Monday, 2 April 2012

Yay me!

Well I had to share my own Ruby Slippers : ) Popped down to Karama with a friend of mine and discovered these rather amazing super awesome Ruby platforms. 400DHS ; )

Not real but they fit well and look even better on.

I am so cooking dinner, doing housework and generally walking around the flat in these!


I have quite a collection of sparkly shoes now... I should stop... but I just can't....

Help?

; )

Tuesday, 27 March 2012

Because Im... worth it?

I found this video online through a news story on Dailymail.co.uk (Yeah not always reasonable but some weird stories come by on a dry celeb news day).

An exercise promotion video for the girls of the 1940's.

Now, I think that the women from the 40's to the 70's had the most beautiful bodies. Curves and natural grace and beauty.

I feel like we don't make as much effort as they used to in the old days. To walk around the house in fabulous form fitting dresses (All home made) with soft but striking make up and with poise and grace, its not the same nowadays.

Girls today are going out on a Saturday/Thursday night in hot pants or mini dresses, showcasing their crotch to the entire world. With make up piled on like some kind of clown, and in heels that dont fit them and are way to high for them. I love my high heels and strive to walk as well as I possibly can but it's not worth a broken ankle!

My idol has always been Dita Von Teese, one day I could pull of her look - fingers and toes crossed!

Anyhow, the video I found is brilliant, not in a great way, in a funny way, sorry ladies! As chauvenistic as most adverts and promotions were for women in this day and age were, I cant believe that women went through this kind of torture?!

I'm sticking to yoga and a good old run. I will not be kneaded like bread or minced like beef!

Enjoy ; ) I could not load the video properly, every time I tried it loaded a different video! So here is the link....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_HnA2bRQ0M&feature=player_embedded

Battle of the Bulge!

xx

Monday, 26 March 2012

I'm Melting... Melting... Oh what a world, what a world... Ooo Shoes...

And so the week began with a little Bikram Yoga.


Yeouch! Ok so it had only been a few weeks since my last session in the UK, but its true, if you don't keep up with it, well it's like learning to ride a bike... again... and again.... and AGAIN.


It kind of felt like the scene from Wizard of Oz? When the witch is melting. Best shown Illustrated yes? Well this was me on Sunday afternoon after class....






Yes... well as glamorous as the old movie screen shot was, I found a more up-to-date slightly more glamorous picture from a Vogue shoot with Keira Knightly and a few creative artists/faces.


I am not the biggest fan of Keira Knightly, though I think she is stunning and talented, after the first Pirates of the Caribbean film, she started to act with her chin pushed out and lips pursed. After 10 minutes, it can get a little irritating. 


Here they are:













I do love to see magazines do creative editorials like this. Best thing about this stumble? I discovered that for the Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary they commissioned 19 designers to create a new pair of Ruby Slippers for the Dorothy of the 21st Century.


I love how my searches always seem to end up on shoes.... Well come on, this is the most epic movie battle in Cinema history! Ok, It's not exactly transformers but just goes to show, you don't mess with a girl and her shoes.


Here are some of the designs I found, I do love the Betsey Johnson choices ; )


A. Testoni


Abaete

Alberta Ferretti

Alexander McQueen

Azzaro

Betsey Johnson

Botkier

Harry Winston created a size-four pair of ruby slippers using diamonds and 1,500 carats of rubies for the Wizard Of Oz's 50th Anniversary. At $3 million, they are reportedly the most expensive pair of shoes in the world.


Jimmy Choo

L.A.M.B

Natacha Marro

Oscar De La Renta

Roger Vivier

Always a good end to a story when you get to stare at pictures of beautiful footwear.

Well back to Kansas!

xxx

Friday, 23 March 2012

Back to the spare tyre? I think Not!

Ok wow, thats just ridiculous and lazy. 1 month and a half without blogging? 


Apologies ladies and gents, I got a bit caught up in the courses.


I have finished all the ones I was taking, I adored being back in the UK, London was amazing and I met some great people, spent time with my other lovely family and finally found out I can be very good at drawing and designing shoes : ) Yes ladies.... Shoes.... More about this shortly.


We are now back in Dubai, the land of sand and lost dreams.... and lost figures. It is very well known for the spare tyres that it adds onto our bodies. Eat, Drink, Sleep, Work, Eat, Drink, Sleep, Work..... on repeat 7 days a week - 365 days a year.


It gets very hard to maintain a healthy lifestyle out here. Motivation and lack there of it is definitely to blame. 


About 2 years ago, I got to a point, I was so unhappy with my weight and began working out a lot. It became obsessive but it worked. 


It used to be that people would say (To my face) : 


"You got chubby yes?" 
"You fat now"
"Not so skinny now...."


Yeah, tact, not a lot of it in peoples mind sets here.


It depresses you, especially when you hear that people have been calling you fat behind your back for the sake of conversation and bitchiness.


Well I can happily say that I am not fat or chubby or any other word associated with being a larger lady anymore. But if I have to be honest with myself, I never was. I was out of shape yes, but fat? Thats a very strong and cruel word.


Back in Dubai I immediately felt uneasy about people seeing me again, would they say I got bigger?


The thought is killing me a little, but I have been running and working out whilst in the UK. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and walking everywhere. 


Now I am back, I know I need to keep this up.


So Sunday I will be back in the Bikram room  :) Its going to hurt for the first few times, but it will get easier. I have to start adapting to humid conditions, summer is coming!


Also I contacted a company who started Burlesque classes! Amazing! Fingers crossed they take beginners.


I am not working. I am taking a risk with this, but luckily the rent is paid off until July and I have enough to cover bills each month. 


Im going to attempt to design and get shoes made. I found that I could sit and draw designs for hours. I already have 3 collections. And more to come.


There is a shoe factory in Al Qusais, so next week Im going to head down and find out some quotes. Yes, need to spend money to make money! 


After that, about 4-8 weeks until I would get the shoes back I think. Then, approach stores and boutiques with my designs. 


I also have another career change up my sleeve, but will keep it quiet for now. I have 2 months to make things happen with both career choices. Scary! 


My deadline has a meaning, which will hopefully determine the next step.


All I can say is stay tuned. Im going to write mainly about shoes, my fitness regime (customised to accommodate chocolate and small allowances of carbs ; )


"When a woman buys a pair of shoes, she never looks at the shoe. She stands up and looks in the mirror, she looks at the breast, the ass, from the front, from the side, blah blah blah. If she likes herself, then she considers the shoe." - 

Christian Louboutin

Saturday, 4 February 2012

It's been a while...

Well it's been a couple of weeks since my last bit of blurb.


I have been getting into the proper swing of all of the courses I'm taking and to be honest, it was difficult.


I got a bit down in the second to third week. I began to get worried about whether I had the talent to get through the next two months. "Was this the right decision? Have I just wasted my time and money?"


I made mistakes in my fashion styling class, completely screwed up a fabric indication which should have been bleeding easy, and began to doubt my direction in fashion design class.


But once I allowed myself to relax and settle in I began to enjoy the courses : ) And they have now begun to get more interesting as well as more practical and I have realised that I do NOT miss working in recruitment ; )


Jewelery Design is pretty tough going, but I'm here to learn the technique not ace it. When I sit down and concentrate I can focus on the details and create a ring that doesn't look out of shape. We have been painting the last couple of weeks, and there are some amazing girls in the class who have already brought to life some beautiful pieces.


Styling was interesting. We got our Photo Shoot assignments and split into teams of 3 to 4 people. All the girls in my group are lovely, and we are looking at a Vintage rock look celebrating London in all its touristy glory, but! With a twist. Its all about Location this week and luckily I got my camera working again, sort of.... Kind of worried about booking the right model and photographer though. This is London and things are definitely different here.



I love Footwear design! I can really draw shoes : D and it's a pretty amazing feeling to know you are good at something and could get even better. I get to create a whole collection of shoes for my portfolio and maybe more.


All inspired by Dita Von Teese: http://www.dita.net/ (Sorry to anyone in the Middle East, but unless you have a VPN you can forget access to this site : / )


Below is my mood/inspiration for Dita as my Muse:








She truly inspires me. From a blonde girl next door, to the raven Burlesque beauty that she is now. My shoes will be sexy, flirty and stylish. I will try to incorporate Comfort into the equation.... eventually.


I got into a Shoe Making workshop on the 24th Feb for 3 days! It's with a woman called Amanda:  


http://icanmakeshoes.com/


She runs a few workshops in London, from Sandal making to Ballet shoes and repairing your old and worn out ones to. You can save your Sole! So to speak...


Im still thinking of a design, but I will definitely make it with my collection in mind. 3 Days to make my first pair of shoes!


I was actually inspired a little bit by a Fascinator Course I took today with the Atelier Millinery Academy in Carnaby Street. I was able to sit and make my very own and first ever fascinator. 


It was such a great laugh! And a nice small class of 5 in total. A lovely lady called Georgina sat with us,  made us tea, and showed us how to make and create.


Lots of fun, and I made a pretty cool piece. I found this vintage ribbon and kind of built it all up from there. It's Gothic, Burlesque, Rock N Roll and I hope I can get back there soon to pick up supplies and make some new items.


I was definitely very different from everyone else, but that didn't matter. I am not a "For the races" type hat girl. Im the one who would probably get kicked out of Ascot... Especially as they are banning Fascinator's from now on.


http://atelier-millinery.com/


Anyhow, below are the results of my course today. I would be happy to make a fascinator for anyone who would be interested btw! If you want something daring and different, I'm sure I can make you stand out from the crowd ; )







In Local News, Its been snowing! Hey don't judge, yes its cold but, its snow people! Its been about 5 years since I saw snow... NYC was the last time. It was pretty awesome watching the snow whilst counting Taxi's and Buses on the roads of London with my rather ridiculously good looking adoptive nephew Kier.

It should be interesting to see what the streets of London will be like tomorrow. I have a long pre-planned gym session to make up for my 2 days off, followed by a craft shop and hopefully successful roast dinner for everyone... I have back up micro meals.... just... in... case.....

And so finally ends a new blog.

I have to say an extra special huggle goes out to my lovely lady in Seattle Washington, USA - Miss Sica Schmitz.

A wonderful, yoga hottie, fashionista I met during my time in New York. (Also truly awesome Fashion Designer/Stylist).

Her father passed away in December, and I have to thank him for something he was able to give to me, even though we never met, it is probably one of my most prize possessions.

I got to meet and become friends with this amazing girl, partially because of him. She has the kindest heart in the world.

She is stunning and intelligent and by goodness does she love shoes! Thank you Jace Schmitz! She is fabulous! And also to Eileen, Sica's mum, please note that you are officially one of my adoptive Mummy's. I plan to fly over to the US of A and give you a massive hug! Girls night out/in.... or something to do with alcoholic beverages with cute umbrella's in...

Hugs to all

xxx










Wednesday, 18 January 2012

My Trend?

And so.....

I started Footwear design on Monday. I love it, and I know it's going to be a brilliant course. I can draw shoes really well! We had to take in our favourite shoe to the first class and talk about why we love it. So I brought in my black suede Alexander McQueen Pumps with Skull trim. I adore these shoes because they are an amazing fit, and as a short person I take full advantage of any height increase I can get a hold of.

We then had to draw our shoe in different views. Its been about 2 years since I last drew a shoe, but I think I did quite well. We have to draw our favourite shoe every day for practise, so I have drawn it in 3 views so far. I will probably just sketch the shoe in simple smaller pics so I can get used to the style again.

Here is what I came up with:



Pretty good for a 2 year break.

I had Intro to Fashion last night, we have to fully develop our story and research and to be honest I am a bit stuck. I found some amazing images, but there are too many figurative ones. So I need to find other empowering inspriational looks. I am sure it will be fine, but its a bit confusing, I really need a printer, we dont have one at home, so I may have to invest in one whilst I am here. I can ebay it before we go back im sure.

Today is Illustration for jewelry design. Eek! Technical skills and patience will be needed! Fngers crossed I can develop a bit more. I didnt do too badly last week but just need to get used to how we work. By hand design is a skill I really want to master, as much as I appreciate computer aided design. We shall see!

Tomorrow is Fashion Styling, I came up with a style montage for the kind of trend I was thinking about.

Vintage Rock - to be called Rockage.

It comes from the Ruth Milliam studded waistcoat I got last weekend. A play on Rock star style combined with feminine vintage elements, and a whole load of large rings! : )

I completed the montage jpeg, and will upload it tomorrow or Friday. I have the outfit also, so will hopefully be able to style it onto a mannequin. Would be amazing to have a model free but it may have to be me, interesting angled shots for sure!

Lots of love all from the chilling London town. Rain today, woop! or something like that.....

Monday, 16 January 2012

Rock Vintage at the Duck Pond....

Had a lovely weekend with the other family : )


We had Monkey's mummy down and got to hang out in Richmond on Sunday with his brother and family.


We were walking and came across a market called Duck Pond - Richmond Artisan Food & Craft Market. I think it was a play on the fact that there was a duck pond/canal across from it, but they seem to have them in a couple of places:


http://www.duckpondmarket.co.uk/duckpondmarket.co.uk/Welcome.html


Curiosity got the better of us and we had a little peak. Small little courtyard market with a few stalls, lots of home made goodies, bought myself some amazing olives in rosemary and herbs and also probably the best brownie and banana cake ever!


After munching down I had a peak into a clothing stall where a girl called Ruth Milliam was. She had this cute little head piece on with a beautiful hat pin adjuster in.


I spotted this rather incredible wasitcoat though. Studded and loose and very rock n roll. It scared my other family a bit, but I had an idea of how it would be worn : )


I am totally using it in my trend project for Fashion Styling this week. I was thinking rock n roll vintage with a shade of girly pink going through.


Here are the pics below, Ruth Milliam's website should be up and running by Feb, will put the link below and let you know when it is up and running. But for those of you in London or coming to visit. Ruth is at Duck Pond Market every Sunday. Otherwise email me and I can give you her contacts.







www.ruthmilliam.com - Feb 2012