“There is no use in trying,” said Alice. “One can’t believe impossible things.”
“I dare say you haven’t had much practice,” said the Queen. “When I was your age, I did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

Hello, my lovelies! How was your weekend? A good one, I hope..? I thought we should start the week off with some tips to make you ponder the bigger picture, to question the ‘impossible’, and to give you a little inspiration, too. Let’s roll!

Donate your goods - If you’re not a registered organ donor, what on earth are your waiting for?! I registered a few years ago and talked to my family about it (which is a vital step in the donation process!), trying to convince them too. Some of them had different reasons why they didn’t want to donate their organs, whether it be for religious or even superstitious reasons, and that’s totally fine and should be respected. But what about the rest of us? Organ and tissue transplants offer patients a new chance at a healthy, productive and normal life. You have the power to change someones world. What could be more rewarding than that?!
You can usually register online or over the phone, so check out how to become one in the following links: Canada, America, Australia, United Kingdom. (I wish I could have found more forms from around the world, but if I didn’t include your country, just ask your local council or hospital on how to become one.)

Plastic fantastic? - Okay, by now, you should be aware that littering is a big fat no-no. You probably know that animals are dying every day from ingesting cigarette butts and being strangled by plastic bags, yes? But have you seen the Pacific Ocean lately? Check this article out. It details that the Pacific Ocean is one big landfill. Apparently it’s almost as twice as big as the US. Now that’s scary. (To get a good indication of the size, check this out.) One fifth of the rubbish has been thrown off ships or oil platforms, while the rest comes from land, and not just the neighbouring lands, we’re talking the world here. The waste forms in what are called tropical gyres - areas where the oceans slowly circulate due to extreme high pressure systems and where there is little wind. So the rubbish is accumulated there. Forever!
Not only is this having a huge impact on our marine life, but also on us humans, causing huge health risks. By weight, this swath of sea contains six times as much plastic as it does plankton. So what’s happening is, the toxic chemicals found in these tiny bits of plastic is being ingested by marine life, which goes through the food chain, and eventually on our plate. (Did someone say karma?) What you can do is be aware of this the next time you go shopping or throw something out the window. Maybe the first step is to bring your own environmental canvas bag to the checkout, there’s heaps of funky ones out there. Recycle and reuse. Pick up trash. Research environmental organisations. Send letters of your concern to retailers. Tell a friend (or ten!) about this. Pictures can sometimes make a bigger impact, so send them a link to the article. There is much that we can all do.

Offer to do the chores - Don’t scrunch up your nose! I know, the word ‘chore’ instantly conjures up all sorts of feelings. But offering to do “someone else’s job” can actually make them feel chuffed for the whole day. Maybe even a week, or month! It shows you appreciate them and their efforts, whilst giving them a break. Even if it’s starting the office coffee pot, or taking the clothes off the line for your mum or bringing the mail in for your next door neighbour. It’s the little things that make huge smiles. And remember, you earn karma points for each chore! What goes around comes around

So, my kittens, have you done anything lately to make someone grin from ear to ear? Are you a registered organ donor? Any recyclers out there?! I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Big love & unicorns,

The Wish

This week we’re going to take a look at some pop surrealism from the talented Lori Earley. Born and raised in Rye, New York, Lori found her signature style of long-necked women with huge expressive eyes, in her adolescents. She attended the School of Visual Arts in New York where she trained in fine art, and it wasn’t until the early noughties did she become a professional oil painter, gaining recognition across America and abroad.

Lori is an artist who loves to distort reality. This style first began when she had a lot of health problems as a young girl. She feels she paints “from the inside out as opposed to the outside in”, meaning, every piece is based on raw emotions. She admits she doesn’t like to talk about what her paintings exactly mean, but gives us clues through the form of symbolism (and the titles!).

The process of creating one of her paintings is quite intricate. It begins with an idea, then sketches, then a photo shoot of a model to get the correct juxtaposition, then more sketching, then finally the painting. A lot of the women in the pieces are her friends, or people from the Internet and even people in the street who have allowed her to photograph them.

      The End Of The Journey                          One                                                    Belladonna

Not only does Lori finds inspiration from day-to-day events, but also in fashion, especially from Jean Paul Gaultier, Jennifer Nicholson and Alexander McQueen. This is quite evident in the women she paints, as they remind me of alien-like, exaggerated high-end fashion models. Although the stunning detailed clothes that the models are draped in reflect the depth of character, the essence of her stories are told through the subject’s large eyes. She actually considers each painting to be a self-portrait, in a way, as they each reflect the mood she was in as she painted.

                       Angela                                             Regret                                               Drained

Lori’s work always has an air of mystery and romance, and besides the perfect detailing and technique, I think that’s what’s most enchanting about her work.

Your turn! What do you guys think of Lori’s art?

Big love,

I had to share this with you guys. Check this out, they’re called Jewel Smiles by Ju-Ma.

I know what you’re thinking, “you fo’real, homes?” Yes, yes I am. You know, in the close up pictures, I can kind of see some appeal, but when you see them from a distance, it’s so crap. I’m guessing from the photos that these things have been around for a while now… And check out the selling captions, “Boys.. and more boys drumming around me, I like the magic of my new jewel” or, “I once was a shy boy, with this I changed. I became somebody and the girl’s loved it” - huh?

The Jewel Smiles are available in white gold, yellow gold and chrome cobalt, for your upper teeth and bottom teeth. But do you want to know what’s really crazy about these things? They can cost up to $4,000 each! How insane is that?! There are people starving in Africa while others are buying these! The only person who can get away with wearing them is Lil’ Jon.

Okay, I won’t go on about them any further. Someone has actually gone to a lot of trouble designing and making them…

What do you think? Is this really a cool idea and I’m just un-hip? Or are you with me on this one?

Big love,

From L - R: Hikaru Annoura, Kiyuki Suenaga, Yuko Yoshida, Aika Sato, Fusa Wakasugi, Kazuha Muto.

Here are some of the highlights of the High School Students Fashion Awards from Tokyo, August 30th, 2008.

I love seeing students’ work. They’re still young and fresh, so they’re up to date with underground trends, they haven’t been corrupted by the industry, not forced to lose their creativity by appealing to the commercial masses. They’re free to be wild and non-conforming. These guys are the fashion designers of the future.

Sure, you’re probably not going to wear these down to the shops, but they’re still fascinating to look at! It’s art. I love the crazy colourful one. Check out her stockings! They’re awesome. I especially love that chick’s eye make-up. I wanna do that the next I hit the dance floor.

Which one’s your favourite?

Big love,

Can you believe there is not one helpful peter pan collar tutorial on the net? I couldn’t find any! (I bet someone will find one now…) I wanted to add one to this plain black top I have, and because I couldn’t find any ‘how to’ articles, I made my own. Now, I have never made one before, I don’t have any professional sewing background, I’m completely self-taught, so please excuse my unorthodox method! I’ve included a lot of images, because if you’re anything like me, you have to see it to fully grasp the instructions. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Lay down your top so the neck forms a circle.

Step 2: Roughly measure the inside circumference of the neckline, then roughly measure the outside circumference of the neckline (the outside circumference will determine how wide you want the collar to be). It’s best to use a protractor to do this.

Step 3: As you measure the inside and outside circumferences, trace them onto a sheet of paper (this will become your pattern/template). You should end up with a doughnut shape that looks something like this.

Step 4: Cut out your doughnut shape, then cut it in half.

Step 5: Roughly trace four of these semi-circle shapes on your fabric (leaving a couple centimetres around each shape for the sewing part), then cut them out. (You might also want to iron the fabric before you make your collar.)

Step 6: Using your paper template as a guide, pin two semi-circle together. Remember that you want a curved shape at the front of your collar to get the authentic peter pan effect. You might want the back of your collar to have a curved shape too, but I’ve done mine with a corner at the back, and a curved shape at the front.

Step 7: Sew the two semi-circles together, except for the inside circumference. You don’t really need to sew that part as it’ll be sewn to your top. As you can see in the photo above, I’ve cut the fabric several times on the inner neckline. This is so it’s easier to pin/sew the curved shape on to the top. Now I’m sure there’s a better way to pin/sew it to your top, but this is the Ivy way

Step 8: Pin that baby down to your top, and sew! I find it’s easier to hand-sew, but that’s up to you. If you want a neater effect on the inside of your collar, you can sew a strip of fabric all the way around. I just left mine as you don’t really see the inside when you’re wearing the top.

And that’s it! It should look something like this.

So there you have it, my friends, the unorthodox Ivyology Peter Pan collar tutorial. Who knows, that may even be the proper way to do it! You might want to funk it up by using a patterned fabric, or adding a button to the back (or front), or completing the look by adding matching cuffs to the sleeves, or even add a little bow to the middle. It’s very 60’s. So get crafty, lovelies, it’s a cute addition to what would ordinarily be a boring top!

Big love,

I’ve had a few requests for daily outfit posts! I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go in that direction - of making Ivyology a more personal site - but I think it’ll be a refreshing change. Plus, I’d love to look back on my outfit posts and see what works and doesn’t work. And I’ve already learnt one thing that doesn’t work - taking photos in unnatural light! I think next time, I’ll find a better background and take these babies outside during the day. So please excuse the poor quality!

Paisley top: Made by me
Teal skirt: Ebay
Black petticoat: Target
Snow Leopard Converse hi-tops: Ebay
Leopard handbag: Ebay
Flower fascinator: Abloom
Cameo brooch: Thrifted
Purple flower brooch: Thrifted
Blue flower brooch: Ebay
Black beads: Thrifted
Anna Sui mirror necklace: Ebay
Black charm necklace: Ebay
Cocktail ring: Vintage
Blue ring: Can’t remember!

Holy moley, how many accessories did I wear?! And as you can see, I’m a big Ebay and thrift store addict..

I actually wore this on Saturday. We went to a Chinese restaurant for dumplings, then went to this funky outdoor bar which had crates for the guests to sit on, fairy lights and graffiti on the walls. It looked like someone opened up their garage for the public, but that’s what made it so cool. Then we went to see The Burlesque Hour! It would have to be the best show I have ever seen. It had us talking about it all the way home. Hell, I’m still talking about it! Normally when you think of burlesque shows, you think girls shaking their thing, with giant feather fascinators and it’s all very pretty, girly and innocent. This, though, was completely different. There was full nudity, women squirting ‘breast’ milk all over the audience, a lady swinging from the ceiling, crazy industrial tribal music, strawberries being plucked out of vaginas then being eaten! Oh man, it was grand. I planned on taking some snap shots to show you, but there was strictly no photography allowed - damn.

So how was your weekend? Have any stories? Do share, I like stories

Big love & nipple tassels,

Family Reunion

This week we take a look at some creepy work from the artist, Laurie Lipton. Her drawings are a little bit disturbing, a little bit puzzling, but they’re sure to make you think and feel! And what is art if it doesn’t stir up a reaction? Nothing, I tell ya! Her pieces deal with death in a dark humoured sort of way - which isn’t too surprising coming from a Scorpion!

Laurie grew up in New York, and has travelled around the globe, living in Holland, Belgium, Germany, France, and now London. She was brought up in an atheist household, but to the dismay of her parents, has always been searching for God. She’s read the Bible, the Koran, the Gnostic Gospels, The Golden Bough, but has come to the conclusion that she “knows nothing. Life is huge and marvelous and filled with wondrous, unimaginable things. Quantum physics is uncovering vast anomalies in our perception of reality. “Reality” is an illusion.”

Growing up in the perfect New York suburbs in the 50’s, Laurie felt drawing was her only outlet for releasing her inner emotions. She’s always had the support of her parents, she was never censored, and I’m sure without this support she wouldn’t be the unconventional artist that she is today. As she was growing up, politeness, chivalry and courtesy was expected, and anything out of the ordinary was frowned upon. When her parents would proudly show her art to other family members, they would be in shock! How could such mortifying images come from such a saintly young girl?

She graduated from the prestigious Carnegie-Mellon University in Pennsylvania with a Fine Arts Degree in Drawing (with honours), but was always cutting classes and sitting in the library for hours copying Durer, Memling and Van Eyck. Her attention to detail and unique drawing techniques, which mimic the Renaissance Flemish painters, has lead her to become a self-taught artist with a love for black and white, pencil and charcoal drawings.

The Sweets Seller makes me laugh. The expression on her face is priceless, and the fact that someone who is toothless is selling candy is pretty funny.

                                  Remote                                                                              Love Bite

Facelift

Facelift is definitely one of my favourites. Check out the scattered pearls on the floor, it’s almost like she’s been in a scuffle with someone - or something!

Okay, I know I say this all the time, but I really mean it this time (not that I don’t mean it all the other times, but you know what I’m saying..) - please go and check out Laurie’s Gallery on her website, there are far too many cool pieces, I had such a difficult time deciding which ones to use in here. She has such an extensive collection, each one tells a different story, and you can actually purchase some of her prints!

So what do you guys think? Can you resonate with her dark humour? Or is the fact that you’re going to have nightmares after viewing her pieces scared you away..?

Big love,