New Punk On The Block

Once upon a time I wore only creepers, sewed all my patches on with waxy cinnamon dental floss, sported a nail in my septum piercing & shaved my head with a daisy razor, it's true. While I never left the music or ethics behind I did lose the nail & let my hair grow out (my mother couldn't be prouder).

Lately I have been overwhelmed with nostalgia for the grrrl I see in my high school year books. It may have a lot to do with some of the current fashion trends I'm seeing EVERYWHERE! From Etsy to Elle - Punk has been polished, embellished & revamped. Notice that I didn't say resurrected... Plaid, chains, zippers, studs & fishnets - all marching down the runway. Totally polished. Totally punk.

A few of these items have some very "unpunk" price tags. This white Thakoon shift is an updated nod to the bondage pants I once wore religiously, but for $1,500 I'd have to get married in it! Which isn't a bad idea come to think of it... It would also be fairly simple & loads of fun to recreate! On the flip side this Hexagon Necklace from Good Friday is about as punk as it gets. Handmade by a rebellious girl named Rebecca in West Hollywood AND it will only run you $34.


All of these designs could easily be turned DIY with just a few studs, spikes, sequins & a few rolls of ribbons that could be used as fancy patches. Turn a pair of fishnets into something unreal or change the hemline of that old tartan mini skirt & wait for the heads to turn. You may have a hard time finding cool studs at your local craft store but thats what the webernetz are for! Check out Studs & Spikes for some truly tough touches.

I don't even want to know what this Rodarte get up would cost, but a pair of scissors will lead you down the path of pure punk rock perfection. Thrift it, slice it, chop it up & if you lose control, taking it a little too far pick up some zippers and put it back together. Speaking of zippers, I have an all consuming crush on Kate Cusack's creations. Stunning bracelets, necklaces & more made entirely of zippers. They twist, turn, & coil making my heart growl. Finally fashion that shows it's teeth!

Recently I picked up a fair amount of colorful vintage Chanel chain. It's light & flashy & an answer to my prayers. While Chanel is very posh - it never struck me as punk. I've made it my goal to bring it to the other side. In the coming weeks I'll be posting lots of new chain link jewelry in the shop like these Posh Punk lavender & gold earrings you see here.

In short, I'm happy to report that punk is not dead. It was just a nasty rumor.
It is alive & well & prettier than ever!

For the Love of Wiener Dogs and Yard Sales

Allow me to apologize for my lack of blogging over the past few weeks. Things have been hectic. Lot's of work & a fair amount of play. This past weekend my parents came to town & we took my grandmother out to see the wiener dog races. Yes, you read that correctly. Wiener. Dog. Races. Talk about cute overload! So many tiny dogs wearing costumes & loping around. Our faces hurt from smiling. So, ya gotta forgive me for ignoring my blog momentarily. If you are having a hard time with this forgiveness stuff, just look into these puppy dog eyes... that always works.

When I wasn't hanging with my fam & watching little dogs speed down a track I've been scratching things off my to do list. 1.Making tons of jewelry for a boutique in Milwaukee called Fasten Collective (soon to be called Sparrow Collective). They are having their grand opening party on May 15th & I want them to be stocked up for it! Speaking of new stores... Is there a boutique in your town that you think would like to carry Model Citizen Clothing? If so please drop their name to me! If the store ends up carrying the line I will send you a special thank you gift in the mail. Why? Because sharing is caring people! Don't you forget it!


I've also been preparing for one of my favorite things - YART! Not sure you know what a YART sale is?

Yard Sale + Art = YART Sale!

On Sunday May 3rd myself & about 15 other artist will be putting it all out on the lawn @ BiRDHOUSE Gallery (1304 E. Cesar Chavez). Paintings, drawings & crafty fantatic-ness PLUS records, clothes, furniture & more. You think the fun stops there? No freakin' way! Larissa tells me that there will also be "baked goods & popsicles & beer & at least one kiddie pool & a polaroid photobooth!" Oh yeah & a Bloody Mary Cook-off, sponsored by Tito's Vodka!
Personally I will be selling off quite a bit of my wardrobe & lots of accessories. Some furniture & awesome accents from my casa will also be available. OH & I'm getting rid of a pair of Betsy Johnson sunglasses as well! On the CHEAP. They are in perfect condition, they just aren't right for my face. As for the ART part of YART - that's a surprise. I can tell you this though... I think I'll be bringing those Nacho Cupcakes. Oh yeah!

*Big Thanks to Josheesh for the photo of his adorable wiener Laika.

Happy Earth Day! Don't forget to clean up after yourself!

I woke up this morning to find 7 emails suggesting multiple products I should buy in celebration of Earth Day... don't get me wrong - I am a consumer, I enjoy shopping.
It just struck me as fairly odd that shopping is the number 1 suggestion I've heard today when it comes to celebrating Earth Day since consumerism plays a big roll in the state our world is in.
It's true, companies were suggesting I buy something recycled & I do. I recycle the crap out of recycling itself! But this should not be a celebratory action. Every day we should ask ourselves questions about the products we buy & what the consequences of their use will be.

*Is this a recycled product?

*Was it made locally or anywhere near by?

*What is the life span of this product & what will happen to it when I no longer need it?

*Can it be recycled when I am done with it?

I realize I am preaching to the choir so I'll knock it off. In short if you want to do something for Mother Earth today then I suggest you get off the computer and head for the out doors. Take your camera, grab a friend & a picnic lunch. Go get a closer look at what's out there that's worth saving. Other fun activities for today?

Plant A Tree!

Fly A Kite!

Hug A Bug!

Jump In A Lake!

I hope to see you out there!
Bonnie Rue

And the winner is...

First off, I'm just astounded by all the entries! Thank You ALL so much for participating. One Hundred & Twenty Two entries! Crazy! This collaboration & giveaway was fun for so many reasons! Working with Natalie has been amazing! She's so creative & funny! When she sent me the Nacho Cupcake recipe I laughed out loud! I never saw that coming & the moment I read through the recipe my stomach growled, only proving that it was perfect to be paired with the Bake & Destroy Tiger Lady T-shirt! Also I have been introduced to soo many amazing blogs from all of your comments! You are some seriously interesting ladies & I want you to know that I will be reading your blogs in the future! Oh, & getting a mention on the BUST blog didn't suck either... did anyone else see this?

This contest has been such a success, there will certainly be more in the future! I want you to know that I just threw all your names in a hat & had my boyfriend pick one out. That's the best I could come up with so that the winner would be totally random.

So without further ado, envelope please!

And the winner is...
rice-dream-girl!!

*applause*

After her name was drawn I looked up her comment & checked out her blog. Homegirl is a vegan baker & blogger from the UK & I have to say her confectionary creations look pretty dang yummy so check her out!

Again - I found so many wonderful blogs through the comments that I may have never known about otherwise & I urge you all to scroll through & check a few out!

High 5's to all the contestants!
Expect another awesome give away next month!
I'm thinking it will have something to do with knitting...

I can't believe my eyes!

Wow! As of this morning there are 100 entries to win the Model Citizen <3's Bake & Destroy Giveaway! If you haven't entered to win, no worries! You still have time! I won't be announcing a winner until Friday. One lucky reader will have a bad ass T-shirt, an awesome cupcake recipe & a killer
embroidery pattern to call their own.

In the meantime, it's April 15th... And to turn your tax time frown upside down Model Citizen is offering 15% off ALL dresses & skorts. This is only for 1 day, that's 24 hours only. Some dresses are marked down lower than the cost of T-shirts. What is it they say?

It's not a deal. It's a steal!

If you are looking for some tunes to soothe your tax times woes NPR has some suggestions & of course I do too. Here's a mini tax time mix for your listening pleasure.

Tax Time

Bake and Destroy Giveaway!

Spring is in the air & new springtastic designs are in the shop!
Including the much awaited confectionary collaboration between myself & Natalie Slater of Bake & Destroy! I've always said that my Tiger Lady designs are inspired by women that I *R-E-S-P-E-C-T* & naturally, this one is no different. What is different about this shirt is that this is Natalie down to the unicorn tattoo on her leg and when you purchase the shirt you will recieve a free cupcake recipe created by her. She is a working mama who finds time to whip up unique & tasty treats, keep an awesome blog about her baking adventures & she also writes for many other publications & websites about topics ranging from getting tattooed to professional wrestling and anything having to do with zombies! She is no one trick pony - that much is certain. Where does she find the time?!
Natalie, what is your secret?
AND she does it all while looking cute as a button & her son Teno in tow. No small feat.
I know you've all been on the edge of your seats waiting for me to reveal her cupcake recipe that comes with the T-shirt & the time has finally come! I really am glad you are sitting down. Drum roll please......

Nacho Cupcake!!!

Don't resist it. Nacho Cupcakes = pure genius! I mean can you say h'orderves?!
Picnic lunch? Midnight snack? I'm really just too excited about them.

So to celebrate this collaboration finally becoming a reality, allow me to announce my first ever blog giveaway! One lucky winner will receive one of these fantastic Bake & Destroy T's (either with the white or without), the Nacho Cupcake recipe that Natalie created & one Krazy Kitchen embroidery pattern by Sublime Stitching!


To win this trilogy of awesomeness all you have to do is comment on this blog entry! A winner will be selected randomly on Friday, April 17th, 2009. That's one week from today. Comment about anything. Visit Bake & Destroy to check out Natalie's other uh-mazing creations (i.e. horchata cupcakes) & report back. If you've ever used one of Sublime Stitching's patterns before ad a link to your finished project. Or - a great knock knock joke is always welcome!

I can't wait until next Friday!

I want to thank Natalie for teaming up with me on this & I'd like to suggest you all do the same. Contact someone that inspires you, flatter them & then put your heads together! Get Crafty!
I'd also like to thank the nice ladies @ Sublime Stitching for donating this awesome Krazy Kitchen pattern!

Where in the world?

Two weeks since my last blog post? Wow.
I've been a bad blogger. Seriously.
I have a good excuse though! I got the illness!
Some of my SXSW guests left me with something close to the flu. Fever, aches & pains left me doing lots of sleeping & asking for my mommy.
I'm better now. I'm gonna make it!
Since the healing began though I have been digging myself out from under a pile of work. Hence the not blogging. Also if you were one of the many people who ordered something while I was confined to my bed - I want to apologize for the delay in shipping. All items have made their way into the postal system & are on their way to you now!

While I slept off my sickness the world came into bloom! Spring has sprung! If I hadn't been taken out of commission I would be blogging about all the new designs that are available for spring... but that will happen later this week. New dresses, scorts, t's, & I am reprinting the yoga pants! If you've been wanting to purchase a pair but I didn't have your size you can go ahead & order them now! That's right SM-XL in the shop & soon on your doorstep!

Model Citizen Tote bags are also back in the shop. I did a limited run so get it while you can! Cupcakes & Tigers for EVEREYONE!


Speaking of tigers & cupcakes... I have an exciting collaboration to tell you about!
Natalie Slater of Bake & Destroy in Chicago has teamed up with me to bring you my two favorite things - fashion & food!
That's right, Natalie is my next Tiger Lady du jour!
By the weeks end I'll have T's in the shop featuring tattooed Natalie & her stellar cupcakes, but wait! When you purchase the shirt you get a never before released Bake & Destroy cupcake recipe that is to DIE for! Seriously.
Want a little preview? You got it!
I am very excited about this collaboration! I love Natalie's blog. She's so funny & talented & one of the coolest mama's ever! When the shirts are done I will post more pictures & give you a little insight on the super secret recipe she sent me!!

Now I'm off to continue playing catch up!

xo!