Hi Friends : ) 

I can not believe that we are already upon another Wednesday. These days are flying by! But I am not complaining. I am BEYOND ready for my summer vacation. Not only for the time away from my day job, but because I will finally be able to share with you all some projects I have been working on behind the scene! 

I hate that I have not been updating regularly. In my perfect word I would post almost everyday and maybe even more ;P I have sooo many ideas and things I want to do and say [hehe], but because of life - you know, you've got to prioritize and what not, I have not been able to update more. [sigh]  But I have been working over time [constantly] for the past month  or two and soon enough I will see [and you too] these projects come to life! I'd like to say [some of] my dreams are finally coming true [I have many ;P] , but I am soo in it and soo busy, its hard to tell- or fully grasp what I am doing. I am just feeding off my creative energy and all of the creative folks that surround me, to keep me going. I will soak it in later, when I have time. ;.P 

Exciting things ahead :) So until my schedule frees up + until I am able to share with you what I've been working on, please hang around! I promise to bring back my D.I.Y.s and art projects soon enough! 

Many folks have been asking me if I will be doing another #MakeYourMarkMAY and the answer is YES! I have been working on the calendar and will be posting it- umm, well in two days [guess I should finish that!] See the art party page I'm working on, here. 

Anywho, this week for #OnWednesdaysWeWear art my inspiration is French artist Henri De Toulouse-Lautrec [thats a mouth full].  He was an artist that became popular in the late 1800's. I know him for his posters that he made for the Moulin Rouge, the circus and other advertisements [like the confetti poster above!- How fun + vintage?!]

I wouldn't classify Lautrec as one of my favorites, however his posters I adore. So much I have three of them framed. One in my classroom, and two at home. I have the one with the lady sitting [above] hanging in my classroom. When I first put it up my students were like "Why is that clown lady sitting like that?! She is not a lady!' Because Ms.P is always talking to my young ladies about sitting/acting like a lady. hehe. You better believe kids will ALWAYS call you out! Check out more of his work on my Pinterest Page! 

Get this look : [ black jumpsuit : Gap || yellow clogs : Swedish Hasbeens : Modcloth || head scarf : modcloth  ]

Hello Friends! 

Happy Wednesday :) and happy Earth day! My wish for you today, where ever in the world you are reading from- is that you can take a moment to simply enjoy planet Earth, the place we all call home. [and that maybe you also take a moment to think about how you are making this Earth a better place to live now and for our future] 

As usual, on Wednesdays we are here to talk about my two favorite things : ART + fashion! But before we dive right into my inspiration for this week I want to make sure I show you the new page I created on the site just for #OWWWA. Check it out here, or by click the #OWWWA button to the right, on the side bar! 

I am super proud of this page now that its ‘done’. I can not believe how many weeks I’ve been doing this series and it is really neat to see all of the posts on one page. So if your new round these parts, think you may have missed some weeks or are wanting to join in on the fun- then head over and check it out [and let me know what you think!] . I have also posted a calendar of my weekly inspirations + Pinterest boards for each prompt for the next month! 

Anyways, Sonia Delaunay is my inspiration for this week’s post- and I am sure that I’ve said this at least 5 other times- but she is one of my FAVORITES. A woman of my own heart for sure. I was first lead to her because a professor once told me that my work reminded her of Delaunay’s work. I think I looked her up then, but then a couple years later [once I started teaching] I was in a workshop with some fellow art teachers and they told me the same thing. Then I decided to do some more research on this broad, and my eyes, heart + soul fell in love. 

I love love love reading peoples biographies and learning from their lives. In some ways I feel like it teaches me about myself. And when I read up on Sonia I felt like I was reading pages from my own [future] life….errr not exactly, seeing that I am still at the beginning stages of my career. But I guess I could relate ALOT to her and could only hope, dream, imagine that my biography would sound something like hers one day. 

Sonia was most well known for her vidid use of color and her bold abstract patterns. She married a fellow artist + painter who also had a life long obsession with color and together they created + studied color their whole lives. The reason I identify with her + her work so much, and the reasons others see the similarities we share, is not only because of her love of color but for her love of fashion and pattern making. 

Sonia Delaunay revolutionized clothes with her bold colors + patterns and introduced the [game changing] idea of ‘pret-a-porter’ aka : ready to wear. She once even gave a lecture titled “The influence of Painting on the Art of Clothes” and was highly influential to designers such as Ives Saint Laurent and Missoni. Check out my Pinterest Board I made of her work to see her paintings + designs. 

Her love for art and fashion got married into one when Sonia found herself making a living by designing + creating costumes for the stage and screen. However, she did spend the majority of her time/life painting. Every one  of Sonia’s creations made through out her life time seems like an extension of her paintings. 

Get this Look : [ top : Vintage || skirt : Modcloth || shoes : Jeffery Campbell  ||
 hair pin c/o : Mane Message ] 

Psst! Don't forget you can shop original designs by me here. + take a pic and use the hashtag #shopMFC so I see! 

To add to that- you must keep your eyes on where your going. Not looking down at where you are currently at, or you will surely crash. 

This is a lesson that life continues to teach me. In art school I learned to draw a straight line without the assistance of a ruler [or straight edge], by keeping my eyes on where I wanted my line to go, NOT by watching my hand. If I watched my hand, my line would always come out bumpy, or slightly wonky when I stepped away and looked at it. Its like the more I concentrated on that one thing [my hand drawing a a steady line] the more I lost focus of the bigger picture and where the line was supposed to end up.

When drawing a long straight line,  if you focus just ahead of your hand- on the path the line is supposed to follow and where it should end up- the chances of you getting a perfectly straight line are much higher. Try it! 

The past two weekends I’ve had the opportunity to sit in at Fabricate Studios [here in  Atlanta] for their sewing 101 class. AND I was once again reminded by this life lesson, when learning to sew a hem.

To sew a straight hem line you must watch your guide lines on your machine, not your hands directly. If you focus too hard on your hands, your hem line will surely be crooked.Our lovely instructor, Reign used the analogy of driving. If you focused on your hands steering the car and not the lines on the road- you would most likely crash your car! 

You’ve got to keep yours eyes FOCUSED on where your going, where you will end up- not where you are currently at.

So if you find yourself looking/feeling down, STOP- and re-adjust your focus and look ahead! I don’t want you to start walking down a crooked path. I know how hard and stressful life can be. I see pain + suffering in so many close to me lately. But let me encourage you all to keep your head high and your eyes focused on your goals. Even if they seem to far out of reach right now. You will NEVER get there if your looking down, focused on how stuck you FEEL in the now [Remember, feelings are ever changing]. 

Even if you feel like you can’t see what is on the horizon for you right now [maybe you feel extremely hopeless and lost] stay focused on the horizon anyways. Have faith that something great is waiting there for you. Continue to always work hard, do your best and hold your head high, so that eventually- when your vision becomes clear, and you can see whats ahead of you. You’ll be focused and ready for whatever is next in your life, not caught off guard because you were looking down, lost. 

And hind sight is ALWAYS 20-20. When you look back, you’ll see that your path to where you were headed may have had a few bumps along the way, or a few stitches in the wrong places but mostly your path landed you straight  to where you were meant to be. 

Psst! : For those of you needing a good kick in the butt to get motivated, here yuh go- watch
this Ted Talk. Its not long, and may be just what you need if your feeling stuck. [Ted talks on my lunch break is what keeps me sane y'all.] 

Hey gals + Happy FRYday!

We made it through another week, which means I have a new girl crush to introduce you to today! This week I am crushing on [another] color chaser- Rosie Clayton! She is a creative based out of Chicago that loves photography, color, cocktails and traveling! 

Check Rosie's colorful Instagram out here, and read my interview with her below! 

1. How do you like your [french] fries [flavored &/or sauces &/or where from etc...]? 

I'm a fan of crispy, thin cut fries dipped in aioli or mayo.  The first time I tried mayonnaise on my french fries was in 1999 when my Austrian friend and his mother encouraged me to give it a try; I thought it sounded like the weirdest thing but it was love at first taste and I've never gone back to ketchup!  I also love a good McDonald's french fry- drive through and eat 'em while their hot and salty!  Yum... I want some RIGHT.NOW!!


2.  Roller blades or Roller Skates?

Roller Skates all the way!  White with white laces and pink wheels, please.  Classic. 


3.  What are your favorite magazines?

I love US weekly for catching up on celebrity gossip, Elle and Vogue for a fashion fix, and Travel + Leisure for vacation ideas- I absolutely love to travel!


4. LA or New York?

I lived in upstate New York for a short time when I was at Cornell University and lived in the West Village while I worked at the corporate offices at J.Crew in the city.  I'd have to say New York all the way- I love the energy I feel every time I'm there.  There is such a vibrant social scene; people move at a fast pace at work and at know how to enjoy themselves outside the office.  There's also a great European influence, you can sit at a cafe or a street corner and just people watch.  And do I need to mention Central Park (and Bryant Park) in the Fall?!  Amazing!!


5.  When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was younger, I wanted to be a photographer for National Geographic.  The perfect job would be able to combine my love of photography with travel to foreign countries. There are so many beautiful places and cultures to see!


6.  If you could only wear clothes from one decade the rest of your life, which decade would that be?

This is a tough question- I love the roaring 20s but I'd have to say the clothing of the Mid 50s-mid 60s is my favorite period.  Classic, flattering silhouettes in the most beautiful colors and hand crafted with love.  A lot of my wardrobe is filled with vintage pieces from this era.


7.  Would you rather only be able to whisper at a level that nearly none can hear, or always sound like you just suck in helium?

Oooh.  I guess I'd rather only be able to whisper.  That way, I'd know that people were truly tuning in to what I had to say!

Psst! : Did you notice that I create a #GirlCrushFRYday page?! [link on sidebar] If your new around here [and want to know what FRYday is all about], or if you need/want to get caught up my girl crushes, find them all easily here! -enjoy!