Minimalism vs Hoarding and Decadent Interior

09/24/2009

If I could just… if this was.. it still doesn’t *feel* right!

I’m often finding myself stuck when designing new layouts for Miseducated — it started so collage heavy as I was using tons and tons of popular icons.. then I started seeing the collage thing EVERYWHERE and it was feeling cluttered so I obviously cut it down… :p I always feel that deconstructing and ridding of any excess is a positive thing.

Now why is this?

My room was very cluttered as a child and I hoped for a day when I would have my own modern, minimalist house.

As you can see my minimalism kind of lost the battle with whimsical nonsense and fantasy candylands. Obviously I find my *greatest* satisfaction in cuteness, well-designed, minimal yet colorful homes (Jeu de Paumes went RIGHT UP my alley, didn’t they yours? ^_~).

.. but is deleting and deconstructing making it better really? Is it just my fucked up sense of things?

I *know* hoarding isn’t healthy, it’s very hard to overcome like any addiction… so does that mean that minimalism is the goal? We simply *must* know! I’m very familiar with hoarding regarding my own life and have studied it extensively in my obsession with psychology and helping myself and those around me.

(… and while we’re at it, why do you *insist* on using asterisks *everywhere*?!

Because I often despise italics, use bold for other things and have a strange need to use the only flower on my keyboard over and over and over! As well as inserting random thoughts that have no relevance to the subject at hand –if anything this NEGATES minimalism–because of course, I am a crazy rambler. With all positives come negatives. ^_~)

Hoarding

Hoarding is the excessive collection of items, along with the inability to discard them.
Hoarding, also called compulsive hoarding and compulsive hoarding syndrome, can be a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
People who hoard often don’t see it as a problem, making treatment challenging.
– Mayo Clinic

Minimalism

A twentieth century art movement and style stressing the idea of reducing a work of art to the minimum number of colors, values, shapes, lines and textures. – ArtLex

Funny thing is.. minimalism is many times regarded as ‘rejective art’ and I think of it as ‘perfective’ art — it’s a very tough thing to master correctly — it can be done both very right and very wrong.

A minimal lifestyle… now that’s exactly what I admire. When applying the rules of minimalism to your life and home it helps a lot if you’re moving (I was) or organizing absolutely everything — it’s good to do yearly (*spring*cleaning)!

1. Evaluate your possessions that sit on shelves.
2. Find a place for everything.
3. Enjoy what you have.
– Christian PF

Zakka

Another design movement, but in Japan. Generally means improving your environment and seeing beauty in the mundane.

When I see zakka it reminds me almost of a minimalist cuteness and innocence, it is completed with the sweet kitschy illustrations and/or designs that are *just enough* to add color and sweetness into the room. It’s very natural and inspired by country lifestyle.

Which lifestyle do you lean towards? 😉

Gallery

Merci: Landscape Online, Momoy, Christopher Coleman, Elidur, Homepic, SoSuperSam, BKK Home, Zakka Candy

1 Comment

Mew for Today Visual Splendor

Mew for Today: Japanese Lifestyle Goods

09/21/2009

Mmmmmm.. what’s that smell? Is it rice cakes? Deliciously sweet and fruity shaved ice? Perhaps Lollipop icecream from Baskin Robbins? Flavors stacked in neat little balls to the sky? We must be shopping in Japan.. I often spend as much of my money on the arcade, treats and nonsense junk than I do on anything that anyone else would appreciate.

.. but who cares! It’s my life right?

I know the love for adorably cute things doesn’t translate well to everyone.. I know I’m expected to finally grow out of pigtails at 24.. have I? No.. but I know what’s expected of me and I choose to be myself because I am miseducated and I am inspired by all sorts of funny, little things.

One of my favorite past times would have to be skipping around Japanese department stores alone when I lived in Tokyo.. I used to escape the busy chaos of living and find hours upon hours I could spend visiting each little section of the wonderland lifestyle playgrounds we’ll call, Japanese department stores.

The department stores in Tokyo tend to be an accumulation of colorful masses (selectively arranged, mind you) of little shops and stands in malls — in these shops you’ll find delicious interior accessories, diy inspirations, office supplies, health and beauty goods, it’s unending! A maze of wonder!

You generally have to check your purchases out in each shop/section and will receive a bag containing your purchases nicely taped shut so that you may take it on your continuing store journey.. when I say stands I mean exquisite stores, Vivienne Westwood scarves and Shisheido makeup, San-x, Sanrio, Daisy Lovers, the top products in Japan for display and sale. It’s like a museum of lifestyle inspiration.. it makes me feel invigorated and creative after a visit where many American stores leave me feeling drained and exhausted. I just had to pass on the favor to my wonderful readers and inspire their day in even the littlest way. 😉

Note that these, are Japanese wedding favors and absolutely adorable yet still aesthetically pleasing. Not to mention very easy to match with any chosen color palette!

My absolute favorite type of balloons ever! Reminds me of cute, kiddy, popadelic 80s Valentine’s parties; it just so happened my birthday was the day before Valentine’s day so I never had a shortage of cute heart decor to choose from!

1 Comment

DIY

Customizing a New Home

08/25/2009

Turning your apartment, house or beach-side bungalow into a home? I’ve moved a lot only recently. After being smothered in a small-town, for way too long, I was ready for new adventures and surroundings. First I lived with a family in my heart*throb, japan. Then we moved around in Indiana’s capital delicious wonderland city Indianapolis, from downtown apartment to east-side apartment. During the summers, I shack up with my lovely best friend in California and always find new places and friends to love. I’ve found amazing people I want to forever keep in my life (there are still many years for us to end up together) and I knew if I explored to find my own paradise in the US I would be truly at peace with my world. (I still plan to visit Japan always until I finally accept a job there -why don’t you???- and live my dreams)

So we’re picking up and moving again! This time to a paradise we fell in love with together, Nevada. Now Las Vegas is a kitschy tourist attraction, mind you, but there are always amazing things going on that you can be involved in, it’s not far from L.A. and the sunshine replenishes your body with Vitamin D as well as inspires your mind to produce melatonin.

The most important thing about a new home is what new whimsical world will unfold as I place items around and attempt to customize my surroundings (this gets tough in city apartments!). In case you need a kick start or just a push in a new direction, enjoy the inspiration and let your home drink it up!

Let’s Get Started!

Need some furniture or decor inspiration? Take a look at the resources listed at the end of the article.
Be sure to hit up local thrift stores and flea markets, you could find delectable art-deco, mid-century and antique goodies to paint/ design for your home for a fraction of the cost of most designer deco. One of a kind items are always smile inducers while lounging in your quarters.

With some sanding and a few coats of glossy enamel you can turn a sad, chipped and rusty 60s wall shelf into a new sleek treasure.

Starting to see endless possibilities in creating your ultimate wonderland on earth?

Yummy Inspiration & Boutiques

Urban Outfitters: Apartment
Brocade Home
IKEA
Mason Reve
The Paris Apartment
Espirit Cabane
Jeu de Paumes Books
Three Potato Four
Decor8 Blog
Design*Sponge

Miseducated Articles

A Spare Roomedy
Apartment Seventy-Seven
Pretty on Penn St
Home in South Korea
Interiors of Amelie
Gwen Stefani’s Chic Space
Lala’s Kitschy Paradise

3 Comments

Visual Splendor

Pretty on Penn St Apartment Tour

08/11/2009

A gem hidden downtown was this adorable little city building. Upon entry the antique tile floors, mail room, paneled walls and arched ceilings made way for a lovely place to collect your mail from the original mailboxes.

Inside the hardwood gave way to seats and built-in walls waiting side by side for someone to take a rest and gave up the staircase to the chandelier above. Four of the bottom apartments were 2-story with staircases inside, it happened that ours had a spiral staircase just waiting for Hobbes to run up and down every step. The staircase curled into a small, basement living room and kitchen, above, by the entry door, was a bathroom to the left and a bedroom to the right. The bedroom was complete with vintage, original window facing towards the spiral stairs that lead below. A landing facing built-in shelves and windows with plenty of sill for plants and kitties to sunbathe on. This was my favorite apartment because it was absolutely made for us! Without ample storage it was nearly impossible to grow in the teeny, tiny adorable apartment (we are now with Chihuahua!).

4 Comments

Visual Splendor

Remembering Rainbowlicious and 1990s Web Design

08/09/2009

My beautiful, creative best friend and maid of honor happens to also be the queen bee of whimsy online in the late 90s. If you don’t remember her because you aren’t a computer geek artist, then you definately missed out on a piece of bubble gum ball history that you’ll never be able to get back. Because she was so often direct linked, she allowed no direct linking.. so her websites aren’t even on the wayback archive! I had to dig deep into the depths of cat*e//Miseducated rainbow, stuffed old skool folders. This was quite a treat of course because I am a nostalgia whore and cannot relish in the colorful creations that we once lived for enough. (don’t look in my closets, Rainbow Brite dolls are stuffed in there waiting to be loved)

Kimi, the girl who forever has my heart:

From the mouth of the kitten of a different flavor comes some bits and pieces that were on Kimi’s collective from waybackwhen complete with everything cute, sweet and colorfully perfect. Absolutely no one could compete with the queen of the eye candied, pixel perfect palaces. Enjoy these images and descriptions by kimikat herself and immerse yourself in delish 90s web nostalgia.

luna’s luna page

..my very first page, established in january 97, and to my knowledge is the very first sailormoon website made entirely by one of the feline persuasion, that of course being my very talented and MUCH*ly* loved luna daisy =)

not just a sailormoon site, luna’s page includes a cornucopia *hehe!* of kitty information, and tons of interactive activities ^_^ plus a good dose of moonkitty madness!

this page started out on geocities of course and remained there for over 2 years until rescued by the amazingly wonderful cheerbear*chibiness we all call coki!! =) coki has saved me from a ton of popup ads and headaches, and has become a wikked friend as well *waves!!*

i have the most fun with luna’s page and it really is my true love out of them all ^*^ i update it daily for the most part 🙂 you can read more about luna’s page if you’d like to here (link closed).

Rainbowlicious

..this is my (kimikats!) personal page, one that i left neglected for ages and am finally getting around to revamping and resituating 🙂 if you want to see just how messed up i am in the head, this is the perfect place to do just that! ^*^ being messed up in the head is a good thing by the way .. just so you know =)

most might be surprised to find out i’m not some 13 year old playing with mind expanding drugs but am actually in my mid 20’s, i was a preschool teacher at one time, and before that … well i’m not saying *lol* .. though above all, i’m just a twisted lil raver girl from los angeles :))

Diana’s Divine Designs

..my lil free graphics shop, consisting mostly of insane/neon/daisy/sanrio-ish backgrounds and also includes a ‘topsy turvey table tutorial’ 🙂 started on easter day 99, for a couple of reasons; one being just to help out others and spread some of my trippy lil backgrounds around. ive never been sure why, but some people seem to like my loud graphics and the requests for a place like this was overwhelming, with sometimes over 10 mails a day asking for just such a thing!! and secondly, heck, it was easter!! and i simply didnt have any eggs to pass around ^_^

thank you for stopping by to peer into the world of luna*C! =) if anyone actually reads all this, i’ll be one happy kitten! =^*^= and if not, ah well bonnebell, i had fun writing it =) call me easily amused but hey… and if your amused just as easily, then you’ll REALLY enjoy the pages in luna*C to a tee!!
*giggles on her caffeine high and waves!*

Quilting Bee

Everyone’s favorite community in the old skool web days! Swapping patched with friends to build a colorful and unique quilt you were to display on your website in a super special space!

Leave XOXOs for Kimi

Simply post the link to an image/graphic or message you’d like Kimi to have or that you made inspired by her to your reply and submit! It’s that easy! .. and soon we’ll be gazing upon your delicious art~ the very best, most eye-popping gifts will be specially displayed here for the kitty kat queen herself!

ALL gif graphics used in the article are (c) Kimi/kimikat, keep stickypaws clean.

25 Comments

Self Decoration

Trendspotting Street Fashion in Seoul

07/21/2009

I’m a Seoul lover. I love the flashing neon lights, the festive nightlife spirit, the glossy black Asian hair and the noteworthy combinations of layered clothing adorning every person’s body. Seoul, South Korea, is a fashion mega-center, chock full of flow-y summer dresses, flashy jeans, oversized bags, chic ensembles and a hefty supply of non-prescription glasses added to make an outfit complete.

It’s a place where you can wear whatever your heart desires and only be viewed as that much cooler (so long as it’s not dowdy slacks and mustard-stained tee’s, of course). You can wear 3-inch stiletto’s with cut off sweat pants and look fashion-savvy. Or, you can throw on a rainbow-colored skirt over a pair of lime green jeans and top it off with magenta leggings. And if you’re into sophisticated chic, there’s nothing wrong with a solid dress and sunglasses that take up half your face.

The fashion possibilities are endless in Seoul. Here’s a taste to get your mouth watering. Caution: Devour slowly.

2 Comments

Design Your Life

What Life Should a 20-Something Live?

04/23/2009

I am a twenty-four year old woman and I don’t know what I want to be, do or where I want to live when I grow up. Sound familiar? Lately I’ve spoken to a lot of girl friends and women and have found they all have questions and concerns about the life they have chosen and the lifestyles they are living. Women have more choices than their mothers and grandmothers, they have a choice to be whoever they want to be, to live however they want to live. This also makes for more stress, what if you miss your chance? What if you wake up when you’re 60 and realize you didn’t achieve any of your main goals and choices? Possibilities are endless. Lately ladies have been finding economic stresses and lifestyle decisions that leave them in shells, filled with questions. How can you decide how to live your life when you can’t even afford to live it? Will you marry? Start family? Start a business? Travel the world and write a novel? Record a demo and play your songs live? Redesign a product? Help people in some way? Whatever you life you create, build it — be conscious you’re always changing and you’re always molding your life into the life of your dreams. If you’re not happy where you are after honestly questioning yourself, find new routes, question yourself about new goals and dreams, make steps to create the life you want and that life will be yours.

DIY Lifestyle

Step 1: What is my lacking in? What is abundant in my life?
Step 2: What is my dream life and what goals do I want to achieve in life?
Step 3: How can I achieve these goals? (even if you’re not sure, quite a lot of resources are available for us to research possibilities)
Step 4: Make conscious efforts, daily, to create that life and achieve those goals. Talk to people doing what you want to do, tell them you admire them and get advice.
Step 5: Continue working towards and gaining the benefits of your dream lifestyle.

Lifestyle Inspiration

Is it most important to you to do what you want to do, live where you want to live or to live with whom you want to live with?

Lifestyle Q&A

Reply or contact us for questions and comments regarding this article~ Please communicate with us if you do not want your questions/comments to show here after discussed and answered.

* The photo above was taken by myself in Hello Kitty’s house (Puroland, Japan).

0 Comments

Crafts DIY

Create Your Own Mosaic Frame

04/14/2009

Before you begin

Choose boxes or frames “unfinished”; paint them with acrylic paint gold or silver (or whatever color you want, depending on your color scheme) just to have a base for the tiles to stick to. I don’t like to show raw wood between tiles because I don’t use grout in between the tiles (too messy and may scratch). Paint back and edges.

Supplies

Polymer clay (various colors)
Acrylic roller and/or pasta machine
Cookie cutters and craft blade
Stamps ( rubber or any texture you find around your house)
Acrylic paint and brushes
Metallic powders
Varnish for polymer clay
Glue (Liquid nails or Weldbond are good)
Oven (don’t use you home oven)

Creating Mosaics

Paint white tiles as if they were little canvases using acrylic paint.. get creative! Use more than one color. Paint a single tile with multi colors or a landscape, try to make small pictures.. tell a story.

Mosaics with Texture

Cut the polymer clay until desired thickness, approx. 3mm ( see picture ). Gently stamp with your texture (I use toy palms in this case, you can use any texture like buttons, stamps, texture sheet, etc ). You can use mica powders or metallic powders to enhance the texture, then cut my tiles with the cookie cutters or a blade (squares are easy to arrange on you frame). I bake them following the instructions for the polymer clay brand. I don’t like to use a regular oven (fumes).

Mosaics with Stamps

Paint white tiles with acrylic paint, before they dry gently stamp them, it will take the paint off the tile creating a negative image of the stamp. Use rubber stamps for this and wash them after each use.

Making the Mosaic Mirror

I classify the mosaics by color, so they are easy to arrange when designing the mirror.
Arrange tiles on the frame as a puzzle and when you like the composition glue each tile. You may use ceramic tiles, milagros, beads, etc. just to have different textures and fill spaces when I don’t find the correct size of tile.
The last step is varnishing the tiles.

Use your imagination and have fun!

5 Comments

Mise en Snap Visual Splendor

Mise en Snap: White Oleander and DIY Inspiration

01/15/2009

I had the luck of watching one of my favorites recently and decided to take photos of more delicious mise-en-scenes to oogle at later and to show you. This movie was originally a novel by Janet Fitch and was later -after being turned into a screen play- directed by Peter Kosminsky. Although movies from books are commonly *sniffle* trash this one was quite good and had more than a few visual gems for me to appreciate. I believe it should not remain unsaid that the lovely Alison Lohman is absolutely perfection on screen here, either, just as much perfection as Michelle Pfeiffer is (in the movie) and still just beginning to sparkle into a star. It is about how toxic a mother and daughter relationship can sometimes be.

*hint* make your own lovely goodies and sell them at a local market stall 😮

Suitcase your Memories

movie inspiration
The character’s suitcase art was really interesting to me as well, they were almost like collages and memory jars as an art form within old suitcases. Why not try to find a cheap, old suitcase at your local thrift store and create a very large sort of locket of a favorite memory or time in your life? Add scraps from it, sketches, drawings, everything you don’t want to lose. Decorate it with colors, patterns, words, letters, paintings, textures.. open it and put these special items on display whenever you’re feeling nostalgic rather than keeping them tucked into a jewelry box and rarely admired.

Amazon.com Widgets

3 Comments

Design Your Life

On Being Miseducated for Life

01/03/2009

Sure, why not. So the word LIFE is a little loaded, or scary, or both. A lifestyle and way of living… that’s really a bizarre thing for women to grasp sometimes. When you wake up a little hungover and your mascara has smeared across your pillow, is that a lifestyle? We’re not all mothers, homemakers, students, wives, career-driven, party girls, crafty mavens, so why accept Miseducated so freely into our life and mantras? Well don’t unless you feel you’re a little conventionally different, your lifestyle is a little odd but that’s what makes it rad.

There is no necessary reason to sprinkle the table as well as your cocoa. There is no need for a tiny, pink lamp that releases such a faint fairy glow so that you can hardly see your hand in front of your face at night. These are the lovely pieces that nestle within your life, they add a sense of nostalgia, whimsy and they make you smile.

Now, some tips for making your life and your home a little bit more Miseducated whilst in the lifestyle battle of deciding what you’ll do once you actually have clean laundry…

Miseducating your Life Tips

When you finish making your cocoa, whether pink or not, top with a few sprinkles. Add more happy hues into your world where they are sparse. Colors affect your mood but it doesn’t mean a little more here and there isn’t perfectly acceptable. I’m telling you it is.

Before bed and after a bubble bath or shower, grab some of your favorite scented lotion and rub it all over your body excluding your face! Keep a bottle in your night stand for just this purpose. While you sleep your body sweats and leaves the scent behind, your bedsheets however will smell like your favorite delicious lotion when you jump in next!

When choosing home decor don’t stick with safe, muted colors. Choose your favorite colors, choose bases you feel comfortable with, such as black and white or chocolate brown, and add accents of your favorites everywhere. Each and every table, shelf and desk are stylized scenes you have created, feel free to nestle glass bottles of your colors and candles, knick knacks. Hit the antique shops or your local thrift store for some unique, inexpensive finds.

Hide tiny positive fortunes (from fortune cookies, of course!), pictures and notes in numerous, unexpected places around your home. You’ll find these and smile later.

Remember, your creativity can only be expressed by you. Stay tuned for more nonsensical tips in the future.

2 Comments

Older Posts

Newer Posts