Saturday, September 12, 2015

TAGGED! Liebster Award

TAGGED!!!
I have been graciously nominated for the Liebster Award thanks to Smaller Places.
The responsibilities associated with this award are as follows:
  1. Thank the person who nominated you and link to their blog. (Check!)
  2. Give your readers eleven random facts about yourself.
  3. Answer the eleven questions from the person who nominated you.
  4. Nominate eleven bloggers to receive this award.
  5. Invent eleven questions for your nominees.
Eleven Random facts about myself:

1. The first clothes I ever made for my dolls were made of toilet paper. I was about 6 yrs. old at the time.
2. I placed 3rd in a girls' Judo competition at the age of 11.
3rd prize
3. When I turned 16 and began going to parties, my mother bought me 5 party dresses. After wearing each one to a different party, I told my mom I needed more dresses for more parties. She had the good idea to buy me a sewing machine instead! And that, my friends, is when I began sewing!
4. I'm a really good cook in French, Italian, American and Tex-Mex cuisines. I even bake my own bread for the holidays.
5. I love oenology (study of wine). My favorite: French Bordeaux (St. Emilion, St. Esthephe, Margaux).
6. I've had five different careers in fashion: model, illustrator, journalist, educator, consultant.
My illustration for Mode mag.
My illustration for Biba mag.

7. I started a doll collection of small baby and toddlers for my mother who was bedridden before she passed away. The dolls were placed in her bed to keep her company for those times when no one was in the room. Each one was named after a family member or neighbor. Each time we had to turn mom in the bed, the dolls also had to be rotated to the opposite side of the bed!
Mom's "other" family
8. Once, after a particularly bad day at the office, I skipped out early, bought myself a gooey, chocolate covered chocolate cream puff (une religieuse au chocolat) and ate it while watching the comedy film, "Car Wash" (1976). I can't tell you why, but I found this to be the most soothing way to deal with my stress!!!
9. There have been times when a "good idea" goes really bad. (The waxed paper transfer technique was a disaster and even jammed my printer!) Those are the times when it can take up to two weeks to post!!!
10. I use a lot of recycled fabric for my doll clothes. It's a nice way to remember a previously worn garment!
11. Throughout my career, I lived by the philosophy of my alma mater, "Be true to your work and your work will be true to you!" It's a fancy way of saying, "What you put in, is what you get out."

RESPONSES TO THE 11 QUESTIONS POSED

1. What's the oldest item in your immediate environment (room, house, office, up to you)?
Within reach of where I am typing this is a doll my mother gave to me when I was 18 months old for Christmas. Her name is Sandra. Originally her body was rubber, but as it had deteriorated (particular her hands and around her neck) I had to have her re-bodied.
Sandra, the matriarch
2. When has a project exceeded your wildest expectations? How?
When I first started collecting dolls and later began my blog I NEVER had intentions of doing menswear. Along the way, I diversified and was quite surprised to see how well this rendition of an Alexander Wang outfit turned out.




3. Chocolate: white, dark, milk, or none at all?
White and milk chocolate--but only Belgian or Suisse.

4. If you could have dinner with three fictional characters, who would they be?
No one. The person across from me must be as real as what's on my plate! On the other hand, I wouldn't mind kicking up my heels in any of the following make-believe situations: the glitzy parties featured in the 2013 version of  "Great Gatsby," the "Toga party" in "National Lampoon's Animal House" (1977) or one of those back-in-time rendezvous depicted inWoody Allen's "Midnight in Paris" (2011)

5. What's your all-time favorite movie?
Cabaret (1972) with Lisa Minelli. Love the singing, the Bob Fosse choreography and how the story line is set and intertwined around an historical period of time (Germany just before WWII).
 

6. If you could choose a career other than your actual one(s), what would it be?
Broadcast journalism.

7. How many cats is the optimum number?
ONE!!!!  Once I had two cats. I got a little tired of them fighting over me (literally on top of me) while I was still lying in the bed!!!

8. What is the most versatile tool in your arsenal?
 Glue stick. Great for making good, clean hems or turning the edges down around the neckline in a flash. I use heat (iron) to set.

9. Winter person or summer person?
Summer person. However, I'm from a temperate zone so I need all four seasons to truly appreciate summer. After living four years in the tropics where it was always summer, I found myself missing the other 3 seasons.
 


10. What do you most wish you could organize properly?
Time for myself. The dolls and my blogs have completely taken over!!!
Catwalk as inspiration
11. What do you do to find inspiration?
For me, inspiration is everywhere--in nature, on the street, in magazines, store windows, memories of past fashion. I might see a flash of something on TV that will give me an idea. For example, recently I saw a photo of Amy Winehouse and fell in love with her hairstyle all over again. This inspired me to do the previous post on falls and hairpieces. All I need do is to look into my closet for inspiration (I've worn everything and everybody and could really open a store)! Nonetheless, I do keep very much abreast of the latest trends in fashion (shared here, of course.)  Crafts come to play because much of today's fashion is driven by textiles & creative fabric treatments. I also consult the works of top fashion photographers for ideas on presentation. When I'm finished with an outfit, I pick a doll (from my "modeling agency") who I think will best embody the look, then I photograph her as though she were a real model posing for Vogue. When I've finished I hope that you, the viewer, will be seduced by the look, almost forgetting the model isn't human!!!


Dolly trend reports help visualize how runway fashion will translate to the doll!
 
My Eleven Nominees (not as yet tagged)


My 11 Questions for Them:
1. How old were you when you received your first doll? What happened to her?
2. If you were to hit the one million dollar/euro lottery, how would this impact your current doll collection?
3. Champagne, beer, soda or water?
4. City or country person?
5. Favorite genre of music?
6. What is it about a doll that catches your eye and prompts you to place it on your wish list?
7. Cat person or dog person?
8. Name five of your favorite posts from your blog?
9. How has your blog evolved since you first began?
10. What (if anything) have you learned from your experiences in the doll community?
11.How will you know when you have "enough" dolls?


Stay tuned for more fun!!!!
 

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15 comments:

  1. So great getting to know you better. I love your mom's other doll family. That was a very touching story. Finding your blog was further inspiration for me to get back to sewing. Thanks!

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words, Vanessa. As you can see, I've had a long love affair with dolls! I am so very happy to know that even if for the slightest amount, I helped you rediscover a talent you are ever so blessed with. I really enjoyed discovering your blog, I have shown it off to family and friends who love Dasia and find your work most creative!

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  2. Confession: I do get fooled in your photos about which is the doll and which is the fashion spread.

    These were fun, and I love the award as hat.

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  3. Thank you, S-P. You know designers transform EVERYTHING into fashion...so the award was fair game!!! LOL!! This was fun, but I did need time to think about the 11 facts.

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  4. I love that you started sewing so young! And that you did Judo. I'm a Tae Kwon Do girl, myself, although I never made it past yellow belt. ;)

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    1. I studied Judo for a couple of years as a kid, then again for one year in my freshman year in college. I only got to a purple belt (just under the brown belt), because I stopped when I was getting too many bruises on my legs from the competitions. (Boys don't like bruised legs!)

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  5. I started karate as an adult for about 2 years. I agree with you about 1 cat. I can imagine your doll icon kicking up her heels at a glitzy party.

    I LOVE your photos and how you've made the award a hat. Tipping my top hat to you - well, a beret would not fit the post's tenor ;-)

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    1. Wow, it's amazing how we have so much in common. Who knew some of us would study martial arts then end up collecting dolls, later on!!! Thank you for your kind words. The fashion person in me just can't stop!!!

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  6. WOW April, you're so talented, I would love to see more of you illustrations.
    It's so interesting to discovers things about us all, I could have never guessed about martial arts!

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    1. Yes, I totally agree, it's really nice to get to "know" everyone in the community via these tags. A degree in Fashion Design from a major school is most helpful in that one is trained in several different areas. It's with the idea that not everyone will end up a designer! That said, I am most impressed with what I've seen in this community. Most folks in this blogosphere have never studied fashion yet make incredible fashions. Now that's what I call real talent!!!!

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  7. This was great to read! You have a fascinating career in fashion, and the illustrations are wonderful! I loved the scenes in "Midnight in Paris" too. Aha, Belgian and Suisse chocolate, good choices! Thank you for sharing, it's great to know more about you.

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  8. Thank you Linda, for your kind words. Indeed, I was very blessed to have enjoyed an incredible career. And, I was extremely fortunate to have had a mother who supported and stood by me in all of my many endeavors.
    Truth be told....if I were locked away in a Belgian chocolate store all alone..the shelves would be bare in no time flat!!!

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  9. Waw ! Merci beaucoup d'avoir pensé à moi. Maintenant, je dois répondre aux 11 questions de la fin sur mon blog ????

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    1. Il faut nous raconter 11 faits à propos de toi. Ensuite, réponds les 11 questions. Si tu veux, tu peux engager d'autres blogueurs à participer en ce jeu avec 11 questions posés par toi!

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  10. I accidentally found this page while looking at another lol. But I love that Mode illustration u did. And u mention the movie Car Wash, one of my faves! : )

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