Pretending to be a Photographer.

As if the book wasn't enough, my other birthday present was a Fujifilm Finepix S1700. Now, this isn't a fancy schmancy SLR or anything, god knows I'm not camera literate enough to tackle those yet, but it's the nicest camera I've owned to date, and it takes pretty awesome photos.
So for your viewing pleasure, here are some of the "fine pix" I have taken! To avoid photo bombing, there will be more to come in later posts. I don't care if they're used, but give credit where credit's due (I should probably do that myself...) - in otherwords, don't pretend they're yours!This is the closest I will ever get to a bee.

Dandelions - the beauty of flaw.

Does the body good.

Hallucinations at the bowling alley.

An homage to the world cup.

Form, Fit, Fashion, FABULOUS.

I just recently celebrated my birthday - go me! - and I got this amazing book as a gift. It's called "Form, Fit, Fashion" by Jay Calderin, from Rockport Publishers. This book is a fashion designers bible. I am about halfway through and so far it has touched base on just about everything I've learned in school thus far.
Here is a little excerpt from the back:

Topics encompass collection theory, forecasting, budgeting, specializations, color, textiles, silhouette, fashion illustration, patternmaking, stitching, finishing, digital technology, quality control, portfolio building, branding, merchandising, and show production. Interspersed throughout, interviews with leading fashion designers demonstrate how these ideas can be creatively interpreted in practice.

Unlike many of the textbooks we have to buy for our classes, this book is easy to read and small enough to fit in your purse. Aspiring designers, established professionals, and fashionistas alike can all take something from this book. It offers a comprehensive overview of the fashion industry focusing on six core aspects of fashion: research, editing, design, construction, connection, and evolution. If you are a fashion student, or thinking of pursuing a career in a fashion industry, this book is definitely a good investment!

Once Upon a Time in MexiCali

Designing my first collection, and I couldn't be more excited!
I find that my biggest inspiration for it is the song "Down in Mexico". Of course, it's a Spring/Summer line.
My fabrics are going to be light, flowing drape meets stretchable structure. The overall themes are Cinco de Mayo, Los Dias Muertos, little rocker girl all grown up with a touch of retro, and she's going on vacation. I want to do some screenprinting (when I learn how) as well. My creativity is flying and I've came up with 6 outfits so far that need to be rendered, so I thought I would provide the soundtrack to this collection to whichever poor souls actually read this blog. But if you DO read this, and need a nice summer soundtrack, you should track down these tunes, and then subscribe to my blog so I know you exist!!

1) April March - Chick Habit
2) The Centurians - Bullwinkle, Pt II
3) Chuck Berry - You Never Can Tell
4) Dick Dale & His Del-Tones - Misilou
5) The Lovely Ones - Surf Rider
6) NOFX - Cantado En Espanol
7) NOFX - Kill All The White Man
8) The Revels - Comanche
9) Jack Nitzsche - The Last Race
10) Smith - Baby It's You
11) T.Rex - Jeepster
12) Staggolee - Pacific Gas & Electric
13) Eddie Floyed - Good Love, Bad Love
14) Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mich & Tich - Hold Tight
15) Eddie Beram - Riot in Thunder Alley
16) The Coasters - Down in Mexico
17) The Tornadoes - Bustin Surfboards
18) Urge Overkill - Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon
19) The Blasters - Dark Night
20) Jimmie Vaughn - Dengue Woman Blues
21) The Leftovers - Toquay
22) Tito & Tarantula - Angry Cockroaches
23) Tito & Tarantula - After Dark
24) Angel City Outcasts - Bleeding Heart Saloon
25) Authority Zero - Chili Con Crudo
26) The Bodysnatchers - Ruder Than You
27) Chubby Checker - The Twist
28) The Clash - Wrong 'Em Boyo
29) The Specials - Pressure Drop
30) HorrorPops - HorrorBeach Pt. 2
31) Howlin' Wolf - Smokestack Lightening
32) The Toasters - Marlboro Man
33) James Brown - Papa's Got a Brand New Bag
34) Joe Strummer - Silent Telephone
35) The Specials - Ghost Town
36) Streetlight Manifesto - The Troubador
37) The Specials - A Message to you Rudy