2 Steps Forward...1 Step Back

I had the most "interesting" thing happen to me last week. I took my boots in to get them fixed and then when I went to pick them up, decided that they should be shined as well. The worker had me put them on and then climb into the hot seat while they shined my boots. I was sitting there and this elderly gentleman climbs up next to me. He was talking to the guy that was shining his shoes and said - "Since when did we allow women into the men's shoe shine shop?" I glanced at him, but didn't say anything. He then said, "Next thing you know they will have women flying planes."

I looked at him and said "They already do."

What an old-school jerk! He claims he was kidding and proceeds to try and make small talk with me, but I wasn't having any of it. With these types of comments and then the Michael Richards ridiculousness it just proves (yet again) to those who aren't aware that racism is alive and well and has been for quite a while.
I like his quote from this article in the Baltimore Sun:

After all, modern bigotry usually isn't some nitwit screaming the N-word. It is jobs you don't get and loans you don't get and apartments you don't get and health care you don't get and justice you don't get - for reasons you get all too clearly, though no one ever quite speaks them. It is smiles in your face and knives in your back. And it is, yes, a sitcom - like Seinfeld - that presents New York City, of all places, as a black-free zone.

The people that we idolize (celebrities/actors/etc) are just human beings with their own upbringing and predjudices. This guy has probably been in most American families homes as the lovable Kramer. Who would have guessed that he is in fact cabable of this.
We take 2 steps forward and one step back...

Things to be Thankful For

SO many!
I often look so forward to the holidays more for the much needed break instead of a true celebration and reflection period. So, as Dereck and I prepare for our first Thanksgiving as a married couple, I am thankful for where my life is right now. All of the experiences that I have had helped create the person that I am today. There are always things that I am working on or wish that I was better at, but it helps to appreciate the ups and downs that have shaped your existence.
I am thankful for a husband who truly loves me and really tries to make me happy (not always an easy task).
I am thankful for my family. We may be disfunctional in our own way, but I can't think of anything in this world that I would trade them for.
I am thankful for my friends. As my mom said tonight, "you're friends are so cool". And they are. How did I get so lucky?
Seems simple, but I am thankful for a roof over my head. It's cold outside.
I am thankful that I have the knowledge of an afterlife. It would be difficult to go through life thinking that death was the end.
I am thankful that I am able to do what I want to do. I am grateful that I live in America (with all of it's problems and all) and am able to pursue what I want to pursue without feeling guilty. Some people make just enough money to barely eat or have to give any leftover money to their families for survival.
I am grateful for my teeth. Can you imagine if you didn't have any? They aren't perfect, but relatively straight (thank goodness, I have a teeth thing).
I could go on all night, but won't.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!!!

Mood Boards

I am learning in my Fashion Industry Design class then when designing a collection, you have to first figure out what season you are designing for (obviously), then choose a theme for your designs. Once you have a theme, you have to translate that theme into a mood. Hence the term "mood board". The mood board consists of pictures and fabric swatches and that go along with your color story (palette) that all help to define and invent your theme/mood. The second part of the mood board will generally consist of the sketches of the designs or even sometimes pictures of the actual garments.
I am really enjoying this part of the process because there are unlimited options! This will be the first time that I have attempted to create a cohesive full (6 outfit) collection. Normally, I choose fabrics randomly and then later think of what to make or sometimes in class we are told what to make and then we get to find the fabric, but now we can really use our imaginations to design whatever we feel like as long as it fits into the theme that we create.
The only problem is that I don't have much time to do this since I have 2 mood boards due on Monday (in addition to unpacking, spending time with my husband, shopping for fabric to go with my corset, and creating 3 flats in Illustrator, and wanting to go to the Nordstrom anniversary sale) but as Dereck keeps reminding me I am following my dream...

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

My Corset

Here is the corset I have been working on for my Construction III class.
It is made of a luxury velvet and the inside is silk. This picture is kind of hard to see as I took it with my cell phone. I still have to finish the bottom and create a jacket or cape of some sort. We will meet with our teacher today so she can approve our sketches so that we can work on the rest of it. I am happy with how it is coming along, but there was sooo much hand stitching that it took a long time. Here is proof that I have been busy!

Rain boots!

I finally got some rain boots a few weeks ago and today it rained! I never thought I would be excited to wake up and see rain coming down outside. I feel like a true New Yorker with my red boots. I can splash in puddles and it doesn't even matter. I get to work and my feet are dry. I really don't know how I ever lived in the city without them!

The Honeymoon

Aaahhh Jamaica!
It feels like it was forever since we were there! Now we are back to our busy lives with no time to just sit and watch the sunset and feel the island breeze...
We stayed at my dream resort - The Rockhouse. It seriously looks like the pictures on their website. The staff was so friendly and nice, the food was great and it is in a somewhat remote location and each villa is private, so you feel as if you have your own little slice of heaven.

After waking up at 4am to catch our flight, we were pretty tired when we landed in Negril. Garfield (our driver) came and picked us up and took us to the resort. Here's Dereck all ready to relax.
We got in the little mini-bus and we were expecting to hear the reggae pumpin' but instead he had this crazy mix of American oldies blasting! This crazy Chubby Checker remix.
Anyway, it was a beautiful relaxing drive through the crazy Jamaican roads - well somewhat relaxing considering the 4 heart failures I almost had. The driving seemed like utter chaos, but in fact everyone seemed accustomed to the chaos, so it was somewhat controlled chaos if that makes sense. Not only were people driving on the "wrong" side of the road, but cars would just turn and cut right in front of you. I was grateful for Garfield's skills by the time we got there.The hour long drive was worth it because here was a picture of the entrance to our villa.
This is the walkway to the restaurant.

We show up at the hotel and were starving, so we ate at the restaurant at the hotel. It was an open air restaurant that overlooked the water. So peaceful.
Basically the rest of our time we only did a few things - relax, sleep, swim, eat.
Pretty much all you need for survival.

Here is our private swimming area at our villa. This picture doesn't really do it justice because you would walk down the stairs and since the villas were on a cliff, you have this little area underneath that you could swim and feel like you were in the middle of the salty ocean.

This is where we would sit every evening and watch the beautiful sunsets. It was so fun being "the honeymoon couple". Everyone was so nice to us! We really felt like we got the royal treatment everywhere we went. I would recommend the resort to anyone -- it was amazing.

Here are a few more resort pictures. I look at these pictures and it's hard to imagine we were actually there!

I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful, unique honeymoon. It was private, serene and perfect. Thanks D for a marvelous time!

P.S. Dereck took some great pictures with his camera, but we couldn't get them to upload, so we are stuck with only mine...