Talking Gibberish @ CHATBOX

I did it again!
And this time it was waaaayyyy more fun. Maybe because I wasn't so nervous (last time I was shaking like a leaf) and also, because the audience was way more involved. Asking questions, laughing and all that. Yep, I love it!

At the same event, the other speaker was Sebastian Cojocaru aka. Dj. Sebuh. He talked about the life of a dj, with all its ups and downs (we all know that's how it is). Jokes, music talk, adventure talks...it was great fun.

Me, I told my story. The big one and then my every-day story (that's the little one). I talked about my cats, my obsesion with the internet, this blog, facebook, the #100happydays project etc. You know me, I can talk and talk and talk. Especially when it's about fashion and my job!
I'm pretty sure some of the people there might think I'm crazy...but hey! What's a girl supposed to do?! Act natural and hope for the best (and believe me, it's always great). Smart talk aside, I really enjoyed myself. The people were incredible and the ambiance was friendly!
Yep, I would do it again in a heart beat!

And now, Ladies and gentleman, for your enjoyment, I give you 'ALIENS'!!!!

Yep, I do love to talk with my hands!!! :)))

Photos: Sergiu Daniel Photography
Event by CHATBOX

Tarantino International Day

Yes darlings, today is Quentin Tarantino's birthday.
And because we love him and his movies oh soo sooo much, we decided to make it the 'Tarantino International Day'. I'm pretty sure in a few years it will become extremely popular!

To celebrate, I simply go crazy ass b**** and shoot/cut/...so many options, everyone around me. (joke people, joke) Until then, here are some of my favorite quotes from Quentin Tarantino:

Superman didn't become Superman. Superman was born Superman. When Superman wakes up in the morning, he's Superman. His alter ego is Clark Kent. His outfit with the big red "S", that's the blanket he was wrapped in as a baby when the Kents found him. Those are his clothes. What Kent wears - the glasses, the business suit - that's the costume. That's the costume Superman wears to blend in with us. Clark Kent is how Superman views us. And what are the characteristics of Clark Kent. He's weak... he's unsure of himself... he's a coward. Clark Kent is Superman's critique on the whole human race.

As a writer, I demand the right to write any character in the world that I want to write. I demand the right to be them, I demand the right to think them and I demand the right to tell the truth as I see they are.

I was kind of excited to go to jail for the first time and I learned some great dialogue.

Something stopped me in school a little bit. Anything that I'm not interested in, I can't even feign interest.

You don't have to know how to make a movie. If you truly love cinema with all your heart and with enough passion, you can't help but make a good movie.

Ohhh...he's sooo cool! ;)

The Day With NO Internet.

It was horrible!

And while I was banging my head against the walls, I realized I am an addict! Like must of you, I dare to say. And I'm right...right?

Believe me, I work all day and sometimes all night! But the internet is my safety net, my way of socializing and keeping in touch with friends, clients and people I like to know about. Yes, I too have my stocking victims and I think that's simply normal this days. So what if I like knowing what Jean-Charles de Castelbajac had for lunch?! Can you blame me???

Well...here I was. No internet. No way of communicating with my clients. You might say 'Oh, Arina! Do you remember the telephone?'. I doooo!!! But how can I use the telephone when I rely on visual-information so much? Impossible! So I worked non-stop. Trying to keep my sanity! Trying - the key word here.

What did I do:
- sketched a few evening gowns
- looked at all the fabric samples received this past month
- did some sewing
- reorganized the atelier (fabrics/buttons/strings)
- washed all the mirrors (I do have a lot of mirrors)
- managed to meet with 5 clients
- thought about my personal life and where it was going (always a bad idea)
- started to make the plan for the next photoshoot

And that's about it. Then I got home and Virgil got home...so I had someone to keep me company (in other words, someone to stress). All in all, it was a great day! I'm thinking to make every Tuesday - No Internet Day! We'll see how that will turn out...

Delicate Bloody Porcelain

Oh mighty Gods of the internet why have you forsaken me? Why have you let me fall ill with a disease for the rich? All too many hours have been wasted down your treacherous wormholes by me, promising myself: "Just one more!" knowing very well it's not true. Because I have the oh-so-unknown illness of: Porcelain Infatuation! (Ahhhh, no cure)

I can spend hours on end looking at pretty porcelain figurines, plates, dolls and everything in between (sometimes on this very blog). And I dream of the day when I can buy them all and keep them in a special, creepy and wonderful room where you have to walk on your toes and live with constant anxiety of not breaking anything.

And now, dear readers, let me fill you in on all the gory, delicate details. Let's marvel together at the this beautiful lady created by Jessica Harrison.

Marie Antoinette is that you? Going to a ball post-decapitation?

Let's gaze at this beautiful dissected dinnerware by Beccy Ridsdel and wonder if we would discover a new layer to our plates if we just pushed our knife hard enough.

And finally let's bask and in the luminous glory of this porcelain sculpture by Jeff Koons.(Oh Gods, let this become a knock-off item so that I can buy it at the bazaar.)

This would make a great TV-topper in a grandma house or my house.

(figurines via, plates via)

Come Take a Shower With Me!

You'll never guess who invites you for a shower and a conversation about vegetarianism...
Awkward silence!
Ohhh...just watch and I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

#100happydays (1-10)

Yep! I'm doing this!
And you can't imagine how hard it is...puffff. But I'll do them all, all 100 happy days.

Actually, you know what? I think taking part in something like this is almost as good as therapy. It makes you (even insists) see the beautiful things in your life. Now, don't panic. Most of my photos are from work. Because I love my job and because I'm a workaholic.

Enjoy:

Day 1: Today is a good day to be a woman! Happy March 8th!

Day 2: It's a sunny day outside, but I'm spending my Sunday in, with old friends .

Day 3: When I work, I make a lovely mess around me :))

Day 4: My favorite accessory in the entire world!!!

Day 5: vices...can't live with them, can't live without them.

Day 6: Too much work makes you do crazy things!...I wanna go outside!

Day 7: Pretty sure Spring is finally here!

Day 8: Sometimes, you just fall in love with a door.

Day 9: Happy to have somebody to love and be loved.
*he's sad 'cause Manchester United just lost a game against Liverpool...

Day 10: Happy Green/Redhead Day!!! :))

Photos credits: Arina Varga

Fashion is Supposed to be FUN

Words of wisdom my friend! Words of wisdom!
Aaand, also my brand's motto...just to put it out there! But I'm sure you already knew that!

The other day, this got me thinking. People know about this motto, they talk about it, really enjoy it, but I don't think they truly believe in it. And that is just sad! Fashion is too diverse, full of different fabrics, colors, different cuts and shapes, filled with glitter, beads and whatever your mind can imagine!

So why take it so serious?! Something that is filled with opportunity can't be a stress factor! And I think that's why people make such fashion-mistakes. They stress too much about it, instead of simply letting it flow and enjoy the ride! ;)

That is why, the other day, I decided to show you all that fashion can be fun!

Of course it's a little crazy! Believe me, I know. I simply decided to go all the way, in order to prove my point and to make you smile! :D Did it work? I know it did! :)) Just like I know you are thinking what I'm thinking (my hair looks like a wig - the same in all the photos!!!)

How, dress up all nice and fancy and go outside to enjoy the sun!
kisses!

Bike Season

It's still chilly outside, but the sun is shining, the trees are starting to blossom, kids are playing with dogs in the park and you know what? I am officially declaring the start of Bike Season! Toot your horns, shift your gears, pedal-pedal-break-pedal and rejoice.

To all of you who have been riding your bikes all winter long: I salute you and your frostbitten noses! And now it's time for the rest of us to join you. Let's all delight in the joys and the frustrations of riding bikes through the city: getting around faster, honking cars, the wind coming from behind, old people walking on the bike lanes and not getting out of the way not even if you ring your bell or shout, riding into the sunset and so on.

Mmmmmh, summer! It's not that far away.

I have been riding my bike to work this week and it has been the best. I am a little dizzy when I get there, like I've just gotten out of a whirlwind, but it's still the best and it's only going to get better from here on out. 

Jump! Jump! Jump!

Do you remember the game?
If you are Romanian, or Czech, or something in between, I'm pretty sure you know what I'm talking about. It's the childhood game preferred by the girls (but I remember boys also used ti play..)
THE ELASTIC! (or, in my part of the country, 'the panties')

It was sooo long ago (yep, still getting old) that I really don't remember the rules. It used to be played in at least 3 kids. Two of them used to hold the elastic with they feet and the other used to jump. They they changed places. They wouldn't simply jump, but the had to make all kins of tricks with the elastic. SSSOooo cool!
Also, the elastic would gradually move from being help with 2 feet, to 1 feet. From the ankles, to the knees and even waist and neck (only the pro s could jump that high. Or the older kids)

When it was just me and my cousin, we used a chair to help us play. So I guess you can do it in 2 also :)) You know kids, if the want to do something, they will find a way to do it!

Why am I writing about this now? Now, when I don't even remember the rules?
Don't be mean, I remember things. When I was your age!!! ;) You'll get to walk in my shoes. I'm not worried about that!

Back to the subject. Every morning when I come to work, I go to the kitchen and prepare my breakfast (yogurt and wheat bran -> bleah!), then I come to the laptop and see what happened while I was sleeping. That's how I came a cross a photo/drawing illustrating the game we are talking about.
My day got better! Because if you start the day smiling, nothing can stop you from moving a mountain with a laughter! Agree? :) So, my advice to you: find visual information that can boost your spirit!

But let's get back to the game.
Here are different techniques on how to play! Start practicing because this Summer we might have a competition! ;)

Images: jocuridincopilarie.ro, Belva.ro

How to Dot it!

I always wonted to make a 'how to'...but I never get around to taking all the pictures needed to capture the entire process. Today is no different. Yep...I'm pretty predictable. Even so, I'll try in this post to show you what I'm going trough while making a product.

Now, as you can imagine, first of all I must talk to the client and find out her wishes. That being done, the next step is to find that perfect fabric! Easy you think? NEVER!!!!
Until today, after so many years of working as a designer, I can still count the fabrics I really really loved. They are all with prints. I adore prints...And because I usually don't find what I want/like, I make the print myself! Using special textile paint, of course!

My client wanted a skirt with BIG black dots on it. Hmm...small dots everywhere. Big ones...zero!
So, here I am making it all from the start!

First of all, you have to make a stencil and draw the shape on the fabric. Keep in mind to have the same distance between them, so it looks professional and not home-made. Nobody wants that!

Now, you have to get some textile paint and a brush that best suits your hand (I, for one, like the hard ones for marking the contour). Mark the contour on all the dots. After a few hours (yep...it will take forever), have a break and then continue!

You might be lucky enough (like me) to have someone to help! But, I'm pretty sure, my little helper was doing more criticizing then working on the skirt...hmmm, look at that face! He hates fashion so so much!

The next thing to do is to fill all the dots, in 2 coatings. This will also take an eternity, that's why it's better to do it at night when nobody will bother you and you won't bother anybody. While doing that, take the time and think about your life, the things you did, the things you wanted to do...on the edge of depression? Relax, go smoke a cigaret, have a glass of wine and then come back to work...

It's always the same with tedious jobs...

Anyways, now the print is finished! After letting it to dry, iron it a few times and now you are ready to make the asymmetric skirt! Maybe you want a little color with it, to make it pop better (like the RED used here) and for it to look fuller, I advice you to also make a separate tull skirt (so the client can wear it with, or without that second skirt).

This is the end result!
I simply loveeeeeeee it and it's dots!!!

In the future, I promise to show you how to make a dress from start to finish, with patterns, pictures and everything!

Time of the Blossom

Don't you just hate when Spring is playing tricks on you?
For a few days it's sunny and warm and the PUFFF! just like that, it's cold again and raining. It Sucks! That's what it does! I can't even describe in words (but I can...but I won't. It just won't be such a pleasant post) how upset I am with all that;s happening outside!!!

As soon as it started to warm-up I began making plans. Plans about the weekend, shootings, shoes to wear, light jackets and the list goes on. At this time, the sky is gloomy, people are feeling cold and everybody suffers for an incredible headache. If only it will start raining soon, maybe I'll feel better then.

I have a few meetings today, but I really don't feel like going out. Actually, I wanted to stay home this morning and fall asleep while watching something stupid on tv. But that's not the case today. Today I have to do my job while feeling miserable! Like sucks sometimes!

But there is always the visual inspiration to cheer me up! Like this awesome shooting. Me, I like to jump from link to link and find things I like. Usually, I save the ones that inspire me the most, in order to enjoy them on gloomy days! That's a perfect remedy!

Images by Tania Kezha & Darya Golova

Flowers, flowers, flowers all over! Uh...
I want Spring to be all year long!

Read Me Something Nice

The sun is shining outside. Birds are starting to chirp again. People wear brighter colors. I think the signs are clear, spring is on it's way! And could there be a better way to celebrate this, than to draw your curtains, hide under your sheets and read a good book? I think not! (I'm joking, there are a million better ways to celebrate spring than that, take a stroll through the park, drink a coffee on a bench, buy a dress, reorganize your closet. Enjoy it, you guys. Life is too short!)

Are you reading anything good these days? You know, the kind of book you think about in your sleep, or you never want to end and so you read it really slowly, or you think to yourself  "I'm going to buy this book for everybody I know so I can talk about it all the time with everybody, always". I know, books are intense.

Do you want to know what I'm reading? I'm hearing a slight buzz from my computer, which I will take as a definite "Yes!". I'm reading 3 books right now, before you fall of your chair in great amazement at my awesome brain power and highly intellectual interests, let me assure you that I am a terribly lazy reader with a short attention span which can explain the 3 books at once scenario. All of them are wildly different and so I can get to them depending on my mood. So let's see what they are.

On the weekends I read Zadie Smith's White Teeth, which is wonderful and funny and sad and really a lot of things you look for in a book.

When I want to read, but don't really want to look at pages full of words I read Chris Ware's Building Stories, which is a great graphic novel and it's not really a novel but rather a collection newspapers, posters, pamphlets and little comic strips. It's amazing and beautiful. Have a look!

And finally, right before I go to sleep or just want to get into a good mood I read about astronauts pooping in space in Mary Roach's Packing for Mars, which is about more than pooping in space, of course, and it's extremely interesting and wildly funny.

So, how many books are you reading now? Did any of these spark your interest? Are you impressed by number of adjectives I used in this post?

Happymania!

Surely, we are talking about Pharrell Williams's song, Happy!

This song will remain in history and there's nothing to do about it. Not that we should do something about that, because it is simply a great song! Great positive lyrics, great positive music, great positive video!
Everything is perfect about it and I too adore it (and shake my whole body when I hear it)!

Now, the phenomenon isn't just plain old-school love for the song. The video is being re-made all over the world! In so many cities I can't keep up with (I like to think I've seen most of them). If you ask me...there's nothing wrong with that and I can't wait for more versions to come!

People are finally embracing the need of being happy without thinking of money, luxury items, social status, body size, color and the list can go on and on. Just smile, dance, have fun with friends, kiss a loved one... that's all you need to feel the happiness.

Last nigh, at the Oscar's was the final proof (if needed) to show my generation that this will be one of our songs!

so...what can I say in the end?
Hmmmm: Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth!