Spending the day thrifting is sometimes just what the doctor ordered, especially at the Midland Arts Antique Mall in Downtown Indianapolis. The scenes reminisce old Hollywood glamour and deliciously kitschy goodness.
.. and there’s no better way to thrift shop than with a camera and a friend in tow!
I *love* Lovely Lovely — you may even recognize seeing some of their goods in my apartment feature — I had to have quite a few of their pop art cute, neon sugar clad brand. Years later, they’re still my favorite plates.
If your taste is anything like mine, the retro revival food (check out the rosy gelatin mould!) and cake-inspired palettes are enough to make your eyes gleam with eye candy overload.
The wonderful thing about the blog-o-sphere is the amazing amount of creative dames that publish posts full of eye candy and insight.
These are in no particular order.
1. LOLITA – She displays inspirations from a style I adore so I can’t help but inhale all of the eye candy.
2. notebookdoodles – Cute and refreshing in the many blogs that reuse images from other websites. Adorable.
3. Fleur Avenue – Blog and jewelry shop ran by a very sweet and inspired girl. Her style feels reminiscent to me of a zakka magazine and I love it.
4. Oh, Hello Friend. – The sweet style of this blog makes me feel warm inside, positive people make the world go round.
5. NubbyTwiglet – A delicious design blog, old friend and favorite and was reminded to us by a sweet visitor.
6. SHRINKLE – Watch what color and creativity do when they rule your life and your business. Amy conquers everything she takes on with cuteness.
7. Creature Comforts – Soft and comfortable, this blog is full of cute decor and style.
8. The Paris Apartment – A decadent and delicious blog reminiscent of Marie Antoinette and vintage France. On top of it all she’s sweet, very inspired and a dear friend.
9. Modish – A very cute lifestyle blog.
10. Black Eiffel – A design and lifestyle blog with delicious and clean color.
11. Pimp and Pomme – My crafty friend in France’s little jewelry and style blog that is absolutely adorable.
12. Bored and Beautiful – Lots of delicious fashion and backstage art and fashion shows.
13. Hidden in France – French inspired design and frilly decor.
14. MerMag – Lifestyle and DIY blog with delicious personal photos and a peek into the life of a sweet family.
15. Print & Pattern – A really inspiring log of cute and colorful patterns and illustrations.
16. Poppytalk – Delicious, minimal, modern design and lifestyle blog.
17. Sanctuary – A sweet inspiration blog filled with decor ideas and personality.
18. Design Milk – Modern design for your home that is destined to make you drool.
19. Delish – Cute and clean inspiration blog filled with delish-iousness!
20. Design*Sponge – A very inspiring home decor and DIY interior design blog. My absolute favorite.
Want us to look at your blog? Be sure to leave your url when you comment.
I met up with Brandi of Cookie Party lately and got oh-so-inspired on some new DIY projects. She offers DIY supplies for fashion design and accessories and her products are used by an array of indie designers.
“I am totally a Miseducated girl! Cookie Party is all about supporting and promoting creative d.i.y-ers and is proud to be a part of the d.i.y. movement! Cookie Party was created for d.i.y. designers who consider their styles punk, kawaii, rockabilly, goth, or otherwise unique and unconventional! I myself have always found it difficult to find interesting fashion design supplies like lime green stretch lace trim, zebra print knit fabric, and jumbo plastic buttons. I knew I couldn’t be the only d.i.y. designer that just wanted one awesome place to go to get the fabric and embellishments needed to create one-of-a-kind fashions. The products I select for Cookie Party I personally use (probably a bit more than I should).
As far as the name, Cookie Party, well who doesn’t love a good old fashion cookie party, am I right. I’m not one for conventional names and labels so a name like “Brandi’s Fabrics” or “Fabric Mania” just didn’t sound like as much fun. I literally love cookie parties, usually consisting of friends, cookies, coffee and if we’re lucky a kitty or two! So the name is affirmative, original, and makes you happy when you say it!”
Want to start DIY-ing your own fashion but don’t know where to start?
T-Shirt Underwear at SuperNaturale
T-Shirt Wedding Dress at CRAFT
T-Shirt Baby Pants at Rookie Moms
The Fitted Tee at Squidoo
T-Shirt Surgery at Tree Hugger
Locketship Mad Tea Party Collection with original artwork by Amber Renee (of Miseducated). This set will be featured alongside Marialia‘s new Wonderland Collection in Fashion Week Los Angeles at Project Ethos LA (9107 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 450 Beverly Hills, CA) on Friday, March 19 2010.
Stay tuned in to Miseducated for more sneak peeks and information about getting your hands on these Collections in the future!
“No one can ever duplicate your personality, the way you do business and your attitude towards other people.” – Problogger
Having been recently approached by well-known companies about Miseducated, I began wondering, “should I begin to write more seriously?” I’d always used my artist blog to write professional articles about Indianapolis.. and Miseducated was always used as my true self — how I act with my close friends. I often make up words and expressions all the while using slang, jargon and nonsense. My articles here are all that stands of my ‘blogging life’ anymore, but I wonder, should I tone down my character a bit?
Then I decided that’s what Miseducated is, being true to your self. Experiencing your life to the fullest.
I could always write less personally, but if I did that then I’d have changed everything I enjoy about what I do. I have written many serious pieces in the past both for education and personal purposes, they sit for months unnoticed in a folder marked ‘work’ and rarely see light. (I insisted as an undergrad that I could not write yet my professors adored everything I churned out.) I get bored easily and I must be doing what fuels my creativity. Thoughts onto paper. Sometimes unorganized thoughts onto paper but nevertheless, honesty and personality.
Go ahead and start a blog for hobby or sheer entertainment, see where it goes. In this amazing world wide web we all have the opportunity to publish our thoughts and work, if you catch the eye of others it can be endlessly shared and enjoyed around the world.
Working Girls by Gala Darling
7 Reasons Why Personal Blogs Rock at Problogger
Adding a Personal Touch to Your Blog at Problogger
Maria is a wonderful and talented little lady that’s taken vintage and whimsical collages or imagery and used them as a design element for jewelry and oh-so-cute accessories. Locketship pendants are as unique as you might think and their aesthetic is magical, dainty and sweet!
Locketship is the brainchild of Maria Ewing-Estrada, and like the designer herself, puts a new spin on a classic. Unlike the original locket, which hid its contents, Locketship pendants share their feelings with the world.
All Locketship jewelry is handmade by Maria and her husband Aaron in their Los Angeles home. High school sweethearts, the two married soon after graduation and began melding Maria’s creativity with Aaron’s handiwork.
How sweet and inspiring is that?
Miseducated even selected a few of their favorite items that we might not be able to live without.. when we do a photoshoot with her goodies you’ll be sure to see how pleased we are with the quality and glamour of her shimmery jewels. I know I couldn’t say no to the kitty collection! She knows my weakness! 😉
Eh, so sometimes when my husband and I are running late or feeling really nasty we’ll grab happy meals — mainly just when the toys are cute… but what the hell do you do with the little plastic toys after you eat your meal?
Make something out of them!
My plan was to attach gems and glitter all over my lovely ponies and headbands with sweet unicorn emblems. Every headband is on it’s way to a special home for fun and whimsy instead of being chewed up in Wanwan’s bed or thrown in the garbage. 😉 Perhaps soon we’ll do some more silly DIY with all the plastic junk we always come across! ha
(go ahead and keep the box too for silly gifts to friends — haha)
Photos by Benjamin Amick <3 Dress: Manoush; Headband: DIY; Shoes: Russe & Rilakuma
Monday jokes rain out of people’s ears at offices.. I don’t know how it is where you work but I’m sure whatever day the work week begins on someone’s complaining.
Instead of thinking of Mondays as a bummer, think of them as a beginning to your inspiration overload sessions every week — begin to plan fun and personal growth activities *as well as* work, errands, tasks, etc.
.. and if scheduling seems like absolute hell to you and you have no issues with procrastination.. simply pass to Step 2.
Want more mood therapy techniques like this?
Key to Living the Law of Attraction
Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Revised and Updated
ALL Business is Show Business
Schedule your day per hour — Write what you actually do beside it and next to that make 2 columns for you to rate how much pleasure you experienced during the activity and to what percentage you mastered it.
Again, make sure you allow time throughout the day for activities you look forward to.
Incorporate more Miseducated whimsy and special you time into your Mondays.
Instead of taking a shower before you start your work day, take a bubble bath using sensitive Mr. Bubbles or your favorite bubble bath — play some inspiring music that you can hear while in the tub and brew a cup of earl grey tea.
Create your own (lots of recipes here!) or buy a new scented lipgloss to apply throughout the day, not just when lips are chapped! Think of ways to incorporate other new smells into your day such as an aromatherapy candle, nice-smelling lotion, sweet solid perfume, etc.
Master your skills. As you’re working imagine what you might do to keep on task better while still enjoying your day. For me this means the occasional walk-around break, snacks optional and listening to music or inspiring pod casts while I work.
Keep a little notebook in your purse or briefcase especially for inspiring sketches, notes and pieces of inspiring found-items. These little carry-along scrapbooks can be great sources of inspiration and remind you about experiences when you’re sitting down to work and communicate your ideas.
Decide that you’re going to rearrange a room in your home/apartment and surf online for delicious decor in your free time. Find ways to make your environment a little more you, a little more unique and much more inspiring! Sometimes just changing things up is very revitalizing.
My favorite movie since childhood, the delicious 80s glitter rock fest (The Labyrinth) complete with faeries and the rock king himself, always inspired me as everything, even the dirt, was covered in glitter. Sweeping your floor and feeling a little bummed? Sprinkle glitter in with the dust and even dust bunnies become just a little more magical.
It’s off to your local handmade market for you! Purchase some incense that smells great and a little decadent snack. When home, burn the incense as intended and relax near it reading and enjoying the occasional whiff of fragrant smoke. Don’t like incense? Try scented candles!
Write your best friend a good morning letter when you begin your work day. Chances are you’ll brighten her day as she is also at work and it’ll make you smile knowing she’s smiling. You might even get some sweet messages back throughout the day that make you feel wonderful for opening communication.
Grab a pack of post-its in your favorite color and write inspiring and positive messages to everyone signed, Happy Monday. Stick these on electric posts, subway windows, in your lover’s briefcase, on the milk in the fridge, on your coworker’s computer mouse, etc. <3 Don't overdo it, it's more special for those that find the surprises anyway.
Kitty Rave! (both my and my best friend’s favorite way to wind down at night!) At night time when you’re relaxing and feeling a little excited that you’ve gotten through another Monday, turn up the dance music and dance around the house in your pajamas with your cat or dog. (my chihuahua gets really excited about this and bounces around the room) You’re getting exercise, they’re getting exercise and it’s really quite fun.. especially if you’re jamming to Kissy Sell Out. Often my husband even plays his electronic music live on kitty rave nights.
Have a great Monday!
When I was five years old, if you had asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would have stated, very specifically, that I was going to be a pony rider in the circus. Apparently, riding horseback in a tutu with a tent full of people watching was my greatest aspiration. Nowadays, you’ll find me working odd jobs waiting tables, organizing office files, and ringing up sale items to pay my rent, but in my heart, I’m still a performer. True, my dreams have moved beyond the circus saddle to in front of a movie camera, but actresses love their audience too. There are those who find my aspirations foolish, childish, and unrealistic; naysayers who feel it’s time for me to grow up and settle for something more sensible. So far, I’ve refused.
Why is it that we are expected, even encouraged, to have ridiculous ambitions in childhood, but realistic goals as adults? Let’s find ways to keep the magic within us alive even as we grow older. To find out how, I set out to discover what we can learn from the dream jobs of our five-year old selves. Through discussions with friends and family, I’ve compiled a few themes within common childhood dreams and ways to never let go of them.
Creativity is important to us as children. We want to color. We want to create. We want to let our imaginations run wild. Perhaps that’s why the vast majority of the people I asked remembered wanting to do something artistic or entertaining when they grew up. If we’d all had our way, today’s world would be filled with ballerinas, writers, artists, movie stars, and even a few ‘In Living Color’ Fly Girls. Maybe it was the glamour that attracted some, but I think most of us just wanted to express ourselves. That instinct doesn’t have to die with age. Ballerinas and fly girls can take a dance class or volunteer to teach dance to children. Writers can still express themselves in blogs or webzines dedicated to their subject of choice. As for the movie stars, there’s actually a lot more local film opportunity than you might know, find your way in and you can ham it up on your weekends off.
As selfish as some children may seem, there are quite a few of us that still care about the rest of the world, even at a young age. A large majority of former five-year olds that I talked to wanted to be veterinarians. As children, we sense the importance of having furry friends in our lives and want nothing more than to help them. Oftentimes this dream falls to the wayside later in life when the reality of a long veterinary education sets in. But fret not; you can still have a taste of your Dr. Doolittle dreams by volunteering at local shelters or adopting your own menagerie of pets. After all, adults need furry friends too.
For every dream that’s set aside, there’s another dream fulfilled. While my research revealed that perhaps superheroes and cowboys are aspirations best left in childhood, there are still several inspirational stories of those who are making their dreams a reality: lawyers just graduating from law school, writers working nightly on their novels, and animal lovers plugging through pre-vet exams. Anything is possible, if it’s what your heart truly wants.
Be realistic about why you want what you want. Do you want the reality of your dream or the fantasy?
Don’t let television dictate what you think is real. Find out what the job is really like before deciding it’s your ideal.
Start small. No one makes a career happen overnight. Find ways to participate in your dream field, even if they’re not bringing in the big bucks.
Surround yourself with people that understand. You need support to follow your dreams. Nothing picks you up after failure like the voices of those who believe in you completely.
Never stop dreaming. Make a list of new and exciting dreams annually and don’t be afraid if your goals change, just always be honest about what you truly want. Follow your heart and you can do no wrong.
