Books and update

The library was giving out books and I got these

The library was giving out books and I found the ones that I wanted *cries*. This made my day. No, week. No, month. Yes, month. As you can see I got Long After Midnight by Ray Bradbury, The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monkk Kidd, Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen, and The Wall by John Hersey. 

Another thing that is making me really exited is school starting on Monday. I'm going into 9th grade at the school of my dreams which is Design and Architecture Senior High. It's an amazing art school that I've been wanting to go to since I was about 3 years old. I watched my sister paint, design and make fashions, and I would go to the school a lot for events and gallery walks and since then, I've been dreaming of going there. I can now say I'm officially a DASH student. The school had a Summer orientation for the incoming 9th graders and in that orientation the students got familiar with the area and school, met the teachers and principal, rode the metro, and made art all morning and made friends with the rest of the kids. I made such great friends and I had so much fun that I can't wait for the school year to begin. 

My Summer (so far)

I WANNA DO SO MANY FREAKIN' THINGS AT ONCE!! I want to write about my productive Summer, listen to Blur, read, watch youtube videos, go on facebook, call my friends, and go on Style Rookie!!! Ahhhh where do I start??? I don't wanna make it sound boring and too serious because I wanna make it in the tone of my voice, and if it's too boring I'll stop writing and wait weeks to do another blog post. Wow, I actually made an exiting indroduction. Well then, now that I've said all that, I'll begin by talking about my Summer as a Counselor.

I've been counseling at theater camp for 4 weeks and let me tell you, it is a lot of work! 5 other counselors and I prepared the kids for their show (they did "Sleeping Beauty"and it was fantastic), played games with them, did group projects, watch over them, take them to the bathroom, and take them to the playground. It's like babysitting, but at a theater camp. I did that Monday-Friday from 9 AM- 5 PM and I would come home exhausted. The kids loved me! On the last day of camp they grabbed onto my legs and upper body and did not allow me to leave! They were saying "No Gala, don't go", "Will you come back next Summer?", "You're my favorite counselor", and one of the boys told was thanking my mom for having a great daughter that everybody loves and is a great counselor. I got so emotional and I was crying so much. It was an amazing learning experience because I learned responsibility, and I learned how to take care of children and have full responsibility for them.

Another highlight of my Summer was that I saw a Llama. Yes, everybody, a LLAMA!! IN PERSON! I went to my cousin's house and she lives in the country with her husband and they own the land around their home and they gave us a tour of the area. There was creeks, rainbow eucalyptus, avocado trees, chickens, dogs, horses, and a LLAMA! When we drove by the fence, a llama came running towards us and stared. His name was Louis. Louis the Llama. The rest of my Summer has been great. I was going to watch Pulp Fiction at my best friend's house but I couldn't at the moment so hopefully next week I will be able to. I've been drawing, hanging out with friends, talking to friends, going out to places, having fun and since I am done with counseling, I can spend the rest of the Summer blogging and watching movies. A very productive Summer indeed. My next missions are to buy a sewing machine and making a flower crown inspired by Frida Kahlo. A collection of photos:

Frida Kahlo is stylish

My new friend and I

Summer, Summer, Summer!

Summer 2013

My mini collage of Summer fashions

Summer is here! I can now wear high-waisted shorts, cute skirts, blouses, and COLOR! You can check magazines, the internet, or you can look around you to see what people are wearing for inspiration. Urban Outfitters has really cool clothes, Target has bright colors and cute blouses, Zara has really nice and cute clothes, and you can mix and match clothes from your closet (or you can check thrift stores for treasures) to fit your style. I have been wearing high-waisted denim shorts from the 90s that my mom gave me from her closet. I have also worn a lot of blouses, sleeveless shirts and Solid (but brightly colored!) t-shirts, and sandals. I'll have to check stores for cute skirts! But it's not the clothes that make the outfit, it's the accessories! I've made most of my accessories, but you can check really cool Indian stores, street vendor stands, festivals/art fairs, and Bohemian stores.
     Just like the clothing, you can get inspiration from magazines, internet and my favorite, the people around you. My favorite accessories are watches, sunglasses, and belts. I have made many beaded bracelets and friendship bracelets and I wear them separate or together. In 7th grade I wore clusters of bracelets that included beaded bracelets, letter bracelets, friendship bracelets, and a hippie headband made out of yarn that I wrapped around my arm. My guy friend wears friendship bracelets to school and I forgot how cool they look so then I wore them to school as well. Enjoy experimenting with your Summer fashions and enjoy your Summer!
-xx Gala

Bring On the Sun!!

I live in Florida, and Spring feels like summer. It has been very hot (mid 80s- 90s) and it's even hotter in New York!!! I've been craving sun and heat for over 4 months and now it's here! Yay!! I can't wait to go to the beach. Ahhh but it has been very stormy these past weeks :(   ***Current weather: partly cloudy but sunny
Half of the kids in my grade are sad that school is ending because they will miss our school and their friends but honestly, I CANNOT WAIT for school to end!! Moving forward! Yeah!! I'm going to the school of my dreams which is a fantastic art school called Design and Architecture Senior High (DASH) I have a week left of 8th grade and then I'm free *cries tears of joy*

Me at DASH haha

Me

Look how much fun they're having

                                             

                              Gotta be prepared!!

Annecy, France (if only the sky looked like this right now)

 

Isn't this cute???!! Marc Jacobs

Dress by Courreges, 1969

                   

Twiggy

                  

Twiggy

                     

            Peggy Moffit

Individuality

Individuality:

noun

The quality or character of a particular person or thing that distinguishes them from others of the same kind, esp. when strongly marked.

Twiggy

In a crowd of people wearing black, who stands out the most? The girl in the red shirt, of course! I like things that stand out, things out-of-the-ordinary. Why look like and be like everybody else? I find it quite boring! Because of peer pressure or, I guess, insecurity, some people are afraid of being different. I say: "Who cares?!!" Are you really going to let society control who you really are? Individuality is key. You can express yourself in many different ways, such as fashion, art, music, film, writing, personality, ect. You can wear your hair in a different way, dress like you're from the 80s, anything you want! I'm going to use the 1960s as an example of expression. Models like Twiggy had personality, instead of just being mannequins. Bright, youthful clothing was in style! The makeup, pop culture, oh, it was great!
The 1960s were a revolution in fashion, music, and society. The 60s was much different from the GORGEOUS, elegant fashion of the 50s, and the music was much different as well. Rock n Roll was born in the 50s, but the 60s had the most important, influential rock groups we know today, such as the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Who, Cream, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd. As for society, people found ways to express their freedom, such as the Hippies. Hippies emerged from the Vietnam War; they opposed violence and promoted peace. They expressed their freedom by wearing peace signs, tie-dye, bright psychedelic colors, did drugs, and were often nude.

Woodstock Festival

In 1969, Woodstick Festival brought millions of people to hear musicians like Joan Baez, Jefferson Airplane, The Who, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Grateful Dead, Santana, Mountain, Janis Joplin , and MANY other INCREDIBLE musicians perform live in Bethel, New York!! Woodstock's main purpose was to promote peace for the Vietnam war. Woodstock is one of the most important music festivals in history.

So now you see, how individuality makes a difference!

I get inspiration from many things, such as color, fashion, nature, and patterns. I don't know if it's because I'm an art student, but I do know that it influences my mood, style, and art. I just LOVE color. It seems like vintage photographs have a certain tint to them, like a rose or amber tint. Family photos from the 80s have an amber/rose tint to them, and I really love that about them. Here's a few of my favorite pictures involving color, fashion, nature, or pattern.

1968 High School Assembly

Rug Washers in Tehran, Iran, 1960 (National Geographic)

The Rolling Stones - Their Satanic Majesties Request

David Bowie

Valentino Fall 2012

Nova Magazine, June 1973

Seventeen Magazine, 1967

       

                             

Your mother should know!

Carnaby Street, London (1960s)

I like to pretend I live in the 60s and 70s. I am so in love with 60s fashion, 70s fashion, music, LPs, and how people really expressed themselves with music and fashion. It was like an awakening because everyone was themselves, and going beyond boundaries. In the 1950s fashion was very elegant and adult-like, but in the 1960s, clothing became more... youthful.  Fashion designer Mary Quant, the inventor of hot pants,  and mini skirts, made a line of clothing that was youthful (often seen as vulgar!), and a fresh look for the decade. Fashion was cheap, fun, and had exiting clothes for ordinary young people. Besides fashion, the 60s and 70s changed music history as well! They didn't own a computer, or technology we use today, so everything had to be done manually. Everyone was creative and talented and musicians would sound just as good live. It seems like we've lost that in the 21st century, because of computers and television. I'm not saying I think all modern music is bad, my opinion is that the artists on the radio aren't as talented, motivated, and creative as artists from back then. Many of them are trying to "fit in" by looking like everybody else, and having the same style of music as them. It's a shame, really, but luckily there are modern bands (sadly they do not recieve as much credit as they deserve) who are very, very talented. Bands such as The Horrors, who have been influenced by 90s shoegaze, feedback, psychedelic rock, and garage rock. Each of their three albums have a  completely different atmosphere. Their first album, "Strange House"was dark, used feedback, the rhythm was at a fast tempo, and it was garage rock. Their second album "Primary Colours" released in 2009, took a different turn. Primary Colours is dark, slower tempo, and is shoegaze. "Skying" released in 2011, gives me a feeling of the sun coming up. Very dreamlike, feels like you're walking on the beach, Faris Badwan's soft, echoing vocals guide you on your path, glittering sythesizers and echoing/distorted guitars, what's not to love? Wow, such a beautiful album! I can't wait for the release of their fourth album later this year! Another band that I absolutely LOVE is Tame Impala. You might have not heard of them, but they are an Australian psychedelic rock band, from Perth, Australia. Their music is psych-groove and reminiscent of the 70s. Kevin Parker (lead singer and guitarist), has a voice similar to John Lennon! Their self titled EP were songs written and recorded by Kevin Parker in the early 2000s, and were never intended to be released to the public! He says that he would burn the song on a CD, and give them to friends, or listen to them in the car. Tame Impala's second album "Innerspeaker" consists of dreamy, echoing vocals, fuzz guitars, and steady drum beats. It's a psychedelic paradise. Their third album "Lonerism"has more groove, synthesizers and is an album I  recommend. I can't put into words how much I love "Lonerism". The last band I'm going to mention is Arctic Monkeys. Arctic Monkeys have been around since 2005, and haven't failed to impress me. Every album is a step up from the next. How do you put Arctic Monkeys in a genre? I would say Alternative or Rock? But I'm not sure. Lead Vocalist Alex Turner, uses poetry and tells a story in his songs! He's one of my favorite songwriters. "Over there there's broken bones, there's only music so that there's new ringtones"- A Certain Romance, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006) "I'm always just about to go an spoil a surprise, take my hands off of your eyes too soon" - 505, Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007). These are just two examples of Alex Turner telling stories through his songs. That's all for now! Here are examples of 60s fashion and pictures of The Horrors, Tame Impala, and Arctic Monkeys:

Twiggy 1960s

Mod fashion

The Horrors

Tame Impala

Arctic Monkeys

Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free. - Jim Morrison

When I say I'm in love, you best believe I'm in love L-U-V

Love, love, love! One of the best feelings in the world, it lifts your mood and makes you look forward to things. You can tell when someone is in love because they radiate with joy, their faces glow, eyes sparkle, and they look their very best.  Enjoy these ADORABLE pictures of vintage couples x

"The Kiss" 1945

Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz

Jim Morrison and Pamela Courson

Priscilla and Elvis Presley

John Lennon and Cynthia Lennon

Pattie Boyd and George Harrison