Drawing of an Old Era

 Rolling up my sleeves and using a few personal obsessions to start chipping my through a personal fear.

The obsessions: a love of early 20'th century illustration. More specifically the racy kind of tricolor proto pin ups that would appear in magazines like "La Vie Parisienne" or "Le Sourire" during the late 1910's-early 1920's, and of course all things rococo, (something those illustrators were pretty obsessed with as well, vive la panniers! ).

The fear: Drawing again after not having drawn anything of any scope in a good few years.

See I have a background in fine art. Got my degree in it, been studying it most of my life. But as drawing became a smaller part of my job, I fell into a lapse. Then after few years, became almost deathly afraid of what I would see on the page when I finally put a pencil to it again.

This past week though like I say, I finally plucked up the nerve and the pencils to see just how much rust was sticking up my drawing gears, and I started drawing up some stylized pin ups to get back into figure drawing, and something I love.

(Nerd note:) The backgrounds were loosely based on 18th century pleasure gardens  like Vauxhall and Ranelagh, and the names from breeds of roses.

So obviously the rust is showing, but it wasn't quite the cack handed scrawl II was expecting. things are already starting to free up within just these three. The lines flowing better and becoming more elastic, and things started to become more comfortable. There is hope after all!

Next demon to hopefully be banished by frothy frolicking figures I guess will be painting. The biggest "sucking at stuff I used to rock at" specter of all...

Bumbury Bound

I've managed to get it under control (ish) again, but I'm crippled with a long term Animal Crossing addiction. I've been shaking down trees (suck it tree), and digging up fossils since the 1st game came out in 2002. But the newest incarnation, Animal Crossing New Leaf has left me useless. I mean this time around I'm the mayor you guys! I can't sit back and expect Tortimer to take care of things, I'm dragging the town of Bumbury from forest squats to forest splendor! I... I... I have a problem...


So yeah this game came out over a month ago, so old news. But I've been playing since then so where was the time to blog about it going to come from? (That's right it wasn't.) After chewing my nails waiting for this game to come out for what feels like a lifetime, it ended up one of those great moments in life where fulfillment totally lived up to expectations.

This time around there are so many things to do. Muck about on a tropical island with actual real life friends (I still have those if they pay animal crossing too),  play hide and seek with my townies, build stuff, make clothes, and there are squeaky hammer toys! Yup finally a game that fully captures all the chores of my daily life in virtual life! 

Most of all I'm really enjoying customizing my town. Making my own little world to run around in, and clothes for my alter ego mayor Lady☆Bro, and pals, you have so much more control to make the game personal in new leaf. 

Also happy to have the game back on a portable platform too (pre-ordered the limited edition DS to enjoy this life suck in style!) it just seems like the most natural fit for the game. It's also kinda social now too. You can collect the houses of the players you pass in the street through street pass, and the device connects to various social media to share photos and bitch about townies building their houses in the middle of your carefully planned grand avenue (don't even try it guys!) with other borderline shut ins too.

So anyone else an AC mayor too? Maybe one day we'll streetpass from across a crowded room.

I started a little archive of animal crossing QR codes over on Dolly Daydream, and Tumbling my adventures on my little Bumbury Tumblr and with the Cheetah Gang (all of whom are hilarious!). And of course you can take a peek at my town in the dream suite if you like houses with lot's of pink. 
DC: 5700-2203-2275

Right guys, I have an illuminated heart dedication ceremony to attend, I mean work to do...

Tiny Tree Take Out

Every year right after the cherry blossoms fall, the apple blossom tree in our back garden bursts into life! Spreading a white canopy over my outdoor tea spot, it's one of my favorite couple of weeks during Spring. I'll admit it, I've hugged that tree, and the thought of leaving it behind when we move is one of the things that makes the idea of picking up sticks that little bit harder.

I might not be able to take the whole tree with me, but maybe, just maybe I can take the son of apple blossom with me?

Out and about town this past week with my sister and her awesome fella, we stopped by the national arboretum to take in the spring blossoms and national bonsai museum. Tucked in one of the twists and turns of their bonsai collection (which is breathtaking by the way!), was this incredible little apple blossom  bonsai! Perhaps fate? I've always wanted to grow a bonsai tree, and what better way to take my favorite tree with me? Right now I have a few cuttings lined up around the house, and going to also try growing from seed once the big tree produces fruit, as well as some late summer cuttings further down the line.basically I;m trying everything for the best chance of there being at least one that will make it to become a tree.

A great site my sister's fella, out pal and bonsai enthusiast Martin put me onto is this one bonsai4me.com, it has some great information of just about every stage. Beyond that crossing my fingers for tiny tree success, just think of the decorative and DIY possibilities in this amazing living art form?

Start Today!

Tip of the mountain

Looking back at my new years resolution list from last year, I was a little sad to see I didn't really hit any of them. Some I came close on, and certainly improved in most areas I wanted to, but nothing to a point I felt I could say "yeah! Tick that off!"

The trouble I always face with new years resoloutions is usually two fold. One is that the 'heck yeah new year!' feeling fades before I can really capitalize on it, and the second is that it's usually a lifestyle/situation issue causing the problems I want to resolve in the first place. That's why I decided before making a long term resolutions this year, I chose a big new years action! I still have long term personal goals, but seeing they are the same this year as the last few, just gonna file them under "life" and channel my beginning of 2013 of January motivation into something I can have finished in the 3 weeks it takes most of us to quit the gym. That action? Reclaiming my basement!

With this new space will come the ability to be more organized (every new years resolution box one), give me the space to work on bigger projects (box 2) and through improved organization give me extra time to exercise more (box3). In short when the clock struck midnight and 2013 rolled in, I was still the same person, in the same place as last year. I'm doing something big to make this year start off in a truly different, and once that domino falls hopefully so will the rest.

I'm also working on the usual "lose weight" "get fitter" resolution  it seems everyone else makes this time of year, and been focusing on weeding out the problems that stumped me last year. But that deserves a post all of its own.

How about you guys? Is there something you can dive right into short term as part of the new year to help set you in stead for the next 11 months?

Dance of the Dressmaker

Well guys I took a not so elegant leap this week and went to my first ballet class!

Nikolay Krusser via Dust jacket

When I was a little girl I took ballet classes like just about every little girl. I wasn't very good. To be honest I wanted to throw on a tutu get in some point shoes and twirl like a swan from the get go. My 6 year old brain couldn't fathom all the up, down, plié repetition. So it felt by the side in favor of trampolining (boing!). As an adult however actually getting those boring looking things right takes a lot of effort and concentration (the missing ingredient from 6 year old me!)


I always wanted to do ballet growing up. I'd go to watch the ballet with my dad and my heart would just about burst when the orchestra struck up and the dancers came on stage. I never gave it a go though. I knew I'd never be a dancer like that, and decided I was just to old to even try. I've since learned however that that is bollocks! Ok half bollocks...I really never will be a dancer like the ones I saw at the ballet, I dedicated my life in a different direction, but you really never are too old to enjoy something for your self and get better at something just for the pleasure of learning something different, self improvement, and yeah maybe executing a perfect pirouette at age 50. Because although we might think by the time we're 50 neither we nor anyone else will care, we'd be wrong.  I remember at 18 picking up skateboarding and thinking about how I'd be like, 25 before I'd be any good, and ZOMG so old!

My new ballet shoes

So yeah, for a few years now I made a whole bouquet of excuses, too old, too fat, too unfit, too uncoordinated, but in the end like I say, you really are never too old, and all the rest, just showing up and trying will take them out of the equation. Getting over embarrassment can be hard, but once you take that leap over that one hurdle, who knows what you might be able to enjoy! Me? We'll I'm now a 32 year old beginner ballerina with a great "front attitude" struggling to figure out how to "make my knees point that way". Better than a 32 year old girl signing "I wish I'd tried that".

Operation 2012

Whilst a new year is pretty much the same as any new day, it always feels like a good point for a fresh start.

To blast this year off right, I'm writing down a few things I want to do more of this year to push myself and challenge myself with for a successful, fulfilling 2012!

1. Shameless Self promotion. I have a hard time putting myself forward, but this year I'm going to work harder at promoting myself and my label. I'm starting the year with another bit in Vogue (UK) so that's going to be my starting point!
2. Keep up with blog and zine sites. I have so many things I'd love to share, and so many planned articles from last year that never got written. I hope to try and find more time to work at keeping Quaintrelle Life, Dolly Datdream and even Kanzahicore updated and fun to Visit.
3. Make something crazy. I want to finally invest in an insanely extravagant show piece. I've had ideas for years but always been shy of investing the insane time and capital needed to bring such a project to life.
4. Be more social. I can be a bit of a work hermit online and in person, I'm going to take more time to be a social butterfly and better enjoy the wonderful people and opportunities I have around me. ( all work and no play and all that jazz)
5. More lingerie. I love exquisite underwear, lounge wear, corsets, petticoats, etc... This year I'm going to explore these much deeper and get further in touch with my decadent lacy side!
6. Get fitter. I let a lot slide this past year, but I hope a positive start this year will help me get back on the wagon and take better care of myself. I fell better when I do and it gives me more energy for the things in life I don't neglect.

Every day is a good day to make a resolution, and start making a positive change. We can take a look at ourselves at any point and decide on changes to make our lives more the way we want them to be. I know I'll be finding new resolutions and challenges to take on every day of year, but for right now these are a few of the things I'd like to see and do for myself to make 2012 a collection of days I can look back on happily come 2013 :).

Seersucker Social 2011

Saturday was the big Seersucker Social here in DC, the Summer bike ride and lawn party held by the magnificent Dandies and Quaintrelles up at the Hillwood estate museum. I'm confess to wimping out of the bike ride, but had a smashing time with my fella at the garden party walking round all the gardens, admiring the Post family house and art collections as well as the areas best dressed in their best dresses!

The parts stretched across several of the gardens, with lawn badminton, croquet for anyone feeling "sporty", cocktails and even a wet plate photographer.

The house I had wanted to visit for a long time, so many wonderful 18th century portraits, the opulent decor is a dream, and the tea cups, oh my gosh the tea cups!  I had read up a little on the collection and was still amazed by how much was on display. All the people who worked at the museum were wonderful too, and let me bore them about my necklace :)

Yesterday really was the best day ever to go see the estate, with all the people dresses to the nines, the activities and the music it felt rather like stepping into a Hemingway novel. You could almost believe the house was still lived in and that you were one of the fabulous socialites at one of Mrs Post's gatherings.

Dandy Wellington and the made to fit band MCed and played through out the event. They are a great outfit and worth checking out!


The weather was perfect for this time of year, a mere 82°F,  which was just comfortable enough for all the crinolines I had managed to pull on under my dress! The people there were all so wonderful and friendly it was great meeting so many new people at the event. The afternoon seemed to just fly by, and it was hard to believe we'd been there as long as we had (till I took off the 5" heels I'd been wearing all day, my feet told the story only too well!)

Visit the Dandies and Quaintrelles website to find out more about future events and sign up 

I'm super excited already for the next Tweed ride and part come Autumn, so looking forward to doing it all over again!

 

There were some fantastic photographers out there, check out the Flickr pool for some great shots of the ride and the lawn party

April Flowers

I've been busy trying to catch up on a million orders and billion other work things lately, which doesn't make for very exciting blogging (till it's all finished!). The good news is there is one thing that happens whether I'm actively involved or not, Spring!

I love this time of year because it's so bright and optimistic. I love seeing the bulbs I planted a few years ago start to pop out and break up all the gray that hung over winter.

Right now only a few things have opened up, yesterday the little narcissus showed their faces for the first time this year, and my hyacinth are opening up and smelling fantastic!

I've been sat at my sewing station right by the open window enjoying the fresh air and the bees buzzing about the bush just by it. Even when things are heavy, it's easier to feel light this time of year.