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Artist & Designer Features Design Your Life

Step into StoopidGerl’s Delicious World of Wonder

07/10/2013

Bang Bang

Kim (aka StoopidGerl) is one of my closest online friends. We are both colorful artists that had adorable baby girls very close in time to each other, her Chloe Pearl was born several months before Colette Fawn and we learned a lot from each other along the way. Our pasts share many similarities as well so it’s no wonder that we hit it off immediately once upon a time. I’ve been planning a feature on Kim and her amazing creations and splendid aesthetic for WAY TOO LONG and here it is!

So as you’ve probably noticed I’ve been featuring a lot of my favorite artists and handmade mavens. I feel Kim (stoopidgerl) fits with the Miseducated way of life as much as anyone I know, her work reminds me what earth would look like if many of our rainbow-obsessed, candy-coated brains puked all over the place. Her style is no ones but her own and if you look into her world you’ll never want to leave. Please visit her gorgeously kitschy shop to purchase any of her works of art.

How long have you been crafting your world (your intoxicating-eye-candy photos and dazzlingly-saturated-with-color pieces of jewelry)?
I got started a few years ago. Working from home has been a dream come true!

When did you decide to turn that hobby into a business?
After I graduated from school I somehow ended up working a super crappy job at a Sears Portrait Studio. Going to work there made me want to kill myself! It was HELL on earth. I got pretty fed up with it and ended up quitting one day. I needed something to do and I needed money. I had been selling on Etsy for awhile and then I decided to take the plunge and try to do it for a living. I don’t know how it happened but it was magical! My shop took off quite quickly. I really love what I do and I think that is the key to my success!

All of us reach creativity blocks at some time.. where do you find inspiration when you reach a block?
The nearest candy shop~!

A lot of my inspiration comes from the past… movies I’ve seen, people I used to hang with, places I visited, my childhood…

Sometimes I find that browsing Flickr is inspirational. I love to just get lost in Flickr. I could spend hours browsing photos and adding them to my faves! There is some phenomenal shit out there!

Do you have a favorite piece of jewelry that you have made?
Oh my goodness it is hard to pick just one but if I had to choose my absolute favorite I would go with this~
Rainbow Bright Heart
It is impossible to be in a crappy mood when you surround yourself with so much color. This necklace is a sure pick-me-up when you need one!

Do you have any exciting stories about the purchase of one of your pieces?
I shit myself with glee when Courtney Love purchased a necklace from my shop several years ago.

Miss World - HOLE resin necklace

What inspires you when decorating your space?
…the pursuit of happiness! I love all things that are sweet, rainbowy, clownlike, kitschy, and cool.

workspace 09-30-08 (2)

What sort of things are must haves on display in your home?
I have been a collector of cameras ever since I went to school. I took a short break from collecting for awhile and recently got back into it. I have a neat little collection of minty green vintage cameras that sits on a shelf in our living room.

all here

I also have to have clowns… lots of clowns.

Do you have any tips for readers trying to design their world?
Don’t worry about sticking with any sort of theme… just go with the flow and hoard all the things you love!

Eat Cake

You can purchase Kim/StoopidGerl’s amazing creations at her rad Etsy Store.

Business Features Visual Splendor

Inspired by Lovely Lovely UK

03/25/2010
lovely

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.

Picture 1
Picture 3

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.

Design Your Life

The Need in Speed

10/05/2009
frog prince

Hereโ€™s the deal; the facts are in. At least 50% of marriages donโ€™t make itโ€”which, if youโ€™re a gambler, is slightly better than a crap shoot โ€“ this is what I told RadarOnline, when asked for a comment about Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom’s marriage.

And it would seem obvious to many people that marrying someone you have only known a few weeks would increase your odds of failureโ€ฆamong other things. So perhaps a better question to ask is not what are the downsides, but ratherโ€ฆwhy? Why get married? So you can have a party? Show up your sister on TV because you are profoundly insecure or desperate for ratings? Whatโ€™s the rush? Itโ€™s not like love has a shelf life. Unless one is deeply religious, which is not evident in this case (correct me if I am wrong; I donโ€™t think so), there are so few reasons to rush into nuptials before we have taken time to do a minimum of due diligence.

What I do know about these two people is they know something about success. It takes discipline, skill and focus (and perhaps a little luck) to turn your desire into reality. Hence my concern, again, about their haste. I am not convinced that these two people understand the game they are in. I feel whatever their motivations for wedlockโ€”โ€œlooks good, feels good,โ€ ratings, or whateverโ€”they would benefit by focusing on the fact that the same commitment, discipline and skill that supported their success is needed to enjoy a successful relationship; particularly a healthy, fulfilling, sustainable one.

With all due respect, if these two people love each other, or feel a strong connection and want to jump into marriage (which I likened to jumping out of a plane, considering, wellโ€ฆthat they have just barely met), they should strap on a parachute. Which is to say, they should strongly consider checking under the hood to make sure they have what it takes to make the journey before Sunday. Many things are very difficult, if not nearly impossible, to re-negotiate after they say โ€œI do.โ€

While celebrity marriages may seem qualitatively different than the average boy-meets-girl scenario, all relationships thrive best when they rest on a solid foundation. In some ways, the celebrity relationship needs to pay even greater mind to this, as their relationship is subject to stresses, pressure and scrutiny that on a good day most of us cannot even fathom.

So I would say to this couple, go for it! IF they have managed in this three-week period to establish the following, at minimum:

Their top three non-negotiables.

If this person is worthy of their unconditional devotion and respect.

A strong โ€œoutโ€ clause or good consciousness agreement.

If they themselves are a strong, loyal, devoted, trustworthy partner.

They have revealed all their deep secrets or habits that have the potential to destroy the relationship if not revealed and healed.

They have cleaned up all their past relationships.

Have the capacity to tell the truth despite the consequences, and see the value of truth as a cornerstone of their relationship.

Love each otherโ€™s friends and current daily lifestyle.

Have agreed upon children and child-rearing responsibilities.

Understand and are in alignment about money.

They are confident in each otherโ€™s ability to negotiate their feelings and concerns responsibly.

Know what each other values most in life.

Have shared and are in alignment and support of their 10-year plan.

Have agreed to see someone (either within the family or outside) to act as an unbiased counselor, to help support the relationship should they get stuck or feel they cannot resolve any matter that has the potential to end the relationship.

This, I believe, would afford them a good start. While relationships are a great breeding ground for personal development, chemistry as a litmus test for the potential of a relationship is too often a crash-and-burn method & can be quite painful. Rather than each failed relationship being a lesson learned, the pain becomes either fuel for the next one or a barrier to intimacy.

In our 20s we are at a peak in some ways, in terms of learning about who we are and who we are not, and oftentimes get into relationships based largely on chemistryโ€”without having acquired some essential relationship tools and turned them into skills. Life will teach them soon enough. The good news is, if they really want a healthy relationship they are in a position to develop these skills, provided they have interviewed each other and revealed their shadows and non-negotiables to each other. Some of these deal-breakers, like infidelity or drug or alcohol addiction, are things that you want to know before you get married, not after!

Hard to establish trust when you have had so little time to see if the personโ€™s words and actions match up. If you are in a rush, and clearly Khloe and Lamar seem to be, Iโ€™d advise them to take some time before Sunday to drop in with each other, because having a success plan is important! Bottom line, at least half of marriages end in divorce. If you want it to work, make sure you are prepared and have what it takes to make that happen.

To Re-cap

Hard to negotiate your needs after the marriage ceremony; double check your non-negotiables, you two!
What do you want and expect from each other & the marriage: do you both want kids, how will you share your money, or not? I call this a consciousness agreement.
What kind of relationship skills do you bring to the table? Do you have issues with commitment and intimacy, do you have a track record of being able to stay and hang in there when things get tough? โ€œLooks good, feels goodโ€ isnโ€™t going to cut it when things get sidewaysโ€ฆthese things are very difficult to negotiate after you already have established a pattern. Talk about it. What are you committing to?
Happily Ever After is not a place, and chemistry is not enough to keep a relationship together. They say that, in unconsciousness, the thing that brings you together in a relationship will be the thing that pulls you apart. What is your foundation for your relationship? I recommend spirit, God or the divine, and having a real practice.
Love is a choice and a privilege, not a sentence, so act like it!

I recently explained my take on the Khloe/Lamar situation at a book signing. You can watch it here.

DIY Recipes

How to Make Snow Ice Cream

06/02/2009

So snow isn’t exactly a delicacy and possibly the snow you’ve seen around is a bit too dirty to shove into your mouth, but if you have had snow ice cream you know what the fuss is about! It has a sweet, creamy, delicate flavor and if you’re craving the ice cream and have no snow, you may simply try finely shaved ice. This recipe is a very old favorite of mine I’ve always made when given an abundance of clean, white snow.

All you need to start a delicious, homemade-tasting snow ice cream is a scoop of snow or shaved ice. Try one cup for a small sundae serving.

Snow Icecream

Snow Ice Cream

1 cup snow or finely shaved ice
1/4 cup milk
1 tbsp sugar
3 drops vanilla
1 drop food coloring (optional)

Mix it nicely until it is an ice cream consistency.
I make this to taste so if it’s too runny, I’ll add a bit more snow. If it’s not sweet enough or too dry, I’ll add more sugar or milk.

Business Features Visual Splendor

Life is a Cup of Cake in Seoul

12/31/2008

I just love meandering along the streets of Seoul, South Korea — especially when I’m in Itaewon. Seoul is currently ranked as the second largest city in the world (next to Tokyo) and the Itaewon district is a colorful hub of culture and lights! It boasts restaurants and shoppes with owners from around the world and walking the streets is like walking through a global tunnel!

life is a cupcake!

Well, the other weekend I was in this magical place and quite randomly happened upon a lovely cupcake shop called “Life is Just a Cup of Cake.” Needless to say, that’s pretty much the cutest name I’ve ever heard of. Of course I had to venture in to check it out. The exterior was positively darling and lured me right inside.

Like most Korean stores and shops it was tiny, but perhaps a bit bigger than I expected it to be. Two women were sitting at a very tiny table drinking tea and enjoying tasty home-baked cupcakes. To the left there was a tiny room with teapots on display and another, larger sized table, with a group of cute Korean women huddled around pleasing their taste buds.

The owner was Korean but spoke English very well. She asked if we were visiting and was happy to hear we were Korean residents. After snapping a few shots and weighing my options, I chose a charming, “Earl Grey” flavored cupcake speckled with the perfect amount of shiny silver beads (edible, of course!). I devoured it later and am happy to inform you that it tasted very tea-like and was a scrumptious afternoon treat.

Where is it?: If you’re in the Seoul area, get off the subway at the Itaewon station. Take exit 2 and walk straight — you’ll see a side street on your left and the shop stands out like a cherry on a mound of frosting!
Please Ring: 02-794-2908 or 010-4617-2908
Website: www.cupcake.co.kr