6.27.11

Don't you hate when you ask someone to take pictures of you and they do it carelessly and you end up with stupid shots of your hair covering your face or you making weird faces? Yeah, that's what happened to me yesterday. My "photographer" was being lazy and rushing and it pissed me off and I'm still mad about it. If I ask someone to do something for me I need them to put 100% into it or else it's pointless. And that's how it felt. I wanted to show you all Malaga Cove in Palos Verdes, CA but my video camera died within 10 seconds of recording then I got a bunch of "ok" shots. My "photographer's" excuse was that he had to be at work in a few hours so he was rushing and that brings me to the lesson of the day:

When someone asks for a favor, asks for your opinion, or anything of that nature BE 100% REAL AND HONEST. If you're not honest and real, you don't get what you want. So how does this relate to my "just ok" pictures? Well, when I first asked my friend if he wanted to come with me to the cove, he should've just said no, that he didn't think he'd have time. And when I sensed that he didn't really want to go, that he was just doing it to satisfy me or get it over with and I asked him again he DEFINITELY should've declined. But then again I should've went with my sixth sense, the vibes I was getting from him, and just decided on my own that we shouldn't go. So the fact that he wasn't honest about not wanting to go created more problems once we got there and it totally killed my mood in such a peaceful place because I felt rushed and I felt like he wasn't trying. And when you're mad you're going to look mad in photos. Being real, blunt, and honest solves problems. Remember that. Don't be passive aggressive. Passive aggressiveness is for weak people. State how you feel or what you think clearly and openly or you don't get anywhere. I'm beginning to realize that society has an issue with being real as if it's a bad thing. Don't worry about stepping on toes if it means you make progress. For instance, if I have one friend who's telling me they have an issue with another friend of theirs and they tell me the issue then ask, "Well what should I say to her?" and my answer is always to tell her EXACTLY what you told me! You'd think it would be obvious, right? If my friend was 100% open and honest about the issue with the other person, they could get it solved! Simple as that! When you sugarcoat or cover things up, it creates more problems on top of problems and a false reality and who likes fake? Not me! It's funny when a lot of people say that I'm too blunt or even rude when I'm just doing what we're supposed to by being REAL. Being open, honest, and real is how we're meant to be. Since when did not expressing our true emotions become the norm?

The second lesson for today, and I'm sure you've heard this before, put 100% into whatever you do or don't do it at all. What's the point of producing mediocre work? If you're doing something that you're passionate about, give 100% or your effort is pointless. Why just get by when you can be amazing with the help of a little effort? And if you're doing someone a favor, put 100% into it or don't do the favor at all. If you don't put in 100% it's not even worth the hassle i.e. yesterday at Malaga Cove I wasn't satisfied with my pictures so I'm going to want to go back anyway when I could've just got what I wanted the first time. If you don't want to do something, don't. If you do, put your all into it otherwise it's a waste.

6.13.11

(top and shorts thrifted and deconstructed, sandals: LoveD, necklace: Swarovski, nails: Kleancolor "Neon Orange", lips: Revlon "Siren")

I made this top out of a mens XL t-shirt. I was browsing through a thift store when I spotted a tye dye sleeve peeking out from a rack of mens t-shirts. Some people think tye dye is tacky, and it can be, but I love it. When I pulled the shirt off the rack and saw that it had a graphic on it of Bob Marley I knew I had to have it. AND it was only 99¢! I cut it up and made it a halter top. I wanted to make it a dress but it would be way too short. I recorded a tutorial on it without knowing wtf I was going to do with the shirt but I think it came out acceptable. I'm just glad I didn't ruin it!

I'd post a Bob Marley song in honor of my shirt lol but Youtube won't allow his music to be embedded. Instead watch the interview below and go listen to him on Pandora or something. Bob Marley wasn't just a legendary artist but also a revolutionary and a prophet of sorts.

VIOLETTE GRAY

(top: thrifted and cut, jeans: Forever 21 diy destroyed knees, boots: LoveD, necklace: Forever 21, ring: Aldo Accessories, nails: Rimmel "Deliciously Dark")

I had that necklace for years but never wore it because I always thought it was tacky. Then I tried it on this week and I like it now. I also never thought I'd wear that top because it felt weird on me. So I cut the neckline and rolled up the sleeves to make it wearable. I like it now! I bought those jeans for no more than $15 and as soon as I learned a new technique on how to destroy denim, I experimented on these jeans and I love them. Before I put on pants I was wearing a basic black skirt but changed because I felt hoochie. My eyeshadow is layered, charcoal on top of purple shadow and I lined my eyes with purple gel liner. I know there's a rule that you're not supposed to match your eye makeup with your outfit or whatever but I like how this looks and rules are meant to be broken anyway! When experimenting with color, I try to keep my makeup simple. I don't use too many colors at a time because I always end up looking like a cheap drag queen. I'm probably just being one of those people who THINKS they can't pull a look off but it's all in their head. I just don't like wearing colorful makeup. I'm more of a neutral girl. But that makes me less creative! Anyway, if you're reading and want a makeup tutorial on this look let me know :)

I get things from thrift stores every week. Thrifting is dirt cheap so it gives me the option to only wear things a few times and get creative with my clothing. I can cut, dye, and tie things up and not feel bad if I ruin something because it's all really cheap. The best part of thrifting is that it gives you an original style. Lots of people thrift because it's the cool thing to do nowadays but you never know what you'll find and everything is different so it's all original. I love it. I shop everywhere but sometimes I just don't want to look like I stepped straight out of a Forever 21 display window. I donate and get rid of clothes often because I barely have room in my closet and dresser for the clothes I have now and it just feels pointless to have a bunch of things I know I'll never wear again just for the sake of having them. Plus when you give things away, you put out positive energy into the universe. I learned that from reading Scar Tissue. But I obviously keep things I really love.

Speaking of things I love, this week I found a teal corduroy mini skirt, a SUPER cute chiffon dress, and a tye dye shirt with Bob Marley on it smoking a joint! I saw that shirt and I knew I had to get it and it was only 99 cents! It's a men's xl t-shirt so I'm trying to figure out how to wear or reconstruct it as a dress without ruining it.

As I've mentioned in a previous post, La Bomba Vintage in Long Beach has a huge pile sale every 3rd weekend of the month so I'm looking forward to that next weekend. I've never been so I'm hoping to find a bunch of cute cheap stuff.

While coming up with a name for this post, I googled "Violet Gray" and apparently that's the name of a Peanuts character. How ironic? But I like "Violette" better, spelled the French way. I'm not French by the way, but I love the language. And now I'm rambling...

GUESS Model Hair Tutorial

GUESS ads are among my favorite because they're so sexy and glamourous. I've been wanting to do a Guess inspired tutorial for awhile and I finally got around to it. This look was specifically inspired by Russian model Irina Shayk's ad for Spring/Summer 2009. Her spread was one of my favorites because she's effing gorgeous and I always liked the look of light eyes and red lips for some reason. Google her for picture references!

When I think Guess, I think winged eyeliner, pouty lips, big luscious hair, pushup bras, and of course denim. So this is the mock Guess look I wore for my video (minus the shoes). My bra is H&M, dress was thrifted, shoes are BCBG, earrings are H&M, necklace is the Swarovski crystal I always wear, and I bought my ring at Forever 21 awhile ago because it reminded me of Gwen Stefani.

6.7.11

I recorded this entire hair tutorial then my camera died and deleted it! So I have to re-record tomorrow and instead of letting this hairstyle go to waste, I took pictures of it for my blog. I'm just going to use this bad experience as more time to perfect the tutorial.

The color combination of my H&M tube top makes my mouth water. Is that weird? My shorts are Forever 21 in case anyone cares. I went to a thrift store today and when I walked in, I was greeted my an 8 year old in black stripper heels that were way to big for her feet. She said, "Hi!". I love kids. Anyway, I didn't get anything because I got there 30 minutes before the store closed and I can't be rushed in a thrift store because I HAVE to try things on. I was sad when I found out the store was closing soon because I'd already picked out some cute stuff and I had to put it all back. I hope the same things are there in the morning. So then I went to the mall and bought shoes. A lot of stores in the mall have buy one, get one 50% off sales. I bought 4 pairs of Springy shoes and I can't wait to wear them. I have absolutely nothing interesting or of importance to write about. Can you tell?