Design Your Life

Stamped with Mental Illness

09/20/2010

It’s not something people often come out in the open with. In school it gives kids another reason to make fun of you, it doesn’t matter if you act strangely or not — the label is all it takes. The stigma that follows mental illness is many times much more harmful than the actual illness. Don’t let society decide how you should feel about your own mental health or anyone elses.

“Mental illness itself occurs from the interaction of multiple genes and other factors –such as stress, abuse, or a traumatic event — which can influence, or trigger, an illness in a person who has an inherited susceptibility to it.” – Web M.D. Worried about having kids? They may inherit a susceptibility to the mental illness but it’s really the environment and emotional factors that ensure having it. I’ve only been the child, never the parent. I know many mothers read this and it might be questionable whether I am child friendly due to the topics on this website. This website is not child friendly but when in the presence of children, I censor my discussions as anyone would.

I think it’s safe to assume that parenting is on of the hardest jobs on the earth. Having never been a parent but knowing many and seeing how their lives revolve around another human’s care, I cannot imagine the stress. It’s very easy to treat your children like they’re adults, to forget to censor. To assume they can do what you can do, understand what you can understand, hear what you can hear.. It’s naive. It creates trauma. I’ve met a lot of people who say negative things about others who obviously have some underlying issues, i.e. “She had great parents but she turned out to be a real asshole — selling drugs, breaking into houses.” In reality we have no idea what genes this person has inherited, if they’ve dealt with a traumatic experience in their life or really anything about their home life behind doors. Instead of assuming children will mature into what they will become no matter how great of a parent one may be, let’s assume they wont and prevent it. Things which appear like normal situations to adults can be very traumatic experiences for children.. experiences they remember into adulthood. I want the world to understand that everything matters, especially how you treat others. Especially how you treat others when their minds are developing.

Design Your Life

Stay Gold Forever: Lessons in Business and the State of Being

09/18/2010
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When I was about fifteen, my father had this great idea that would turn me into the business prodigy that he had so desperately wanted me to be: To start a record label. I was very involved in music, and he had figured that it would have been perfect. I spent months reading business books and books specifically about one starting a record label, only to quit the project and head into an entirely new direction (one of the best descisions I have ever made in my entire life) months later.
Nonetheless, here are some things that I had learned whilst trying to get this independent music empire up and running, and I believe sincerely that these lessons can be applied to life in general and have a positive effect.

That’s My Story, and I’m Sticking To It

When I tell people how something happened (ex. How did you and your boyfriend meet? Is an easy example) , I want to feel good about it. I don’t want to have to feel like I have to paint a different picture to get the approval of who I’m telling, there shouldn’t be a detail to hide. You have to live a story that you’ll be proud to tell in the future.

Don’t Lose Yourself

It’s human nature. When you factor things down to their purest form, the only thing you really have, to hold on to forever and no one can ever take it, is what you think about yourself. Who you know yourself to be. And you must maintain your sense of yourself at all costs. Because your self-image is always going to be what you base your descisions off of, and if you compromise that, you’ve lost.

At the end of the day, don’t only ask:
How much money did I make?
How much work did I get done?
but also ask yourself:
What did I get out of it?
because in everything you do, there’s an image of yourself and the feeling associated with what you’re trying to achieve.

Avoid the Trap

Define who you know yourself to be.
Define who it is that you would like to be.
And define what it is you wish to be known for.

Those three things are your own personal rules of thumb. And it’s rather difficult, but beneficial, not to contradict them.

I do sincerely feel that by applying these little bits of knowledge to your life, you’ll come to a full understanding of why you want to do what you want to do, and therefore take a huge step forward on your everlasting journey to self discovery.

Magazine Clips Visual Splendor

French Magazine Clippings: MiLK Home Decor

08/29/2010

You’ll be noticing some changes around here.. mostly just cleaning things up and preparing for more change.. there are so many things I’ve wanted to get done but have continually put off!

Don’t throw tomatoes yet! .. remember, I’m a new mother!

I’ve decided that when you’ve figured out how to work with a baby on your lap you must be really driven. Ha!

So here I am preparing a move, trying to work and giving Colette every free moment and busy moment I have. I want to build her a world of dreams and wonderment — color and whimsy. I cannot WAIT to move and finally unpack. I’m starting to forget what my real office even looks like anymore..!

So in the middle of all of this I’ve been feeling the insatiable need to travel again.. and so I’m planning a couple of trips to cities in the USA but I’m having urges for more international travel. I miss my friends and family in Japan and I would love to go on a shopping spree for our new place. A trip back to Paris wouldn’t be so bad either, have you seen MiLK Decor in France? I’ve been EATING home decor magazines lately.

Do you want more??

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Magazine Clips Visual Splendor

Japanese Magazine Clippings: Decorate Everything

08/27/2010

I’ve been meaning to update things here for quite awhile! I had an extremely long checklist and had to actually go through each and every one of our old entries.

Whew!

As you know the thing I love about Japan and modern Japanese design is that absolutely anything can be decorated and that even the most minute task is done with the utmost care.

After scanning through a collection of Japanese deco books I decided I would clip out my favorite ideas.

Are you inspired?

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Crafts DIY

Make Your Own Beads Out of Sand

08/21/2010

This perfect summer craft originates from the Bahamas and other tropical places where they are blessed with beautiful sandy beaches. Die-hard jewelry makers will use just about anything to make jewelry with, even the beach itself! If you are lucky enough to live by the beach and have access to any department store or craft store, then you can make your own sand beads from scratch. It is a bit time-consuming to roll and shape all of your own beads, but its worth it in the end when you have tons of colorful beads to make all the jewelry you want!

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You Need

Fine sand (from the beach or from the store)
All purpose flour or papier-mâché
Elmer’s Glue
Wax paper
Vegetable oil

If you got your sand from the beach, sift it through a cheese cloth or a window screen to separate the larger grains from the fine stuff. Pour the fine sand into a bowl and mix in the flour or papier-mâché and mix it together well. You need to use equal amounts of flour and sand. Coat your hands lightly with vegetable oil so the sticky paste that you’re about to make won’t stick to your hands. Pour in your Elmer’s Glue slowly and knead it with your hands like bread dough. If it starts to harden before you’re done mixing, add more glue. If your hands get too crusty as you work, rinse your hands off and apply more oil. Also, if you are using beach sand and you want to add color, mix in some acrylic paint.

Break off pieces of the sandy dough and roll them into your beads. This is where you use your imagination to create the beads you will use for your jewelry. Make many different colors and sizes, or make a series of the same kind for a long beaded necklace. You can also make short tube-shaped beads, square ones and irregular shaped beads.

Set your beads on a piece of wax paper and let them dry overnight. Use a large sewing needle or any other sharp metal skewer (be careful!) to poke a hole through the middle of each bead. You need to do this while the beads are still slightly tacky, but not so soft that you squish the bead. Let them dry all the way.

Coat them with clear acrylic varnish to make them glossy and protect them, if you want. Now you can make your homemade jewelry for yourself and your loved ones!

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More Ideas

Substitute half of the sand (or less) with fine glitter to make sparkly beads.
Swirl different colors of the sandy dough together to make multi-colored beads.
Make beading kits with your left-over sand beads and give these kits away as gifts.
Add other natural beads like shells and tiny pieces of drift wood to make a real beachy necklace.
Sell your sand bead jewelry to people at the beach.

Visual Splendor

What’s Inside My Cigar Box?

08/16/2010

Why would you want to know WHAT’S IN MY CIGAR BOX?

You know how many ladies magazines feature what’s in “their” handbag? I decided it was time to go through some goodies of mine from childhood and feature what might be hiding inside. As you can see, 80s toys, accessories (my necklace collection!), scented-erasers and rainbows. I also had a major obsession with Minnie Mouse and her cat Figaro.

Same song, different verse. As much as I’ve changed in some ways, I’m still the same in others.

See my collection of twist-up necklaces? My favorite one is missing, not sure where or if I can find it! I loved to switch these up with different colors and styles of dresses as a little girl. The one that’s missing had popsicles and beads.

Does anyone remember toting around ‘Pocket Pretties’ ?

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Design Your Life

10 Easy Ways To Be More Eco Friendly

08/13/2010

Being environmentally friendly is big news these days, and here I share with you my top ten tips to be an eco warrior.

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1. Use public transport. Better yet, walk.

It’s an easy one, but it works. It’s stated that New Yorkers save on average $19 billion a year simply by using sustainable transportation. This shows that in addition to being good for the environment, it’s good financially too!

2. Reduce, reuse and recycle.

This is important for so many reasons and it takes just a tiny bit of extra effort. From saving habitat destruction to reducing pollution caused by waste, the advantages of this are huge.

3. Eat locally sourced produce.

Visit your local farm shop or farmers market. Not only is the food from there more eco friendly, it’s healthier, tastes better and is often inexpensive!

4. Use both sides of paper.

I am guilty of this one, but it’s such a simple way to help cut down on deforestation!

5. Use canvas bags when shopping.

There really is no excuse for not implementing this one. Everyone uses them now, even super models like Kate Moss have been snapped with them!

6. Wear extra clothing rather than turn up the heating.

It’s so simple yet so easily effective.

7. Download music, rather than buying CDs.

It cuts out on waste and is so much better for the environment.

8. Switch everything off at the plugs every night.

This can save a huge amount of wasted energy and takes just a few seconds!

9. Refill water bottles.

Refilling water bottles rather than buying more each day cuts down on waste and is way better for the environment!

10. Use rechargeable batteries.

This can save you money as well as being a step towards being an eco warrior!

So those are my top tips, what are yours?

Mise en Snap Visual Splendor

Mise en Snap: I Love You Alice B. Toklas!

08/10/2010

It’s about time I did another mise-en-snap!

I Love You, Alice B. Toklas is a deliciously tacky film from 1968 that parodies the 1960s counterculture. I watched it once and didn’t really pay attention.. the next time I saw everything and couldn’t stop laughing. (I always get a little mesmerized by 60s decor, trying to find ways to incorporate the hippie’s lounge pad into a family home.) The film is directed by Hy Averback and stars Peter Sellers and Leigh Taylor-Young (in her film debut). It features music by Harpers Bizarre, including the theme song that I still cannot stop singing — haha!

The title is a reference to writer Alice B. Toklas, who wrote a recipe for making cannabis Brownies released in 1954. I had the pleasure of learning about Alice B. Toklas and Gertrude Stein during a college Hemmingway class and trip to Paris — they were both pretty cool cats.

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everything = black&white
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the herse
holy herse!
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daisy wheels
big brother
nancy
nancy smoking
the butterfly
fudge brownies
alice b. toklas brownies
alice b. toklas brownie mix
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nancy's castle
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Magazine Clips Visual Splendor

Japanese Magazine Clippings: Happy and Free

08/04/2010

I’m starting off Wednesday with another Japanese Magazine Clipping Inspiration Board. I’m really loving the 80s-kiddie style they’re bringing back in Japan (as well as Fairy-Kei!) — it’s really exciting for a candy girl like me.

I used to only want to have had kids if I could have them in the late 70s/80s (haha) because everything is so magical then. Don’t you agree?

I’m also so glad they’re re-releasing all the 80s character designs in Japan again, too! It’s like they took a page from the 90s-Miseducated book.. 80s nostalgia & rainbows obsession.

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Design Your Life Thankful for Monday

Thankful for Monday: Feeling Wonky

08/01/2010

Hello, candylanders! Fear not for I did not and could not forget you. *majorsensoryoverload* My time is much more precious with baby girl around, I feel she deserves every waking moment and I seem to have no problem at all giving them to her!

hair bun
I’ve started a new artist project and have been scanning my old sketch/inspiration book.

Changes

Life always changes.. and the past sometimes seems amazing when you try to reminiscence about it.. but in reality you had problems then too. When you’re thinking about how wonderful things used to be you’re probably only focusing on the negatives now.. what what about the positives? I have to say I love changes because although I think I hate them and would want to be a child of the 80s forever — they’re amazing. Life changes all the time and you just have to enjoy each and every part… You only live them once!

You're my Candy Bunny
A print I made for Colette before she was born.

Japanese Fashion Magazines

So I’ve been away from all of my goodies (aka: loot) for quite awhile now.. it’s all still boxed and labeled nicely in storage until we move. I miss it so much! I’m probably going to do an *obsessedwithjunk* post when we move and photo-shoot everything I always took for granted!

I again remember why I miss Japan and the life I had there.. so amazing and filled with health, good food and happiness. The magazines take me back to a time when I surrounded myself with everything adorable, bright and colorful so that I wouldn’t focus on the bad. I tried to focus on cute things that made me feel happy (my Hello Kitty and Sanrio goodies go back to 1981!) and squeal. Japan makes that world of cute lifestyle real to me, I feel so at peace and home when I’m sleeping there.

On a really materialistic note I miss the stores, clothes, magazines and food a lot, too. These magazines are like rainbow soup for my candy-lovers soul.

Sketching

I love sketching once more. When I started painting again recently for a show I found my sketching skills as shaky as ever and I decided to start perfecting them again for this artist feature I’m participating in. I cannot WAIT to show you because I have some great ideas!
😉 I’m doing a sort of a scrapbook in my notebooks as well.

Cotton Candy

I think that with a name like fairy floss this candy pretty much speaks for itself. It’s sweet and flavored (if you’re lucky) sugar melted and dried by a cooling fan. Usually it’s melt-on-your-fingers pink and lick-your-lips blue. I had to go to the local fair recently to snag a monster-sized bag, no questions asked!

FAMILY

The little family I have makes me happiest of all. If I didn’t have them I would be a lot crazier than I am now! 😉 Ben has always been amazing to me and Colette makes me smile more than I ever thought I could! Everyday with them is the best day.

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Old inspiration sketch.