Katy Perry Inspiration

A while ago my friend Zoe and I went to see the Katy Perry movie and one of the things I loved was the costumes, all of the candy inspired dresses! After that I sketched a few dresses with shoes, wigs, makeup, and tights. All of them were based on different candies and desserts. Then, after going to the Wearable Art Fashion Show I decided to look back at my designs. I think that creating something totally unique and fun and colorful would be a great decision for em for my sophomore year designs for the spring fashion show. I love color and this past school year I really just worked with black, white, and a dark red for the show. Don't get me wrong, that's one of my favorite color combinations, but I LOVE color and I want to show that to everyone. Also, I'd love the challenge of figuring out which colors and fabrics to use to get the right mix. 

Here is a little inspiration behind my ideas, the Katy Perry music video, can be found on YouTube:

Now that you're in the right mindset here are my sketches:

I re-drew my original sketch and came up with this. A candy colored striped bodice
with a pink skirt over purple tulle with tulle sleeves in light pastel colors.
The skirt could be large stripes of color too!
Also bright purple wig, hot pink lipstick, and a cupcake fascinator!

Here is my shoe design: Purple to match the shade on the dress, or even darker,
with a strand of pearls and pearl encrusted heel and a hot pink bow on the side.
Also, maybe line the inside with hot pink as well.

I really want to make these, and I would love to be able to wear the shoes!! I think the dress would be great and stand out among others in the show. And, since I would like to also do a guy's design, I could have my guy model dressed in grey slacks with a brightly colored shirt and vest. I'm still not 100% if I even want to design guy clothes for this coming year, buy I have a lot of ideas. I'd like to have a variety of clothing designs in my portfolio and I think this would brighten it up. I will definitely keep you posted on what I actually create for the show, though I have months to go until then. :)

Wearable Art Show Recap

I attended the Wearable Art Show this previous Friday, July 26th, with my friend Zoë. From the emails I was informed that while the event was 6-9 the show wouldn't start until 7:30. So Zoë and I grabbed dinner at Panera and made our way to the show at our own pace. We arrived after 6:30 and were able to make our way around the different booths to look at everything set up by the different companies and people.

One booth was for a cupcake place and offered free mini cupcakes or cake pops. They also had a great advertising decision:

Me (L) and Zoë (R) with the lady wearing a 5 tier dress with over 125 fake cupcakes.

For the occasion Zoë and I had both opted for black dresses, hers short and more fitted with a high neckline and more structure than my looses fitting Calvin Klein dress (though mine had pockets in the front!). Zoe chose a great scarf, earrings, and wedges while I chose bright pink heels and a pearl necklace and earrings. 

There were some great booths with nice jewelry and purses, and of course clothes from the different designers. The show started after 7:30 and was a standing show (I wasn't overly fond of this because my heels are easily 4+ inches and I was expecting to sit for a little bit). However, it was a great show. I loved how they took the 3 different designers and split them up so a little bit (maybe 3 or 4 pieces) went from each and then they cycled them so it wasn't 1 designer then another then another and done. 

Here are some of the better pictures from the evening:

Interview With a Fellow Design Student #4 Featuring Hale Henderson

Let's see, I think the first time I actually met Hale was in our Intro to the Apparel Industry class when we sat next to each other. I'm not quite sure how/when we became friends but we did. We had other classes together, such as Intro to CSR and sewing and then in the spring we had art, sewing, and nutrition. Thankfully Hale loves coffee (more than me) and we'd always meet up before/in between/after classes for coffee, to talk about classes, etc. She has a unique sense of style that is great. Lots of patterns and fabrics and variety. She's a great baker, she made me a homemade apple pie (with crisscross dough on top) for my birthday and I ate most of it by myself it was so good. She's also really funny and a good study buddy. This coming fall we will be attending ECON together and hopefully pass the class with As! We will also be taking drawing (AD114) and fashion design together. I'm not quite sure exactly what classes because Hale takes Japanese classes and she had to work her schedule around those as well as the required design classes. Hopefully we'll have more than just ECON and fashion design. 

An example of Hale's style.

Here is her interview:

What are you studying/majoring in? And why?

I'm majoring in Apparel Design and Technology and minoring in Japanese. My goal is to design clothes in Tokyo, so I think it's important for me to study Japanese as well as Fashion Design.

Why did you choose Purdue? And what made you want to decide on Apparel Design?

I have always loved fashion and I knew that I wanted to be a designer. I had heard good things about Purdue's fashion program and I received scholarships that covered my tuition. So, Purdue seemed to be my best option.

Hale's Model.

Please describe what you made for the spring fashion show and how you felt seeing all your hard work going down the runway.

I made a very androgynous outfit that consisted of a slate grey asymmetrical vest and a charcoal grey asymmetrical kilt. I had my roommate, who is a boy, model it and he got a lot of interesting looks while he was walking down the runway. I felt really accomplished and proud when I saw my outfit on the runway. It was proof that my hard work had paid off.

What was your favorite class this past year/hardest and why?

Japanese was probably my favorite class this past year because I love learning languages and it was always a very upbeat and fun class. The hardest class I took was probably intro to design (AD105) because I absolutely hate designing things on the computer.

What would you say is your dream job?

My dream job is to design stage clothes for Japanese rock bands. They always have such interesting outfits and I think I would have a lot of creative freedom. Plus, guys in J-rock bands are just too cute. (´ε｀ )♡

Who are your favorite designers?

My current favorite designers are Vivienne Westwood, Yohji Yamamoto, Gareth Pugh, and Rei Kawakubo. There are plenty of others that I admire as well, though.

Do you have a favorite quote?

“For something to be beautiful, it doesn't have to be pretty.” - Rei Kawakubo

Hale and her must-have accessory, her cat.

How would you describe your personal style?

My style is a bit of a mixture of styles. It's mostly influenced by various Japanese styles as well as 80s punk and 90s grunge. I also like sweaters. A lot.

What are your favorite stores?

I can find neat stuff at H&M and Forever 21, but I really like shopping for secondhand stuff online and in thrift stores.

What’s your must-have accessory?

My cat. Everyone looks cuter when they're holding a cat, y'know? (I guess this means a lint roller is also a must-have.)

Hale when she was blonde. One view of her style.

What is your go-to outfit?

Black dress with patterned tights and boots or heels. It's a simple outfit that can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. Having a cat around can improve this outfit, too. Just be mindful of cat hairs on black clothes.

How are you spending your summer before sophomore year?

I'm working my bum off at a Korean restaurant. But, I also have plenty of time for relaxing with friends.

Interview With A Friend #3 Featuring Zoë Zawadzki

Zoë and I have been friends for a long time. I actually don't remember ever becoming friends, I just know one day we somehow became friends. We've gone to the same church for a long time and we went to the same junior high school and by 8th grade we were best friends, so something obviously clicked between us. Zoë and I also played soccer together for years and we took French tutoring together all of high school (freshman to senior year). We've gone on 2 soccer trips abroad to England and Wales together, and we both went to France with French Club. We've had zillions of sleepovers, heart to hearts, dinners & Sunday lunches, and we've gone shopping together so many times it's ridiculous. Zoë has a great sense of humor, races cars with her dad, probably owns as many heels as I do, has A LOT of scarves and jewelry, and is always there when I need her- for anything. She's a great person with a great heart and i wish we could have gone to the same college together because it sucks not seeing each other as much as we used to. Also, I have posted twice about Zoë- Featured Fashionista:Zoë and Zoë's Choices. So check those out after you read her interview!

Here is Zoë's Interview:

Where do you go to college? What are you studying/majoring in? And why?

I go to Ohio University where I study French and French education. I chose French because it’s something that I’m really interested in and love doing.

Zoë sitting waiting to order lunch
near Versailles in France.

What was your favorite class this past year/hardest and why?

I would have to say my favorite class last year was probably Plant Biology because it was really interesting, it could actually be applied to real life and I had a great enthusiastic teacher!

What would you say is your dream job?

That’s though. I honestly don’t know what I want to do, but I’m thinking eventually I would like to be a French professor at a university.

Who are your favorite designers?

My favorite designers are BCBG and Oscar de la Renta.

Do you have a favorite quote?

My favorite quote right now is “everyone is a genius, but if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life thinking its stupid”.  I don’t know who said it.

Zoë (R) and her sister (L).

How would you describe your personal style?

I think the best way to describe my style is simple and casual yet chic.

What are your favorite stores?

My favorite stores are fossil, American eagle, H&M, forever 21, target, and resale shops such as Plato’s Closet and Goodwill. I love the resale shops the most because you can find such cool clothes, they are really inexpensive, and no one has to know you got them there!

What’s your must-have accessory?

I can’t choose between earrings and a scarf. I wear them both all the time!

What is your go-to outfit?

A black v-neck t-shirt, my favorite scarf at the time, a pair of jeans, black low-top converse, and a cute pair of dangly earrings, and in the winter add a cardigan and pair of boots!

Zoë (R) and her friend pose.

What’s your favorite trip so far/ or the one you’re looking forward to the most for this summer?

The trip I am looking forward to the most is Hawaii! I get to show off all my new bathing suits and it will be fun and relaxing!

How do the popular brands/trends differ between the Midwest and New England? Which do you prefer? (Or do you mix them together?)

The brands and trends are pretty much the same as New England. They are a little more relaxed in their clothes but are still fashionable.  On Cape Cod, it’s definitely more beachy, like the perfect outfit is a crew neck sweatshirt (if you’re college aged, it’s probably the university you attend), jean shorts, and Sperry’s. They also wear a lot more ll bean because it’s better for the climate. I personally like mixing them together!

If you could go anywhere and do anything, where & what?

If I could go anywhere and do anything, I would travel across Europe on my own, doing whatever I found interesting and spending however long in each place I wanted. 

Zoë (L) and Me (R) after getting free makeovers at the mall.

Louvre in the Palm of My Hand

For a while now I've been wanting this app on my iPod that involves the Louvre. It has pictures, descriptions, and short videos on pieces and rooms and history. However, the size of the app was too big for my iPod which was really full and only had less than 1 gig left. Recently though I accidentally wiped my iPod. I went to update it, something I've been putting off for a long time, and it restarted it. Since I had switched computers I sync my iPod on, I lost a lots of music from CDs I had uploaded on my old computer. With all of that gone I have a lot of space left on my iPod. It's bad because I also lost some cool games like Pac-Man and neat apps such as a French flashcard program and Paris Vogue (though this hasn't updated in months).

With just the songs that I had on my current computer I had a lot of space available, so I downloaded the Louvre app. It is as every bit amazing as it looked and even better than I thought. I am even considering purchasing the add on of 350 more pieces and more options such as using the pictures as the wallpaper for my iPod. I have the first edition of the iPod touch, so sort of old school in a way (I don't have a camera).

I have spent a lot of time using the Louvre app and I haven't even gone through every piece or room or seen every video. I also realized that because of my "studying" different artists by reading 50 Artists You Should Know, featured in my post Artists: Abstract, Absurd, Acceptable, and Admirable. I love that feeling of recognizing an artist's work, it just makes me incredibly happy and proud. Though I have to say I still love learning about more artists and seeing how different artists compare and contrast. There will be many nights where I go to bed but instead of falling asleep I will be staying up late in the quiet stillness of the night reading about the works of painters, sculptors, and more.

Stay tuned because I am sure I will be sharing some fun art related bits of knowledge I've learned from suing this app. I will also post more about individual artists, especially since I have recently finished a book on Monet, titled Monet by Simona Bartolena. One thing I am not quite looking forward to at Purdue this year is my amount of free time. Between classes, homework, projects, and work, I don't know how much time I will have to read for pleasure and to read about all the different artists and designers and even just simply read fictitious books with magic and shenanigans. Somehow I will make it work because I am a book worm and I just love reading.

100 Posts 100+ Great Memories

I was going through posts, usually I have a few drafts sitting around waiting for revision or pictures before I actually post them, and I realized this would be the 100th post on my blog. For me, this is a big deal. This is my second blog, I started with one called Bri's Look in 2010 but after a year and not a lot of posts I decided I need to revamp my blog and start from scratch. This is how Bri's Look "grew up" so to speak and became Bri Vision. My first blog was filled with bright colors, fun fonts, and a few pictures scattered here and there. When I created Bri Vision I was going for a more mature look, one that could carry over from high school to my college years, which is one reason why I chose the book background; another reason being I love books. I started off at a decent pace, but then I was going off to college and put my blog on the back burner. But then April came around and like the spring flower around me, I blossomed. I came back with at a steady pace and then once summer hit I had a lot to say and wanted to share my ideas with others. I am hoping that once school starts again in August I will be able to continue posting as much as I am now. I've considered making myself view my blog as homework, necessary for me to do well in my classes I need to clear my head and write everything down (on my blog of course). I'm definitely planning on making more of an effort this time around, no quitting and no month long breaks. I got this! :)

Since this is my 100th post I wanted to share inspirational quotes with everyone that I really love. To start off my list I wanted to share a link to my post from March 2012, Favorite Designer Quotes, in which I shared my small portable sketch book that is filled with quotes. Two of my favorite quotes are in that post:

• "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." -e.e. cummings
• "The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud." -Coco Chanel

Now for other quotes, I really am surprised I haven't posted more, I usually have great quotes everywhere to make me smile.

•   “I think there is beauty in everything. What ‘normal’ people would perceive as ugly, I can usually see something of beauty in it.” - Alexander McQueen
•   “Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” -Coco Chanel
•   “Elegance is the only beauty that never fades.” –Audrey Hepburn
•   “Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.” -Rachel Zoë
•   “Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.” -Marilyn Monroe
•   “I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.” -Audrey Hepburn
•   “Paris is always a good idea.” –Audrey Hepburn
•   “If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.” –Ernest Hemingway
•   “When good Americans die they go to Paris.” –Oscar Wilde
•   “America is my country and Paris is my hometown.” – Gertrude Stein
•   “The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.” –e.e. cummings
•   “Always the beautiful answer who asks a more beautiful question.” –e.e. cummings

Tassels On My Shoes

I wrote this July 15th, 2013:

For a very long time I have been wanting a pair of shoes with tassels. I've wanted a pair for so long in fact it had almost became sort of an urban legend for me: Do the perfect pair of tasseled shoes actually exist?

This past weekend I went shoe shopping with my boyfriend to try and find him a nice pair of brown dress shoes that didn't lace up and didn't look too dressy so that he could wear them with khakis. We found a great pair of brown loafers with tassels for him, except they didn't have his size and they couldn't order him a pair in his size. They were perfect for him, but he had to walk away and he will hopefully find an even better pair (if possible) another time. The man helping him told us to try JCPenny's, so we did. JCPenny's men's shoe selection wasn't as great and he was unable to find a worthy contender for the brown loafers with tassels. While he was browsing the men's I decided to look at the women's, and I'm glad I did because I found a pair of shoes with tassels. Before we had even left the house I told my boyfriend that the only pair of shoes I was allowed to buy was black flats because I don't have any black flats. The shoes I found are like smoking slippers, have a feeling like suede with a black patent trim along the back heel, and they have tassels. I usually wear an 8 so I asked the man for a pair that size, but they were way too big. I asked for a pair of 7 & 1/2s but they were also a little too big, finally I just tried on the display shoe, which was a size 7. In a dream world they should have fit perfectly, the moment should have rivaled Cinderella's perfect shoe fit moment, but it didn't. They were a little too snug for my taste. They fit, but I've been wearing sandals and stretched out flats for so long they just felt weird. But the 7 & 1/2s were too big, when I walked around the shoes sort of slipped off my feet a little bit (not as badly as the 8s did though). My boyfriend, staying true to his word of promising not to let me buy anything but black flats, brought up the fact that they were in fact black and flat.

My Black Flats With Tassels.

In my head all I could of was Are they Real? Did I just find shoes with tassels? Did I just find black flats that I actually like that aren't dull and boring? It was clear I had to buy them, everything just worked. While they aren't quite the shoes to wear with shorts (though I don't really like wearing flats with shorts or skirts) they will be perfect as soon as it turns to fall and it becomes jeans weather. Skinny jeans, black tee, my red blazer and my new black tasseled flats will be one outfit I wear a lot this coming fall and winter. After chuckling over how he had to actually convince me to buy a pair of shoes, my boyfriend told me not to wear them to death like I usually do to my shoes, especially when I really really like them. Hopefully they last a long time and I won't have to set out on a shoe adventure and find more flats with tassels, because it's a challenge to find an ideal pair.

Artists: Abstract, Absurd, Acceptable, and Admirable

I have this composition book and I've decided to make it sort of a reference book. I had previously written lists of icons (according to a book) from different decades. In one of my more recent trips to the library I checked out a book titled 50 Artists You Should Know by Thomas Köster and have decided to take notes on each artist in the book in my reference composition book. I have come to realize that this is a tedious task, I have spent a couple hours so far and am only on the 14th artist. Luckily though I have plenty of pages in my book so I can write as much or as little as I please. I am disappointed to see that Edgar Degas is not one of the lucky 50 to be in the book. The book does include more recent artists from the 20th century as well as those who were born in the 15th century. I am dedicated with creating a solid reference book of people and things I should know or that I might need to know at some point. For example, I have heard that the Art History course at Purdue is challenging because it is a lot of memorizing artists and facts and such, so if I start learning now when I take the course I should have a solid base of knowledge to build upon. Besides, I love learning about art. I've loved going to art museums (museums in general really) ever since I was a little kid. I love looking at the artwork from different periods and knowing what sets them apart from the others. I love that feeling when I can easily recognize an artist's painting without being told who painted the piece. When I went to the Louvre in Paris I knew I'd never see everything I wanted to see. When I went there we only spent a few hours, not nearly enough in my eyes. I envy those who are able to take what they see or what they imagine and paint such clear pictures for others. I am not extremely artistic. I have my moments, but I am not talented in any one area. 

While I love paintings, I love sculptures even more. If I could have an extra dose of artiness I would want to be a sculptor. Not one of vases and abstract works but one of people, like Michelangelo. I want to capture the way the muscles are, movement, the air of reality captured in stone. However, I do no think anything I would create would even be in the same room as something by Michelangelo. I'm not saying I quit before even trying, but I do not foresee myself having enough time or money to be able to dabble in sculpting. But someday, even if it's when I'm old, I will try my hand at it and simply just enjoy it. 

When I am done going through reading, learning, and writing about all 50 artists I shall post about my favorite(s). As of now I can say I am only a Michelangelo fan, but the book only provides words and a few pictures. I might have to do further research on a few. I have already gone through a book solely on Monet and I have to say he is definitely in my top 5 if not then top 10.

Updating Posts

Hello Everybody :)

I am just posting a little update message. If you've read Sewing Scraps, I have added pictures of the top I made, so now you can see what I've created. Click on the name to be taken to the post or go to the side of my blog and find Sewing Scraps under July 2013.

Thanks!

Too Ambitious?

Next Friday, the 36th, my friend Emily and I will be attending another fashion show! We are both very excited, especially since last time we both learned a few things:

• If it might rain (or was raining for a majority before the event) bring an umbrella big enough for 2 people, or at least a sweater for when the wind is too chilly. 
• Eat before!! We got 1 free cookie each and we shared a coke, but neither of us ate dinner before going and the hunger was on both our minds during the show. 
• Wear appropriate footwear. Both of us wore flat sandals and we were SO glad. Some of the girls attending had on very high heels and when seating time was postponed you could definitely see they were a little miserable and tired of standing in their heels.
• Bring a great friend that you can pass the waiting and standing around time together with. There were a few people who looked all alone and I'm sure without Emily I would've been bored and the waiting time would have dragged on and on.

So with all of these in mind, Emily and I will be ready to go to our second fashion show this summer!

Now, as always, what to wear? :) I'm planning on (hopefully) making my own dress for the event. When I went on a fabric store trip I bought some white cotton fabric with black swirls on it. I plan on using a shift dress pattern and having there be 2 big front pockets, maybe using my leftover leather from hemming my leather skirt. I want to add trimmings of some sort, but I can't even think of that till I'm done with the dress. However, with the show being next Friday and me not evening having the pattern cut out, I'm not sure if I can even finish the dress on time and make it look as wonderful as all of the ideas I have for it.

Am I too ambitious? I would love to wear something I've made to the show, but I don't want to wear anything I made this past year. I also need more practice sewing, so I plan on making the dress, but is there enough time? Stay tuned for some updates with pictures and more of my ideas on the outcome of my dress, and the outcome of my situation of what to wear to the show!

Michelle's How -To Nail Tutorial

My friend Michelle is very talented and possesses the patience required to paint her nails with really neat designs. She agreed earlier this summer to do at least 1 nail design tutorial for my blog, hopefully she'll do more though with summer school this might be the only one. However, I will be trying to convince her to do a monthly how-to for a nail design, hair do, or eye make-up tutorial. Not all 3 every month, just something 1 a month. I think it would be a great segment to spice things up and get a different voice for my blog. 

Anyways, here is Michelle's 1st tutorial:

Cut up long strips off some kind of tape. You can also buy special tape specifically for nails, but if you don’t want to spend the money, like me, just use regular tape. This is double sided duct tape, which I find easier to handle since it’s stiffer than regular tape.  Make sure to prepare plenty, you won’t be able to cut more with wet nails easily.

Place the tape edge where you want to create a clean line of polish. Make sure it’s pressed down firmly so no paint can get underneath. Remove the tape before the paint dries, then keep using new tape and new colors to create a fan type pattern.

Michelle's End Result:

If you don’t want to put that much effort into every nail, you can mix it up and make some or even most of them plain solid. For the solid nails I used the paint I used the least on the fan pattern, because it brought out all the colors evenly. 

Freshman Year at Purdue

Me before going to Honor Society
inductions with my friend Michelle.

Since my 2nd year at Purdue is about to begin soon (well a little over a month) I've been thinking about my first year and how great it really was to be at Purdue. I learned a lot and took a variety of classes, some of which were very challenging for me and I had to work extra hard to pull off a good grade. I managed to snag straight As my fall semester and all As and 1 B my spring semester. These grades allowed me to be inducted into Alpha Lambda Delta/Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society, make Dean's List both semesters, and keep my scholarships for another year. I ended my first year with a GPA of 3.89 out of 4.0 and a lot of credit hours. Besides academics I learned a lot of skills. In the spring I took beginning drawing and over the course of the semester my techniques improved and my final pieces were better than I ever thought they would turn out. In sewing I learned a lot of things I never knew before: stitches and seams and names for what seemed like everything. I was able to sew a dress, skirt, and detachable collar for the fashion show in the spring and at the fashion show I was awarded the PFA (Purdue Fashion Association) Freshman Scholarship. I made a skirt, a not so amazing button down shirt, and worked with leather. In addition to these, I dealt with public speaking in COM114 (I like creating speeches just not 100% comfortable giving them) and I experienced 2 large classes; Sociology was a class of over 400 and Nutrition was at least 200, though the only time everyone would be there was for exams.

From Left to Right: Me, Allison, Yasmeen, and Michelle at a
Purdue football game.

I ran for a lot of positions and applied for various jobs and positions. I didn't get a leadership position for next year for Honor Society, I am an alternate for being an ambassador for my college (Health and Human Sciences), and I didn't get the desk job at the dorm I interviewed with. However, I was selected to be a host for the Consumer Sciences and Retailing Career Fair and I am secretary for PFA next year. I think all of the experience I gained from my numerous interviews and my communications class led me to being more confident when applying for summer jobs. I'm sure all of this helped me land my great job at Express this summer.

I hung out with my friends and had a lot of "Avatar" marathons and a lot of cheese sticks. We went to football games, basketball games (only the IU vs Purdue game though), worked out, had pretty much every meal together, and we even had random sleepovers in each others' rooms. We went to the Rocky Horror Picture Show around Halloween, studied for finals together (lots of coffee and junk food), and went on adventures a few times. I worked in the dining court with my friends at one point (though everyone quit eventually). We had a tight knit group thanks to BGR (Boiler Gold Rush) and we all made friends outside of that too!

I am looking forward to this coming year. I have an apartment and it's going to be a wonderfully decorated apartment, I'm taking French with another close friend (Michelle), and of course I'm super pumped for all my apparel related classes and learning even more! My friends and I plan on eating dinners together and hanging out now that we all won't be living in the same dorm and we'll be scattered over campus and off campus.

London Fashion Week

This is going to be very short & to the point. Check out the schedule for London's Fashion Week!!
I read an article about it and some of the designers showing, and I have to say I am very excited.

If you want to check out the schedule and see who will be showing go here:
London Fashion Week Schedule

I can't wait to see pictures and/or videos of some of the shows! It's in September and for Spring/Summer 2014, but still, I can't wait to see Tom Ford, Sister by Sibling, Mulberry, Burberry Prorsum, and more.

Interview With A Purdue Friend #2 Featuring Michelle Holz

Michelle and I were in the same Boiler Gold Rush (BGR) group the week before classes started for our freshman year. The first time I met her I knew I wanted to be friends with her, she just gave off a good vibe. She had a shirt that had a calculus formula on it (also looked like the f word & calc) and she seemed generally nice and funny. She's a redhead, complains about the sun, has a great sense of humor, loves Avatar, her favorite color is green, and she is pretty much a master at doing her hair and nails in really cool ways. During freshman year we hung out all the time; we went to work out, to dinner, and we were homework buddies. This coming fall we'll both be in the same french class (probably get in trouble for talking too much) and we plan on hanging out all the time, especially to do our homework. Besides just interviewing her, I will be posting a little "How-To" piece that Michelle has created and we've together on for a really cool nail design.

Here is my interview with Michelle:

Why Purdue? What are you studying/majoring in? And why?

My parents went to Purdue and it has always felt like home. I’m studying Biological Engineering and Food Processing, because I find it interesting and want to be about of that industry.

What was your favorite class this past year/& or hardest and why?

I loved my History of Alchemy class. It was mostly just learning about symbols and their histories, and how they came to be used in alchemy. The class was very easy, but still interesting and really fun to attend.

Michelle (L) and I (R) were inducted into Honor Society
for our great GPAs from our freshman year.

What were you involved in on campus? (clubs, choirs, etc.)

I was a member of the University Choir.

What would you say is your dream job?

Head Curator at either the Smithsonian Museum of American History or the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

If you could travel anywhere for a semester abroad (money isn't a problem) where would you go, what would you study, and why?

France, to study the wine making processes at French country wineries. Because right now I want to take my degree into the wine making industry, and I've also always wanted to go to France.

How would you describe your personal style?

Colorful and comfortable. And I like weird accessories, or odd little additions. That why I like to paint my nails in such eye-catching ways. It’s all in the details.

Michelle (R) and me (L) just hanging out.
We had straightened Michelle's hair
and it had taken forever!

What are your favorite stores to shop at?

Kohl’s, JC Penny’s, and Macy’s. 

What’s your must-have accessory?

Bracelets of any kind.

What is your go-to outfit?

Green skinny jean capris and whatever shirt I feel like putting with it. And black ballet flats.

How are you spending your summer before sophomore year?

At summer school at Purdue. I’m taking Calc 2 and Chemistry.

What made you love doing your hair/nails/makeup; is there a back story to why you’re amazing and why you enjoy doing them?

I like doing my nails for a couple reasons. First, I kind of enjoy getting complements on them when I've done an especially good job. It makes me feel proud of my work. I also like to paint my nails after I've had a particularly stressful week. It’s very soothing to completely concentrate on something simple and make everything juuust right.

What is your favorite hairstyle?

I like my hair best when it’s down and has a little side braid to get the hair in the front out of my eyes.

When you’re running late in the morning what is your routine? Ex) do you skip eye make-up but do your hair in a pretty way? Something along those lines, what do you skip if you don’t have the ideal amount of time to get ready?

When I’m running late I throw on some shorts and a t-shirt, put my hair into a side-braid, and very carefully put on my eye-make up. I don’t wear any other make-up, but I love putting on eye-shadow and mascara. They make my eyes pop.  

What’s your favorite nail polish color/ & or decoration/design?

I like my nails bright green since that’s my favorite color, so any kind of pattern of green, maybe some sparkles here and there. Or, I just go with black and gold, I’m always looking for new gold or black polish for a good old Boilermaker them.