LOOKBOOK.nu: collective fashion consciousness.

LOOKBOOK.nu: collective fashion consciousness.: "

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Franz Xaver Messerschmidt Challenge

I wonder if I can match the Franz Xaver Messerschmidt's 69 Character Heads with my own expressions...

Here's a pretty good elevator speech about Franz Xaver Messerschmidt from www.artexpertswebsite.com -

"Franz Xaver Messerschmidt was an Austrian sculptor, known for his highly expressive busts of people making less than dignified faces. Messerschmidt quite literally broke the mold when it came to traditional 18th century busts and sculpture portraits, not necessarily in his technique or materials, but more so in his subject matter. In an era where stately men and women of power and wealth were having serious busts commissioned for themselves, Messerschmidt focused on capturing human expression in a way that was far more advanced than many other artists of his time."

Some say Messerschmidt was insane and so sculpted about 70 Character Heads as a way for him to reclaim reality. There are written accounts by Friedrich Nicolai who took first hand notes on Messerschmidt. According to Nicolai, Messerschmidt told him that the Spirit of Proportions was envious of the artist's discovery of the relation between the face and the body - and tortured him for it. To break the Spirit's power, Messerschmidt contorted his face and thus sculpted these grimaces. 

Only about 45 of these Character Heads have survived and they pose to be quite a curiosity. Messerschmidt never named these busts and were not commissioned to create them - leaving much ambiguity as to the real purpose to the heads and leaves us to question whether they are self-portraits.

Personally, I believe Messerchmidt was exploring how far one can mutilate expression. He was pushing the boundaries of caricature and really did not embed much of himself into these masks. And so I always found it funny to imagine a serious art historian examining a Character Head up close...all while the head was laughing at the viewer's frustration. Can you imagine?

Sometimes you just cant be that serious!

Although I have not examined each Character Head myself, I feel like there wouldn't be one that had no expression at all - otherwise how would Messerschmidt have broken the Spirit's power over him? And so I started simple...

Expression 1

130

Disappointment. But...I think it was worth it. I have gained some weight over the course of 2 weeks, but looking back...it was worth it.

Friday morning - I woke up around 10:30 AM and make bomb spaghetti and garlic bread

Saturday night - Farhad makes me dinner! Pink sauce (that looked orange?) with mushrooms, tomatoes, chicken sausage all over angel hair - the best! (Talk about massive servings)

Today for lunch - A colorful, light balsamic vinaigrette salad. I broke up some romaine lettuce, threw in some cranberries and candied walnuts, and tossed in some sweet mandarins!

Tonight - I'm thinking about Occupying Riverside tonight, so maybe I'll go buy some pizza and donate it! Click the pic for more info on Occupy Riverside!!

Serious talk. After this weekend...it's diet time and gym. Le'goo!

Wizard of Oz

This entire week I have been reliving Wicked the musical and listening to the soundtrack. Because of this I decided to rewatch the 1939 Wizard of Oz staring Judy Garland. Like the first time I watched it, I loved it. But there's always a difference when watching a movie when you're older...over the years there have been rumors and stories about a munchkin who committed suicide while the movie was being filmed. And so when I rewatched the movie, I kept an eye out for this scene:

Yes, its creepy, you can see the body sway in the background, but this myth was debunked

Something else I was thinking about while watching the movie was - how many munchkins were there??? According to Answers.com. there 124 adults and 12 children who played munchkins in the movie. Most of these munchkins came from the Singer Midgets.

There was actually an article I read back in September announcing the upcoming December auction for Dorothy's Ruby Slippers! "We're guessing that the Wizard of Oz himself may not have enough dough to bid on Dorothy's infamous ruby slippers. This December, the one-and-only red glitter shoes from 1939's The Wizard of Oz will go up for auction. (Not to be confused with Miu Miu glitter booties, but those may cost you a pretty penny, as well.) Believed to have been worn by Judy Garland herself, the shoes are up for grabs as of December 16, as part of a Hollywood Memorabilia sale. The pair was found by a costume-department worker on the MGM lot in the early 1970's, and in primo-vintage condition to boot. You might need more than a Christmas bonus to afford this piece of cinematic fashion history, as they are expected to fetch between $2 and $3 million. No, you're not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy. " Refinery29

Something else I stumbled upon when I was looking for the myth video was this cute dog interpretation of the movie!!! Must watch - super adorbs!!



Anyways, although I love this movie, I loved the musical Wicked 10x more. It is a must see and is actually in LA this season. One day, I will see it again and actually purchase a recording of the show!!

Defying Gravity Tony Awards

Sprouts Make Me Sad

It is currently 12:58 PM and I am having lunch with one of my mentees, Alice. Alice just got up to go order something to eat, so I thought I would take this opportunity to share with you a feeling that suddenly came over me.

For lunch today, I ordered a Garden Burger which includes ciabatta bread, tomato slices, sunflower sprouts, avacado slices, and more. I decided to rip off most of the bread because it was beginning to become a challenge to eat and that's when my burger became mostly covered in sprouts. 

When I saw these sprouts...my first thought was, Sprouts look weird. These baby sprouts are going to become something else when they grow up... And that's when it hit me. They won't because I'm eating them. They wont become my favorite flower in the entire world - sunflowers!!

That's when I started feeling worse. People dont just eat sunflower sprouts, but they eat tons and tons of other sprouts like bean sprouts, leafy sprouts, brassicas sprouts, and more. I started looking more into sprouts online and there are actually HUGE websites all centered around sprouts, how to sprout your own seeds, and sprout recipes. So sad :( These seeds had so much potential...

Karma - When You See It... - Damn! LOL

Karma - When You See It... - Damn! LOL:

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Deadly Earthquake in Turkey - Alan Taylor - In Focus - The Atlantic

Although reporters say the earthquake that hit Turkey last week was shallow, it is evident that people in Turkey are really struggling.

Deadly Earthquake in Turkey - Alan Taylor - In Focus - The Atlantic:

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Bangkok Underwater - Alan Taylor - In Focus - The Atlantic

Amazing pictures taken of the flood in Bangkok

From what I've learned in Hangover 2, I cant imagine how much havoc this has played on the city...

Bangkok Underwater - Alan Taylor - In Focus - The Atlantic:

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Success

Best meal I have made for myself since I moved into my apartment. When I finished making my fried rice, I thought to myself Man, that looks bomb. I should take a picture of it! And as I was about to snap a photo, my camera runs out of batteries...Not bomb.

Here are a few other Not Bomb moments that came across my mind -

When you make an amazing lunch...but forget it on the kitchen counter...

When you are super excited to be on your vacation trip...and then realize you forgot to pack underwear

When you just want to buy one pack of gum and all the registers are backed up like Christmas Eve

When you really need to use the bathroom but find that all of the toilets in your apartment are not working...super not bomb..like right now..

When you talking to a super beautiful person...and then remember that you have a fat, juicy zit smack-dab on the middle of your forehead...

When you eat shit. Hard.

When the traffic cam snaps a picture of you for not making a full stop before making a right turn on a red light

When your iPod dies.

When you're almost done typing your Midterm paper...and your laptop crashes...this might be the winner

When you're strolling down the sidewalk and a car drives through a puddle and drenches you

When someone copies off your paper and get a better grade than you

When you're reading something and feel like you're really learning some great new information...only to turn the page to find that you've been there before...

When bird shit lands on you...there's just no way you could have saw that coming

Anyways...school time.

Peace.

Disney Princesses Real Life

See all the Disney princesses come to life here!

BTW my favorite is Meg!!

"We’ve always loved the Disney princesses in a fairy tale sense, so we’ve never imagined they were real. But one graphic design student at the Arts University College at Bournemouth in the UK had the creative idea to bring Disney characters to life using photo manipulation. Jirka Väätäinen told us, “I've always been interested in the way people look and what makes them unique in their appearances. This was a personal challenge for me to see if I could recreate characters that we all know and love, and try to maintain their unique features. The end results are what I would imagine the characters to look like in ‘real life,’ while still staying somewhat true to the unrealistic quirks in their original character designs.” Väätäinen said his interpretations of eight Disney princesses and one villain were created by combining elements from different photos of women who resemble the characters. He then creates composite images through digital painting and then puts them together using Photoshop. The results are stunning and completely entertaining.

Check out all of Väätäinen’s Disney-inspired art here in this slideshow. We’re hoping he’ll add Snow White, Cinderella, Tiana, Rapunzel, Alice, and Tinker Bell soon. Some of them look very realistic, like our favorite, Princess Jasmine from “Aladdin.” Let us know which you like the best."

Stream of Consciousness

Tuesday Wednesday morning...I guess


I hate it when I get ready to shower and go to bed, and then someone else steps in right before me...delays. I also hate it when I have to wait in line to use the restroom...honestly lines are over-rated.


Today was an eternity...but the morning was a beautiful beginning...I love the rain. What a shame I didn't get to take advantage of it and go back to sleep...


I looked skinny today...someone actually complimented me today...well actually they complimented Farhad for walking with me...so being objectified as an accessory counts as a compliment right? Or is that degrading? Its actually a strange thing how girls say they feel or look skinny on certain days...women can actually look more attractive - on days they ovulate. It's been scientifically tested through the study of strippers and how much they get tipped within a menstruation cycle. Too bad I'm not currently ovulating...


I ate fries for dinner...I was given a donut for breakfast...and I had an $8, delicious Southwest Chicken Salad (which must mean it was loaded with fat)...I need to get my life in shape


My Crayon costume looks like shit.


I can't believe I stayed on campus for 12 hours today...The best part is I only stayed so long because I had to watch a movie on Michael Caravaggio...What really gets me about my Art History class is that I have to read about 200 pages each week - with no illustrations or pictures to boot - and when I went into watching this film...I figured it would be easier than analyzing someone's self-portrait...Oh how wrong we can be...


I wished everyone was pansexual.


People's personalities change about every 7 years...I wonder if that's the reason why I cant decide what my favorite color is...hm...19's not even divisible by 7...


I got sharpie on my white pants...


I am so glad my mentees canceled their meetings with me tomorrow...now I dont have to be responsible till 2 pm...


What's for lunch tomorrow...I only have eggs, pasta sauce, cheese, and milk in the fridge...and unfortunately these ingredients dont combine and make something to eat...wtf mate.


donezos.


Hahaha I love cartoons...too bad Wall Stree Journal doesn't have them...

What would Jesus say to you?

I found this clip on SNL and it just fell so perfectly with my conversation with my friends last night:



I love SNL!

Cute!!

Stumbled upon this!

Bill Evans Live - Someday my Prince Will Come (Jazz Piano) - YouTube

Currently listening to: Someday My Prince Will Come (Jazz) by Bill Evans

Bill Evans Live - Someday my Prince Will Come (Jazz Piano) - YouTube:

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Monday Morning

My Monday morning started at 10:30 AM thinking, Darn...woke up late again...At least I don't have to be on campus until 1 PM...I have no more underwear...

And so I proceed to turn some music on, get dressed, and head to my apartment's laundry site. As I am sitting here waiting for my laundry, I am reading The Wall Street Journal and also waiting for my first batch of cookies to finish baking. On my walk back to my apartment from the washers, I was suddenly overcome by this need to bake...and so I figured I could bake some cookies while I waited for laundry to finish...I would have just enough time to get to my classes. At UCR I am an University Honors Peer Mentor, and so these cookies today will be for my freshmen mentees to help them get through their first midterms. My boyfriend would jealous...


Today I will be meeting my mentee Jasmin at 1, then I have Bio30 (Sex and Reproduction) at 2 followed by Phys20 (Intro Astronomy) at 3. Best classes I've ever taken!!

Anyways, keep in touch and I will show you my finished products!

Currently listening to: Mine by Taylor Swift

Lexi St. George - "Dancing to the Rhythm" - YouTube

Lexi St. George - "Dancing to the Rhythm" - YouTube
:

Surprising really catchy & I liked it a lot! I was a little skeptical at first because I thought it would be another middle school kid video like Rebecca Black...but I think if Jump 5 came out with this song back in the 90's it would have been an instant hit!!
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HOGWARTS: Which House Are You? - YouTube

HOGWARTS: Which House Are You? - YouTube: ""
Fun fact -- I'm a Potterhead

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Monologue

Let me set the mood for you,

I am sitting on my friend Farhad's bed on one end of his room, Michael is on the cot which is placed in the left-center of the room, and Farhad is at his desk opposite me. Together since 1:30 PM we have been diligently studying and catching up on school work. By around 11:00 I feel a bit unfocused - I take that back. 'Unfocused' is an understatement...I was over my assigned reading. And so the three of us begin a discourse on the subject of Christianity. Questions like "If God were to exist, should I choose to worship him?" "How supportive are the examples of Jesus' existence on Earth?" and "How Christian are most proclaimed Christians?" were tossed around and debated over. As a novice on this subject, I left the house filled with new information...but what perked my interest most in our discussion was the relationship between human psychology and religion.

At one point, Michael brought up a theory about Jesus as a schizophrenic. From a respective, Agnostic perspective we analyzed this theory and I do not fully accept it but I do find it interesting. There are a few distinctive characteristics of schizophrenic personalities and one is that the schizophrenic person believes they are the Messiah. Known as the Messiah-complex, these individuals believe that they are meant for a greater purpose and to spread the word of God. Could it be that Jesus was perhaps schizophrenic? And that his 'miracles' were rumors? And just like today, perhaps people began following this Jesus due to these rumors. When is destitution and desperation, it is normal to believe in something that will grant you freedom - a sort of leap of faith I suppose.

I hope to look into this theory more and see what other people think. Was Jesus really here...or has he not even arrived yet...or maybe I should just think about this tomorrow...

Ariana Page Russell /skin two

Artist Ariana Page Russell has a skin condition called dermatographia that causes her skin to inflame at the slightest scratch. Russell uses her condition to create art

"A body is an index of passing time. Skin protects us as it shows shifting bones, bruising, muscles loosening and tightening, and freckles and wrinkles forming. I think of this as a transient fashion of skin, including the revealing way a blush decorates one’s cheek, freckles form constellations on an arm, or hair creates sheen on skin’s matte surface.
My skin is very sensitive and I blush easily. I have dermatographia, a condition in which one’s immune system releases excessive amounts of histamine, causing capillaries to dilate and welts to appear (lasting about thirty minutes) when the hypersensitive skin’s surface is lightly scratched. This allows me to painlessly draw on my skin with just enough time to photograph the results. Even though I can direct this ephemeral response by drawing on it, the reaction is involuntary, much like the uncontrollable nature of a blush.
I also make wallpaper and collage with photographs of my skin cut into decorative designs, then attached to the wall or onto board. Sometimes I use these collages to decorate my skin by scanning the patterns and turning them into temporary tattoos. Then I place the tattoos back on my body as an additional layer for the fashion of skin. The tattoos are red and pink shades of sensitivity so I can adorn myself with a longer lasting, intentional welt or blush. Rather than being frustrated by my skin’s transparency, I claim it by dressing up in the crimson hues that reveal my vulnerability. Some of the tattoos also go on the wall or window after they’ve made contact with my body, leaving traces of cells and hair, and holding a record of skin’s map.

For Save Face: Living in a city with millions of people, I'm used to seeing a lot of faces in a day. They all blur together, but a few stand out. Some subtle interaction, a glance or expression, catches my attention and there’s eye contact. These fleeting moments reveal something deeper than the persona.
In Chinese language there are 98 different concepts of “face”. They believe the face is a mask with incarnate spirit—a totem—and we are saving or losing it to stay members of society. In some American Indian cultures people use face paint to describe an emotion, augment one’s appearance and power, or prepare for battle.

To some degree we have control over how we portray ourselves and what’s revealed, but we still leak emotions and aspects of our being. This makes us human. Using temporary tattoos made from photographs of my flushing skin, I wear this vulnerability as war paint, playing with the idea of face."

Ariana Page Russell /skin two:

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Cool Hunting

If you have not been acquainted, let me please introduce you to the wonderful site www.coolhunting.com

The picture above was taken from an article titled: The Minotaur - Which is about an underground exhibit/dining experience that took place a few days ago in the Old Vic Tunnels in London. The creative street artists behind KP Kofler's Pret A Diner derived their inspiration this year from the Greek myth of Theseus' challenge to kill the Minotaur. As you walk through the spooky, dimly lit tunnels, you can Lucy McLauchlan's trash sculptures and Zak Ove's shadow monsters. At the center of the it all is the Pret A Diner space. Food is prepared by Four star chefs...When I read about the inspiration and amazing menu, I wanted to be in London 10x more!!

Anyways, Cool Hunt is a very fun site I like to explore when my time permits. Great photography of all the exciting things going on under a broad umbrella that encompasses art, fashion, music, food, New York, etc.

I really recommend tabbing Cool Hunt

Cool Hunting:

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Rutledge Lane in Melbourne

22 Words:

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10 photographs of children from around the world and their bedrooms - 22 Words

10 photographs of children from around the world and their bedrooms - 22 Words:

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An Excuse

Can I make an excuse just so I can have Adam Lambert on my blog?

Well it's really not an excuse because his music with Maroon5 really is inspirational...his artistic expression channeled through his tattoos are inspirational...and I think his body inspires me ;]

Anyways, I love love love Maroon 5 especially their Hands All Over album and can't wait to see them in concert - one day. I wish I could go to Europe and see them in Rome...and perhaps Adam will fall in love with me. Perhaps.

Shout out to my first love, Hugh Jackman.

toptumbles

toptumbles - funniest blog on tumblr:

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Sunday Casual | Insomnia

Sunday Casual | Insomnia:

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Good Morning at 11:46 AM

Good morning! Actually, it should really be 'Good Afternoon' shouldn't it? Well, despite the time of day, I woke up with a craving to get a hot cup of coffee and nibble on some biscotti. Guess my body is ready for a 3 o'clock snack already...The reason why I woke up so late today was because I slept with my blinds closed last night. Usually, I sleep with them partly open which allows the cool night air in as well as the morning sun. However, Riverside has been cooler lately and I just forgot to open my blinds so today I didn't have the sun to wake me up :( Guess my body just thought it was still night and decided to snooze my alarms for me.

But that's okay with me!

Today is a new day and it is time to start getting back into school mode. Sigh, just thinking about all the things I need to do gets extremely overwhelming. Not only do I need to read about half a ton of literature for my  Race & Ethnicity and Art History class, but yesterday, I epic-ally failed to buy materials for my University Honors Halloween Social costume (an Orange Crayon). Here's what my costume needs to look like:

I feel like this is way too hard to make -.-

But anyways, wish me luck today I aim to do some reading, submit an application to be an SAT tutor, buy the materials for the costume (but not make it yet...hehe) AND work out!!!!

Now it's time to get out of these PJ's and find some coffee and biscotti!!

Au revoir!

Don't forget to follow me!

Jolly Time By My Lonesome

Currently listening to: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Colbie Caillat

(Big Colbie fan -- love her!!)
As I spend my Saturday night alone in my room, I find myself having a jolly time listening to Christmas music that came up on my iTunes. I am getting pretty excited Christmas - and it doesn't help that all the stores are displaying Christmas items right alongside Halloween items.

But in all fairness to Thanksgiving, I am also extremely excited to earn myself an extra 5 lbs. before the end of Fall.

Enjoy with me!

Music + Visual

'born and raised, in a summer haze...'

Currently listening to -- Someone Like You by Adele

Sylvia Plath sketches | Books | The Observer

Sylvia Plath sketches | Books | The Observer:

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Although best known for her poetry, Sylvia Plath was also a sketch artist. To read more about 'the art of Sylvia Plath' and a personally written account by daughter, please proceed to theguardian.

To view some of her sketches displayed at the Mayor Gallery, here.

Parody Note - GAGA

Crazy. Eccentric. Entertainer. All of things I would describe Lady Gaga as. When she first came out, I loved Dance, Poker Face, and Paparazzi. However, as she began to progress into her career, she got a little too extreme for me? But at the same time I love the edge, boldness, and a sort of dark creativity she brings to the table. And it's not just her as an artist...but her fan base is incredible. I might even venture to say she has risen a cult. Maybe that's too extreme.

Anyways, this is a video my fellow blogger, Ty posted on his Tumblr. I'm sure this a parody of GAGA, but I really enjoyed the detail they put into her costume & decoration. Very entertaining!!

I'm also interested to know what others think about the direction Gaga is going. Can people really take her seriously on political issues like Same Sex Marriage? Is she a trend or is she the next Britney Spears phenomenon??

Music + Visual

Photography by Leanne Staples --> G+

Currently listening to: Street Lights by Kanye West

Sidewalk Chalk Illusions

These are always fun to look at. You can find my favorite at 1:10

People Mover, 24 Detroit Artists Turn a Train Into a Performance Venue

People Mover from 4exit4 on Vimeo.

People Mover, 24 Detroit Artists Turn a Train Into a Performance Venue:

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Dalai Lama audio and video | The Office of His Holiness The Dalai Lama

Dalai Lama audio and video | The Office of His Holiness The Dalai Lama:

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50 of the World’s Best Breakfasts

Food is beautiful too!! Especially these different kinds of breakfasts!! Check out all 50 at the link below vvv !!

50 of the World’s Best Breakfasts

MISSONI for Target

Today, while shopping at Target, I swung by the shoes section to look for some riding boots. For a few months now, Missoni has been selling out in Targets everywhere! Only recently has Target had enough stock to actually have anything on display. While in the shoe section today, I fell in love with a pair of shoes by Missoni. The Italian icon hit it spot on again!

Here are two other Missoni shoes available at Target:

Check out my fashion blog -- ccinsomnia.blogspot.com

Haider Ackermann

Beautifully incorporated Middle Eastern style within Paris runways.

Check out sample pics:

Haider Ackermann: Lady Gaga, Janet Jackson, Tilda Swinton PHOTOS - The Daily Beast:

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Penguin Sweaters! - The Dish | By Andrew Sullivan - The Daily Beast

Perhaps more of a deviation from the primary focus of my blog, but this article really caught my eye.

"Skeinz, a yarn store in New Zealand, is calling on knitters throughout the world to knit sweaters for the penguins affected by a massive oil spill that occurred earlier this month. The tiny sweaters, while eliciting aww's and squee's, serve a very important function: they prevent the oil-soaked birds from poisoning themselves by preening, as well as keeping them warm before it's their turn to be cleaned up by cleanup workers. And, you know, who doesn't want to save the lives of penguins by dressing them in the most adorable way possible?"

Penguin Sweaters! - The Dish | By Andrew Sullivan - The Daily Beast:

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ccInsomnia.blogspot.com

Please check out my other blog: Insomnia

Fashion looks, sites, my personal favorite / style all in one!

Lots of love,

CC

X's On My Hands

Have you ever woken up extremely tired and just thankful that it's only Saturday? Story of my morning! To give you an idea of my Friday night, I included a few pictures above. It was a good night out with my girls - partially in thanks to finishing Midterms this week!!

This weekend will be spent unwinding, doing some light reading, and making preparations for the University Honor's Halloween Social -- I will be an Orange Sherbert Crayon! I will post a look on Lookbook for you to see once I'm done - wish me luck!

And so on the subject of unwinding, I love to spend my spare time reading, watching movies, or doing my nails. This season, there have been some really creative nail designs and I LOVE THEM. Unfortunately, to achieve the different colored layers, you have to wait for each layer to dry completely...which of course takes ages. Here are a few designs spotted in the recent Fashion Night Out as well as other homemade designs that I adore -

Here are also some Halloween designs from Refinery29 you can try!

http://www.refinery29.com/3-halloween-nail-art-designs-to-master/slideshow#slide-1

First Post!

My first post!

Thank you for visiting me and I hope we stay good friends!

As my first post, I would like to share with you a little about myself and what you can expect from me.

I am a first year Business student at the University of California, Riverside. I hail from the city of Torrance, CA and have been fortunate enough to be surrounded by the eclectic culture that makes up Los Angeles. Although it has been quite a challenge becoming accustomed to life here in the desert, I have found that it is a beautiful place full of life -- something I hope to share with you as well.

As I continue to blog and post images, I hope to not only introduce new pictures and clothing but to also get your mind excited! This year my courses have really challenged me to do so and my eyes have really undergone a new experience. Likewise, I would like to present new ideas and hear what you think!

I already know this is going to be a beautiful relationship ;)

P.S. This photo was from this site: http://shinuhholt.blogspot.com/2010/12/images-bywww.html