done recently and finally got around to photographing. These two paintings are the start of my Sweet Tooth series of food paintings. I'm trying to think of a third sweet item to paint and finish the collection. I'm wavering between waffles, blueberry pie, or red velvet cake.

Mmmm decisions decisions....
Which dessert would you pick?

Rach:]

Blogger Sketch Sunday How-To Tutorial

2011-08-27T15:11:00.000-05:00

My year long, 52 week tradition of Blogger Sketch Sunday is almost wrapping up (can you believe it?!) so I thought I would put together a tutorial on how I draw these sketches of bloggers. I've received many emails from readers asking me where I learned to draw, what art school I went to, what medium I use, and how they can get started drawing as well.

I'm a little embarrassed from these messages, since I don't believe my drawings can compare with real fashion illustrators. I have made this short lesson on drawing figures, but please keep in mind that my way isn't the only way. Or the formally taught way. I never went to an art college, so my methods might not be the most technical. Also I always use cheap ballpoint pens I steal from banks because I like the way they alter in shade with varied pressure. I do own professional art pens, but they aren't as quick and easy to use.

Many readers have also asked me what books they should learn from. Honestly, I've looked at fashion illustration books and the way they instruct to draw croquis is just too dry and unoriginal. The greatest fashion illustrators like Danny Roberts and Laura Laine have unconventional styles. What I recommend is studying the human anatomy first to create a stable foundation. Henry Moore once said "Art is the expression of imagination, not the reproduction of reality." But its important to have an understanding of that reality before trying to embellish it. Grab a few cheap life drawing or human body study books to start learning and then develop your own flair from there.

Alright! Are you ready? Lets get started!

This is the finished product above!

If you want to go through the steps again, I've put together another tutorial for the pose shown above. To see how this second drawing was done, check out my guest post [HERE] on fellow College Station fashion blogger Sofia's blog, Bea and Ben!

I really hope this tutorial has been helpful and that I haven't bored you to death. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask and send me an email!

Thanks for reading!

Rach:]

Red Shoe Black Shoe

2011-08-26T13:18:00.000-05:00

A while ago, I painted these two paintings for Dee as her Christmas gifts last December. I'm about to upload a lot more artwork now that I'm getting around to photograph them. But I thought I would start with these. These were done in acrylics on small 12x16 inch canvases. Both the red and the black shoes were referenced from Christian Louboutin heels. No shoe has cleaner and more aesthetically stunning lines.

Rach:]

Blogger Sketch Sunday [Cheyenne Meets Chanel]

2011-08-21T23:03:00.002-05:00

Hey bloggers! Its the Forty-ninth edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday! This week's post features Shea Marie of Cheyenne Meets Chanel whose blog is located in West Hollywood, CA.

3 Reasons I love this blog:

-Shea Marie's poses are always fierce. She somehow manages to position her body in dynamic angles worthy of a editorial photo shoot. If I even attempted half of the poses she strikes in heels, I'd probably fall flat on my face or break an ankle.

-This blogger's style is every bit reflective of the Californian surroundings she resides in. Its all about loosely knit sweaters tucked into light denim cutoffs. Brightly colored skinny jeans tucked into sharp ankle boots. Aztec print purses and rough leather jackets.

-Shea Marie's hair style isn't anything too edgy, but its well kept and suits her effortless but graceful energy. Few women rock middle parts today, I being one of them as well. I love seeing someone who pulls off a clean and simple part with relaxed but polished waves.

If you haven't seen her blog, go check it out at the link above.

I'm proud to announce that I have put together 2 how-to-draw tutorials for 2 of the sketches from this post. A fellow College Station blogger, Sofia had the idea of me posting the process of how I draw Blogger Sketch Sunday sketches here on my blog. If you are interested in seeing a tutorial, check back later this week!

Thanks for reading!

Rach:]

Blogger Sketch Sunday [Weesha's World]

2011-08-14T22:38:00.001-05:00

Hello bloggers! Its the Forty-eighth edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday! This week's post features Weesha of Weesha's World whose blog is located in Dubai.

3 Reasons I love this blog:

-Although fashion blogs are an open medium to fashionistas of all shapes and sizes, the internet like the media, is over saturated with unrealistic body types. I was over the top excited to come across Weesha's blog. Weesha is beautiful plus sized blogger who is proud of her body and posts inspiring messages promoting self-love and confidence. I love every single word she posts.

-Not only do I love the subjects she writes about, but the way she writes too. I've come across a few blogs that I can tell are kept by professional writers, but I like reading Weesha's blog more. Her posts are always easy to read and I always leave her blog feeling inspired. She writes about issues I've debated about myself and discusses them in honest, personal, and thought provoking ways.

-Weesha's style is all her own. I hate reading articles in magazines that limit plus-sized women to solid colors, dark clothes, V-neck tops, or boot-cut jeans. No woman should be told to hide their bodies or make any part of themselves smaller. Weesha wears whatever she wants, like every girl should feel like she can. She wears loud patterns, ankle boots, harem pants, horizontal stripes, layered ruffles, or bright colors. And looks stunning every single time.

Its fashion bloggers like Weesha that remind me why fashion blogs are so amazing. The web is meant to be a open forum where everyday women can have their own voice. Despite the huge popularity and fame some bloggers receive, that shouldn't deter anyone from being the change they want to see. It doesn't matter if you aren't a size 0, are without a closet full of designer clothes, or don't have big name companies sending you free swag. The internet is the place to make a difference.

If you've never seen her blog, I urge you to go check it out! I've posted the link where I named her blog above.

Thanks for reading!

Rach:]

Recent Commissions [Aug 2011]

2011-08-10T18:30:00.001-05:00

Its been a while since I've posted new completed commissions. These are 4 of the recent bloggers who have been kind enough to let me work for their blogs. None of them have put up the finished headers on their websites yet, but blogging does tend to take a backseat for our crazy busy lives most of the time. I hope to see the illustrations on their websites soon.

These illustrations are a small sample of the work I have done. If you are interested in commissioning a custom illustration/blog header from me, check out my 'Commission Me' page at the top for my rates and contract. I have 2 new commissions in progress at the moment, so it may take me a while to get to your message. But don't hesitate to start discussing ideas with me!

Thanks!

Rach:]

Blogger Sketch Sunday [From The Block]

2011-08-07T00:07:00.000-05:00

Hey bloggers! Its the Forty-seventh edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday! This week's post features Jenny of From The Block whose blog hails from Los Angeles, CA.

3 Reasons I love this blog:

-Jenny is a prime example of California style. Her look is always laid back and comfortable, but hip and chic. With many cozy layers, edgy cuts, and chunky heels. Her outfits always combine body-con sensuality with oversize airy fabrics. If she's wearing fitted skinny jeans, she'll throw on a loose flowing blouse on top. If she has a tight bandage skirt on, she's wearing it with a slouchy knit sweater.
-Yellow is my favorite color and on purpose or not, Jenny uses the hue has a punctuation in her closet. Her most memorable outfits to me have special yellow pieces that define them. She uses a yellow spring scarf, a drapey yellow blouse, and a two-toned yellow miniskirt in her wardrobe to give her looks a bright sunny pop.
-Going back through Jenny's archives, I'm a huge fan of her winter style. And I can't wait until the weather gets cooler, A) So that I won't be burning my hands on my car steering wheel anymore (thanks 110 degree Texas heat) and B) so I can try out wearing knit beanies, patterned scarves, layered legwear, and a camel coat in the fall.

If you've never seen her blog, what are you waiting for? Check it out at the link I posted above.

Just a forewarning, I may be a little slow on posts again these next two weeks. I'll be cracking down on a summer course and starting a my last semester in the fall. But I will always keep Blogger Sketch Sunday going and I'll be posting something for my birthday.

'Till next time bloggers!
Rach:]

Painterly Pencil

2011-08-04T00:23:00.001-05:00

Skirt: Forever21. Tank: Target. Heels: thrifted. Purse: thrifted.

Photo Credit: Dee

This is one of my all time favorite Forever21 impulse purchases. I smacked myself in the head for giving into buying it at the time, but I'm pretty happy now over a year later. I'm in love with the painterly strokes on it and black and yellow are my favorite colors. The only complaint I have about it is that its pretty straight cut with no stretch so I've slightly ripped the slit on the back. Its hardy noticeable though, and at least now its easier to move in.

The summer is wrapping up soon. It feels so strange. I feel like this summer never happened. Probably because I've been running around a lot. Like a nomad. I'm looking forward to setting my feet down on firm ground soon. But I still plan on relishing these last few moments of summer. All I want to do is kick back in my jean short cut-offs, take walks in the evening because its still light outside, eat an awesome burger, and buy fresh cherries at the grocery store before the season ends.

Rach:]

Blogger Sketch Sunday [This Time Tomorrow]

2011-07-31T18:55:00.000-05:00

Hello bloggers! Welcome to the Forty-sixth edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday! Today's post features Krystal of This Time Tomorrow, whose blog is located in San Francisco, CA.

3 Reasons I love this blog:

-Krystal is a walking Zara catalog and I love it! Her outfits are always in the brand's signature crisp, clean, and tailored look. This blogger's wardrobe is filled with sleek brightly colored sheath dresses, elegant well-cut trouser shorts, and perfectly proportioned blazers. There was an abundance of Zara's in Germany, and I'm kicking myself now for not purchasing a few pieces while I was there.

-I only wish I could have such a cool rooftop backdrop for my pictures. It must be a California thing, because bloggers on the west coast always have amazing views of a cityscape behind them. I'm pretty sure if you went to the top of a parking garage in College Station, you'd find flat plains as far as the eye can see.

-I must confess. I have hair envy. I've been wanting blunt yet soft bangs with long layered hair like hers for a while now. But I've been too chicken to actually go through with it. Krystal's fringe goes perfectly with those ray-bans and tortoise sunglasses she's always rocking. Perhaps I'll have to save up and splurge on a fancy haircut soon.

If you haven't come across her blog, go check it out! I've put the link where I first named her blog.

Sorry for being a little MIA, this week. I've thrown myself back into painting, completely ignoring other responsibilities such as my summer class and packing to move into my new house soon. But this new piece is my first serious work since the Audrey Hepburn portrait. I'm hoping to finish tonight and post it here soon.

Rach:]

Blogger Sketch Sunday [Going West]

2011-07-24T00:55:00.034-05:00

Hey bloggers! Its the Forty-fifth edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday! This week's post features Jennie of Going West whose blog is located in San Francisco, California.

3 Reasons I love this blog:

-For someone who moved to California from Iowa, she's got that California style down pat. This blogger always opts for a look that balances rock'n roll with laid back hippie-chic. Its all about leather jackets and frayed cut-offs with tribal print bags and chunky turquoise jewelry. She stomps around SF in chunky leather boots or platform Sam Edelmans and just owns the place.
-That said, Jennie also knows how to polish up. Its not all rough and tumble. She pairs a clean white blazer with a cut up vintage T-shirt. Perfectly tailored trousers with strappy rockstar heels. A sparkly sequined tank with a ragamuffin oversized cardigan. Opposites always give an outfit extra interest.
-Whoever this Lydia Hudgens is takes beautiful photographs. The pictures on Jennie's blog are always amazing. More than just the stand-there-in-front-of-a-non-discript-wall photos, there are a few special shots such as Jennie through the glass of a window or on a ragged beach with the sun perfectly hitting her.

If you haven't come across her blog, you should stop by and check it out. The link is located where I first named her blog above.

Thanks for checking in on another Blogger Sketch Sunday! Can you believe I only have 7 editions left until I finish a whole year? Not to fret though, I plan to start some more serious fashion illustration after the completion of this year long weekly tradition.

Rach:]

Black and White

2011-07-20T07:38:00.000-05:00

Shirt: Forever21. Skirt: Forever21. Purse: thrifted. Shoes: thrifted. Necklace: gift.

Photo Credit: Dee

Recently I've become a huge fan of J.Crew. Their catalogs arriving in the mail are more exciting to me than my monthly magazine subscriptions. And I could gaze at their jewelry collection online for hours. I do remember a time when I never cared to go into the J.Crew at the mall, disinterested in their brightly colored argyle print cardigans. I was curious as to what happened to the company to cause such a drastic change so I looked it up.

What happened was that an innovative fashion powerhouse named Jenna Lyons took over as creative director and turned the company around. With her overtaking came the J.Crew we know today. Full of polished blazers, trousers in beautiful shades of neutrals, fun sparkly tops, and girly feminine cardigans. I'd love to have her job. Rising to the top of an empire and turning it into your own vision is the career of a lifetime. Check out an interview with Jenna on Oprah [HERE].

Long outfit explanation short. I love Jenna's style advice to mix something from the boys with something overly feminine. Play with opposites. And use jewelry as a statement. So here you've got a loose plaid button down paired with my pouffiest skirt and topped with a huge beaded necklace. The only problem is that I tend to always dress in black and white. J.Crew is a prime example of how well put together colors make magic. Maybe one day I'll step out of this monochromatic lull. One day!

Rach:]

Blogger Sketch Sunday [Eveline Fashion-Diary]

2011-07-17T15:45:00.001-05:00

Hello bloggers! Welcome to the Forty-fourth edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday! This Sunday's post features Eveline of Eveline Fashion-Diary whose blog is located in Poland.

3 Reasons I love this blog:

-Eveline's look is clean, bold, and dramatic. Everything about her is striking. From her ridiculously pretty-in-a-fierce-way facial features to the edgy streamlined clothes she wears. Her outfits look almost futuristic the way she always works asymmetrical cuts, sharp trench coats, and strategic sheer panels. Its all about no-fuss simple yet edgy pieces with a studded bag, metallic heel, or heavy hardware necklace thrown on top.
-This girl's blog took a turn as streetstyle blog during Paris Fashion Week. And seriously, her pictures could give Tommy Ton a run for his money. The photos manage to capture every high-fashion, glamourous, fast-paced moment outside the shows. From intimidating magazine editors to hugely successful fashion bloggers to details of enviable outfits, her blog has it all.
-And while at Paris Fashion Week, Eveline herself was photographed by none other than The Sartorialist himself! Yep, on top of being featured on Vogue and Harper Bazaar's online slideshows, Scott Schuman posted a photo of her on his blog. If I ever ended up on The Sartorialist, I don't think my life would ever be able to top that. Insane.

So if you haven't seen her blog yet (although you've probably seen her face on one of the 3 sources I mentioned before), check it out for yourself now! I've posted the link to it where I first named her blog above.

Rach:]

Studded Lapel

2011-07-15T21:01:00.001-05:00

Vest: DIY. Shirt: Target. Shorts: thrifted. Purse: thrifted. Shoes: Aldo. Necklaces: Kohls, Forever21.
Photo Credit: Dee

Remember the motorcycle jacket in [THIS] do-it-yourself post? You know the one I studded up and promised to have in an outfit post really soon? Yeah, that was almost a year ago. So this is me putting up the much belated outfit post with the jacket. Well. Only now its a vest. I bought this cheap fake-leather jacket on clearance at Target, so I didn't feel the least bit bad tearing off the sleeves to make it more wearable in this Texas heat.

Rach:]

Blogger Sketch Sunday [Tick Tock Vintage]

2011-07-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hello bloggers! Welcome to the Forty-third edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday! This week's post features Veronika of Tick Tock Vintage whose blog is located in Philadelphia.

3 Reasons I love this blog:

-In a sea of super-edgy fashionistas who cling to Alexander Wang tees and American Apparel bodysuits, its refreshing to see a girl who marches to her own retro vintage beat. Veronika wears vintage, not like a costume, but like a true expression of herself.

-Veronika's look combines the sensuality of Brigit Bardot with the funny-loving laid back nature of Zooey Deschanel. She switches from feminine full frilly dresses from the 1950's to pin up girl hawaiian floral crop tops and high waisted short shorts. But whatever look she decides on, she pulls it off effortlessly.

-I love that this blogger shows snippets of her real life outside of outfit pictures, readers get a peek into her everyday activities such as just hanging out with friends. And her friends are just as retro chic as she is! To me her blog is a tribute to all the girls out there, who know exactly who they are and dress accordingly.

If you haven't seen her blog yet, so check it out now! The link is located where I first named her blog.

Thanks for checking out another week of Blogger Sketch Sunday!

Rach:]

Granny Florals

2011-07-08T11:20:00.002-05:00

[Skirt: H&M. Shirt: Target. Necklace: Forever21. Shoes: Aldo. Purse: thrifted]
Photo Credit: Dee

I completely forgot about this skirt until I found it in my closet the other day. Its the last piece of clothing I bought in Germany to bring back with me. When I first saw it at H&M, I was a immediately drawn to the granny floral print on it. What can I say? I'm an old woman at heart. I always get jealous of girls who get to raid their grandmothers' closets for awesome vintage pieces. I love my own grandmother, but her closet in her youth was probably filled with traditional Vietnamese ao dai's.

My inner nerd has also being making a reappearance lately. I've gotten into reading a few comics online from Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. I can't help but see my life in Scott Pilgrim form now. Wouldn't it be great to actually see words float through the air when people say them? Or to be able to whip out a mega sledge hammer in a fight? I decided to draw myself and Dee in Scott Pilgrim form, check it out above!

Rach:]

Americana

2011-07-04T00:02:00.000-05:00

[Shorts: thrifted. Blazer: thrifted. Shirt: Forever21. Shoes: Aldo. Purse: thrifted. Sunglasses: H&M]
Photo Credit: Dee

Alright, so I was going for an Americana theme for this outfit post, but it ended up looking more like my uniform when I worked at Hollister. The tucked in shirt and thumbs in the front belt loops don't help. But what can I say, I thought that I'd celebrate July 4th with my first outfit post since December. Isn't it astounding that its been that long? Heck, isn't it astounding that I've had this blog for so long?

Wishing all of you a great July 4th!
Rach:]

Blogger Sketch Sunday [9to5Chic]

2011-07-03T00:00:00.047-05:00

Welcome bloggers! To the Forty-second edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday! This week's post features Anh of 9to5Chic whose blog is located in San Francisco, CA.

3 Reasons I love this blog:

-Alright lets be honest, most fashion bloggers wear outfits that no average person could ever pull off on an everyday basis. Thats why we love them. But Anh finds a way to look chic and stylish without losing that practical sensibility. She knows how to mix more mainstream basics from J.Crew and Zara with high power accessories from Chanel, Miu Miu, or Lanvin.

-The outfits she wears could actually translate to real life and even better, they translate into the professional world. Anh shows us what it looks like to dress polished and conservative for work, but still maintain that inner fashionista. She doesn't look like any other woman in the office, her awareness of style and subtle hints at current trends sets her apart.

-I feel like Anh has a very strong sense of personal style. She knows what she likes and you don't see her jumping around to looks that she knows aren't her. Her wardrobe is all about crisp neutrals, pretty pastels, and clean patterns all put together impeccably.

If you haven't seen her blog, go check it out! I've put the link where I first named her blog above.

Tune in next week to see a post on Veronika of Tick Tock Vintage!

Rach:]

A Double Grid

2011-07-01T10:23:00.001-05:00

During my vacation in California, I got the chance to visit the Getty Museum in LA not once, but twice. And honestly, two days was barely enough. The Getty is filled with amazing artwork, but the museum itself is quite an experience. It's built far up on the side of a hill overlooking downtown LA. It has a tram that takes you from the parking garage up the side of the mountain. I feel like the isolation of the museum from the rest of the city and the sort of journey it takes to get up to it makes the museum a unique experience.

The architecture of the museum is absolutely stunning. The juxtaposition of the stable 90 degree grid lines with the strategically placed swooping curves strikes the viewer. Its all about this sense of flowing unison from one structure to the next. Nothing misses a beat. Every visual aspect is meticulously placed. There is no disjunction.

Inside the museum were some pretty iconic artworks. These apples by Cezanne theoretically started the entire Cubism movement. While I still think the plate of apples was painted at a higher point of view by chance, the piece still introduced the idea of painting from multiple perspectives.

They also had quite a collection of Van Gogh and Monet paintings there. This painting above by Monet has always been one of my favorites. I once saw something similar to it made entirely of melted wax crayons.

This is the bed that inspired Carol Hannah on Project Runway. I loved her dress on the show and I could definitely see the connection between her dress and the ornate bed in person.

I'm in love with the way the sheer fabric is painted in this work. The dresses look so light and airy. You can almost feel the cloth between your fingers even though its just rendered with paint on canvas.

This painting by Sargent was my absolute favorite piece in the museum. Its a large and eye catching piece that dominates the room its displayed in with the subject's bold stance and the striking white dress she wears. Supposedly, artists back in this time painted with white to show off their skills or virtuoso. No color like white is as hard to show all of the slightest colors in the shadows and surfaces reflecting off of it.

Sargent is more well known for his Madame X painting of a woman in a black dress, but I find this painting much more interesting. Madame X might have her scandalous dress strap off the shoulder, but this painting has a sense of immaculate grace I can't get over.

If I were to be taking on the Project Runway challenge of creating a look inspired by a piece in the Getty, this work hands down would be my source of inspiration. I think I'll sketch out a few looks based on this painting just for the fun of it. I'm actually about to take on the challenge of learning to sew once I get some cheap fabric to run trials with. We will see how it goes!

Rach:]

Blogger Sketch Sunday [Kayture]

2011-06-26T00:00:00.001-05:00

Hey bloggers! Its the Forty-first edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday! This week's post features Kristina of Kayture whose blog is located in Switzerland.

3 Reasons I love this blog:

-Kristina's style is that girly-girl next door with a little bad girl appeal. Her closet is full of pinks, lace, and soft feminine materials. But don't let those baby-doll features fool you. Her dresses are mostly body-con tight, her heels tower like no other, and she can rock the hell out of a mesh leather trimmed leotard.

-I'm pretty sure she has someone with a strong background in photography taking her pictures. Who ever this James Vyn is, he captures beautiful shots. Not only does Kristina have effortless outfit pictures, but she has a few close up shots that look so fun and clean you'd swear you've seen them in Seventeen magazine.

-I always take note of blogs whose layouts I really like. I know it sounds like a lame observation, but I love how crisp and organized Kayture is. The pictures are still big enough to soak in, but everything is in order just right around them. I also the clean white background with the dramatic header photograph.

If you haven't seen her blog, go check it out for yourself. I've posted the link to it where I first introduced her blog above.

Thanks for reading! Till next time bloggers!

Rach:]

Happy Birthday Vy!

2011-06-25T01:05:00.002-05:00

Wishing my sister a Happy 17th Birthday today! We're set on attaining cupcakes to celebrate the occasion :)

Rodarte's Inspiration

2011-06-21T15:49:00.002-05:00

I've been buying quite a few books on fashion designers lately. I think its fascinating to see where fashion designers went to school and the places they draw inspiration from. Most of the big name fashion designers of today got their education from Parsons in New York. Its inspiring to read about the Mulleavy sisters of Rodarte who graduated with non-fashion degrees from Berkeley. After getting their bachelors, they taught themselves to sew and put together a small 10 piece collection. Then they took a huge risk and took their collection to New York. There they had their pieces shown on the cover of Women's Wear Daily and had a meeting with Anna Wintour herself. The rest is awe-inspiring fashion history.

While I know most cases are not similar to the Mulleavy sisters' meteoric rise to success (they won the 2009 CFDA award for womenswear designer of the year and got to create the amazing costumes in The Black Swan), their story gives me the drive to keep pursuing fashion. Even if it isn't the degree I graduate with, no piece of paper is going to keep me from working hard and trying my best to get into this industry anyway.

The Mulleavy sisters sited the Monterey Bay Aquarium of their hometown in northern California as one of their greatest inspirations. After visiting the aquarium myself a few weeks ago, I can really see how the experience influenced their collections. There really is a whole other world that exists in the sea. Under the water lies bright colors only seen in these types of life, ghostly floating organisms unimaginable, and beautiful textures and lines usually hidden from human eyes.

I normally hate jellyfish from an experience I had on the beach in Florida once, but behind glass there are absolutely gorgeous. Jellyfish don't have brains. Literally. They only have a central nervous system so they can't consciously think, they can only react. Seems like a sad existence, but because they have no ability to comprehend, they don't hide from viewers in the aquarium. So visitors like myself can soak in their breathtaking beauty. Their tentacles floating by like intricate lace. Their bodies ghostly transparent and rhythmically moving. I can definitely see their influence on a stunning fashion line like Rodarte.

Rach:]

Blogger Sketch Sunday [Fashionnerdic]

2011-06-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hello there! Its the Fortieth edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday. This week's post features Ilanka of Fashionnerdic whose blog is located in the Netherlands.

3 Reasons I love this blog:

-I've never considered a mohawk haircut to be very versatile, but this blogger proves that it can be chic as well as ever changing. Ilanka's hairstyle is edgy and fearless. Its cropped short on the sides and kept longer in the center on top. She never wears it as an actual full straight up mohawk. She'll flip the long part to the side for an effortless rockstar attitude. She'll curl the center part for a boyish androgynous look. She'll slick it all back to create a sleek sense of minimalism. Anyway she wears it, I am seriously jealous and I wish I could rock such a daring hairstyle.

-Her style is every bit a stylish chic european girl. There is just something about that balance between tough chick and cutting edge fashionista that girls overseas have down pat. She wears motorcycle cut vests and roughed up denim, but she'll pair it with delicate florals or pretty scalloped shorts. Her style isn't one specific trend or another, but rather a tasteful hint of many.

-I have an obsession with statement necklaces. Anyone who has seen my jewelry collection knows this. And while a do have a few attention grabbing pieces, I don't have anything on Ilanka's showstopping necklaces. She has this massive white beaded and jeweled necklace. Its huge and overpowering, but with her grace and attitude, she wears it without looking like its wearing her.

So if you haven't checked out her blog already, I've placed the link where I first named her blog above. Thanks again for tuning in this week. I've actually got my sketches planned out now, so come back next week to see the next blogger I sketched, Kristina of Kayture!

Rach:]

Looking Ahead

2011-06-19T07:41:00.015-05:00

Happy Father's Day to my own Dad and all dads out there today!

Thank you for all of the things you've ever done for me, Dad. From taking me to my oboe lessons an hour away from home every week when I was 12. To helping me fix my problematic laptop today, time and time again. Keep fighting and never lose hope. This is for today and to many more Father's Days in the years to come.

Thao

Blogger Sketch Sunday [B. Jones Style]

2011-06-12T02:04:00.001-05:00

Hey guys, its the Thirty-Ninth edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday! This week's post features Beth of B. Jones Style whose blog is located in Orange Country, CA.

3 Reasons I love this blog:

-Perhaps its because I'm in the middle of a SATC marathon right now, but Beth reminds me of a west coast version of Carrie Bradshaw. She's a professional self-made woman with big blonde hair and bold style. Some bloggers just captivate you with their personality and lifestyle and Beth is definitely one of them.

-I love that Beth posts about the interior of her home. I've never been able to to put together a beautiful room myself but I love looking at amazing decor. Her bedroom has a gorgeous canopy bed, crisp white linens, and an eclectic collection of thrifted finds. I am in love with her inspiration board in her closet. She keeps it up to date each season to help visualize how she wants to dress for those months.

-Beth style is ladylike polish with an urban edge and a tinge of grunge. Her closet is full of sleek blazers in bold colors and dramatically cut trousers. She adds a little elective flair with interesting patterns and interesting jewelry.

If you haven't seen her blog yet, you need to check it out. The link to her blog is located where I first introduced it above.

As always I must apologize for the inconsistency of my posting. I was on vacation for 2 weeks in California but I'm back now with a million pictures to post from my trip and a sketchbook full of Blogger Sketch Sundays coming soon.

Rach:]

Blogger Sketch Sunday [Brooklyn Blonde]

2011-05-22T19:29:00.001-05:00

Hello bloggers! Its the Thirty-eighth edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday! This week's edition features Helena of Brooklyn Blonde, whose blog as you can guess from its name, is located in Brooklyn, New York.

3 Reasons I love this blog:

-Helena's style is urban edgy chic. Her wardrobe is the combination of downtown attitude meets rockstar glam meets flawless fashionista. She pairs fearless black leather leggings with a classic trench. A motorcycle jacket with a light sundress. And a rough cargo jacket with soft pastel-colored skinnies. This girl knows how to mix and match trends and still maintain the perfect balance.

-This blogger's style staples are her endless collection of sleek blazers, her Balenciaga moto-handbags in a range of colors, and those gorgeous nude pointed-toe Christian Louboutins. Everyone has their go-to fashion fixes and Helena's make for a chic combination. I hope to have a set of dependable staples of my own in my closet someday. Currently I'm stuck with over ten leather jackets and more random jewelry than a street vendor.

-While she does have her staples, Helena doesn't stick to one trend alone. I like bloggers who know how to vary their look up from time to time. She will go pretty in pastels on day, all nautical the next, and back to glam rocker the day after. Her wardrobe has those power punch pieces like her bold fur vest, bright neon pink or yellow blazers, and a pair of gorgeous red leather gloves. Its all about the simple single pieces that bring her wardrobe to the next level.

If you've never come across her blog, you need to go check it out. I've placed the link where I first named her blog above.

'Till next time bloggers!

Rach:]

Blogger Sketch Sunday [Thrill of the Heel]

2011-05-15T16:00:00.001-05:00

Hello there, its the Thirty-seventh edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday! This post features Andreea of Thrill of the Heel whose blog is located in Romania.

3 Reasons I love this blog:

-Andreea has a very unique sense of style. I've never seen another blogger with quite the same look. If I had to describe it, I'd say its a bit of quirky lady-like charm meets vintage flair. She's got a closet full of off-kilter hats, proper skirts, menswear blazers, and perfectly polished heels.

-Is it just me, or does Andreea resemble the actress Ginnifer Goodwin to you? Think Big Love and He's Just Not That Into You. I'm pretty sure its the face shape and pretty red-ish auburn hair that look similar.

-All of the colors in Andreea's wardrobe seem to be deep beautiful jewel tones or bold graphic shades. There are rich purples, greens, and teals, but then she also has many graphic red, black, and white pieces.

If you've never come across her blog, you need to go check it out! I've placed the link to it where I first named her blog above.

I must apologize again for the long blogging hiatus. I've been caught up in moving back home to America after studying in Germany for 4 months. But now I'm home and settled in. And its summer. Which means my blogging will be back and in full steam. Looking forward to many new posts and a summer of blogging!

Rach:]

Some Time Ago

2011-05-06T01:17:00.002-05:00

[First Outfit: Black blazer, Leopard print top, Denim cutoffs-thrifted. Gladiator heels-Forever21.]
[Second Outfit: Leopard print top-thrifted. Black skirt-Oxford and Regent. Orange clutch-JCPenneys. Black heels-Target.]

So these pictures are from almost two years ago when I first started my blog. These are outfit outtakes so old I completely forgot about them. Do you ever get that feeling when you look back at a photo of yourself, that you have absolutely no idea who that person is anymore? My high school art teacher used to always tell us that so many things could happen in a calendar year and even though I thought I completely understood what he meant then, I now see that 4 years ago I had absolutely no idea.

A lot of bloggers do their year recap posts in January when the new year actually starts. And they chart their blog's success and the amount of publicity and notorality they have received since first starting their blog. Well I am a simple average person, so the changes in my life in the past year have nothing to do with my blog. I am not a very open person so this is probably one of the most personal posts you will ever see from me. While I can't express details, I'm sure all of you can relate.

Its just that you get to a time in your life when you look back and wonder, what were you really doing this entire time? Why were trivial things so important to you then? Why did you put yourself through things that weren't necessary? And why did earlier times seem so much more simple than the present? I look back and remember when I was so much happier and I didn't even realize it. I've come to a point where I know I'm not the girl in these pictures anymore, but I don't know who I am now either.

34 Hours In Paris

2011-04-30T07:59:00.003-05:00

Last week we had a day off from school, so Amy and I decided to take a chance and venture to Paris for our short break. Although it was a blink-and-you-missed-it trip (we left after class on Tuesday, had Wednesday there, and then came back in time for class on Thursday), it was completely worth it. For thirty four hours, we literally sprinted through Paris. Its impossible to see everything Paris has to offer in a day and a half, but that didn't stop us two girls from trying. I have to say, this was the most unbelievable and amazing trip I've taken yet.

Our first stop immediately after checking into our hostel was the Eiffel Tower. After some difficulty understanding the French tram system (seriously, mind telling people that a stop is completely gone before they get on a tram?), we finally reached the tower. It never looked so magnificent as it did then, especially after an hour of hopping on and off of over 10 trams trying to get there. Along with being the symbol of all things French and a major landmark, it has incredible detailed ironwork and the view from the top was breathtaking.

After even more difficulty using the trams to get back to hostel that night, we woke up the next morning and headed to the Louvre. It was incredibly packed, but Amy and I got to get in for free because we are students in the EU. The museum is built like a maze and it was extremely hard to navigate through. Seeing as we only had 34 hours in Paris, we couldn't spend the days upon days it would take to really soak in all of the amazing artwork in the Louvre. Our strategy was to basically run around like mad-women and come to skidding halt whenever we recognized a work from one of our Art history courses.

Other than seeing the Eiffel Tower, there was one thing I absolutely had to do in Paris. And that was visiting one of Laduree's pastry shops and trying on of their famous delicacies, French macarons. Not to be confused with the American coconut hub-cap version of the pastry, French macarons are an iconic symbol of Paris.

Amy and I split a set of 6 macarons and they were absolutely delicious. They came in this beautiful box with all 6 cookies perfectly lined inside (Amy and I ate 2 of them before I got the chance to photograph them, opps...). Amy got a lemon, a chocolate passion fruit, and a strawberry macaron. I chose a pistachio, a caramel, and a rose macaron. Although I didn't quite feel like Blair Waldorf eating them, they were quite an indulgence.

Another situation that proved to me that I am a broke college student, I was ecstatic to get into the Manet exhibit at the Musee d'Orsey for free! They had many of Manet's well known works including Olympia and this one, Luncheon of the Grass. Not only was I excited to see this work because I had written a paper this specific piece in my Art History class years ago, but it is also the painting where Blair meets Prince Louis in front of on Gossip Girl. Granted I am clearly not a glamourous Upper-east-sider relaxing in Paris on her summer vacation. My French is quite terrible and I didn't meet my own prince-posing-as-a-commoner, but I enjoyed the painting none the less.

When I first planned going to Paris, I was actually more excited to see this than the Eiffel Tower. I have a painting of the Arc de Triomphe in my bathroom that I found at Goodwill. It was quite an experience to see it in person. There is a constant circle of traffic flowing around it (there is an underground tunnel to get to the center) so I imagine it would make an amazing night-time, long exposure photo.

Speaking of photos I want to take. I saw a poster once of the Eiffel Tower behind a mary-go-round and knew that I wanted to recreate that shot on my own. There is something about the serious-ness of a landmark like the Eiffel Tower in combination with the frivolity and light-heartedness of a mary-go-round. I don't think my photo came out as well composed as the professional poster, but I still plan to print it large and make it my own poster back home.

All in all, it was a super short trip, but it was completely worth it. Check out me and the amazing Amy next to the tower on our last day. We only had 34 hours in Paris, but we made it work! I hope to return some day and truly savor Paris as a much slower pace, but I am over-the-top glad I got to catch a glimpse of it now.

Rach:]

Ich bin ein Berliner

2011-04-25T05:32:00.003-05:00

A little over a week ago we spent three days in Berlin, the capital of Germany, on a class trip. We took a 5 hour train to Berlin's hauptbahnhof, which is apparently the biggest transportation station in Europe. On our first day there we took a bike tour of the city and saw the Brandenburg Gate, which is a main symbol of Germany.

We got to tour the Chancellory, or the German version of the Whitehouse. I think its pretty cool that the Chancellor in office now is the first female to hold that honor. The Chancellory is nicknamed the 'washing machine' because part of it looks like a white cube with a large circular window. The design of the building is very modern and mixes sharp cubic edges with curving flowing lines.

Our trip had a very somber day when we visited a concentration camp in Oranienburg called the Sachsenhausen. This camp was one of the first built in Germany. Its first purpose was to hold criminals and those who spoke out against the government, but it was soon used to imprison communists, homosexuals, and jews. Basically anyone that the government saw as undesirable.

Sachsenhausen is not nearly as horrific as Auschwitz, but the methods the Nazis used to kill Jews were first experimented and practiced here. These are the remains of the 'medical' rooms that the S.S. Officers would use to trick the prisoners into getting 'check ups'. They would think they were going to take a shower, only to be gassed to death. Or they would line up against a wall with a ruler thinking they were going to be measured, only to be shot in the neck by an officer on the other side through a hole in the wall.

This camp is also one of the first places the Nazis began to cremate the bodies to get rid of the evidence of what they were doing. They burned the bodies in these ovens and then buried their ashes outside nearby. It was a sad experience to stand where so many people died.

Medical experiments on prisoners also began here. Doctors would inject deceases into healthy victims and to observe the results. Many of these people died from the wounds inflicted upon them.

On a lighter note, we also got to see the East Side Gallery, which is an exhibition of street art on the remains of the Berlin Wall. Our tour guide, Gunther, was actually the artist of the work behind him. He was extremely knowledgeable about all of the artists on the wall.

We visited the Jewish Museum, which turned out to be not what I expected. I thought it would be very traditional and full of historic exhibitions. Instead our tour mainly revolved around 3 modern art installations that each communicated the pain Jews felt during the Holocaust. One of them was the Fallen Leaves installation, which was a sea of iron faces representing the victims of genocide. The piece was meant to be walked on, but it made those who experienced it feel uneasy. The metal clanked loudly as you walked by and the sounds echoed through the hall.

I liked the area about Jewish culture a lot. Its easy to just label Jews as victims and not learn more about them as a people. Seeing exhibits about their customs brought life to the museum. I really liked this intricate wedding belt on display.

A small group of us went to the Computer Game history museum during our free time. I'm not much of a gamer, but I found it pretty interesting. The boys played this game called the Painstation, which literally electrically shocked, burned, and whipped the hands of the players. Its basically pong for masochists.

After that we went and did the complete opposite thing and went shopping at KaDeWe which apparently is the largest department store in Europe. I would believe it, it was huge and full of extremely expensive things I could never afford. I did however indulge in a lot of perfume sampling. My bottle of Escada's Sunset Heat broke in Italy and I'm contemplating replacing it with Escada's Taj Sunset or Marc Jacob's Daisy Eau So Fresh.

The perfume section was absolutely gorgeous. I loved the diamonds that ascended up to the ceiling like stars floating into the night sky. We almost had to make a run for it though, when Stephanie knocked a bottle of Burberry Brit from the shelf and broke it. Honestly, we probably would have bolted if we hadn't been paralyzed in fear. Thankfully the sales lady didn't seem to be upset.

On the top floor of the department store was a massive bear whose only purpose clearly was to have pictures taken with. I believe bears are a symbol of Berlin from the region's crest which features a bear.

Apparently Germany is known for their cross-eyed possums? I never heard of them before I saw this stuffed animal and thought it was a mistake until I realized all of them on the shelf were cross-eyed. I guess if UT can have albino squirrels, Germany can have these guys.

You know I have to mention food before I end a post. One of the nights in Berlin, the school provided us with a dinner at this Italian pizza restaurant. They had over 20 types of pizzas with the strangest combination of toppings. I had to get the basil pizza when I saw it on the menu, I love anything with basil in it. Jill and Marissa ordered this Tiramisu that was nothing short of amazing. I had a bite of it and decided that I must invent a sort of Tiramisu spread to eat with toast. But considering my addiction to Nutella already, I probably shouldn't temp myself by making such a thing.

Again with the bears. In Berlin they really are everywhere. At first I thought this was maple syrup and wanted to purchase it, but then I realized we were in the liquor section and reconsidered seeing as it probably was not meant for waffles. Its still a super cute bottle though.

Overall my impression of Berlin is that it is soaked in an incredibly important past, but at the same time is speeding towards a new modern future. Shopping centers and urban centers stand next to historic masterpieces and graffiti covered rubble.

Rach:]

Blogger Sketch Sunday [Fashion Zen]

2011-04-15T11:43:00.000-05:00

Hey there! Its the Thirty-Sixth edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday! This week's post features Iris of Fashion Zen, whose blog is located in the Netherlands.

3 Reasons I love this blog:

-Iris' style cannot really be contained in one look or word. She's vintage and girly one post, and then rough and edgy the next. I can only describe her style as been quintessentially European. She is all about stepping up her outfits with quirky hats, dramatic furs or capes, and chunky heels.

-This blogger is all about showing off her legs without being trashy. She keeps it chic by wearing short dresses with dark tights or trouser shorts with thick thigh-high socks.

-When H&M had [THIS] gorgeous red dress from Lanvin in its stores, I desperately wished I was close enough to an H&M to try it on. Unfortunately, now that I am surrounded by H&M's in Germany, that collection is no longer sold. So I'll have to settle for living vicariously through Iris and her post with the dress.

If you have never come across her blog, I encourage you to check it out! I posted the link to it where I first named her blog above.

I must apologize for the late-ness of this post. While I published it for Sunday, it is actually Thursday today. Photobucket has been 'working on' getting my images to show up, so I haven't been able to post them. Instead I've switched to Flickr, which maybe a permanent switch if Photobucket keeps messing up like it has been. That way I can have a stable source for blog images!

Rach:]

Style [According to Me] Blogger Feature

2011-04-08T01:03:00.066-05:00

I've been in Berlin on a school trip since Wednesday morning and will not return to Bonn until Saturday, so I've scheduled this post to be published in my absence. I promise to post many pictures from my excursion to the capital of Germany when I get back.

A few days ago, Mary Louise was kind enough to email me and asked me if I wanted to be featured on her blog, Style [According to Me]. Of course I said yes! I've featured 35 bloggers to date on my own blog, so its a thrill to be featured on another person's blog for a change. Mary Louise asked me a few questions and posted the interview on her blog along with a few pictures of me and a few of my drawings.

The interview with me is below, but don't forget to check out the full feature post on her blog [HERE]. And stick around on her blog to see some cute outfits and inspiring fashion editorials! Thanks again, Mary Louise, so being gracious enough to do this. You are amazing!

I'm currently working on a Frequently Asked Questions page to answer all of the questions I've been getting in emails recently. Sorry I haven't responded to all of them, I'm hoping an F.A.Q. page will do the trick. Until then, hopefully from these questions, you can learn something new about me that you never knew before.

Rach:]

1. What inspired you to start your own blog?

My interests are very varied and broad, so its hard for me to explain to people what I like to do. So instead of sending them on a wild goose chase to my Deviantart for sketches, Chictopia for outfit posts, and Facebook for photography; I wanted to consolidate them into one place on the web. I feel better knowing that if people ask me what I'm interested in, with one click to my blog, they can see what I'm all about.

2. What do you enjoy most about blogging?

Blogging is my greatest motivator. I don't blog for comments or followers, but blogging inspires me to get up off the couch and do something. I like to make personal goals for myself such as the 30 for 30 outfit challenge or my Blogger Sketch Sunday posts because they drive me to achieve something I otherwise wouldn't do on my own.

3. Who is your icon?

I'd say my modern day fashion icons are Rachel Bilson, Miroslava Duma, Emma Watson, and Kate Lanphear. Rachel Bilson knows how to look effortlessly stylish yet casual. Miroslava Duma has the perfect balance between ladylike grace and trendy youth. Emma Watson knows how to amp up the edgy drama. And Kate Lanphear has the rockstar uniform down to a tee.

But of course, Audrey Hepburn and Edie Sedgwick will always have a strong influence on me. Nothing beats Audrey's classic chic LBD's or Edie's mod appeal of the 60's.

4. What is your favorite blog to read?

My favorite fashion blog that got me seriously addicted to all fashion blogs is Karla's Closet. Above all else, her style is always so quirky, yet polished, yet laid back. I love it. Other fashion blogs I read are Song of Style, Elenita, Le Blog de Betty, Atlantic Pacific, and Stockholm Streetstyle.

Some non-fashion blogs I love are Igor + Andre for illustration inspiration, Le Love for insights on love, College Fashion for college-appropriate advice, and Bakerella for the cutest desserts you've ever seen.

5. What is your favorite current trend?

While I do collect images from the runways every season, I don't consider myself up to date on trends. I stick to my staple leather jackets, sheath dresses, and basic blazers most of the time. But if I were to be attending a red carpet event, I adore the new maxi dress trend. I mean long dresses have always been in for formal wear, but now its been sexed up with either a thigh high slit or yards of gauzy sheer material. Nothing says drama like a billowing floor sweeping gown.

6. Who is your favorite designer and artist?

My all time favorite designers are Alexander McQueen, Michelle Smith of Milly, Oscar de la Renta, and Dean and Dan Caten of Dsquared2. But lines such as Charlotte Ronson, Matthew Williamson, Naeem Khan, Lela Rose, Moschino, and Elie Saab have been putting out some spectacular shows.

Artists wise, I actually look to non-2D traditional artists for inspiration. I love sculptors like Gian Lorenzo Bernini, architects like Gerrit Rietveld, and photographers such as Bill Brandt or Margaret Bourke-White. I find that looking for inspiration outside of the medium you work in feels fresher, but if I had to name a few 2D artists I'd say Chuck Close, Joseph Stella, and Jasper Johns.

And if I'm looking for inspiration from fashion artists other than Danny Roberts of Igor + Andre, I turn to Garance Dore who illustrates as well as photographs fashion and Kathryn Elyse Rodgers of Paperfashion.

7. What is your favorite place to shop?

On any given day I am wearing at least one item from Target or Goodwill. Those 2 places pretty much make up my wardrobe. When I lived in Austin, I shopped religiously at Buffalo Exchange most of the time. In College Station the only place to go is Forever21 so I've gotten into that. But now that I'm in Germany, I love hitting up the many H&M's and Zara's that are here.

8. When did you begin to draw?

I hate to sound pretentious and say that I've been drawing all of my life, but I honestly cannot remember a time in my life when I wasn't drawing. Even in my younger school years I kept a sketchbook and I took a few art classes in high school. Although I went to college to study Computer Science for a few years, I still drew a lot frequently. Now I'm a Computer Animation major which still uses technology, but also requires sketching skills for preliminary work, so its all comes into play. I honestly don't know what I plan to do with my life, but I hope that continuing to draw will be included.

9. What do you like most about your art?

I learned a long time ago that art is subjective and if you plan to be the best, you will never be an artist. To me, art is more about the process than the end result. Art is a learning process. Every failed work leads you closer to a better one. About my Blogger Sketch Sunday posts, I am rather embarrassed that people pay attention to them. They are just quick doodles that I do to take up free time and I hope people aren't judging my skills from them. I wish that people could view my more detailed serious stuff, but I am really bad about getting around to posting them.

All The Small Things

2011-04-04T15:45:00.000-05:00

Nothing too big has been happening here in Germany since I've gotten back to school. In my animation studio we have started our new project. I won't go much into that assignment, but if you are curious you can read up on it at my professional blog, A One Nhan Show. I don't like to talk too much about school here on my personal blog.

I wanted to share a few things I've been obsessed with lately. I finally went shopping for the first time in Germany. My friend Amy and I hit up H&M and Zara one afternoon. I've bought a scarf from an H&M in Amsterdam before and that store was 5 stories high. The H&M here in Bonn is only 3 stories, so it was jam packed with people. I ended up buying this mauve and beige perforated leather motorcycle jacket. Its a little different from my other 9 leather jackets, which is why I decided to get it. But I have also yet to wear it because I'm not sure I can pull it off well.

I love the holed texture it has and the suede inserts on the elbow, shoulders, and waist. It doesn't go well with gray T-shirts or patterned scarves, but I will figure out how to wear it right and have an outfit post soon I promise.

It has finally warmed up here in Germany and since my studded motorcycle boots wore through, I bought these black leather flats. A boring basic, but very much necessary. I love them and for 9 euro, I couldn't be happier.

Since spring is finally here, I put away my heavy winter scarves and traded out for this light spring scarf. Its got more of a handkerchief shape, which took me a while to learn to wear correctly, but I am obsessed with the graphic black and white zig-zags on it.

Not to go all Lagy Gaga on you, but these here are my little monsters. There are these chocolate eggs here in Europe called kinder-eggs that contain little toys inside of them. Most of the toys I find useless or strange, but I love the little monsters that I have gotten in a few. I went on a long streak of continuously buying kinder eggs in hopes of getting another monster, but I've calmed down and stopped now. Amy on the other hand is determined to get a little toy wolf from a kinder egg. I wish there was a way to tell what kind of toy was inside of an egg before buying it.

I bought a grayscale set of copic markers the other day from the art store in town. I am super excited about them because I've always wanted a full color set of these markers, but that would be ridiculously expensive. So I will settle for these. Hopefully I will get around to using them to make myself a new blog header soon.

Okay so usually my obsession with chocolate is the most driving force in my appetite, but recently I have found a new love and its name is raisin bread. Rosinenbrot in German, I love it when my host family has a fresh loaf of it on the counter. I even craved it so much that I stopped by a bakery and bought it myself the other day. At 2 euro for a huge loaf, I was thrilled.

Its something about the subtly sweet dough and tart raisins that appeals to me. Although bread isn't exactly healthy, I consider it a better addiction than chocolate. I was buying Ritter Sport chocolate bars at an embarrassing rate, but now I have controlled myself to stop.

Now I know I said I don't like to talk about school too much on this blog, but I will make an exception for the last 3 day workshop project we had. Although the assignment had nothing to do with what I decided to create, I pretty much dove into it head first. Almost to an unhealthy obsessive level. Well really to an unhealthy obsessive level.

As a take on the notion that all fashion is constantly changing and trends are always becoming obsolete I decided to make a dress out of the pages of a phone book, which have become useless in our high tech society. Yellow pages, or Gelbe Seiten in German, were incredibly hard to find to make my dress. Completely illustrating the point of my project, the guy I asked at a phone shop told me that I was being ridiculous to ask for a phone book and that I should go use the internet.

So basically I fell into a single-minded hole of madness after assigning myself my own Project Runway challenge and didn't eat or sleep correctly for 3 days. I bought a cheap dress on clearance from a random shop and completely took it apart. Seriously. It had a big collar, a huge Lady Gaga-esque bow on the right boob, and a pleated skirt before I got to it. I cut it up, added a skirt of nylon underneath, and sewed on about a million of these hand-cut phone book page peacock feathers all over it.

After emerging from my brief stint of obsession, I was unsatisfied with the end result. This project was definitely a learning experience for me.
I learned 3 things:
1) I can't sew. At all. Like really, the number of times I got the thread knotted up and jammed is ridiculous. And I wasn't even using a machine, but hand sewing.
2) I need to start designing within my skill level. Which is pretty low. I was going for something Black Swan meets Alexander McQueen and ended up with Betsy Johnson meets Tinkerbell.
3) If I even want to start entertaining the idea of going into fashion, I have so much to learn. From actual pattern making to sewing on a machine to designing logically.

Oddly enough, even though I'm sad that this project didn't turn out as well as I had hoped, I feel inspired to try harder and achieve something better soon. This is my first attempt, but it won't be my last. While not exactly a failure, this has driven me even harder to succeed next time.

I've decided to put this dress on the back burner for a little while so that I can have my sanity back. Hopefully in a week or so I will return to it with fresh eyes and fix some of the issues I'm having with it. I feel like the volume on the bust part is too much and the waist needs to be more defined. When I am done though, I plan to take better pictures in it and post them here soon.

Rach:]

Blogger Sketch Sunday [District of Chic]

2011-04-03T16:47:00.002-05:00

Hello there bloggers! Welcome to the Thirty-Fifth edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday. This week's post features E of District of Chic, whose blog I assume is located near Washington D.C.

3 Reasons I love this blog:

-I would describe this blogger's style as a throwback to ladylike polish with a few touches of grunge here and there. Her wardrobe is full of more mature pieces such as long lace robes or sheer wide-legged trousers, but she punches it up with a dramatically cut leather jacket or chunky lace-up ankle boots.

-I love love love when fashion blogs throw a few food posts in the mix. This blogger does one even better and includes delicious recipes such as Green Chile Stew and Tomato Pie. Sweets usually appeal to me, but my host family's vegetarian meals have make me appreciate amazing dishes such as those on E's blog.

-She's mysterious. Most of the appeal of blogs are that they are an inside peak at someone else's life and in our celebrity obsessed society, we as an audience thrive off of feeling like we know a person we've never met. This blogger keeps her location unspecific, her name simply a letter, and the words in her posts minimal, and I really respect that.

If you have never seen her blog, you need to go check it out. I have put the link where I first named her blog above.

This is a practice exercise with the grayscale copic markers I just bought. It was inspired by an old photo of Edie Sedgwick I came across the other day. I say 'inspired' because it really doesn't look like her. I'm happy with it as a random trial run of my new markers, but it looks more like a woman who is imitating Edie Sedgwick, rather than the real 60's icon herself.

But practice makes perfect and I love my new markers!

Rach:]

Roman Holiday

2011-03-31T01:23:00.002-05:00

Our last stop in Italy was Rome. We saved the best for last! By this point in the week I was greatly anticipating greatness from Rome and I wasn't disappointed. We took a train in the afternoon from Florence to Rome and headed to our hostel upon arrival. My first impression of Rome was that it was unlike any other city we had seen in Italy so far. Quite honestly, it was unlike and city I've ever seen at all. Its a large busy place with modern businesses and city life right next to the most spectacular historical monuments. A lot of our time here was spent in disbelief. It was hard to comprehend that I was actually seeing these sights for real. They weren't some cheap replication. I was really standing next to thousand year old structures.

A prime example of our experience in Rome was the first day. It was pouring rain and although we meant to find a small fountain on our map, we completely missed and wound up at the Spanish Steps instead by accident. Even sadder fact, we didn't realize they were the Spanish Steps until the next day when I looked closer at the map.

The highlight of my entire trip in Italy was seeing the Vatican. It was an amazing experience and probably something I will remember for the rest of my life. Its something else to be in the heart of the Catholic church. Every single square inch of the ceiling in the Vatican was covered with elaborate moldings or detailed paintings. It was unbelievable and overwhelming to soak it all in. Bernini's Canopy was an incredible sight to see, I've always been interested in its intricately carved cherub angels and leaves in the wood.

My only complaint about my time in the Vatican were the amount of tourists in the St. Peter's Basilica. It was hard to appreciate the beauty of the place with people constantly shoving you and blocking the view of sculptures and doorways. Fortunately there was a peaceful smaller chapel inside where photography was prohibited in. I got to spend about half an hour in prayer and thought, which was a great experience. I left the Vatican with my head cleared and perspective reestablished.

Our first meal in Rome wasn't necessarily by choice. We got rained on torrentially and ran into the nearest little restaurant. Unfortunately I was soaking wet and my boots had worn in so my feet were disgusting. The place was extremely Italian with no english speakers and I got some major stink-eye for taking these pictures of the food.

Later on we went around the corner from the St. Peter's Square and found the Vatican Museum. Inside were miles and miles of hallways filled with art. This is the Gallery of Maps which had walls covered in map paintings and a lavish beautifully painted ceiling.

Perhaps I should have done more research before departing, because I was stunned to come across Raphael's The School of Athens inside the museum. I used to have a copy of this painting on the cork-board in my room when I was 13. Never did I think to go find it in real life.

The Sistine Chapel was as crazy of an experience as I thought it would be. Although it was effected by the packed number of tourists inside, all with their heads up at the ceiling, feet glued in place. Its quite hard to maneuver through there and museum workers were constantly yelling 'SILENCIO! ... NO PHOTOS! ... SILENCIO!". My entire time here all I could think about was the overdramatic documentary about Michelangelo I watched in art class my freshmen year in high school.

Trevi Fountain! Another place packed with tourists and con artists trying to sell you flowers, sunglasses, or umbrellas. It was entertaining to watch sly guys steal coins from the fountain with a retractable magnetic stick. I threw a coin in anyways, but because I'm not Hilary Duff in a Disney Chanel movie, I did not find my Italian stallion right afterwards. No loss really.

This is the Victor Emmanuel Monument we randomly came across. Amy and I attempted to take a jumping picture. I think I must have been late to jump up, because clearly my hair and legs are going crazy. Jump. Fail.

Afterwards we headed to the Roman Forum, which is where the nature of how old these structures really were set in. Its hard to imagine that a grand civilization like Rome really stood at this exact spot. I would have loved to see these ruins in their prime. It was kind of sad to think that this is all that is left of them.

These columns were my favorite view in the Roman Forum. The gorgeousness of the sunlight hitting them and the clouds behind them was stunning. In my head I try to imagine what they looked like complete and untarnished.

No trip to Rome is complete without seeing the Roman Colosseum. Apparently prisoners who had been condemned to death were released into the maze of this arena and chased around by wild beasts before they died. With millions of onlooking spectators of course. What a blood sport.

There were some epic clouds coming in around this time in the afternoon. I loved the shadow cast across the arena. It really added to the epic-ness of this sight.

I'm not sure why there was a huge wooden cross in the Colosseum, but there was. It made a pretty stunning silhouette against the bright blue sky.

Me and the Colosseum! This seems to be my look-at-me-and-check-out-the-huge-important-monument-behind-me pose. Looking to my right. Left arm up over the fence.

This sculpture of Moses was found after a bit of a run around. It sucks that you have to pay for the light to turn on to be able to see important sculptures. Kind of cheapens an amazing experience. Never the less, the detail in Moses' beard twirling around this fingers carved in stone was stunning.

This was probably the epitome of my time in Rome. If you've read my blog for long enough, you know that Bernini's The Ecstacy of the Saint Theresa is one of my biggest inspirations of all time. I used to have a picture of it permanently on the side of my blog before I cleaned up my layout. There is just something about the way the cloth feels like it is really flowing, the detail in the angel's face, and the way the golden beams glow behind them. I sought to see this above everything else in Rome and I was satisfied to finally find it in a small unassuming chapel.

Our last meal in Rome, just like our first, was forced upon us by the rain. It started pouring down like never before right when we were nearing our hostel. We dove into the nearest restaurant once again. But this restaurant unlike our first, had an amazing owner and waitress. They were very warm and friendly and provided the perfect small mom and pop atmosphere for our last Italian meal. I had Tomato Basil Spaghetti and was the happiest I've ever been after a meal.

I miss my time in Italy because I always knew my next meal would be fantabulous. Even the nights we bought cheap swirly bread from Billa with frishkase for dinner were so satisfying. If you ever talk to me about food in person, you would probably think I have some sort of obsession.

I don't have an obsession with food, I swear.

Chocolate however, is a whole other story.

Rach:]

Blogger Sketch Sunday [K is for Kani]

2011-03-27T11:02:00.001-05:00

Hey bloggers! Its the Thirty-Fourth edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday! Sorry for the 2 week hiatus from my weekly tradition, but I'm back now and better than ever. This week's post features Kani of K is for Kani whose blog is located in Victoria, Australia.

3 Reasons I love this blog:

-This girl is the master of vintage fashion. She wears frilly dresses, bold blazers, and girly blouses from decades past while still looking modern and stylish. Some bloggers will mix in a few elements of vintage flair, but Kani goes head to toe vintage and never ceases to look timeless.

-She's creative! Kani has her own etsy store where she sells handmade headbands and hairpins. Her shop is filled with the cute bows, girly lace, and ethereal flowers she sports in the pictures on her blog. She knows that you are your own best advertisement. I'm not quite sure I could pull of such feminine head gear, but seeing how well she wears them is enough to make me want to buy one.

-Perhaps though, the trick to working such cute headbands is to have such awesome hair. Seriously. I love this blogger's side-swept bangs and long layers. Her hairstyle is the perfect balance between cutting edge chic and old fashioned flair.

If you have never found her blog, you should definitely go check it out. I've placed the link to her blog where I first named it above.

Thanks for reading!

Check back soon for next Sunday's featured blogger!

Rach:]

Two Days Florence

2011-03-26T06:02:00.001-05:00

Continuing our trip in Italy, we checked out of our last hostel in Venice and took a 2 hour train ride to Florence. Upon our arrival we wandered to the Academy Hostel, which astoundingly, was located less than a minute from the Duomo itself. This hostel was pretty nice. We didn't have our own room, but they had the best facilities of any of the hostels we went to. They had a great community atmosphere and offered free snacks at 6:30 every evening to allow people to meet each other.

As you can see, our first immediate stop was the Duomo. Since it was right next to our hostel we had to see it first. The outside of it was detailed with so many intricate sculptures and paneled with pink and green stone. The inside was equally breathtakingly beautiful.

The paintings on the inside of the dome in the Duomo were insane. Closer up, their detail isn't phenomenal, but the piece as a whole is incredible. At that scale and height, its impossible not to be in awe of it. The work has an interesting part at the top center of the dome where the perspective was made to look as if the people are actually hanging down into the space and the columns are real.

After we checked out the Duomo we decided to climb the tower outside of it. Although the Duomo itself had 460 something steps and the tower had about 400, the tower somehow felt so much worse to climb. The view at the top was pretty much worth it though.

I found this gorgeous lock at the top of the tower. Its common for European attractions like bridges and towers to have locks attached all over them. Usually couples come together to place the locks on and throw away the key together to represent their love.

Got to have my touristy photo with the Duomo behind me. I tried to pack a lot of red, black, and white clothes this trip to better coordinate outfits and re-wear clothing over and over. Its hard to do without hitting the gothy dark stereotype, but I do my best.

Another lock on the top of the Duomo that a couple placed there. I love that they hand wrote messages and the date on it.

We stopped by a Tuscan restaurant recommended to us by our Art history Professor. It was pretty darn amazing. The portions weren't huge, but the prices could not be beat for pasta this good. I feel uncomfortable not speaking Italian in such an authentic environment, but at least I know we weren't in some over-priced tourist trap full of english-speakers.

We came across the fountain of Neptune next to the fake David. I don't have any pictures of the real David by Michelangelo because they wouldn't allow cameras in the museum.

The Palazzo Vecchio that I also studied in Art history back at UT. Again, never thought I'd see it in real life.

These statues were in the Piazza della Signoria. This one above in particular is phenomenal. Granted it is about a rather brutal subject. The Rape of the Sabine Woman is an incredible piece. The curve of the feet. The pressing of the flesh. The twisting of the muscle. Its one work you have to see in person.

I took a break from the seriousness of ancient sculptures with tons and tons of historic meaning to photograph the Chanel store and a bakery nearby also in the piazza. I love the multi-strand chains and pearls in this necklace.

Oh Em Gee. I love sweets. I am so shocked I didn't get kicked out of this bakery for taking pictures of their food. Although I was getting some major stink-eye from the Italian waiters. It was so worth it for these mouthwatering photos. And come on. If your bakery is next to a plaza of priceless sculptures, you've got to expect some crazy tourists.

Mmmmmm. GELATO. I really wanted some ice cream, but I refused to buy gelato any where within 50 feet of a huge tourist attraction. Their prices were so hiked up.

These photos are of the Ponte Vecchio, a bridge that crosses over the Arno River and features many houses stacked onto it. Most of the buildings are shops, but I loved the worn color of their walls and window shutters.

These stickers were on Do Not Enter signs all throughout our trip. I loved them.

Our group also went on a wild goose chase for an artist's plaza which we did not find, sadly. I settled for taking a picture of this street artist's paint palette.

All and all, Florence was a great experience. It was a good balance between Venice and Rome. It wasn't completely dead and void of night life like Venice, but it wasn't overly bustling and packed with tourists like Rome. Soon I will have my photos from Rome posted, so thanks for reading and stay tuned!

Rach:]

Commission Work UPDATE

2011-03-24T09:39:00.006-05:00

Hey there guys! Some time ago Kendi from Kendi Everyday was awesome enough to incorporate one of the drawings I did of her for my Blogger Sketch Sunday feature into the header of her blog. I've always been open to new commissions from bloggers who want me to help them create their blog header. After Kendi starting using my sketch on her blog (which you can check out for yourself HERE), I got in a ton emails for new commissions.

I got to work with 4 clients to create artwork for them, so I thought I would post them here on my blog. Don't forget to check out their blogs themselves at the link below each drawing and check out the header in action!

After a long absence from my email due to enjoying in Karneval here in Germany and chilling out in Italy for Spring Break, I've forgotten to respond to many of the other emails I have received about commissions :( So I must apologize for the lack of communication and I'd like to announce that if any of those bloggers would still like to commission me or if any new bloggers are interested, I am open for business!

Just shoot me an email at rachel_nhan@yahoo.com for my price page and more info!

Rach:]

[The Stylish Housewife]

[Lovelies in My Life]

[This is actually a clothing brand logo, not a blog header]

[J'adore Fashion]

Three Days Venice

2011-03-22T08:48:00.002-05:00

The number of posts I start off with apologizing for being an atrocious blogger is quite terrible. But alas, here I am again, apologizing for 3 large blogger offenses this time.

1. Not keeping up a scheduled weekly post. Twice. Sorry for skipping 2 weeks of Blogger Sketch Sunday! I actually have sketches prepared for it, but no scanner available to upload them onto my laptop.

2. Not giving readers notice of my departure or lack of presence. Okay so I'm pretty much bad at this in real life too. I usually never tell people when I'm leaving or how long I'll be gone. Its personal flaw I never notice until its pointed out to me.

3. PHOTOBUCKET FAIL. This would happen to me the week I decide to not sign into my blogger, facebook, or email. Bandwidth limit exceeded? How embarrassing. Thanks photobucket for making me look like a complete fool in my week's absence.

And why do you ask was I so completely unable to access internet for a week?

Spring. Break. In. Italy.

Four friends and I decided to travel through Italy during our break. We went spent a few days in Venice then Florence then Rome. It was quite an experience being in a whole new country and seeing all of the beautiful sights and artworks. I took approximately 1,400 pictures during this past week so be ready for photo heavy posts! Due to the mass amount of photos I'm about to slam you with, I've decided to divide the week's photos into 3 separate posts for each city we visited.

Our trip started out pretty rough but it was still exciting. Amy and I woke up at 5 am and missed our bus to the tram stop. We had to catch the next bus and from there, took the next tram to Siegburg where our train departed from. We barely made our train by about 2 minutes but made it none the less. We had a layover in Munich, but made it safe and sound to Venice in the evening.

After some confusing searching through the city, through the narrow streets and over the canal bridges, we finally found our first hostel called the Venice Museum. The hostel didn't have the best facilities, but the people there were super friendly and we had a nice italian community dinner. The next day we went to our second hostel, which I forget the name of, in which I and the 4 friends traveling with me had our own room in.

One of our first sights we stopped at was the Rialto Bridge. There were lots of shops and a beautiful view of the canal from the top. Most of the stores were tourist-y and overpriced, but it was a great place to see. This here is my attempt at seducing Amy. Be prepared to see me wear this leather jacket the entire trip. I'm so happy I got to break it out and put away my heavy black coat.

A lot of the blown glass shops had lots of glass candy which looked delicious, but dangerous to eat. I wanted to buy a few for my sisters, but the nice ones were rather expensive and the cheap ones looked badly made.

Enjoying the sunlight! After a cold harsh winter in Germany, I relished the Italian sunshine. Not warm enough to go swimming as I had wished, but still lovely and gorgeous!

Every single gelato shop in Italy was so tempting. I only got gelato once on the trip, but had it not been so expensive and had I not been careful to avoid tourist traps, I would have probably bought gelato about 20945805 times a day.

I always take reflection shots, if you haven't already noticed so far in my travels. They are great for recording what I look like in a certain time of my life and the environment I was in at the time.

The St. Mark's Basilica was gorgeous on the outside and featured many stunning gleaming gold mosaics. But they didn't allow cameras inside and charged visitors to see everything important so it was sad.

The Piazza San Marco was beautiful. I had studied about its double row of arches before in Art History back at UT, but never did I expect to actually see them in person ever in my life.

We also took a long walk through Venice to find the bridge over the canal to the Church of the Madonna della Salute. There we witnessed a group of British girls in a tour group. One of which apparently lost her shoe.

I couldn't help but pause at the Chanel store we passed through the streets. The iconic double-C's on this necklace called to me. I saw lots of imitations of this later at street vendors throughout Italy.

I absolutely fell in love with this Valentino purse. The simple shape with a touch of tough in the studs. You could take the strap off and use the studded band to carry it as a clutch.

Amy being adorable when we all got gelato!

We visited the island of Murano which is known for their blown glass factories. We found this amazing glass sculpture outside. This is as close as I get to an outfit post again, sadly. I tried to pack as lightly as possible for this week while still staying stylish. Unfortunately these studded boots I depended on got worn in, to the point where they aren't waterproof anymore.

I promise I am not this much of your stereotypical asian tourist. At least I try not to make cute-sy peace signs and pose cheerily in front of monuments while constantly getting in other people's way and taking far too many pictures of everything. Okay well I do take pictures of everything. What can I say.

Stay tuned in to see my photos from Florence and Rome next!

Rach:]

Style Guide [Olivia Palermo]

2011-03-08T12:30:00.009-06:00

I have never watched The Hills let alone its spin off, The City, but it cannot be denied that the show's antagonist, Olivia Palermo has a style all her own. I know nothing about her or what kind of person she is, but this isn't a post evaluating the qualities of a character on a reality know. This is a post breaking down Olivia's fashion sense. Photos of her keep popping up online from big fashion shows and red carpet events. I can't help but notice her polished, well put-together, yet daring style. This is my guide on How to dress like Olivia Palermo:

1. Olive and Black

A very common color combination that Olivia relies on is olive green and black together. Olive green is a subtle incorporation of the recent military trend and acts as a hue that compliments black but still adds depth. Where as black and red or black and blue are common color combinations, olive and black is a more understated trend. Olivia uses these colors to create a neutral yet polished look. To dress like Olivia, finding a good pair of olive green skinnies or a top to wear with the black pieces you already own would be a great start.

2. Not-Quite-Neutral

Olivia also has a thing about wearing uncommon colors such as mustard yellow, musky beige, or tangerine orange. She wears these shades as if they are neutrals even though they create a unexpected pop of color. Colors such as these seem unappealing or aged when on the hanger, but Olivia wears them in a way that is youthful and fresh. Olivia makes sure to wear these colors in sleek cuts and modern silhouettes. Picking up a frock in a quirky color like these would be a great way to incorporate a little of Olivia's style into your look.

3. Black Tie Event

When men dress up for a special occasion they can always rely on a classic black tuxedo to look sharp and pulled together. Olivia often takes a cue from them and dresses up in tux inspired outfits that look chic and timeless. She takes a feminine twist on the classic suit by wearing black leather skinnies, a girly lace or sequined top underneath, and throwing in some quirky accessories such as a leopard print clutch or heeled duck boots. If you want to immolate this look, be sure to get well tailored pieces that show off your feminine shape and don't overwhelm your frame. Also look for menswear inspired pieces with girly details such as a satin trimmed lapel or dainty buttons.

4. Vests with the Fur

I am not one to promote the abuse of animals, but fur seems to be a large component of Olivia's style. She has an assortment of fur vests that she throws on to elevate her outfit and add an element of luxury to her look. The fur also gives her looks texture and draw in visual interest. The vest becomes the focal point so she keeps the rest of the outfit simple. Finding a vintage fur vest would be a perfect step in Olivia's style direction. And there are plenty of faux fur alternatives to achieve the same level of chic without harming animals.

5. Katherine Hepburn

In a world dominated by in-your-face sexuality, its a breath of fresh air to see well covered, yet still chic looks like these. Olivia opts for the subtle sensuality of Katherine Hepburn's menswear inspired style. Like the fashion icon herself, Olivia wears wide legged trousers and loose blousy tops with understated polished ease. Its all about oversized pieces that are tailored to hang perfectly. To try this look for yourself, I would recommend finding a quality vintage woman's suit and getting it taken in to fit your body perfectly.

6. Little Black Dress

This classic standby cannot be ignored. Olivia knows the power of a versatile piece like the LBD. She knows she can rely on a simple black frock with a few special accessories to look ready for any occasion. Olivia tends to opt for black dresses with short hemlines to show off her thin legs and long sleeves to balance out and cover up on top. She also seeks out LBDs with a little something different such as a leather texture or sequin panels. To take a cue from Olivia find that black dress you've always relied on and think of a few new different ways you can style it.

7. Bold and Lavish Jewelry

Olivia tends to wear striking, luxurious jewelry. Her fingers always have huge gold rings in elaborate shapes and intricate textures. She frequently has a several detailed gold bangles on her wrists and sometimes wears a gilded gold watch that has a gold face in it. She never wears necklaces unless it is a large statement piece. To start a jewelry collection like Olivia's scour flea markets for quality one of a kind antique rings and bracelets. Invest in a gold watch that will bring an element of style to an everyday look. Skip the dainty chain and pendant necklaces and grab a few bold giant pieces from Forever 21.

8. Timeless Bags With a Twist

The fashion world can be very focused on status bags and Olivia knows this. She chooses to avoid the obvious trendy labels and instead leans towards classic shapes. The bags she carries always have a lot of structure. She tends to avoid large slouchy types. Because the shape of her bags are so simple, she adds in a little flair by carrying versions in interesting textures. To start dressing like Olivia, grab a simple bag or clutch in a leopard print or croc texture.

9. Natural Make-up and Healthy Hair

Because Olivia is a fashion risk taker, she keeps her make up as simple and understated. To keep her make up as neutral as possible, she sticks to thin sheer foundation, matte eyeshadows in browns and beiges, coral blush, and creamy natural pink lipstick. To imitate Olivia's look I would advise avoiding cakey concealers or foundations, colored metallic eyeshadows, and any lipstick more than 2 shades deeper than your natural lip color. When applying eye make up, use pencil eye liner to trace the top lash line only, be sure to curl your eyelashes with an eyelash curler and apply the best thickening volume mascara you can find.

As for Olivia's hair, she's moved past her long blonde typical california girl highlights and now works a much more mature and chic middle-parted brunette just-below-the-shoulder length cut. Her hair has a very multidimensional shade to it and lots of glossy shine. To get hair like her's keep your hair routine light on the products and less on the hot tools. Always rinse your hair with cold water at every wash to seal the strands and use a leave in hair gloss treatment every few weeks. This will help keep your hair's natural shine.

10. Break All the Rules

I know that this is rather contradictory to have a final rule like this, but fashion is all about pushing the limits. Olivia is always on the cutting edge of fashion and is fearless in the face of daring styles. Be a trend setter, not a trend follower. Most people would think that a purple leopard print dress with a large brown leopard print belt would look like a ridiculous leopard print over-kill. But Olivia makes it work by keeping the accessories simple, the cut of the dress minimal, and wearing it with full confidence. I know my style guides are all about imitating a specific fashionista's look, but to really take after Olivia, you have to branch out and wear whatever the hell you feel like wearing. Be fearless!

To help illustrate a few ways to put together an outfit inspired by Olivia Palermo, I've created a few looks here using the tips that I have mentioned.

I hope that this Style Guide has been helpful to you. For another awesome resource for tips on dressing like Olivia Palermo, check out this article on College Fashion.

All of the references of Olivia Palermo were found [here].

Rach:]

Blogger Sketch Sunday [FashionHippieLoves]

2011-03-06T01:25:00.000-06:00

Hey there bloggers! Its the Thirty-third edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday! These week's post features Anni of FashionHippieLoves whose blog is located in Stuttgart, Germany.

3 Reasons I love this blog:

-I really been wanting to feature a German blogger during my time in Germany. I feel that Anni's style is the epitome of the street style I see around here. She wears basics like cargo skinny jeans or black leggings with crisp blouses and then spices them up by throwing a leather jacket or fur coat on top. Her outfits are made in simple well fitted layers that keep her warm in this cold German weather while still looking chic.

-This blogger has simple clothes, but her accessories do quite the talking. Anni also always works versatile pieces such as black ray-bans, crochet berets, and tan saddle bags with every look. But every now and then a wild leopard print scarf, bold Moschino belt, or unique metal jewelry adds something extra special to her outfits.

-Anni's wardrobe palette tends to revolve around colors such as black, olive green, gray and cream. While that may seem like a tame color scheme, this blogger uses these colors to look put together and stylish. Her outfits never look garish or make her appear to be trying too hard. She proves that its not about all the bright colors and overwhelming patterns, but the simple art of dressing well.

If you haven't seen her blog, you need to check it out. I posted the link where I first named her blog above.

Thanks for reading!

Rach:]

Blogger Sketch Sunday [Style is Style]

2011-02-27T17:08:00.000-06:00

Hello bloggers! Welcome to the Thirty-second edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday. This week's post features Lydia of Style is Style whose blog is located in Vancouver, Canada.

3 Reasons I love this blog:

-I love bloggers who incorporate many vintage finds into their wardrobe. Lydia works thrifted dresses like no else can. On the hanger, the floral prints, lace appliqués, and bedazzlement may be intimidating, but she wears them in a way that never ceases to look stylish and well put together. Her vintage leather bags and cute headpieces and a quirky cute touch to all her outfits.

-I always enjoy the fashion inspiration posts Lydia posts. She gathers many street style pictures, magazine photo shoots, and outfits of other bloggers that always draw in my attention. Perhaps she just has a great eye for collecting them, because many of the photos in my style inspiration folder come from her posts.

-If a 50's housewife read The Sartorialist 60 years ago, her style would be Lydia's. This blogger's fashion sense combines full high waisted skirts and traditional blouses with street style savvy jackets, collars, and turbans. She pulls off daring trends without fear.

So if you've never come across her blog, you need to go check it out! I've posted the link to it where I first named her blog above.

COMMISSIONS NOTICE

Sorry again to the people who have sent me emails about commissioning an artwork from me. I am waiting on a few previous clients who have commissioned me to start wrapping up. When I get completely finished with these, I plan to post the artwork I've done and reply to all of the emails I have received.

Thanks!

Rach:]

Girls Day in Dusseldorf

2011-02-21T08:28:00.001-06:00

A few days ago a trip to Dusseldorf turned into a full girl's day out. It was a much needed indulgence into girly-ness though, since I haven't gone shopping since first arriving in Germany. Three friends from school and myself bought train tickets to Dusseldorf, which is a city located on the opposite side of the river from Cologne. Where as Cologne is more gritty and historic, known more for their bars, pubs, and the Cathedral; Dusseldorf apparently is known for their fashion forward dwellers and plethora of trendy shops. And we weren't disappointed at all when we got there. Somehow we found the shopping district from the train station pretty easily and it was nice to be able to take our time in the stores without any boys getting impatient with us. Downtown Dusseldorf reminded me a lot of San Francisco, or at least a German version of it.

Our first stop was this super awesome interior design store called Habitat. I have absolutely no eye for actually putting together a chic looking room, but I'm always enthralled by modern decor. If I were rich I'd buy lots and lots of pieces from this place. Its like IKEA on crack. But knowing me, I'd have no idea how to utilize all of it once I got it all home.

I really liked these wall clocks I found. They remind me of the Prismacolor Neupastels I used in art class in high school.

AH! I love love love black and yellow together! Its my favorite color combination. When I saw these displays I had to take a few photos.

I'm pretty sure this photo lurking from behind a fake plant is a little creepy. Sorry Stephanie.

I think Allison was saying we should get going. Or that these couches are really comfy.

This is the set up we were sitting at. If you remember my post about wanting a purple room, you probably know how much I loved this. Theres something about the shade of the purple couches and purple flowers.

Later we found this Beauty and Perfume shop called Douglas. Alyssa tried on a bunch of nail polishes and found a few really pretty purple and gray shades. These are photos of Essie nail polishes.

Obviously the shade of nail polish on my thumb is not the same as the color in the bottle. But I was caught up in how cute this small Chanel nail polish was, usually they come in those larger bottles. The polish on my thumb was from testing this Anny nail polish. They had super saturated colors and were pretty opaque, so one coat really did the job.

Picked up a nice free magazine from H&M, our next stop. I love H&M. And magazines. And free things. So this was the jackpot of my day.

Our last stop out shopping was a store called Accessorize. You can guess what they sold here. I can only describe it as an upscale Claire's. While Claire's is full of teeny-bopper rhinestones and punk-wanna-be wristbands, Accessorize has a more earthy, beachy, and glam flair.

Allison become enlightened that her color palette was gold, coral, and turquoise. Which the store was full of. But their items are far over priced. You could find pieces back in states like this, this, this or this for much cheaper.

Alyssa had a terrible headache all day unfortunately. I feel her pain, because I get frequent migraines a lot too. I feel like they are a combination of stress, too much sugar/caffeine, and crazy bus/train/tram rides. Alyssa turned into Professor Quirrel and used her scarf as a turban to add pressure and alleviate the pain.

Check out Stephanie's awesome Happy Hippo cookie we found in a convenience store. I love kinder-snacks here in Germany, even if they are meant for children.

We had a slight snag in our day towards the end of our trip. We bought the right ticket and took the correct train to Dusseldorf, but we caught the wrong one back. Since we've never bought tickets to anywhere but Cologne before, we forgot to check the type of train we had to get on. Apparently the train we took back (and waited 30 minutes more for because it was late) was a nicer train than the one we took to Dusseldorf. A man checking tickets got extremely upset with us and kept demanding "WAS IST DAS?!" when presented our ticket. He told us we needed to pay a fine of 200 euros for taking the wrong train when we got back to Bonn. Needless to say, when we arrived at the next stop, we swiftly dashed off the train and never looked back.

After that incident though we had a nice dinner of pasta and potato wedges in a restaurant back in Bonn. There a waiter (although I had the impression he was higher up and might be in management) offered us a job designing an advertisement for the restaurant and asked me if I was Chinese on at least 3 separate occasions. Sorry. I don't answer to 'Ni Hao'. I knew this would happen here in Germany. Its happened before when I went to Yosemite in California and was confronted by a multi-lingual Jehovah's witness. Thankfully he didn't speak Vietnamese.

I've been mistaken for Mexican back home, Turkish a few weeks ago, and now Chinese. Well. At least they are getting closer.

Rach:]

Blogger Sketch Sunday [Atlantic-Pacific]

2011-02-20T06:55:00.000-06:00

Hey bloggers! Its the Thirty-first edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday! This week's post features Bee of Atlantic-Pacific, whose blog hails from San Francisco, CA.

3 Reasons I love this blog:

-This blogger knows that hair and accessories make the outfit. She'll put on well-fitted basics and then take her look to a whole other level with a bouffant up-do or a chic super-high bun. Then she tops it all off with retro sunglasses and statement jewelry. Bold gold chains, chunky bangles, and sparkly rhinestones don't look tacky on Bee because she has accessorizing down to an art. Despite having such attention grabbing accessories, they never clash and she never looks tacky because of how she styles them.

-Speaking of her hairstyles, I have some serious hair envy of this lady. Seriously. As someone who has just lived with the natural waves hairstyle her whole life because her hair is just too crazy to try to control, I love how polished Bee's hair-do's look. I wish I could pull off such teased heights and sleek strands with everyday ease. She needs to start posting some hair tutorials or something, because I would be an avid learner.

-I feel like Bee has a really good hold of fashion history. I mean sometimes, fashionistas get too wrapped up in the current trendiest things and their looks get confusing. But Bee is pretty organized in her fashionable decades. She knows the 50's retro chic from the 60's bold mod from the 70's hippie flair. Her outfits always pull from stylish previous decades without looking dated or costumey.

If you've never checked out her blog, you need to! I've posted the link to it where I first named her blog above.

Can you believe it? A Blogger Sketch Sunday that is actually on time on a Sunday? Three cheers for a free day from school this week that allowed me to have more sketching time. My goal is to have at least 52 editions of Blogger Sketch Sunday. That way it will be a full year of 3 sketches a week for 52 weeks. I think it'd be a great personal achievement for myself and I will have a huge recap of all 52 bloggers that I have featured and probably a little celebration for myself. So here is to 21 more editions of Blogger Sketch Sunday to come!

Rach:]

Music and Recap

2011-02-17T15:50:00.006-06:00

Alright so to be honest I haven't really done much traveling lately worthy enough of a blog post. I mean other than a random night out to see Young the Giant play in Cologne that I went on a whim to, I haven't really been up to much. Sounds boring I know, but its been giving me time to organize my blog so keep on the look out for a blog re-boot pretty soon.

Seeing Young the Giant was a pretty crazy because we got to stand pretty much right in front of the stage. Since no one else in the German club was really keen on seeing them, it was super easy to get close up. After they finished playing, me and 4 of my friends from class ran into them outside. They actually started up a conversation with us and one of the members later got us a round of beers. Of course I realize that they were probably just keen on us because we were the only Americans in attendance and due to some flirtation (although not really on my part). And to be honest I'd never heard of them ever in my life 24 hours before I met them. I'll credit getting to see such a awesome show to my friends with much better music taste than I.

I've never really been one to brag about my music tastes because I personally don't think I have that exquisite of preferences. If you asked me what my favorite 3 bands are I'd have to say the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Ratatat, and Breaking Benjamin. But that said, you'll also find guilty pleasures such as Lady Gaga's Poker Face and Cobra Starship's Hot Mess on my ipod too. And yes if you barge in on me in my room unexpectedly, I will be singing Teenage Dream by Katy Perry. Any respectable music I listen to must be credited to my friends in Austin. Although recently I've been listening to Damien Rice, The Black Keys, and Adele. Going through a phase I suppose.

Any who. All of the photos in this post are not my own. My roommate Amy finally got her computer and was able to upload all of the photos she took from our previous excursions. I figured I'd steal a few to show you some awesome pictures taken by her and a few of myself since I've been slacking on taking photos of myself since coming here. So here is basically a recap of my time in Germany so far; including the town of Bonn, a few of Cologne, and some from Amsterdam.

This photo is actually stolen from Stephanie. Thanks for capturing me acting like a complete ham. Interesting fact, the artwork behind me is actually made of caviar stuck to a canvas.

Another photo stolen from Stephanie. Its us at Fiddler's for a Pub Trivia night. Our team placed 7th. Not bad for not being able to understand questions in a heavy German accent and not knowing enough songs by boy bands from the 90's by heart.

And lets wrap up with another photo from Amy. Its too soon to reminisce, but this is me at the bus stop on our first day of school in Germany. Yep fresh the next morning after a 10 hour flight from the states.

Sorry for a recap blog post. I'll try to do something more exciting/blogable next time. And if not, at least take some valid outfit pictures. I told you black skinnies with black boots and a black trench was my daily uniform didn't I? These candid pictures sure prove so.

Till next time bloggers!

Rach:]

Love Is

2011-02-14T00:15:00.006-06:00

Love is Patient.

Love is Kind.

And is not jealous.

Love does not brag.

And is not arrogant.

Does not act unbecomingly.

It does not seek its own.

Is not provoked.

Does not take into account a wrong sufficed.

Does not rejoice in unrighteousness.

But rejoices in the truth.

Bears are all things.

Believes all things.

Hopes all things.

Endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:4

Blogger Sketch Sunday [Barbro Andersen]

2011-02-13T15:37:00.008-06:00

Hey there bloggers! Its the Thirtieth edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday! This week's post features Barbro of her self titled blog, Barbro Andersen. Her blog hails all the way from Norway.

3 Reasons I love this blog:

-Barbro's style can only be described as rocker chick meets wood nymph. She's got a lot of dark moody pieces in her wardrobe, but she still manages to look light and ethereal. Her looks vary from tough biker boots and edgy sequined leggings to long flowing dresses in neutral layers. I've never seen anyone work knits like she can. Sweater ponchos, knit leggings, and crochet shorts may sound granny-ish, but you'll think twice about them after seeing how spectacular she pulls them off.

-The photographs on her blog are beautiful. Her outfit posts aren't your run of the mill fashion blogger's here-I-am-in-my-backyard-trying-to-look-chic pictures. I feel like her photographs are actually stills from a movie. A movie in which she stars as the dark-haired heroine with an air of mystery to her, who lives in a woodsy snow covered wonderland.

-If you read her blog, you'll begin to find out that Barbro doesn't really care about following the latest trends or hottest styles. People like her remind me that fashion isn't about what labels dictate you should wear, but wearing what you feel most represents who you are. Barbro's looks stand out to me because they are her own style and not an exact replication of something I've already seen on the runway. Because as much as I love seeing the newest trends, its refreshing to look inside yourself for inspiration.

If you've never seen her blog, you need to go check it out. I've placed the link where I first named her blog above.

Also if you noticed that I actually didn't have a post on Sunday and this is actually Tuesday that I'm writing this on, I have 2 things to say to that. One: THANK YOU! Because this means you actually read my blog on Sunday to see that my weekly routine is off. Two: Its because of my lack of access to a scanner that makes my posts late. So I'll try to get better at it, but I'd appreciate it if you keep your faith in me and keep checking in on my weekly tradition.

*******COMMISSIONS NOTICE*******

If you have sent me an email requesting or inquiring about commissioning me to make a header for you, I am not ignoring you! I am super happy all of you guys want me to help you out with the look of your blog. But all of you guys together probably add up to a landslide of 20+ new requested commissions and I actually already have 6 commissions going on right now.

So please be patient with me. I HAVE read all of your emails and when I get done with this batch of commissions I will reply to all of them and start a new batch. If you are unsure if you want to wait until then, I plan to post a pricing and general info sheet on my blog soon for you to check out.

Thanks guys!

Rach:]

Eau de Cologne

2011-02-07T00:44:00.001-06:00

A few days ago, the University had a day trip to Cologne, Germany which is about 45 minutes from Bonn. After a whole other bus fiasco (this time the bus picking us up from our neighborhood was late, not our fault) my roommate Amy, 2 other girls from our class, and I barely made the train leaving Bonn. We literally ran through the icy and crowded streets downtown to the train station. I'm surprised I didn't manage to wipe out running on the snow. I guess my duck boots had more traction than I gave them credit for.

In Cologne, we visited the Ludwig Museum of Modern Art. Pretty much filled with the iconic works of the 1960's from guys like Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, and of course Andy Warhol. This reflection is actually in this strange installation piece that was activated by sound and lit up to show chairs behind the glass.

This is a pretty good representation of my everyday attire. A lot of black on black. I was trying to be as practical as possible upon packing for my trip. Most of my clothes are black so that they would all work together. Now though I think I want to invest in a few statement pieces to give my look some pop. I've got a desire for a cute pair of heeled boots, a bold bag, or a nice going out shirt. Can't seem to have time to shop though, which my wallet is very glad about.

These artworks above are by Jasper Johns. I've always liked his work. Even though his American flag paintings are overly-iconic, I really like the texture he gets by mixing wax with paint pigment.

Mondrian. The one and only. I absolutely hated this piece when I was younger, but its minimalistic simplicity and bold colors have grown on me over the years.

I found this piece in the exhibit by chance. It was in a rather obscure corner. Its actually my absolute favorite piece I saw that day. By Richard Hamilton, its a large scale oil painting of an inverse photograph. I always thought about doing the same idea and its interesting to see it actually done.

The most gorgeous photo of Audrey Hepburn on display. Seriously, this lady's face is flawless. No wonder she is such an icon. I think the shape of her eyes and eyebrows is very distinctly her.

These photos are of the Cologne Cathedral, which was the main reason for our trip to the city. Apparently it is the fifth largest cathedral in the world. It is also the resting place for the remains of the 3 wise men from the bible.

The phenomenal view down the side of the cathedral to the altar. It is quite the vision. My photographs don't do it justice.

I was in love with the design of the stained glass windows. Apparently the original windows were destroyed so the city hired an artist to replace them with a new concept. The artist balanced between modern and traditional. He made a simple geometric design and used the same colors of glass from the original window. I think it looks like a close up of a super pixelated computer image.

Probably one of the most breathtaking views I have ever seen before. A photo can't really capture the feeling. Although I love photography, sometimes its better to let down the barrier that is the camera between you and the world and just fully feel the experience.

And of course I must leave you with a food photograph. I swear these bakeries in Germany will be the death of me. What better advertising is there than displaying your sweets in a store front window and leaving the doors open for savory smells to waft through the streets? These were a sort of jelly filled donuts that were incredibly delicious. All they needed was some peanut butter frosting on top.

Thanks for reading guys! Auf Wiedersehen!

Rach:]

Blogger Sketch Sunday [Flashes of Style]

2011-02-06T11:07:00.000-06:00

Hey Bloggers! Its the Twenty-ninth edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday. This week's post features Bonnie of Flashes of Style whose blog is located in Texas.

3 Reasons I love this blog:

-Bonnie has the perfect quintessential vintage girly girl style. But in a non-cliche way. I love the way she wears neutrals, florals, and chunky knits. Her outfit formula usually consists of a high waisted skirt or shorts, paired with black leggings and chunky boots, with a long over-sized cardigan thrown on top. She also has the cutest collection of vintage saddle bags that always add a little punch to her look.

-If I were to start a blogger version fairy tales story, I'd choose Bonnie to be cast as Snow White. This girls got gorgeous dark hair, pale skin, dark eyes, and red lips. I love the carefree way she wears her hair. Whether its down, loose and wavy or thrown into a cute high bun. She inspires me to be proud of being a brunette.

-I'm from Texas but I have seen any where as beautiful and peaceful looking as wherever Bonnie takes her pictures. Her photographs are always phenomenal. The floaty colors, soft sunlight, and natural landscapes always compliment the looks she wears.

Thanks for reading bloggers! If you've never checked out her blog, you definitely should. I've placed the link to it where I first named her blog.

Rach:]

I Am-sterdam

2011-02-03T12:10:00.001-06:00

Hey bloggers, last weekend I got to visit The Netherlands on a school trip. We spent a few days in Amsterdam, Haarlem, and Zandvoort beach. The trip had a rough start as my roommate Amy and I were late to catch the bus from the University in Bonn to Amsterdam. Upon leaving our host family's house in a panic, we got onto the wrong bus to the University. Instead of getting on the normal bus route, we managed to get onto the school bus for German elementary school students in the neighborhood. I don't know if it was sadder that the bus driver mistook us for 12-year-olds or that we didn't realize that we were the oldest people on the bus. Either way, we didn't realize we were on the wrong bus until it was too late. Thanks to this super helpful little girl on the bus who noticed the 2 lost Americans next to her, we eventually got onto a tram that took us to the University, barely catching our ride to Amsterdam.

Here is downtown Amsterdam. The strip of stores were very interesting. You got everything from souvenir shops, expensive clothing stores, and burger kings next to sex toy stores and pipe shops. All souvenirs tended to be plastered with weed-leaf images or formed in the shape of a certain part of the male anatomy. Needless to say, I didn't buy anything here.

Everyone in Amsterdam rides bikes apparently. There was the most epically large bike-garage downtown. Picture just concrete levels and levels of millions of bikes. Forget losing your car in the Wal-Mart parking lot. Try finding your bike in this mess.

These photos above are of the 'Dam' monument in downtown, Amsterdam. It acted as the meeting place for our group several times. It was also a huge attraction for swarms of pigeons, of which we were very weary of.

We went on a boat canal tour of Amsterdam which was pretty cold and wet. But it was a great way to quickly see all of Amsterdam. There was a lot of interesting architecture. The most identifiably Amsterdam-esque were the tall, narrow, side by side, buildings with flat faces and teetering statures. Among other buildings that caught my attention were the elaborate towers and cantilevering modern glass structures.

Sorry this post doesn't include an outfit. I generally wear the same thing; a black trench coat, black skinnies, and leather boots everyday to school. The only thing that changes are my scarves from day to day. I'm building quite the collection. I'm really excited, you can't really wear scarves in Texas without looking over-ly trendy.

Thanks for checking into my recent European adventures! Until next time! Tschuss!

Rach:]

A Late Start

2011-01-31T16:23:00.007-06:00

Its been two weeks since I have moved to Germany for my semester abroad. It feels like I've been here for forever already, but at the same time it still feels like I just got off the plane arriving here yesterday. I've got so many photos to post and encounters to tell already and this is just the beginning. But I'll take it slow and start with a simple introduction today.

The city I live in in Germany is Bonn. Its a pretty small town, but its got a packed and bustling downtown area. It looks like fields of small rural homes on the outskirts, but as soon as you get to the center, its as busy as any big city in America. A few things I've noticed about Europe since arriving here: 1. People smoke. All the time. Everywhere. Its terribly annoying. 2. You walk. All day. All night. People don't really use cars that much here. Which I don't mind. Walking frees the mind. 3. Nothing is free. Plastic bags aren't free. Water isn't free. And appetizers at restaurants aren't free. So pack a reusable bag, water bottle, and granola bars and suck it up.

Bonn is also the birthplace of composer Ludwig Beethoven as well as the producer of Haribo gummy bears. I've seen many cute gummy bear lamps around and wish to find one for myself soon.

This is what my room looks like. I'm living with a host family and their house is very modern in decor. Its like living in an Ikea catalog. I love the paper orb lamp I've got going on. And the cubic design of the dresser. Odd facts about German households in comparison to American, each door has its own lock and skeleton key, light switches are big squares, and pillows also large squares.

My friend's host Dad works at the Post Tower in Bonn. Inside they have these mail boxes from all around the world. The building itself has some pretty sweet architecture.

The building is essentially made of 2 separate buildings shaped like half ovals offset together.

[Jacket: Delia's. Cargo Skinnies: Forever21. Scarf: H&M. Duck Boots: Target]

And since this is a fashion blog, I've got to throw in a picture of myself in there. Please excuse the rushed-ness of this photo. We snapped picture this while waiting for the bus.

Girls in Europe really do have much better style than most in America. I don't know what it is. They always never fail to look stylishly laid back and warm in this awful cold weather. If I weren't afraid of drawing attention to myself, I'd want to start a streetstyle blog here. But I'd rather not seeing as my German is horrible. My goal is to dress as casually polished as all the natives to fit in and not scream 'look-at-me-I'm-so-American-and-so-lost-here' all the time. So far I've mostly been mistaken as a Turkish girl, which I am not sure is a good or bad thing. There is a large Turkish minority here in Germany. I guess its my dark hair that could mislead strangers.

Until next time bloggers, Auf Wiedersehen!

Rach:]

Blogger Sketch Sunday [Kendi Everyday]

2011-01-30T19:15:00.005-06:00

Hey guys! Its been too long since I've done this. This is the Twenty-eighth edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday! This week's post features Kendi of Kendi Everyday whose blog is located in Austin, TX.

3 Reasons I love this blog:

-Kendi has to be the most down to earth fashion blogger out there. She has an amazing sense of humor that keeps you reading her blog for more than just the pictures. I admire her ability to laugh at herself. She posts outtakes from her outfit photo shoots, which always make me feel better. They show me that even gorgeous girls like Kendi have a few funny moments in front of the camera. She is a relief from all of the overly-serious high-fashion photo shoots of other bloggers.

-Her style is a mix of lady-like grace and laid back polish. She either goes full on feminine charm with pencil skirts, detailed blouses, and girly jewelry or sharp masculine with trouser pants, fitted blazers, and sleek heels. Its all about simple versatile pieces with quirky details.

-As one of the members on her last 30 for 30 challenge (at least attempted member, I only got to outfit eleven, for shame) I think her way of remixing items into different outfits is ingenious. Its great to finally see someone in the fashion blogosphere who works with a set amount of reasonably priced items and never fails to look like a million bucks. Kendi proves that your style depends on your brain, not on your wallet. So put away the credit cards and use that noggin to remix a few fabulous new outfits from what you've already got!

If you want a break from the monotonous serious-ness of overly-chic fashion blogs, check out her fun, lively, and stylish blog! I've put the link where I named her blog above.

This is the first Blogger Sketch Sunday I am posting from my new home in Germany. I'll be here for 4 months and a scanner is less accessible for me here. I want to try to keep up my weekly tradition, but it may be too difficult to maintain. But I'll be sure to tell you guys what happens and tune in soon for my first Germany-update post!

Rach:]

Away We Go

2011-01-17T10:19:00.006-06:00

Photo Credit

Posts on the Visual Basic have been a little slow lately due to a wave of commissions and due to the fact that I am packing up to study abroad in Germany for a semester. This is the first time I have been out of the United States, other than Canada.

I'm not sure what to expect on this trip. I feel like I'm leaving for my freshman year of college all over again. Not sure how to feel. And positive this will be a life changing experience. I leave home with a heavy heart, full of worry and doubt.

But I look to the future with hopes for something new and and a sense of clarity. So I hope all of you bloggers out there stay tuned for all of my adventures. Today Texas, tomorrow Germany!

Rach:]

Outfits Inspired [Emma Watson]

2011-01-11T16:26:00.000-06:00

As I said in my last post, these are a few outfits I have put together, inspired by Emma Watson's style. Note that her looks always consist of a few structured basics, roughed up with edgy details and tough-girl accessories. *Sigh* if only I had the wardrobe below in real life. Alas, until I graduate college and get a real job, my dream wardrobe and I can never be.

Rach:]

Style Guide [Emma Watson]

2011-01-07T15:32:00.018-06:00

You may know her as Hermione, but lately Emma Watson has taken the muggle fashion world by storm. Upon promoting the recently released Part One of the 7th movie in the Harry Potter franchise, Emma has been on the press junket looking fiercer than ever. I've actually always been a fan of Emma's style since middle school,even before she become a recognized 'style icon'. Emma's style has evolved so much since the Marc Jacobs military jacket and Chanel earrings she wore promoting Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban on TRL. If any of you guys even remember TRL...

Any ways, since then, Emma has become a fashion maven. Being photographed with Chanel's Karl Lagerfeld, becoming the face of Burberry and reportedly collaborating with Alberta Ferretti for their own line. She has really grown into her own since of style, which is why I've decided to write this Guide to Dressing like Emma Watson:

1. Trenchcoats

For the face representing Burberry, this one is pretty obvious. Emma has quite the collection of sleek and polished trenchcoats thanks to the fashion powerhouse. She always looks chic and put together, wrapping them over every outfit she wears. Their double-breasted lapel, figure flattering cut, and simple design never fails to look fabulous. If you like Emma's style, a great starting point would be to go out and buy your own trenchcoat to act as the base of your winter wardrobe. Emma has a few spectacular trenches from Burberry with studded details or leather sleeves. I suggest buying a simple trench coat in a solid neutral color to go with everything first, and then go out and buy a trench that has a little something extra for special occasions.

2. Ray Bans and Skinny Jeans

A huge aspect of Emma's look is KEEPING IT SIMPLE. Her most stylish outfits are made of clean and well fitted basics. A common formula in Emma's wardrobe is the skinny jeans+trenchcoat+Ray Bans combination. Think classic and timeless like Audrey Hepburn. Emma always sticks to neutrals because she knows they always work together and never cease to look chic. Think gray layering knits, dark wash skinnies, black flats or boots, and camel coats. The accessories is where Emma packs the pow factor. Her relaxed Ray Bans and mega-studded bag adds a cool, rebel-edge to her look without being overpowering.

3. LBD Gone Bad

Emma knows the power of a little black dress. But she also knows how to put her own spin on it. This is just another example of a classic that she does her way. Whether its one shouldered, long and dramatic, has a Freudian skeletal-like print on it, or a hem line all the way up to there, Emma shows her fearlessness in the face of fashion. If you like Emma's style, for your next special occasion, pick up a little black dress that is anything but basic. A LBD is always appropriate and by choosing one with a dramatic element, you'll be sure to stand out from the pack.

4. Classic Silhouettes and Quirky Textures

Textures are really in this fall/winter season and Emma has definitely picked up on that. She indulges in this trend but still remains classic by wearing dresses with a quirky material in a simple shape. If she wears a piece made completely of sparkly sequins, its is a more conservative long sleeved sheath dress cut. Although her dresses have a simple silhouette, their lace, velvet, feathers, and glitter keep things from getting boring. And while Emma's streetstyle tends to revolve around neutrals like beige and gray, her red carpet palette is always black and red.

The most important aspect of Emma's style is the DRAMA. Everything she wears is sharp and awe inspiring. She has got casually polished and laid back perfection down to a tee. What her style comes down to isn't what she puts on. Its her confident and daring attitude that shines through. She is simple but not boring. Edgy but not cliche. Classic but not unoriginal. Emma's style has toned down since her vintage '20s frock wearing days, but it still packs quite a punch.

Alright so you know I have to mention this. Emma's new haircut. While I loved her hair longer a la her Burberry Campaign photos, I admire her fearlessness with her new pixie cut. Its very Mia Farrow. She reportedly cut it because she wanted to do something dramatic upon finishing filming the last Harry Potter installment. I think with the 12+ inches of hair she lost, she also shed her beachy-girl-next-door look. Her short hair allows her to pull off much more haute-couture looks. She probably won't keep this cut for forever, but for now its the perfect confidence boosting and previous-public-image shattering 'do.

Because Emma's hair is so minimal now, she can pull off more dramatic make-up and heavy jewelry. While the old Emma would sport a tan glow and nude lips, this Emma puts the petal to the metal with lush dark lashes and bold red lipstick. The trick to wearing make-up like this without letting it overpower you is to tone down everything else.

-If you have long hair, pull it back and out of the way in a sleek up 'do.

-Even out any skin discoloration with a sheer tinted foundation.

-Lay off the powder, this look isn't cakey.

-Apply concealer to any spots and underneath the eyes to brighten them up.

-Sweep a sparkly nude colored shadow over the lids and in the inner corner of the eyes to add some sparkle.

-Take a clear mascara and comb thick eyebrows into place.

-Line the top lashes with a liquid eyeliner.

-Curl top lashes and brush a volumizing mascara through top and lower lashes.

-Run concealer lightly around your lips.

-Carefully apply red lipstick with a brush, not from the tube, to get perfect edges without the heavy build up.

-Finish with faint blush, be careful not to apply too much.

Find your own spike-like rocker earrings and you are set!

If you are a fan of Emma's style like I am, I hope this style guide has helped you pinpoint her style more and has inspired you to go out and take a few cues from her yourself. Stay tuned, my next post will have a few outfits I've put together inspired by Emma Watson.

Thanks for reading!

Rach:]

Photo Credit: http://emma-watson.net/

A Great Emma Watson style site to check out: Sassy!

Blogger Sketch Sunday [Sterling Style]

2011-01-02T22:27:00.000-06:00

Hey there bloggers! Blogger Sketch Sunday is now back in business! This is the Twenty-Seventh edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday. This week's post features Taylor of Sterling Style whose blog is located in California.

3 Reasons I love this blog:

-Alright so Taylor's blog is the perfect choice for my first feature of 2011. I along with probably 90% of the American population, I have made a New Years Resolution to get back in shape. For all the emphasis on appearances in fashion blogs, Taylor's blog is the only one to actually testify working out to look good. (Look at those Crossfit-toned legs!) I admire her enthusiasm and drive for staying fit. Its refreshing to see a blogger who is upfront and proud of her workout routine instead of falling back on the "I'm-naturally-this-thin-and-gorgeous-and-I-can-eat-whatever-I-want" excuse. She makes me believe that perseverance and hard work will pay off. Now to go find my old running shoes...

-Despite what I said in the reason above, I am pretty sure that Taylor really is just-that-naturally-gorgeous. I would describe this blogger's style as a balance between the sharp prep-ster look of J.Crew and the lavish girly-ness of Carrie Bradshaw. Her wardrobe is full of preppy basics like good layering cardigans, crisp classic trench-coats, and simple button down shirts. These act as a good baseline for the frilly clutches, huge pink flowers, feminine ruffled dresses, and teeny floral prints she uses to punch it up. Her outfits are always clean and classic with a little something extra to make it spectacular.

-I love that this blogger is honest about her blog's success. Her blog has gotten much recognition, attracted many followers, and she has gotten quite a few features. But Taylor still remembers when it wasn't all so easy. Her advice about being patient for your blog to grow and succeed is valuable to any blogger on the web today. She is right that blogging needs to be an expression of your personal passions and points of view, not some campaign to get famous.

If you've never come across her blog, which I seriously doubt, you should go check it out for yourself. I've located the link at the top where I first named her blog.

Thanks for reading bloggers!

Hope you all had a great start to 2011!

Rach:]

Greg and Hiroko

2010-12-29T18:45:00.012-06:00

Hey there bloggers! A little over a month ago I mentioned that I was hired as a photographer for a wedding here in College Station. I thought I would post the photos that I took for the awesome couple that allowed me to have this great opportunity.

Greg and Hiroko had a small ceremony in the All Faiths Chapel and a reception in Rudder Tower afterwards on Texas A&M's campus. Their wedding was the most thoughtful and unique wedding I have ever attended. This couple likes to do things their own way, and I absolutely love that. I've probably been to over 20 weddings in my lifetime, but none of them have had beautiful decor made from origami roses that the bride made herself, the cutest Q&A cards that made up the guest book, or such creative dishes on the menu served at the reception.

Overall it was a really positive experience for me. I really hope to get better at photography and start my own wedding photography business on the side one day. Even though I've been through a black and white film photography class, an advanced color film photography class, a photojournalism class, and have worked as a staff photographer for a newspaper, I still find myself feeling like an amateur. There is just so much knowledge and experience to gain about photography. I feel so inspired when I see wedding photography by Style.ish on her blog or by Andrew Chan who shot Tramanh of Phi Style's wedding. Getting that good takes time and patience. Perhaps one day I'll get to that point in skill and then I'll buy myself something fancier than a Canon Rebel. Someday.

Rach:]

The Ceremony

The Reception

Bride&Groom

Help me start my new endeavor, 'Like' Rachel Nhan Photography on Facebook!

Thanks!

Blogger Sketch Sunday [Hiatus]

2010-12-26T13:39:00.006-06:00

Hey guys! I really must apologize for the lack of Blogger Sketch Sundays. I realize that this is the third week I've missed my weekly tradition. Unfortunately, I am still having some technological problems with my laptops and my scanner. To hold you guys over until I get things straightened out, I've posted a few of the un-posted sketches that I have previously done. I try to post features with sketches in groups of 3 per each blogger, so these are the sketches that have gone over the 3 or haven't added up to 3. Hopefully some of these bloggers will get their own features in the future. Its also interesting to see the variation in my drawing style over the past half a year.

Either way, I hope all of you guys had an awesome Christmas Day yesterday! Mine was filled with the joy of giving gifts, eating lovely sweets, and spending time with family.

Until next time!

Rach:]

The Lemon Wedge

2010-12-18T17:09:00.003-06:00

Some time ago, Brandon and I checked out this small local restaurant in downtown Bryan called The Lemon Wedge. It had a pretty cute atmosphere with stylized paintings of lemons all over the walls. We ordered a House salad, stuffed mushrooms, their Green Chicken dinner, and a piece of Mississippi Mud Pie. The House salad came arranged in the most creatively wrapped up package and included really fresh vegetables. The stuffed mushrooms were cute and small, but packed a huge pow of flavor. And the Green Chicken dinner included a well portioned serving of chicken with basil baked on top with corn pudding and vegetables on the side. The dessert is always my favorite part of a meal, and their Mississippi Mud Pie is no exception. Although I'm not a huge fan of the coconut inside, the marshmallows and the amazing tasting whipped cream on top more than made up for it.

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Alright guys, I really have been neglecting my blog as of late. And I realize what a bad blogger offense this is. But its just that time of year. My finals just wrapped up and I'm in the process of moving out/going back home/getting ready to live in Germany/starting up a few new commissions. So as you can see, my life is about as organized as my currently half-packed, half-moved-out room. Which is a mess by the way.

So I must apologize for the missed Blogger Sketch Sunday this past week. I feel terrible for missing the first week in half a year that I've been doing this. Its incredible that I've been keeping up with one thing for so long. I will try to have one up tomorrow. I will say now, that it isn't for a lack of sketches, that I am behind. My scanner doesn't work with my new macbook and my old dell is about as useful as a plank of wood right now. Hopefully I can find a way to post tomorrow though.

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And I, late as usual, am responding to a '7 Things About Me' post that Bea & Ben tagged me in a few weeks ago. Thanks Sofia! Here is my list...

7 Things About Me:

-I love mugs. Every shape. Every color. Every style. There is just something to the weight of a ceramic handle under my fingers that make me feel at ease. I swear, they have those eco-friendly re-useable ceramic coffee cups, they need to make a portable top for my mugs so I can carry them wherever I go without spilling everywhere.

-My favorite movie as a kid was The Lion King. I remember going to my babysitter's house and The Lion King on video cassette with a can of sprite would be offered to me everyday. Most likely because my babysitter knew I would be occupied enough with these two things no matter how many times I was given both. I was probably the easiest kid to babysit ever.

-The thing about Christmas that I like the most is giving gifts. Okay, it sounds cheesy, but it is true. I don't obsessively plan for months ahead what I will give each and every person. But over long periods of time I will casually bookmark things I see online that someone I know would love or jot down ideas for a craft project that someone I know would appreciate. I may not always hit my target, but I usually give gifts that really suit the receiver. The 'perfect gift' is NOT about spending the most money at all. The 'perfect gift' is something useful, but not needed; indulgent, but not frivolous. People usually never give me gifts that I would want. I get more excited looking at a pile of gifts I've just finished wrapping, ready to be given away, than looking at the gifts meant for me under my Christmas tree. Usually with the gifts meant for me, I dread what ill-fitting sweater, origami calendar, or loud pink plaid beach bag lies underneath those green and red wrappings.

-My favorite ice cream flavor is Pistachio. I don't know exactly why. I used to be appalled by the flavor as a little kid. But now there is something about that subtle sweet factor that I love so much.

-I own around 10 leather jackets. And that is after purging my closet of the ones I don't wear so much. I don't know why I am addicted to them, but I can't seem to get enough of them. I have so many already and yet they still catch my eye in every store I find them in. My collection spans different styles, cuts, colors, and textures, but I am still keeping an eye out for that ultimate leather jacket that will complete my collection. Call it an obsession I guess.

-Rachel is not my real name. I mean, its my legal middle name, so its not some arbitrary name that I go by. But its not my real name. And I feel that my actual name and 'Rachel' don't really suit me. I'm not sure what name would suit me, but I've never felt like either of these two names fit who I am. Not that I know who I am. Perhaps when I do, I'll choose a name that suits me perfectly and go by that.

-Rach:]

This Little Piggy

2010-12-09T11:04:00.006-06:00

Hey guys! Here it is, my final animation that I've been prattling on about working on for a while. Our assignment was to create a 30 second animation that was a spin on a common nursery rhyme. I choose the rhyme "This Little Piggy", which if you can't recall exactly, goes like this:

This little piggy went to market,

This little piggy stayed at home,

This little piggy had roast beef,
This little piggy had none.
And this little piggy went...
"Wee wee wee" all the way home...

So when I was a child, I remember being told this rhyme to count the toes on my feet. Each piggy is one of 5 toes and each line refers to one of the 5 pigs. For my spin on the rhyme, I decided to make the story about only 2 pigs. A rich and snooty pig named Maurice and a poor and sad pig named Joe. Each line switches back and forth to refer to either Maurice or Joe.

"This little piggy went to the market" -refers to Maurice leaving a store with shopping bags.

"This little piggy stayed home" -refers to Joe being bored at home watching TV.

"This little piggy had roast beef" -refers to Maurice dining out at a fancy restaurant.

"This little piggy had none" -refers to Joe having nothing to eat but ramen noodles.

"And this little piggy went 'Weee weee weee!' all the way home" -refers to a slightly tipsy Maurice chilling out in the back of his limo. And then revealing that Joe is his limo driver.

Hopefully, that is somewhat clear without me having to explain all of it. I really wasn't quite sure if I did a good job portraying it all in 30 seconds. The project was heavily stressful and frustrating most of the time, but I certainly learned a lot and got a lot of experience out of this. I dare say this is probably my most professional looking work to date. So I must give thanks to my 2 professors, the Department of Visualization at Texas A&M University, and those specific classmates of mine who had to deal with me constantly bombarding them with questions all semester long.

I'd love to hear your opinion, so please take the time to watch my 2 little piggys! Their 15 minutes of fame only lasts 30 seconds! Below are still frames from the animation too.

Thanks!

Rach:]

11 of 30

2010-12-09T01:03:00.000-06:00

[Cardigan, studded top, and bowler hat: Forever21, Jeans: Macy's, Purse: Target, Heels: Plato's Closet]

Good golly, is been a crazy week. Today was the VIST show where all of the undergrad Visualization students have their work displayed. I pretty much didn't ever sleep for a week before finishing my final animation and then 2 nights later, pulled another all nighter for a color film photography series I had in the show. I plan on posting my animation here soon so watch out for it! My photography project won't be up until I can get my prints back from the show.

Needless to say, I have been a terrible blogger and have neglected my blogging responsibilities. So if I haven't responded to comments or new followers, please have patience with me! And I also received a blogger award and was tagged in a '7 Things About Me' post that I haven't had time to pass on forward. But given some time, I'll organize a post to make up for all my slacking off.

On the plus side, the show is over and now its time for finals. The more normal part of being a college student. For outfit number eleven, I went back to my loyal skinnies again. These have been worn so much, I'm afraid they'll give out soon. I got them off the Macy's clearance rack so they are some obscure, un-findable brand.

Oh and I need to give long over-due credit to the people who support me and my blog the most. All of the photos on my blog that don't include me in the shot (ie. food, places, and projects I clearly state are my own) are my own photography. But if I am in the photo, it was taken by either my boyfriend or my best friend. With an exception for a few that are taken with a timer, they deserve most of the credit. Brandon takes most of the photos that you see recently and Dee took all of the photos before the beginning of this past summer. I have to thank them for their patience of dealing with me and my outfit complications, backdrop seeking adventures, and frustrating awkward faces.

Thanks guys, you are the best!

Rach:]

Blogger Sketch Sunday [Fashion Bananas]

2010-12-05T00:41:00.004-06:00

Hey there readers! Its the Twenty-sixth edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday! Can you believe I have been doing this every Sunday for half a year already? To mark the occasion, this post features Delma of Fashion Bananas whose blog is located in New York.

3 Reasons I love this blog:

-Delma's style is part classic lady-like chic and part daring fashion risk taker. She's a sassier latin version of Audrey Hepburn. Her closet is full of full high waisted skirts, vintage textures, and casual menswear pieces that she work on her flawlessly.

-This blogger has curves and isn't afraid to use them. I always admire women who know how to work their figure. Delma dresses in pieces that look custom made for her. Ladies like her inspire me to embrace the body I was born with.

-Somehow this girl's make-up is flawless all of the time. I don't know how, but its so true. Perfect eyeliner, perfect eyebrows, perfect lips. My make up always smudges and rubs off. I try to pull it off as that 'smokey but natural look', but I still am in awe when I see make up like Delma's.

So if you've never seen her blog, you should go check it out. I put the link to it where I named her blog above.

Have a great Sunday guys!

Rach:]