Again.

Novembers 9th's post suddenly has two meanings.

This and that.

This really sucks....a lot.
But I think that is going to be just okay.

An Artist Lives Here.

Here I sit, my artwork on all four sides, sewing machine in front of me, emery board in hand and fabric strewn all over the room. I see my dress-form in the corner and stash of canvas peeping out of the closet full---no no, overflowing, of the latest trends and timeless classics. My vintage camera collection is beginning to grow and digital becomes obsolete in my world. Avant garbage is piling up behind me and my feet rest atop my golden antique chair. Marylin and Audrey haunt the room and shoes pile up by the door. The hardwood is covered is thread ends from projects past and the free finds of my life begin to increase, yet still have no home.

What is missing? A breath other than my own.

It's Begun.

I have actually begun to make hand made garments and couture accessories to sell in a boutique here in the city. I am super excited, especially because they are all my own designs and obviously one of kind. It is a big step in the right direction, selling things for real people to wear!

I will post photo's later of my new stuff. hopefully it will sell so fast here is the only place you'll see it, until I hit the street of Milan.

Wait, who I am kidding, fashion is only and will always only be a hobby of mine, not a career. Thanks girl.

Dejection.

I do not think I even know who you are anymore. It devastates me but there is nothing left for me to do right now and I don't see how there ever will be.

Ask and you will receive.

A dream came true for this weekend. I had some friends visiting, who if you know me, are just like me. Crazy, loud, funny, fashionable and love to have their picture taken. The three days were were together, we took about 300 photo's. The whole time joking about how we need to hire a professional so that the four of us can be in all the photo's all the time and very amazing moment can be documented. Then while waiting in line for the show at Fashion Week. Two photography students came up to us and asked if they could take some pictures of us for a class project. Obviously I agreed loudly before asking the others and the girl began clicking. It was incredible. They wanted more and more and more. Asking for individual, groups, candid's. Then I asked for more and more and more. Posing and being fashionable silly the whole time.

Ahhh.... why did it end?

This is too bad, but...

See you later. Maybe next year things will be different. But for now--I'm done.

Dying to have fun.

According to Webster's Dictionary Alcohol is: "A colourless volatile flammable liquid which is the intoxicating constituent in wine beer and spirits". This mysterious substance which has a cult following and is a way of life for many, is one that acts in unusual ways in regards to our bodies. The very organs and systems it helps and benefits, it will also hurt destroy. The health associations of alcohol are very interesting, and I am only stating facts while trying to keep opinions out of the picture. 

Moderate consumption of red wine greatly reduces the risk of kidney stone formations, but anything more will only lead to the deterioration of the pancreas, leading to reoccurring stomach pain and even weight loss to the point of death. Anytime you have more than two drinks in a 24 hour period, your risk of cancer increases. The liver can only digest 1 ounce of alcohol per hour, no matter the type of drink and so when you consume it any faster than this, you are destroying your liver, which is irreversible and leads to yellowing skin and eye's, but more importantly, liver failure, which can be fatal. But again, when consumed in a reasonable amount, alcohol decreases the chances of developing diabetes by regulating insulin levels naturally. 

As stated, moderate alcohol consumption is believed to benefit the heart, but drunkenness greatly increases the likelihood of stroke, heart disease and high blood pressure. Even mild to moderate drinking when done on a somewhat regular basis can lead to irreversible brain damage, while occasional drinking can actually reduce the risk of dementia and memory-loss later in life. We know that one glass of red wine now and then has incredible anti-oxidant properties, which helps with digestion and improving your immune system, but anything more than  this has been known to destroy stomach  and intestine lining, slowing metabolism permanently and greatly reducing the amount of nutrients your body is capable of absorbing from the food you eat, potentially leading to further health concerns. Lastly, alcohol's poisonous effects break down bone density and muscle mass. 

Fact For Thought: Even though most people feel normal, after a blood alcohol level of only 0.02 your judgement becomes impaired whether you or others even notice it. 

To makes things a little more clear:

"One Drink" is defined by a 1 ounce shot, 1 beer or 4 ounces of wine.

"Moderate Drinking" is defined by 1 to 2 drinks within a 24 hour period.

People who do not normally drink at all, are advised against beginning in hopes of obtaining the many health benefits. 

Lady, you made my year.

The following Conversation went on today between me and a lady I work with. 

Lady: What is your heritage?

Me: English, I mean like Britain.

Lady: Really! I knew you were not from here, when did you move to Canada?

Me: Well actually, I was born here, but that is where my family come from.

Lady: I had wondered, you have such a European face. Your nose and jaw are not Canadian, and obviously your accent too.

Me: Huh?

Lady: Well you speak very European as well. You say you were not born here, so your parents must have taught you there accent very well. I would have thought you were born in Europe.

This was great news. I love you lady! 

Blank Space.

I am platonically infatuated with you. Or at least with who I wish you were. I am sorry. 

Vivienne...get out of here.

I wish rich girl Gwen Stefani would clean out Vivienne Westwood, until she had nothing left. Her "haute couture" collection is atrocious and always has been and even her "préte-a-porter" collection is nothing to hold your breath for. With over-the-top "cirque" inspired garments her runway shows are more reminiscent of a colour-blind clown parade. She layers and layers and layers until the human figure is unrecognizable, and then adds garish amounts of accessories. In her mind, more is more, while today trends suggest a more streamlined simplistic look, not the type of violent patterns freakishly tailored in a way only Vivienne would do. I must admit, Westwood pushes the boundaries, which is what high-fashion is all about, but there are still guidelines to follow when doing so, men in tulip-skirts and woman in pants that have 6 foot legs are never good. Not to mention her love for the punk-rock scene of the 70's (which is when she got her start) that she persists on bringing back ever single season, whether fashionable or not. As harsh as it sounds, the only good thing I have to say about Miss. Westwood is that as she enters her 68th year of life, one can only hope retirement is just around the corner. But who will then fill the shoes and become designer for "The House of Westwood"? One can only imagine. 

1 meat : 10 Vegetables

A series of new independent studies have come out on a topic I find very fascinating. Vegetarianism vs. Omnivorianism.  I am only going to focus on one aspect of this phenomenon. "The ecological footprint argument". Obviously there are many other valid and non-valid reason one might choose either way of living and it should be a personal choice, but interesting facts have emerged relating to the belief that vegetarianism is better for the environment. 

It is thought that the ratio of 10:1 clearly represents the amount of vegetable matter needed to make meat. For example, the amount of meat one person might be eat, comes from an animal who ate enough food to feed ten people. This fact, no doubt, is 100% true, but like many things, when we look deep enough, there is much more to the story. This 10:1 ratio only applies to grain-fed cattle. The ratio for lamb is 5:1, and 3:1 for pork. (Please note: the ratios for poultry and seafood are so small, they are not even considered relevant). And again, this is only for grain fed livestock, which will be important to remember later on.  This ratio unfairly represents the actual amount of vegetable matter to meat product, because it only factors in actual meat values. When by-products like, leather, wool, milk, gelatin etc. of the animal are considered, (which we must do, seeing in most non-western cultures the meat is actually the secondary product), these ratios are cut in half. So now we are left with 5:1, 2.5:1 and 1.5:1 respectively. But the skewed information does not end there. Remember these numbers are for grain fed animals, which unfortunately is not the norm. When livestock are fed a grass diet while roaming a pasture, the meat to vegetable matter ratio falls even lower.

I will switch gears for minute and look at the vegetarian options. Obviously eating vegetables has 1:1 ratio...duh! But protein substitutes, like tofu and other soy based products are much higher than this. It is widely accepted that the soy product, because derived from vegetable matter, also must have a 1:1 ratio, and although at first glance this is true, just like at first glance meat has a 10:1 ratio, there is much more to the story. Because in western culture, most of our soy products are imported, (and most of our meat products are domestic) they have an enormous ecological footprint simply from shipment, but also from the making of these products themselves, almost all soy products are highly processed. Not to mention the preservatives and above average amount of non-biodegradable packaging used in many of these products. True, this does not mean that soy products have a ratio more than that of beef, but at slightly over 2:1, seafood and grass-fed poultry and pork seem to be the better option. 

Lastly, 25% of the world is deemed pasture land unsuitable for growing crops. This is a huge amount, but it is perfect for grazing livestock. With a very very small amount of land suitable for growing vegetable matter digestable to humans, livestock are actually the most efficient way of converting non-digestible matter like straw, grasses and leaves, into food the human stomach can digest. So what does this all mean? Basically, that there are so many factors to consider before forming opinions, but the conclusion I come to after much research is that the best way to use what you eat to reduce your ecological footprint on the earth, (which I hope we all do in some way), is to simply reduce the amount of meat we eat. Either extreme will only cause more harm than good, and as with most things in life, moderation is essential.  But what responsible eaters must do is demand that our meat be grass-fed livestock which as been allowed to graze naturally and live as close as is reasonable to how nature intended, while still realizing traditional farming techniques, are highly evolved and are safer for the animal than many of us might think. And for you meat lovers out there, cutting down might be a challenge for you, because believe it or not, the recommended amount of meat you need to eat in one day is only 2 or 3 ounces, which is the equivalent to about half a deck of cards. Not very much is it? But this perfect proportion will keep you healthier and reduce you environmental impact more than any other diet. The last myth that needs dispelling is that meat is fatty and therefore bad for you. This brings us back to the importance of grass-fed livest once again. When raised in a natural way, and allowed to graze in pasture, the fat in the animal is different. Not all fat is equal, grass-fed animals have much lower levels of saturated fats (bad fat), and much higher levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fats, which are essential to lowering cholesterol and healthy brain development. 

What is healthy seems to be ever changing, but I feel we are getting closer and closer to the understanding the truth. The above facts are only one aspect of the many reason one may choose to live either way of life and are not meant to pass judgement. There are so many reasons why one may choose to eat what they eat, but being very interested in my own health and the health of our planet, the stated points are of the most significance to me.

Bad Move

You know are probably making poor fashion choices when on Halloween, strangers are not sure if you are in your normal clothes or have a costume on.