Miseducated

Mise En Snap: Skins: A Teenage Wasteland

01/13/2011

I recently overheard another journalist saying that this is the first generation that has no hope that the future will be brighter. It makes me instantly imagine the wreckage this is causing to the beautiful people in our world. It also makes me consider what one would do if they had no hope for the future.. I know by experience that drugs are the easiest ways to leave the scene and to botch up your life. Is that what future generations are doomed to obsess over? Isn’t that what all generations did when they were young?

Are we just doom and gloom because of the poor economy? Are we insisting to each other that things are horrible and that they are not going to improve? Is it hopeless?

So I decided to do a feature on one of my favorite Shows from the UK, skins. Since MTV had ripped it off for an americanized-version I have an idea we’ll be seeing a lot more skins on the screen. Cassie was always my favorite character and not only because my best friends claimed she was me slapped into the UK drama. I love her and her general unapologetic way of dressing cute and kitschy. She doesn’t match and she doesn’t care. That’s my favorite club. She makes me feel like I’m not alone.

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An Introduction to Colorful Art Mediums

01/12/2011

Sometimes getting your hands (your clothes, your surroundings…) messy and covered with a rainbow of colors is part of the art/crafting experience. I’ve gotten pretty familiar with several different mediums and I’ll give you a little run-down of why I love them and how I use them. If you haven’t used some of these before, I hope I can inspire you to try them! Note: I’m not an art expert, just a lover.

Oil Paints

Creamy, dreamy, vivid. I love working with oils because you can do so much blending (they dry slooowwly) and the colors are so rich. In school, we got to stretch and prime our own canvases ourselves. You can go to the art store and buy a canvas all ready to go, but you can get some satisfaction out of doing it all yourself. The only thing I didn’t like was the fact that you have to use turpentine to thin them and get the paint off of your brushes (it smells), but its a small price to pay.

Watercolor Paints

Of course, the first kind of paint I ever used. They aren’t just for kids though, as you can do so many different tricks with them! Since you can re-wet the paint once it is dry, you can blend existing colors. If you want to layer different colors without disturbing the layer underneath, you can use the next kind of paint on the list…

Acrylic Paints

I’m a big fan of acrylics. You can use them to paint many other things besides canvases. I’ve used them to customize wooden boxes, journals, jewelry, and I’ve painted wall murals with them. They dry very quickly and once they are dry, you can’t re-wet them like watercolors.

Oil Pastels

Messy, bright and beautifully blendable! These may be my favorite of all to work with. I keep some wet wipes handy to clean my fingers if I’m going from a dark color to a light color. I also like to use an in-between color to blend two other colors together. Blending them with my fingers is a lot of fun and makes me feel like I have even more control over the colors.

Colored pencils

They can do a lot in the way of blending, if you vary the pressure, use strokes in different angles and layer the colors gradually. The kind of paper you use will also determine how your picture looks. I like using paper with a smoother “tooth” (roughness), but if you like the gritty, textured look, a rougher tooth is the way to go. The more rough the paper, the more your colors with stick and, consequently, the sooner you will need to sharpen your pencils. Make sure your paper is acid-free so your artwork lasts longer!

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Play Date with Nylon Magazine

01/11/2011

I had to feature this NYLON photoshoot because it’s so Miseducated I can’t stand it. Rainbows, hearts, plastic jewelry, pigtails, rollerskates and vintage-inspired frocks. Did they raid my closet? Is NYLON following me? Just kidding of course.. but seriously this looks like it was inspired by us. Not like you needed anymore reasons to read NYLON though, huh?

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Kawaii Crafts From Around the Web

01/10/2011

Recycle old magazines to make thrifty canvases.
Create a plush, retro deer similar to Ayumi Uyama style.

Create Hello Kitty cake pops with Bakerella.
Make a sugary sweet felt coin purse.

Merci to each of the authors for your lovely craft tutorials! I’m very happy to feature these blogs because they really excel at creating visual, eye-candy heavy tutorials and I know you Miseducated readers will love them as much as I do!

Now let’s get creating…

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Late Night Musings: Who Are You Changing For?

01/07/2011

People don’t tend to realize this, but loneliness…It’s underrated. Severely so. We, as people, don’t like to be alone. Just the term itself can make some of us feel instantly depressed, just a little at the least.
But, the way I see it…The only reason anyone would dislike being alone is because they don’t like who they’re alone with.
Because then, there’s nothing to distract you from your own thoughts.
Your own fears.
Your own guilt.
Your secrets.
Your uncertainty.
And all the things that keep you up at night.
We truly are our own worst enemies.

Lately- and I suppose I use the term loosely- it’s felt like the whole world was falling apart, that hardly anything adds up to something steady and I… Well I’ve never really had a clue what to do. So I overcompensate with silly things. Acting obnoxious at any given social gathering, making bad jokes, diving into work projects (such as theater) -some of which I hadn’t shown any interest in before (such as mock trial)- and most of these remunerations involve being around other people.

Concisely, I really like myself alone. I wouldn’t say it’s exactly a trait i have that is reverse of most people, because I still have to sit and solve all the same troubles I mentioned above, but not feeling the need to make restitution outweighs said anxieties by far.

I’ve noticed that all of my written works reflect an entirely different person then the ashli jade that most people are accustomed to and I guess that’s the most concrete proof of this concept.

Maybe that’s the case with a lot of people.

The question is: Why are we afraid to be our ‘alone’ self in a social gathering? What are we hiding behind, and more importantly… why?

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Day With a Camera: Revamping your Space

01/06/2011

So it’s been a few months since we moved into our big, white-walled apartment on a lake. I loved it as soon as I saw it.. I’m just contemplating what to paint the walls with the high ceilings (we’re going to need a ladder). One can still however design with color no matter how plain your walls are. I went out on an inspiration run yesterday, hoping to get odds and ends I need for decorating.

I still cannot figure out how I want to store/arrange my DVDs in an attractive way… there are way too many to stack them (I’m talking wobbly tower of doom). Possibly time for another huge entertainment center from IKEA? How do you organize your DVDs and records attractively?

Strolling through a kitschy field of flowers~

A bouquet of feathers is just what I needed~

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Day With a Camera: Holiday Life in Photos

01/05/2011

Sometimes I have a hard time just living in the moment and enjoying life. I’m always thinking about something else and what I have to do next.. it’s quite annoying! As I’ve said before, in therapy I’m learning to let go of any troubling qualities and I’m replacing them with more love.

Do you have to be crazy to go to therapy? NO WAY. It sure doesn’t matter if you are though.. a diagnoses leads to treating your disorder with medication AND with counseling. As we’ve discussed before, sometimes there is a chemical imbalance in one’s brain that does not correct itself with counseling and therapy alone. That’s where I am now, getting the right medication and learning how to deal with the past a bit better.

Are you enjoying everyday to it’s fullest? If you’re not try keeping a gratitude journal and writing down 5 things each day that you’re thankful for. (Jeez — how much do I harp about this??) Another way is to carry your cellphone along and snap photos of fun moments so you may look at them later… sometimes looking over the things you’ve done leads you to come up with more fun activities and to enjoy them to the fullest! Try it~

And here’s some nonsense from my daily life to show you I practice what I encourage~ What things might you snap that make your day special?

Goldiloks sent me the cutest Xmas package ever~ she even made me ornaments! ;)

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Audrey Kitching Knows Fashion Blogging

01/04/2011

Audrey is one of the sweetest girls I know. She’s always been able to fit in a brainstorm or girl chat into her busily-blogging lifestyle. She’s a cat lover, a fashion addict and a teenage icon. Lately, she has been putting a lot of time and energy into her new lines Tokyolux and Coco De Coeur (if you haven’t taken a peek yet get ready for an eye-candy overload).

If im inspired by something I dive into it without hesitation!

You’re a blogger and always have something new to say, how do you maintain your blog and all of your websites with so little free time?
Its something I love to do. I wake up and I’m thinking of fashion ideas, styles and shoots. I live it. I don’t mind having little free time because I enjoy what I’m doing so much. It’s not a chore by any means, when I’m out of town or away from a computer I crave it.

Ever since we became friends we’ve been totally connected.. is friendship something important to you with your lifestyle?
Of course, I’m just really careful who I let into my life. Living in Los Angeles people befriend you for the wrong reasons and it’s actually hard to find people who just want to order takeout and watch a movie. I have hundreds of acquaintances and a handful of friends.

How do you find new inspirations to blog about?
From everywhere and everything. I’m always watching movies, listening to music, researching, buying magazines. It’s an overload of inspiration everyday. I never have the problem of being uninspired, if anything im over inspired and it makes my head spin!

What’s inspiring you right now?
Marie Antoinette, the ocean, 60s, mods, punks, 90s vogue, japan street style, velvets, lace, tea partys, the germs, cat ladies … I just watched this documentary on cat ladies and it was out of this world. One lady was living with 123 cats! My inspirations are all over the place. Im never inspired by one idea, I take everything and mix it into something new.

Are you miseducated and why?
I’m miseducated because I do things my way. I’m a Leo; I was never a follower. If im inspired by something I dive into it without hesitation!

I’m miseducated because I do things my way. I’m a Leo; I was never a follower.

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The Only Reason to get Married is…

12/28/2010

‘Tis the season to… get hitched? Well, maybe weddings themselves are more popular in June, but according to a survey sponsored by the Fairchild Bridal Group (the people who publish Modern Bride) marriage proposals in November and December represent more than a quarter of all proposals for the entire year. And this is the reason most people get married – not because they’ve thought about why they want to get married, but simply because someone asked them! This brings me to the subject of this week’s blog: a young man I met recently named Antonio. He’s 24, and he used to play soccer in his native Spain but had to give it up after a foot injury ended his career. He made the best of his situation and turned to music and songwriting as a new career path. I encountered him because he provides music equipment for bands, and also karaoke machines for people like me who like to have noisy Xmas parties. As we chatted, he mentioned that he loves his job, he loves his band, and he has an ex-girlfriend he’s thinking about marrying. As you can imagine, I made a face at that, and asked him for clarification.

I mean, why would he want to marry someone who is his EX-girlfriend? Presumably the EX part is for a reason! He suddenly got very quiet and shrugged and said, “I guess I just… I don’t know… you know, she really wants to get married.” What? No no no. NO! I cannot have any response to that other than NO.

I asked Antonio if he would be interested in the kind of advice that would change his life and his way of thinking. I explained a little about who I am and what I do, and before he could really respond either way, I jumped right in to tell him my thoughts on the matter. After all, when again would I get an opportunity to mold his young spirit and get him onto the right path? I knew this was a critical moment and I would only have one chance to get it right.

“Here’s the thing, Antonio,” I said. “The only reason you should ever even CONSIDER, even for a brief moment, the sacrament of marriage, is because when you wake up in the morning, this beautiful, amazing person is the first thought in your head, and that thought makes you glow from the inside all day long, and you cannot stop thinking about how lucky you are that you get to spend your free time with this person, and that you get to be the recipient of their love and respect, and vice-versa. There should be no doubt in your mind that this is how you feel, before you even let the word ‘marriage’ come anywhere near the conversation.”

He stared at me as if he’d just been smacked in the face with a book and was wondering which direction it came from, and thought I knew I came on strong, I did it intentionally, hoping to get through to his young brain. He could have responded in a dismissive or irritated way, but he didn’t – he simply stared at me for a few seconds, and then slowly said, “thanks for that.” Did I get through to him? Well, of course I have no way of knowing for sure, but lets just say that this very professional and very competent young man left without collecting the very item he came to pick up.

And that made my day! It always thrills me when I can get through to people by using my larger-than-life passion for helping people find real love!

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Getting Glamorously Kitsch with Cicely Margo

12/20/2010

Cicely is a rad girl from Reno that creates eye-candy deliciousness for you to wear. We finally had the pleasure of meeting recently and she’s just as sweet as her accessories. Her creations are exactly what the doctor ordered for Miseducated girls in need of sparkle! HER SHOP!

I know we’ve been web friends for quite awhile now and I’m excited to interview you! So how long have you been crafting this amazing jewelry?
Yes a long time! Go Go LJ friends! Ive been making jewelry since I was a wee lad, and around 2004 I started to craft more steadily.

When did you decide to turn that hobby into a business?
I began selling through LiveJournal roughly around that same time and then opened up shop on Etsy in 2005.

All of us reach creativity blocks at some time.. where do you find inspiration when you reach a block?
Oh man, for inspiration, I hit up my toybox. I love gumball prizes, cheapy kid toys that come from China. I look around when I’m out at antique stores, I study vintage costume jewelry designs, I look at the color combos used. I like to combine the kitschy feel of plastic with the glamour of vintage jewels.

Oh man, for inspiration, I hit up my toybox.

Now that is probably the BEST interview answer I’ve ever heard. I love toys, too! Do you have a favorite piece of jewelry that you have made?
YES! This sugar junk glam trash necklace I made with a crap load of neon, sparkly charms. Its ridiculousness at its best!

I also love the rainbow junk pieces! Do you have any exciting stories about the purchase of one of your pieces?
Nothing too exciting. I love hearing feedback when people first get their pieces! I love their excitement over a piece of jewelry I’ve created. It makes me happy when they are happy!

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