For the second year in a row I am taking part in our library’s Summer Reading Program (see last year’s progresshere), which runs from May 6th thru August 21st. Last year I was a Rock Star and this year I’m a Rocketeer! To date, participants have clocked 11,314,826 minutes of reading and counting. I am proud to say I’ve contributed 4460 minutes of that total (or .0004% for you matheteers) and am thinking I can log another 2,500 – minutes not books – before the program ends… Continue reading “If a 6 turned out to be 9…”→
Last week my husband and I put the dog in the kennel and headed east for a quick 3-day get-a-way to Gatlinburg, TN. I’ve never spent much time in the area, except to drive through Knoxville on my way to somewhere else. I always laughed at the signs for Pigeon Forge but after watching an episode of ‘Family Guy’ where Peter takes the family to Dollywood we decided if it was good enough for the Griffin’s it was good enough for us…
Kate & Meghan Paper Dolls by Eileen Rudisill Miller
Do little girls still play with paper dolls? I had quite the collection when I was young and spent countless hours playing with and organizing my collection. I can still remember waiting for the McCall’s magazine to arrive each month because there was always a seasonally appropriate Betsy McCall waiting to be introduced to my other dolls. I would draw my own designs for my dolls, which certainly helped lead me down the path toward becoming a fashion designer. All this to day when I was presented with an opportunity to review ‘Kate & Meghan Paper Dolls’by Eileen Rudisell Miller I jumped!
Originally trained as a fashion illustrator,Ms. Rudisillis a talented illustrator and painter who is internationally known for her paper doll work. Over the last 10 years she has produced over 40 coloring books and paper dolls for Dover Publicationsand Paper Studio Press, as well as over 50 self-publishedPaper Doll sets.
As its title implies, ‘Kate & Meghan Paper Dolls’ features a collection of memorable outfits worn in 2018 by the most famous royal sisters-in-law of all – Kate, Duchess of Cambridge and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
Kate’s wardrobe features easily recognizable 2018 outfits from big moments like the Trooping of the Color Parade, Prince Charles 70th Birthday Family Photo, and Meghan and Harry’s 2018 wedding. Meghan’s clothing selection features many of the looks she wore during the 16-day tour she and Harry took to Australia, Fiji, Tonga, and New Zealand, when she was pregnant with her first child but not showing much.
I believe any fan of the monarchy, Kate, Meghan, or paper dolls would appreciate this book. It is well-drawn and informative book, as Ms. Miller provides designer and historical information for each outfit. It would make an excellent addition to any serious paper doll enthusiast’s collection or serve as a great tool to introduce a little girl to the joys of paper dolls.
Spending time exploring these sites has a) made me want to try my hand at designing my own series of paper dolls, and b) instilled the desire to introduce the younger generation to the hobby. How about you? Did you ever play with paper dolls when you were young? What doll was your favorite? better yet, do you collect paper dolls now? Did you even know paper dolls were still a thing? Drop me a line…Id love to know.
Summer officially begins on Friday, which means it’s travel time for me! I’ve got three weekend trips planned and I hope to get away with bringing nothing more than an overnight bag for each. Mix-and-match outfits, some lip gloss, and a good book are about all I need – besides a loved one or two – to enjoy my time away…
My second adventure is taking me to Denver to spend time with two of my favorite peeps, where we’ll tune in and turn on at the Dead & Co show, followed by a day enjoying Mother Nature at Garden of the Gods. Since my flight doesn’t leave til late Monday night I am going to play solo tourist and check out some art and some books at the Denver Art Museum and the Tattered Cover Bookstore…
Finally, at some point before Labor Day I’m going to make it to Charleston for a long weekend. I’d like to spend the time exploring the architecture and cemeteries through walking tours, drop in at SCAD, get some tan time in at Folly Beach, and visit the basket ladies at Charleston City Market…
How about you? Any travel plans for the summer? Do you like to visit new places when you go on holiday or do you stick with the tried-and-true spots that make you feel nostalgically happy? Drop me a line…..I’d love to know.
Ever since the 2019 Camp Met Ball I’ve been thinking a LOT about t-shirts. And while a t-shirt can certainly be camp (with a few appearing on the red carpet the night of the Gala) it can also be much much more. The right T can silently communicate your life philosophy, favorite sports team, travels, tribe or musical preferences. T’s are like the workhorses of the clothing world: no other type of clothing serves as many diverse purposes for its wearer. It’s really a rather remarkable when you think about it. Did you know:
International t-shirt day is June 21st
The word “T-shirt” was first used in 1920 by author F. Scott Fitzgerald in his novel, This Side of Paradise.
The first promo t-shirt was produced for The Wizard of Oz in 1939 (sadly no image exists fo this art)
The first t-shirt to bear a slogan was the “Dew-It with Dewey” shirt made for Thomas E. Dewey’s 1944 presidential campaign.
Tropix Togs was the first company to decorate T-shirts with pop culture icons and slogans in the early 1950s.
In the late 60s tie-dye t’s became popular, largely due to Rit Dye ad mogul Don Price. Rit gave away hundreds of dyed shirts at Woodstock, starting a counterculture trend still in style today.
Coca Cola was the first brand to promote itself using t-Shirts
Over 2 billion t-shirts are sold worldwide every year.
60% of American have more than 10 t-shirts, which is enough to circle the earth 34 times.
At least once per week, 89% of Americans put on a t-shirt.
The Salvation Army receives several million t-shirt donations every year and auctions them off by the pound, exporting them to third-world countries.
T-shirt recycling keeps 5 billion ton of textile waste out of landfills annually
I am, unfortunately, part of the 40% of Americans who owns less than 10 t-shirts. I plan on rectifying that situation over the summer by adding a few choice designs purchased during my upcoming summer travels. How about you? Do you wear t-shirts? Do you own more or less than 10 t-shirts? Are you a plain t or design t advocate? What’s the best t you ever owned? Drop me a line…I’d love to know.
Barbie Pin | Olympia Le-Tan Caviar Bag | My Own Guitar Pic Dress | Max Star High Heeled Sneaker | My Own ‘Luck Be A Lady’ Vest | Katy Perry Present Slide | TU Sequined Bomber Jacket | Andy Warhol Brillo Camp Shirt | Chinese Takeout Evening Bag | Two Ladies Bodysuit | Katy Perry Hamburger Shoe
Today is Camp Day (aka: the 2019 Met Gala, which kicks off the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s newest costume exhibition “Camp: Notes on Fashion”) . I equate the Gala to the Super Bowl of Fashion, bringing together a who’s who of artists, models, designers, and style arbiters to see who walks away with the ‘Best Dressed’ prize. This year’s exhibition (which opens On May 9th) was inspired by the 1964 Susan Sontag: Notes on ‘Camp‘ essay which notes that “Camp…has the proper mixture of the exaggerated, the fantastic, the passionate, and the naïve.”
As a designer I have always had a camp mentality, creating one-of-a-kind garments that are tongue-in-cheek, irrelevant, and sly. This sensibility is on display in two of my designs pictured above: the ‘Pic Dress’, made from beads and thousands of unique guitar pics (worn to a Grammys ceremony and which made music when I walked) and the ‘Luck Be a Lady’ denim vest, incorporating rhinestones, embroidery, and vintage naked lady playing cards (worn for a night in Vegas and which truly was a good luck charm).
You may be thinking camp fashion isn’t for you, but trust me when I tell you anyone can incorporate a little bit of camp into their daily look: shoes, jewelry, bags, t-shirts and coats are all easy ways to add a little fantastic into your everyday.
As for the ladies who walk the carpet in a few hours, you better believe a bit of attitude is going to go a long way toward pulling off whatever ‘camp’ they choose to wear, which is why I am already predicting who might end up in the Top 10 looks of the night. I have high expectations for Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, two women who seem born to ‘camp’, along with Rhianna and Zendaya, both of whom kill any carpet they grace. Throw in Sarah Jessica Parker (representing the old guard) and Lupita Nyong’o (representing the new), actresses who seem to make statements with whatever they wear. I wouldn’t count Madonna out, or Kim K either – both either miss or hit spectacularly with no in-between. Since camp is all about irony, humor, parody, theatricality, and exaggeration I’d say any other ladies I’ve listed could easily end up with ‘Best Of…” tomorrow morning.
It isn’t often I read a work of fiction and want to learn more about some of the characters but that is exactly what happened after I finished reading ‘The Museum of Modern Love’(aka: MoML) by Australian author Heather Rose. Ms. Rose’s story uses performance artist Marina Abramovic’s 2010 MoMA retrospective “The Artist is Present” as the background against which her characters experience fear, sadness, doubt, loneliness, wonder, happiness, creativity, and love… Continue reading “Walks beside me…modern love”→
Each spring and fall I feature ways to re-create the top runway looks (past recreations can be found here, here,here and here) through sewing and some accessory purchases. Some of the hottest trends for spring and summer2019 include 1940’s and 1970’s inspired clothing, sundresses, jumpsuits, patchwork, and bold florals ( a perennial favorite of mine).
I am a sucker for a good dress so the Apiece Apart midi captured my attention, as it reminds me of a 1940’s English garden party frock. The Elie Tahari wrap dress is a classic design which never gets old and always flatters the wearer regardless of size.
Both dresses would be quite easy to make, requiring only minor pattern changes prior to sewing to achieve optimal effect. To make the blue-floral midi begin with the Butterick B6451 Version A dress pattern but purchase enough extra fabric for an additional midi skirt. Sew the side seams on each skirt, then baste both pieces together at the waist to create one double-tiered piece. From there, continue to follow the sewing directions to make your own version of the two-tiered peasant midi dress.
To replicate the Elie Tahari wrap dress, use the Butterick B6554 Version B pattern, and follow the directions until it gets to the tie part. Replace the waist ties with another closure of your choice (buttons and hook-and-eyes come to mind). Purchase extra fabric to make a 2-3 inch wide belt long enough to wrap around your torso twice with ample ends and voila! Runway re-created x 2. Happy sewing – happy spring.
It’s been quite some time since I posted but fear not, as two months focused on handling family and work matters is finally behind me and I am once again (hopefully) back to blogging twice-a-week. Not sure I’ll actually accomplish that goal but a girl can dream.
If I don’t make my goal this week at least I’ve got a good excuse, as my husband and I are headed to Miami Beach to seeNick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets Tour when it stops at The Fillmore Miami Beach. I got our tickets months ago when I first read about the show, and if the reviews are even halfway accurate we are in for an (inter)stellar night of classic old school Floyd.
We’ll be staying at CASA Boutique Hotel, which is close to the theater and the beach without being near the craziness of Ocean Drive. Besides the concert we plan on spending our days soaking up some rays, exploring Lincoln Road Mall (including Taschen Books), wandering the galleries at the Bass and the World Erotic Art Museums, grabbing authentic Cuban food at Puerto Saguaand ending our nights at Mac’s Club Deuce, a bar we used to frequent years ago. All in all, we’ve got a great mini-holiday to look forward to, and maybe 2nd post later this week too!
An exhibit from ‘Dior: From Paris to the World’ (image by James Florio)
Lately I’ve really been focused on the world of fashion. This might be due to some recent travel which saw me killing time with lots of fashion mags while waiting for one delayed flight after another. And while spring is just around the corner the Fall ‘19 New York and London Fashion Week collections may also be to blame. Finally, there are two exhibitions taking place which I NEED to see: the V&A“Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams”(through July 14th) and the Met’s “Camp: Notes on Fashion” (opening May 9th). ‘Camp’ kicks off with the Met Gala on May 6thand I can’t wait to see what the two High Priestesses of Camp, Rhianna and Lady Gaga, bring to the red carpet. I doubt I’ll get an invitation to the Gala, and travel to the Big Apple and/or London probably isn’t in the cards either, so I’ll have to be content trying on fashion-related articles I’ve stumbled, including…
