thanks for delurking, all! feel free to keep coming out of the woodwork. it's so nice to meet you and learn more about who reads my blatherings!
there's also probably lots you don't know about me, either:
-i was born on august 6, 1975. i'm 31 years old. -i'm naturally blonde. -i've been married to peter royal jr. for 8 years. we've been together for 10 years, as of this past new years eve. we met at a rave called "end." -we have no kids. -i have three cats: leela, meatloaf, and girl. all three are female. -i live in san francisco on a hill that sits right smack dab in the middle of the city. i can see the pacific ocean from my apartment's back windows. it's very soothing. i have only lived in san fran since september 2006. my apartment is very small. too small!! -i have two college degrees: a bachelor of art in art (with a concentration in art history) from the university of north florida in jacksonville, florida, and a fashion design associate of art degree, from parson's the new school for design, in new york city. -i work part time as an editorial assistant at stylehive at the moment. i write for their blog. -i do not own a car. i take public transportation (bus, usually), walk, or ride my bike to get where i have to go. i do know how to drive, and like to drive (especially stick shift!), but would rather not buy a car until they offer fully electric automobiles, as i feel they are better for the environment. big oil is evil. -favorite foods of mine include: blood oranges, almost all fruit, good artisan cheeses (especially good english cheddars and blues of any variety), belgian beers, cashews, and gummy candy such as swedish fish. -i am very adventurous when it comes to food. -i dislike raisins. -i'm not allergic to anything i know of, except maybe pollen. i have bad sinuses. -i thrift about 2x a week. i have been thrifting since i was 14 years old. -in college, both times, i got an A in every single class except one, which was a B in math. math is my worst subject! -i'm a type A personality, a perfectionist, a control freak, and sometimes a bit of a hypochondriac. -if i wasn't so passionately into art and craft, i'd probably do something involving medicine or history. -i minored in history in college. -read almost all non-fiction, for pleasure. right now i am reading frida kahlo's biography and the tipping point. -i've been sewing since i was 11 years old. my grandmother taught me how to sew when she was visiting my family in florida in the summer of 1986. -i used to be very, very into the rave scene in the mid to late 1990s. i still listen to only electronic music for the most part, with a dash of old hip-hop/turntablist stuff thrown in for good measure. i believe i would not be the person i am today, good or bad, had i not been a raver for many years. it was life changing for me, and that life shaped my early 20s. -i'm an anglophile. anything related to britain or british history and it's people fascinate me. -i love to travel, but i dislike flying. -i generally dislike celebrities. those that i do like are usually artists, scientists, or comedians. people who have intelligence and true personal style and ethics are more compelling than actors or models, at least to me. -what everyday people wear is far more interesting to me than fashion shows. -i started wardrobe_remix in september of 2005. it's a diy-street fashion community, on flickr. it's grown from just me to 2500 people today and i'm pretty damn proud of it.
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answers to your questions:
from katie: what are your thoughts on San Francisco vs. New York in terms of the street styles you see? has your move inspired your style in any new ways?
san franciscans, in general, are a tad more conservative as compared with new yorkers. which is not to say that there aren't sharp dressers here, because there are plenty. but people are much more laid back here, much more comfort-oriented, less ostentatious than new yorkers in many ways. new yorkers are more creative, more into labels (large and small), avant-guarde clothing, and the like. new york is far more cosmopolitan, more artistic. these are are just my observations, such as they are. i've only been here less than a year, so i think i need more time to gather data. :D
as for inspiring my style, not really. i dress for myself, not to be part of any particular tribe. i abhor uniforms of any kind, except my own. i wear generally the same things i did as when i lived in new york, because my lifestyle is generally the same (layers, scarves, comfortable shoes, etc. because i'm walking/taking the bus everywhere). i was more inspired by new yorkers, period...people there are all over the place, and extremely diverse. just riding the subway there or walking the streets and observing the creativity of average people was better than looking at the best fashion magazine. suffice it to say i miss nyc dearly, in a myriad of ways.
from elissa: you seem like you’d be an amazing painter with your eye for color and design. do you paint?
i do not paint regularly. i wish i did, but it's not something i do often, as arts and crafts revolving around the fiber and fashion arts tend to take precedence with me at the moment: knitting, crochet, needlepoint/embroidery, sewing, patternmaking/draping, jewelry making/beading, etc. i did study art and art history in college, as i stated above, so i have quite a background in design/art. i've taken courses on printmaking, ceramics, and photography as well. i was actually a photography major many, many years ago, when i was right out of high school.
i would like to take a painting class. anyone in san fran know of a place to take a non-credit painting class? or any art classes? w/o having to go back to school officially!!?
from jenn: how do you take such great pictures? from sonia luna: what kind of camera are you using?
one of my secrets for taking pictures is using available light, i.e. no flash. i HATE flash. it is VERY harsh and unflattering most cases. so i take most of my photos during the day when the light is best inside my apartment, or outside. i take several shots of my subject (including of myself for wardrobe_remix shots, which are taken by my husband with my direction) to get the best shot. it's good to have choices! after i shoot pictures, i manipulate them in photoshop, adjusting the lightness and contrast to my taste, the way a cook adjusts her spices in a recipe.
my camera is a canon powershot a620. someday i would love to have a digital SLR.