Gorgeous recycled art - Waterbottle chandeliers

At first glance, you may not notice but these stunning chandeliers are actually made out of water bottle bottoms, cut out and illuminated from above. These creative art pieces give a new meaning to recycling and shows that even the most common every day object can be transformed into something beautiful.

Home Sweet Homophobia

Remember when I came out and my Dad was "fine with it"?

Well, turns out he's changed his mind.

The most annoying thing is, he has ridiculous reasons for not liking my homosexual status.

Here is a list of some of the things he has recently said to me:

• "You're just ruining your life before it's even started in my opinion." - Yes, because having a gay lifestyle means your life is ruined. Just because it's not how you live, doesn't mean some people don't enjoy it.
• "If I find out someone's influenced you, I'll stab them. I don't care who it is." - Okay, a) You wouldn't stab anyone. In fact, you wouldn't touch someone gay: you're a fucking coward. And b) No one influenced me to be gay. Actually, that is the most absurd thing I've ever heard.
• "I don't think you're gay. I think you say you are because your friends are. You're doing it to be fashionable." - Yes Father, I also dye my hair ginger because my friend has ginger hair. (Sarcasm, by the way.) And fashionable? Yeah, constantly having homophobic comments hurled at me and people like me is extremely fashionable. Douche.
• "You can't tell anyone in our town. You won't even be able to walk down the street." - I don't know how you haven't noticed that around 30% of our town's population is gay or bisexual. And also, everyone in Tuxford already knows I'm a raging dyke and not once have I felt insecure whilst walking down the street.

There are other things he's said, but those are a few of the most recent ones. Ridiculous, right?

However, I have an awesome Mother who accepts me for who I am. I love her.

The motto of the story? Don't let anyone tell you who or what to be. Be yourself, always.

We Have Arrived!

After a pleasant four-day journey, we have arrived in Utah, safe and sound. The boys are happy to finally not be stuck in a car all day, and we are happy to be here, though we are ALL shocked at the SNOW!!!

I'll post some pics from our adventures later-- we drove through 12 states and visited Nauvoo, Carthage Jail, Liberty Jail, Adam-ondi-Ahman, Far West, and Independence. It was a pretty incredible few days and the kids actually held up brilliantly.

Studs Galore!!!

In my final range for this year, many of my garments will feature heavy stud work. While researching studs as embellishments on jackets I came across this amazing jacket by French designer Antonin Tron. I was blown away and could not stop thinking how many hours it could have taken to complete! Bejewelled menswear that actually works!

Happy Birthday Momma!

momma's bday party, originally uploaded by dlandy77.

Today isn't momma's birthday, yesterday was, but of course I was going to blog about it, she deserves it.

I love my momma.
She is so sweet.
So loving.
So kind.
So self-less.
So fun.
She looks so young for her age (thanks Olay! I use it too)
She does so much for my brother and I.
She loves sports.
Enjoys reading and watching movies.
She is moving to NY to go back home.
I love my momma!
Happy Birthday!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU!

Momma's good loving friend Rebecca. And my brother not interested in smiling, does this all the time. One day we'll get a picture of him and I just smiling, normal.

Momma holding up her gifts and showing off her hip new cuff link!

There was dessert, a must. Is your mouth watering yet? It was so good!

Mmmmmm...I love On The Border! And my momma!

My Fashion Illustrations

I thought today I should add some images of my own illustrations as it is one of my main interests. I have always loved drawing and used to find myself drawing all the time, No matter where I was I had a pen and paper ready! More recently I've lost momentum however I am trying to pick it up again especially now that our final project for fourth year will require putting aside a heap of time for illustrating!






These illustrations are some I did for a project in second semester last year. It was a project in which I started developing a different handwriting to what I had in the past. It is a style I hope to evolve and refine and bring into my collection this year.

Hilton Harbor

king size bed, originally uploaded by dlandy77.

So this weekend I got to stay at the nicest hotel I've ever been to. And it was in my state, only an hour away from Denton. I stayed in Rockwall with some friends to celebrate a birthday and her mom got us this suite for a night. I had to be like PDubb and take pictures of all the things in the hotel room, but now going through them I should have taken better ones. My don't do justice for how pretty the room was, and I ruined it. Anyways there was a beautiful king size bed.

THEN YOU WALK INTO THIS BATHROOM! I definitely utilized the jacuzzi and waterfall shower. So wonderful.

I did the ol take a picture in front of the sink because I wanted to and also to show the sink and great shower behind me. The living area was huge, we had two balconies! Yes, two! And then I really liked the lamp in the room, I wanted to steal it, as well as the two paintings they had, and the chair, and well, everything in it.

Y'all should know me pretty well to know how much I love taking pictures of the sky, and outside. So I took a lot, like 50 or so of the same sky, same water, but I just couldn't get enough of it.

I mean wouldn't you?

Then I saw this beautiful flower when we were walking to dinner. Oh course, snapped a picture. I had such a great weekend with friends, getting a small tan, laughing a lot and not getting much sleep. And now I probably won't do my paper and go to bed.

Album of the Week! - Angus and Julia Stone 'A Book Like This'

I saw Angus and Julia Stone perform a few years ago now, however this album is still at the top of my cd pile. I was in Gertrude and Alice in Bondi the other day and heard 'Soldier' which reminded me of how often I used to listen to it. Angus and Julia Stone's 'A Book Like This' is one of my favourite pics to illustrate and draw along to because of its calming, atmospheric sound. This brother and sister duo are ecclectic, other worldly, individual and expressive.




If you have not tuned into Angus and Julia Stone, I advise you do because you are missing out.This album is a journey into a stunning otherworldy story not to be missed.

Drape Drape

Draping on the stand is not a strong point of mine. Recently I have had to do a lot of drape work but found it helpful draping one half then creating a mirror image. I came up with some interesting shapes and textures and have included some successful ones below.

Law School: CHECK!

He... is... DONE!!!

Robert completed his FINAL final yesterday at 5 pm. He is DONE with law school.

Now onto moving cross country and taking the Bar. :)

Congrats, honey! You have rocked this law school experience! We have grown so much as a family during the last 3 years (not to mention adding a cute little family member-- we love you Jer!). I wouldn't trade this experience for ANYTHING and I am going to miss Virginia, but definitely NOT miss law school! I know Robert feels the same way!

I love you, Robert! Congrats!

What Not to Wear/Do on Campus.

In this posting I will be displaying things not to wear or do on campus.
I have been studying the students of UNT within the past week so I could see what is going through their minds. I didn't take pictures of them because I don't want them to be embarrassed and I didn't have my camera on me any of those days.

So here are some things:







1. Keep the black velvet dress at home, or actually just burn it.
2. Now denim outfits can be cute and I've seen some cute pictures of girls with all denim outfits, but the girl I saw with the dress that was a wrap kind, nu uh not cool.
3. Please don't come to school with your jammies still on, especially your plaid jammy pants. As much as I want to wear my jammies to school, I know that people won't like it.
4. I see this all the time on campus!! Couples that just stop and kiss, before dropping their baby off to class they kiss about a good 4 times, well 5 since they can't without it. Then their groping one another, just hands flying wherever they want to. Yuck! Gross! Nobody wants to see!
5. Ok I just heard in recent news that the scrunchy is coming back? I need time to think about that. I sometimes use it to pull my hair break if I don't feel like washing my hair or there's a themed 80's party, but I don't let it go out in public. It stays a secret.
6. NO MULLET! NO MULLET! NO MULLETS FOR WOMEN!
7. And then the bun on top of the head. My freshman year I had a girl in my biology lab that literally every single week we met she had a bun on top of her head, even when she presented a project. Not cool.

Let me know if something should be added to the list, but for now these are my top ones that must not be worn/or done on college campus.

Come back next week when I blog about what's cool to wear and do on campus.

Tim Walker - Fashion Photography

Keeping in with the "Alice in Wonderland", eclectic, euphoric theme I have touched on this week, today I am adding a shout out to Tim Walker, an inspirational fashion photographer who whisks you away to a new undiscovered world with each shoot. I came across a great quote from an interview Walker did with SHOW Studio "You look through the viewfinder and there's a window to something magical. You haven't seen it before...you see something you haven't yet caught...it's such a thrill..." I really like this idea of viewing photography as a 'window to something magical' as it is an amazing concept to capture a moment in time you can never capture the same again. Below are just a couple of images out of the many that I am inspired by through colour, composition and content.




Some of Tim Walker's images remind me of the mood evoked in Bill Henson's photography as there is a similar air of mystery and intrigue. Both manage to develop a puzzling sense of reality evoked by the seemingly disjointed composition and quirky use of subjects relating with their environment seen in both their works.