Piss & Vinegar tastes better when you serve it with kindness!

Oh life, why can’t you be as cute and loveable as Zooey Deschanel? I mean really, look at her NAME? Could it get any cuter or more fun to say? Well, this mouthful (Michelle Lesniak Franklin) needs a bit of a vacation. Warm weather? Sandy beaches? Heck no. I need a road trip, white tank, black bra, dirty jeans, chips and guac and a salted beer at a hole-in-the-wall-in-the-middle-of-no-where kind of vacation.




Who’s with me?

Did ya ever see the Rain?
Blame it on the Rain…ya ya.
Rain, feel it on my finger tips...
It’s raining it’s pouring the old man is…
Umbrella Ella Ella eh eh eh…

Well, today is looking to be as blue as ever, blue skies that is! And with those blue skies and spherical sun goes my ambition for the day.

What I was planning to do:

• Finish my raincoat
• Edit my raincoat pattern
• Design raincoat hood
• Pattern hood
• Buy snaps & toggles for raincoat

 

What I will end up doing:

• Dogs on a nice long walk
• Messing around in the garden

I need to at least finish sewing my darn rain coat, because this sun won’t last for long!
Now where did I put that sunscreen and bag of cookies?

 

Project Runway Application Season 9

Over the past week I have been working to get my Season 9 Project Runway application together and mailed out by TODAY, April 12th.  The process has taught me many things, but before I delve into what I have learned, here are the application requirements:

• Head shot & full body shot of the designer
• 3-5 minute video/interview piece that shows your point of view
• 10 design photographs both hard copy and digital
• Pictures of sketches
• Pictures of patterns
• 25 page application

My dad has been making movies lately so he offered to take on the roll as director and editor.  The video turned out great.  I wanted to have a time lapse piece in the video showing how I work and a good friend and paparazzi guru Brian Tobin helped me set up the camera and lighting.  I am super stoked how not only the video turned out but the time lapse piece within the video.  The filming for the video took place over 2 short days as well as the time lapse portion.

What I learned from this experience:

1. Always rent your equipment for 1 day longer than scheduled. You NEVER know what can come up last minute and take precious time.
2. Always check digital photo file sizes.  They may look great on your tiny laptop screen, but when printed out in a 8 x 10 can look like SHTIE!
3. Double check any file transportation device to make sure your data is on said device.  For example: re-insert Tumbdrive, Hard Drive, CD to make sure your files are on them before leaving and driving across town.
4. After a photo shoot, be on top of getting your images from the photographer or studio.  Time slips away fast, and scrambling to get those images 10 months/2 years later can be a hassle for all parties involved.
5. Once receiving these portfolio photographs, store them in a file labeled "Portfolio" for easy retrieval, and for hecks sake BACK THOSE FILES UP!
6. Don't be afraid to ask for help, you will be amazed how many people will lend a helping hand.

Well, let's cross our fingers folks.  I think I may just have a chance!

Berlin Bag

It has been a while since I have made a handbag. Over 4 years. Yes I have started them. I have thought about them. And that is that.


Needing a carry-all and having no cheddar forced me to make on. Well, that is a bit extreme. I wasn't forced to make one, but my necessity for one, nit-picky ways AND lack of cash made me make one. This bag is a FAR departure from what I made in the past. I enjoyed the process and know what I would do differently in the future.

Will I make them again?

I guess if I was getting paid. So, yes.