An Ordinary Girl's World: Fashion, Love, Life: April 2010

Friday, 30 April 2010

A Day in the Life, A flood of photographic inspiration

11:38

Dearest Devotees,

Thank you so much for you all your words of encouragements and prayers. I am almost done with all of my final stuff. I only have a one more costume design project, a paper for acting, and my piano and Economics finals left. I will probably do a post or two during the next week and as soon as I'm done I will let you all know. I have so many great ideas for posts that I can't wait to do as soon as finals are over. Until then I just thought I'd release a couple of pictures that have inspired me in the past month or so from We Heart it. Hope you are all well and good luck in all you do.

Love you all and Stay inspired,

Labels: A Day in the Life, life, seeking inspiration |

5 comments

Saturday, 24 April 2010

Mirror Me: I am not afraid to mix prints...

12:03

*Edit* i.e I totally forgot

Scarf: Clockhouse

Sweater: C and A

Top: Gift from roommie :)

Jeans: White House Black Market

Boots: Barnes and Nobles

My Darling Devotees,

Say hello to Mirror Me, my outfit post segment!

For the longest time, there was a huge disconnect between the person I appeared to be, and the person I knew I really was, and this gap was only bridged through my personal style. Ever since I was 8 I think, I've had a huge investment in my style because it was around that time that I started to lose the ability to just be the outgoing, flamboyantly creative, whimsically free-spirited, predominantly happy person I knew I could be. I began to be more self-conscious, more reserved and more withdrawn. At first, it was just little things, like I would not like to be surrounded by people at parties, but would instead take my food and curl up in a corner with whatever novel I happened to be carrying around at the time. But it got worse, and with every additional unkindness done to me, or hardship I encountered, I withdrew even more until the difference between the way I dressed, (which was always really colourful, bright, bold and fun) and the way I acted (which was awkward and/or reserved at best and antisocial at worse) was comical. People would be amazed by my style, and they were shocked by how comfortable I was in taking what they saw as 'fashion risks' (i.e. anything that was different from the normal trends of the time) but what I saw as part of who I really was. I knew what I liked and no fleeting trend could change that, it could only enhance it.

The peak of this disparity was probably junior high and since then the gap has become a lot less evident. Today, you can barely see any resemblance of the girl I was in the girl I am today. College has sort of liberated me from the imaginary ropes I had myself in and allowed me to be the person I've always been inside. My style, which I describe as predominantly Boho-Whimsical in the summer and spring, and boho glam in the fall and winter (although it is going a sort of odd transition right now as can be seen above) is truly reflective of who I am. My friends describe me as always really energetic, bubbly, vivacious and cheerful but even though I know there are times this doesn't describe me all the time (nervous breakdown at 3 am working on english essay, anyone?) I think it's a pretty accurate description of me most of the time.

Anyway, this was just a little peak into my style history and explanation for why personal style is so important to me. My personal style spoke up for me when I couldn't speak up for myself. It told people there was something more about me than the shy, reserved girl I used to be. I decided to start doing outfit posts because individuality and personal style mean so much to me and seeing others' style can be a huge source of inspiration. I hope to elaborate more on the concept of my personal style and style history soon, so look out for that.

Love you all and Stay inspired,

P.S. So let me know what you think. What are your views on personal style? Do you get inspired by other people's style? What is more important to you, following trends or maintaining personal style? Feel free to let me know in the comments below.

Labels: fashion, Fashion 101, Mirror me |

14 comments

Wednesday, 21 April 2010

Love and Relationships: Your words

22:32

Photo from:ohcestane

Your words

Can break me

Save me…

Which will it be?

Love you all and Stay inspired,

P.S. I'm sorry sweethearts I have been AWOL this week. All my major final projects and final performances are happening all through next week so I've been ridiculously busy. Please keep me in your prayers and/or hearts. I'll continue to blog despite it all (take that, crazy art classes) but will blog more frequently by the end of next week. Have a fabulous week.

Photos from: We Heart it

Labels: life, love, Love and Relationships |

10 comments

Saturday, 17 April 2010

Seeking Inspiration: Only Time will tell

12:47

Photo from: Jessica Ortwerth

Dearest Devotees,

As I lie here in my bed, with my Lifehouse station on Pandora playing in the background, I think about all the lessons I've learnt from music. Sometimes, music leads me to self-discovery by acting as a mirror that reflects my feelings exactly. Sometimes it plays the part of the dutiful best friend that commiserates with me in hard times and celebrates good experiences with me. When I say that music is the inspiration, I really mean it because something about the music I listen to, whether it be the harmonies, melodies, or the lyrics, always gets me thinking. One of the most recent life discoveries I made was about time and its ability to put everything in perspective. The song is Only Time by Enya.

No one knows what tomorrow brings. Life is a long term project. The little things you do today, and everything that happens in your life each day, doesn't only affect you now but has some impact on who you are and who you will be in the future. In the short term, experiences are usually either positive or negative but this clear cut line tends to blur over time. For example, hurtful experiences in the present could make you a little more tentative about sharing yourself with others but they could also make you stronger against adversity. I really believe that good can come out of the bad in our lives. I also believe, that only time will tell if the bad or good experiences of today will become masterpieces of tomorrow. Earlier this week, I had a really bad relational experience with a guy friend of mine and it really shook me, so much so that it brought me to tears. I'm better now my darlings, but one of the good things that has come from this experience (aside from inner strength and increased closeness to God) is the strong feeling that in time it will push me to create a beautiful piece of art, maybe a song or a poem. Never Again, my new song, was taken in a totally new direction because of it . It's the most intense rock song I've ever written and I'm really excited to see how it turns out. But, I digress.

So darlings, the summary of all this is that only time will tell if what happens today will influence you more positively or negatively. Since art is bred from strong emotions, anything that affects us strongly is able to result in art, be it a poem on the joy of falling in love or even a presently funny story about an embarrassing blind date gone sour. Most importantly, remember that the past is past, don't dwell on it or fret about it. Instead face each day with a clean state and positive outlook on what lies ahead, and your journey through life will certainly be a happier and more fulfilled one.

***

Inspirational exercise for the week

Translate this picture into your favorite art form.

Photo from: we heart it

My translation

To all the guys who broke my heart and the girls who are like me,

I found him.

My soulmate.

I know it sounds odd, particularly to all you guys out there. After all, I was the girl that everyone sorta dated but never committed to. I was always the close-female friend-sorta girl friend type and never more. It started to get to me. I started wondering if I would ever find someone who truly loved. I began to despair.

Then, I met him.

He challenges my mind. He accepts my individuality and loves my quirks. He encourages my wild and crazy dreams. He loves me fully and completely, and I love him.

How can I not?

He is everything I ever wanted and more. I know he's not a dream because I could never have imagined someone so perfect for me. I give him my all, and he gives me his everything. We are completely in sync and perfectly in tune with each other. Our love is forever.

So to the girls who are like me, know this: Love is real. It exists and it will exist for you.

Have hope.

***

Links I've loved lately:

This post on Click, Click went the needles is so full of sources of inspiration, it's astounding.

A of The Glamorous Grad Student really made me reflect on the words "retail therapy" in this post.

I just loved reading about where my lovely Zmaga hopes to be in 10 years.

Cafe Fashionista's new What if posts are so exciting! They give me license to let my mind wander.

This list on how to have more energy by Jacque of A Quirky Girl's Thoughts is just what I need right now.

I always wanted a Unicorn too, dearest Krissy :)

Love you all and Stay inspired,

P.S. So let me know what you think. How did you translate the picture above? How do you view your experiences? Do you tend to dwell in the day or look forward to the future? What inspired you this week? Feel free to let me know in the comments below.

P.P.S Welcome to all my new devotees! You make me very happy!!!! I love you already :)

Labels: life, love, Love and Relationships, seeking inspiration |

12 comments

Wednesday, 14 April 2010

Blogger tag: Fast Forward to 10 years from now...

00:50

A couple of days ago, the lovely Zmaga tagged me with a very cool blogger tag I've been eyeing for awhile now as it made its rounds. It's the 'where will you be 10 years from now' blogger tag and I've been thinking about it ever since I got the tag. I've put a lot of thought into this and I think I'm as ready as I'll ever be to share with you my answers to this uber fun yet thought provoking question.

I tag Leia and Sherin of HiFashion, Michelle of Locked out and Krissy of Shimmer Like Gold.

In 10 years,

I will be an artistically oriented, very stylish and self- confident 29 year old. Gulp (just kidding).

I will be an established fashion and/or costume designer with my own clothing line-Fashion Empire called Vanille.

I will also be a published best-selling author and poet, as well as an accomplished blogger.

I will be a successful musician and songwriter. I will have sold several of my songs to artists I admire and will be able to play the piano and viola really well.

I will be able to speak not only French and Spanish fluently but will speak them regularly with my two young children and amazing husband, all of whom will be living with me in a lovely home in the French or Northern Irish countryside.

I will no longer take ADD medication because I will be so on top of the behavioral treatments for my ADD that I won't need it.

Guys will no longer baffle me nearly as much. Or people in general, for that matter.

I will have a fabulous studio in my house that I will be able to work from home in. I will also have a charity that my family helps me run on the weekends and that will bring me great joy.

My main form of exercise will be dance and I will be able to do several styles of dance including ballroom and hip hop. I will wake up early in the morning each day to practice in a beautiful sunlit room.

I will still be an overachiever and a perfectionist, but I will also still be happy.

Love you all and stay inspired,

P.S. So let me know what you think. Do you know where you'd like to be in 10 years. Feel free to let me know in the comments below.

(All images from we heart it)

Labels: blogger tag, life |

17 comments

Tuesday, 13 April 2010

Dreaming of the Show: Ophelia from Hamlet

19:06

My Darling Devotees,

I have found true love in the field of Costume Design and although Fashion Design will always be my first love, Costuming has quite literally swept me off my feet. Costume design is the art of creating a look that portrays a certain character or that helps a performer tell a certain story.

Costume production is the actual making of the aforementioned costumes. I find costuming is like a mix of fashion and literature and I think this is why it appeals to me so much. So some of you have expressed interest in the field and since I really want to work on my skills, I have decided to do blog posts on how I would style characters from different plays, movies and productions. Some of the productions may be popular ones you can recognise or they may be less expected or more unusual ones e.g ideas for a music video. Some of the posts will be more fashion history centric while others will be more modern and directly applicable to you if you want to add a bit of drama to your style.If you have any productions you would like me to do leave a comment about it below, or email me at aury4eva@gmail.com. I'm so excited about this and I hope you are too, my loves.

Ophelia from William Shakespeare's Hamlet:

Time period and place I would set it in:

Late 19th Century England

Plot summary: Can be found here, but basically Hamlet is a play about a young prince who's father is killed by his own brother, a brother who soon goes on to marry his late brother's widow and become king. Hamlet figures out the truth and proceeds to seek vengeance on his uncle, all the while losing his mind in the process and hurting people he loves, because of his high level of anxiety.

Character Summary: Ophelia is an innocent, naive and beautiful girl who is in love with Hamlet. She is hurt by Hamlet's sometimes rash behavior and is strictly obedient to her father's word. She lets him control her life and when he tells her to break off her relationship with Hamlet she does so, despite the fact she still cares for him. Then, when Hamlet in his crazed state kills her father, she is pushed over the edge and loses her mind. She begins to spend her days picking flowers and singing nonsensical songs until she drowns herself in a river.

Key words to describe her: sweet, innocent, young, naive, immature, delicate, unstable, crazy, in touch with nature, and broken.

Key elements to Ophelia's Style:

Beautiful pastel dresses

Frills, ruffles and lace

Floral and small polka dot prints

Flower headbands and flower-accented bonnets

Exquisite elbow length fingerless gloves,

Bows and sashes

Pretty fans and sun umbrellas

Slightly pale, natural looking make-up with emphasis on pretty pink/red lips except in drowning scene, when dishevelled hair with leaves and branches caught in it and deathly dull make-up are featured.

Ophelia to me:

Pictures from google images and we heart it.

Love you all and Stay inspired,

P.S. So let me know what you think. Have you read Hamlet? How would you style Ophelia?What period would you set the play in? What elements of her style would you/do you incorporate into yours? Feel free to let me know in the comments below.

Labels: costume design, Dreaming of the Show, fashion |

12 comments

Saturday, 10 April 2010

Seeking Inspiration: Celebrate Spring!

14:27

Dearest Devotees,

Spring is all around us! It's in the chirping of the birds in the trees. It's in the gorgeous sunny days. It's in the rainy days, and it's definitely in the beautiful blooming flowers! Spring is here my loves, and even when its a particularly cold and blustery day, with temperatures reminiscent of dark winter days, I want you to remember that it really is all around you. It feels like we've been waiting for it for so long and now we can finally celebrate that it's here!

How to Celebrate Spring:

Plant a seed/seedling of your favorite flower and tend to it each day. I have a mammoth sunflower growing in my dorm room. It makes me happy to watch it grow and care for it.
Seek out some spring reminiscent music. It can be someway related to spring or it could just make you really happy and/or peacefully content. I am currently in love with the soundtrack for the Spring Awakening Musical. Favourite song= Left Behind. I also really love Yiruma's River flows in you and The Fray's Syndicate.
Change your computer screen background to flowers, fields, etc.
Wear wildflower perfume.
Wear flowers in your hair to class, or when you're going out.
Walk through your favorite park and or garden.
Take pictures of people enjoying the sporadic bouts of ridiculously beautiful weather we've been having.
Sunbathe on the grass (with sunscreen on, of course).
Jump in puddles on rainy days.
Enjoy beautiful springy poetry like Daffodils by Wordsworth.
Renovate your wardrobe and/or your living space through spring cleaning. It can be really exhilarating.
Update your inspiration board with spring 2010 pastels and pastoral pieces.
Update your inspiration board with beautiful springy photos like the ones below:

All images from: we heart it

Love you all and Stay inspired,

P.S. So let me know what you think. How are you celebrating spring? What are the signs of spring you look for? Feel free to let me know in the comments below.

Labels: life, seeking inspiration, spring, survival guides |

10 comments