The State of Things

This is my drafting table. That is a floor plan and reflected ceiling plan of my classroom. 

This is my desk. Those are watercolors and a color-matching project.

These (and my crap job) are the reasons why my blogging has become so intermittent. But it's a means to an end. And...pretty enjoyable, for the most part, so I really have no complaints. That is, aside from the lack of free time. And sleep. But those come with the territory.

Sometime soon I'll write about my whacked-out professor who doesn't actually teach us how to do anything, just sort of explains what each project is in the most confusing way possible. It's as if he sits at home contemplating how he can make as little sense as possible. He also sort of resembles a hobo. I'll try to snap a pic of him tomorrow tonight. It will enhance everything else I write about him.

Till then...

Inspired By:

I find inspiration for my style from almost everything I come in contact with. The most tangible and easily accessible way for me to reinterpret this inspiration is through clothing. It would be fantastic if I were also able to apply my ideas to the space I live in, but unfortunately it's just not feasible. (ie: furniture etc. is expensive, thrift store finds risk beg-bugs in NYC, I'm not the only one living here, and there's the small issue of the 5 story walk-up.)

So for the time being, I stick to clothes.

I just attended an awesome Housing Works event called Buy the Bag, to which I was invited by NLP (one of my friends and old Managers from The Palm). Housing Works, apparently, has a warehouse full of donated clothing that never has a chance to make it to one of their brick and mortar locations. So, for this aptly named event, you go into the warehouse, rifle though thousands of items of clothing in what is similar to a sample sale on crack, fill up as many of the provided paper bags as you wish, and then buy the bags. Each bag cost $25, and I walked with two of them, stuffed to the brim with label and non-label clothing.

My favorite item, albeit slightly difficult to find a wearable purpose for, is this amazing sweater:

Sure, it's a little juvenile/ christmas-esque/ welcome to the 80's, but I love everything about it. From the sparkly bows, to the princess shoulders, it is perfect. Actually, I almost put this gem back because of it's impracticality, but NLP encouraged me to take it. Good call, NLP, good call.

Another great find were a pair of flared Citizens of Humanity jeans that I also have on in that sweater photo, although you can't see very much of them. I love the jeans, but I've been having a hard time figuring out how to wear them in a casual outfit. I haven't purchased a pair of bell bottom jeans since...let's see...my first year of college, seven years ago. I think it's safe to say that my style aesthetic has evolved since then, as has fashion itself (Skinny jeans?). So, not wanting to look like a high school version of myself, I needed a little inspiration on how to wear these. But where to find it? 

I was perusing What I Wore this morning, and came across this fantastically wearable outfit:

YAHOO! I'm not intimidated by these jeans anymore! And I'm also not in high school! I can totally reproduce this outfit in a way that is my own, and I am muy excited about it. I don't love every little thing about the look, but it feels accessible and, overall, looks good. Mission accomplished.

Now I just need to figure out a way to wear that sweater...

WI

It's been a while, I know, I'm sorry.

It seems that since I last wrote, the entire format of Blogger has been updated (ie: CHANGED! WHAT'S GOING ON! FIRST FACEBOOK AND NOW THIS! AHHHHH!!!). I suppose I'll get used to it. What other choice do I really have?

So, in the weeks (months?) that have passed, I've been knee deep in school, work, school related work, and everything in between. I really find that things are either stagnant or moving a bajillion (yes that's the technical term) miles a minute in my life. All or nothing, all the time. It's hard to manage sometimes, but, just like dealing with the new blogger format, what choice do I have? It is what it is.

I happen to be sick today, laying in bed with a gross cold. Stuffy nose, sore throat, the whole deal. It's not fun. But it's given me an opportunity to write, so write I will.

Last week, BF, who's from the Mid West, proposed a potentially life-altering idea to me. His uncle and grandfather both own a great deal of farm land in Wisconsin, where they have dairy cows. BF wants to (potentially) move out to the cow farm and expand it, turning the business into a high profit dairy cow milking farm.

Thing is...

The farm is in the middle of n-o-w-h-e-r-e. As in....

that red dot.

Now, I would love to have a farm. I'd love to have horses, cows, chickens, a garden, I'd love to wake up early and care for animals, I'd enjoy it...I think.

I've lived in a city for my entire life. 

Yes, I've spent time on various farms, and yes I loved it, but I have no real way of knowing whether I would still love it if it were my only way of life. Could I cut it being a farmer? being so far away from everything and everyone I hold dear to me? Will anyone care about my cute outfits? Will I be able to design? Do I want to be surrounded by the literal opposite of a melting-pot? Will the lack of culture destroy me? Are people intelligent and open minded out in the middle of Wisconsin? Will there even be other people out there in the middle of Wisconsin??

I've been stewing over all of this since he mentioned it. I've been thinking about it too much, most likely, but what can I say. It's exciting and scary and different and new. Of course I'm thinking about it.

I also just really like that picture showing where Greenwood, Wisconsin is located, and I wanted to use it for something.

If I'm still writing this blog five years from now, I may be writing from a cow farm in Wisconsin. Giddyup. I mean moo.