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Event Features Visual Splendor

See You at Small Gift, Big Smile in LA!

11/10/2010
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So if you know anything about the creator of Miseducated you know that she is absolutely obsessed with cuteness of all kinds. Especially the kind she grew up with, the kind that wove a magical world for her to live in when she wanted to leave the real world behind. THAT’S RIGHT, I’M TALKING ABOUT SANRIO.

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My love for Sanrio knows no boundries.
I have a Sanrio domain and blog that none of you even know about! LOL!
I had to go to Japan and devote a lot of my time to Puroland, Hello Kitty and other Sanrio cuteness.
I spend all of my spare money on Sanrio.
My home has no Sanrio boundries.. (my husband just deals with it, LOL)
Now that I have a daughter I spend my spare money buying her cute Sanrio goodies.

Sanrio is celebrating their 50th anniversary at Small Gift in Los Angeles as well as other places around the USA with the Small Gift Mobile Pop-Up Shop Tour October – December 2010.

See me at both the Sanrio VIP Party (on the 11th) and the Sanrio Nerd Party (on the 13th) and don’t be too shy to say hello! If you can’t make it, stay tuned for reports on all of the cuteness!

Right now myself and a few friends are planning some VERY EXCITING and CUTE outfits, all Sanrio theme of course. We’re dressing as characters and I cannot wait to show you.

Learn more here at the official website.

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80s Escapeland

1980s Toy Box: Poochie by Mattel

11/07/2010

It’s time again for another of those absolutely pointless posts that allow me to relish in the visual deliciousness of popular icons from my childhood.

I’m planning a whole slew of updated posts filled with nonsense information about the adorable icons of our past. If you lived in the 80s as a kid you’ll probably enjoy it as well.

Our first feature is Poochie. I had the cartoons and stationary.. it makes my heart go to a special place when I see things I loved as a child. Everything is colorful, cute and so very magical. I love feeling like that. Like anything is possible!

How does your childhood nostalgia make you feel?

Who is Poochie?

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In the early 1980s Poochie was introduced by Mattel. She’s the cute poodle with hot pink hair and purple sunglasses who worked as an advice columnist whenever her owner was away. Sounds like an early blogger with a flare for fashion to me~

Although she was once very popular in North America she had her greatest marketing success in Italy and other parts of Europe. It’s very common to see Poochie items and ad prints in Italian!

Poochie, is it really you?
Sitting at the top knowing what to do
Poochie, now I understand–
how you’re always there with a helping hand.

Oh boy, it’s not so far away
I know you’ll be there come one day

Poochie is it really you…

Poochie Television Special

Poochie Commercials

Event Features Visual Splendor

The Barbie Fashion Experience in Indianapolis

11/06/2010
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So I took a trip to the Barbie Fashion Experience which is a current exhibit at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.

I brought my nephew along to the museum but he opted to skip the Barbie part. I reminded him that males are also designers but he was much more interested in the dinosaur exhibit. So interested that we had to see it twice. 😉

Not only did the exhibit feature Barbie displays (through the years) and one of a kind fashions crafted for her by designers such as Betsey Johnson and Nicole Miller, BUT it inspired children to create their own Barbie fashions.

Each station had miniature mannequins arranged in front of each chair for fashion designing in a flash. Children were everywhere, surrounded by their parents, as they created Barbie’s next new look.

Way to go, Mattel!
Your exhibit made my day because it inspired and excited so many little minds! 😉

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green barbie by betsey johnson

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pinkalicious in our size

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Escapeland Giveaway

Our Very First Etsy Goodie Bag Giveaway WINNER

10/04/2010

CONGRATULATIONS to the winner, Kate Barber!

(and a HUGE thank you to everyone who entered)

An ezine about this and other new features was sent to all fans on Facebook, if you would like to receive these rare but important messages and are not a member of Facebook you may also submit your email address.

Stay tuned for another exciting giveaway coming up soon!

[Giveaway Closed: Sep 24th]

Hello and welcome to the second ever Miseducated Giveaway! We plan to have these much more often, it’s been way too long! Check out the details here.

We wanted to especially thank our readers and guests for being so creatively cute and wonderful to us everywhere we go. The truth is giveaways are a great way to find new friends and readers and to expose them to new and seasoned artists. We select our giveaways from our favorite handmade art shops, antique shops and more.

The Prize

You can win a Hello Kitty tote bag filled with handmade and diy goodies from great sellers on Etsy!

giveaways

1. Sweet Star and Strawberry accessories from Strawberry Latte

On hold for alidahb

2. Limited Edition Miseducated Deericorn pendant

Original DEERICORN Pendant - limited edition-1 Original DEERICORN Pendant - limited edition

3. Victorian Spats by Mademoiselle Mermaid

Victorian Spats with Bows in Oatmeal by Mademoiselle Mermaid-1 Victorian Spats with Bows in Oatmeal by Mademoiselle Mermaid-2

4. Paper glittery macarons by PaperCakes

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5. Postcard set by Amber&Co with cupcake pencils

6. Bag o’ kitsch charms, beads and goodies to get your DIY tastebuds wet especially from Miseducated

The Rules

To enter simply leave one comment below, make sure to include a correct email address in case you win. This giveaway expires in a week on Friday, September 24th and the winner will be chosen at random and will be announced on Monday, October 4th. All readers, including international readers, are welcome and encouraged to participate!

Bonus Entries

All entries will be checked for accuracy!
+1 Entry: Become a fan of Miseducated on Facebook and add a comment below announcing you’ve done so.

+1 Entry: Subscribe to our blog by using Google or another reader and let us know by leaving a comment below.

+1 Entry: Link to Miseducated on your blog and comment with the link here.

+1 Entry: Feature this giveaway on your blog (or tell others about it) and let us know here.

If you would like to be featured in a future giveaway, let us know and Miseducated might purchase something from your shop for our next goodie bag!

Thanks so much for all of your support.

Event Features Visual Splendor

Sweet Streets LA Brings Kawaii Home to Play

09/25/2010
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I’m happy to show you a little glimpse of the amazing exhibition of Sweet Streets (a Harajuku Kawaii Experience!) in Los Angeles at Gallery Nucleus by my sweet friend, Caro. (Yes, I designed that shockingly bright logo.)

Sweet Streets features an array of magnificent artists inspired by Japanese street fashion. The event featured a fashion show with our favorite sensational shop, 6%DOKIDOKI.

Caro wants to bring the magic of Japan to the States and I’m absolutely thrilled about it. It’s one of my own missions in life and I’m so excited to join her in the inspiration melt-down.

I wish I could buy each and every Miseducated visitor a ticket to Tokyo so you could revel in the inspiration found in every corner and under every stone. Maybe someday? Thanks to Caro you can experience Japan and Harajuku style right here in the States!

All photos of Sweet Streets were taken by BigWhiteBazooka, Tadatime and LA Weekly. Do to my little pregnancy circumstance I could not tear myself away long enough to enjoy the exhibition but I’ll be better prepared next time.

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The photos below are by LA Weekly.

Sweet Streets II @ Gallery Nucleus
Lookie who it is! — our good friend, Maria of Locketship donning unicorns as cutely as possible~
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Some more cute friends you might recognize, the 6%DOKIDOKI shop girls!

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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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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alice b. toklas brownie mix
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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!

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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.