Youth of America

I am on on Stumbleupon. SO pumped. But yea, I did put myself on there. Shh, it's fine.

Happy Birthday Mister President.

Not condoning infidelity here, but this is a pretty shot.

A dose of fashion for ya.

I need to remember this more.

We all need to remember this more.

This past weekend I volunteered to teach groups of Girl Scout troops how to embroider. I woke myself up unfortunately early on a dreary Saturday morning and patiently threaded huge needles only to find myself completely horrified by the mental state of these "children". One girl was asking me about the "Telephone" video... You know, the one including mass murder, crotch shots, The Pussy Wagon, and a makeout session with members of undetermined genders? Why had this girl, this little maybe 6 or 7 year old girl, seen this video? They discussed how annoying it was when their parents made them go to bed... at 1 am. Then they bitched about how much they hated school and how useless it is. Children should not hate school! Children should not hate school because they want to stay cooped up inside watch trannies grinding on t.v. until sunrise instead!

Another rugrat told me she wanted to grow up and be an artist. She dreamed of this at least until her mommy said No way, Jose. Artists make no money. So I guess society has resorted to spitting all over your dreams at the age of seven instead of waiting for you to graduate with $100,000 of debt and no job.

Not sure which is worse.

I was having a good day today, but then the wonderful women who run my department once again failed to perform the requirements of their job. Way to go, guys. I'm really glad I pay you to be here, take out loans to be here, spend my far too many waking hours being here. Am I really disgusted by this new generation of jaded, uninspired kids, or am I actually jealous they don't suffer from my delusions of grandeur?

Someday we'll find it, the Rainbow Connection.

The Lovers, the Dreamers, and me.

-Kermit the Frog.

My shit when I was a kid.

♥ Lini.

I'm Lovin' It.

May I begin by saying I would give my soul to be here this weekend.

Hey man, now you're really living.

Enjoy it bitches who are attending, tell Guetta I said hello ♥

"This is not a healthcare reform. This is a health insurance reform."

I was only half-listening, but I believe CNN said Larry King said this. Of everything I've heard in the past few days, this is the most true statement of all. Before the newscaster announced the aforementioned quote, a story was aired about a 14 year-old girl weighing 400 pounds. Her life, obviously at risk, was saved by some combination of medical miracles and surgeries.

So yeah. Maybe we should reform our lifestyles a little bit as well?

Can we all please research what this bill means folks? All I hear from people is "Free insurance? Fuck Obama man, that means more taxes. We're not socialists, this isn't Cuba." Well, does it actually? I don't crunch numbers myself, but I'm pretty sure no one is going to give up their entire life savings to fund someone else's medical bills. From what I've heard and read [mind you, the bill is over a thousand pages long, so believe me I really skimmed]. If anyone can complain, it's the privately owned insurance companies, and even so, I like to hope they'll be taken care of. Personally, I like socialists, I am Brazilian after all.

I won't pretend I understand politics. I won't pretend I the stack of publications under my bed are anything other then Vogue, Nylon, or Elle. A review on new soy-based nail polish remover catches my eye more frequently then who was elected mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas. I do care, and I do vote. But, as our forefathers predicted, most people suck, myself included, and forget to pay attention to their surroundings and cannot be trusted with the fate of their country. I just hope this reform plays out for the best, and I hope people:

1. Stop complaining, you probably haven't done an ounce of research. Your opinions were spoon fed to you since the days of Gerber and you haven't refreshed them since. If you actually have formulated a proper viewpoint, good for you!

2. Listen to Larry King. Be healthier much? An instructor of mine who gives a whole new meaning to nutty professor said in class poverty in America was solved with the invention of the Chicken McNugget. I won't take up anymore time or space discussing the major issues with this statement.

Adios ninos, Lini ♥

All Play and No Work Makes Lini and Happy Girl

I spend the majority of my time in school, as do most students. When I do come home I cherish those days but oddly enough it feels like I never left. I love Florida. I love being warm and I love being in my house. I love waking up in my own bed. I love soaking in my Peter Pan complex for the handful of days each year on which academic authorities have deemed we students and faculty may have a vacation. [Not quite vacation though, let's be real. Who else is swallowing novels whole in five days? I personally am about to go lounge by my pool and churn out an sketches for an entire swimwear collection, but I can't complain because it's gorgeous today!] I don't want to go back to school next week. I just want to play.

On today's agenda:

Edward Steichen: In High Fashion, the Conde Nast Years 1923 - 1937

Fort Lauderdale Art Museum, free entry with student ID.

I am attending with my muse Miss Betty and Pepper, I'll let all you Vogue junkies know how it goes.

Childish things I have found to coincide with my mood today.

An apron with coordinating pockets for your colored pencils.

Sheer brilliance.

Childrenswear by PLUSH.

Great studio shot, this kid had awesome hair.


Baby kicks! Too, too cute.

My house.

I wish, sigh.

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up."

Picasso.

In my last words for the day, go see Hot Tub Time Machine. It will change your life [most likely not for the better.] Please don't pay a full $10 for it if you can avoid doing so. What an ABSURD moment in movie making.

♥ Lini.

I knew you'd take all my honey.

Must-read book.

The Thoughtful Dresser by Linda Grant.

I realize that's a link to this brilliant woman's blog, but the US edition of her book only comes out next month. I read an excerpt from it in one of those airplane magazines and the only reason I didn't steal a copy was because it promised I could find the article online. I can't. If I do, I will repost or snag the issue on my next flight.

I can't imagine someone reading this and not being moved. First of, she said what I've always said: fashion matters. It's been around since the dawn of time, and even if you don't give a shit about how you look, other people do. They judge you and your appearance. For those of you who seem to think you're above it all and immune to superficial nonsense, I guarantee you judge everyone around you as well. You may not care about what you throw on your body, but you care what everyone else does.

In the few pages I read, Ms. Grant talked about going to Auschwitz and seeing a lace-up red high heeled pump in the pile of thousands of shoes of the victims who died there.

Ultimate contast between vanity and misery.

She tracked down the story behind this shoe and found a woman who survived the camp. The survivor, whose name I unfortunately cannot recall, now lives in Canada and sells high-end fashion because she knows no matter who you are, all women love the feeling of owning something completely beautiful, frivilous, and nonutilitarian. I thought it was a interesting survival story.

The author also said she always follows the delirious thoughts she has when she first wakes up and ignores the worrisome ones which keep her awake at night because the groggy, insensible realizations are always more revealing of our true needs and desires.

Basically, I need to read this book. Dynamic characters, poignant memoirs, and fashion? It was about time.


Must-see video.

Telephone Lady Gaga Ft. Beyonce.

Other then the blatant product placement [cough, Virgin Mobile, Poloroid, cough. And at one point, Wonderbread?] I enjoyed this overall. I do think the script was a bit strange and Beyonce's hair was reminiscent of VV Brown's, but what can you do? "I told you she didn't have a dick" + more Jeremy Scott accessories were enough to keep my happy. "To Be Continued"... It already extended the Paparazzi video, I wonder what's next!

Day One of Spring Break: Woke up at 1 pm. It is pouring outside. I am still happy as a clam.

♥ Lini.

Sourire

I found myself having a bizarrely good day today.

Lately I had been indulging in things and justifying it by telling myself everyone deserves a little luxury in their lives. When does little luxury become overabundant though? I usually feel guilty when I take an extra hour to watch t.v. or if I lazily skip the gym, but sparingly giving into sloth is forgivable. We're mostly all human right?

Recently I though I had been playing around little too much, but after today I realized maybe I was wrong. After my first class I spent all morning talking over tea with an old friend. Then, this afternoon I skipped class and went to the art museum. Such an adventure could only be followed up with frozen yogurt at one of those super Asian kitschy places in the city that my best friend and I terminally infatuated with [as is everyone on the East and West coasts to the best of my knowledge, thanks Pink Berry].

But anyway.

I saw my usual favorites, checked out some Dada bullshit because I've been been feeling a little nihilistic lately. My hooky partner and I dug this oil paint on glass technique we found. Overall, however, The Graphic Unconscious Exhibit impressed me the most. Artist Oscar Munoz took photos from obituaries of disappeared people or criminals and mounted them on light board. Through a series of images, the photos "drained" away, and the person disappeared, gone. I do this no justice. If you're in Philly you should check it out. I personally have never seen a single piece of performance art I can even tolerate until this one, and this series, Biografia, was magic. Flawless, 100%.

I guess my whole point was I did something reckless and reprimandable, but found peace in the end. I'm not saying I'm going to to start skipping class sipping lattes, looking for ice cream, and drain pipes around cities of the world. I might just cut myself more slack. Maybe.

Biografia.

After all I did today, I surprisingly got further along on my Red Dress in 2 hours then I had in the past week.

Still not very far though, alas.

Another find of the day, I have posted this everywhere.

I ♥ it.

Au Revoir.

♥ Lini

ps: My spacebar clicks in a really obnoxious way, how can I make this stop without taking it in? Is this possible? Do I want too much?

Seria perfeito se eu podia reparti hoje com...

Mais, fazer o que?

...And?

House Key,

Clever!

Design by Stat Key.

These were in the gift bags at last night's Academy Awards.

Overall, the watching the ceremony made me upset I did find fame in time to have my own Baba Wawa interview, guilty I haven't seen Precious yet [I'm sorry, Precious based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire as they reminded us approximately one thousand times], but mostly glad I'm not SJP's or Charlize's stylist... No offense homegirls.

In other news Chiquita Bonita, the banana folk redesigned their label. I find this almost as fascinating as MTV finally admitting they are no longer Music Television and representing this by slighting slimming down the "M" and reversing the black and white color scheme. Why Chiquita? People accepted you as you were. Edgy, skater vector graphics won't make people crave potassium. Perhaps I am wrong though, it just seems like another silly marketing campaign, but here's to design, yea?

Lastly, I found this lovely photographer name Rodrigo M. After I feel in lover with his multiple exposure series I read his bio and discovered he is actually from Curitiba! Hurray for fellow Brazilians! He also said in his bio "Future Designer. Not Photographer." Simple and to the point. I also love people who are awesome at things they have zero intention of pursuing. I find it sort of tragic and romantic. I guess that's a bit odd of me, whatever.

Bon appetite, there was no hidden agenda behind this post.

♥ Lini.

Wait! I have an A in Creative Writing.

This is impressive because:

1. My teacher looks like Father Christmas but is in fact a douchebag.

2. I have straight C's in everything else and I am academically drowning. I apologize for repeating this in practically every post.

Fin, really this time.

Apres moi, le deluge.

This is the second semester of my Junior year in college. I remember my parallel semester is high school was equally challenging, filled with questions and curiosities. Where to go to school, what to study? To take out loans, to stay in state? I considered myself lucky in knowing at least from an early age what I wanted to study.

What if I was wrong? I keep hearing this new-age "Secret" thing, the whole image your future and it's yours. I'm having trouble believing it though. Whenever I go work in the lab or studios, I find myself pulling my hair out in frustration. So many things can go wrong when designing something you're going to make. I used to watch the upperclassmen make garments and wonder why it took so long, what could they possibly be altering for the thousandth time? Now I think I finally understand.

Even if I wish really, really hard for my future to unfold itself for me as I would like, I need to take the steps for it to follow out in the path I desire. If every action has a reaction, I am the responsible catalyst to set the initial action in motion. The only problem is, frankly, I don't feel like it. I being avalanched by competition. I am afraid. I have a lot of questions, and I know the answers will appear.

I just don't feel like waiting.

I want to know what's going to happen. I want to know if I can do it, not just believe in myself or hear it from the people in my life who care. I want to do something and be proud of it.

A friend said a few days ago everything we experience becomes mostly how feel about it, and not what it actually is or was. So, if these theories are correct, I have the power to create my life because I control my past by how I emotionally perceive it, and my future by how I visualize it. Vonnegut once said "We are who we pretend to be." Is success just in our own mental imagination? Can we become our own gods, muses, magicians merely by wishing it so?

Better start exercising my cranium then.

Profile of Galliano for Dior show this week.

Another Dior close-up.

These. shoes. are. stunning.

[Homegirl might wanna beef up her ankles or something though, looking a little loose. Hand them over, they might fit me (; ]

Ladylike colors, super pretty.

Viktor & Rolf.

My design teacher in Milan told me their former flagship store there was built upside down. For example, the chandelier was on the floor. Aside from defying gravity, these two have defied every standard in the industry and never fail to impress. I loved this collection.

Favorite piece, I want it.

"When you're as arrogant as we are, you're always disappointed because you think you deserve more."

-Chester French.

♥ Lini.

My life’s a movie, call me Martin Scorsese... Just not one starring:

Last night I went to the movies.

I really missed doing this, I love film and wished:

a. Movie ticket prices weren't constantly climbing. This is an issue considering how many movies I want to see.

b. I had more time to go.

c. I developed some shame and watched "The Hurt Locker" or something instead of five episodes of "Frank the Entertainer's Basement Affair" in a row. I have yet to see "A Single Man"! It's directed by Tom Ford! I should really get it together.

Anyway, while in the theater a preview for some movie starring The Rock came on, which in turn reminded me of every movie starring The Rock. I had a theory about these "films". On busy times like Christmas [Holler Jew Christmas, I participate], summer nights, midnight premieres, etc. movies often sell out, correct? Often people drove all the way out there, so they're like "Whatever, let's go see something else, what's playing?" Everything is sold out but...

THAT is how they get stuck seeing things like The Rock in fairy wings.

I would like to believe the only market for these absurd films is these accidental movie goers. Now, I am not a huge movie snob. Though I do like foreign movies and I enjoy a little b&w, I won't shun a little "Superbad" and I often quote "Stepbrothers" with my former roommates. They're funny! What I cannot accept is movies where TIME and MONEY is being used to produce something of the quality mentioned above!

Please watch this link.

[This isn't even that horrible, just incredibly bizarre.]

I want to meet someone who likes these movies. I want to meet someone who doesn't answer "Romances" or "Dramas" when asked their favorite genre of film, but rather "I like movies with the worst possible humor, script, and actors." Where are these people?! They obviously exist! Introduce yourself to me, I'm curious about you.

♥ Lini.

Milano

I am late, I know.

Just a few things I like from the past shows in Milan, gotta feed the fashion hunger.

Buon Appetito Amori!

Fendi.

Karl Lagerfeld.

I always wonder why it's so public that he's behind Chanel and not Fendi. I really like Fendi!

Versus.

Versace junior line.

I really like this too, good find for the day.

Gabriele Colangelo.

Now HE was my favorite find of the day.

Gorgeous construction, soft and strong.

♥ it!

♥ Lini.

ps: What if I didn't blog about fashion for like a month? Yay or nay?

I have had it with these Monkey Fighting Snakes.

Lately I've been really stressed.

I know, I know... Isn't everyone? I think I need to figure out what makes me relax because I simply cannot take this tension in my forehead any longer. What do you do to ease yourselves, dear readers? Generally, I stand by my man Mr. Allen and the "Whatever Works" concept, but I think everyone needs a positive outlet for bad energy. I think everyone gets caught up in their lives and forgets their friends, families, pets, or [insert person, place, or thing you care about here].

I will shamefully admit sometimes I leave the television on for background noise while I'm sketching or such. This habit results in some the viewing of very poor quality television, must recently Wife Swap on Lifetime. First of all, I cannot believe I watched Lifetime. I didn't even have cable until 3 years ago, and Lifetime is something I was definitely not missing out on. Secondly, Wife Swap? But hear me out, I overheard something interesting. A husband on this televised circus happened to be a detective and part time physical trainer who spent all of his time either at work and raising his children to be Olympians. Practice after practice, session after session, these kids never smiled. Daddy dearest would not allow it! [In case you don't waste away you're lives watching this show, the purpose of it is to attempt to try something new and change your ways.] For Mr. Marathon, he had to be more affectionate, relax, and live easy. Basically, he had to go on vacation for a week. He COULDN'T DO IT! He said- here's what I found interesting- everyone things vacation is easy and can't wait for it, but for him, it's literally unimaginable.

It's just funny what people value, how people define the things in their lives, and what we all hold sacred.

I have the only midterm I am looking forward to tomorrow. Everyday for weeks I've been waking up and thinking about it. We have to begin the makings of a dress for competition. This bitch of a creation is haunting me. I'm about to sketch her again now actually, I had a change of mind. At 3 am. 5 hours before class. Muses are convenient, aren't they?

For everyone who skips my rants, and to be honest I often skip many a rant and wish I could mentally scroll through my own, here are a few images images I found inspiring today:

A picture my dear friend Lindsay Beach took in Australia. It's also her 21st birthday today, I hope she's getting fresh!

Isn't this a gorgeous shot though?

I am itching to travel.

This fabric is like butter, amazing.

Random doodle by Paul McCartney.

I hate that douchebag, stop getting married TOOL.

I do like my some Stella though ♥

Ciao bitches.

Happy midterms to my PhilaUer's!

♥ Lini.