Blogger Sketch Sunday [LeeseLooks]

Hey you guys! Its the Twenty-first edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday! Every week I like to post a few drawings from my sketchbook of bloggers who inspire me. This week's edition features Lisa of LeeseLooks whose blog has moved from South Africa to Brooklyn since I've become an avid reader.
3 Reasons I love this blog:-Sometimes I forget that bloggers are real people. Funny right? Since blogs are supposed to be the way REAL people communicate their opinions to the world. Lisa's blog however reminds me that bloggers go through transitions and changes in their lives like we all do. She is originally from Canada, lived in South Africa for a few years, and now has moved to New York to pursue a degree at FIT. I love that she accepts the challenges in her life with full force and goes after her dreams.-Lisa's style is very minimalistic. I really like that her outfits are so simple because the lack of extra details really lets you concentrate on the amazing fit and quality of her pieces. Sharp leather jackets, slim cut skinny jeans, perfectly proportioned heels. This girls closet is full of nothing but stunningly perfect pieces.-Look at those DYNAMIC poses. Seriously. This blogger is amazing at really putting force and action into her poses of her outfit posts. If the model I had for my life drawing class had even half of the dynamic poses Lisa has, I wouldn't have been so dreadfully bored in that class. I loved drawing Lisa for this post, her poses have really weight and momentum. I love that.
So if you have never seen her blog, you should definately go check it out. Lisa doesn't post as many outfit posts anymore, probably due to school (I know the feeling) but her past outfit archives are worth scrolling back to and I love hearing about her life in fashion school.
Also, hope you all have a HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Watch out for ghosts, ghouls, and skanks in 'costumes' today. As an extremely wise woman once said:"I'm a MOUSE, duh!"
Rach:]
PS: This is the last day to enter my GIVEAWAY. If you still wish to enter, just tell me about a blogger you think I should feature here on Blogger Sketch Sunday. Comment it here before the end of today!

Style Guide [Juliet Sharp]

If you've been watching the current Fourth season of Gossip Girl, you probably hate this girl. You know. Juliet Sharp. The current scandal starter and life ruiner with a hidden agenda to take out Serena Van der Woodsen. Seriously, you know you love to hate Georgina, but you just hate Juliet.

Many viewers see her wardrobe as a complete flop. A boring and mundane array of beiges and grays with no spark whatsoever. I think that her wardrobe is a genius move on the part of the show's stylists. The first episode Juliet appeared in, it was made clear she isn't a socialite from a wealthy family. From her shabby apartment to her re-tagged to be returned clothes, she obviously does not belong on the upper east side. But think rationally. If I were trying to infiltrate the ridiculously rich, I would probably stick to one color family too. Kind of like how women always rely on a LBD to stay classy. Staying in one shade of color for Juliet makes it easier for her to not take a risk and stick out from the crowd. She needs to blend in and remain undercover until her plot is finished. So dressing in more neutral colors with the same silhouettes helps her go unnoticed.

But honestly, I like her outfits. Yes they are all very similar and can get repetitive, but who doesn't need a uniform to fall back on when life gets hectic? As a sleep deprived college student, I think there is something to gain from having a fool proof uniform you can throw on, feel good about yourself, and get on with your day. These are a few tips on how to dress like Juliet Sharp:

1. Gray, Beige, and Purple:

Alright the most obvious way to dress like Juliet is to stick to the only colors she wears on the show. Her outfits are always in varying shades of gray or beige with purple accents. The steely gray element really suits her character, what hue better illustrates a girl whose last name is Sharp? If you want to emulate Juliet's look I'd start with picking up a few gray pieces and restrain yourself to purple as the only real color.

2. Blazers, Blazers, Blazers:

When Juliet wants to cover up a bit more and maintain that edge, she throws on a sharp blazer over her little mini dresses. It adds a touch of class and professionalism to her look. If you want to steal Juliet's look, invest is a well fitted blazer that nips in at the waist, doesn't have an overly large lapel, and has cropped elbow length sleeves to keep it from looking too business-y.

3. Formal Wear:

During dressier occasions, Juliet leaves her structured sheath dresses and blazers behind and opts for drapey, loose, dramatic gowns. Her evening wear always involves flowing layers of material in a swirl of different shades swishing around her long legs. Juliet also tends to top off these soft dresses with a bold and chunky statement necklace. The necklaces usually correspond with the color of her dress and lay higher up on the neck. They rough heaviness of these pieces juxtapose the light airiness of her gowns. To finish off Juliet's evening look, she grabs a small croc clutch and suede round toe pumps in either purple or gray.

4. Juliet's Silhouette:

This girl never shys away from high hemlines and body hugging dresses. Juliet's basic shape in her clothes always accentuates her athletic frame frame and thin legs. She doesn't have the cleavage Serena has or the narrow waist Blair has, so wearing tight dresses doesn't come off as too vulgar on her. She mainly aims to show off her legs in short thigh skimming dresses. Juliet will try to add some interest to her array of gray frocks with details of draping or pleating. The dress remains skin tight, but with a little extra movement.

5. Textured Bags and Standard Heels:

For purses Juliet gravitates towards ones with lots of texture, whether it be croc skin, leather, or pleating. She seems to have an array of these bags in either gray, beige, or purple. They seem to all have that slouchier shape and remain medium to large in size. As for her shoes, Juliet stays with the same general shoe shape. While Serena and Blair experiment with different heel types and toe forms, Juliet always remains loyal to the most versatile type of shoe. A pointed round toe stiletto heel. This shoe silhouette goes with about anything and she knows it.

6. All about the eyes:

Juliet's make up is the most touched up and flawless of anyone on the show this season. While Blair used to have doll like make up in the first season, now she and Serena have more natural relaxed make up routines. Juliet's make up is not near as heavy as Jenny's raccoon eyes, but it is more heavily applied. Juliet's eye make up is always very made up and overly perfect. She usually wears metallic gray eye shadow with meticulous eyeliner and lots of black mascara. The emphasis is always on her eyes. You won't see this girl with dark dramatic red lips anytime soon. To immolate her make up look, stick to soft metallic shades of eyeshadows to define your eyes. Invest in a smudge proof black eyeliner and the boldest dark mascara you can find. Say no to the dark lipsticks and stay with a few nude or soft pink shades.


To illustrate the tips I've given on how to dress like Juliet Sharp, I've put together a few ensembles I could picture her character wearing.

I hope that this style guide has been helpful. If you have any ideas for a specific character or celebrity that I should do a style guide for, I'd love to to hear it!

Rach:]

Blogger Sketch Sunday [Style Forecasts]

Hey there, its the Twentieth edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday! This week's post features Jackie of Style Forecasts who commissioned a blogger header from me. I loved the title of her blog and decided to take a literal interpretation of it for her header.

3 Reasons I love this blog:
-Jackie is a fellow Texan! Her blog hails from Midland, which is an escape from busy cities and structured suburbs. This town is literally in the middle of no where and has flat plains as far as the eye can see. Jackie uses the landscape to an advantage and uses it as the perfect backdrop to her photos.
-Her vintage finds are fabulous. I love the satchel bag and long printed skirt she wore in a recent post. I love seeing other people's treasures they have discovered and anticipate many more wonderful finds from her.
-She really reminds me of a girl I used to work with when I worked in the mall. I loved this girl's hair and Jackie's as well. Always well styled and full of body, her hair is amazing. Lets hear it for all the thick haired brunettes out there :]

So for her blogger header, she let me have creative license to do whatever I though would work for her blog. I decided on having an illustrated figure of her holding an umbrella with the title of her blog 'Style Forecasts' raining down on her. The letters represent raindrops pouring down and bouncing off her umbrella. I really liked the look that the letters in combination with the hand inked drawing created.

I am rather bogged down with school recently, so any new blogger header commissions will have to wait. I would still love to hear from you if you are interested in commissioning me but we will have to wait until my workload lessens to start. We can still bounce back and forth ideas if you are unsure what you want. Don't be afraid to hit me up, but know that it may take a while until I begin.

Thanks

Rach:]

A Cinderella Story

I am super excited right now because tomorrow, we are learning how to use the color print darkroom in my photography class. It brings back memories of the black and white film photography class I took a while back. There is something to film photography that digital photography lacks. Film photographs just look so much deeper and sharper. They have this special feel to them. When you manage to get the perfect image after hours and hours developing, exposing, and printing, its the best feeling in the world. All of the hard work and patience is worth it in the end.

One summer I decided to do a series of photographs on the theme of Urban Fairytales. Basically I wanted to bring the most iconic stories to life in the modern world. Perhaps its my inner hopeless romantic coming out in this project, who wants to tell everyone that yes, fairytales do happen, even today among the most everyday circumstances. A Cinderella story can happen in a grocery store. Snow White's tale could take place in a fast food joint. And a Sleeping Beauty could get her true love's first kiss in a laundromat.

Above all, this project is dedicated to all you girls out there who have been wronged by love, jaded by past relationships, or have lost hope in a happily ever after. Stay strong ladies and carry on. A fairytale could happen when you least expect it. So stop waiting and take care of yourself above all. What happens will happen, but only if you let it.

Rach:]

Cinderella Series
Shoot location: Tom Thumb
Model: Marissa

Snow White Series
Shoot location: McDonald's
Model: Dee

Sleeping Beauty Series
Shoot location: Quik Wash
Models: Katia and Michael

Blogger Sketch Sunday [Mode Junkie]

Hello Hello Hello! Its the Nineteenth edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday! Every week I like to post up a few ballpoint pen doodles of fashion bloggers who inspire me. This week's edition features a Philippine blogger who lives in Germany, Mode Junkie!

3 Reasons I love this blog:

-This girl has some amazing world experiences. I love reading her profile description. In a few sentences she pretty much sums up the crazy unpredictability that is life. I love the positive outlook she has on taking chances and learning from everything that happens. Picking up your bags and moving to Germany like that is pretty gutsy and I admire her courage.

-The background of her photos always accentuate her amazing outfits and adds interest. That yellow striped truck dock looks like the perfect backdrop. Also, as a student who will be studying in Germany next semester myself, I'm super excited to get a sneak peak of what the environment is like over there in Deutschland.

-Mode Junkie is a blogger with a style that has a flair for the dramatic. Its all about the bold shapes and tough details. She tends to work a look that involves a large oversized jacket/top/cape with tights or shorts. I really like that she balances the proportions of her clothes so well. Her look is stylish and on trend, without looking like she mugged a mannequin at the mall. Her style is amazing. If this is what Germans dress like I really need to up my game before I get over there.

So if you've never come across her blog, you should most definitely check it out. An entry in my giveaway suggested this blog to me, but I've actually been a reader of Mode Junkie for over a year now. Thanks for reminding me though of this awesome blog!

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER MY GIVEAWAY!!!

No following or pimping my blog required!

Just tell me about a blog you love that I should feature here on Blogger Sketch Sunday!

Comment it on the post below

Thanks again guys!

Rach:]

Urban Romance [GIVEAWAY CONTEST]

I have never really gotten to decorate my own room before. Like really decorate it. I never saw the fun in it while living at home and now that I'm dorm/student apartment hopping each year it seems like a daunting task. But I will fear no longer. I plan to slowly collect things to decor my room right now until I move into my new apartment sometime next year.

The feel I wanted to go for was Urban Romance. A room that feels rich and luxurious, but is still sleek and edgy. I have fallen in love with the color purple recently so I'm choosing that hue for the base of the room. My love for city landscapes and urban architecture will never cease, so I'm planning on incorporating them into the room. Its all about the juxtaposition of the soft and pretty purple accents against the hard metal structures of cold modernization.

I looked everywhere for a few items I'm planning to collect for the room. The cityscape pillows and shower curtain are from Urban Outfitters. The purple bunched bedspread and the black drawer knob are from Anthropologie. And the modern purple chair and metal cutout chandelier are from CSN stores, which sells everything from coffee tables to Michael Kors bedding to Missoni rugs. I'm giving away a gift card to their stores, so scroll to the bottom of this post to see how to win!

When I think about things that inspire me, my mind automatically goes to art and fashion. Perhaps is the long lectures in my History of Modern art class that have got me focused on urbanization. Also, all of the purple artworks above are lesser known works of Andy Warhol. As for fashion, I've always considered a purple Chanel 2.55 as the ultimate accessory to have someday. Black is usually preferred, but purple can be just as versatile. The runway inspirations are from past seasons of Oscar De La Renta and Versace.



My end result hopefully will resemble Blair's dorm room at NYU from season 3. I still have the portrait I painted of Audrey Hepburn from [this] post so it should work out well when I finish.




Okay! Now that I'm done prattling on, now its time for the GIVEAWAY instructions. I was approached by CSN stores to hold a giveaway for a $35 gift card that is valid on any of their online stores. The gift card will actually be a code that they will email to winner of the giveaway to use online.

Giveaway Rules and Instructions:

-Giveaway starts October 13, 2010 and ends on Halloween, October 31, 2010. Any entries after that will not be considered.

-To enter I won't make you follow me or promote my blog on yours. Simply just comment on this post with your name and a blog you think I should feature on Blogger Sketch Sunday. I would love to find new bloggers to sketch, the fashion blogging world is so vast.

-Please do not enter your own blog as the blog you think should be featured. And please introduce me to a blog that I don't know or haven't featured on Blogger Sketch Sunday already!

-I will put all the entries in a drawing and randomly pick a winner. Once you've won I will ask you for your email address and send it to the CSN representative.

-I'm not restricting my giveaway, but CSN stores only ships orders to US and Canada. Also they charge Canadian orders with international shipping. So watch out before you decide to enter.

Alright! There you go! I hope to discover many new blogs you guys already love that I have never come across. Thanks again and good luck!

Rach:]

Tuesday

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."

Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,

nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.

A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.

You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-

then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.

For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;

they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

"Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.

With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."

Psalm 91

Blogger Sketch Sunday [Le Blog de Betty]

Hey there everyone! Welcome to the Eighteenth edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday! Every week I like to post a few ballpoint pen sketches of bloggers that inspire me (which I draw in class when I'm not paying attention to the lecture). At least I'm staying awake this way. This week's edition features a French blogger, Betty from Le Blog de Betty.


3 Reasons I love this blog:
-This girl is so naturally gorgeous. No obvious make up or elaborate hairstyle needed. It must be a French thing, I swear. Shes got simple long dark hair with softly blunt bangs, but it looks so much more striking on her than anyone else I've ever seen. And shes got a great smile that she uses frequently. Many other bloggers never crack a smile, I guess to look fashionably miserable.
-Betty definitely has a quirk to her style. She works some really risky unique pieces but she makes it look so easy. A lot of her clothing would come off over-the-top on someone else, but she wears it with such an ease it looks effortless. No one else can pull off gathered-waist trouser pants, metallic zebra print booties, or black mesh bodysuits like this girl can.
-Seriously, I think Betty should be a stylist. If she isn't already one. I love the way she puts together her outfits. The proportions and the textures in each ensemble are perfect. I noticed this fact when I was sketching, it made it much more interesting to draw. I would let her style me any day.

So if you've never come across her blog you definitely should. I posted the link where I named it above.



I got this amazing email from Katie of Desire Designer the other day. She turned the tables on me and did a '3 Reason's I love this blog' about my blog. I am really grateful for her kind words. I would have never thought anyone really read my Blogger Sketch Sunday's, but she gives me inspiration to keep going with it. Thanks again Katie!

Rach:]

La Panaderia

Last week, my color photography class had a photo college assignment. Our goal was to create a large composition from individual "4x"6 prints. I chose to base my project on the feeling you get when trying to choose a sweet at a bakery shop. The close ups and wider shots imitate the act of inspecting pastries before settling on one (or a few, if you're me) to buy. There aren't any good bakeries that I know of in College Station so I decided to go to a Mexican Panaderia instead. Which turned out to be awesome because with the help of a Spanish speaking friend, I got to take photos of the sweets from the other side of the case where there wasn't any glass to hinder me. All of these are a few of my favorite individual shots and I will post my project as a whole later. I love the bright colors and interesting textures of Mexican pastries. This assignment was major fun!

Rach:]

Blogger Sketch Sunday [The Shoe Girl]

Hey there, its the Seventeenth edition of Blogger Sketch Sunday! Each week I like to post a few ballpoint pen sketches from my notebook of bloggers that inspire me. I came across this blog out of no where and had do a post about her. This week features Celine from her crazy awesome blog, The Shoe Girl.

3 Reasons I love this blog:
-OMG Shoes. (come on, you know I had to quote this) Seriously thought, what girl wouldn't love a blog completely all about shoes? Celine's blog is all about the shoes and how she wears them. Her blog is like your best friend showing you her awesome closet. Her photos aren't super glamorous and posed, but that's what I love about them. She seems like a real person to me, one who just happens to have a stunning shoe collection.
-Celine is a working girl. Its really refreshing to see a blogger on the web who actually has a career in the fashion industry that her blog didn't come to create. I'm fascinated by her work for Betsy Johnson and her family's lineage in the shoe industry is interesting. I also feel like because she is a part of creating these fabulous shoes, she has a different perspective and appreciation for them. Its like an artist vs an art historian. We all admire shoes, but she knows the hardwork and creative process of building them.
-This blogger is not another one of those how-can-she-afford-all-of-that stuff-and-just-sit-around-taking-pictures-of-herself types. She is pretty open about not being able to afford every shoe that strikes her fancy. I find her honestly with the financial aspect of fashion refreshing. I love all of her shoes so much more because each pair is unique, but not outrageous and because I can see the appreciation she has for them.

If you've never seen her blog, you must go check it out. The link is located where I first named the blog above.


In other news, I've been commissioned to create a blog header for a super gracious woman who was so charismatic over the phone. Her positive energy is super contagious. Anyway, I've spent the last few class lectures drawing out ideas for her header in my sketchbook and thought I'd share my works in progress with you all. Her concept was to showcase the way different girls put their spin on what they wear. So I decided to go with a series of 3 figures wearing one item of clothing, but in 3 different distinctive styles.

I'd like to know which set of 3 figures you like the best. Is it the first one where the pencil skirt is the common element? The second with the blazer? Or the last one with the cargo skinny jeans? Let me know!

Rach:]