He did the Mash

Happy Halloween! Well, it would be were this not my first year without a costume. I'm devastated. I was just too busy to find one during these past few weeks. I even planned to whip something up quickly this morning but, as luck would have it, I forgot to set my alarm clock and ended up strolling into Law 40 minutes late (which wasn't such a bad thing...). But it sucks. I really wanted to dress up. I guess I should probably start looking/sewing now if I want to have a kick-ass costume for next year.

Inflated like a zeppelin

I'm feeling really confidant right now about my writing. I've been doing extremely well in Writers Craft and producing some articles for my school's e-zine (I'm the Editor, by the way) that I'm really proud of. I feel that over the past year I have progressed in leaps and bounds as an author and a journalist, which just makes my heart smile! I've been writing since the days when I bobbed around in cow-covered turtlenecks, so it's awesome to have finally reached the point where others are commending my efforts. But this is only the beginning. I need to focus on building a solid portfolio if I intend to a) work for Vogue and b) make a living off of my fiction. Baby steps, honey. Baby steps...

Do you hear the people sing?

My school is putting on a musical this spring and I could not be more thrilled! This is the first musical that my school has performed in something like 8 years! When I went to a performing arts school, we were all obsessed with musical theatre. I performed in a few myself and my CD collection has a great stock of musical soundtracks. The musical is actually one written by one of my school's music teachers. This would usually set off a few alarms in my head, but he's actually brilliant when it comes to producing brilliant arrangements and really knows how to bring the most out of the vocalists that he's working with.

Oh, and I totally plan to try out.

bisou!

Snow is falling all around...

Well, not yet, but it's bound to start up soon. Today was cold and it looks as though Halloween will be the same. Shit.

Competition

I'm competitive, but there are some things that I won't leave up to chance. It's stupid and crazy and will only end in disappointment. In this case, it's my trip to France. Both my brother and I want to go, but it looks as though my Dad will only be paying for one of us if we can't come up with a solution. And we'd need to compete for the spot. Which is ridiculous. Anything that actually matters or pertains to France or French, I could win. But instead, there have been suggestions that other totally non-France related things should be the deciding factor. This is ludicrous.

Snow is falling all around
Seven o'clock and the roads are blocked
So I walk downtown
There's no one around

The streets are dark and there's no one about
I wander home and all the, the lights are out

These are lyrics from the awesome song by The Specials (my favourite ska band) called Blank Expression. Look it up. It's brill.

New York, I love you

Guess who's back?

Canada's most beloved fashionista is finally back in her home and native land and is she ever glad!

Looking back on my last post, I was very, very unfair to New York City. I actually love it now. I think it's the fact that it was my first night that influenced my views so negatively. So NYC, I'M SORRY! You are a wonderful, albeit dirty and overpopulated city with a lot to offer. I hope to go back soon. I'm thinking of getting an internship there over the summer, either at a design studio or a magazine. We'll see.

Fashion U Recap

Okay. Here we go:

Tory Burch Seminar: Though she's stunning for a mother of three, she didn't seem very relatable, primarily due to the fact that she went on and on about her family's wealth yet tried to make it seem as though she had a long and difficult path to success. Also, I didn't like that when she began her foray into fashion, she did so with a complete lifestyle brand and retail store. Those kinds of things just seem like cash grabs to me, especially when the person heading the initiative has to extreme experience in the production of any of the goods that they're choosing to sell.

The Editors Seminar: Infinitely useful! They were all interesting and had distinct personalities. They answered questions frankly, never trying to get our hopes to high, or painting some sort of unrealistic picture. I even managed to get the e-mail addresses of two of the editors, in case I had any questions or wanted to apply for an internship.

Peter Som: I like him! He was so friendly and friendly. He walked us through the creative and production processes, showing his own sketches and garments as examples. He was also really funny, which I liked.

Proenza Schouler: Brilliant. They [designers Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McColl] were so funny and laid-back, not to mention very cute. They had a lot of cute anecdotes and gave great advice for people looking to get into the world of fashion. But above all, they seemed really genuine and fun. At no point did it seem as though they took themselves too seriously. I loved their designs, and now I love them too.

Okay, that's all for now. I have to go fulfill some domestic duties. I'll try to post pictures tomorrow. xoxo

New York New York: It's Hell in a town!

Them VS Us

My first night in New York has not been fabulous. If anything, it has made me appreciate my home and native land more than ever. Here are the top ten differences between New York City and the place that I'm from.

10. Our water is somewhat blue. NYC water is black.
9. Our city is busy. NYC is bustling.
8. Our Coke is sweet. NYC Coke causes diabetes.
7. Our sidewalks are fairly clean. NYC sidewalks are filled with the overflow of garbage cans.
6. Our bad Sales Associates are incompetent. Bad Sales Associates from NYC scare you.
5. Our bad drivers run red lights. NYC bad drivers almost run over innocent pedestrians with the right-of-way.
4. Our pedestrians j-walk when the streets aren't busy. NYC pedestrians j-walk to race with traffic.
3. Our cops look suspicious when they carry tasers. NYC cops DON'T look suspicious toting AK47s (I kid you not! They're right outside of my hotel!)
2. Our traffic moves slowly. NYC traffic doesn't move.
1. Our citizens are polite(for the most part, anyways)! NYC citizens...

Now please, don't think that I hate NYC. When I came to the city, I was hopeful as a bright eyed-child on her first trip to the zoo, or some other such place. I'm just totally bummed that it's not living up to my expectations. The movies are to blame!

Fashion U Day 1

The fashion show was unimpressive. There were only two designers that caught my attention. The rest were merely decent.

For some reason, I didn't connect with anyone there. I tried to approach this one blond girl, and was snubbed completely! So for the most part I just sort of kept to myself and enjoyed the concert (The Whigs were awesome! I bought their CD. It's called Mission Impossible. Be sure to check it out!). Overall, the event was boring and unmemorable.

Out in the streets

My brother and I walked home from the show, which was on 11th Street, between 3rd and 4th, back to our hotel, which is smack dab in the middle of Time Square. The walk didn't take too long, and was fun until we started to get back into the tourist part. That part was excruciating. I hated having to force myself through the crowds. It was as though I were trying to swim upstream.

Anyways, now my feet are killing me and I'm in desperate need of a cold drink. I'm hoping that tomorrow will be better than today.

xoxo

I want you to hear me!

In about 7 hours I'll be leaving for my flight to NYC. I'm very stoked. I just finished packing my stuff, though I still have a few items in the car to shove in and a very competent camera to charge.

Everyone seems to be dressing to impress, and I can't help but hope that I can be equally stylish though somewhat differently dressed. From what I've seen on Facebook, a lot of us have very similar style. I guess there really isn't anything new under the sun...

I would posts pictures, but I don't have my camera. I'll be sure to have someone take a picture while in in NYC getting my style on (what does that even mean?).

Orange you glad I didn't say banana?

My Dad has made me the happiest girl this week by finding not one, but TWO of my favourite soda pops that are typically only available in Europe: Tango Orange and Fanta de Naranja (Orange Fanta). You have no idea how much I've longed for these drinks. They're probably the most delicious sodas in the world. Canada needs to start carrying these. It's a matter of showing international tolerance and improving international relations.

Situation getting hairy...

Yesterday I went to the hair salon and let Gloria, my stylist, have her way with my hair. The result is wonderful. The front is all blond now, but doesn't look at all garish or tacky. She's an artist.

I'm really getting used to this short hair thing. It's so much easier to take care of than long hair, and allows for all sorts of experimentation. I definitely recommend going short for anyone with the right face.

...It's more the way your eyes are laughing and they glance across the great divide...

Pump it

9:00 tomorrow morning I will be on a plane to New York City; the Big Apple; the NYC; The City That New Sleeps. I'm starting to get excited, but you'd never know that from looking at me. I'm so tired and just zoned out that I look like any movement at all would be the death of me.

I have this box of chocolate-covered almonds, I'm warm, and chill, and someone is telling me a funny story. I'm so glad that I have four days of fashion-related fun away from school. Yes, I'm feeling good.

These almonds taste so delicious. Yumm. I hope that the food in New York is just as savory.

Take a picture, it'll last longer

So on Wednesday I'm meeting up with my friend Valerie, who just happens to be a gifted photographer. She wants to take pictures of some of my fantastic shoes. Then I need to provide her with paragraphs that explain an interesting story behind them. That should be fun. No one has weirder or cooler stories than me when it comes to shoes. God, I have done some interesting things in my shoes...

Valerie is an excellent photographer and I know that the pictures will be excellent. She's using them as part of an assignment. She's the one who took the awesome pictures that were part of my Fashion U application. She's also a great friend and so darn entertaining. A lovely girl, really. 

Risky business

I need to take more risks. I need to get out there and do some crazy things before I'm too old to do so without pulling a hernia. I'm not sure what. Hopefully it'll come to me. 

Wednesday 

Wednesday is half-day at my school, so I finish at about 10 am. I think I'll do some baking that day. Brownies...always a delightful experience.