Witty & Wise Writing

While Christmas shopping at Target for my friends and family I found a few items for myself...including this snazzy journal to the left. I just couldn't resist, it has a little bit of everything I like: Paris, Audrey Hepburn, the French language, shoes, and pink. It's a hard back journal with lined pages that have faded decorations on them, similar to the cover minus the shoe and Audrey H. quote. It's really pretty and while I bought a purple leather bound journal with an Eiffel Tower and "Bonjour!" on it not too long ago, I started writing in this journal the day I bought it. I figure that by the time I study abroad in London, so about 1 year, I will need another journal and my purple one is smaller and might be the right size for my entire trip to London. Whenever I go on trips I take a journal, it started more when I went to Australia because we were supposed to keep track of what we did each day. Also, I really just love writing, it's relaxing.

I have a lot of journals and in the past I went from colorful and exciting diaries to plain old composition books you get at the store for a dollar or less. For example, I keep my poems in a black and white composition book. But I haven't kept a diary in a while, and I miss that relaxing moment of writing about my day before I go to bed. It's nice to just get everything out and not going over everything in your head while you're trying to fall asleep. Also, it'll just be great to get back into writing more, especially because I think this spring semester will be filled with a lot of interesting days and events.

Staying On Track

Just a few updates:
1. I have gotten all of my grades:

• B in AS114, B in ECON 210, A in French 202, A in Consumer Behavior, A in Intro to retail, A+ in my Mentor class and an A+ in Apparel Design

2. I am back at Express, I worked 6hrs yesterday and I'm scheduled for more times this week :)

3. I am sick and slowly getting better....and still watching Project Runway

I am loving this season of the show (9), it is just filled with all of these different competitions and it's just amazing.

I am now planning on going shopping for presents for everyone in my family and a few friends. Hopefully I will be able to get something for everyone.

Awesome Assignments

So I found this gem stashed in my Drafts folder, I don't know why I never published it, but here it is!

September 2, 2013
For my draping and pattern making class we were assigned a group project where we are given an age group and then have to come up with ideas, inspiration, and create 10 crouquis (front view only) and present them in 1 portfolio. My group was assigned ages 40-50 and we decided to go with a Gatsby theme. We will have more than 10 croquis though. On the left sides of our portfolio will be inspiration pages with amgazine clippings, fabric swatches, and quotes. On the right sides will be our croquis, anywhere from 1-3 croquis depending on the size and stance of the croquis. For the sides with our croquis we will have different, almost contrasting colors, colored backgrounds with the same strip of cream paper at the top with the word "Gatsby" or something else, we haven't settled on that part yet. Then our croquis will be on the page with quotes or fabric swatches that were actually used in the sketches at the bottom of the pages. We decided all of our croquis wll have bobs, red lips, and will be outlined. Besides that, the 3 of us will be creating different garments that illustrate how differently we sketch while still maintaining that they all are cohesive and work well together.

September 5, 2013
Well yesterday we met before class started and managed to cut all the paper, glue croquis and magazine clippings, and write some quotes to create our final portfolio for the project. In my opinion, it could have been a little better, maybe more cohesive if it looked as though 1 person had drew all of the croquis but with understanding that everyone has a different illustration technique, it turned out amazingly. Our first page was a light blue paper with antique writing and a few stamps, but a large picture of Daisy and Gatsby from the '74 film. It was light and ethereal. Then we had a page of magazine clippings and then our croquis. Our first page was a pearl background with 3 figures: 2 in cream and pastels with a dark grey & black ensemble in between the 2. Then we had 2 pages of 3 figures each with a mixture of dresses and pants ensembles. Then we ended with the left page being my red evening dress croquis on a red faux leather paper and on the right side having a dark brown faux leather page with a magazine picture that embodied the Gatsby feeling and a few quotes on cream colored paper we had used at the top of every other page. All in all it was great. We knew what we wanted to do and we did it.

Supposed to be Relaxing...

So now that exams are over you think I'd be chilling and relaxing, and I am, but I'm stressing just a little about grades. All semester I have been worried about grades slipping because of having 19 credits hours and 2 jobs that I put a lot of effort into. As of now I know I have an A+ for my mentor class, and A in Intro to Retail, and A+ in Consumer Behavior and a B in my art class (AD114). Which isn't bad at all, though I wish I got a little more than just a 4.0 for A+s. However, I am still waiting for my Apparel Design, Econ, and French 202 classes. I am worried that i'll get a C in Econ and that maybe I won't do so hot in French either. Though I had completely forgotten that if you miss 3 or less French classes you get an entire 1% added to your end grade...so I have an 88% now and if I end with an 89% then I get a 90% and get an A-, which is still an A! And as of now I'm not missing a lot of points in my design class and I know I got over 40pts of extra credit, so I am (hopefully) getting an A.

So not too horrible, but my application to London College of Fashion is mostly my GPA and academic achievements because we only send in 5 pictures of our work. It's a little stressful but if I get into London for design I think it'll all be worth it.

Resorting to Project Runway

I haven't seen a whole Project Runway episode in forever! When it first came out I watched every single episode, maybe like the first 3 or 4 seasons I was an avid viewer. However, I just kind of quit trying to catch every episode and just watch a few here and there. Well, now that it's break and I have a solid month off I'm thinking of watching a few episodes....or you know at least a whole season. So I am starting now with season 9, maybe a little random but that's what I saw online so I'm going for it.

Almost done with episode 1. The designers had to take their pjs and their bed sheet and make something super creative. So far I am enjoying this episode, and I can't wait to see who wins. It's always interesting to see the outfits I like and then get the judges' point of view. Usually it's really different, I generally tend to like someone's design who doesn't get to be in the top picks. Or...I might actually like someone who goes home. It all just depends i guess, though I do admire superb tailoring and garment construction.

I can't wait to finish the entire season and move on to another, haha this is going to get so bad watching all of these episodes I've missed. Maybe I'll have to stop for awhile...

Winter Wonderland

I love snow, and it's been snowing since last night. I went out for pizza last night with some friends and the snow looked so pretty. I love when it's just fallen and it's crisp and white and clean. It's relaxing and calming. Something about snow just makes me so happy. It's like it's okay to be a little kid and hope that it snows on Christmas and that you can build a snowman and make snow angels and have snow ball fights. It's juts something I associate with the holiday season. Everyone seems more happy, and I know it's probably not because of the snow (because of bad roads and delays) buuuuut I think that it's pure demeanor really connects with people on some level. Like the snow takes them back to simpler times when all they wanted was a snow day and to hang out with their friends outside and then come in for hot cocoa and cookies.

All I know is I love snow and I really do hope that it snows on Christmas day because that would be magical and my little brother still believes in Santa so it'd be wonderful.