From Kindergarten With Love: Step-by-step Printing on Burlap!

From Kindergarten With Love: Step-by-step Printing on Burlap!: Hi all! My name is Brittany!  I teach with Kelly and share her passion for making things for CHEAP! :)  I was asked to do a guest-post to te...

Blackface inBeyon Fashion: Why is This Even an Issue in 2013?

Beyonce in a recent shoot paying tribute to her "roots"

As an avid procrastinator, I mean... researcher, I am a often hunting through the pages of various websites. I love buzzfeed.com which publishes on everything your cat could ever dream of, to fashion fancies, to the latest celebrity news gossip and world events.
I actually find a lot of content to post on from the site, and this was one I just had to share.


As a mixed raced woman in the South, I am no stranger to the delicacies of race.  It may be the only issue more complicated to me than the healthcare bill. Buzzfeed posted a great compilation this week on the fashion industries frivolous and inconsiderate use of black-face in fashion editorials and I had to post a link.
Seeing as Vogue was not doing a Tropic Thunder themed spread I am not sure how I feel about these issues. Mostly I think they are just irresponsible in consideration of their consumers and a great gauge of how they view their audience.
I am not going to write more on this for now. I just want you to check the link and let me know what you think...
x


Here is the link: http://www.buzzfeed.com/alexrees/15-terrible-blackface-fashion-moments

Is race far enough past that this shouldn't be an issue? Or is this a disgusting display at an attempt to gain publicity? Comment below!

Colors of the Season

All you have to do is walk into a local clothing store to see that pastels are taking over for Spring / Summer 2013. And I have to admit, a small part of me (not the 80's fashionista of course) is slightly glad to have a trendy way to take a break from neon  I love neon for summer afternoons with friends and especially for the beach, but over the past few years, as my style is maturing I have been looking for a more sophisticated way to be fresh and fun without looking drab. If I didn't live in Texas, where the sun begins melting your soul away by 6 am all summer, I would totally live my whole life in black and gray... I should be a cosmetologist  my closet is so shadowed. But as I try to break out of that I am embracing this trend full force. 

For those of you who do not know, I am secretly a mermaid, when I am not moonlighting as a ninja of course! But because of my oceanic upbringing I am always instantly in love with colors of the ocean and the pastel corals and pistachio that have become readily available make me miss my cavernous hideouts of whatchamacallits and dealybobs.... wait that's the little mermaid. OK  so I am landlocked and really just like the sea, whatever.

There are points to be made! The reason these colors are my top picks for Spring/Summer obsessions is that they truly look good on everyone. No really. I am not kidding. I dare you to prove me wrong! Because pastels are in, you can vary the shades and go as pale as you need to in order to tailor to your skin tone. They look beautiful and elegant on the porcelain skinned beauties like Lily Collins while looking fresh and simple on the bronze babes like Eva Mendez. 

If you are worried about making these colors work in your wardrobe, even though I should have been totally convincing by comparing you to celebrities, then try hunting for accessories in these tones. Actually, you won't need to hunt because it is a trend...hence they are pretty common. This necklace is on my paycheck wish list to wear with a great creme-colored flowy top I have and it is one of those affordable pieces that will work for multiple occasions  i.e. church, lunch, shopping, work, WHATEVER!

So try out the look! Send me pictures of your successes or even your failures and maybe we can work it out together! Trust me, if you haven't jumped on the "P" train yet, you won't regret it.

Above the Knuckle Rings: Trend It or Skip It?

I have seen all different crazy styles of ATK rings this season and my verdict is that simple is definitely better. Above the knuckle rings have been around for ages. I have photos of my mom wearing one in her hippie days and I am loving the resurgence of their popularity but I and a few other trend-lovers have had trouble making it our own. 

After hunting through my mother's old jewelry and failing to find any of the photographed trinkets I remembered, no telling what abyss her 70's memorabilia has vanished to, I tentatively bought a three pack of ATK bow rings from Claire's for about 5 bucks. 

SIDENOTE: I'm jewishly conservative with my funds when it comes to trendy fads and I definitely suggest prudent decisions when trying new things, everybody is different. If I do not think that it will become a permanent staple in my style/ wardrobe. I love name brands and I don't mind splurging, but I know how to make a good hand-me-down work better than Macklemore in a thrift shop, so the wallet stays full. 

Anyways I bought these adjustable rings and I wasn't too impressed… The rings came in silver, pink, and black. First off, I am more of a metallic girl. Texans like their sterling silver, and I am no exception! On some of my edgier outfits I love more faded medals like brass and bronze…So here I sit, rings on my fingertips and something is just…off (see left). 

The biggest thing that made a difference, for me, was painting my nails. I cleaned and painted my overworked phillangees and instantly felt more secure about adding the extra bling. I switched my hand and also found that I likes the silver style best and grabbed a plain band to go with my silver bow. Simple is always best when working with a small space and in my imagination I always loved one or two bands in comparison to some of the more intricate rings. 

Various websites sell above the knuckle rings. I have seen wire-bent rings with words on them, and rings like my bows that have various different styles, but the most popular are various styles of bands. I especially love the thin chevron atk rings and that is my suggestion to anyone who wants to try this trend: KEEP IT SIMPLE! 

If you are looking for a few websites to check out that are selling these rings: Ebay and Pinterest are always my go to websites. Claire's as I mentioned are selling a few varieties of 3 packs and I only expect them to get more in. Also Etsy has some really great choices, and my favorite underrated website Uncovet.com has some beautiful choices as well. 

Well, good luck my boho fashionistas! I hope that you dive into this great trend for Spring/Summer and love it as much as I do! 

Artist to Watch: Olly Murs

I am sitting in a popular cafe up the street from my house, cheese-ily western themed (like everything else in my small tourist town) and I am surrounded by unruly hyper children. The multitude of the hefty brood is overpowering the authority of their parents and their father's story of how the children all vanished onto a neighboring ranch a few days ago forces me to plug in the headphones and power up the tunes.  I truly feel for them, but we all have our problems and today is one of "those" Mondays which we all know and loathe. I can only think of pouring my focus into something else...writing! So here is a new band profile for you, or rather artist profile!

Photo courtesy of BBC News and Getty Image

So for my minions who are feeling the pressure and need a little pop to brighten up their metaphorically thunderous day… I prescribe Olly Murs. Also recommended for summer drives with the windows, Saturdays, and alone-in-the-house dance sequences (I know I am not the only one!)

Now some of my closer friends might be sick of hearing about this Brit import but I can't get enough. Olly Murs was a contestant on the British version of The X Factor in 2009 (also the winner of 10 pounds on Deal or no Deal) and has since gone on to have 3 number one albums and numerous hit singles. Murs has also become a regular guests on BBC entertainment including BBC Radio 1 and quiz shows like Nevermind the Buzzcocks A few of those singles will be appearing on his first American release Right Place Right Time which is due to drop April 16th, 2013. (You can get the deluxe edition for 10.99 on iTunes). As one of my old bandmates like to tease I "may be one of the only people still buying CDs," but I've pre-ordered a copy anyways…Olly has all the great boyish charm of Michael Buble´ with the quirky humor and R&B influence of JT plus great lyrics. I've never seen the beau without his signature smile and he always brightens up the day. Olly is also known for toting a fedora and his newest single Army of Two has generated this new promotional poster for US fans (shown left).

I first heard about Olly on the Chris Moyles show a few years ago and the mention of his name has put a smile on my face ever since. Murs's first American single is entitled Troublemaker feat. Flo Rida and it has begun to generated well earned buzz on radio stations. The upbeat track is a great intro to his catalogue and comes just in time to be a great summer track if enough interest is generated. Olly is the type of artist that makes every girl want to dance on her bed in her pajamas and I sincerely hope he can make it in the American market. 

Band to Watch: Royal Teeth

So my little Texan heart is all aflutter over a great new Southern Alternative band. They are called Royal Teeth and they have a sound as unique and quirkily lovable as their name. 

Their lyrics have all the soul and whimsy of southern spirit with a great 80's flair (heavy drumbeats and power pop melodies). You may not have heard of the band's name but you have most likely heard their single Wild (I've posted vids below!)

The Louisiana band have just been signed to Dangerbird Records (based in LA) and have released a great EP entitled Act Naturally. I am obsessed with their cover of Heartbeats, originally by Swedish alt band The Knife. Their cover is modern and totally worthy of a fist pumping car sing-a-long. 

The 80's revival is strong and Royal Teeth are doing it right, mixing great passion with fun beats and a sort of depth that is refreshing. So check tim out and I know you won't regret it! Their EP is great for spring break and a cool mix from the dub-step pop that will be flooding spring break…

Boho Office Fashion

Well Gals, just a quick post here to get started...

Spring is just around the corner. As a girl on the hunt for a new job I have been keeping a keen eye on what is acceptable in the modern office space. On the East and West coast fashion is king and you get a little more leeway…but here in the South tradition is instinct. 

So, in anticipation of the sun finally reaching free I have attached a couple outfits from my closet that I am loving for breakage those traditional barriers. Just add a blazer and a chic briefcase!

Boho maxi skirts are great for all year round! (I wear tights under my black jersey maxi's during winter for a change from slacks). I paired these embellished tops with a jersey maxi and a pleated sheer maxi with mini slip. I love the loose tops for comfort and all day errand running. As an ex-personal assistant, I look for styles that can move from the office to the street to lunch meetings…etc. I always want to look fresh and stand out from my peers, as I hope my work does. 

So I am posting a couple pictures below. Hopefully my setup will be better soon so ya'll can get a better vision of my looks. And feel free to comment if you want any info on the pieces or advice you want me to tackle next!