Vacation Pink

My brother introduced me to a new artist (new for me, not sure how long he’s been painting). The idea of painting portraits in nontraditional colors isn’t new but it’s always interesting to see different artists’ versions of the method. Here is one by Francoise Nielly. More can be seen at http://www.francoise-nielly.com

I love portraits that convey believable emotion. I wonder if he photographed his subject first or just painted from something in his head or had her pose…

Lastly, I incidentally (or maybe subconsciously)bought some cheap lipstick yesterday in the same shade of this girl’s. I call it “vacation pink”.

Multi-function Fashion

I sometimes wonder how design could change the world.

A coat that doubles as a sleeping bag.

This is a really interesting article about some design students helping the homeless community through innovative design.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/01/fashion/young-designers-focus-efforts-on-homeless-population-in-detroit.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=arts

Funny pants

Does it get any classier than taking pictures of yourself in a bathroom? Had to show off these Army green silk pants i got at a J crew sample sale. Theyre kind of weird but also kind of awesome. Im liking bright accents again muted/neutral colors right now. Spring is coming.

James John.

Remembering my grandfather James who would have been 86 today. He was an opinionated man with a feisty temper and a wide smile. We played checkers and went to the zoo together. He introduced me to coffee to which I have since developed a complete addiction. I called him “Thata” and he called me m’ija. If being stubborn is an inherited quality, I know where I got my streak. I loved him.

Here’s a photo of him (on the right) from his years as a dashing salior in the Navy.

JJB.

Degas/Elie Saab

Majestic sapphire blues from Elie Saab's Spring/Summer collection.

From E. Degas' "Bather Series"

Dali + J Crew

Girl from Figueres by Salvador Dali

A favorite look from J Crew Spring/Summer 2012

Max

Chapel day means bow ties. All the girls are gonna want to sit with this handsome man sporting his from J Crew.

Black, White and Nude.

Writing about this painting for a modern art class I’m taking.

"Untitled" by Franz Kline, 1955

Love this elegant and unconventional dress. See more of the collection here.

from Vera Wang's 2012 Fall bridal collection.

p.s. I’m really excited to see if I get more hits than normal because I used the word “nude” in my post’s title. Shameless, I know.

Colors I’m wearing.

This is my first year wearing orange. This scarf was a gift and I love it. It's the perfect accent for black and white.

Really bright hues like this traditionally ugly yellow. Paired with a neutral like grey or black keeps it classy.

Black. Less often then during the fall. Have a vest like this one from American Apparel that is fun to layer with.

All shades of grey

Socks and Sandals.

Believe it or not, socks and sandals can be worn together and look good. There’s just a couple things to keep in mind:
1. Chunkier socks go with chunkier sandals.

See? Nicely done.

2. Color is good!

Cuffed pants seem to work especially well with the whole socks and sandals thing...

3. Socks and heels can dress up or dress down.

I love when dresssed-up meets dressed-down.

4. There is nothing serious about socks being worn with heels and/or sandals. This should be kept in mind. Be a little silly.

Fun.