“May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you’re wonderful, and don’t forget to make some art – write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. May your coming year be a wonderful thing in which you dream both dangerously and outrageously. I hope it’ll make something that didn’t exist before you made it, and that you will be loved and you will be liked and you will have people to love and to like in return. And most importantly, because I think there should be more kindness and more wisdom in the world right now – I hope that you will, when you need to be, be wise and that you will always be kind. And I hope that somewhere in the next year you surprise yourself”. – Neil Gaiman

A couple of weeks ago I was able to attend the Dietch PR Fall 2010 Press Day Event at the Launch Pad Showroom in Lower Manhattan. First of all, it was an honor to be able to view some of these incredible, up and coming talent coming out of the West Coast. One of the collections I was excited to see was Le Sang des Betes which I had written about before. On top of that there were all of these amazing designers that I hadn’t heard about before.

I was blown away by the talent of the designers showcased, i.e. Gabby Applegate, who is completely self-taught but you wouldn’t be able to tell by some of the designs. I think I need the backstabber coat in my closet like now. Leather and mohair jackets – yes please!

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On this Monday, I would encourage you all to start doing what you love so you can start loving what you do.

Sometimes all you need to know is that someone will catch you if you decide to take that leap. I truly believe that you can’t feel fulfilled in life if you are unhappy with how you occupy your time. What gets you going in the morning? Think about the things that excite you. Start thinking about feasible ways to make a living from it.

Don’t think that it can’t be done. Everywhere there are real life examples of people who have made it work for them. Define your own personal level of success and then figure out how to bring more joy to your life.

Go for it. Do what feels right. It always works out in the end. Don’t sleepwalk through life. I try to live by these ideas.

Some background information on this photo: Shot in 1937 for a Dutch Magazine on the Seaside Life.  More historic photos can be found here.

♥ the alchemist

Let me say that during the whirlwind that is New York Fashion Week, it was nice to attend an event created by and for fashion bloggers. The Independent Fashion Bloggers Evolving Influence Conference was so well-organized  and extremely informative. Put together by IFB founder Jennine of The Coveted, she deserves major kudos for pulling off the event and the subsequent coverage that followed. Plus, it was nice to finally meet her after a few years of email coverage and she is just as kind and lovely as you would imagine.

Jennine, Founder of IFB & The Coveted

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I don’t know about you but this winter kicked my ass!

Usually, I’m down for the cold, the layers, the inevitable hibernating and most importantly, the inspiration. There have been times when I get some of best ideas during the winter and I hatch them just in time for the spring.

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Have you ever found yourself in this situation?

You’re going on living your life, things seem perfect.

You feel as if you’re on top of the world but there’s this nagging thought that won’t leave you alone.

At the back of your mind you just keep waiting for the shit to hit the fan??

I call it the waiting for the other shoe to drop syndrome and it can affect every aspect of your life. Sometimes, you don’t even need a real reason for this feeling but somehow it haunts you at different times.

Mostly, I’ve felt this is way in relationships with guys but I know other people who have felt that way in their friendships, relationships with their parents, work situations.

It’s almost as if you can’t believe that things will be continue to be great for the long run and as a result you’re constantly on the look-out for when things start to go sour.

This is a terrible way to view life.  Since I’m such a strong believer in the idea that your thoughts create your reality; I’ve had to do a lot of soul-searching and reprogramming the way I view things so that I’m not caught in a pessimistic web of thoughts.

Of course, life isn’t always going to be sugary sweet and perfect but it doesn’t mean that we have to expect the worst.

The most important thing to remember is to be grateful and thankful for what you have and to enjoy all the moments that are strung together to make up your life.

Worrying about something will never change the outcome, all you’ve succeeded in doing is wasting precious time wrapped up in the thought of something bad happening. Instead use that energy for doing something positive.

What do you guys think?

♥ the alchemist

photo by moggierocket on flickr

“Sit back and relax kiddies, this is a new series on stylealchemy where I share with you kind, kind folks, some life lessons I have learnt from…well, just about anywhere. This should get really good, really quickly.”

I am a movie person. Meaning, I enjoy watching movies, discussing them, rewatching them. You know, normal stuff. I am not a pretentious film buff who only watches independent types because they want to seem cultured. I love them all from low-low-brow to masterpieces.

At the same time, there are a lot of movies that come out every year that I never get to, even when it seems that everyone and their mother has seen it. Case in point: Garden State.

Now when this movie first hit, everyone I knew talked about it…mostly because of the soundtrack.

Yes, it is good!

Of course, people would comment on the meaning of the film and that feeling of coming back home, etc.

I put it on my list and then promptly forgot about it.

There was a guy who once told me that I was like Sam from Garden State except that I wasn’t a liar. I looked at him blankly and blurted something along the lines of “That’s not a compliment!” He quickly explained that I was quirky, adorable, interesting and a lot of fun to be around. I then asked if that was the Natalie Portman character. He said yes, I felt a little better.

After that convo, I really made an effort to watch the movie but other fantastic masterpieces came into play like X-Men 3 and Transformers, etc.

Priorities, people! It’s all about priorities.

Until finally, this past weekend. While, an arctic chill settled over New York City, I promptly planted myself inside where I could be warm and watched so many movies that I just about OD’d on actors and dialogue.

I’ve always loved Zach Braff because of SCRUBS! but didn’t know if I wanted to see him in such a different role.

Here’s what I learnt:

1. There’s a lot more craziness going on in Jersey than no sales tax on clothing and a plethora of malls. (Okay, I already knew this one, I mean Jersey is my neighbor after all) Mainly, because I consider it suburbia and when you don’t have much to do…well, people find ways to occupy themselves.
2. Yes, Natalie Portman’s character is adorable, definitely a lot odder than me but I see the attraction and similarities. It is true, sometimes I talk a lot and I have randomly tap-danced in the middle of conversations. So thank you, N! I totally get it now. I will take that compliment any day.
   
3. Sometimes there is an awkwardness when you get in contact with people that you used to know; back when everyone was a lot younger and had that optimistic world is mine outlook and then you meet up again and everyone feels a little inadequate.
4. I want a motorcycle with a sidecar. Pronto!
5. Method Man will always play some tough-talking guy with seedy connections M.E.T.H.O.D. Man
6. The soundtrack is still great!
7. Just about everyone feels lost in their twenties or at least some point in their life
8. “If you can’t laugh at yourself, life is going to seem a whole lot longer than you’d like” So very, very true.

Here’s the trailer for the ten other people who haven’t seen it yet:

♥ the alchemist

Well, with the current state of our economy, there’s bound to be comparisons to The Great Depression and The New Deal, etc. As a result, ReadyMade asked five artists to reinterpret the populist poster art of the 1st Great Depression.

to view more, click here.

I’ve already curtailed my spending budget and have been recycling items in my wardrobe and of course thrifting like nobody’s business. I find that I like the creativity more in making something work than running out and buying some fleeting fancy. Which is why this book looks soooo good.

More tips and hints on how to rework some tired pieces into something better. Yes, please! It drops December 9th and this is definitely going on my list of Holiday Desires.

Finally, if there is one woman who is my Depression Era style maven it would have to be Faye Dunaway as Bonnie Parker in Bonnie and Clyde. I went to see the movie at the Anthology Film Archives and I couldn’t help but be drawn to Bonnie’s style. Now all I want is to wear a beret, silk neckchiefs and carry a hot pink plastic toy gun. ‘Cause I’m so gangsta!

♥ the alchemist

This week has been ker-razy!! I’ve been running around and experiencing real life which means that I haven’t been holed up in front of the computer.

So, I definitely have to get back on track.

This past Tuesday, I got to see Girl Talk at Terminal 5 and it was awesome.
He was having so much fun on stage and it just reiterates everything I believe in, people do what you love and you will earn a living from it!!!

There were so many young-uns that I thought it might have been a little past their bedtime but the experience was amazing. The energy was incredible!! I did notice that there were a lot of people standing around with a beer in their hand and not really moving. Why would anyone go to a Girl Talk concert to stand around? This is not a night at the opera. In the words of M.I.A. “Dance, Dammit, Dance” and that’s exactly what me and my good friend did. We danced from beginning to end and I’m talking about serious crazy dancing.

Other than that I have been working on some things that I will reveal pretty soon. So I just wanted to check in and give mad love to you guys!!!
Smooches.

Also, this girl rocks my style world! Lots of love to the glamourai!

♥ the alchemist

There was a time back in the Spring of 2006 that I thought about starting a vintage clothing store on eBay. I know, I know.

There were only a handful of vintage ebay sellers that I knew of: Mama Stone Vintage, MouseVox Vintage, Bleubird Vintage, MakiMaki Vintage, Nasty Gal Vintage and AdoreVintage which sold clothing off of their own domain. These savvy women had tapped into something that was just starting and they were taking it to a whole different level.

I loved the idea of having an online boutique but I had too many vintage treasures that I couldn’t part with. So I set off looking for thrift finds that were cool and that I would want to sell. I set up an account, posted a few auctions and then the idea fizzled. When no one bid on my fantastic finds, I got bored and kept them in my closet. Sucks for you, worked out for me!

Apparently, no one else got bored because fast forward 2+ years and everyone and their dog has a vintage store on eBay.

Anywhoo, I don’t regret not selling clothes online, even though sometimes I feel that itch to think about what if?
If you don’t think there’s enough vintage sellers on ebay (really???!!!) and want to jump headfirst into it. Again, really???!!!
Then I would use the stylealchemy Selling Vintage Clothing on eBay Starter Set:

1. Think of a business name for your store, add vintage, voila! Register this domain name everywhere. Think Etsy, eBay, personal domain. You have to think bigger than eBay, people! There will come a point where you will not want to deal with fees, trust me.

2. Go thrifting. Lots and lots of thrifting. You need inventory. You need good product. Please realize, I do not want to buy something that looks like a thrift store find. Make it look like the hottest shit evah! Let’s go to #3.

3. Start styling. Think outside of the box. That Cosby sweater is not ugly, it’s avant-garde. Pair with lame tights, sick black boots, sunglasses. Put together crazy combinations that work, make my jaw drop at your awesomeness!

4. Find models. For those starting out, you can use yourself but you must be edgy. If not, get your hipster friends to pose by offering them free beer (PBR anyone?) and the lure of internet stardom as a model.

5. Tell model friend that they are fierce, have them pose as if their back hurts. This is where watching America’s Next Top Model comes in handy. Vintage clothing eBay models do not smile with their eyes, mostly because they are covered by huge sunglasses. They are insolent, bored and a little tough but they look frickin amazing and you want to dress like that, don’t you? You know you do, cause I do!

6. Figure out if you want really awesome, clear photographs that look professional and make buyer drool in the genius of that leather skirt or do you want something more creative. Do not be mediocre! Mediocrity will not produce bidders. Pick an extreme and stick with it.

7. Promote, promote, promote your store. This is your brand. Love it, live it.

8. You are now ready to start selling. Godspeed!

In all seriousness, I give mad props to all those vintage eBay sellers who have developed their businesses into mini-empires. Look at Nasty Gal Vintage, MakiMaki, etc. Maybe if I had stuck with it, I would have a hugely successful vintage business but my main problem stems from the fact that if I found some great piece, it probably wouldn’t make it into the store. So I will continue to support other vintage sellers in their quest for online domination. These ladies are redefining what a businesswoman looks like. Take note, internet!

♥ the alchemist

1. Happy Halloween!, 2. Welcome Hoooome……., 3. OLD, 4. Halloween 2006

Okay, Halloween is that time honored tradition of dressing up and eating candy. Which means its a great day in my book. When I was younger, I didn’t really get the chance to celebrate Halloween that much. It was either by my grandmother’s or I was let loose with some friends in adjacent apartment buildings. That’s city life for you! I do remember my dad taking me to the Halloween Parade in the Village a couple of times, which was always fun! But it wasn’t until I was older as a teen that I really got to enjoy Halloween and it hasn’t stopped since then.

This morning, I spied little witches, pirates, 18th-century gentlemen in children who barely reach my waist on their way to school and I think it is the cutest thing evah! Last year, my nephew was a lobster but at press time his outfit is still undetermined.

Amy Winehouse was the outfit of choice last year for so many and this year it’s obviously Sarah Palin but in many different forms. I’ve toyed with many different ideas because I want to be everything but I can’t. Don’t worry I will post the outfit choice later.

Sorry for the rambling, I will leave you with something I remembered while watching those little kids marching to school. From one of my favorite childhood books, Ramona the Pest where Ramona wants to be the baddest witch in the world but wants everyone to recognize her even though she has a mask on. So, she decides to write her name on a piece of paper so she can be identified in the parade. Something about that always stood out to me. I even found an illustration from the book.

So, this post goes out to all the kids and the young at heart celebrating today!
♥ the alchemist