Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Rhinestones & Roller Skates

Because packing is boring & crafting things is way fun I took a break from the boxes to create these awesome new Rhinestones & Roller Skates earrings! I'm making tons for the derby next month, but for all you non-Austinites they are up in the shop & ready to roll (pun intended)! Yes there really are little rhinestones in the wheels that catch the light & add to the awesomeness of the retro rollerskates. Soon I'll also have the Skatin' Worshiper Skorts available in LG & XL. If you are interested in either of these sizes you must let me know now as I am doing a limited run of them and most will be going to the tournament. Do you know a team or are part of a team that would like to sport some of my Skatin' Worshiper wear?! If so it is available at discount prices if you are buying for the whole team.
Speaking of discounts there are a few electric blue & hot pink Skatin Worshiper T's marked down in the shop. Once upon a time they were $26 & now they are $15!
Only 3 left so get 'em while you can!

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Upside Down Cake

No, this isn't a post about baking or even cake.. Sorry to disappoint you, but my life has recently become just that - an "upside down cake". For the past six years I've lived on the greatest little corner of the world in an old two story house built in the 1930's. It's where I've been loving and creating my little heart out. It truly has been my home. This is where the upside down part comes in... My land lady has recently informed us that she has to sell this house due to rising property taxes. We didn't see this coming at all & after the heartbreak set in we thought about our options and decided that it's best if we move NOW. Since I run Model Citizen out of this house it feels impossible to keep it all up and running while realators show the house to potential buyers. PLUS Austin is leaving on tour soon and will be gone for most of the summer, so if we had to move in the next few months, I'd be doing the bulk of it alone. I'm not into that AT ALL.

So, to put it lightly, this is a bummer. BUT, at the end of the day I have to admit that a change will do us good. *This is me trying to embrace change rather than resist it* We're going to get rid of all the extra "crap" that has accumulated here, then throw a massive dance party in the empty house & move on.

I'd be lying if I said that the neighborhood hasn't changed. It's happening everywhere! You've all seen it. Old houses and buildings get bought up, torn down & replaced with condo's and town homes. I'm not sure why I thought we were immune to this trend. Naivete I suppose or maybe just wishful thinking. I love these old houses & watching them get torn down & forgotten breaks my heart. I can only hope that whoever ends up here will try to keep the charm of this neighborhood alive by not building some mcmansion here. *fingers crossed*

Since this is all happening so fast & we are unsure of what our next step should be, I will be moving in with a friend for the summer & all of our earthly belongings will go into storage. I think it will be like sleep away camp all summer long, which is really very exciting! I do want you all to know that Model Citizen will remain in business through this process though! If you are in Austin & you want to see the latest & greatest of my creations, you can come check them out at the TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls Banked Track Tournament on June 20th & 21st. I've got tons of new stuff for all you skatin' worshipers out there!

Well, I'm off to pack & make a trip to Goodwill. Bye Bye stuff!

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Want. Need. Summer Edition

Here in Austin, TX summer is in full swing! It's only May & we are getting into the 90's with little to no effort at all. This isn't unusual, I'm just saying - Summer has arrived! I've already been swimming, achieved a less than appealing "farmers tan" & lost a couple of poppy plants to some serious sunshine. So yes, lets bust out the Banana Boat & sneak into some apartment pools!

This is less of a want / need list & more of a Summer Survival check list - and away we go!

First off EVERY girl needs a sun dress & a pair of all purpose sandals or flip flops to beat the heat. I have fallen in love with this Reflection Pool Dress from ModCloth! It's breezy, colorful, strappy & calling my name. I've never gotten over my punk & gothic tendencies. It took years for me to introduce color into my wardrobe... and this dress is the best of both worlds. It will pair up perfectly with my all black Tiddies! Wait? What?! No, I'm not being obscene, not this time anyway.. I'm talking about Tiddies Sandals which are made right here Texas. Soft & squishy (as the name implies), sturdy & guess what kids, they float! So no worries about loosing a shoe over the side of the boat or at the bottom of the pool. You can pick up a pair at www.mytiddies.com

With all the humidity it's best to wear little to no makeup. I suggest a touch of waterproof mascara, a dab of Staniac by the Balm & some 30 spf mineral powder by Peter Thomas Roth. The lip stain is by far one of the greatest purchases of 2009. You only have to apply it once, maybe twice a day & your lips look so bright & lovely. This stuff will never streak! It's my new favorite thing. I'm also pretty in love with this mineral powder. My skin can be problematic in the summer months with all the sweating & swimming going on. It's compact, enough to live in my bag & will help fight off the sun & my dreaded adult acne. Genius!

Speaking of battling the blazing sun, how fabulous are these vintage Ray Ban sunglasses?! I've been excited to see the Wayfarers make a mighty return, but given the choice - these sassy cat eyes would be my pick. I'll race you to the check out line! Now that we've got the look covered, lets talk about the scent of summer. I'm not into being stinky per se, but I really hate perfume and groddy aluminum filled deodorant. Lucky for me, I'm not alone. Christopher Brosius not only hates perfume, he did more than just complain about it. He created a line of perfumes that has been summed up in 3 words "Scent is Life". And that's exactly what you get. Scents with names like Burning Leaves, In the Library, & I am a Dandelion - there is no way you can go wrong.. Scents so distinct that you'll find yourself places you've never been like... At the Beach 1966. Said to smell of Coppertone, wet sand, seashells, driftwood & a hint of boardwalk, I am sold! I can't wait to order a bottle and bathe in it. He has over 20 scents in his collection, you really must check them out www.cbihateperfume.com

No summer is complete with out a reading list & a soundtrack. I'll be sitting by someone elses pool, listening to the Talking Heads & reading a Brave New World.
What are you reading this summer? Have any amazing travel plans or are you going to enjoy a little "stay-cation" this year? Inquiring minds want to know!

Friday, May 8, 2009

Creatures of Delight

I was checking out some of my blog posts from last year when I came across Making Old Art New Again & realized it was high time I do some creative recycling again. Over the past few days I've been working on these Creatures of Delight Earrings (seen above). If one of these ladies looks familiar it's because she lives on the cover of a Tinymeat wallet!
Perhaps you are familiar with my scribblings & know that I rarely draw pictures of actual people. When I have in the past it's always been practice for the autobio"graphic"al novel I plan to put together one day. For the most part though I draw imaginary girls. Girls who are missing limbs, faceless bitches & anthropomorphic ladies are my favorite things to draw. Oh & hairdo's - always hairdo's! That's where this Creatures of Delight series started, with big colorful hairdo's. I'm from Dallas, big hair is in my blood. The bigger the better! *that's what she said*

When sporting a massive do you need BIG earrings and thus - Creatures of Delight Earrings were born! They are still in production & are not in the shop just yet, but they will be very soon!

I decided to photograph the jewelry before I put the hooks on because geometrically they look soo good together. They wanted to have their picture taken right away & I never say no to a pretty lady who wants to be in pictures. The first batch of these new gems are going directly to Sparrow Collective in Milwaukee, WI (previously called Fasten Collective) which is having it's grand opening on May 16th, 2009. I've been hearing amazing things about this shop, so if you are in the area you should definitely swing by & help Sparrow Collective become what really made Milwaukee famous.

Other drawings are being turned into wearable pieces of art as we speak (er, type)! I'll photograph and post as soon as they are ready to hit the stage.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Out with the Old, In with the Awesome

If you read my blog often or follow me on Twitter you know that I like to party with a purpose. You may recall my post about the Art Raffle we held a few months back? Well, me & the same group of friends held a YART Sale this weekend @ BiRDHOUSE Gallery. There were maybe 15 people total who brought out their unwanteds for the public to dig through. Clothes, books, records & nicknacks galore! Everyone also brought some art they'd made. Small zines, large paintings, photographs, prints, greetings cards, & even some sculpture pieces. It was really amazing, totally inspiring & quite profitable! I sold a bunch of old clothes, lot's of my new jewelry & a few prints, yay! We sat on the porch soaking up the sun, haggling our tails off drinking Tito's all day. Oh did I forget to mention that Tito's sponsored YART & gave us a case of vodka?! The folks at Tito's are mighty generous. I'm thinking of asking them to sponsor my next breakup... Anywho... Let me show you some of the incredible booty that I scored at YART. Prepare to turn green with envy!

First off Larissa Swindle put this little shindig together. Round of applause for her! I know that getting all of us together had to be a lot like herding cats. She had these amazing photographs she'd taken with her Holga and I was lucky enough to make three of them MINE! I came home & directly hung this shot in my kitchen, so I can see it every day. The kitchen - most popular room in the house.

Clayton Kalman created these "semi autobiographical" greetings cards - which I instantly fell in love with! Sure, Clayton is sort of my brother-in-law, but that doesn't make me biased. Cross my heart. I love that these cards are written on left-over sticky pages from an old photo album. You get the sense that he just had to tell someone this RIGHT NOW & found whatever was near by. I can't count how many times I've run into an X & thought this exact thing. If only I'd had this card or the balls to tell them. This next one is straight out of a movie. "I almost lost my job because I over slept... because you were in my bed." This is a note anyone would love to find on a pillow in the morning. It'll give you goose bumps & make you blush. I purchased a third card that reads "I surrender... I'll do anything you say". See what I mean about the goosebumps? The other amazing thing about these "greetings" cards is that they require no signature. I'm trying to convince Clayton to put these up on Etsy... If you would like to help me persuade him please leave a comment here so I can point wildly at them and make my case. I do have one item for sale in my shop that was created by Clayton - The Sinking Ship earrings. There are only 10 pairs - so when they are gone, they are gone.


Last but certainly not least - I picked up this Fake Steak that was created by a cute little vegan girl named Michelle. This makes me so happy I can hardly tell you! A screen print of a steak resting in a styrofoam shell & saran wrapped for your giggling pleasure. Finally! A steak that is good for something!


YART was so incredible AND we will be doing it again! I hope this post inspires you and your friends to get your YART on!

xo!
Bonnie Rue