cel style (#1)

I've said it before, but I was a tiny bit of a nerd in high school. The kind that kept sketchbooks filled to the brim with manga-style girls with angel wings, which might seem embarrassing but I try to keep it all in focus. My interest in anime and manga sparked an interest in art in middle school, which lead me on the path to MCAD and Minnesota. I love it here, and sometimes I think I have the animators and artists of Japan to thank for that. This means you, CLAMP.

One animator/director/mastermind that I'll always love is the ubiquitous Hayao Miyazaki. Even if you haven't heard his name there's a good chance you'll have seen at least one of his films. Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away are probably the most well known. The other day I realized how fashionable his characters are, and realized I had to do a series of posts on how to dress like a Miyazaki character!

Nerds + fashion = go!

Here's an outfit inspired by Fio (pictured above on the left) from Porco Rosso. She's a spitfire lady pilot with a pig as a best friend - what more could you ask for? Studio Ghibli films do such a great job with the look of the early 1900s, and Fio's fantastic tomboy style is no different. Straw hat, blue jeans and gingham shirts? Yes please. You should seriously go watch this movie if you haven't yet, it's terribly charming. Just look at it!

backpack / hat / similar jeans / blouse / sandals / bracelet was from tiffany's, but I can't locate it!

BONUS: a drawing I did in (eek) 2003, and me playing game boy and wearing a tiara. That's just how I used to roll, folks. 

film club

Another collection of shots from my little Olympus, on permanent loan from the charming Allison. Included in this go: a birthday party, an all night work section, some other stuff, and more cats. The photo above is from the one day that it actually looked like a Minnesota winter.

poster show buddies

Chance's "power to the people" birthday crown

tadgh, cat extraordinaire

Bill, orange shirt wearing extraordinare

this is my "working on a friday night" face

straight out of Suspiria

keyframe: winnertime!

Well folks, I wrote down all your names and put them in my Mason Jar of Destiny, found my Lovely Assistant Bryan playing video games and had him randomly pick one. Congratulations....

April!!! You are the winner of the super duper awesome Key to Wonderland necklace from Shabby Apple! Please shoot me a line at etrithart (at) gmail (dot) com with you name and address so we can get your new treasure shipped over to you!

To my other commenters - thanks for entering! I'm hoping I'll have more opportunities to give away more fantastic things, so you allllll can win.

love, love, love

Or Happy Valentine's Day, as some folks know it. 

key frame

2012 is a year of firsts for the ol' blogert, apparently! First real photoshoot happened last month, and now I'm pleased (and kind of surprised!) to present my very first give away! Shabby Apple is a darling clothing company whose swimsuits I'm spending a lot of time ogling in my never-ending search for the perfect beach attire (Yes, I know I live in Minnesota and it is currently February. And last summer I wore a bathing suit approximately three times. Let me have my silly obsessions). Imagine my surprise, then, when they contacted me about doing a giveaway! It was definitely an "I can haz real blog?" moment, let's just say that.

 

After reviewing the pieces available to give away, I've chosen the Key to Wonderland Necklace. It's no secret I have a thing about keys, so this is the perfect piece for my first give away! Charming and sweet, I think it would look great with cocktail dress or in your favorite t-shirt and jeans.

Okay, so here comes all that technical that I feel so special writing! REAL BLOG ALERT!!!

In order to be eligible for this giveaway you must:
 +Be from the USA. Sorry international readers, hopefully there will be another giveaway someday where you can enter as well.
+Follow Shabby Apple on Facbook. That wasn't so hard, was it?
+Comment here with your favorite item from Shabby Apple... and you're set!!


 GOOD LUCK, DEAR READERS. Tell your friends! Make me proud! Entries accepted until February 15th! UPDATE: Entries have been closed! I'll draw a winner and announce it in the next few days, stay tuned!

who what wear

(left: target top, vintage belt, skirt swapped from erin, bag from the new domestic, swedish hasbeen heels. right: forever21 cardigan, thrifted shirt, jeans from urban, modcloth flats)
Just some recent outfits. I'm finally taking more outfit photos - mostly over the weekends and after work sometimes. And yes, we did finally take down our christmas tree... I hate to see it go!

 
(left: vintage cardigan, forever21 dress, vintage belt, vintage clutch, swedish hasbeens. right: vintage scarf, urban cardigan, thrifted shirt, skirt from the swap from erin, modcloth flats) I've been wearing my Swedish Hasbeens and these Gold Oriented flats from Modcloth like CRAZY. Red, red and more red plz!!

 

BONUS PHOTO! Me n' my best gal Alli at the great swap that Erin hosted a couple weekends ago - decked out in our new finds! I'm wearing this exact jean jacket tonight (from Maggie, thanks lady!) to a poster show that I'm participating in. If you're in the Twin Cities area you should head on over to Big Table Studios sometime soon, this is a show you shouldn't miss.