TJ's Projects: A Sisters Collab.

Ciaoooo!

I shall tell a bit more about the collab between my sister Cilla and I! Come a bit closer please and make yourself comfortable...not THAT comfortable. Sheesh, how are you going to read if your face is pressed against the screen :|...

But okay, let's start. I mentioned a few posts back that my sister is a Fashion Lady and a Beauty Guru. She has her own Youtube channel where she chats about all things beauty related. If you love Beauty & Fashion and random silliness...please subscribe to her ^_^

So as she is into Fashion & Beauty ( I do love it as well, but on a different level than her I think) and I am into illustration, it made perfect sense to do a little collab! My sister loves to cut and pimp her shirts and I love off-shoulder shirts/sweaters, but very often the designs in the store aren't fun enough for me. So what better way to create our own?

So excited here! We will be creating a few original hand-painted shirts. I'll show you more peeks of what will eventually be created on the shirts, because at the moment I'm just drawing and creating lots of sketches. In the upcoming days Cilla and I will mix and match from my designs and I'll create the final design. Having a clean ink drawing shouldn't be too difficult to transfer on a shirt. It should be fun to see how this particular way of painting will go and how you guys will respond on it! Who knows where it will take us right? Plus, most of you know that I can't sit still and I already have a few other projects in mind after this hehe.

But okay, we got our paint and various of art material ready. The only element that was a bit tricky were the shirts. We want a small stock, around 20-30 shirts as it's just a side project, so we don't want to have like 100 of shirts. Several shirts will be for ourselves and we will put a few up for sale. It depends on the demand if there will be a second shirt project, but first things first! We have to survive this one hehe. So first I searched here and there on the web, but a lot of manufacturers sell from 100 shirts or more. Which make perfect sense from their point of view and for larger companies, but I am not a store (yet) so this is a no go for me. After a bit more searching, I thought I'd found a company where I could buy a small stock of shirts. After a bit of e-mailing the salesperson said that the shipping would be $120. This is a tad too expensive, considering the shirts would only be $108. Paying more for shipping than actual item is not smart. I did found a company in Holland, called Creativ Company, that sold 100% cotton white shirts for a fair price, but I still wasn't sure, so I turned to my friend Dean for some advice. After chatting with him and the fact I want a small stock, going for the company in Holland was the best deal for me. So I did that. Big Thanks again Dean!

Now I shall leave you and stare at some cupcakes hehe. Enjoy your week everyone! And before I go...my latest column is about...Secrets ^_^.

Ciao Ciao!

It all started with...The Red Dress

Greeeeeeetings Everyone!

How are you doing? Preparing for the weekend? It really started to snow here and I have to say, it's a pretty sight, but where was it when I wanted a white Christmas?!? Ah well.

When I was reading (skimming) through the articles on my Google Reader a few days back, I came across an article by Jenny Lawson aka The Bloggess. I always read her posts, which are hilarious, honest, inappropriate and straight to the point. It's really peeking inside her mind and I love it! The Bloggess, initiated the The Traveling Red Dress movement in 2010 and picked it up again a while ago with the The Traveling Red Dress - revisited. Her story is inspiring to say the least and her story inspired many others to share theirs as well. Just have a read please ^_^. And yes, to state the obvious, it started with a Red Dress. It's bold and daring and well...I mean how often can one wear a big red dress other than if you had a costume party or something? I do not have a big red dress...so I painted one!

Claire...I'll show the ones with flowery petals another time! 

Couldn't get it right when I started painting hehe. 

No matter who you are or what you do, every girl has a Little Diva inside of her. And I'm not talking about a lady in haute couture loaded with jewelry and an attitude...no. I'm talking about a side that knows she deserves nothing more than the best. A side that knows she is beautiful and loving no matter how she looks like. A side that accepts her flaws and isn't afraid to be who she really is.

...this side often hides though. Responsibilities, disapproving looks and words can be a pain in the ass you know.

So in short, the Red Dress has become a metaphor for the fact that everyone should have their moment. That moment where they can fully embrace who they are without being judged. And it doesn't matter if it's silly or weird or not sensible...if it makes you happy...what more could you ask for? Simplicity at its best right? So eat that cookie if you want one, roll in the grass if you feel like it, wear those earrings if it makes you feel beautiful, wear bright eye shadow if it makes you feel colorful and happy. I could go on and on, but the point is that you don't forget who you are and share a bit of your own sunshine with the world. A lot of people hide behind their own clouds already anyway.

I visited the Facebook Page and all those little comments just made me happy. So many people are offering red dresses and/or photography skills just to make someone else happy and give them their moment of Fabulousness. I love how the World of the Web can do this and when I read another article about The Bloggess and her Red Dress Movement...I was inspired even more.

Strangers helping Strangers. Social media is a powerful tool indeed.

I hope that one day I can twirl around in a big red dress as well haha. Although me and big dresses don't always match, but this is a story for another time. Until then...this illustration has to do ^_^.

Not sure if she ever reads this - She saw it and thinks it's gorgeous! I am Happy! -  a Big Big Thanks to Jenny the Bloggess for her Inspiring story as it inspired me to write this one. Also, for showing her beautiful pictures! If you have some time to spare do click around and have a read. It's inspiring how generous people can be, simply because they want too and want to make someone else happy.

Enjoy your weekend and remember...be Fabulous (yes. The guys have to be Fabulous too)!

Ciao Everyone!