Friday, August 30, 2013

Blinded By Life


It's difficult to openly talk about actual life issues on my very public style (emphasis on "style" "fashion") blog, but I feel like my life has taken a very different direction in general. This could possibly come off as stupid and pretentious and whatever synonym there is for being pretentious, but I've been watching tons of documentaries lately and have really had a huge change of heart on many things in my life. I still hate Republicans. I still hate celery. I still hate thieves. But I feel as if a very heavy and blinding "thing" has been ripped out of my life that masked so many other issues that make what I'm doing so pointless. Like my clothing brand that I established with the help of my mother (the seamstress who makes everything). What is that doing to improve problems that exist that aren't about me? What can I do to help? This clothing brand thing is distracting, but I like it, but I shouldn't, but I do... I like getting giddy and feeling my mom hug me so hard that I feel as if my ribs are going to disintegrate from all the pressure when we see a photo of a customer happily wearing their piece we designed and handcrafted. Does that make me selfish? I didn't think it did, and I still don't think it does, but it makes me feel guilty. Business is my passion but my other passion is non-profit, the total opposite of business, and helping others without expecting any type of compensation for return. Isn't that such a strange concept? Helping others for the sake of helping. Making happy. Creating smiles. 


The documentaries I've watched recently have all talked about and brought forth issues I've known existed but have explored them to a whole new depth. Some issues: how unbelievably fucked up ALL corporations are. Yes, this includes Goodwill (they are awful). How shallow America is, how much outer beauty is stressed and if you're not beautiful, nobody cares what you do. Disgusting. Most of the ones I've watched do mostly with corporate greed, minimum wage, loopholes = the government ruining so many lives in order to treat the rich like extra special puppies. I own a business and I pay taxes, I support this nasty and ruthless government (the FDA ain't protecting us, ps), and here I am ranting about it. Shouldn't I do instead of write? I still feel so lost, but far less than I had before. I feel as if I know how I can find true happiness and joy. Becoming sovereign is a neat idea, but I've became so used to the lifestyle I live now and society has brainwashed me from the moment I was born to treasure and appreciate the wrong things. Is it worth it to sacrifice my tastebuds and preferences in life in order to make a drastic change? I am only one person, will I make a difference? 

I am going to consciously change so many aspects of my life, more than I already have which to the eyes of others may already be considered drastic. It's time to stop being so selfish and help others in their time of need and be a kind soul, just because. It will probably be very difficult, but all changes, both big and small are always difficult for me to accept. Anyways, I mostly just recommend to any of you with spare time on your hands to spend it watching some eye-opening documentaries, not comedy drama horror or romance films but real true factual gritty docs. I wish I was creative and ballsy enough to make my own documentary, but for now, I'm just here to appreciate commend and spread the word about them.

Here's a list of some I've watched in the past few years that have stuck with me and affected me heavily:

 〮Children Underground (really, really, really recommend)
 〮Dive! (really, really recommend)
 〮America the Beautiful (really recommend)
 〮Vanishing of the Bees
 〮Tapped
 〮The End
 〮Lost Angels 
 〮Farmageddon
 〮Vegucated
 〮Hot Coffee
 〮Forks Over Knives

All are available for streaming on Netflix, some also available on YouTube. I will continue to post on this blog as per usual, but just wanted to publish a little update on my life. Have a peaceful rest of the day, my friends. ❀

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Cigs, Sandwiches, and Conchos


tee - UNIF // jeans - thrifted // belt - DIY (similar coming soon to Miracle Eye) // harley boots - vintage // beanie - topshop // sunglasses - etsy

Something about this outfit makes me feel like I should be in a 1968 convertible Mustang with my partner in crime (possibly gang since the more the merrier always) with all the windows down going 100 mph on the freeway. All this whilst a playlist composed solely of five songs: Fireball by Deep Purple, Doo Doo Doo Doo by The Rolling Stones, I Only Said by My Bloody Valentine, Are You Happy by Iron Butterfly, and Metal Guru by T. Rex plays on repeat so loud that we can't even hear the air whipping noise from us driving so fast. Hell ja.

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Locomotive Breath

Onyx Black Lace-Up Leggings - Miracle Eye // tee - flea market // hat - vintage // Lola Concho Choker - Miracle Eye // shoes - unif grail platforms // jewelry - all over the place

Lately, I've really been into treating my skin well, so in addition to splurging on some incredible products (cleanser, moisturizer, and the perfect night eye cream for tired eyes, not wrinkles) for my extremely oily skin, I've really fixed up my diet. I've been cooking meals for myself for the first time in my entire life. The whole shindig: rinsing my foods, peeling, boiling, cooking, and washing the silverware. Wowzers. But now I sound like some privileged gross brat that's been fed all her life by surrounding slaves, or something. No, instead I'd just order pizza or heat up frozen foods (meals) for myself and eat tons of snacks with a ridiculous amount of preservatives, so many it should be illegal.

This entire realization/change of heart with how I want to treat my body happened when I was on YouTube and watched an ad for this YouTube cooking channel. I don't watch the Food Network and I don't have the patience to listen to a person explain to me how much I should let my asparagus grill before it's get's too burnt for their taste. But this YouTube channel seems like it's made for me and my stupidly short attention span! They have a section on their channel dedicated to vegan meals you can prepare from scratch from home. These videos were the most appealing to me because I thought, well if I'm going to actually cook, I might as well do it the right way since my biggest frustration with turning vegan is the lack of foods readily available at the grocery store for me to heat up in my microwave because I'm too lazy for anything that requires more effort than pushing three buttons on a heat machine.

So after watching 9 cooking videos on this channel, the next day I found myself at the grocery store holding a $69 receipt in one hand and a shit-ton of groceries in the other.

I made a playlist with my favorite recipes on the channel that I plan on doing. You can see the playlist here. All ingredients and steps necessary are listed in the description for each video. These are seriously incredible and I absolutely recommend you hop on this bandwagon with me!

So far in the past two weeks, I have made:
- Delicious spicy mango lime kale chips (I changed the recipe by adding small cubical pieces of mango instead of using red pepper)
- Chocolate truffles
- An incredible kale smoothie that if taken in the morning will boost your energy quicker than any type of sugary energy drink
- Thai iced tea (not vegan because I added Lactaid milk)
- Apple cider (also not 100% vegan but 100% delicious)
- Fake chicken nuggets (bonus: no chicks were hurt in the process)

I already feel healthier (I don't give a shit if it's some type of placebo effect -- I feel damn good and that's all that matters especially if I'm knowingly throwing delicious nutritional food into my body), my pimples are clearing up little by little, I feel like I yawn way less these days, and I've felt happier.

Diet, man. That shit does wonders! PS this post was not sponsored at all by Tastemade. I just really want to encourage everyone to take a look at a video or two of theirs and straight-up tell me that they don't feel tempted to make one of their concoctions.

Saturday, August 10, 2013

MIRACLE EYE // NEW ARRIVALS!

 


TONS'A NEW ARRIVALS! 
Click on the photo to be directed to the product (in a new window, of course!)
The last nine pieces are not new designs, they've just been re-shot and re-styled! All pieces (excluding the Simpson knit pieces) always handmade by my mother and I in California, no sweat shop factory, just love. PS, there's a new sale section that's been recently added! Markdowns between 20%-50% off! Shop sale here. Sorry for the lack of posts (I haven't posted in nearly a month/a month/a little over a month), I have some outfits I plan to shoot so posts will be coming soon, just bear with me. Thanks for stickin' around, guys :)