how to: color meditation

Our world is so busy! Unless you’re a very sheltered trust fund baby who has it all laid out for you, you’ve been served a heaping dollop of stress. Actually, maybe they have stress too - what galas to attend or Louboutins to buy, something like that.

Anyways, we all need ways to combat stress, in a low-cost, little commitment needed way: introducing color meditations. 

Don't worry

Before you click out of this post, because you’re “not at artist”, don’t worry, it’s all abstract, so you can pass off whatever doodles you make as “true art”, if that’s what you want.

Now, find a comfy spot, and take a deep breath. Press play.

You’re back? Good! How was it? Hopefully you’ll feel relaxed and loose, if not, continue to acknowledge the thoughts of your monkey mind, then put them away. You can get back to them when you’re done.

Take your watercolors (or your markers or pencil crayons) and your paper, and just paint what comes to mind. Keep your breathing even and deep. Put on whatever music calms you (I’ve found Spotify’s Focus playlists work well), or sit outside and listen to the sounds. 

A list to start off
If that sounds vague and unhelpful, here’s a list to get you started. Deviation is lovely, and encouraged!

Pick a color you gravitate towards. Paint it over and over.

Take a shape that sticks out in your head, and make something off it.

What comes to mind when you hear the word “infinite”?

Create your happy place. What does it look like? What colors are in it?

Organize your colors by an order that make sense.

Whenever you’re ready, start wrapping things up. Clean off your brushes, turn off your music, and return to the real world. 

Welcome back. 

How was this for you (if you tried it)? What are you planning to do with your meditations? Do you like these kinds of posts?

xx,
Angelina

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5 min read: conversations in the dark

A sketch of recurring dream I have, in which the fear I wake up with is what stays with me.  A late night conversation with friends. 

    What do I fear most of all?

A conversation starter thrown out in the dark, almost carelessly, but in a thoughtful way that somehow still bears weight.

In the dark, with blurry shadows accenting the bumps and hollows of our faces, we stop to consider this question seriously. There’s something comforting about opening up in the dark that can never be recreated when it’s light out. Maybe it’s that with the muted cool hues all blending together, there’s a sense of protection.

We are safe from scary things that go bump in the night, toddler’s fears of a monster that lurks beneath the bed, feasting on toes.

What we aren’t safe from, though, is the real world. Toes aren’t simply nibbled off, they’re chomped off, with brutality and complete disregard for the being to which said digits are attached to.

I fear the real world, with the very real monsters, and even realer humans. I fear not becoming anything, not doing anything with my life. I fear lost opportunities, chances I didn’t think to glance twice at.

Though on some days, I admit the fear of serial killers lurking behind my shower curtain is more immediate and pressing than this vague fear of the future.

How'd I do?
With the feedback from my last post, I decided to attempt a less wordy, and more abstract piece. I'm thinking of easing these sorts of things into my routine, though I'm on the fence on just how writing based I'd like them to be.

They'll likely be those types of "typical" blogger posts; style lists, routines, etc, but hoepfully a bit more interesting.

What did you think of this post (constructive criticism very much appreciated!)? What do you fear? Are posts like this better for the beginning of the week, or the end?

xx

Angelina

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everything you need to know about fashion week

With New York Fashion Week about halfway done, I thought I would share some interesting facts about designers, shows, and Fashion Month in general that I've picked up with my frantic Googling and YouTubing.

source

The Basics

• Fashion Month occurs 2 times a year, in Feb/Mar, and Sept/Oct. 
• There are 4 major fashion weeks, New York (Sept 9-17), London (Sept 18-22), Milan (Sept 23-28), and Paris (Sept 29 - Oct 7). These make up Fashion Month.  
• A fashion "week" can range from 5-10 days, including weekends.
• The clothes shown are 6 months ahead, meaning this fashion week is for SS16 - Spring/Summer 2016. 
• Shows are typically 10-20 minutes long.
• Sitting in the front row means a lot. 
• Most shows are by invitation only, though this year Givenchy held a raffle and made theirs open to the public. 
• Street style photos are everywhere! Literally, everywhere. 
• 30-40 models will walk one at a time, and at the end, will "parade" one after the other. If you're short on time, watch the last 2 minutes. 
• The designer will come out and thank the crowd at the end. The style varies, some walk alone, some with muses. Betsey Johnson is known for doing cartwheels!

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NYFW is the week I know the most about, so I thought I'd share some facts specific to it:

New York Fashion Week

• $865 million was generated from NYFW this year, which is more than last year's Super Bowl, and US Open!
• More than 200,000 people work in the fashion industry, representing 6% of workers in NY. 
• NYFW was first started by Eleanor Lambert in 1942, though it was called Fashion Press Week then. Paris was the only place for haute couture, and American designers weren't given as much press as their French counterparts, so Press Week was a way to take change the dynamics. 
• The white tents have moved several times - Bryant Park, Lincoln Center, and finally, Skylight at Moynihan Station in Midtown and Skylight Clarkson Square in SoHo. 

by Garance Doré

Notable Shows and News

• Pretty much every Chanel show has been amazing. I especially loved their grocery store (FW14), and feminist protest (SS15). 
• Thom Browne had an amazing garden party runway show (SS15), with models on stilts!
• Louis Vuitton created an amazing merry go round show (SS12), that Chanel later used as well, though theirs was more of a glam feel. LV's show fit in perfectly with their ads during that time, which I literally spent ages trying to find!  
• Kanye West is coming back for a second year at NYFW. Admittedly, I'm wasn't a huge fan of his collection last year, and I'm not sure I really like the idea of him taking up a slot that could be used by serious designers. I'm also a little eh about Kendall modeling, as it's a very competitive field, and I don't think she truly has the looks to be a model. 
• American Horror Story actress Jamie Brewer becomes the first model with Down Syndrome to walk in Carrie Hammer's SS15 show. I really loved that show, as Hammer didn't use "traditional" models for her collection, instead focusing on real women. 

Shows To Watch This Year

• 9/11, 11 am - Kate Spade NY
• 9/11, 6:30 pm - Givenchy
• 9/12, 7 pm - Monique Lhuiller
• 9/12, 9 pm - Alexander Wang
• 9/13, 4 pm - Diane von Furstenburg
• 9/14, 9 am - Rachel Antonoff
• 9/14, 6 pm - Reem Acra
• 9/14, 7 pm - Zac Posen
• 9/15, 12 pm - Rodarte
• 9/15, 2 pm - Alice & Olivia
• 9/15, 6:30 pm - Oscar de la Renta
• 9/16, 5 pm - Marchesa
• 9/16, 6 pm - Theory
• 9/17, 11 am - CFDA Fashion Incubator
• 9/17, 6 pm - Marc Jacobs

Check here for NYFW replays!

London

• 9/20, 3 pm - Topshop Unique
• 9/21, 11 am - Erdem

Milan

• 9/23, 5 pm - Albertta Ferretti
• 9/24, 8 pm - Moschino
• 9/25, 10:30 am - Emporio Armani
• 9/25, 8 pm - Versace
• TBA

All dates and times are in their local format, and livestream links will be added if I can find them!

I hope this was helpful to anyone wishing they knew more about Fashion Month, or at least interesting to everyone else!

Do you follow fashion month? Who are your favorite designers? What's something surprising about NYFW?

xx

Angelina

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balboa park + san diego museums (iii)

Hopefully, by now you guys aren't tired of my constant vacation posts, but I only have 4 total - I promise (i and ii). I took a loong break to bring some other posts into the mix, but I think I'll just post these in order. San Diego was too beautiful not to write about! We mainly stayed in the Balboa Park area - they have tons of amazing museums and places to visit, all within walking distance!

Standing across from the Botanical Building, this is the view. I think it's probably one of the most photographed places in San Diego, and for good reason too! Apparently, during WWII, they used the lagoon to help teach soldiers how to swim, and afterwards for physical therapy.

I love going to greenhouses and botanical gardens. Flower photography never gets old, and with so many beautiful things to photograph, it's a no fail way to make sure your photos come out well.

The downside is that so many people take basically the exact same shots as you! Because of this, I think I'd have to say I still like portrait photography the best.

On the trip, I brought both my 50mm f/1.4 and 28-105L f/4. I used my 50mm the majority of the trip, and only brought out my 28-105 for a couple of landscape photos.

You can definitely see the narrow depth of field in these photos, and I think that adds to the overall effect I was aiming for. I also love how small the lens is, so I didn't feel weighed down by it, and I also looked like less of a tourist.

Time spent here: 15 mins. You could spend more if you're looking to focus on plant photography, but we were originally planning on also visiting the Huntington Botanical Gardens, so I held off on it. Unfortunately, we didn't end up going, so I wish I'd spent more time.
Things to note: The whole area around here is gorgeous, and perfect for travel or outfit photos.
Cost: Free!

In Balboa Park, there are several museums within walking distance, so it's a perfect way to spend an afternoon. A couple of them are free, but most require tickets. I believe you can also buy a museum pass.

The Mingei was recommended to us by the people we were staying with in AirBnb - otherwise I don't think we would have gone.

Its' focus is on folk art, and has an overall whimsical feel. There was 3D as well as 2D art, and it was a mix of contemporary and traditional art.

Personally, the art here wasn't my style, but it was interesting to look at. They had a few quilts and figurines that made for quirky photos, though it was quite dark upstairs.

I didn't see too many other people either. I felt like it could almost be a slasher film, it was so eerily quiet, and all the figurines were starting to get to me a bit. It was very "Night At The Museum" feeling.

Time spent here: 45 mins - they were in the middle of prepping a new exhibit, so only the upstairs portion was open.
Things to note: Definitely not your typical, stuffy art museum! Closed on Mondays.
Cost: $4-7

The museum I enjoyed more was The Museum of Art (points for creativity?). It's a lot more conventional, yet they still had interesting exhibits - the Coney Island one was showing when we visited.

The building is stunning as well, and there's a fountain in the lobby, as well as double staircases. Just something about that really calls to me. I think it might have been watching Princess Diaries when I was little, and secretly wanting to be able to slide down my staircase on a mattress.

Time spent here: 2.5 hrs. It's also a nice spot to sit and relax.
Things to note: They have a wide variety - Renaissance, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Contemporary. Also free wifi, so that's always a bonus!
Cost: $4.50-$12

Another notable museum that I didn't take any photos in would be the Timken. It's right across from the Museum of Art, and it's free! Mostly Renaissance, with a little bit of 20th Century art. The main reason we visited is because they have a Vermeer! 

The Woman In Blue Reading A Letter is even better in person, and I would strongly recommend going to see it. All of Vermeer's pieces are so much richer in person. I missed an opportunity to see Girl With A Pearl Earring at the de Young, and I've been regretting it since. 

What are your favorite styles of art? What museums are must sees? For series, do you prefer them to be posted one after the other, or spread out (if so, how spread out)?

xx

Angelina

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