Archive for the ‘Style’ Category

When last we spoke in part 1 , I discussed color and living up your life with it. I hope yall went and got some paint chips and played with some crazy ideas. Cuz now, I’munnah show you how I arrived at the favorite place I call home.

After playing at Home Depot’s paint department I landed on this color selection:

Once I picked these colors, I wanted an idea of what my new space would look like and how I would arrange the color blocks from room to room. Photoshop and a few pictures of the empty rooms and I had a sense of what I wanted to do. What a great invention Photoshop is, you can play all you want without making expensive mistakes “Undo” is a wonderful thing.

I was so excited, I emailed pics to my family… When it got back to me that my uncle commented “I can see why she’s in a hurry to paint, the place looks like a damn circus!” I KNEW I was on the right track!

Once the painting was done and I had finally moved in, it was time to fill in the space with new furniture. Bajeezeees, where to start? I knew I didn’t want ordinary stuff, or those fake out couches that aren’t really comfortable to sit on anyway. So it took a long time and a lot of searching. Then I found this pimped out ride at Raymour & Flanigan.

There is a fourth piece and they all snap together to make a queen sized bounce house. You KNOW how much I love bounce houses? A LOT! I love this couch and the color is so me, RED! It also came in chocolate for all you neutral peeps out there.

I’m a big fan of irony, and I always wanted my space to look like some kind of modern apothecary/art museum. So my bug collection, as well as the coolest urban home accessory I ever found, I named him “Emerson” as in Ralph Waldo. I was going to paint him to match the wall but I really liked the wood color so he remains a naturalist.

In keeping with my obsession of the color red, I proceeded to call my dining room the “Zen Room” this would be an artful area to dine in and entertain. Going high/low with furniture purchases is an easy peezy task with Ikea and the selection of inexpensive basics. My two hutches make excellent storage for all my portfolio stuff, photo reference and fashion swipes. The inspiring Gustav Klimt painting is also an Ikea find. It pairs beautifully with the art prints of David Mack and Andy Lee that I acquisitioned at comic conventions through the years.

That green doorway leads into the kitchen where my other creative juices flow.

How about personal space? The bedroom and the bathroom tend to be neglected and where we leave a mess. Sure, few people will see it, but the clutter and disorder affect you weather you know it or not. I try to keep mine as tidy, colorful and cozy as possible. Since the bathroom is the first place you hit in the morning it should be a happy place where you can easily find your way to the world.

I went with the color purple and a sage green in the bathroom and the cream colored fixtures soften everything into a feminine “powder room”. I love it. It is also a good idea to paint your bathroom in a color that compliments your skin tone. You should always look beautiful when you look into your own mirror, I say.

Girl power originated in the 80’s with “Punky Brewster“,” Jem” and “My Little Pony” so this little ComicCon exclusive rocks my little girly world.

A little nod to “Alice in Wonderland“  cuz that’s how I roll (out of bed). Surround yourself with things that inspire you, even in the bathroom.

The bed room: it should be the cozy, comfy, nucleus of your life. Think about it…this is where you drag your tired bones at the end of the day and seek solace.  Leaving clothes strung about and bits of things everywhere is no way to unwind. But surrounding yourself with the comforts of fabric, colors, and photographs of things that bring you joy are great for this space. I always wanted a canopy bed since I was a kid. I love closing the curtains and waking up with the sun coming through.

Sometimes though, you need to include a work space in the bed room. Though it is not recommended by certain Feng Shui experts, I say, if it inspires you and you keep it orderly (most of the time) Do it!

Fashion is a part of my life and what inspires me. Having my dress form and occasionally, a new design hanging up, makes me so happy to get out of bed and get to work.

Work space! Now you’re probably saying, “Right, all this cleanliness is godliness, how are you suppose to get your artist on if everything has to be tidy? “

You neeeeeed your work space, and it should be a place you don’t have to clean up and move things out the way just to eat your Lucky Charms. But it SHOULD be inspiring and conducive to FLOW.  Find a corner, a closet, under the stairs, in the basement or ANYWHERE that is yours, for your drafting table or a card table or whatever. Pin things to the wall, have action figures, porcelain dolls or whatever you like in that space.

Wall of Inspiration

Be sure and keep lots of books for inspiration and reference. Someone awesome once said “A room without books is like a body without a soul”.

I have a thinking corner which is also my “design” area. This is where I have tea every Saturday and Sunday and plan out creative projects for the day. I journal here and thumb through art books and tear sheets.

Speckled throughout the apartment are little things that I call “Ironic Home Goods” little pieces of art that make me giggle when I see them. Things I’ve bought on line or assembled out of things I have.

This hand is a design by Harry Allen; there are several designs, this one holds my keys at the door.

“Edgar” not only provides skull reference but watches over my thinking corner with his “one eye”, a nod to the “Tell Tale Heart“.

“Thoreau” lives in a corner, quietly content. He was a gift from a wonderful friend of mine.

Fill your life with all the things you love, be creative and live artfully. You’ll experience creative “flow”. A professor of mine at SCAD use to write on the board every day:

” SERIOUS WORK IS BORN FROM SERIOUS PLAY”

It’s a mantra worth repeating in all aspects of your life.

And so my friends, that is a look into the world I live and create in. I hope you are now inspired to make a place for yourselves in which you love to “Be” and “Do” in your own “Artist’s Way”.

A few of my favorite on line places to find “Ironic Home Goods” are:

Unica Home

Uncommon Goods

A&R

Fishs Eddy

Lekker Home

Well Dressed Home

W Hotels Store

Anthropologie

Apartment Therapy

Cafe Press

Kaboodle

Y Living

Dwell Studio

notNeutral

ZIPPERgifts

I’m a big fan of peeping in windows as I drive down streets to see how people live. What colors are the walls? What things do they surround themselves with?  Does it look like a happy place to live? You can tell a lot about a person by the respect they show for their living space.

It seems like everyone has that corner of a room or home, or yard that they just hate to walk by but get use to. I really think that exposing yourself to clutter and unhappy places in your house hinders creativity and well being. It’s just bad feng shui and “You don’t have to take it”!

People often say they want color in their life but are afraid to paint the walls, or buy large furniture in COLOR.  Why not  color your life happy?  I recently moved into a bigger creative space and designed myself a pretty cool pad. So I’m writing this to help you figure out how to decorate your happy place, starting with color!

Enter my coveted issue of Home and Garden April 2000.

How to use COLOR!! I got this issue when I was still in college, and I loved to look at the ideas and use of color in spaces and dream about how I would design my space, post dorm life.

I love this color story, very modern, clean, lively and crisp.

I have always insisted on having the coolest pad I can no matter where I live, or what my budget is. I want to love my space and feel at home in the warmest way.

How about a warm inviting elegant and sophisticated arrangement?

I Love the color red, and I have always been inspired by Ms. DianaVreeland’s “Red Room” It’s so “Moulin Rouge“!

Or how about a playful use of color?

Have you ever stopped to consider green?

Or get really crazy and go with pattern AND bold color!

Soft neutrals don’t HAVE to be boring…

So, think about what colors make you happy, go to Home Depot pick all your favorite colors no matter how dark, bold, or  acid and pretend you could do ANYTHING you want with them.  Once you’ve got a few color pallets laid out, come back here for the second part where I show you how I arrived at a happy place with my wicked cool newish art studio/living space.

Check out this hot bustier and peplum skirt from the 2012 Garrott collection. It’s called “I a Dior You” and it’s a classic. Now available for wholesale and retail contact garrott@garrottdesigns.com for details.

The first look from the new Garrott collection is a hot little number called “Dominique Deco”. It’s bamboo viscose jersey with leather accents make this an easy breezy little rocking thing to wear just about anywhere. Check out the whole collection at garrottdesigns.com The store will be up soon, until then email us with order inquiry at garrott@garrottdesigns.com

Now available for whole sale and individual order. Inquire at garrott@garrottdesigns.com

It’s Halloween Garrott style! Failing to ever actually HAVE a Halloween costume at the ready, I managed to pull from my closet of Garrott couture.

My posts have been sparse for the last 2 months, and I am  so very sorry about that. You see, I was completely absorbed in the studio with the Garrott 2012 collection and multiple freelance projects.

Claudia Kiss, my muse and model at the hands of the brilliant photographer, Damian at SCIsquared ,made this season’s collection a truly “Garrott” conceptual vision for spring 2012. I want to thank them, it was a great shoot and a pleasure to work with you. I also cannot WAIT to show all ya’all the whole look. Seriously, it’s amazing and I am not just saying that cuz I designed it

Here is a little tease shot, for your pretty eyeballs!

More soon, stay tuned lovelies!

I’m no make-up heathen, in fact I don’t really know how to put it on. My mid-western mother never really showed me. Much to her credit though, she was freaking gorgeous anyway and didn’t really need it. I’d like to think the same of myself but honestly, I never attempted it because I don’t want to write a check my face can’t cash in the morning.

My “make-up” routine consists of Benefit Lip Stain and mascara. I hate the gooey feel of red lipstick though I LOVE, love, love, the vampy retro look with a smokey eye.

If I looked like that I’d probably die, but anyway, recently, some cat-eye notion has been creeping into the back of my mind. Leading to a committed purchase because of this Lucky magazine page.

And the recent death of miss authentilicious Amy Winehouse. Cuz she “is whut she is yo”! That said, what runs deep is true, so I HAD to try it!

Even my “girl crush” Angelina Jolie does it, so I guess it’s “a yes for me” Miss Osborne .

So I gotz my hands on some Revlon Liquid Liner only to make a damn mess of myself. Reminds me of the time my grandmother caught me in the closet with her make-up. Presumably, I said to her before she could scream “Don’t say nutzen”. There is a photo of me smeared with lipstick to prove it! No wonder I have resisted all these years, eh?

So anyway, girlfriends, if yall wanna come over here and teach me how to be a girl I’m all ears, lips, and eyes. Seriously, I need HELP!

So, it would seem Nickki at Wild as a Mink but Sweet as Soda Pop has been sleeping on the job. 30 looks in 30 weeks has tuckered out this poor fashionista. Wake up girl, it’s only look # 18! But you know, sleepy time style has it’s place too. I mean Bananas can’t go having all the sleepy time fun can they?

No sir! So Lil’ Miss Nickki has gone and thrown herself a little slumber party and who did she invite? Garrott Designs topped the list with 2 styles of sleepy time fabulosity. Check it yo!

Some times you’re just too tired and you need a comfy, cozy reliable old friend. The right t-shirt and soft pants are just the thing.

Well rested, it’s time for coffee with…

The Garrott “Without My Muse” tee!

Get yours here for only $20 you can stuff the shipping under your mattress for a rainy day!

Now that she’s feeling rested and spunky, Nickki’s got a sexy look for ya too. Who says a Tee shirt can’t be kitten in the bed room?

Pair that simple, comfy, arty tee with a sexy pair of animal print shorty shorts, a silky wrap and you’re back in “business”.

So weather your too damn tired to give a corn, or just checking in early for fun, get your Garrott on!

Show us your sleepy style, be it comfy, cool, sweet or sexy  and we’ll post it on our blogs. Sweet dreams ladies!

OK, who out there hasn’t dreamed of starting or joining a “girl gang”? When I was a little kiddie I use to watch “The Outsiders” over and over again. Granted, those hot boys are no girls but hey, my little 12 year old mind could read between the lines. I wanted to be in a greaser girl gang all my life (i had a name picked out and everything!). Well it just so happens that I’m friends with one of the coolest cats in town JOAN THREAT a.k.a Nickki at Wild as a Mink but Sweet as Soda Pop who started her own girl gang the Down Town Dolls. Don’t mess with these chics, they have a fierce style unrivaled this side of the Hudson. So watch yourself!

Being that my geographical disposition prohibits me from being an ACTUAL member. I’ll settle for being one of the designers they go to for bad ass gear. Turns out that Ms. Threat favors my “Without My Muse” Garrott Tee

(available here for only a fist full of $20 and no ship-nanigans)

Ms. Threat (hearts) Garrott Designs

In fact, she has at least two Garrott tees, one of which you may remember from look #16 a DIY slash fest. Perfectly paired with her usual “gang” attire this rough and tumbly chic about town has got her game face on and it’s time to play.

The mean streets of Brooklyn just got a little meaner. Nikki’s out for blood and style, spittin’ vinegar and shootin’ dagger eyes so get out the way if you see her coming.

As they say, “if you can’t beat em’, join em’ ” Get your Garrott on and show us your “gang face” we’ll post it on our blogs for the world to see and know who’s boss in your hood. AVB on the black market for only $20 cold hard cash here.

If you remember Nickki’s do-it-yourself Garrott Tee look from #9 and #12 you’ll be inspired with the updated look Ms. Wild as a Mink but Sweet as Soda Pop threw together for the summer heat. That’s right folks, summer FINALLY came to New York City and we couldn’t be happier! And since this week is filled with 90 degree sunshine, it’s only fitting that Nickki turns up the heat with the Garrott tee look # 16 “Just Venting”!

Lets just review shall we? The first time Nickki cut up and XL tee to give us a little flash dance, off the shoulder, tee look for early spring.

The next time we saw the same tee, Nickki cut off the sleeves and layered it with a Rodarte dress.

This time, our “wild minx” went to town with the scissors for a sexy slashed look. Cuts, Slashes and ties, it’s more fitted in the front and cut to shreds in the back. Blondie would be SOOOO proud. Common girls “Rip Her to Shreds”!

She also cut off 2″ from the bottom for a wicked cool raw edge look cuz she’s “Miss groupie Supreme”. Wanna know how she did it? Check out her blog here.

Don’t be afraid to change your cloths around and make a great style. Weather you’re “just venting” or need to make over your fall wardrobe for summer, this Garrott Tee is the perfect installation. Just $20 with free shipping so get you’re Garrot on here, while supplies last.