365 Photo App Challenge!

The new year is starting soon and one of my goals is to take more photos with all the apps on my phone. I tired this once when I went to Chicago, and to South Carolina this year and I did use the apps more but mostly just instagram.  I recently got so many more apps that I want to use and I feel like this challenge will be good for me. This will help me be aware of opportunities to take pictures. I will document this project once a week with the best snapshots i've taken, one picture for every day of the week. will you join me in this challenge? if so let me know! leave a link to your blog in the comments.

xo
jes

my sister forging her bracelet. edited with afterglow

Chicago at the navy pier edited with afterglow 

me waiting for the subway in chicago going to the field museum. edited with afterglow and pixlromatic 

my fashion closet app!

I just got the app my fashion closet! it's one of those apps that lets you take pictures of your clothes. then lets you put them into categories, it also let you make outfits!  i'm so excited as soon as i got the app i started taking pictures of my clothes. i had to stop my fun to go to work. i just got back home went straight to my room to take more pictures of my clothes. un till my mom came to my room and asked me what i was doing and once she realized i was working with the app she laughed. i just bought this app today and i really like it! i would recommend it just to keep track of what you have in your closet for when you go shopping! you should really check it out you can get the free app but if you have alot in your closet like me the full app is only $1.99 on apple app store.

images via google
xo
Jes

next year i will....

Well here we are near the end this year and at the beginning of a new one so i think it's time to think about goals for the coming year. (I don't like the word resolution it's sounds scary and unobtainable.) Goals everybody has them the trick to them is coming up with one that you can actually achieve. Have a big goal with steps that can help you reach your goals. Here are mine to give you an idea.

1. To write more here on the ole blog.

- Plan out post before they go live.
- write out every idea before i forget them.
- try to use my own photographs.

2. My sister and I are planning on doing a ring a week project for the year. 

- We will design a ring and fabricate it from start to finish.

-  I will document the process here to keep me accountable. 

3. Document my life.

- I want to take pictures daily to capture little moments that would be forgotten.

- I will use my phone because I have tons of apps on my phone and the only ones I use are aferglow, and instagram. 

4. I want to do style posts. 

- I love fashion and would love to share my style with you guys.

- This will also help me come up with new ways to wear things! always a plus. 

these are my goals for 2013! share yours in the comments i would love to see what everyone is going to work on this year!
this is a submission for the IFB project.

xo

jes

my new favorite jewelry designers Anndra Neen

I have loved Phoebe and Annette Stevens ever since I saw them on a video for style like u. They described their style and their views on jewelry and what it means to them. The way they talked about their process in designing jewelry I could really relate to.  All of their jewelry is hand crafted in Mexico City which is really great they are giving jobs to their community which i really admire.



pictured above there are some pieces from their caged collection, copper collection, mirror and pin collection, and spine collection  among others. To see all of their collections visit them at  anndraneen.com I love their jewelry its so effortless to wear and makes a statement with anything you wear but I tend to wear a new piece of jewelry with everything even if it doesn't match, it matches. it forces me to create an outfit around the jewelry. My favorite pieces from them has to be their bags, purses and clutches. There is an air of sophistication to them with a hint of reckless abandon which i respond strongly to. These bags are truly a work of art and are a statement in themselves. 




i love this picture above that their bracelets can easily be sculptures and look the same which can be a very hard thing to do. Below is the video that introduced me to them. Watch it you'll fall in love with them too.

images via google, video via stylelikeu.com
xo
Jes

taking it seriously

i started this blog on december 11, 2009 i was a sophomore in college and had tons of ideas about this blog. As i wrote i got burned out didn't know what to write about anymore so i thought i would take a break and then return. when i went to come back i was still burned out but with the best intentions i wrote a little and then stopped not ready to return. then i was thinking about stopping this blog and starting a new one with my sister so i wouldn't have to blog by myself and all of the content would be up to me so it had been a long time since we talked about it and no blog so. then i went soul searching enjoyed time with my family and focused on school which which was nice it gave me time to focus on where i want my jewelry to go. then the other day i was talking to my mother and she mentioned why i haven't blogged in a while which left me to wonder why? i miss writing my obsessions however nerdy they are, or what I'm stalking on the internet because i love a new piece of jewelry and can not afford it, or about my adventures that i have had this year, or who i met. i know this started off as a "break up" letter but in reality its about figuring out why i started this in the first place and why i ever stopped. i did burn my self out but now i'm ready to share what i've been up to and other things that pop up along the way!
image taken by Tara Herter Photography and edited with afterglow
xo
jes

enamel inspiration

images via pintrest

working a a new piece and still haven't figured out what color to do my enamel. So far the piece is copper, it's also going to have big chunks of quarts, and i want to introduce a color but the wrong color will make the whole piece bad, the right color will make it AMAZING! and i'm going for amazing! so i'm going to take a break look at more images and hopefully it will all work itself out. so i'm off!
xo
jes

finding out who i am as a designer

I have made things all my life, well ever since i could remember i was making jewelry, crafts, and other things moms put on the refrigerator. So going to art school was the next natural progression, however when i got there is was all about who you are as an artist. What was your niche or your style, who influenced you or your work. For me this was really hard because i didn't know who i was or what influenced me. the truth is in my heart I always knew I just needed time to get there. Painters and sculptures never influenced me ever, but makeup, fashion, and jewelry always did.  This made me realize that i was more in love with fashion and designing than making 2D art work, that is when i decided that i needed to switch to jewelry/ metal smithing. I knew this when all i thought about was making jewelry. From the time i woke up to the time i went to bed that is ALL i thought about. 

fast forward to the second semester of jewelry when I let my professors use my pieces as part of a display, when my professor said to me "i put your ring with your sisters stuff because your stuff is way to similar." then she continued to say " its almost like they were done by the same person." Ouch that was rough to hear because I wasn't making things like my sister at all. My other thought was well were twins, we spend a lot of time together and are influenced by the same things.  At first i was upset, but then i took this opportunity to gather inspiration, Thank you pinrtest!, and to search what i love doing with my pieces that sets me apart from my sister.  I realized if they still look the same, well it's because our style is similar, and when I say this I mean they way we make things are similar. I know that I'm coming from a different place creatively and  I look forward to growing into who I am. 

pictures I'm sharing are things i have pinned on my jewelry vibe board.  images via pintrest.

xo

jes

winds of change

For the past year and a half i have been stuck in a rut about what to write or share here. I tried a few ideas but it never felt right. I would sit down to write a post and wrote a few paragraphs saved it for later then reread it and decided it wasn't as good as i thought in my head or it wasn't even worth a post. so i have decided to stop writing. just kidding! i love this space and love to share things with all of you about fashion but i think i am just going to use this blog to share my inspiration and my jewelry and sketches and of course the drama that comes with making things, also known as plan b or plan c. i feel like this is what i wanted my blog to be but was nervous. I am still going to write about what is going on in fashion but about what other jewelry designers are doing. i feel like this will be a great change for me. I hope you stick around to watch this change.
xo
jes

the runway by D2G Apparel

I'm pretty excited to share with you The Runway by D2G Apparel. I have been looking for shirts like these for a very long time. i just loved the bright and vivid color of the illustrations, and the fact that they are fashion illustrations are just the icing on the cake. each t-shirt has a different silhouette for each illustration, which complements each image so well. every shirt is so versatile you can wear it so many different ways. with skirts, jeans, dresses yeah that right i said dresses.  i love, love might not be a strong enough word maybe obsessed is more like it. obsessed with every design and i can't wait to see what they do in the future.

What inspired you to start The Runway by D2G Apparel?
Emiah Gardner: The D2G Apparel blog was an outlet for me to share, express and connect with artistic people.  Our focus on fashion illustration developed in a really organic manner, it was something that we just gravitated towards. 

When D2G Apparel was started, we focused on connecting with graphic designers to help them start their own line of printed apparel.  That was an idiotic idea.  There was no demand for that. 

I saw that illustrators were drawing inspiration from looks seen on the runway, in the street and in the blogging community and thought, "what if we could take those illustrations and create a collection of printed apparel?"  Literally, combining the worlds of fashion and illustration.  Our goal is to develop pieces that effectively combine the worlds of art and fashion, while providing an outlet for fashion illustration to exist as a part of the fashion landscape. 

how does using fashion illustrations differ you from the other graphic tees on the market?

Emiah Gardner:  Using fashion illustration as medium we are communicating the trends, looks and styles of fashion; creating fashion driven by illustration.  We also made it a point to avoid basic tees.  We use tops that have a unique, flattering cut made of high quality fabrics.  Each piece can be styled in a very versatile manner.

I love that every design has a different silhouette did you come up with the silhouettes first or did the illustration inspire the silhouette?
Emiah Gardner: We had about 10 silhouettes and various colors  in mind, but we waited to see the final illustrations before confirming silhouettes.

How did you narrow down the illustrators for this collection?
Emiah Gardner:  I looked back at the illustrators we had discussed on the blog, as well as ones that I had bookmarked to potentially showcase.  I wanted emerging illustrators each with their own style who seemed not only interested but excited about this project.

Originally we were only going to work with 3 artists but I happened to stumble upon Karina Belikova's tumblr and fell completely in love with her work.  I knew I wanted her to be a part of this collection.  Her Lindsey Wixon illustration is gearing up to be a best seller.  

Matthew Miller was an obvious choice, because we had recently written about his work and he kept popping up on my google alerts everyday.  He works largely with paint and his compositions are expressive with abstract undertones.  

I loved Aleksandra Stanglewicz's style, her works are very whimsical, with nice fluidity and she is student with loads of excitement and energy.  She's like a ball of energy just ready to tackle the world and show what she is capable of.  

Jennifer Madden is clearly a professional and that comes across not only in working with her but in her works.  Everything she does it complete, from concept to color to mediums down to her technique.  She starts with an idea and sees it through making sure that it all makes sense.  

will you continue making limited edition illustration collections?
Emiah Gardner:  Most definitely.  We are thinking about doing a limited edition collection of looks seen during NYFW.  However, it might be an ever better idea to draw inspiration from looks and trends seen on the streets, outside of the shows.

Each collection will always be limited edition in order to give our market of the fashion savvy trendsetters truly unique pieces to add to their closet.

What are your plans for the future of the runway by d2g apparel?

Emiah Gardner:  We plan to continue collaborating with illustrators worldwide.  Our goal is to be the leading online marketplace for fashion illustration.

Who is your dream illustrator to collaborate with?

Emiah Gardner:  Marynn.  I love her work.  

Which designers inspire you?

Emiah Gardner:  Personally, I love Jean Paul Gaultier and Givenchy.  However, if you look at the collection most of the illustrators chose to draw inspiration from Elie Saab and Valentino.  The fluidity, flattering cuts and luxurious fabrics used by Elie Saab and Valentino gave out illustrators a lot to work with, without overwhelming the composition with too much detail.

Do you have a favorite piece in the collection?

Emiah Gardner:  I love the entire collection.  I wear the printed sample of "Red Dreams of Elie Saab" all of the time.  Its ridiculously comfortable and easy to throw on with jeans or dress up a bit with heels and a nicer pant.  The  "Model me Beautiful" is also a favorite, its got a really flattering cut.  That top with Isabel Marant sneakers, aviators, a great skinny jean and I'm ready to go.

Did you go to school for fashion?

Emiah Gardner:  I went to FIDM in San Francisco and studied, Merchandise Product Development.  I'll be finishing my degree in Business with a focus in Entrepreneurship at the University of Utah.  Or at least that's the plan,  I am a big believer in just doing it, opposed to spending the time and money reading, studying and discussing a particular thing.  Thats a personal battle I have with myself on a daily basis.

What things are you inspired by?

Emiah Gardner: Of course I am inspired by a lot of the illustrators and fashion designers that are out there.  As the founder of The Runway, I draw most of my personal inspiration from successful tech entrepreneurs.

check out their blog http://d2gapparel.com/

their twitter https://twitter.com/d2gapparel

 and their facebook page http://www.facebook.com/D2Gapparel

thank you Emiah Gardner for giving me this opportunity best wishes for the future. 


images via d2gapparel.com


xo
jes

i just saw Florence in concert no big deal

i have loved Florence and the machine since i saw them on the vma's and to see her live was an amazing experience. we almost didn't get to go because the tickets were all sold out but thanks to persistent husband from a friend we got tickets! which was the greatest news when i heard it. i was so excited all day i was counting down every hour at work. i just couldn't help it i was super excited and let me tell you she did not disappoint. she is amazing live! her voice is so powerful and electric. it was amazing show and i didn't want it to end. if you haven't listened to florence and the machine you should she's a great singer, style icon, and muse to one of my favorite designers karl lagerfeld. i love her and i sure you will too.

xo

jes

thanks

thank you to everyone who wished my dad well. he's doing ok. we still have to go though a little bit more but i know God has everything in his hands so i'm not too worried. i was so excited to start getting more on the blog. but  i just had to take time off to be with family. now that i have i'll be coming  back full force!
image via pintrest
xo
jes

things on my mind

i was fully prepared to tell you guys how an amazing time i'm having down here but now that seams really trivial now. but something happened with my dad and now all i can think about is getting home as soon as possible. everyone is telling me he's ok but i won't feel better untill i see him with my own eyes. so keep us in your prayers. thanks guys
xo
jes

oh july

this month always holds a special place in my heart! for one we always visit my grandparents this month. which live super far away and i never get to see except twice a year. this month is also the gem show in our little town which i'm a so happy for because i have been waiting for this since i learn how to set stones! i have so many i want to get. (more on that later). the thing i have been waiting for months and months! i get to go see Florence and the machine at the end of this month! i'm so excited i can't wait.  this is going to be a great month because i am determined to make it into one. :)

ps. i know its early but happy 4th of july! hopefully i get to write a post even if its a out fit post!

image via pintest

xoxo
jes

goodbye month

i am aware that i haven't written anything since the beginning of the month i blame it on having a full time summer job which has left me uninspired. however now that my i'm going from full time to part time ill have more time to write! so goals lets check them off.

1. working on my relationship with God is the greatest thing i could do for myself. i am filled with peace about life, and grateful for everything he has done for me.

2.  draw 3 to 4 drawings. i haven't started on these yet, but i did get all the supplies so i'm half way there. now that i have more time on my hands i will get these done.

3. sketching for jewelry designs.   i have started this with pintrest. yes i have been gathering inspiration for what i want my jewelry to look like and what kind of vibe i want it to give off. so once i feel like i have enough images i will go though them and decide what they all have in common why i like those images and why i want my jewelry to have that vibe and work on steps to completing the sketches.

4 reading. i have done a lot of reading i just finished the hunger games series which i loved. i started lauren conrad's L.A. candy series thanks to Teddi from honeybee lane who suggested them.

5 relaxing. its the hardest thing to do i don't know if its because i don't know how to or i'm always relaxed and don't know it but i'm working on it. i tried by taking a walk with my family in asbury woods, the woods we have in town. and yes i did feel like katniss walking around in the woods with my hair in a braid ;)

july is right around the corner and my only goal this month is to write more here on the blog. when i first started i did it every day that i just got burned out. so i took some time to get inspired and im still working on getting back to the way i used to be about blogging. i still love it and i miss it everyday but i am still working on getting inspired to write fun blog posts here. so that is what i will be working on.

image via pintrest
xo
jes

hello month

happy june first! though today the weather was not cooperating it almost feels like fall but cold cold fall. june first always marks the first day of janels journaling 30 day challenge which i look forward to every year. it's a nice way to document how much you've changed in a year. i also have decided to give myself a challenge and i'm documenting here and i'm going to write a list so i can see and check mark those tasks you can join if you want to or if your not comfortable with some of my goals it's ok not to do them or you don't have to do them at all. :)

1. take time to read and meditate on the word of God. i think that we are too wrapped up if this fast paced life that we don't spend time reading and learning the word. i know i'm guilty of this and that i why i want to change it.

2. make a series of drawings. i love drawing i was a drawing major for a semester a couple of years ago. i realized i missed it so i want to do 3 to 4 drawings

3. fill my sketch book with lots of inspiration/ jewelry designs. i feel like this will help me grow as a maker and a designer and help me get away from designing like my sister and give me my own voice.

4. read read read. i love reading so so much i have tons of books i need to get off my list so this summer i will get them done and maybe write reviews. btw did you guys hear that there is going to be a sequel to the devil wears prada? its called revenge wears prada: the devil returns. i for one is really excited!

5. learn how to relax. i know it sounds so easy but for me it's the hardest thing in the world to do. so i'm going to put some effort into this one.

are you going to join me with my goals for june? are you gonna make your own. leave me a comment i would love to know what your goals are for this month are or even what your looking forward to.

image via pintrest

xo

jes

change is inevitable

the more i think about the person i was and the person i am now i can't even believe how much i have changed. not only with the way i am but my style as well. i know i have been working hard to get over my shyness ( its a very hard processes for me to open up to people when they are sitting in front of me.) and i think my style reflected that i would wear loud and obnoxious things to keep people away or dark clothes to blend in and be invisible, but now i find myself wanting to wear colors! don't get me wrong i still love black but now i wear it because i love it, not to hide. what brought me to this realization is pintrest yes i know pintrest! i was looking though my style board and i realized that who i am has changed by what i like now. i still have that rock and roll edge that has been a part of my life for so long. but i feel like i'm growing up a little bit wanting to wear "girl" clothes. what happened was this i was pinning along and then i went to pin the dress above and i thought to myself wow look how much you've changed your not afraid to stand out for all the right reasons.  i just wanted to share this because i know that change is inevitable and i'm glad for it. when change comes your way be open to it. it could lead to great things.
source
xo
jes

books of style

I'am a big, wait let me fix that I'm a BIG fan of books. particularly style books i just can't help it i see one and i have to get it. its like they have all the secrets in the world and with the purchase of it you will have all the secrets too. so far i have Isaac mizrahi how to have style, which i read cover to cover and over and over again when i first got it.



which bring me to my new style book obsession style by lauren conrad. i got it the other day and i love it! i was skeptical at first when i heard that she wrote a style book, then i found her style blog the beauty department that she does with some of her friends and i became obsessed with it. so much so that i check it every morning and though out the day just in case they post something new. so when i saw her face looking out at me from the barns and nobel book shelf i just had to pick it up. i flipped though it and bought it and i am now obsessed (yes i know i thew that word out there a lot during this post but that's how it goes. at least with me.) i am half way done and i know i will reread it because when your reading this book is like having your best girl friend telling you how to have style, and I just found out she has one for beauty and now i have to go get it. so with that i leave you. xo
update: went to go get her beauty book and it doesn't come out until october. :( so i will have to wait until then. sigh
jes


source
source
source

candy color hair

i have always bought into the technicolor hair craze thanks to manic panic and rockers like Cindi Lauper. the brighter the better was my motto but lately i have been loving sweet candy colored hair. Like lavender, light pink, peach, sea foam green basically any color you would find in a sweetheart valentine hard candy with the words on them.






























For some reason i just love the cotton candy pink and blue. It's fun and its everywhere in the pages of magazines on girls at the mall. i just cant help but be bewitched by this new trend.

 

I'm thinking of adding some lavender and light pink tips to my hair. how about you do you like this new obsession or could you live with out it?

sources1,2,3,4,5

xo
jes

guest post for apple blue

hey i just wanted to stop by and share with you guys that my guest post for the lovely amanda of apple blue is up today so go check it out. she has other great guest bloggers as well so go check it out you wont be disappointed.
xoxo
jes

bullet shell and chain friendship bracelet

This is a quick D.I.Y with what i had in my purse. Yes i have bullets shell's in my purse. A friend I'm my metal smithing class was cutting them up and gave me the part she didn't need anymore.

supplies 

i used cut bullet shells but you can use tubing or even just thick metal beads

chain i had chain left over from my project but you can buy some chain from any craft store and cut them down to size.

any color of embroidery floss

step one

cut out five arm length pieces. fold in half and tie a slip knot.

step two

braid and inch or two then add the a forward knot to secure the braid 

add the "bead" add a forward knot and reverse forward knot to secure it into place.

add the chain forward knot and braid the embroidery floss until the braid is the same length of the chair and forward knot to secure it into place add the other "bead" the way you added the first. braid the rest tie a knot and volla your done!

a quick D.I.Y to break up your day and once your finished you have a cool bracelet. if you make one leave a comment to your photo i would love to check them out.

xo

jes