Going to see Colt Bowden's new works at Brick & Mortar tonight - it is his Hobo's & Zombies show with friend Mike Murdock.   I hope to get another piece of his to add to my Bowden Collec-see-oh-nay! :-[) If you live in or near Salt Lake City.... you should really get out to this tonight and snag a piece of his! Have a great weekend everyone!!! Oh...and doors open at 6pm

Also sharing the space is Colt's friend Mike Murdock:

Last night I was creating with one of my girlfriends. We made these.... :) 

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While working on our little project, we somehow got to talking about the band James! We were both shocked that we both new about James! Most of my friends now and when I was 14 [when I started listening to them thanks to my older sister] had never heard of James. For some reason, turning 14 was a big event for me...bigger than turning 16 because I was now old enough to go to church dances back in Washington state where I grew up - they were HUGE and so much better than our high school dances! That was such an epic year for me in music as well. I had just gotten a 7 disc cd player for Christmas and was now buying cd's.  James, Cocteau Twins, The Cranberries, The Beetles,  The Cure, & The Pixies is what I listened to over and over again. :::::: One of the songs I was singing for my friend last night was "Say Something" [music video below] she had never heard that one OR any of their other songs from my favorite album of James: Laid from 1993.   Aside from Say Something being a favorite their album title song "Laid" was actually my number 1 favorite. Even though at 14 I new the song was about sex....somehow it didn't really phase me as it does today - plus at 14...come on, I thought I was SOOOO mature! hahaha lol... honestly, it was the beat though that made me so happy inside. "Skindiving" is my third favorite on that album. :)

Jame's  Live version of Laid! :)

Still on my mood board / collage kick.  These three "inspiration" pages below are from a mini collection I did in the Spring of 2009 at school, and was for girls ages 5-9.   I love mixing prints which was one of the things that drew me to children's wear.  Kid's [if their parents let them] will naturally mix prints. The outfits they come up with are so incredibly cute and it is instant.  There isn't this long thought process behind it...and when I say long I mean anything beyond ten minutes. 

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This next collection was geared towards teens [that was my focus senior year at Parsons] and this was one of the collections I worked on over the summer right before senior year.  Come fall, we had to present our teachers and classmates with 3 collections 80 designs per collection and then we all help each other decide which is the best one to make our thesis and actually create for the rest of the year.  I didn't choose this one....and sometimes I have regrets over it, but then I remind myself that I can work just as hard being outside of school as I would if I was still in school.  This collection was inspired by one of my favorite artist's Silver Horn.  Lastly, my favorite thing about designing collections would have to making all the treatments...it was soo time consuming, but when I look back through all my croquis books [sketch books] and see all the handi work that was developed I am really proud of myself.  One of the advantages of going to a design school is that afterwords one usually has an insane body of work which then... makes it a lot easier to justify the amount of debt I acquired.

Having a mood board is a must must must! Well at least for me... and it should be for you too if you don't already have one! :) This was one of the conversations my husband Jesse and I had last night.  He is such an amazing artist...and in our apt. we have created our own mini studios that are back to back. My space is covered with things that inspire me and my own work as well....Jesse's is pretty much blank.  He is finally going to get on the band wagon and make himself a mood board! I am sooooo excited to see what really inspires him!!!  These are some of the funnest and easiest art projects to do. And they should always be reoccurring.  :[) plus, they are THEE perfect rainy day activity.

Roxy Marj mood board #1 [shadow box]

Roxy Marj mood board #2 [bulletin board covered in linen]

   

Ahhh Monday --- Did you have a great weekend? I was hoping last friday that my weekend would feel long, and it actually did! I finally got started on our living room curtains. Oh to be a stay at home mom or to work from home is a huge dream of mine as I am sure it is for many of you as well..... I do so many projects with decorating/ designing/ clothes etc. that I want to share with everyone but just the amount of time it takes to document everything is a job in itself. :/  Someday! :)

So.... our curtains...to save money I bought one linen "off-price" window panel at DownEast [they sell curtains individually at their home stores] and I cut it in half. Then I made some 7" diamonds to fill the extra space below,  I also wanted to mimic our curtains in the dinning room and have that "cut-out" look.  I have only finished one window panel so far, hence my photo of just the one window....and how they look from the outside is just as pretty as inside! :)

This is a really EASY project to do...but just a little time consuming.

If I had more of the same or similar type of curtain fabric to spare, I would have added a 6" panel at the bottom, but since I don't..instead I used these cute teeny tiny hand crocheted beads from the 30's that I have had for some time now & stitched those at the bottom.

AND........

Yes, my friends! Another free item to score! 

Hand painted crow on ceramic plate - dishwasher safe and comes w/ plate holder & hook. 

I just painted this little guy over the weekend and thought this would be another fun item to giveaway.

If you want to be in the drawing for him, just leave me a link of your favorite blog [or your own] that you love to read! :)  Good luck - You have till Sunday May 22. 

:) My new favorite animal:

Happy Monday! Have you seen this film already? I have not ...and I plan on buying it here! 

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and of course the most FANTASTIC dresser on the planet is in this film. 

Iris Apfel!

Back in my Junior year at Parsons, I had the pleasure of meeting her.  One of my VERY favorite teachers : Miss June Weir, is good friends with her and did an interview with Iris for her NY Ladies Society class... She is such a fascinating person, style icon and full of inspiration!

Happy weekend! Ohhhh happy weekend. It is sunny and yesterday was sooo warm! Camping, fishing, hiking weather is getting nearer and nearer! :-[) 

I can't believe I live in a state that has mountain goats! My goal this summer is hike enough that I can capture my own pictures of these adorable animals! :)

>>> found via American Trails <<<

Guess what!? It has been 3 months to the day that Handsome Barrus [Jesse] and I got married! 3 months! :-[) And the first three months have been awesome, hilarious, sleepy [we are constantly designing in and outside of work] thoughtful, fast, creative and yes at times ....occasionally moody. <- I would say it has more to do with me than Jesse!   

Our biggest issue so far that we have had to deal with would be over birth control! Yeah! That stuff SUUUUUCKS!!!! Oh my GOSH it sucks! When I got on it a month before getting married I thought nothing inside had changed...but really I hadn't noticed that my libido was COMPLETELY gone because we were sooo busy getting ready for the wedding that make-out time had been put on the back burner... come our honeymoon...that was fine and a lot of fun but it wasn't until we got back home that I kept uttering the phrase "mmmm i'm kinda sleepy" or "maybe let's just cuddle" or the all too famous line: "I'm not in the mood" - it was soooo weird because I have always been someone with a strong and healthy libido and here I have gone and married the coolest guy ever and it disappeared! But we luckily talked things over and decided to get me off of that stuff.... 2 weeks later I was my old self again! :[)  Perhaps that was a lot more than you wanted to know...but then you probably shouldn't be reading my blog. I am pretty much an open book [about MYSELF] and I tell it like it is....when things aren't smooth at times, I'll tell you...if they're awesome...I'll tell you! :) Lastly, our second main issue of living together has definitely been about how to combine both our styles harmoniously. I think I have barked about this before? But it seems to be a common theme in most couples lives, at least the ones who do care about style & design. And luckily both Jesse and I have been able to come up with what he likes to call "our" style. Not his style, not my style...but ours. :) I love it!

There has been a couple people that look at Jesse and I and think "oh you're just newlyweds and in your honeymoon phase" what I have to say to that is...mmmm no! I have never had so much fun dating someone as I have had with Jesse. I have never laughed so much with one person almost every day than I have had with Jesse. Being married can either be fun or hard and we choose fun! :-[) And 9 months from now when we are celebrating our 1 year anniversary...I know I will feel the same as I do now, but even more head over heels in love. I love you Jess! :)

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This picture was taken the day my husband taught me how to change a tire, change the oil AND change the tire rods in our car!!! It was a lot of fun!!! :-[) Plus, we'll make up any reason to work on "garage" stuff just so we can wear these suits!

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Okay...enough of that good old fashioned sugary love stuff - back to DESIGN!!! Yee haw! So I had to get some shaving cream, deodorant and moisturizer the other day. I hit up Target, and came across this well designed bright pinkbottle of non-aerosol shaving cream! Oh my gosh I love the design! I like buying body products whose stickers I can peel off and and replace with my own design. Plus, I just think it makes for a more interesting presentation of items to wake up to every morning. I think this would be such a fun little project to do with children. Imagine a "portrait" of yourself [hehehehe lol] on your lotion bottle. HILARIOUS! 

........ before ........

.......... After..........

Bah! I have a lot of work to do this morning before I actually head to work - so this will be a quick and dirty post ma fwends! :)

Too CUTE to boot hand printed cuff bracelet from Theif & Bandit

>>> $22 US dollars <<<

Bebop on over to West Elm... they have some new items that tweaked my fancy. 

>>> $10 mugs & $8 bowls <<<

>>> Acacia slabs $24 - 34 <<<

>>> David Stark brush stroke dinnerware $32 - 40 <<<

ahhhh and this fabulous Jute Chenille Herringbone rug 

>>>> $50 - 600 <<<

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Lastly, I woke this morning at 5 am to having an awesome dream and wishing it was true! Ever have those? The one's where money is involved are thee biggest let down! ha! But this dream was all about one of my favorite fashion designers: Olivier Theyskens 

I dreamt that I was in Paris [I don't know why] working at a pub that had velvet couches all over, warm glowy lighting and then I was walking around wiping down tables.  Olivier Theyskens was sitting at one of them by himself and when I noticed him I freaked out inside.. so then I got the guts to go over and approach him and he invited me to sit down with him and talk. He didn't have an accent and I remember him being really silly and hilarious. Then he mentioned that he was going to New York in a couple hours and I told him I lived there and that I could show him around...however long later, we were then in New York walking around and laughing. Then I woke up. :) 

I have had a designer crush on him since the first article I read about him in Vogue when I was 17. Being so young and knowing what he wanted to do and be in life [so the article said] made me feel a deep [perhaps weird] connection with him.  Plus I really loved his designs when he was younger which were a very elegant gothic way of dressing. NO I WAS NOT GOTHIC when I was younger! :[) and as he has gotten older his style has become even more sophisticated and beautiful! What a dream it would be to work with him!

Then fast forward to my Sophomore year at Parsons and my classmates and I got to go hear Olivier speak at the French Institute there in NYC, AND I even got to ask him a question after his interview was over! He had such amazing energy about him and seemed so interested in everyone's questions that it made him even more endearing. :)  

This image is from a spread in Vogue back in 2006/7 I believe? A whole slew of designers made an "Alice in Wonderland" themed dress for this... Theyskens' was amaaazing!

Back in 2006 Theyskens became the artistic director at Nina Ricci

Here is one of the looks from his time there - how beautiful is this dress??! 

And now recently he has been asked by Theory to do a Spring 2011 capsule collection for them. 

I wish I could say that I am in love with this collection..... but I am not. :(  There is nothing in at least these  three looks that gets me excited. If an outfit, article of clothing etc. doesn't move me in a positive way then I won't buy it... these looks are too watered down for me, plus --- where's the prints?...says the print lover. 

well, anyways...this post was more about my dream with Mr. Theyskens... and not so much Theory. 

>>> that was not a quick & dirty post huh!? <<<
 : /

This slide is amazing!  Found via Fine Little Day

Feeling a little under the weather today: really I just can't seem to kick this cold that I have had now for the past 3 weeks ... : /  This soap though....from Feto - looks like it could instantly make me feel better! 

Chocolate Pudding

Lemon Bar 

and Honey

They also have essential oil samples for only $1.99 

and the shipping is free! love free shipping!

Hope you all had a great weekend! I FINALLY got our living rearranged and organized. OH.MA.GAWSH... the feeling of walking into a clean an organized room does wonders for me. #1 wonder: I wake up before my alarm goes off just so I can see the room in the morning all clean and organized. LOVE IT! #2 wonder: my productivity level shoots right through the roof! <- this too can happen for you if it already hasn't... :)  One of the main things that I got organized is all my magazines and craft books. :) I love looking at them from afar now...yeah, I don't even need to actually read them - totally content on just staring. so pretty.

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So I picked my little mug winner this morning! I actually think it is quite cute that I only had 3 "vacation" comments...:) Everyone is a winner in my book - and so to those two who didn't win..I still am going to send you a little something. But, when I do start having more give-aways and if I get more than 5 people in the pot, that will have to stop sadly. No worries though. Let's just keep these give-aways between us 4 and you will all get lovely loot a lot! 

The winner of my humble flower mug is:

Vivi, Denise and Kiasa...if you are reading this, can you email me your home addresses to: hystericroxy@yahoo.com - I will still contact you three as well. :)

 I had mentioned last week that I was going to go through random.org to do the drawing, but because there was only three...I decided to go the old fashioned route:

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I would probably say that Jesse's favorite part of us rearranging our furniture was that I finally put my little dolls in my work space. Here they stand atop the window in my little corner of the room. Overlooking Roxy Marj productions and making sure everything is done correctly and in a timely manner!

* side note: don't you think it is odd that Olive Oil and Pinnochio look VERY similar!!???*  just think about it...it didn't dawn on me till the day I found her on the street and brought her home, placed her next to Pinnochio and realized that she is a knock of him! PLUS Oilve Oil??? That's Italian and Pinnochio is Italian...hmmmmm ---- jus sayin....

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Lastly, a book that I have on display right now in our book shelf. The faded blue linen cover is so pretty..I wish my picture would have captured the gold, oh well. :) The layout and typography is lovely and a work of art in itself. :)