Well, if you haven’t noticed, Ivyology has been a little quiet lately! It’s grand ole spring time here in Melbourne, Australia. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, yellow daisies have popped up all over the place, cute topless boys are roaming around town *sigh*. So! I’ve decided to take a little spring/summer break from computer-land and play outside instead! It’s adventure time for me. Thanks for all your lovely comments and support, everyone, I love you all!

I have to leave you with this absolutely beautiful short film called The Red Ballon (Le Ballon Rouge). Directed (1956) by Albert Lamorisse, a red balloon with a life of its own follows a little boy around the streets of Paris. It’s such a playful and sweet film.

Look after and enjoy yourself!

Big love & squishy hugs,

I’ve been lucky enough to interview someone so charming, positive and talented, and whose middle name should seriously be changed to “lovely”. Lisa Clark is the sparkly teen queen role model for girls all around the world. She’s the author of the Lola Love series; Think Pink, It’s a Girl Thing, Viva La Diva, Livin’ La Vida Lola and Beauty*Licious (how can you not love her just from the title of those books?!), which encourage and empower ladies to feel great about themselves, to learn to love what your mama gave you and to take on the world with positivity and pazazz. She’s also the writer and creator of Pink World - a blogzine in which girlies can explore other amazing women and be inspired to go for their dreams. With one of her mottoes being “don’t wait for others to treat you like the princess that you are“, Lisa Lovely Clark knows how to celebrate being a girl, and believes you should too.

Care to share a little something about yourself and what you do?

Well, don’t mind if I do, Miss Ivy!

I’m the feisty, fun, fearless and fabulous Pink Lady, Lisa Clark and my mission is to start a revolution, a PINK revolution! I write go-for-it guides for girls and women that say: ‘yep, it is hard work being a girl in the world, but if you start getting wise about how the media works, develop a Think Pink positive ‘tude and show yourself some major-league love, you’ll start to realise that being a girl can freakin’ rock!’

What exactly is the Lola Love series, and what makes it different from other teen books?

I wrote the first Lola book, Think Pink, as a response to the letters I was getting at Mizz ( it’s a UK magazine for teens - I’m their agony aunt!) Girls were writing to me telling me how much they hated how they looked and how they wished more than anything that they looked like Lindsey Lohan or Paris Hilton. This made me sad. I didn’t want girls to be hating on themselves because of the unrealistic images of so-called perfection that they were being bombarded with in the media, I didn’t want them to wish they were someone else, I wanted them to dig being their own YOU-nique, fabulous selves.

So I got to thinking, what would be a cool way I could use my skills as a journ-o girl and agony aunt?
That’s when I created Lola - a best friend, sister and agony aunt all in one. She’s splendidly imperfect and like us all, she’s still learning how to work out what being a girl is all about, but her secret weapon in life is her ability to Think Pink. Basically, Pink thinking is positive thinking and is a fun and fabulous way to turn a miserably monotone sitch, into a pink-tinted scene of fabulousity!

How would you describe a typical day in the life of Lisa Clark?

It involves a lot of sitting on my bee-hind, so I start every morning with some form of activeness, fitness and I are not the best of friends, but I have discovered that I like pilates and walking so I currently alternate between an hour of my Pilates for Indie Rockers DVD - which is awesome and an hour long walk along the beach listening to my ipod - current album of choice Madonna’s Immaculate Collection.

Because I do most of my work on my laptop I can do it pretty much anywhere so sometimes I’ll do it at the dining room table, sometimes in a cafe or recently because my house is a bit crowded, I’ve been re-locating to a friends house who has a dog so we write and play - it’s the best.

I try to split up my work load to keep it fun - so in the morning I’ll write book stuff and in the afternoon I’ll write features for the web/magazines and in the evening I’ll check out blogs and people I want to shout about on www.pink-world.co.uk - I’m a huge procrastinator too, so there is lots of emailing, chocolate-eating and green tea sipping too! I’ve also just taken up Salas dancing so I like to take a break from the ‘puter to practice some moves in the living room!

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation?

I LOVE what I do - I’m passionate about providing girls with everything they need to be the most feisty, fun, fearless and fabulous version of themselves they can possibly be - so as long as whatever I’m doing, involves doing that, I’ll always be motivated! My main  inspir-o comes from the girls and women that I meet and who send me emails and letters - when I get an email from a girl telling me how much more confident and fantastic she feels since reading a Lola book, it makes me so jump-in-the-air happy I could burst because that’s why I write them. Their emails and letters inspire and motivate me to write more books, which then helps me to inspire even more girls - it’s a big inspir-o-girl circle of fabulousness!

What do you consider your most significant accomplishment? Have you ever accomplished something you didn’t think you could?

Wow - what a question! So far, everything I’ve ever thought I could do, or wanted to do, I’ve made happen and I deffo put that down to the power of positive thinking. There’s a whole lot of hard work involved too, but if I hadn’t believed I could do it, then it just wouldn’t have happened. I was told lots of times that because I was from a single parent family and from a bad part of town I’d never be able to be a writer or a journalist and that it was silly to have big dreams, because I’d only be dissapointed, but I didn’t listen!

I think I’m most proud of setting up Rant, a magazine in the city I live written for teens, by teens - it was awesome and won national awards because it was the first of it’s kind - now there are lots of peer-to-peer publications all over the UK - and that freakin’ rocks! Think Pink is deffo my biggest accomplishment that I didn’t think I’d achieve, I got so many rejection letters from publishers and agents that it looked like it might not ever happen, but I was determined and persistant and well, it paid off. I still get a belly flip when I see it in a shop. My words, in a book, for sale, in a real shop! Madness!

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be, and why?

I still have a lot of places to visit on my must-see list before I make a final decision, but right now, I have most deffo left my heart in San Francisco. I absolutely love that city - the people, the food, the weather, the shops, the trams, chinatown, the mist, the colours, the smells, there was nothing I didn’t love about San Fran, in fact I’ve gone all misty-eyed just thinking about it - I might go book a plane ticket right now!

What are five things that you’re totally digging right now?

www.ivyology.com - for real. I LOVE this blogzine so much, it’s bold and refreshing - love it!

Rediscovering old albums - I seriously had forgotten how good Madonna’s Immaculate Collection was - Lucky Star, Holiday, Cherish - so, so good.

Reading books about India - I have recently developed an obsesso with India and am devouring as much info about the country of extremes as possible - my favourite book so far has been Holy Cow by Sara McDonald - deffo recommend it.

Lipstick Jungle hitting UK screens - I LOVED the book and am now a HUGE fan of the teev show.

Winter - I am so pleased it’s starting to get a li’l colder here in the UK - I am all about my winter wardrobe - mitten and scarf combos, coloured tights, dress jumpers - come quicker please, Miss Winter!

What’s one piece of advice you think all girlies should know?

Girls rock and rule. Fact.

Seriously, how friggin’ awesome is Lisa Clark?! Doesn’t it make you feel better about the world knowing there are people like Lisa around? You go, girrrl.

Big love & strawberry kisses,

I’m a huge fan of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Karen O is one of my heroes, not only because she’s a kick arse singer, but because she chooses the best costumes to wear on stage! Her good friend, and fashion designer, Christian Joy, creates these intricate, original and full-on freaky, but memorable outfits for Karen. She truly works the stage like a star, and I think these costumes might have something to do it!

How utterly cool is Karen O? I love performers who actually wear costumes and not just jeans and a t-shirt, or something.

Check out Christian Joy’s other collections. They’re slightly kooky, a mixture of 90’s, 80’s and the 50’s, but they’re still contemporary. They’re exaggerated, but still wearable. I love!

What do you think? Could you rock a Christian Joy zipper jumpsuit or a lobster tee?

Big love,

Hmmm… I’m thinking I’m going to have to add a ‘daily outfit’ category from now on… But check this out, I made a new dress! Yay! I bought my first (working) sewing machine a few weeks ago from eBay. Guess how much I paid… go on, guess. $50? $30? Nah, try $13! Ha! Okay, so it’s old, but it works! It actually took me a loooong time to work out how to use it, but thanks to Yahoo! Answers, some sewing machine repair man in the US taught me. Anyway, enough blabber, here it is!

Alright, so you can’t see all of it, but I’m going to wear it this weekend so no doubt I’ll post another daily outfit post next week. I couldn’t find any free plus size dress patterns on the net so I had to kind of make it up as I went along. (If you ever come across some free patterns please tell me!) It’s a 50’s style halter neck dress with little red hearts all over. There’s even lining! Man, I spent hours making this thing, and now I can completely understand why people charge so much for buying these kind of dresses.

It’s becoming warmer here in Melbourne, spring is in the air and the sun is warm enough to play outside! Plus it also means t-shirt weather. Or in my case, halter neck dress weather. I’m loving these daily outfit collages, by the way, they’re like art.

Oh! And you can probably see that I’ve dyed my hair - again. This time with Special Effects’ Virgin Rose. I love it! No more 2 inch roots, plus it turns pink in the sun - bonus and a half. This is what the bowl of hair dye looked like at one point. I thought it was artistic …at the time

Big love & tribal dancing (<- click there, it’ll make you go “woooaaaahhh”),

Ah, how I love the bizarre and the ridiculous! It’s good for a laugh and makes you feel better about your own ideas. I thought I’d share some eatable clothing with you all. No, not the usual eatable underwear you buy from kinky stores. (Have you guys ever tasted that stuff? It tastes like utter crap! Don’t ask me how I know that.) I’m talking entire outfits made from desserts, fruit and veggies! The real kind of food.

I love this one. It’s an entire wedding dress make from profita rolls! Valentyn Shtefano, of Ukraine, surprised his bride by making her wedding dress out of 1,500 profita rolls, which took two months to bake and make. Even her crown, bouquet and necklace were made from caramelised sugar. His wife, Viktoriya, said “at first, it was a little embarrassing”. I don’t blame her. Shtefano, whose fingernails are stained with food colouring, has been known to create unconventional sweets, just like the pair of breasts he made that are on display at a pizzeria. Hmm, what can I say, this man loves his work.

You may have seen this a couple years ago? Jean-Paul Gaultier turned croissants and baguettes into haute couture shoes, bras and even Oscar-night dresses at his Pain et Culture exhibition. Gaultier employed British bakers to create the clothing designs. The bakers and sculptors reportedly worked months on the designs. Ah, he cheated, Gaultier had the dirty work done for him.

I love a woman fighting for a good cause! Model and actress Alicia Mayer wore a bikini made of lettuce while posing for photographers during a photo shoot for a new People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) campaign promoting vegetarianism in Manila. Yes, you go girrrrl.

How much does the lady in the carrot dress look like Joan Cusack?

The Summer Salad Fashion Show in New York included real and faux fruit and veggies. I actually really want that carrot top hat…

Hmm… It all has you wondering whether your lunch would make a nice handbag, doesn’t it?

Big love,

Image by Chrissie White

Stress isn’t something we can completely eliminate from our lives, but we do have the power to manage it. One of the simplest yet effective ways to do so is to create a quiet space totally dedicated to the one person who knows you so well, the one person who has stuck with you through thick and thin and who’ll always be by your side - you!

When you’re confused about personal (or someone else’s!) problems, are feeling like your mind is cluttered and you have never-ending thoughts that don’t resolve anything, you need to stop. Stop the habit-thinking. When you’re quiet, remaining still and are in a meditative state, you achieve clarity. Confusion comes from habitual and mechanical thinking, so when mechanical thought stops it can no longer create confusion.

Have you ever heard of the exam tip which involves dedicating a ‘thinking cap’ for studying? The idea is when you put the hat on your head, it gets you in the right frame of mind for studying because you’ve associated that item with study. The same principle applies for your quiet space. Enter the space and instantly feel rejuvenated, relaxed and clear-headed.

Finding the right spot. This can be inside or outside, a spare room or a corner of a room. Where ever it is, just make sure that you’re drawn to this space and it appeals to you. Your space of tranquility could have windows nearby (sunlight does wonders for me!), but it doesn’t have to. Maybe a dark and cosy area might be best for you. Just make sure this is a space that is respected by everyone else living in your home. (And if you can’t shut out the noise, get the ear-plugs out. Or something cuter - these!)

Create a buffer. If you have the luxury of a spare room then you don’t really need to worry about this. But if you choose a corner of a room you might want to section your space off by adding a folding screen, curtains, door beads, or anything else that will separate your space from the rest of the room.

Dress it up! This is the fun bit. Add some trinkets and pictures that make you feel good, that stir up fond memories, inspire you or let you drift off to far-away places. Maybe an image of a rainforest or beach or some personal photos or even a picture of kittens could do the trick! This is a place to get away from it all, to come home to, to relax, so make it comfy. Maybe you could add a beanbag, or scatter a few cushions on the floor, or use a rocking chair or - my personal favourite - a hammock!
You could add some candles or incense, your favourite books or magazines, or (and this is highly recommended) even a plant or two. Plants have an astounding affect on me. Every morning I eat my breakfast outside and watch the birdies hop around. It’s my Zen moment for the day. Nature really does have a grounding effect, she brings you back down to earth while reminding you of her beauty, synchronicity, and of the fact that there’s something greater than yourself and your problems.

Feed your senses. Colour can make a huge impact on your space. As it’s a space for relaxation, try shades of blue, green, purple or even a creamy colour. You want it to be comfortable so add fabrics that feel soft, like a blanket in which you can snuggle up in. Of course, you can have you space noise-free, or otherwise you might want to play some soothing music, some nature cd’s or add an electric fountain and listen to the water trickle down the rocks. And don’t forget your sense of smell! Aromatherapy works wonders. Here’s a list of particular essential oils which aid relaxation.

When you begin to use your space of peace, you’ll start to create an energy in that particular spot. So the next time you enter your space, your body and mind will automatically re-visit the energy that you left. That’s why it’s also better if you can dedicate the space just for you and your thoughts, no one else. If you spend at least 10 minutes a day in your little sanctuary, I promise you’ll be feeling cool, calm and collected in no time!

Big love & shooting stars,

Abduction

The New York based artist, Colette Calascione, has a knack for combining classic portraiture and surrealism. Inspired by books and images of early eras, especially the Victorian era, her paintings focus on figures, usually standing, sitting or reclining, from old photographs. She then adds her own quirks and layers, and transforms the figure with a dream-like, renaissance feel.

Colette (born in 1971) received a B.F.A. from the San Francisco Art Institute, California. Her work has been shown at St. Mary’s College, Moraga, California and the San Francisco Art Institute, as well as in many galleries, most notably in the San Francisco area.

The self-taught artist - who admits she’s a perfectionist - takes many steps into creating one piece. Each begins with a drawing, an idea, then Xeroxing and enlarging, which leads to drawing everything on a white panel with a watercolor pencil. Then she works on the various layers, mostly for the flesh because she has so much in each painting. Over the drawing, she does a coat of Caput Mortem - which is an old-time technique, an earth red - and over that she puts three layers of white and a layer of green which neutralises the red. All that creates an optical grey, a grisaille. Then the color starts happening…

                  Golfer                                                                    Two Faced Portrait

              Bird Girl                                                                Internal Landscape

Team Of The Hungry Ghost                                                        Boudoir

Her paintings are enigmatic, it’s quite hard to depict what expression the subject matter holds. Almost reminiscent of the Mona Lisa smile. There’s often strange erotic stories that encompass each piece, and when asked what they mean, Colette says, “sometimes they are narratives, but more often they are just visions and I don’t usually know what they are about until years later. Sometimes they foretell things in a strange way. It’s sort of metaphysical… I hope that people are able to look at my work and come away with their own interpretations.”

So what are you able to interpret from Colette’s pieces?

Big love,