Stoked About Stoker

I have to admit that one of my all time favorite books is Dracula by Bram Stoker. When I was interviewed for a scholarship centered around books and the love for books I was asked “Why do you love Dracula so much?” Sometimes I’m not amazing at getting everything I’m thinking out of my head and into comprehensible and cohesive thoughts. The first shaky words I replied with were “I guess I don’t think about the story the same way everyone else does. I think of it as a romance, not a horror story filled with gore and violence and monsters.” I think I got my point across and that I made an impression because I was awarded the scholarship. I love the way Mina falls for Dracula, despite still loving John. However, instead of feeling like Dracula is the monster and antagonist, I pity him and truly think he loves Mina, even if it might just be the resemblance between Mina and his wife who had committed suicide. He didn’t become a vampire because he wanted to be immortal and have to live out his existence feeding off of blood and living a desolate life. He turned his back on God and was turned into a vampire because the ideals of the time in Christianity were that those who committed suicide did not receive a burial and service like those who died in other ways. This anger translates to an action in which I can only say is immense love and affection for his wife.

Thus, to me Dracula is a novel filled with a romance that leaves a reader wanting more than the small ending by John. Every time I think of Dracula I think romance, I think evening gowns, I think Victorian era, I think of elegance and high class. This story makes me want silk and satin and lots of lace, with dark deep reds and different shades of blacks and grays and darkened blues.

Because of the novel my sketch book has been filled with exquisite gowns that can describe how the novel makes me feel better than any combination of words.

Empowerment

Every person has that one go to item that makes them feel like a million bucks. I have two: lipstick & heels.

If I have red lipstick and a killer pair of heels on, I feel like I can take on the world. It might be a little crazy that all it takes to give me just that extra ounce of courage is a swipe of red and something dazzling on my feet, but that’s what does it for me. I don’t need anything super fancy, just something a little different (or even something basic like black pumps). If I know my heels are great, I know I can be great.

My friend loves scarves and big statement earrings. Another friend of mine loves bracelets, while another has a pearl necklace she wears almost every day.

It doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive; it just has to feel right.

Cinderella can relate, the right pair of heels can change everything.

Calming May

As the month of May is coming to an end I thought I would share some of the things around me that have sort of guided me this month.
First: my calendars. I have several and looking at them everyday makes me think of something different.
A little bit of French gardens and a lilac flower printed ballgown.
May has been a more toned down month, nothing overly ecstatic.

Summer Dresses

When I was on the hunt for some gold heels for a wedding, I found 2 dresses that I think are perfect for this summer season.
One is a dark red with crème colored polka dots. It's a little longer than I’m used to, but it has a sort of 50s vibe going. It ties at the neck and it isn’t too tight in any one area.

The other one is fun and flirty with bright, vibrant colors. It has thin spaghetti straps and small pleating at the waistline. I love the flowers and the bright colors.

Inspirational People #2

I haven't been posting in awhile but here is May's inspirational person:

Audrey Hepburn.

Audrey Hepburn was born Audrey Kathleen Ruston on May 4th, 1929 and died on January 20, 1993. She has been in a lot of films, just a few are:  Roman Holiday (1953), Sabrina (1954), The Nun's Story (1959), Charade (1963), My Fair Lady (1964) and Wait Until Dark (1967). However, my all time favorite Audrey Hepburn movie is Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961). She's won an Emmy, an Academy, a Grammy, and a Tony Award.

To me, Audrey Hepburn is an excellent actress and has become an icon, especially when she wore the little black dress in Breakfast at Tiffany's. She's the definition of simple yet elegant, chic and sophitocated yet down to earth. I admire her work with UNICEF and her work ethic. She was married a few times, had children, and went through hard times that ended with cancer and then death. I think she's a remarkable peron who always thought of others.

She's at the top on my list, right up there with Coco Chanel. She lead a successful and eventful life, starring in movies & plays, helping people in many countries, and inspiring others around her to live their lives to the fullest.

One of my favorite quotes from her is "Paris is always a good idea."

The other is "I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing. I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick. 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 happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and I believe in miracles."

Vidal Sassoon

Sadly, one of my hair icons, has past away. Vidal Sassoon had revolutionized  hairstyles in the 1950s and 1960s. Sassoon told the Los Angeles Times, "My idea was to cut shape into the hair, to use it like fabric and take away everything that was superfluous." He reminds me so much of when Chanel wanted to change the way girls dressed in the early 1900s. She took away all the excess and replaced it with the idea that simple was chic and elegant. Sassoon, who had don Mia Farrow's hair for "Rosemary's Baby," took away the beehive and made short, boyish haircuts fashionable.
Sassoon stated that "Hairdressers are a wonderful breed. You work one-on-one with another human being and the object is to make them feel so much better and to look at themselves with a twinkle in their eye. Work on their bone structure, the color, the cut, whatever, but when you've finished, you have an enormous sense of satisfaction." This is sort of how I feel regarding design. You do it because you love it, but also because you love making people happy and making them feel like the absolute best that they are. The fashion industry has lost a creative mind, one who to me, belongs among the ranks of the best and the ones who have truly altered the way we view fashion.