Sock-it-to-um...

My awesome bff brought me back some beautiful knee socks from Paris. I've wanted a pair of anklet socks since I saw them on the Dolce and Gabbana runway two seasons ago. But, by mistake she bought the knee version. Well, I don't think it was a mistake at all, I have always toyed with the idea of wearing a pair with knee high boots, so the socks stick out a bit. But, these socks are way to pretty to just peek. Low and behold, I was skimming through some fashion magazine blogs and found out that this is a new and very cool trend. So, I'm sharing this discovery with you all, with some rules...

1. Don't wear them with sneakers.

2. If your calf looks as though its circulation is being cut off, please don't proceed with wearing them.

3. If you are over 30, don't wear the argyle version with a pleated skirt, you will look as though you are role playing with your significant other.

I'm sure I need to make a few more rules to this look, but I will see if the socks even turn up around these parts, it could be a fleeting notion for most.

You can't judge a book by it's cover...

Most people associate me with manners, pearls, and Chanel... I  actually get asked if I wear or own sweats at least twice a week. I know it comes from seeing me in work attire and in my business environment. But, I have many layers, I feel there are times and places for everything, and if I'm in a professional setting, that is what I am....Professional. I actually listen to rap, hip hop, jazz, alternative, folk, country, and pop music. I have an obsession with Mike and Ike's, I have more than one messy dresser drawer, I've been known to dance on tables, I've smoked, and used profane language. 

Making up a persona for someone else is the fantasy you have for them. But, we all have many layers, if all you have is surface stuff, you can end up being very empty. Living life means seeing things from a different perspective. I want to LIVE life, not just exist on this earth. That's why I love Chanel so much, she was born in poverty, given away by her father to an orphanage, became a follies girl ( kinda like a strip tease singer/dancer), she had a sugar daddy take care of her and open her first atelier. Her brand now is associated with tradition, etiquette, and wealth. If that's not the perfect testimony to having layers, I don't know what is...

Just eye's...

I think I speak for most "Artist" as I write this blog entry, we DO not enjoy just doing your eyes!

Picture having your car vacuumed, shampooed, and having all the interior polished as if it was right off the the assembly line. Then, picture the exterior chipped, nicked, dirty, and the tires drug through the mud. It doesn't make much sense does it? Well, that is exactly what you are asking when you want someone who does make up for a living and has a passion for a perfect finished look to "Just do your eyes." Your skin is the foundation or the exterior, and if you think you don't have any blemishes or an uneven skin, you are probably 3yrs old, because that's the last time you went without the environment affecting your skin. So, next time you ask a professional artist to do your make up, let them do what they have worked so hard learning to do!

" It is, what it is"

I have a habit of saying "it is, what it is" when I no longer can effect the change of the outcome of a particular situation. I don't have a problem seeing things to the end, and I give up even if things get hard, but I know how to stop myself before I get obsessive. I think that when we fixate on a certain outcome or thing we want, we are blocking the real outcome, or the ultimate reason for the situation. I have had some pretty disappointing experiences in my life, but I wouldn't change a thing. The journey through the disappointments have created friends I wouldn't have met, ambitions I didn't know I had, and enlightenment that would have not been exposed so early in my lifetime.

I recieve gifts daily!

Nature fuels my soul

New day!

Today is new, I get to start over, in a new way of thinking, and being!
How amazing is that? We all get to choose letting old stuff go, and creating new improved stuff starting today...Thanks for reading,  I woke up feeling new...lol

To the next 39yrs!

My parents celebrate their 39th wedding anniversary today. I think they are the cutest couple, I love the way my dad looks at my mom, and the way he adores her every word. I love the way my mom knows my dad can do anything ( even if he hasn't ever done it before), and it's cute to see them laugh and poke fun at one another. Their later years of marriage have been the coolest to see, because they have begun to date and socialize. I wish them 39 more years of marital bliss....Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!

Truth...

Fashions 30 under 30...

I'm on the heels of  being apart of a hair show where most of the performers for our company were under 30 years old; We are approaching the age that we have to let the young creative talent breathe fresh air in our world. It's always my inclination to tell my mentees how to do things, but I have learned that they have a lot to show me. I am open and receptive to the new guard. So, I thought about fashion ( as always), and how the design houses are now letting super young designers run a line....

A few of the 30 under 30

1.  Azede Jean-Pierre (23)

Former Ralph Rucci and Ohne Titel intern Azede Jean-Pierre only has two collections under her belt, but she’s already proven herself quite the chameleon. For Fall 2013 the 23-year-old was inspired by the anatomy of a beetle, which translated into city-slick leather and knitwear with spinal detailing, while Spring 2014 was a colorful urban tea party marked by some pretty great rounded hems. We can’t wait to see what she pulls out of the bag next season.

She also happens to be a friend of mine!

 Esteban Cortázar (29)
At the age of 17 Cortázar became the youngest ever designer to show at New York Fashion Week, and at 23 was appointed creative director of Parisian fashion house Emmanuel Ungaro. A dispute with management two years later over sharing creative duties with Lindsay Lohan turned out to be a blessing in disguise; Cortázar has now designed two capsule collections backed by Net-a-Porter, full of structured, athletic-inspired separates and fluid satin and stretch-cady dresses.


Dion Lee (27)
Australian designer Dion Lee makes a case for fashion as both art and science. Spring 2014 marked his New York Fashion Week debut, but prior to that he was stunning critics in London with his architectural silhouettes and technological prowess. His Spring 2013 collection used geothermal heat mapping to abstract the body’s hot zones onto both sides of his fabric, which was then slashed and folded to give his clothes a third dimension.


 Olivier Rousteing (27)
When Balmain’s Christophe Decarnin abruptly departed the flashy fashion house in 2009, 25-year-old Rousteing was brought on as his replacement. As it turned out, the designer’s vision for the brand was no less impressive than his Pharrell-rivaling cheekbones: After four years at the helm of the brand, he’s ditched the trash factor and introduced more silhouettes for real human bodies, while simultaneously proving overalls and patchwork denim dresses can be sexy.


 Jérôme Lamaar (27)
Jérôme got his break interning for Baby Phat at age 15, becoming senior designer only three years later. But don’t expect any bedazzled velour from his new line, 5:31 Jérôme. Alongside elegant takes on streetwear, such as Swarovski-studded boyfriend jeans, are sleek downtown separates like leather skater skirts and silk anoraks.


Katie Ermilio (27)
As the granddaughter of Grace Kelly’s personal clothier, elegance is in her blood. But don’t be jealous — she also put in the hard yards as a Vogue editorial intern, which is where she started designing her own dresses to wear to work. Since launching her own range of cocktail and wedding dresses she’s caught the discerning eye of Barney’s and become a go-to for industry insiders.


 Pedro Lourenco (22)
Good news for people who enjoy feeling old and unaccomplished: Brazilian designer Pedro Lourenço launched his first collection at Paris Fashion Week, to resounding critical acclaim no less, when he was just 19. Now at the ripe old age of 23 he still loudly and deservedly buzzed about. Technique and technology influence much of his pieces, which include aviator-inspired shirts and bomber/blazer hybrid jackets.


 Mary Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen (27)
We won’t humor you with an introduction. The Row has likely single-handedly made the ‘actress-turned-designer’ tag one that doesn’t make us want to punch somebody, and while we won’t be forking out $34,000 for a bag any time soon, the long-line separates are things you can look cool in now and when you’re 70. That’s no mean feat.


 Alexander Wang (29)
Just making the cut at age 29, Alexander Wang presented his RTW women’s line at New York Fashion Week in 2007 and arrived at the head of storied French house Balenciaga only five years later. With some pretty massive cut-out ankle boots to fill courtesy of Nicolas Ghesquière, he’s chosen to explore Balenciaga’s roots rather than embark on any sort of urban makeover, and has more than proved himself worthy of his liberally-tossed-around wunderkind status in the process.


Thomas Tait (26)
Thomas Tait was just 21 when he graduated with an MA from Central Saint Martins — the youngest person ever to do so, and the same age as Yves Saint Laurent when he was appointed head of Dior in 1957. With that in mind, it’s surprising his collections don’t generate more buzz than they do. But with Tait quietly building on his hyper-modern, athletic-inspired collections with a couture refinement, it won’t be long before the world is noticing.

 Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs (28)
Cushnie et Ochs is the collaboration of Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs. The 2007 Parsons Designer of the Year and runner up, respectively, they launched their brand in 2008 upon graduation. That same year they sold their Spring 2009 collection exclusively to Bergdorf Goodman and took out the Ecco Domani Fashion Fund award. They are the undisputed queens of racy cut-outs.



 Christian Siriano (27)
Since becoming the youngest Project Runway winner in 2008, Siriano’s namesake brand has become one of the mainstays of the New York Fashion Week calendar. Though known for his red carpet-ready eveningwear, he’s proving he’s capable of girly laid-back luxe too.



 Misha Nonoo (26)
If Misha Nonoo’s clothes were people, we would want to be their best friends. They’re bright, sweet, nonchalantly cool and always well accessorized. This season marked Nonoo’s first New York Fashion Week runway show, though she’s been amassing a small army of fans for the last three years.

Toile...

Did you know that Designers use a test garment on a dress form on a live model, to test out the pattern before making the real garment. 

Test garment[edit]

In Australian and British terminology, a "toile" is a version of a garment made by a fashion designer or dressmaker to test a pattern. They are usually made in cheap material, as multiple toiles may be made in the process of perfecting a design. Toiles are commonly called "muslins" in the United States, named for the cheap, unbleached cotton fabric available in different weights.

I have been witness to a designer marking a toile for a client and I have to say, it is beyond amazing, not like going to a store and buying off the rack, it is like watching a artist paint a canvas. 

North vs South fashion...

I was raised all over the world, so for me I do not have an origin, other than being born in Dayton, Ohio and that it was homeroom for when my Dad was waiting for his next orders ( military orders). When I travel to some of my favorite cities, like Chicago, New York, and DC I remember that our country is full of unique and different cultures. One of the clear differences in the North and south is the way we dress. I was raised by a southern women ( My mom is from Georgia), and she had the proper southern way of presenting herself and her children. What I love about my personal style is, it is a juxtaposition of both north and south. I feel the South has a uniform of what is expected and proper, where northern states, especially bigger cities don't have any rules, unless you have to present yourself professionally or traditionally. Of course that is my opinion, and means nothing really. What I love about the newest craze of street blogging, is that the world can see the amazing style of fashionable people. I follow about 8 street blogger's, and it inspires me more than anything!

Leapping forward...

For two days I had two grasshoppers stuck to my window by my station at work. They were alive and roaming around the window all day. I became very curious about the symbolism of the grasshopper and started researching, what I found was truly inspiring. 

Grasshopper Symbology -- The grasshopper is associated with astral travel. They have the ability to leap through time and into space where the true mysteries of life exist. People with this medicine have the wisdom necessary to overcome obstacles efficiently and are able to jump into successful ventures without preparation or planning. When the grasshopper appears to us we are being asked to take a leap of faith and jump forward into a specific area of life without fear. Usually that specific area is one that we have avoided and is often connected to change on a larger scale. This can represent a change in location, relationships, career or just in the way we perceive ourselves.

Grasshoppers can only jump forward....not backward, or sideways. So, when grasshopper shows up he could be reaffirming to you that you are taking the right steps to move forward in your current situation. Or it could be that he is telling you to go ahead and move forward, getting past what is hindering you. This is why grasshopper is the symbol of good luck all over the world. Grasshopper's ability to connect and understand sound vibrations is why he is also a symbol of your inner voice. he could be telling you to trust yours.

I continue to grow and venture in new arenas pretty much every year, I can't wait to see what's next for me!

He lost a arm, but still kept leaping ;-)

Beautiful Bride...

As I wind-down bridal season ( 5 more weddings to go, 20 wedding done), I see the sentiment in all of them, because most of my brides have been in my life before they found Mr. Right. I am probably the most fortunate bridal make up artist in the world, because I've gotten to know my brides as friends. On October 5, I was a part of a magical wedding for a beautiful woman that I've known since she was in high school. Her mother brought her and her sister to see me to start grooming their brows because they were doing such a teenage terrible job doing them themselves. Even when they went on to college and started their careers, they would wait till they came home to visit before they got their brows shaped by anyone else. So with that kind of loyalty, I had to make her special day all that she dreamt it would be for her make up. She was stunning and the entire wedding was beyond beautiful!