December 2008

+ & -

by Lara on December 18, 2008

in + & -,fashion,geek

 +

  •  Polyvore is rad.
  • Japanese scientists are rad.
  • This goth/punk Barbie is hilarious! (I used to want hair like that!)
  • I have written over 100 posts on this blog since September 19th!
  • LD Tuttle makes some ideal shoes that are tickling my fancy! I think this set is the perfect shoe wardrobe for a lifetime! Seriously, what more could you want? I would trade my entire Imelda Marcos shoe collection in for these 4 pair. (Well, I wouldn’t give up the Vans.)

 
LD Tuttle by mymilkglassheart

  • When I do decide to spawn, I want to give birth here.
  • PsyBlog has another positive and helpful article on gratitude and its beneficial effects on your mood, in just 2 minutes! Nothing is too small to be thankful for. I am so grateful for so many things right now!
  • This song by Sigur Ros sums up the intensity in my heart right now… and they did not sell out! ;)
  • I am loving my holiday break! I have two more classes next semester and I will (finally) be a college graduate. This has been a long time coming and I’m proud of myself for being so persistent and sticking with it (and doing really goddamn well) in spite of all the stressful distractions in my life. I am going to sincerely miss school though. It has always been a source of joy in my life.  
  • Tiramisu gelato is the devil.
  • The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack is pretty much the best cartoon ever! “I’m just exercising my huggin’ muscles!”
  • I am completely in love.

-

  • Do I need to tell you how incredibly creepy leggings are with shorter tops? These are not trousers.  They are leggings… which are essentially tights without feet and they have no business being regarded as pants. They are a layering tool. If your pants are not equipped with a fly, cover your damn crotch.
  • A low-carb diet is better for you than a low-fat diet. I’m in so much trouble. (via Discover)
  • Fashion is wasted on Richmond. The best it gets is a Hipster Runoff-esque sprinkling throughout the city. (I have no idea who’s shopping at Saks.) I asked the boy what he thought of me possibly shredding a pair of cheap skinnies like the Margielas everyone is doing right now. Consensus = I would look like I was ready to go to a Motorhead concert. I couldn’t help but agree… that trend’s bubble is going to burst in 3…2…1…
  • Why do I insist on drinking strawberry energy drinks when I’m tucked in bed at 3am, so then I get zero sleep?  Because they are delicious!
  • Christmas is 8 days away and I feel totally unmotivated.

{ 4 comments }

flippin Polyvore!

by Lara on December 17, 2008

in fashion

Well, this is my very first Polyvore set. Now that I know how to use it, it really is a time saver! (I may never bother with my journal again… no, I like magazines too much.) This is the most ideal outfit I could ever imagine at the moment. Sadly, I have insanely expensive taste!

H. Stern ring, chickdowntown.com bracelet, Burberry Prorsum Knight studded bag, La Garçonne top, Helmut Lang leather skinnies, Gabriella Rocha Studio “Anastasia” sandals.


spring shopping by mymilkglassheart

I have wanted that bag for a very long time. Here’s an old journal page with all things tough… That entire Burberry Prorsum outfit is so badass. The satin square “shingles” in the dress, the gloves, the shoes, the bag… hot damn!

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not skinny enough

by Lara on December 16, 2008

in crafty,fashion

I have passed up a lot of jeans with interesting finishes because the legs just weren’t skinny enough. My ideal is a 10″ – 12″ opening at the ankle. (10″ is what is pictured below on the right… just enough to squeeze my foot through.)

A skinny jean, a straight leg does not make. Being just a bit wider than you would like makes them look horrible with ankle boots or the heavy platforms. You want your skinnies to be tight against your ankle to look current, like leggings. (I’m not saying a wider leg doesn’t look swell with other types of shoes… I’m just talking about a very specific trend here.)

I hadn’t been in Kohls in almost a year and had to pop in last week for a certain heavy sweatshirt my dad loves. The lines were weaving across the store so, I figured I’d make the trip worth my while and see what they had. Well, they had dark rinse and pale grey skinny jeans on sale for $13! I tried them on and the 13.5″ leg opening just wasn’t going to work with anything but sneakers. At that price, I got them anyhow. When I got home I was thinking that there was absolutely no reason why I couldn’t take them in myself!

I slept on it and devised a plan of action. I really should’ve taken some decent tutorial pictures but as long as you have a sewing machine (or not and are a glutton for time-consuming work) I think you will figure out what I’m saying here. It couldn’t be more easy.

  • First off, wash your jeans and dry them as you normally would. (Before you alter anything, you have to pre-shrink!)
  • Okay, now look at your jeans. (You really need to keep this in mind BEFORE you even buy a pair that you intend to alter.) Most of the jeans on earth have two different seams on each leg. The front and back pieces are sewn together at the sides. One side seam is also usually different than the other. One will have the top stitching detail (shown in the pic below) and the other wont. The sides of each leg that don’t have the top stitching are the sides you will be taking in since it’s just a simple easy seam and that’s the kind I like… simple… and easy…
  • If you are happy with the length of the  jeans and don’t plan on hemming them then you can take a seam ripper and remove the hem stitch a couple inches away from each side of the simple seam I just told you about. (This will keep you from having to seam-rip and re-hem each leg entirely. I AM SO LAZY!) So, you got that? You need to un-hem the bottoms of each leg half-way so you can flip your jeans inside out and have enough room to flatten them out to sew.
  • The thighs of jeans are usually tight enough for me (but if you need to take the thighs in too, just sew past your knees). Put your jeans on inside out and with white tailors chalk (or use a safety pin), mark where your jeans begin to get tight (around your knees usually) and then mark how much room you need to get your feet through, holding them as if they were already altered and practicing getting them on and off. You can just do this on one leg and then when you take them off, fold the pair in half and match the marks onto the other leg.
  • Now, take a long ruler and draw a line from the point at the ankle to the point where you want to stop sewing higher up. Do this for the other leg and well… now you have your lines to sew on. (You could just eye it but you risk going beyond your end point and making them too tight in the thighs.) This line should simply be a very gradual tapered angle that will blend in with the existing seam.
  • What color jeans do you have? Are they black, grey, blue… what color is the top stitching at the hem? Figure out the color thread you need and get your machine ready. The insides of jeans are serged but this will just be a seam with raw edges when you’re done so, you will get loose threads after a while. I recommend setting your machine for the closest stitch you can for strength. (More stitches per inch… like the #1 setting). (If you want, you can also do a ziz-zag stitch at the very edge once you’re done and cut the excess off, to help keep them from fraying eventually. I didn’t care I even have a serger!)
  • Okay… time to sew! Follow your line on one leg and try your jeans on inside out again and make sure everything is the way you want. If not, rip that seam out and start again. No big deal. Get it right and sew the other leg. Cut off the excess (only when you are 200% positive that they are right), leaving about a 1/2″ seam allowance. Measure twice – cut once, ya hear!?
  • Now it’s time to hem. Most machines have a free arm on them so you can do slim round openings such as this. Remove that casing, keep your jeans inside out, fold your hem back up and squeeze your pants leg under the needle, matching the existing threads with your new stitch. Make your stitch size bigger (3 to 4 is the usual for denim topstitches) and hem up the couple inches that are still undone, making sure to backstitch at the beginning and end for strength. It’s not going to look exactly the same as the existing hem stitching, unless it’s the same color and just blends in. Please tell me you are not that anal retentive. You are? Well, I guess you better rip and do the entire hem on the machine for consistency. Geesh!

So that’s that! It took me no time to do my grey pair and once I knew exactly what I was doing, I think I broke a land speed record for the second pair. I’m pretty short (5’1″) so when I have altered these not-so-skinny jeans, I get a sweet bunched effect at the ankle. So, here’s a picture of one leg done. Woohoo! Feet up in the air!

If you have any questions about this process or any other brave sewing endeavors, let me know!

PS – that Wet Seal top I mentioned a few posts back… well, it was open down the front! I was wondering why it said “wrap” because they usually show them open in the pictures. Well… that took a quick trip through the sewing machine too and now I have a sweet asymetric tunic tank like I thought I was getting!

{ 4 comments }

oh Oscar!

by Lara on December 15, 2008

in fashion

Okay… I’ve been a bum in bed all day playing with (gasp!) Polyvore! I never thought the day would come. (I’m delirious with exhaustion and full of oatmeal cookies and love. I don’t know what’s come over me!)

Anyhow… I saw this dress in my favorite bright color combination! My god this guipure lace dress is incredible! It’s by Oscar de la Renta who, along with retired Valentino and Elber Albaz of Lanvin, can do absolutely no wrong in my book. ($4,990!) Could it possibly be handmade? Would it be wrong to get married in this?


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journal

by Lara on December 14, 2008

in fashion

The shoes at the top left were from Payless and I actually bought them. They were some of the most uncomfortable shoes I’ve ever owned and I only wore them to a 1 year old’s birthday. Shoes with a cage of straps at the toes and I do not get along. They dig and cut into my tender pups. No fun. The cream dress with the long black sash was from a Newport News catalogue and is still being sold. I have to give them credit around the holiday season and summer for weddings. They have some really classic feminine pieces that are made for a woman with some curves.  I have one dress from them that they’re also still selling. It’s timeless and extremely flattering. These dresses have been tried and tested and I supose that’s why they still have them available. They’re also quite inexpensive and very well made.

The other cream dress has a Frank Lloyd Wright motif on it which I really love. I wish I could find the perfect pair of wide leg cuffed white trousers to wear with platforms and cute tank tops in the summer. More intricate folding detail on the grey wool dress and more laser cut shoes…

After reading about how bad candles are for the air quality in your home, I have been gravitating towards scented oils and reed diffusers. They are really long lasting but make me a bit nervous. They have to be placed somewhere completely safe from being knocked over. Can you imagine the mess? Nothing can replace the romance of a lit candle every once in a while though. I finally found a good sandalwood scent at World Market. It’s rare to find a good one that doesn’t smell musty instead of musky. Yankee Candle’s Midsummer Night is the closest I’ve come to a perfect scent… reminiscent of a man’s cologne. It’s so wrong it’s good!

I obviously have a thing for odd little jackets and clutches. Those little flats with the cut out skulls are swell and I still enjoy the combination of mustard and grey. That strange little black squiggle is a pendant cut from ebony with some pearls attached… a strange shape. I would probably smoosh that delicate cuff bracelet on its first night out.

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I've been a very good girl

by Lara on December 13, 2008

in crafty,fashion,geek

A christmas wishlist…

  • long slender black leather gloves that extend beyond my elbows
  • the perfect pair of grey boots that I have yet to see and don’t believe exist
  • an adjustable dress form or some help, with a sense of humor in making one!
  • treats and more treats from World Market
  • the new Sigur Rós CD  Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust in a deluxe edition set
  • a replacement chunky chain link necklace
  • that Herkimer diamond ring by Erica Weiner…

  • a traditional ant farm with a queen and eggs and everything!
  • the strength and patience to sell a ton of stuff on eBay during my break
  • kisses kisses and more kisses!

{ 11 comments }

wee

by Lara on December 12, 2008

in crafty,decor

Oh dear I love miniatures! In highschool I made something very similar to these rooms for my final art class project. It was a portfolio building class and I chose to stick with a theme the entire semester to round out with a giant final presention that was cohesive.

First, I drew floor plans and elevations for a modern glass and stone house. My father had rolled up architectural plans strewn all over the basement and I learned to walk in the frame of a house. Home construction and design always figured prominently in my childhood and I had studied how plans were drawn. I could entertain myself with imagining fantasy homes, holed up in the basement at my father’s drafting table for hours and hours.

Then, my parents drove me all over town so I could take “artsy” black and white photos of some of my favorite modern homes I had seen in Richmond, VA. I needed to get in the back yard of one to get a shot of the angle I particularly loved so, after knocking on the door to get permission, the couple were incredibly gracious and gave me a tour of the interior. Oh! It was so beautiful. The entire home was totally open and full of glass on a hill by the James River, tucked away in woods. Their “bedroom” was on a platform that suspended from the ceiling with thick ropey steel cord with a similar steel railing surrounding. A tiny staircase led up to this magical place. Since they had no children, privacy wasn’t an issue but there were some sheer drapes to lend some coziness to the area.

The final part of the project was a 1:12 ratio model of the livingroom of the house I had designed. I used cut popsicle sticks for the hardwood flooring and got plexiglass cut for the glass walls, painting teeny white lines as grout between the “tiles”. My father helped cut wood for furniture on his band saw and I wrapped balsa wood with wire and sewed little cushions for the other furniture. My mom had ordered these paper fall leaves to place under desserts so one became a ”rug”. It was so much fun to make!

These little models from a Korean website called Casa (via Apartment Therapy) are apparently showcasing wallpaper through real life miniature models instead of de rigeur computer generated graphics. They did such an amazing job! Look at the teeny knitting!

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read a book!

by Lara on December 11, 2008

in fashion,geek

This summer, I had the sincere pleasure of taking one of the most challenging classes I had ever enrolled in. I don’t know why I even signed up. It wasn’t a requirement. I guess I’m just a glutton for punishment but, International Political Economy sounded like a swell subject. I’m a nerd at heart.

Well, this was an online course. We were told to read a book each week and write a lengthy paper supporting our own thesis which either agreed or disagreed with a certain point of view held by the author. We also had to participate in heated discussions online. The professor was, for the most part, absent yet very harsh in his criticisms when he managed to be back from some economic journey to Russia. I got an A and I learned more than I ever have in one class, other than Physiological Psych.

These were my favorite books out of the class and I recommend anyone interested in the fashion industry to read these to have a broader idea of what is going on in the world and how manufacturing effects all of us, since clothing manufacturing is one the first things an impoverished nation resorts to when it’s pulling itself up.

The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy

The Bottom Billion

In Defense of Globalization

The Challenge of Global Capitalism

Markets and States in Tropical Africa

The focus of the class was globalization. Is it a good or a bad thing and how can both sides of the debate be satisfied? Sweatshop work and the textile industry was a huge focus of all the authors I read.

Recently, the blog, The Coveted, brought up the important topic (and had a huge debate in the comments) about cheap clothing and the supposed detriments to society because of it. I, of course, had to put my 5 cents in because nothing bothers me more than wrong assumptions and misinformation. I was questioned as to why I thought the used clothing markets of Africa are a good thing so I had to elaborate a bit further (I can get really long-winded on things I’m passionate about).

@Fair shopping fairy: I’m basing my opinion on the book I previously mentioned which elaborated on the purest of free markets which (at the time of publication) was the “matumba” market of used clothing. Used clothing in certain areas of Africa have allowed entrepreneurs to start their own businesses and has allowed people to have access to stylish clothing (which they are very selective about) that increases pride. There are many different countries in Africa with many forms of governments and laws that don’t allow free trade so the matumba is just sold on the black market since the people want it so badly. In the book, there was also mention of a man who had been selling used clothing for so long that he had saved enough money to buy and refurbish an old textile factory where he planned to create jobs for his community making new clothing.

This is not a matter of exploitation- it’s a matter of free markets at work, healthy competition, small business owners, pride, and giving impoverished people a chance to do something when their industrial and agricultural systems are so far behind everyone else that there is no way they can fairly compete.

Charities are overrun with so much clothing they don’t know what to do with it. This overflow is bought by the pound by privately owned family businesses here in the U.S. These companies employ people to expertly sort through the mountains of clothing (the highly prized vintage clothing is sold to boutiques and vintage stores) and there is a use for everything else. It is the ultimate form of recycling. The African clients develop a real relationship with the American sorting companies and there are pressed bale opening parties in Africa where other start-up sellers get first dibs on the freshly revealed items. It is an enjoyable social aspect of their culture now.

I could go on and on about the vagaries of African economies (and other regions in extreme poverty). Instead, I will recommend reading “The Travels of a T-shirt in the Global Economy” as well as “Markets and States in Tropical Africa” by Bates and “The Bottom Billion” by Collier.

There are so many side to every story.

So, there you go. That’s where I stand on that issue. I probably would’ve jumped on the “exploitation” band wagon too had I not read a damn book about t-shirts. It’s so easy to play the bleeding heart these days and instantly demonize everyone else who doesn’t but we all need to take a deep breath sometimes, before we go off half-cocked on a sensitive subject – especially a subject that involves people on the other side of the globe that we have no way of relating to whatsoever.

This leads me to the rest of what I want to say here. Not everyone wants to be like us. Not everyone has the same priorities as we do. Not everyone wants our interference. No one wants our damn pity. Everyone wants to get out of extreme poverty with dignity.

Sweatshops. Oh yeah. Let’s go there.

I will say that human rights organizations are a HUGE part in the fair treatment of what is usually an unskilled rural, docile, female workforce. When a country first decides to get industrialized (which is the first step in getting out of extreme poverty), it is primarily women from farms who move to the industrial zones to work. Textiles/clothing are usually the first things to get manufactured in these struggling countries and the women definitely work incredibly long hours in poor conditions. These conditions get better over time. The women gain experience. They ban together. They demand more for themselves and through their experience can look for better jobs when they become available. These women would rather work for 18 hours in a factory where they can make their own decisions, can spend their own money how they see fit, are away from their oppressive patriarchal farming families where their fathers want to tell them who they have to marry… and they still make 10 times more than their fathers do with less back-breaking work.

After these newly industrialized countries gather an experienced workforce, more advanced markets come in, like electronics and whatnot, which require more skill. These women (and men) go to night school, choose thier own partners, begin to work less hours, get promotions, make lives for themselves… and we pay less for a product.

So do you want to buy nothing but American? Well, then, do you want to have millions of people starving all over South Asia, Eastern Europe and South America? These people are relying on us to buy their products so that they have jobs to take care of their families. We rely on them to make things for less money so that we can save enough money to take care of our families. $5 here and $5 there are two entirely different things but we’re all just trying to survive.

I would also recommend you watch Frontline’s special China in the Red. It will explain so so much.

<3

{ 1 comment }

wet what?

by Lara on December 11, 2008

in fashion

On Tuesday, a fun blog notified us of a one-day sale at Wet Seal. What? Who? Oh man, I completely forgot about that place! My local one closed years ago and I don’t think I own a single thing from them anymore. Back when I was a size 1 punky girl, I got the most amazing leopard print pants there. Whoa 21st b-day!

Well, when you get 20% off your entire order + free shipping on tiny orders orders of just above $15, you really can’t help but go check the store out again for the hell of it.

Things really haven’t changed on the old Wet Seal front. Most of the items are just a little too youthful and you know the quality isn’t the best but, you get what you pay for and I paid for an awesome long racerback tank with an uneven hem that is very Alexander Wang, which makes me happy to no end. I’ve been looking hard for a modern, forgiving, longer top like this to wear with thick leggings and boots. I can’t wait for it to show up!

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+ & -

by Lara on December 10, 2008

in + & -

+

  • This picture from Totally Looks Like is kinda awesome.
  • Paola Zakimi creates the sweetest little images and dolls that remind me of my own childhood.

  • This article about an intrepid little 12 year-old fledgeling food critic is adorable.
  • I really like Gwyneth Paltrow’s style. Yes. I said it. Her blog is pretty darn sweet! 1 . 2
  • Oh holy crap! This etsy shop Berkley Illustration is amazing!!!! I think I need both the squirrel gentleman and lady framed side by side!

  • The Hand Drawn Map Association is well… just that.
  • World Market‘s food section is the devil and so are Milkita strawberry milk candies!
  • Have I told you how much I love Pavarotti? (All the tribute clips from the PBS special are great.) 1 . 2 . 3

-

  • I really don’t like feeling like I can’t upload any pictures of things I plan on blogging about ahead of time on Flickr since I’m tipping people off on content that they end up stealing from me. I guess those uploads will be made private until I use them.
  • I don’t know what you call the person on a live TV show who gets the audience to cheer but I cannot stand the moron they hired for Rachel Ray. She sprinkles cheese on something and you hear a football-fan style “WHOOO!” then the crowd goes inappropriately nuts. She uses some butter. “WHOOO!” and more screaming. She talks to a carrot. “WHOOO!” The audience is orgasmic. (Honestly, I can’t stand her either.)
  • I’m disappointed in having to return 3 pairs of boots to Amazon because they didn’t fit/look right… and finding out their free return shipping isn’t always so. It has been a real misery trying to find some perfect black flat winter boots but I think I finally got some that will work!
  • The holiday season is making me feel pressured and pulled in so many different directions to meet needs that aren’t my responsibility.
  • How on earth did I subscribe to 225 RSS feeds?
  • I don’t like having to make that cold drive home.

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