Fond memories of waking up every Sunday morning and trying to be the first one to snag the comics from the Sunday paper, mainly to read Calvin and Hobbes [I also liked "for better for worse"] So yesterday my friend who is visiting from L.A. - she and I decided to take a little day trip up to New Canaan Connecticut to go to my favorite thrift store - which I now have to say is no longer my favorite, their prices are now absolutely ridiculous! :( However, I scored and awesome Calvin and Hobbes book lovingly titled "Lazy Sunday Book" Love it! :) Here are two comics that had me laughing pretty hard on the train yesterday...this book makes me look forward to the day I have children, and to see what goes on up there in their little minds. ;)

Christmas was great, surrounded by good friends and yummy food - BUT...the highlight was that my custom built/designed desk was delivered to me Christmas Eve! One of my best friends and I decided on a trade back in the summer: he would build me a desk and I would "build" him a mini collection [2 jeans, a top, sweater, jacket, and possibly a backpack] This picture is of me helping with the last sanding of the desk... Pictures of the actual desk set up nicely in my place will be unveiled next week - da da da daaaaa <- scary background music! I hope everyone had a great Christmas and really got down with the whole hand made thing this year - if not, there is always next year! :)

WINTER BREAK IS ALMOST HERE!!! You all have noooo idea how much I have been anticipating this year's break! Even though I have had a pretty "easy" section this semester, I feel mentally burnt out more so than last year -- [?] anyways, I wanted to share with you my final projects that were due. 1. We had to make a jacket/blazer in our methods [sewing/draping & pattern-making] class.... Here is mine, which I made to fit myself :) so excited to wear it. I was also able to print my own fabric for the lining which I am liking a lot, hopefully I will like it as much next year as I am liking it right now. Due to my camera's battery being sooo old and overcharged, unfortunately all my pictures I take now come out crummy! So bare with the odd coloring right now :( but the lining of the jacket is close to a mustard greenish color... For Concepts [which I am currently working on as I write - taking a little break] we have 15-18 finishes due. My policy > the bare minimum so I have more time to work on treatments and then paint cool backgrounds! heeheh lol The treatments I am doing for our fall/winter couture collection is pretty funky, I have still yet to come up with an exact definition for this collection. My inspiration is sea anemonies... So the top left picture is a velvet top with wiggly velvet applique all over - I have still yet to decide whether or not I put a wee bit of stuffing inside for extra height.... hmmm...then the picture below is of a very heavy weight gown. The entire gown is of the heavy muted turquoise wool with holes...There are actually two pieces of fabric to make the holes, but there will be no stitching, my teacher didn't think I could pull it off, but I did!!! ahaha lol Well those weren't his exact words, but he was very curious to see how I would. Now I am trying to decide what layer of fabric should be painted underneath on my finish...too many choices! GAAAAHHHHH, mkay back to work -

This is sooo cool, this is a must see!!! It ends this month, so for those who live here in the city, for sure check it out. Art Pawn

wooden toys are sooo much better than plastic toys....however, there is an exception for some. Backtobasictoys.com has a great selection of toys to get for your children, or yourself. While browsing their items, I realized that I am going to be a horrible mom, I am going to want to play with the toys as much as my children, and will probably forget who the gift was for! ahahaha lol

My two friends both tagged me [on the same day too I think] to answer the 6 things about me survey <- correct wording? It has taken me so long to do it because I didn't know how to add links on my blog, but now I do!! :) Thanks Lindsay for the help. Mkay, so here are 6 things about me that perhaps you did or did not know [?] 1. I am a Mormon, an independent Mormon that is...meaning that I go by choice and am not forced by anyone. I love going to church and learning knew things every week about how to be a better person and trying to apply those principles to my daily life. I would not be the person I am today without my religion, and am so thankful to live in a country where I can freely practice whatever religion I want - it is so awesome! :) 2. I love heart wrenching movies where the emotions feel so real you just can't stop crying they feel so real, one of those movies that I love so much is "When a Man Loves a Woman" with Andy Garcia and Meg Ryan <3 The acting is so good. I know there are so many other movies out there that I adore but this was the first one that came to mind. 3. I love love love desserts! And I like to make desserts. One of my favorite desserts is the cherry jubilee at Magnolia Bakery and Banana Pudding :) 4. I use to own a vintage/retro clothing shop called Saylor Nyne 8 years ago! WOW! in downtown Provo, Utah. My friend Andrea and I ran it together with two vendors, one based in San Fransisco and the other in Buffalo, New York. Sadly Saylor Nyne only lasted 9 months I think but it was so much fun. On the weekends we put all the clothing, racks, shelves etc. in the back storage room and held mini shows on the stage that my brother built for us. That was such an amazing experience that I look back on with such fond memories. 5.One of my favorite children's books EVER! is Andrew Henry's Meadow We would always check this book out at the library almost every single week, it will be a family favorite if you decide to buy it! I guarantee it! :) 6. Lastly, I have two secret dreams 1. to illustrate children's books [which never really has been a secret lately and 2. To be a professional tap dancer. Five years ago I ordered tap shoes on Ebay and a whole tap dance ensemble but never worked up the guts to go to Broadway Dance, or Steps. Each lesson is only $10 for an hour and the classes are small, I use to go watch the dancers at Broadway dance, it was so inspiring. But that secret dream is still there, the shoes and outfit no longer. My goal over winter break is to get myself an outfit and shoes again and force myself to a tap class! :) lol There is nothing funner than moseying around in a black leotard and tights! Gosh, I think this is the longest post I have ever done. Now to spread the madness onto other bloggers :) here are some friends who inspire me on a daily basis! Annie Abby Christina Stella

Last weekend my good friend Annie celebrated her 30th birthday here in NYC, so I felt it only appropriate to make her a little eskimo doll. :) Yesterday we had a little Christmas tree trimming party [NOT Holiday Party] It was a lot of fun,and the four of us all made snowflakes to hang from the ceiling. It looks so beautiful, especially right now. I love waking up early in the morning like this and just staring at the tree and snowflakes. Saturday Sarah and I went by the Target here in Brooklyn to get our Christmas tree, we brought it home on the subway, and I am bummed I don't have a picture of that. :( For now, here are some pictures of our place all decorated... There is no special theme this year, it is all just a mish-mash of every thing Christmas.

My sweet and talented friend Leanne Littlewood had her AAS show at FIT this past week, along with her friend and my fellow online friend Christina Perez [work is on the right] they focused this semester on their portfolios, which were amazing, one could really see all the hard work put into each portfolio! Everyone's work at the FIT was exceptional, and they are only sophomores. Sadly, I forgot my camera, so all I have to prove I was there were both Leanne's and Christina's take away cards. :) Sooo --- only 11 more days of school left for me and I am a free woman!!! Well, for a month that is. My knee-jerk reaction right now is to list off all the things I would LOVE to accomplish over my break, but somehow that "list" always seems to be the first thing out the window! Our final for Concepts is Couture, day to evening... mmmm that idea has also kind of gone out the window for me, at first glance my stuff looks like regular ready-to-wear, but there is A LOT of hand detail, which I will get many up-close pictures of to post... my inspiration is sea anemones - and this is a fall/winter collection - this is just my croquis process so far... And lastly, one of my dreams is actually coming true tomorrow! [literally] 9 years ago [when I was 17] I came upon Olivier Theyskens [currently the head designer for Nina Ricci] in my Vogue, he had just fully come into the fashion scene about a year earlier and was turning heads with his avant-garde clothing label and his amazing talent for perfection. Long story short, I fell in love with him as a designer from that article and dreamt for the day when I could see/him. Tomorrow at the French Institue he is speaking, and me and a bunch of my other classmates all have tickets to hear him. I CAN'T WAIT!!! Hopefully I will get to meet and even possibly get a real picture with him! [I use to photoshop myself into photos of him. ;)