And the Sun is Far Away

Outfit details:
Navy sweater: thrifted, remixed
Black skinny jeans: Gap, remixed
Scarf: TJ Maxx, remixed
Boots: Bakers, remixed
Hat: Forever 21, remixed

Where:
Awesome Saturday at home

Inspired by:*
F@#! Yeah London Street Style

I had the most delightful day today. I got up with Joe before he went to work and we had breakfast together. After he left for work, I got my rear in gear and cleaned the apartment, washed all the dishes, and did my taxes. Booyah! I felt energized after all that productivity, so I went on a long walk out to the lake to take my pictures. Apart from the fact that I felt like my fingers were frostbitten, it was a pretty fun photoshoot. The lake is so spectacular during winter, icy and barren, but I rarely get out to see it because it's so dang cold. I had fun traipsing around in the wind, admiring the view and feeling lucky, relaxed, inspired, and a tad cold. :)

After my delightful photoshoot I went to the store to pick up supplies for my delicious afternoon plans...making "Life by Chocolate" cupcakes a la the Pioneer Woman. I've been majorly craving chocolate lately, and I figured that these epicenters of cocoa-y goodness would be just the thing to satisfy my desires. So now I'm sitting here in my apartment, breathing in the delightful air of dozens of chocolate cupcakes, and fighting my urges to eat them all before Joe gets home. But man, do they smell good! If I don't have an outfit post tomorrow, it's probably because I ate two dozen cupcakes and will be feeling a tad bloated. I'm also making balsamic chicken with pesto gravy and couscous for dinner tonight, so I'm looking at a very tasty evening. How about you all? Any delicious plans for the weekend?

*I'm going to start doing an "inspired by" link on my post when a particular outfit or look is extraordinarily influenced by another blogger or street stylist. Be sure to click-through to see the original incarnation of the look!

Title song: Michael Graves, "Frostbite"

Love My Dress - UK Wedding Blog and Style Diary

Gals, we were incredibly lucky to have been featured on one of the UK's hottest Style Diaries http://www.lovemydress.net/ .

Love My Dress - UK Wedding Blog and Style Diary...: Bridal Wear

Writer and all round fashion passionista, Annabel creates a style diary daily absolutely packed with fabulous finds from the fashion and bridal sphere. Its an incredible minefield of inspiration and interesting finds. Annabel adds links, pictures, videos throughout each feature so there is always a new avenue to explore once reading any of her finds. A lady of impeccable taste with an eye for vintage inspired designers and labels I find myself losing hours each time I visit!

This is a must read for whos who on the vintage and bridal scene. ;)

See Annabel above on her own special day looking stunning!

Studio Bonzie 101.

Hi gals, thought it might be nice to follow the last post with a picture of the studio as it looks now. The previous pictures show the shed/studio when it was first bought and its been a long time since it looked as bare and spacious as that!

If you would like to see more of the studio space and how it all works you can catch more in the upcoming book "Where Women Create:Book of Inspiration", available to buy from Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble this coming April 2010.

You Should've Seen 'em Go Go Go

Outfit details:
Purple shirt: New York & Co., remixed
Wool pants: Worthington, thrifted and remixed
Scarf: TJ Maxx, remixed
Flats: Soda, remixed

Where:
Work

I felt very 1970s office-worker in this outfit (I also pulled some major inspiration for this from Katy at Kansas Couture - I do hope she approves!). The wool high-waisted pants, the silk tied scarf, the colors. I just felt so comfortable all day, and perfectly pulled together, which is such a great feeling. I feel like some outfits look good but don't feel right. Those are the outfits that seem to require constant adjusting and fidgeting. But this one wasn't like that. It was just easy, and polished, and fun.

I'm definitely super tired this week. I've been getting enough sleep and everything, but I've been working really hard. I'm not tired in an unhealthily exhausted kind of way, but just in that way that by the end of the day I'm worn out. Thinking all day is hard, people! But it does make weekends that much sweeter. I'm definitely looking forward to this weekend, even though my wild plans consist of setting up a budget, doing my taxes, knitting, and taking lots of naps. I'm pushing the envelope with that one, I know. Oh, I'll probably also bake some cookies. Wild child.

Title song: Lou Reed, "Walk on the Wild Side"

Pleated Pants, Sycophants, That's What You Are

Outfit details:
Orange sweater: Target, remixed
Pants: Victoria’s Secret
Scarf: gift from my parents from Italy, remixed
Nude socks: Target
Wedges: Old Navy, remixed

Where:
Work

Okay, first I’d like to issue a disclaimer: never, in a million years, did I ever think I’d wear high-waisted, pleated, tapered pants. Never. No matter how funny that “Mom Jeans” sketch is. And yet, here I am, wearing high-waisted, pleated, tapered pants. I have a feeling that this is going to be one of those outfits that my mom thinks was a little out there. And it was. It absolutely was. I mean, come on, I’m wearing high-waisted, pleated, tapered pants for crying out loud! The thing is, though, that I kind of love these pants. In my stack of inspiration photos (“stack” is a loose term, since I basically just tag them on various websites and keep track of them, more or less, in my head), the number of outfits that feature these pants, or ones like them, greatly outweighs the number that don’t. For some reason I’ve been inexplicably drawn to high-waisted, pleated, tapered pants*, and I just had to try them for myself.

I will say, though, that these pants are damn difficult to photograph. It’s a fine line between “fun and funky silhouette” and “voluminous thighs” with these babies, but I think Joe managed to capture some good ones. Plus, he managed to not lose his patience with me as I systematically vetoed photo after photo. He’s a good guy. Speaking of Joe, I’ll soon be featuring an awesome gift that he surprised me with yesterday after work. I don’t want to spoil it, but it’s pretty rad. And it’s homemade. And it just might be carbon-footprint-reducing. How’s that for an early Valentine’s Day present? Now I just have to think of something for him…any ideas?

*And yes, I’m fully aware of the number of times I just said “high waisted, pleated, tapered pants”. I just really wanted to drive home that point.

Title song: Andrew Bird, "Sick of Elephants"

1000th Sale!

Bonzies Corner of the World. :)

Gals,

Ger and I woke up today to a very special "Bonzie" milestone! Today we had our 1000th sale from our wee etsy shop.

http://www.bonzie.etsy.com/

Our 1000th customer is in fact a lovely lady who is purchasing one of our wraps for her 6 year old daughter. We are very excited to think that a miniature version of our ruffled wrap will bevmaking its way across the waters to the US and will brighten a little girls day.

Etsy has been an incredible support for us as artistes, the community, the ethos of the site, the support of the staff, our loyal customers have all contributed to a very special year for our label. We would like to send a huge Thank You out there to all of our customers, supporters, followers and etsy staff. We are so grateful for the opportunity to express our creativity and make a work as an Independent Irish Design Label.. We hope you continue to enjoy our designs for the next 1000th milestone. :)

Picture above show the Studio that we bought right at the beginning of our etsy journey, its hard to believe so much has happened since then and even more difficult to imagine the studio once looked so bare! Its been full to the brim of bits and bobs ever since! Will share some studio images soon. :)

xxx

Important Notice!

Hi Gals,

Just got word today that the Nationwide Feature has been swapped around for another date in the very near future, we will await confirmation from RTE on the new date.Sorry to those who were tuning into see it tonight, we hope you find something nice to do in its place.

Looking forward to seeing it too, stay tuned for new airing date.

Thanks guys.
bonzie & ger

Iron Man, the movie...er, slideshow!

I made these images a few years ago when Ironman was about to open in theaters. I never was happy how I had to have the "soundtrack" placed in the blog's sidebar (you can't embed sound only in the posts). In honor of Ironman 2's release this summer, I rerecorded it to play with this slideshow of a movie.

Can you believe that this is the very first take of me doing that song? Just. So. Incredible.

(the real song)

I Thought It Classic

Outfit details:
Ruffle blouse: Forever 21, remixed
Vest: Urban Outfitters, remixed
Pants: Michael Kors, remixed
Flats: Target, remixed

Where:
Work

So, for some unbelievably irritating reason, our internet has been extraordinarily unreliable in the past few days. I'm lucky if I get a signal at all, and when I do there's still no guarantee that my computer will be able to load any windows. Needless to say, this has made my "blogging schedule" (if there is such a thing) a little wonky, so I do hope you'll all forgive my shameless lack of commenting. I'm lucky if I can load my own page, much less those of the dozens of blogs I follow.

This was another one of those days when I just had no idea what to wear until I was literally putting it on. I think that without the structure of my "deja vu couture" remix project, I have a hard time dreaming up new looks. I've actually really liked the outfits I've worn lately, but they've taken some major concentration to create. I do have an idea in mind for tomorrow, though; we'll see if I follow through. I ended up really liking the nautical piratey feel of this outfit. The ruffles from the shirt poking out over the vest feels perfectly flouncy and festive. And I'd like to take a minute and pay tribute to this vest. It is absolutely, without question, one of my favorite items in my wardrobe. It matches perfectly with almost anything I want it to, and since it's made of cozy sweatshirt material, it's incredibly comfy.

Oh, and be sure to check out my "guest lecture" at Academichic today!! Thanks again, ladies!

Title song: The Postal Service, "Clark Gable"

A handy sketchpad.

This is from last October, when I was out at a gourmet cooking store gathering ideas for a shot for OXO. I went with the characters nearest my thumb.

There's One Here up My Sleeve

Outfit details:
Silk blouse: vintage Peony Brand, laundry room freebie!
Brown tank: H&M, remixed
Pencil skirt: H&M, remixed
Obi belt: The Mexican Shop, remixed
Tights: Target
Boots: Steven by Steve Madden, remixed

Where:
Work

Of all of the goodies I've found in my building's laundry room over the months, this amazing silk blouse has to be one of my favorites. It's not in perfect shape, and I'll have to do a bit of spot-mending to keep it wearable in the future, but it is such an amazing blouse. It's 100% silk, tiny toggle clasps, and has this barely-visible pattern on the peach silk. I gotta start doing laundry more often! Oh, and I have to mention the weather in these pictures. As I set up my camera to take pictures, a few tiny snow flurries started to spin. By the time I had packed up (maybe 5 minutes later), the flurries had turned into real flakes, and lots of 'em. It's pretty much blizzarding now, so I guess I'm eating my words from yesterday.

I'm way fed up with my hair today. I'm not quite on board with the whole "no poo" movement yet, but I only wash my hair every other (or every third) day. On the days when I do wash it, it's always much thicker and fluffier, which at this length is not a good thing. My hair is getting to this weird dandified Beatles length. I have extraordinarily thick hair, and as it grows out from the short pixie cut it fills out into this slightly ridiculous pillow of hair. I've been thinking about growing it out for a little while now. Joe loves it when it's curly, and I miss some of the versatility that I had when it was long. But right about now, when it gets to this phase, I start to drastically question my commitment to growing it out. We'll see how long I last. If I do grow it long again, I'm definitely going to need to consult my stylist on how to avoid looking like a dirty old hobo during its more awkward phases.

Title song: Rory Gallagher, "Eat my Words"

It's Just Like Make Believe

Outfit details:
Tan sweater: Gap, remixed
Boyfriend blazer: Old Navy
Skinny jeans: Gap, remixed
Jazz shoes: Seychelles, remixed
Necklace: made by me

Where:
Work, dinner and a movie (Sherlock Holmes!) date night with Joe

So this is actually the outfit that I wore on Friday. I didn't get a chance to post, or check my email, or even get to my computer on Friday after work. Joe and I went straight from work downtown to have dinner and go see Sherlock Holmes (which I definitely recommend...I wasn't a fan of Robert Downey Jr.'s 1980s work, but I am definitely in favor of his mid-life snarkiness). I was planning on a Saturday post, but my internet surprised me by not working all day Saturday. It was actually a kind of nice forced break from the world wide web, and I ended up being pretty productive this weekend.

This outfit is a perfect winter ensemble. The thin but warm layers make it appropriate for sub-zero January temps, and the skinny jeans are perfect for tucking into furry snowboots. However, it has been nothing like winter for the past few days. Today was in the 40s, it's been drizzly and cloudy and downright tropical for January in Chicago. So I was actually pretty overheated on Friday when I wore this. I took off the jacket for a good portion of the day, and I actually kept my office window cracked for awhile to equalize my temperature a bit. I really feel like we've had crazy weather this year. It's been extraordinarily mild, which is an adjective that I don't think has ever been used to describe Chicago's weather (or politics, or sports fans, or...well, you get the idea). Anyway, I'm sure I've jinxed it by even mentioning it, but I can't help but think that we've already seen the worst of winter. Now if it would just stop raining...

Title song: Gabriella Cilmi, "Warm this Winter"

Laundry Day: January Rain

It's raining in Chicago today. Raining. In January. Seriously. It feels like Spring, which I don't need to tell you is weird. Anyway, I'm taking the day to, among other things, dream of gorgeous views like this one.

Title song: David Gray, "January Rain"

Where the Drifts Get Deeper

Outfit details:
Plaid shirt: Old Navy, remixed
Wool skirt: Banana Republic, thrifted and remixed
Tights: Target
Brogues: apostrophe, remixed
Necklace: heirloom from my grandmother

Where:
Work

This full wool skirt always makes me feel totally old school, in a good way. It sits at the perfect spot on my waist, has pockets, and is delightfully warm and comfy. I'm always drawn to pairing it with blues and purples but I think I might try it with another color scheme next time. This felt like a very spring-esque outfit. Everyone's been talking about how ready they are for spring to arrive, and I'm just not on board with that yet. The florals, the pastels, the light fabrics...none of that is appealing to me just yet. For now I'll take the dark colors, heavy fabrics, layers upon layers, and wool, wool, wool. I'll probably be eating my words once March rolls around and it's still snowing in Chicago, but I'm sticking to it for now.

Title song: Tori Amos, "Winter"

Bonzie on Irish TV!!

Hi Gals,

Very excited to let you all know that Bonzie Designs will be featured on RTE Television next week ( Wednesday Night 27th of January) We will be interviewed on Nationwide which airs at 7 O'clock. ( It can also be caught afterwards online from RTE's Online Media Player)

Last year, Ger and I along with models/dancers Jess Rowell, Trish Murphy and photographer Shane O'Neill ( not to forget my partner T who provided provisions for the day) took to local Hotel,Waterford Castle to spend a day filming with the RTE Television crew to capture an interview for RTE Programme Nationwide. It was a surreal experience, we all had a blast and we are all really looking forward to seeing the feature next week!

A huge thank you to all the people involved and we hope you all enjoy a sneak peak into our Bonzie bubble!

And the winner is...

Commenter #41 abilocity. Thanks to everyone who entered!

Again, if there's another image that you particularly like and want a print of, if it's not in the book, we can probably make it happen.

----------------------------

Also- The book has been out since early October, and I still haven't been asked to be guest on a national television show. C'mon now! With all the really bad programming that I see, surely Bent Objects has to be better than some of it. Like I said before, I need to add a chapter on weight loss in my next book, because that's the one sure way of being asked to be on TV in the U.S.

And- Bent Objects is educational! You heard it here first. Need proof? Here's a letter I received recently-

Dear Mr. Border-

My name is Anne Scatchell and I am an ELL/Bilingual teacher at Glenn Westlake Middle School in Lombard, IL. I work with kids in grade 6-8 who come from many countries and speak many languages. We try to make things as visual as we can for them as we work to improve their English skills.

I recently read How the Brain Learns by David Sousa and he explains how important humor is in getting people to relax and engage in the classroom. I went to the bookstore and was lucky enough to find your Bent Objects! (although I did have to weed out the few "not school appropriate ones!)

Your images are a perfect way to get the kids talking!! I am able to intrduce new vocabulary at times, irony and the kids can use their imaginations in coming up with words for the characters. They look forward to coming to my classes because they know they will get to see a new "bent scene". It's a great way to get them warmed up for the learning that follows!

ELL/Bilingual is the largest growing area in education across the US. I would be happy to help you any way I can to get the word out to other teachers!!

Thanks for a great tool to use with my students and a book that brings many smiles to so many!

A fan-

Anne

Thanks for the letter, Anne! Very cool.

Soon We Will Reclaim the Earth

Outfit details:
Navy shirt: Old Navy, remixed
Gray drapey-cape: Macy's
Mustard skinny cords: Gap
Blue plaid flats: Madden Girl, remixed
Brass Bow Choker: for sale in my Etsy shop

Where:
Work

So I'm seriously in love with these yellow corduroy pants from the Gap. I saw them when they were first released, but while I was unemployed, a $54 pricetag was a bit steep for one pair of pants. Actually, unemployed or gainfully so, you'd be hard pressed to find me paying $54 for pants. But good things come to those who wait, and after I found out that I got my new job in January, I allowed myself to indulge in a tiny retail reward. They are now $19, on sale, and come in Petite sizes online, which the Gap brick-and-mortar stores still don't seem to believe in. So I'm happy, with my new awesome job and my sunny yellow corduroy pants.

Honestly, "sunny" is probably how I'd describe myself right now, too. Despite the challenges of starting a new job, and despite some of the major emotional tolls that the end of the year took on me, I feel so optimistic about life. It's partly the job, and it's partly Joe, and it's partly my wonderful family (seriously, who else is lucky enough to talk to her mom on the phone every day? Our conversations are the perfect start to my mornings). And it's partly the beautiful snow and the crisp January air and my churning radiators and rye flavored Triscuits and 2-for-1 ice cream sales at the grocery store and clean sheets and new books and high scores in Yahtzee and 30 Rock DVDs and Apple Cinnamon Cheerios and creating more and consuming less. I feel so lucky, and I hope I can remember these moments when things get tough down the road. It's important to be reminded of how lucky we each are, and even with personal hardships and struggles and daily stress, part of my "new outlook" resolution is to be constantly cognizant of all the things and people and joys that I do have in my life.*

*With that in mind, I feel it necessary to encourage us all to keep Haiti in our thoughts. The stark contrast between our lives and those of all the Haitians whose worlds have just been torn apart should be a reminder that we should do whatever we can to spread our luck, our opportunity, our care to those less fortunate. If you haven't already, you can donate directly to the relief efforts in Haiti via the American Red Cross, Yele Haiti, Doctors without Borders, UNICEF, as well as many others.

Title song: The Arcade Fire, "Haiti"

Book News!

Corner of our studio!!!!!!

Gals,

There are some very exciting developments afoot for team Bonzie in 2010, all of which we will be keeping you all posted as soon as they come to fruition.

Well that time has arrived for one such project that we have been keeping under our caps ( been a tough time not spilling the beans on this as we have been totally excited about it) and we are delighted to share the news with you all.

Jo Packham, Jenny Doh, and Lark Crafts have created a stunning Book called "Where Women Create: Book of Inspiration", a veritable feast of creative inspiration, sharing the workspaces of a collective of very talented Women in the artistic community. We were honored to be featured in the book and overjoyed to see our wee studio on the front cover too!

The book will be available to buy in April 2010, we will be sure to let you guys know where you can snag your very own copy. In the meantime we are looking forward to running a blog giveaway for a free signed copy. Keep an eye out for the giveaway, coming soon. :)

A huge Thank You to Jenny Doh for her continued support of our label, your our very own fairy godmother! xxx Another huge Thank You to our top notch photographer buddy Shane O'Neill, your work has always produced such positive results for us! We are in your debt buddie!

Well done to all the artists involved, it was a pleasure to be involved in such a wonderful publication, a first for us!

xxx

bonzie & ger

Selling Zombie Prints and Giving One Away!

I have some more prints of this one called "Zombies Are Nuts About Brains" in my Etsy store. To celebrate this fact (and try to generate a little interest), I'm giving a print away (8''x10''). Let me know that you want to be entered in the drawing in this post's comments.

(sorry, 24 hours have past, and the contest is closed!)

This contest is open to international visitors too, because I'm cool like that.

Have another image that you like of mine? If it isn't in the book, I can probably get a print made for you.

Americana, Tropicana

Outfit details:
Shirt: JC Penney
Sailor pants: Kenneth Cole Reaction, remixed
Booties: Payless, remixed
Turquoise earrings: gift from my beautiful sister, remixed

Where:
Work

Oh, hey nighttime photography! I'm back! I seriously can't wait for the days to get a little longer so that I don't have to take my outfit shots in the pitch black anymore. I've been able to take some of them at lunch, occasionally, but for the most part I simply don't have time until after work. Luckily, this outfit seems to do pretty well with a camera flash. My mom got this blouse for me over my Christmas vacation in Arizona, and I just love the rich color and ruffle detail. I knew it would be just perfect with these high-waisted sailor pants. It was the kind of simple, classic outfit that I felt comfortable and sophisticated in all day.

It was so nice to have a three-day weekend, and it's just as awesome that we have a four-day work week now. Even if that four-day work week is going to be insanely busy because I have to fit five days worth of work into those four. Today was one of those days when I hardly even noticed when 5 o'clock rolled around because I had simply been working non-stop all day. It was a productive day, but in the way that I know tomorrow will be just as busy, if not crazier. A lot of you have asked what I do, and how I'm liking it so far. As a rule, I keep "real life" specifics pretty vague here, but I can say that my job is kind of the "kitchen sink" job in the small office that I just joined. I basically deal with any aspect of the office, from budgeting to advising to general office management. It's unpredictable, but also means that every day is new, different, and interesting. So far, I love it. I adore my coworkers, and I love what I do. I feel like I'll be able to make a difference to others while at the same time moving forward with my career.

Title song: Regina Spektor, "Sailor Song"

Forget I'm a Lady

Outfit details:
Maroon shirt: Paix, remixed
Striped knit cardigan: Old Navy
Skinny jeans: Gap, remixed
Gray socks: Target, remixed
Brogues: Trotters, remixed

Where:
Downtown/to the Art Institute with Joe, home for laundry, 30 Rock, and naps

Today was one of those rare days when Joe and I have time off together. Because of MLK day, my office is closed, and Joe didn't have to start work until this evening, so we got to spend the majority of the day together. We slept in, had a leisurely breakfast, and then went downtown to enjoy the city.

We had lunch downtown and ended up spending over an hour getting into this great discussion of gender norms. The deeply dichotomous idea of masculinity and femininity has been a point of contention for me for some time. Even basic adjectives are loaded with gender bias (can a dude's outfit really be romantic?), and while it's difficult to cut them from everyday use altogether - and I'm not sure that that's the right approach, anyway - I try to at least use them with the awareness of their deeper, gendered implications. In any case, when I don't align myself with "girly" things or ideals, whether it be as superficial as a short haircut or as deeply entrenched as a resistance to socially-enforced sexual norms and mores, I become less "feminine", less of a woman. What is particularly interesting to me is the string of connections that are made from one point to the next. By having short hair, I am less girly, and therefore less feminine. Once I have become less feminine, my role as a stereotypical "woman" is diminished, and I no longer fit into the role that I have supposedly been biologically pre-programmed to fill. (I realize, of course, as a disclaimer, that I am making pretty sweeping generalizations with these statements, but for the sake of argument and expediency I'm leaving it pretty loose.) This is a hard pill to swallow for me, because I take great pride in my womanhood, and believe deeply that being feminine has as little to do with a haircut as it does with what you had for breakfast that day. For that matter, I think that it really has very little to do with which sexual reproductive organs you were born with either, as gender is an almost exclusively social construction. So while I am a woman, and I am fiercely feminine in some aspects, I have elements of my personality that are masculine as well, and those elements do not make me any less of a woman. I'm going to go ahead and stop there, because I've probably scared you all away with my sudden existential rant, but feel free to chime in with your comments. Also, if you're interested in the issue of gender norms and biases, and how they relate to fashion, I'd highly recommend reading some of Academichic's posts about this very topic. Not to mention the plethora of inspirational "I am woman, hear me roar" posts over at Already Pretty. Seriously. My little gender-norm-bending paragraph is just a drop in the bucket. Thank goodness.

Title song: Shania Twain, "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!"

Airing Her Dirty Laundry: Bright Side Dweller

Welcome to the second edition of Airing Her Dirty Laundry. This is the feature where I show off some of my favorite blogger friends. I know it's been insanely long since I did this, and I'm hoping to make it a more regular installment. In any case, today, the lovely Chelsea of Bright Side Dweller is gracing us with her presence.

Chelsea has been one of my favorite bloggers ever since I discovered her blog. Not only is she gorgeous, with a super-fun sense of style, but she also has this wonderful, bubbly personality. Chelsea agreed to answer a few questions for me, so check it out!

1. Tell us about yourself!
Well that is a loaded question! Honestly I just skipped over this one and answered the rest first to try and warm myself up, but I'm not so sure it worked :)

Here is some demographic info: I'm 26, female, gay, employed by a University, live with my girlfriend and our two cats. I grew up in Southern California (any other Valley girls out there??) until age 15 when I moved to Washington, DC. I stayed in DC until I finished high school, then headed right back to SoCal for college. I graduated in 2001, then moved up to the Bay Area all by myself! I absolutely love living in the Bay... I find that many people I meet here are open-minded and accepting, and there is an endless supply of fun and interesting things to do. I'm not sure what I want to do with my life in the future, but I'm working on embracing the here and now in 2010 :)

Some of my favorite things (in no particular order) are: blogging, Harry Potter, sushi, hot days spent at the beach or pool, a good book that I can get all wrapped up in, singing along to the radio in my car, getting inspired by other fashion blogs, wine, my girlfriend, shopping, and my cats! My passions include advocating for women in health care settings, helping to influence everyone to improve their body image and ignore the media's definition of beauty, and being part of the cause for equal rights for all people in America and worldwide.

2. You walk down the street and meet yourself from 10 years ago. What do you say to past Chelsea?
Put that cigarette down (I quit 3 years ago, but wish I never had had to!). Your are beautiful just as you are... right now. And about that guy you meet in the Summer of 2001? Bad news. Haha, I guess I have a little advice for young Chelsea :)

3. You're at a coffeeshop and meet yourself 10 years from now. What do you ask future Chelsea?
Since I feel so much wiser now than myself at 16, I imagine I'll be even more of a know-it-all at 36, so I'd ask myself for advice. I wouldn't want to know too many personal details (takes the fun out of working it all out!), but advice would be helpful :) Oh and then I'd ask political questions (did Obama get re-elected? war in afghanistan/iraq/pakistan? same-sex marriage? universal healthcare??), because it seems there is SO MUCH being worked out in this country right now and I'm sure there will be a whole new mess of issues in 10 years, but these are most important to me now. (Sorry to get all political on y'all! I try to keep that out of my blog, but I can't help it for this question!)

4. What is your perfect winter day:
Even though I've lived in non-snowy climates most of my life, I absolutely love the snow and all the activities that come along with it! My perfect wintry day would be spent downhill skiing, breaking at lunch for hearty beef stew in the lodge, and then heading back up the mountain. I would end the day at my hypothetical cabin with a hot shower and home cooked (not by me) dinner. As my girl and I step into the outdoor hot tub for a soak, it starts snowing. And there's an ice cold beer in my hand. And then I win the lottery.

5. Do you have any great fashion-related guilty pleasure/faux pas stories to share?
Since started my blog, I've started to totally tune out at random times to brainstorm outfits. Nic's watching some sort of sports game? I'm thinking what can I pair my new oxford booties with tomorrow! Also, I almost always fall asleep to outfit planning. It's sick!

6. What do you want to be when you grow up (real or imaginary)?
Oh boy, the question of the moment! I am not really sure. Since third grade I have wanted desperately to become a country music singer (like solo artist Wynonna Judd or Jennifer Nettles of the group Sugarland). I know this is an imaginary goal, but I can't help but fantasize about it, especially while driving my car alone with the radio :) But in reality, I'm just not really sure anymore. I have been wanting to become a nurse practitioner for a couple of years now, but am questioning if that is what I really want. I am also thinking about teaching high school science and/or math or going for my masters in social work. I'm kind of in this existential crisis mode right now... there is just so much potential in life it can be overwhelming!

7. What is the last book you read? Would you recommend it?
I just finished The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes, by Diane Chamberlain, and I would absolutely recommend it! I love the way Chamberlain writes, and the intensity and excitement of the story made me hardly able to put the book down! Some of my other favorite books that this kind of reminded me of are The Lovely Bones and The Time Traveler's Wife.

8. If you had six months with no obligations or financial constraints, what would you do with the time?
I would absolutely travel. I'd visit all my friends that are in other places that I just haven't managed to get to like New York City and New Orleans, and then I'd hit up all the places I've got on my travel list (and then some): Amsterdam, Egypt, Greece, Costa Rica, Puerta Vallarta, Prague...

9. What is the one, single food that you would never give up?
Burritos. They are the best invention ever... delicious, customizable, portable, can contain all of the food groups, good source of fiber... need I say more? Oh, but what about sushi?! I could not give that up either. I'm cheating and picking two :)

10. What inspired you to start blogging? How did you come up with "bright side dweller" as your title? What's your favorite thing about fashion blogging? I remember the first fashion blog I came across, Some Girls Wander. A friend on facebook had linked to Emily's "big" blog, from which I found her fashioney one. I was instantly obsessed... I looked at every single outfit of hers (she has just beautiful clothes and very personal style), and waited impatiently for her new posts. Since she does not update Some Girls Wander that often, I just had to get my eyes on some other fashionable ladies, so I started exploring Emily's blogroll, and from there my passion/obsession for blogging was born. What I loved about all of the fashion blogs I came across was that there was such a rich diversity that is sorely lacking in the media, particularly when the subject is fashion. Women (and men!) of all different shapes, sizes, ethnicities, ages, locations, sexualities, disabilities (and plenty of other factors I am not recalling immediately) were proudly posting pictures of their personal style. I felt empowered seeing these images, knowing that each person had had the guts to put her or himself out there even if s/he did not look like a model, or fit into seven jeans. This, to me, is where fashion is... with real people. Runway shows are great and can be a good source of inspiration, but are also incredibly inaccessible to most women I know, and never make me feel more confident or improve my self-esteem. After spending months following countless fashion blogs, I finally decided to start my own. I named it "bright side dweller" because I consider optimism one of my most prominent personality traits. Sometimes I can focus on the "bright side" to a fault, having unrealistic expectations, hence the "dweller" part of the title. So there you go :) My goals for blogging were to promote health body image and self-esteem, break down stereotypes that people may have about gay women and fashion, and honestly increase my own confidence. While I feel like my blog does accomplish these goals in my/its own way, the community I have found, the friends I have met through blogging, and the creative outlet it has provided me have been the most treasured yet unexpected rewards.


Thanks, Chelsea! Okay, everyone, go check out Chelsea's awesome blog, bright side dweller.